There comes a point in almost every adventure or story-driven game out there that the developers lead players into the general vicinity of a vehicle. When you get to hop in and drive or interact with said vehicle, well, it can sometimes feel like hoisting the flag.
If you catch my drift, nudge nudge nudge.
We sat down and plotted out our favorite and most memorable vehicular moments in all of gaming. We missed some, of course, but it’s your job to tells us which ones we skipped. So, dig our list, then step up to the plate.
The Damn Bike Level - Battletoads in Battlemaniacs
Most obnoxious vehicle section ever? Yeah, that’s probably a more apt description of this entry.
We’re picking it because we feel like we have to. It sucked too many hours out of our lives and, for most of us, remains unbeaten for the simple reason that it’s unfairly hard. Like, throw your controller at your cat hard.
Flying the AC-130 - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Good kill.
This whole mission was brilliant. Sure, it was basically a mini-game in and of itself, but firing rounds down on your enemies from an extremely high vantage point was a rush.
Battle of Hoth - Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
There’s a reason why we have relived the Battle of Hoth in video games countless times. It can all be traced back to Shadows of the Empire. The thrill of mowing down AT-STs and sticking tow cables to AT-ATs to wrangle them down to the ground remains one of the best vehicle-based moments in gaming history. Most gamers love Star Wars (at least the originals), so getting to play one of the series’ most famous sequences was truly a nerdgasmic experience the first time around. We also didn’t mind reliving the death of Luke’s co-pilot, Dack, over and over again.
Seems you couldn’t take on the whole Empire yourself, could you, Dack?
Escaping the Pillar of Autumn - Halo
The final moments of the original Halo were intense. You have to get out of the Pillar of Autumn by way of Warthog, and the sequence that unfolds is glorious. It doesn’t hurt at all that the Warthog is one of the best vehicles in all of gaming.
Sewer Surfin’ - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
“Ow, my toe, my toe, my toe!”
Anyone that’s played Turtles in Time has probably heard that line more times than they care to admit. That’s absolutely the case with us. While the level “Sewer Surfin’” remains one of the best zones in Turtles in Time, it also remains one of the most frustrating. It didn’t help that your asshole find always took the pizza when you needed it most.
