View Full Version : Games that you artificially shorten?
c0ldb33r
10-12-2009, 05:44 PM
Are there any games that you artificially shorten? That you pretend are shorter than they actually are? Either because the games get too hard or they just aren't enjoyable past a certain point?
Mine is R-Type. As far as I'm concerned, the game only has four stages. Stage four, the last stage, is a real bitch and the final boss (that large three part ship) is an ass. I find the rest of the game difficult to the point of unplayable. If I can beat stage four, I've won :)
Does anyone else do this?
vivaeljason
10-12-2009, 06:09 PM
All the time! I used to consider getting decently far in Contra without using the 30 lives code an accomplishment, and that's certainly not the only game where I've felt that way.
Adventures Of Link is probably my least favorite NES game of all time and not because it was a change from LOZ, it's because of how impossibly hard it can get not even half way through. One time I attempted to beat the game in one sitting (or at least play the game as long as possible), needless to say it didn't end very well.
Basically, if I can get up to/past the 4th palace without throwing my controller across the room, I've reached my goal and Zelda is left to fend for herself.
kupomogli
10-12-2009, 06:23 PM
Castlevania Symphony of the Night.
Even though the game is extremely easy, I like it because it's got a nicely done level design. However, once I get to the point where you can go to the inverted castle, I usually kill Richter instead of the orb that is controlling him. I still do beat the game though even though it's the bad ending.
Why? The inverted castle is just a generic way to increase the games time. It's not even designed to be fun to go through. Most of the areas you can't reach by doing a double jump so you're forced to go and turn into a bat because the jump is just short enough to where you can't make it. If you do a high jump you'll just be damaged by the enemy they place there. It's an annoyance and it's not hard.
It's really too bad because the inverted castle has some pretty cool bosses.
mobiusclimber
10-12-2009, 06:28 PM
I can imagine doing this in Ar Tonelico since the game kinda gives you the option of how long you want to play it for. I didn't tho (since it's my first playthru) but likely will later on when I replay it for the other endings. And of course there's Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, but you have to play the games all the way through first.
Sonicwolf
10-12-2009, 06:29 PM
All the time! I used to consider getting decently far in Contra without using the 30 lives code an accomplishment, and that's certainly not the only game where I've felt that way.
I played Contra for the first time yesterday and I have to say, the first level has kicked my ass countless times already.
IT'S HARD!
The 1 2 P
10-12-2009, 07:19 PM
For me the original Driver on PS1 ended in the parking garage....right where it started.
BetaWolf47
10-12-2009, 08:11 PM
Usually, if I can't get far in a game or don't feel like playing anymore, I just consider it incomplete. I've done this on way too many games x_x
Baloo
10-12-2009, 08:37 PM
I played Contra for the first time yesterday and I have to say, the first level has kicked my ass countless times already.
IT'S HARD!
First level? Wait until you get to those upward levels. Hoo boy are THOSE hard.
Spread shot is just boss in that game though.
Ed Oscuro
10-12-2009, 09:16 PM
Mine is R-Type. As far as I'm concerned, the game only has four stages. Stage four, the last stage, is a real bitch and the final boss (that large three part ship) is an ass. I find the rest of the game difficult to the point of unplayable. If I can beat stage four, I've won :)
Any shooter, if I can get a better score than my previous, I've won (well, not quite, but done better). Score is the major way to play that genre - you could feed the credits in or just play some terrible console style shmup or whatever but that's not so fun (or as time efficient, by which I mean being able to win or lose in 5 minutes and then start it all over again).
mEgAsHoT
10-12-2009, 11:08 PM
While this might be stretching it, I always have to resort to cheats when playing through any modern GTA game due to the extreme increase in difficulty about halfway through the games. I literally have to resort to this due to GTA's terrible concept of no mid-mission checkpoints, which means you have to do everything perfectly on the first run, or else you have to replay it from the beginning.
Another game I "artificially shortened" is Ninja Gaiden Black. I can never get past the first level or two. The game ended for me after being beaten by the first boss a hundred times. There's no way I have the patience to play this game if all it's going to do is punish me for trying to play it.
Gameguy
10-13-2009, 12:30 AM
I haven't actually beat it yet but I use the warps in Super Mario Bros.
XYXZYZ
10-13-2009, 06:24 PM
Ninja Gaiden ends at Jaquio for me. (Though I have finished Ninja Gaiden a couple times) Even Jashin (the final boss) is easier than Jaquio. His pattern is too difficult for me to keep up with, and if you die you fall out of the tower and you get sent back to stage 6-1! At that point I'm too fatigued to pick up the fight and try again, stage 6-2 by itself is so frustrating the dread of doing it over again every time Jaquio wears me down just makes me turn the power off and say "Maybe next time."
Needless to say, I suck at the last few stages of Ninja Gaiden. I can get there in one life, but I don't have enough experience to play it well enough at the end.
I know, I ought to practice, but... bah.
AB Positive
10-13-2009, 07:09 PM
In my world, Ikaruga has three levels. I'd love to see the ending on it but I've all but given up.
The Old School Gamer
10-13-2009, 08:14 PM
The one game that comes to mind for me was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the NES. It was one of the few games I owned, and I liked it, but as far as I was concerned the game ended in the second level before you swim around and disarm the bombs in the water. The swimming part was frustrating beyond belief with its killer seaweed and crappy controls. When did make it to level 3 I found myself lost in the maze of a city with half dead turtles and no chance of survival. So I'd just goof around in the first 2 levels and then turn the game off, for me it wasn't worth the aggravation.
Game Freak
10-13-2009, 08:17 PM
For me, Mafat Conspiracy ends in the pseudo 3D Maze
and Fester's Quest ends in the sewers. Always. The frogs were your boss, and the sewer were your post traumatic credits ROFL
Tempest
10-13-2009, 08:34 PM
In my world, Ikaruga has three levels. I'd love to see the ending on it but I've all but given up.
I finally saw it a few weeks ago. Trust me, it's not worth the frustration.
Tempest
SamuraiSmurfette
10-15-2009, 12:25 PM
As far as I'm concerned, if I get to the final four in any Pokemon game, I've beaten it.
I've played every one of these, and it's always the same story.
I always get there too quickly, and by the time I get there, my pokemon are too low level.
If I even wanted to stand a chance, I'd have to go back and grind them all up like 10 levels.
I'm certainly not going to do that.
So when I get there, I'm done :)
awbacon
10-15-2009, 12:50 PM
Castlevania Symphony of the Night.
Even though the game is extremely easy, I like it because it's got a nicely done level design. However, once I get to the point where you can go to the inverted castle, I usually kill Richter instead of the orb that is controlling him. I still do beat the game though even though it's the bad ending.
Why? The inverted castle is just a generic way to increase the games time. It's not even designed to be fun to go through. Most of the areas you can't reach by doing a double jump so you're forced to go and turn into a bat because the jump is just short enough to where you can't make it. If you do a high jump you'll just be damaged by the enemy they place there. It's an annoyance and it's not hard.
It's really too bad because the inverted castle has some pretty cool bosses.
I disagree. I think the inverted castle was just as fun, if not more, than the first castle.
Then again I am a crazy, gotta complete 200% of the map type of SOTN player
RASK1904
10-15-2009, 12:59 PM
Double Dragon III on the Nes ends in the room it starts in. This game is very hard. For me? Once I did use the game genie to see some more of the game. Kinda practice to see what is actually ask of someone playing. Sence then the game still ends in the first room. It sucks becuase I enjoy the other 2 alot.
Blitzwing256
10-15-2009, 01:54 PM
I disagree. I think the inverted castle was just as fun, if not more, than the first castle.
Then again I am a crazy, gotta complete 200% of the map type of SOTN player
don't you mean 200.6%? ;-)
kupomogli
10-15-2009, 02:02 PM
don't you mean 200.6%? ;-)
Or with glitches you can get more.
PentiumMMX
10-15-2009, 03:07 PM
For me, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 always ends right after beating Silver Sonic. No matter how hard I try, I simply cannot beat Dr. Robotnic in that giant mecha; usually I get far into the fight when something completely random happens and causes me to die (Not bouncing back after an attack and dieing from contact with the kneecap on the mecha, or bouncing back too far after an attack and getting killed by the elbow of the spike arm as it's returning). It's like this game hates me...
Another example is on Sonic & Knuckles if I fail to obtain all the Chaos Emeralds while playing; I always stop just before the boss at the end of Death Egg Act 1. That's the reason I go out of my way to obtain all the emeralds, as well as build up 50+ rings on my way to this boss; without the divine protection of the Chaos Emeralds, I'm screwed.
Sometimes I just accept that there will be some games that I'll never complete, like Ninja Princess.
Sabz5150
10-17-2009, 08:39 AM
In my world, Ikaruga has three levels. I'd love to see the ending on it but I've all but given up.
You too, huh?
But I still try :D
cooky560
10-17-2009, 08:50 AM
In my world, Ikaruga has three levels. I'd love to see the ending on it but I've all but given up.
lol it's not that hard if you really really try, although its very annoying
Rickstilwell1
10-17-2009, 03:52 PM
When I use an emulator I just abuse save states when I can't get past something, but on real hardware I like to get as far as I can and I still have fun if I lose. I think the gameplay of the first few levels of some games is fun enough even if I can't go any further.
Some games I can beat but I like the first levels so much that I start new games more often than I complete the games.
There are also times where I'll be playing a game and I'll get an ADD reflex (even though I don't have clinical ADD) and choose to stop playing and put in another game.
Ed Oscuro
10-17-2009, 04:11 PM
First level? Wait until you get to those upward levels. Hoo boy are THOSE hard.
Spread shot is just boss in that game though.
It would be funny to find out somebody restarts the game if they don't make it across both bridges. The second Spread shot comes along not long after, and the lower route is much safer anyhow.
joshnickerson
10-17-2009, 06:32 PM
The water level of any Sonic game. That's usually when I say "Screw it".
Famidrive-16
10-18-2009, 02:10 PM
In King of Fighters 2001 O. Zero is the final boss.
No, there is no asshole named Igniz. That's just a rumor. O. Zero really is the final boss!
Shion is also the final boss of KOF XI.
Leo_A
10-18-2009, 09:30 PM
I do this often with The Lion King on the Super Nintendo. I love the first level and the last level. I'll usually play through level 1, then input the level select cheat and go to the final level and beat the game and watch the ending.
It's been years since I played the other 80% of the game.
AB Positive
10-20-2009, 02:06 PM
In King of Fighters 2001 O. Zero is the final boss.
No, there is no asshole named Igniz. That's just a rumor. O. Zero really is the final boss!
Shion is also the final boss of KOF XI.
Igniz is a bastard until you learn his pattern, then he's comically easy. However I swear you have to know the pattern going in or just want to take forEVER learning it as it's not an easy pattern to learn.
Shion SHOULD be the final boss.... good god that game's hard!
Nesmaster
10-25-2009, 06:04 PM
NES and SNES Mega Man titles for me end after the robot masters are taken down. Once you finish the games once I don't see the need to fight through the usually much harder castle stages, but I always enjoy collecting the powers and power-ups over and over. :)
Having said that, I don't think I ever beat Sigma in X. Fuck him.
Poofta!
10-25-2009, 11:26 PM
i have to agree with all the usual suspects, ikaruga, contra etc.
also, verbatim:
The water level of any Sonic game. That's usually when I say "Screw it".
While this might be stretching it, I always have to resort to cheats when playing through any modern GTA game due to the extreme increase in difficulty about halfway through the games. I literally have to resort to this due to GTA's terrible concept of no mid-mission checkpoints, which means you have to do everything perfectly on the first run, or else you have to replay it from the beginning.
Another game I "artificially shortened" is Ninja Gaiden Black. I can never get past the first level or two. The game ended for me after being beaten by the first boss a hundred times. There's no way I have the patience to play this game if all it's going to do is punish me for trying to play it.
youre not very good at games...