[nestoras]

It's not only the graphics. I am a few years older than the original poster and I very vividly remember the game that blew me away when I was (about) the same age: Thanatos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVSSxwXkPjE

This game was simply a masterpiece, in every way. For a 12 year old, it was an unbelievable experience. The graphics were amazing, the animation free-flowing and beautiful, the stage where the drama was unfolding an almost infinite, dark world and the music so much unlike anything else that my trusty Amstrad's little speaker has ever sounded. The whole game had an eerie atmosphere, like a dream. Even the gameplay had original elements: your dragon did not seem to have hit points or an energy bar. Instead, the faster its heart was beating, the closer it was to death. Yet, you never knew exactly how close. Just like real life, that was the point. Being Greek, even the name had an impressive, majestic quality to me: Thanatos (the dragon's name) means Death.

Thanatos managed to create a completely immersive experience (at least to a 12 year old) through graphics, animation, sound, story, atmosphere and gameplay elements.