Games with the best explosions

There's nothing like a good explosion, is there? Especially when you're the one who's causing it.

Some of my favorites are:

• Ikaruga
• Total Annihilation
• Vanquish
• Dodonpachi
• Mushihime-sama Futari
• Metal Slug
• They may not be of the fiery variety, but I liked the foeplosions in Zelda: Wind Waker and Twilight Princess.
• Jet Force Gemini. It's raining bug guts!

What are some of your favorite? I could do with some reccomendations.

Super Smash Bros 64.

Not because of the visual quality, but because every single explosion sounds like a goddamn nuke. Seriously, those things are loud.

^ I'd go with Melee, personally. The way they explode, sending sparkling plumes of smoke in every direction... HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG, and such.

I nominate Roy's Flare Blade from Melee. Its the only thing that made Roy a step above crap in my eyes. And Electrode in Pokemon, whose also been in all three smash bros games.

edited 4th Jan '11 3:45:58 PM by Cider

You know what are cheap as hell, a bitch to play against, and leave pretty explosions?

CROCKETS!

At the time it came out, Mercenaries had extremely impressive pyrotechnics. And considering that the whole game was essentially a love letter to Stuff Blowing Up that's a good thing.

I remember Contra 3 having plenty of explosions. They had that early SNES Konami sound—squelchy sometimes, but unique and varied. Hell, Contra games tend to be a progression of explosions.

Just Cause 2... I guess, I don't know if the explosions were 'beautiful', but I loved blowing shit up in that game.

edited 4th Jan '11 4:05:50 PM by Robotrekkie

• Half Life. They may be 2-D and generic (I think, I might be wrong on how all explosions in the game look, since many might be particle effects), but they have a certain charm to them.
• Day Of Defeat: Source. Lots of smoke, which fits in with the World War II setting.
• Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit. Nothing like slamming into another car and seeing paint chips fly everywhere.
• Command And Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Since there's so many explosions, it makes sense that they look like they came from an action film of sorts.

edited 3rd Sep '11 6:07:33 PM by RocketDude

The big explosion in Team Fortress 2 when you PUSH LEETLE CART all the way.

Smash 64 has awesome explosion noises, too. BLAM!!!

Ah, how could I forget the Payload explosion?

In the Cashworks map, it's apparently so strong it makes a giant vault door fall off its hinges.

@Rocket Dude: The explosion sound effect from Half Life is forever imprinted on my mind.

Also, Final Fantasy IX. Best explosions on the PS 1. DAT FLARE

Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction is way on top of my list on best explosions.

I'm seconding Do Don Pachi, and I would like to add Crimzon Clover on that list of best explosions.

Gradius V and Raiden III.

I recommend the mute button. Unless that sort of music floats your boat.

edited 4th Jan '11 4:58:59 PM by Legionnaire

I liked the Star Fox 64 explosions. Especially the one on Macbeth. Fuck. Yes.

It's unfortunately not in-engine, but a few seconds after this makes my jaw hit the floor every damn time.

edited 4th Jan '11 6:42:29 PM by Pykrete

The Detonation Moon in Kirby's Adventure.

The nuke in Tower Madness. Nothing quite like watching a nuclear explosion go off on top of an alien cockroach.

EDIT: Whoops.

The grenades in Brink are also kinda neat.

edited 3rd Sep '11 6:10:09 PM by RocketDude

Fallout 3 and New Vegas. Glorious nuclear explosions.

And filling mountains with TNT in Minecraft. Makes things barren, but still fun.

The Liquid Tiberium Bomb from CNC 3 is pretty cool. Even if the scaling in the cutscene is fucked up.

^Oh yeah, that explosion.

I think a downside of the current focus on realism is that we may actually see tamer explosions since most of the damage from real explosions comes from the invisible blast wave, fuel air explosives aside.

Of course, that would be spectacular enough once they can model destructible environments as accurately as the explosions.

edited 3rd Sep '11 6:49:57 PM by Recon5