When it comes to narrowing down your favorite game, you might consider a nostalgic pick likeThe Legend of Zeldaor think about recent GOTY winners likeBaldur’s Gate 3. Regardless of how you attempt to narrow it down, it’s pretty hard to settle on just one, and the same is true for some of entertainment’s most notable celebrities.
Asking a celebrity to name their favorite video game is a pretty standard interview question that most celebs are more than happy to answer. Whether it’s their all-time irrefutable favorite or it is just incredibly special to them, here are the classic games that a few equally iconic celebrities have mentioned remain close to their hearts.
10Steven Spielberg Loves Playing Call Of Duty With His Son
Max Spielberg, Steven Spielberg’s Son, Confirms That Call Of Duty Is Always A Hit With His Dad
When you think of Steven Spielberg, video games probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind, given that he’s responsible for some of the biggest movies in the film industry. That being said, if his stunning adaptation ofReady Player Onewas anything to go off of, you may have suspected that a passion for gaming existed within Steven Spielberg, and you’d be right.
In an interview withMinnMax, Max Spielberg, Steven Spielberg’s son, spoke up about the fact that his dad is a hardcore PC gamer. Max then goes on to say that of all his recommendations to his dad,Call of Dutyis always what gets Steven Spielberg’s seal of approval, and that he especially lovesCall of Duty’s campaignsfor the story.
9Megan Fox Reminds Players That Mortal Kombat Is Legendary
While Promoting The Return Of Nitara, Megan Fox Gushed About MK’s Impact On Gaming
While promoting her role asNitara inMortal Kombat 1, Megan Fox spoke up about her thoughts onthe franchise. In her interview onMortal Kombat’s YouTube channel, she discusses howMortal Kombatis a genre-defining staplethat has “been around since gaming has been around” and that, after growing up playing the game, a role inMKwas an opportunity she jumped at.
Despite the fierce competition in the fighting game industry from other long-running series likeStreet Fighter,Tekken,King of Fighters, and even upcoming new releases likeMarvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, Mortal Kombathas managed to hold its own. So, whether you’re a particular fan of hers or not, it’s hard to deny Megan Fox’s claims about this legendary franchise.
8Matthew Perry Played Fallout 3 To The Point Of Injury
Matt Perry Was A Fan Of Fallout Long Before His Appearance In The Franchise
If you’ve played throughFallout: New Vegas, then perhaps you caught a special cameo from Matthew Perry. What you may not have known, however, is thatMatthew Perry was a fan ofFalloutlong before his appearance as Benny. During an interview onEllen, Matthew Perry revealed a gift he brought to donate for a charity auction: a signed copy ofFallout 3and an Xbox 360.
In the interview, he stated that he had no affiliation with the franchise, but thatFallout 3was special to him, and thathe had spent so much time playing it that he had to see a doctor for carpal tunnel injuries he had sustained. Considering we could be looking ata remaster forFallout 3soon, this is a recommendation you’ll want to keep on your radar.
7Ben Schwartz Praises Chrono Trigger For Its Impressive Story & Characters
The Voice Of Sonic, Ben Schwartz, Declares This His Favorite Game Of All Time
Being that he is the voice of Sonic in the most recent series of films, you probably expected Ben Schwartz to say that one of theSonicgames is his favorite of all time, but you’d be wrong. While he has expressed his fondness forSonic, Ben Schwartz couldn’t help but gush whenthe iconic RPGChrono Triggercame up in an interview withIGNon its YouTube channel.
Schwartz claims thatChrono Triggeris an “extraordinary game with an extraordinary soundtrack” that offers a story and characters you’re able to easily invest in. He notes that while playing other games like this, there’s often a lack of interest in some characters in your party, but thatinChrono Trigger, every character is just as interesting and worth your time as the others.
6Zendaya Shouts Out The Last Of Us Part 2
During An IG Story, Zendaya Shared A Clip While Playing What She Declared Her “Fav Game”
Seemingly out of nowhere, Zendaya randomly took to Instagram to share a story with her followers that showed a brief clip fromThe Last of Us Part2. In the caption, she tags another well-known actress, Hunter Schafer, and captions the post “replaying our fav game,” indicating thatnot only isTLOU Part 2her favorite game, but it is Hunter Schafer’s favorite as well.
While the post has since gone away due to being a 24-hour IG Story,fallioron Reddit took the time to record and share it, so that others can see this Naughty Dog shout-out. Given Zendaya’s likely preference for intense emotional performances, based on her work history, it’s no surprise that she enjoys this story-heavy franchise.
5Tom Holland Became Addicted To Uncharted While Filming Spider-Man: Homecoming
Tom Holland’s Passionate Interest In Uncharted May Have Led To The Eventual Film Adaptation
Given that Tom Holland is the face of theUnchartedfilm, you might suspect that he picked up the games to prepare for his role, but it’s actually the other way around. Between takes for another Sony project,Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tom Holland found himself in his actor trailer with plenty of time to kill and a stack of PlayStation games, one of which just so happened to beUncharted.
During a speech at CES 2022,Tom reveals that upon starting the games, he immediately fell in love with this action-adventure franchise, so much so that he even found it hard to step away when it was time for the cameras to begin rolling again. This passion eventually led to him pushing for the creation of amovie adaptation ofUnchartedwith Sony, which he then starred in, as none other than Nathan Drake.
During The Pandemic, Jack Black Logged Over 400 Hours In RDR2 & Didn’t Regret A Minute
Not every celebrity has so blatantly stated what their absolute one game recommendation would be to anyone, but in the case of Jack Black, there’s a clear answer. During an interview withComicBook, Jack Black and Jason Momoa went over their personal gaming history while promoting theMinecraftmovie, and Jack Black was quick to praise forRed Dead Redemption 2.
After sharing that he had put over 400 hours into the game during the pandemic, he states thatif anyone opts to try out just one game, that’s the one to pick. Of course, that’s not the only place Jack Black has expressed his love of the franchise, asa Tenacious D song, “Video Games,” hasseveral verses that praise theRDR2’s magical world and Shakespeare-like storytelling.
3Matthew Mercer Has Been A Final Fantasy VII Fan Since Day One
Matt’s Role As Vincent Valentine In FFVII Rebirth Is One Of His Fondest Memories
While you may know him primarily asCritical Role’s legendary Dungeon Master, Matt Mercer also has a long history with the gaming industry, specifically as a voice actor. In addition to his iconic roles asGanondorf inZelda: TOTK, Cassidy inOverwatch, and Leon Kennedy inRE6, one of Matt Mercer’s most significant roles was none other than Vincent Valentine inFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth.
As a collector of all the original action figures forFFVII, Matt Mercer has shared that it was a day-one release for him and remains one of his most-played games. Having been offered the opportunity to record a few NPC lines for the remakes, Matt went into the studio only to then have it revealed to him in the booth that he would actually be playing Vincent Valentine, which he noted as one of his fondest memories in this clip fromSquare Enix’s YouTube channel.
2Robin Williams Named His Daughter After His Love For The Zelda Franchise
The Legend of Zelda Was A Significant Part Of Robin Williams' Life
If you were around for the release of some of the slightly olderThe Legend of Zeldagames, like the 3DS remake ofOcarina of Time, then you might remember seeingads starring Robin Williams and his daughter, Zelda. While it might have seemed at the time like this was just a cute ad showcasing a lovable, popular celebrity and his daughter, it was much more than that.
It’s believed that there is an homage to the lateRobin Williams inZelda: BOTWandTOTK, in the form of an NPC that resembles him in both looks and personality, but it has never been confirmed whether this was intentional.
In several interviews throughout his life,Robin Williams speaks highly ofZelda, indicating that the franchise was one of his first interactions with video games and that it still holds a special place in his heart, which is evident in his daughter’s name. While he never confirmed it, there’s speculation that his son, Cody, was named after a character fromFinal Fight, showing how much video games truly meant to the late legendary comedian.
1Hideo Kojima Says Super Mario Bros. Is “One Of Mankind’s Greatest Inventions”
Without Mario and Shigeru Miyamoto, Kojima May Have Never Started Making Games
With as much weight as Hideo Kojima’s name holds in the gaming community, there’s perhaps one more that tops even him, and that’s Shigeru Miyamoto,the creator ofSuper Mario Bros.Havingcredited Miyamoto andMarioas being the reason he got into gaming, I’m sure even Kojima would agree with that statement.
In the November 2010 issue ofNintendo Power, Kojima laid out all his thoughts onMarioin honor of its 25th anniversary, stating thatSuper Mario Bros.“altered the future of gaming” using just two simple actions— run and jump. From there, he goes on to say that “the game truly deserves to be hailed as one of mankind’s greatest inventions” and evenequates it to being the Big Bang of the gaming universe, which might be the most intense statement I’ve ever heard about a video game.
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda franchise follows the adventures of Link, an elf-like Hylian, and Princess Zelda as they protect the land of Hyrule from the evil warlord-turned-demon king Ganon. The series is known for its mix of action, adventure, and puzzle-solving elements, often revolving around the collection of the Triforce, a powerful relic left by the goddesses who created Hyrule. Each game features different incarnations of Link and Zelda, maintaining core elements while introducing new characters and settings.
