What do you think is the worst game of all time?

[Graham Mitchell]

It's interesting to see actual, playable games (i.e. Fester's Quest) make this list, when there are a handful of critically broken games and even non-games (i.e. Taboo The Sixth Sense) that have been mentioned.

Like Impossible Mission for the Atari 7800.

[bangtango]

Like Impossible Mission for the Atari 7800.

I feel bad for the poor schmucks who never didn't get ahold of a video game magazine or some other source of information to find out that game couldn't be finished.

[Aswald]

You know, it may be impossible to ever actually answer this question?

The problem is that there has never been a time in video gaming WITHOUT awful games. I might say "Pac-Man" for the 2600, not because it actually was the worst, but because we were all looking so forward to it- anyone here remember that commercial showing the corner of the arcade playfield?- and it turned out to be so dreadful. So it was actually the disappointment that helped make it "the worst." An original game does not have that problem; an arcade-to-home translation will always have to be measured up against the arcade version.

But what about awful games for later systems? Even the worst game ever made for a Playstation 2 will have much better graphics and sound than the best 2600 game. So how do you judge it?

[Gabriel]

and even non-games (i.e. Taboo The Sixth Sense) that have been mentioned.

Taboo is a piece of crap, but the question becomes "does it pretend to be a game?" I don't think we can call it "the worst game ever" because it doesn't pretend to be a game.

Even if you allow it to be considered a game, it wouldn't be the worst. You could always say the SegaCD RAM cart was the worst game of all time, or the Nintendo DS browser was the ultimate in horrible gaming.

[bangtango]

Taboo is a piece of crap, but the question becomes "does it pretend to be a game?" I don't think we can call it "the worst game ever" because it doesn't pretend to be a game.

Even if you allow it to be considered a game, it wouldn't be the worst. You could always say the SegaCD RAM cart was the worst game of all time, or the Nintendo DS browser was the ultimate in horrible gaming.

Using this new logic, the worst "game" of all-time is the first Web Browser on the Sega Dreamcast. You couldn't do anything on it without dialing up. At least the second one contained "Sega Swirl."

Then again, I suppose those defective launch copies of Sonic Adventure on Dreamcast didn't make for much game either.

But what about awful games for later systems? Even the worst game ever made for a Playstation 2 will have much better graphics and sound than the best 2600 game. So how do you judge it?

A piece of crap is a piece of crap, no matter the graphics. As the old saying goes, you can't shine a turd.

[Aswald]

That's true, but it's a matter of relative.

A trashy game with "good" graphics and sound from a later era is often not viewed as being as dreadful as a bad game from an earlier era. So if 2600 Pac-Man or Demons to Diamonds is put up against a bad X-Box game, the 2600 games are usually viewed as worse. It's sort of like putting a weak 200-pound man against a weak 8-year old girl; both are weak, but the man is still able to lift more.

[starsoldier1]

That Great Ice Hockey 'game' for the Sega Master System plays like shit!

[j_factor]

A trashy game with "good" graphics and sound from a later era is often not viewed as being as dreadful as a bad game from an earlier era. So if 2600 Pac-Man or Demons to Diamonds is put up against a bad X-Box game, the 2600 games are usually viewed as worse.

I would say Drake of the 99 Dragons is easily far worse than 2600 Pac-Man.

[FoxyGamer]

Yeah, I agree with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde- but really, a Boy and his Blob for the NES made me wanna throw my controller through the television.

But that's just the beginning. Let us not forget "Enter the Matrix", which was actually broken- guards walked up the sides of shelving units into infinity, the guns on your ship randomly vanished poof, and you could get SO far ahead of your pursuers that you literally had to sit at THE END OF THE GAME and wait for them to show up. Oh, hey, I see you'd like to beat this piece of crap game. Well, we were hungry so we stopped for twinkies. Oh my god, scratching your eyeballs out with a rusty fork has never sounded so good.

And finally, Final Fantasy VIII. Dude. The game system was so complicated, you needed to go to "school" for your tutorials. What the hell? Missions were timed, so you had to scurry on your way or you'd begin to lose money. Hey, didn't wanna, you know, explore the game or anything. Sucking magic out of enemies? Gosh hope you didn't have a girlfriend or anything because you'll be sucking 99 of every spell FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY.

RAWR!!!!! Why can't they just make a good RPG? Why was the last good Final Fantasy on the SNES? oh well, suppose that's a rant for another thread.

[Push Upstairs]

Like Impossible Mission for the Atari 7800.

Am I the only one who finds the name of this game horribly ironic and completely hilarious?

[Graham Mitchell]

Am I the only one who finds the name of this game horribly ironic and completely hilarious?

The humor is not lost on me.

[acem77]

Death Crimson for the saturn is hella bad.
but one of the rarer games i own. :P
soo bad its good for laughs.

[bangtango]

You fellows are right, Deadly Towers ain't that bad once you get a little bit further in with some good character stats. I always thought the music was great, except for the sound effect when you appear at the start of the game.

What did you all think of NES Athena?

[boatofcar]

You fellows are right, Deadly Towers ain't that bad once you get a little bit further in with some good character stats. I always thought the music was great, except for the sound effect when you appear at the start of the game.

What did you all think of NES Athena?

Athena is not bad--not great, but nowhere near the worst game of all time. Same with Amagon.

Whoever said A Boy and His Blob, wtf? Not only is it not a bad game, it's one of the most original titles on the NES. What's not to like about it?

[bangtango]

Athena is not bad--not great, but nowhere near the worst game of all time. Same with Amagon.

Whoever said A Boy and His Blob, wtf? Not only is it not a bad game, it's one of the most original titles on the NES. What's not to like about it?

I liked Athena myself, same with A Boy and His Blob. I asked about Athena because I've seen that mentioned as one of the worst games on the NES. Never agreed with it either. Damn hard game, though.

[Graham Mitchell]

I've played through Athena and I found it enjoyable for the most part, but I think it's not a very well-made game. I can tell it's probably designed by the same team that did all those games for Ponycanyon, Capcom, SNK, and others that were the laziest programmers on the planet. Athena has some crappy loading routine causing those long waits between levels, enemies and appear and disappear arbitrarily, there are little pops and cracks heard in soundtrack and during loads, and the whole just looks and feels like it's designed by a third grader. But, despite all that, it can be enjoyable.

[Nesboy43]

Darkened Skye

[FVJVMVP]

I put in my vote for either Shinobi or Krion Conquest for the NES.

[gbpxl]

They dont necessarily have to be ones youve played. I certainly dont spend money on products I dont want but if I read enough about them or see videos of others playing them, I believe I can form a pretty solid opinion of them without having rewarded the developers with my money.

Here are some that I have to put up there as top contenders:

Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire? - yeah punching women in a video game isnt a good look. Violence as a solution to ones hatred of wealthy people is hard to wrap my head around

Super Columbine Massacre RPG - absolutely disgusting piece of trash. whats next, Holocaust Fun Time Simulator? Microsoft Flight Sim 9/11 Edition?

Rapelay - obscure Japanese computer game that lets a player simulate sexual assault against female passengers on a train

I cant think of any games that have made this planet worse than any of these, even through poor game design. there was a FPS where you play as a school shooter but I dont remember the name of it

[Aussie2B]

I merged the new thread with this old one since we have many threads on the worst game of all time already.