first game to allow continued playing after the ending

[raptor94k]

I just finished beating the main quest of Oblivion the other day and it got me thinking about being able to continue playing after I finished it. What was the first game that allowed this? And I don't really mean just being able to run around during the credits or something like that. I mean a decent amount of content or exploration after the main story ends. I also think it would be interesting to note when it first occurred on PC and when it first occurred on a console game.

[bohproper]

wow you kinda just blew my mind (i also have no idea haha)

[TonyTheTiger]

Super Mario Bros. had the whole second quest thing where all the goombas were replaced with buzzy beetles.

[Gameguy]

Donkey Kong went back to the first screen after you rescued Pauline.

[killersquirel]

Take a look at Space Invaders. This is a game where you are the lone protector of earth against an onslaught of hostile space invaders (do you see the clever name that they used for the game). When you start picking off the huge number of invaders they start to speed up their attack. When there is only one left, that invader will attack really quickly. You take a strategic shot and destroy that monster, all the while bellowing out a battle cry, "Bring it!" and you know what happens? They bring it.

-mike

[thom_m]

Rockin' Kats has a "second quest" after the ending. It's hard as fuck, actually.

[rik1138]

Technically, if you think like that for Space Invaders, many of the single-screen games could be considered 'continue' games (like Pac-Man, Defender, etc). But there really isn't an ongoing story there, just kill, kill, kill. :) I think he's thinking more of games that lead up to a grand finale, and then let you play more... I think Xevious or maybe a game like Zaxxon qualify for this. There's a definite end to the pattern of Xevious, and then it just starts over about half-way through the pattern. Zaxxon actually ends with you fighting the final boss, and then it starts over.

Alien Syndrome is the only game I can actually think of that has a true ending (with end credits and everything) and then starts over a little faster and you get to try it all again...

On that note, I'm kind of curious about the first game (arcade) that had an actual ending that made you _stop_ playing... I seem to remember most 80's games like Pac-Man, Defender, Space Invaders, Galaga, Xevious would just keep continuing forever until you died (give or take a program bug like the 256th level of Pac-Man). I remember playing games in the early 90's that would actually have true endings (frequently with credits), and then you couldn't play anymore (like Double Dragon or something). I like how games like Alien Syndrome would let you continue playing after the credits, but playing much faster. I could complete that game twice, and on the third time through just got pounded!

What was the first game that actually had an ending where you had to stop playing, regardless of any lives you had left? Possibly even with an end-credit sequence, when did that start?

Rik

[Sabz5150]

Starflight for the Sega Genesis and PC allowed you to continue exploring the galaxy after the main story is complete. You could find all the remaining artifacts, mine and catalog planets or just blow up everything that happens to be unlucky enough to cross paths with you. I have a savegame going on 16 some years old that I toss in here and there.

[raptor94k]

Starflight for the Sega Genesis and PC allowed you to continue exploring the galaxy after the main story is complete. You could find all the remaining artifacts, mine and catalog planets or just blow up everything that happens to be unlucky enough to cross paths with you. I have a savegame going on 16 some years old that I toss in here and there.

This is really more of what I meant. New content that you can do after you complete the game.

[TonyTheTiger]

This might be cheating but Donkey Kong Country technically gave you end credits in the middle of the last boss fight before making you continue on.

Actually, both DKC2 and DKC3 had epilogues where after beating the game and seeing the ending you would be able to play through new areas to get the followup ending.

Lunar: Eternal Blue did the same.

[exit]

Earthbound let you wonder around wherever you want after the final fight with Gigas and in both Assassin Creed games you can go back and do whatever you had left to be done after finishing the main story.

[raptor94k]

So the earliest we have so far (not counting games that just don't really end, or that have "2nd quests" i.e. Zelda, SMB, etc.) we have Starflight.

Thats 1986 for the PC. And 1991 for the Genesis.

[tom]

Of course, Pong arcade had an ending (top score), and many adventure games had endings (Infocom, etc... on computer), and Adventure (VCS)

A game where you can still walk around after the ending was on early A8 or Apple ][, but hey I've forgotten the title, could have been an early SSI game.

Was Mountain Man on VCS ongoing after the game finished, with that extra room? I don't remember.

[CRTGAMER]

ICO. After the game is beaten there is a small interactive epilogue.

[tubeway]

Far from the earliest, but definitely notable was Wizards and Warriors for NES. If I remember correctly, you could replay through the game with more difficult enemies the second time around.