I know what you're thinking:
Wait, I thought he wasn't writing about games that literally made him gayer?
Although I can understand why you might feel that way, the truth of the matter is that I'm still writing about games that, at one point or another, made my life happier and merrier. (Yes, merrier.)
In the case of
Parodius (aka
Parodius Da!), well, it made my young life gayer (happier) in a few ways. For starters, it was the first game I imported from Japan (back when you had to do it the hard way--by calling someone on the phone and then giving the person on the other end of the line your dad's credit card number). Second, and more importantly, it was the first shoot 'em up I really savored.
Sure, I'd played--and rather enjoyed--
Gradius and
R-Type and other well-regarded representatives of the genre, but they always felt a bit too serious and sterile.
Parodius, on the other hand, slathered itself in silliness and absurdity.
Anyway, the game had me hook, line and sinker from the second I hit the power button on my trusty TurboGrafx-16 thanks to its silliness as well as its
strange intro (see screenshot at right), insane(ly sweet) graphics and incredible tunes. Oh, and it didn't hurt that it was addictive and enjoyable and offered just the right amount challenge, too.
All that said, I wouldn't suggest picking this one up if you're a
Parodius virgin, as each of its successors--especially
Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius (available for the Super Famicom, Saturn, PlayStation and PSP) and
Sexy Parodius (available for the Saturn, PlayStation and PSP)--best it in practically every area.
See also: all of the previous '10 video games that made my life gayer' posts