10 years later: your favorite Spore memories

I think that first play-through was pretty much breathtaking. I couldn't believe how easy world creation was, and the graphics were really stunning. As a system developer, I was blown away by many things, not least the open world and how it was optional to advance in the game, and ANIMATION. My gods I was amazed that you could scale things insanely, add any number of legs, including odd numbers, and the thing still animated. Don't get me wrong, there are things I'd have loved to improve, including front leg angulation, and adding a true trot, but for the most part I was, and still am, delighted.

I think the thing that really took my breath away happened after I'd been playing a year or so. I had this creature that was a white lion with gold leopard spots on one of the very intense blue-green doughnut planets. One night (in game) my creature, and the rogues following it, came to rest on top or a hill overlooking ocean to the horizon. As the two moons rose in the intense, Maxfield Parrish sky, a mourning dove started to call. It happened a few times. I was just struck by the beauty of the world, of my creations, and the creations of others that had come into my game.

Before that, I think it was less the game, than the community. There were too many wonderful people to list, including people who['ve passed on, people who became and still are friends IRL, and the ones I can only remember by their creations in my sporpedia. Spore was great for building bonds across ages and value systems. I had spore friends who were much younger and older than me, of all faiths and none. The sporum was a heady, sometimes lawless romp that lasted many years. I was lucky to start with the game from inception, and the sporum shortly after that. I love the friends I've kept, the creations I made, and most of all cherish that chaotic whirlwind that was the sporum.

Emitcones forever!