Cognition Dissemination: Some of My Favorite Fireworks in Video Games

It’s Independence Day, a day to watch fireworks from up close or afar, cook and eat barbecued food, watch (or re-watch) the Independence Day film, and, uh, commemorate something else. I forget. But it’s also a good opportunity to think about some of the most memorable fireworks in video games. You’ll find several lists of them if you search the internet, but many tend to consider the best fireworks in terms of how pretty they are, and don’t describe the meaning or nostalgia behind them — if they provide descriptions at all. Each of us have unique memories of pretty pyrotechnic displays in games worth talking about, which is why I’m sharing some of mine for the occasion.

Super Mario Bros. (NES)

It’s a good time to talk about the original Super Mario Bros. and other platformers in the Mario series, given that Super Mario Maker 2 just released for Switch. Some of my earliest memories of seeing fireworks in games involve those from the original title. They were far from the prettiest examples, resembling miniature explosions thanks to the NES’ hardware limitations, but were the kind that made a kid like me feel proud to get something a little special after finishing a level.

Part of this involved being perplexed at how exactly to trigger the fireworks in each level, something I wouldn’t find out until the internet came around. The process involved finishing a level with the timer ending in a 1, 3, or 6, and the subsequent number of explosions would match the number at the end. This was worth it for the score involved, as one explosion gave the player 500 points each, which equaled a big score when added on top of the player’s performance in a level and whether they could jump high enough to reach the top of the flagpole. The score didn’t matter in the grand scheme, but comparing them to what your friends could achieve was good for unofficial dick-measuring contests.

These days, fireworks are being used in all sorts of creative ways for level creation in SMM2, just as they were for the previous game.

Final Fantasy XIII (PlayStation 3)

Unlike the above SMB example, I’m using Final Fantasy XIII here because of how much attention to detail was given to the scene they were used in. Specifically, they were displayed in a cutscene involving Snow proposing to Serah, protagonist Lightning’s little sister (in a relationship she was NOT okay with, thank you), with fireworks going off as they embraced each other. Yes, this is absolutely a sappy nonsense scene in a game rife with pitiful writing, but the fact that I could remember this particular part after not playing it in over nine years is proof of how good it looks.

Assassin’s Creed II (PlayStation 3 — but also on several other platforms)

I enjoyed Assassin’s Creed II for several reasons, a game which took the first game’s concept and realized its potential. It contained a beautiful recreation of Italy during the Renaissance era in the late 15th century, and several festivities that occurred during the time. The fireworks here are displayed during the Carnevale di Venezia mission, which involves protagonist Ezio using the celebratory occasion as an opportunity to infiltrate a private party to assassinate a target. The fireworks occur during the mission, which are pretty to look at; they’re also enough to distract a player as they hop from one rooftop to another to reach their destination, which guards are patrolling. Of course I’m describing me when I’m referring to “a player.” Needless to say, it took me more than one try to complete the mission.

NieR: Automata

NieR: Automata also has pretty fireworks, a title whose finer moments have remained on my mind since I finished it around two-and-a-half months ago. The fireworks constantly play in the Amusement Park 2B and 9S visit early in the game, though they’ll have to make constant trips there thanks to main missions and side quests. There’s a good reason why this carnival is still active in a post-apocalyptic world, which is tied to a minor spoiler that represents one of my favorite moments in the game.

The park is full of robots who act suspiciously human, including those partaking in the celebration and staffers. Outside select encounters, the robots don’t attack the player on sight, and only defend themselves if the player feels an appetite for destruction. They simply want to mimic the joyous moments of humanity, and while that’s ostensibly creepy, there’s an underlying tranquility among their actions. This is far, far from the only moment like this in the game, and it’s absolutely worth playing the whole thing just to experience them — among its other quality moments.

Independence Day is a mostly welcome break from the hardships of life and the constantly depressing news cycle that’s continually documenting the world’s downfall, so take some time to relax. But also enjoy the festivities if you plan to partake in them.