Only the Best Intros

[narcodis]

Vagrant Story's opening scene is maybe the best-looking thing on the playstation. The way they "fake" shadows and dynamic lighting, alongside just plain impressive cinematic direction, is really something to behold. A technical and artistic marvel. It rules.

I also am fond of Ni No Kuni 2's opening, primarily for being one of the most batshit insane introductions to a game I've ever experienced. You can skip the first 30-40 seconds or so. It ramps up quick.

 

[LBD_Nytetrayn]

Well, since Sonic CD has already been done, I guess I'll go with my favorite racing game... and it's sequels.

Man, the first one really needs to be made backwards compatible on Xbox.

 

[Klatrymadon]

Last Armageddon's is one I return to with absurd regularity. By all (anglophone) accounts the game's a bit of a mess, but I feel like it owe it an eventual playthrough just for providing so much aesthetic pleasure in its first two minutes.

 

[Mightyblue]

The opening bits of the music just scream Air Man's theme to me.

 

[Büge]

No one's said Super Metroid yet? I'm shocked.

 

[Dr. Nerd]

This post is all going to be about grainy 3-D PSX intros

MediEvil is a personal favorite of mine. They actually aired some of the cutscenes on MTV's cartoon shorts show twenty million years ago, and when a certain young Doctor realized it was from a game on a system he didn't own, it made him very envious. The swooping camera angles around the whimsical gothic architecture reminds me of the opening to the Tales from the Crypt TV series, which is a favorite non-gaming intro of mine. I also love Dan's toothy grin after he comes to life, proceeding the reveal that despite the opening text scrawl assuring us of his heroism defeating the sorcerer's army, he got unceremoniously killed before the battle really began.

This might be a cheat, since this intro comes after starting the game (my memory wanted to say it started before the title screen), but I'm going to shout out Oddworld: Abe's Odyssey anyway. This intro is laser-targeted to the vital Doctor Nerd demographic: a grim and engrossing alien world, a scrappy slapstick hero that emotes through pantomime, and a problem that the protagonist has to deal with that's way out of their league (in this case, it's end-stage capitalism). This intro also appeared on MTV as a cartoon short!

Last Armageddon's is one I return to with absurd regularity. By all (anglophone) accounts the game's a bit of a mess, but I feel like it owe it an eventual playthrough just for providing so much aesthetic pleasure in its first two minutes.

That was a wild ride

 

[Klatrymadon]

I've barely played the new port at all because I'm happy enough just sitting there watching the attract mode.

(There's one where a bendy Darius logo 'swims' around the screen, too - it rules.)

Edit: oof, didn't realise the sound quality in the vid was so bad. Please play the game!

 

[Exposition Owl]

Bionic Commando for the Game Boy has one of the better Mega Man intros.

Link's Awakening goes without saying.

Civilization IV's intro is legendary.

Mark of the Ninja's intro just sums up the game perfectly.

Myst. THAT'S RIGHT, I SAID IT.

 

[WildcatJF]

I do love the intro to Elevator Action Returns. It's only missing some jazzy instrumental.