Do you force yourself to beat bad games?

[Malon_Forever]

I probably have OCD when it comes to this, but I feel the need to try and beat games in my collection, no matter how bad they are. Does anyone else succumb to this? I've been trying to play Fighting Force 64, and it's just so bad, but it bothers me I've never finished it.

[kupomogli]

Sometimes. If they're games that I want to enjoy because something in them I like, then I will. There are other games I'll stop trying depending on how much I dislike the games.

[ryborg]

I did when I was younger because I had endless time and a limited amount of games. Now I'm old and I have limited free time to play with an endless supply of games. I just don't have time for crap.

[Rickstilwell1]

I try as I might if the gameplay controls are bearable but if I just can't do it even with cheats then I'll just give up. It takes a lot before I yelled enough at the TV to say forget it. Battletoads for NES was the only game so far that I really tried to do. I'll whip out the game genie or gameshark before I call it quits though.

[gum_drops]

No way. If its not fun why turn it into a chore. I have way too many games to waste time playing the crappy ones.

[Nebagram]

I did when I was younger because I had endless time and a limited amount of games. Now I'm old and I have limited free time to play with an endless supply of games. I just don't have time for crap.

This. If a game isn't good enough to keep my attention all the way through then, put simply, I won't let it.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

No. I don't even beat all the games I like.

[Lerxstnj]

The Sopranos game comes to mind... glad that's over with!

Road to Respect... Indeed!

[Shingetter]

No. I don't even beat all the games I like.

Yeah, this.

[exit]

If it's soo bad that at some point it's practically unplayable, then I put it down and let the experts on youtube finish it for me.

[ConsoleAddict]

I used to play bad games until their end when I was younger but not any more. Hell, there are actually some good games I never finished.

I remember reading a lame, pathetic editorial at one of those Xbox 360 Achievement sites defending some woman who plays bad games for Achievement Points. You should have seen the outpouring of never-been-kissed fartknockers rushing in to agree with the story and the "hot gamer" in the comments section. Now those guys play everything.

[skaar]

I blame achievements. I've played through some utter shit because "Well I've started it, might as well get SOMETHING out of this piece of crap."

ie Jumper *shudder*

[The Clonus Horror]

Beowulf comes to mind...I didn't think it was that bad of a game, but it did drag in many parts. I actually just disconnected my 360 for the reason that I was spending too much time just playing for achievements and I was spending too much money downloading stuff. I hooked up my PS2, original Xbox, Wii, and NES and it feels great to be playing games for fun again.

[Iron Draggon]

Sometimes I just can't resist it, cause I'm dying to find out how crappy the ending is! Plus, you get to say you beat a crappy game if you ever finish it!

[ryborg]

Plus, you get to say you beat a crappy game if you ever finish it!

Say to who? Is this really a good thing? If a friend told me he spent many hours perfecting Superman 64, I'd laugh in his face and I'd be right to do so.

[Aussie2B]

If I already set out with the intention of beating the game and it doesn't become some insurmountable task, sure. I've had to tolerate some crap in my quest to beat every Game Boy and GBC game I own, and I've beaten bad games on plenty of other systems too. Personally, I appreciate the act of playing a shitty game now and then, if that makes any sense. There's no better way to put gaming into perspective. How can you truly appreciate how masterful your favorite games are when you never give the time of day to complete games of the opposite end of the spectrum? As someone who dabbles in video game criticism, I think it's valuable to play games of all quality levels.

[Oldskool]

I did when I was younger because I had endless time and a limited amount of games. Now I'm old and I have limited free time to play with an endless supply of games. I just don't have time for crap.

DITTO - no time for crap anymore.

[mobiusclimber]

Yeah, agree w/ ryborg. When I was a teenager I would play the hell out of bad games b/c I knew I wouldn't be able to get another game for awhile. I'm not sure how many of them I actually beat, but I played them a lot longer then than I would now.

[ConsoleAddict]

These days, people want to prove how "hardcore" they are and playing bad video games and getting all the achievements/trophies represent their badges.

What's the point? There's no value to any of them other than bragging rights. Yet people go gaga for them in attempts to garner attention. And again, the types of people who frequent those achievement/trophy sites probably spend more time playing video games than working on their spelling and grammar.

In the old days, before the Internet and even multiple video game magazines, I probably had to go through trial and error in picking the wheat from the hulls. I don't have to deal with that any more.

[Arkhan]

no. if the game blows and I don't enjoy it, I don't waste my time. I could spend that time playing something fun.

if it's an RPG or something from a series I like, I at least keep the game. Like FF12

[todesengel]

I can only occasionally do this with those type of classic games that are in the "so bad it's good" category, and that's only if I have the time to even play a game. Now if the game gets to the point to where it's just a chore to play then I just stop playing it. Last game I can remember doing this with was Cliffhanger on the Genesis/Sega CD, had nothing to do one night years ago and just played through it.

[skaar]

These days, people want to prove how "hardcore" they are and playing bad video games and getting all the achievements/trophies represent their badges.

What's the point? There's no value to any of them other than bragging rights. Yet people go gaga for them in attempts to garner attention. And again, the types of people who frequent those achievement/trophy sites probably spend more time playing video games than working on their spelling and grammar.

In the old days, before the Internet and even multiple video game magazines, I probably had to go through trial and error in picking the wheat from the hulls. I don't have to deal with that any more.

You mean chaff?

I enjoy chasing achievements the same way I enjoy chasing down sidequests - sometimes they're fun. I've fought through a few games that I would normally have just tossed aside and actually been happy I stuck with them - and achievements were the candy for some of them. I can't say I'm anywhere as near as obsessive as some people on these forums - but they also don't seem to be quite the knuckledragging morons you've painted them to be either.

I'm not saying it always works and I'm not saying they're a good thing - but I don't see things quite so black and white as you seem to.

Tells it like it is, indeed.

[kupomogli]

I did when I was younger because I had endless time and a limited amount of games. Now I'm old and I have limited free time to play with an endless supply of games. I just don't have time for crap.


Yeah, agree w/ ryborg. When I was a teenager I would play the hell out of bad games b/c I knew I wouldn't be able to get another game for awhile. I'm not sure how many of them I actually beat, but I played them a lot longer then than I would now.

I actually didn't think about this but I'll agree. There are a lot of games now that I haven't beaten, some I haven't even played but back when I was younger I probably beat every game I've owned and rented.

There are a lot of games I liked when I was younger but just can't stand playing now. Wizards and Warriors and Ironsword are two games that I'll mention. I used to love those games(for whatever reason) and could actually one life Ironsword. I played them both again last year and I think I got to stage 2 on Wizards and Warriors and then stage 3 on Ironsword. I think the games suck now.

[garagesaleking!!]

Sometimes, certain games are just good at drawing you in even if they suck. Like conan for example. It was so damn repetitive, but I just couldnt stop playing without beating it, and I guess the naked girls helped me through.

[megasdkirby]

What's the point? There's no value to any of them other than bragging rights. Yet people go gaga for them in attempts to garner attention.

Not everyone. I love achievements because it gives me something to look forward to in a game. That way, it there is an achievement that requires me to explore every nook and cranny in the game, then it makes it worthwhile, since I am making sure I get to see as much of the game as possible.

Back then, and even now, I would just play the game to finish it. Some were memorable, others were not. Having an achievement system (that is plausible, and not asinine) helps me go back to the game to see what I miss and to experience it "to the full".

Plus, in certain games, it helps me by giving me a guideline of what to do. My tolerance in games is not like it used to be, so this helps me.

[PapaStu]

There are a number of games on my GamerTag profile that are far from 'good' that i've gone and 1k'd. Some I've liked despite their badness (Jurassic: The Hunted for one) and some i've loathed (Turning Point: Fall of Liberty), but if I can 1k it without killing a piece of my soul, i'll do my best to do it.

I used to make sure that I got as far as I could (ie 100%) on as much as possible, but I hit a point where I just didn't have the time anymore, so if I could beat it and not 100% something, the I'd do it. Achievements kinda brought me back towards the dark side...

[ConsoleAddict]

You mean chaff?

I enjoy chasing achievements the same way I enjoy chasing down sidequests - sometimes they're fun. I've fought through a few games that I would normally have just tossed aside and actually been happy I stuck with them - and achievements were the candy for some of them. I can't say I'm anywhere as near as obsessive as some people on these forums - but they also don't seem to be quite the knuckledragging morons you've painted them to be either.

I'm not saying it always works and I'm not saying they're a good thing - but I don't see things quite so black and white as you seem to.

Tells it like it is, indeed.

Chaff was the word I was looking for. I couldn't remember it.

Not on these forums, the people I was mentioning are the ones who frequent achievement and trophy sites online. Their message boards are filled with winners. They just take it way too seriously and some of these guys have issues, like some kid who bashed the behavior of one of the characters from Enchanted Arms.

[Arkhan]

Achievements and trophies are dumb. I don't care who did what in what game.

The only achievements and trophies I get are the ones that you get for playing the game as normal, or the ones that I accidentally get. I've never actively pursued an achievement / trophy. I don't see the point.

"BLOCK 230492340234 BULLETS WITH FACE ACHIEVEMENT" whatever.


If a game sucks, it sucks. A buncha goony reward bleeps and shit for my online gametard scoresheet isn't going to keep me playing. :D

[Wraith Storm]

The only "Bad" games that I have ever finished are ones that were praised and I kept on playing, thinking to myself, "Surley this will get better and I will see why the game received so much acclaim." Unfortunately these game tend to be very long RPGs... :frustrated:

The one that was truly punishing and very difficult for me to finish was Final Fantasy IX. I remember when it first came out and everyone was excited that they went back to the medieval/fantasy theme of the originals. All I heard were great things from reviews to my friends that bought it release day. But holy shit I have seldom played a worse game.

I thought everything about the characters sucked from their designs to their personalities. I also found the story to be terrible. I can usually appreciate a badly presented story if the idea behind it is original or innovative, but not so here. Not to mention I thought it had one of the worst sound tracks I have ever heard. The quality was fantastic but the composition was horrible, especially for being Uematsu.

Regardless I kept trudging along hoping to find something that would justify the reviews and praise from friends. Sure the the graphics looked alright but I honestly thought they were a step down from FF VIII. Not to mention that games like Panzer Dragoon Saga had already blown my mind with a full 3D, living, breathing, polygon world several years prior. A world composed largely of prerenderd graphics was no longer impressive to me. But hands down the thing that made it most difficult for me to finish was the absolutely terrible level design and ridiculous puzzles.

It's been 7 or 8 years since I beat it and my memory has started to fade of examples from parts of the game. But it was and still is, for me, the perfect template and shining example of how not to make and design a game.

Time to time I think about replaying FF IX to refresh myself on why I hated it so much and if the hate was truly justified... But then I remind myself I barely have time to play the games I like.

[Arkhan]

Bullet WITCH!

Is your signature!


Everyone said the game sucked dick and then I bought it and it was the first 360 game I ever played and I was like WTF THIS ISNT BAD. fijasofaw3fjiasdfg

<3

[Seaquest]

No! If I find a bad game I plant it in the bowels of my collection. It normally stays there for a long time until one or my friends insist on playing it!ROFL

[Wraith Storm]

Bullet WITCH!

Is your signature!


Everyone said the game sucked dick and then I bought it and it was the first 360 game I ever played and I was like WTF THIS ISNT BAD. fijasofaw3fjiasdfg

<3

Oh yeah!

I love Bullet Witch. It was THE game that sold me on the 360 and has become one of my favorite games of all time.

[NayusDante]

If a game is in my backlog and it's something that interests me, I'll probably finish it. If it's just some random quirky game I got because it was cheap, it goes on eBay once I play it long enough to know I don't want to finish it.

I've got games that I simply don't have the patience to finish, like Solstice. I'm keeping it though, because I like the game itself, and I know I can sit down with it someday and work through it.

Short answer: I'll force myself to finish a "bad" game if its interesting-factor outweighs what I think I can get for selling it.

[Arkhan]

Oh yeah!

I love Bullet Witch. It was THE game that sold me on the 360 and has become one of my favorite games of all time.

its the first 360 game I played aside from the lame launch titles, I got it to play it at my friends since my 360 lasted a week before i traded it away.


He was like THIS GAME IS FUCKING LAME. ITS BORING.

i think it kicks ass.

[bartre]

Wraith, damn, that's some hate.

I personally loved IX, it's up there with VI and VIII, but not VII, that was too awesome.

anyway, BAD to me means that a game isn't fun, so there have been some quote "great" games that i've hated.
example: Shadow of the Colossus - i honestly hated the graphics, and after the first couple bosses, i got completely bored with the repetitiveness of the game.

example of the opposite - The Bouncer - when this came out, it got slaughtered by reviewers. admittedly, it's not GREAT, but i have fun with it, and it gets a couple playthroughs each time i whip it out.

[Arkhan]

it gets a couple playthroughs each time i whip it out.

THATS WHAT SHE SAID! :rocker:

[G-Boobie]

I probably have OCD when it comes to this, but I feel the need to try and beat games in my collection, no matter how bad they are. Does anyone else succumb to this? I've been trying to play Fighting Force 64, and it's just so bad, but it bothers me I've never finished it.

No way, man. I have the opposite problem: I seldom beat the games in my collection. I play them for an hour or two and somehow never get back to them. Unless a game is going to end up an all time favorite of mine, it's destined to end up yet another 100 achievement point blot on my gamer card.

Any progress towards fixing that was pretty much obliterated when decent fighting game netcode came into being. Now I'm likely to play Street Fighter or Blazblue instead of trying out the game I just blew sixty bucks on. It's dumb, but unlikely to change.

[jammajup]

I think you have to be a special kind of person to play a bad game just to beat it,you have to be not just a competitive individual but be able too switch off to anything except the job at hand as it surely is more difficult than trying to complete a game you enjoy.
I would have to give credit to anyone who can do it for sure.

[Beefy Hits]

Nope. If a game sucks, it either goes on the shelf, or I sell it.

[spider-man]

I just move on to the next game and take it as a loss. Since I don't have a lot of free time anymore, like I did when I was a kid, I have to allocate my time wisely. I really don't want to spend that time on a crappy game when I could be playing a much better one. Although looking at my current gen collection, most of them I've highly enjoyed (mainly from doing research on the titles before buying them, due to the price tag). I've bought my fair share of crappy retro titles though. Usually because I'm blind buying (due to the super low prices and lack of the internet for quick research).

[balkiry]

There are a handful of games I have not enjoyed, but have played them through to the bitter end for the wrong reasons:
1. Sonic Unleashed - wow, I mean, wow. I spent so much time swearing at the night stages. I can honestly say I nearly broke my controller so many times, but I continued to stupidly follow the "daytime level next" carrot being dangled in front of my face.
2. Super Metroid - I'm not saying it's a bad game, I'm saying I didn't enjoy it because I played it using Dreamsnes and the bloody frame skipping ruined the experience for me. Alas, I finished it because of 15 years of hype from friends.
3. Resident Evil DS - love the Resident Evil series, but after progressing through 2, CV, 4 and 5, then trying to go back to 1 on a small screen... It wasn't very enjoyable. But what can I say? It was a better way to pass the time on the train than to watch people press their greasy heads against the windows.

[AWinterFuneral]

I guess the only "Bad" game i've ever played was the Galerians series for PS1 that continued on to PS2 with Galerians: Ash, and It wasn't even a bad game. I started the series by renting Galerians: Ash, and I was unable to figure it out and it annoyed me, but a friend had a copy of the first one so I decided to maybe start the storyline and see if I liked it. Turns out it was a bad ass series. I started playing through the first half just to get through it, after the first half I was actually sucked into the story, and of course I went on to the second game afterwards, and beat the hell out of it.


Galerians is an awesome series!!

[DigitalSpace]

I completed Superball on the SNES a few years ago - mostly because Kamino and JJNova urged me to finish it after getting so close to the end. But I usually just move on to something more fun.

[BydoEmpire]

I don't have time to beat good games, let alone bad ones. My gaming time is too precious these days to waste playing bad games.

[mattimeo310]

The only "Bad" games that I have ever finished are ones that were praised and I kept on playing, thinking to myself, "Surley this will get better and I will see why the game received so much acclaim."

That's pretty much my mentality.

I feel game developers take advantage of a gamers want to complete achievements and feel that easy acheivements and trophies alone can sell a bad game. One game that comes to mind is Terminator Salvation which has 12 gold trophies and a platinum just for beating the game once.