Has there ever been a game like this?

[Wavelflack]

I'll skip the preface and usual bullshit: I want a game that consists of MANY short, individual games. Action 52 does not count, as most of the games are shit and many don't even have any sort of ending.

These days, I'm always short on time and patience. I'd like to have a game that, with the use of reasonable skill, can be beaten in an hour or two. And after you finish that one, you move to the next chapter.

I don't think I'm accurately describing what I am wishing for, but it's the best I can do. Maybe I could do better by offering a hypothetical example? Let's say it's a Sonic game (2D). Instead of making an enormous, marathon length game (Sonic 3), you have a collection of Sonic 1 sized games, all with their own beginning and ending, all individual. You fire it up, and you beat it in an hour or two. The next time you have some free time, you go for the next game. On and on..etc.

I think this desire stems from two things: First is the idea of multiple games included on the same game. When I first heard about Sonic CD, it was written that "after you beat the game, you unlock an entirely new game!" Upon the game's release, it turned out that they were referring to the past/present/future stages, and the way you can alter them. It's cool, but I was expecting an entirely new game to open up upon completion of the original. Think how cool the 2nd quest on Zelda would have been if the overworld was completely different (not just in layout, but in color, art, design, enemies, etc.).
Anyway, the 2nd thing is that I no longer have time to "immerse" myself in the long-ass games of today. I KNOW I'm gonna have to shut it off in an hour, and who knows when I can get back to it? I don't want a 70 hour game--I want 70 one hour games, all from a unified concept (Rolling Thunder, Sonic, Mario, etc.)

Incidentally, minigames don't count either. What do you guys think?

[nesman85]

you need a multicart for whatever system you like best. there's a ton of gb/gbc/gba and nes ones that i've seen. i'm sure there's a lot for other systems too.

[Wavelflack]

I'm not talking about a multicart, in the normal sense. I'm not interested in just having a bunch of games on a single medium. What I'm talking about is entire series of short games, but put together as a package. In other words, 12 Sonic the Hedgehog games, all in the 1-2 hour length, all different. Or a bunch of 2D Mario games, or whatever.

Simply put, I would like to be able to beat a game during my limited free time, but then have other similar adventures in store for my next free period. Get it?

[nesman85]

so basically a multicart with games that you choose? i'm sure somebody here has the proper equipment to make you one.

[Wavelflack]

No. I'm not talking about a compilation of any existing games. I'm saying that it would have been nice to have an entire series of short Sonic games, included on a single cart, etc. I'm saying that I would have preferred that direction to the existing one (single games that just get longer and LONGER).

The reason I say "on the same cart" is not for convenience, but because you wouldn't want to keep buying one hour games over and over. I like the idea of 70 hours worth of entertainment for $50, but I would like it broken into 70 discrete portions of an hour each, rather than one big, long, drawn out game.

[scooterb23]

I get the idea Wavel...and I like it.

The closet think I can think of is Incredible Crisis...you play through the day as the father, and then you go through the rest of family. I never got through the mother's day. So there is a beginning, middle, and end to each "game." The thing is, IC is just a bunch of mini-games tied together with a very odd story.

Sorry I can't be more helpful...

[kevates]

Incredible Crisis is my suggestion as well... i guess you could say its just a bunch of mini-games strung together... but its fun and HILARIOUS.