# Great video games sabotaged by one horrendous problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2006, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992 "2006-06-01T07:46:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/41 "2006-06-02T11:49:31Z")
> [@liirogue](#): > > Well, mine has the opposite problem of **Civ IV** … it was a really old game, played in DOS, and probably came out in the mid 1990s if not earlier. It was the great granddaddy of helicopter games. The only colors were black and green. I loved playing that game with my grandfather. The only problem was, once he got a newer computer, we couldn’t play it anymore. _The computer was too fast for it_. [http://www.abandonia.com/main.php?nav=programs](http://www.abandonia.com/main.php?nav=programs) Get the first one. That will be a “thank you” and a box of chocolates, please. ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/42 "2006-06-02T12:50:50Z")
> [@Dooku](#): > > Choplifter? (The game that made me think “sortie” was a synonym of “helicopter”) Choplifter was early-mid **80s** - I used to play it on the Apple IIe. It’s absolutely stunning how much easier it was to play with a little joystick than the keyboard. I used to see how many little people on the ground I could squish instead of rescuing. My favorite game from 1983-1985, I’d say. Then we acquired [Ultima III](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_III) and it was all over. (Sorry for the hijack, would have emailed but couldn’t.) ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/43 "2006-06-02T13:14:52Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I can see where you’re coming from with the whole hating timed game play thing, but seriously: you gave up on one of the best video games ever made after five minutes, over an element of game play that’s never reapeated (so far as I remember) in the rest of the game. If it’s so intolerable to you, have a friend beat it for you. It’s an astoundingly easy to get past it, and there’s nothing during that section that you need to collect in the first place. At least, nothing that you didn’t have ample time to collect before the timed section starts. I wasn’t that impressed with the gameplay as displayed in that first level, either. I mean, it was okay, and I would’ve gone through it on pure Metroid nostalgia alone, but “one of the best video games ever made?” Not unless it makes my GameCube spit out hundred dollar bills or something… I’d also like to nominate the XBox Ninja Gaiden for this thread. Because it was too damn hard. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/44 "2006-06-02T16:35:13Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > I wasn’t that impressed with the gameplay as displayed in that first level, either. I mean, it was okay, and I would’ve gone through it on pure Metroid nostalgia alone, but “one of the best video games ever made?” Not unless it makes my GameCube spit out hundred dollar bills or something… So, what, you got a game that spits fifties at you? Although I should have qualified: best games ever made _for the GameCube_. For it to have been one of the best games ever made, it would have to have been a PC game, naturally. > [@](#): > > I’d also like to nominate the XBox Ninja Gaiden for this thread. Because it was too damn hard. Man, no argument there. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/45 "2006-06-02T17:31:03Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > So, what, you got a game that spits fifties at you? Although I should have qualified: best games ever made _for the GameCube_. For it to have been one of the best games ever made, it would have to have been a PC game, naturally. No, I’m saying the game would have to bribe me in great quantities of cash for me to consider it even near the league of Super Smash Bros. Melee, Soul Calibur 2, or Legend of Zelda : Wind Waker. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/46 "2006-06-02T17:43:53Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > No, I’m saying the game would have to bribe me in great quantities of cash for me to consider it even near the league of Super Smash Bros. Melee, Soul Calibur 2, or Legend of Zelda : Wind Waker. 🙂 The only game there that gives _Metroid Prime_ a run for its money is _Wind Waker_. Although that’s only because WW gets a major point reduction for the endless dead stretch where you’re sailing around trying to find all the map parts.\* Really unforgivable padding, there. The other two games? Pikers. [sub]\*Hey, look! I’m back on topic![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/47 "2006-06-02T19:03:29Z")
Any game that uses [Star Force](http://www.glop.org/starforce/) copy protection for its CDs. When my PC started randomly rebooting on disk access, it drove me nuts until I tracked it down to this system’s device drivers that installed without any mention on the game box or EULA or manual. And it would not remove itself when the game was removed and crippled my PC. Which is a shame, because there is a lot of good games on the [list](http://www.glop.org/starforce/list.php) of titles using this crap. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/48 "2006-06-02T19:21:47Z")
**Prince of Persia: Warrior Within** (Xbox). I’m not a hard-core gamer, so I pretty much focus on these fun adventure games with a decent storyline. Not too difficult, lots of save points, and you get to chop a lot of things apart with a sword. But, oh, boy. There’s a bug in the Xbox version that shows up right before the final confrontation with the Big Bad. Should the bug affect you, instead of traveling through the last time portal, you’re stuck in the time portal room, unable to make your way back to the rest of the game. What’s worse is that it’s not obvious there is a bug–something I found out when, after an hour of trying to figure out the neat trick that’d rescue me, I gave up, went on-line and saw that I wasn’t the only one to go through such boring torture. The solution? Playing the game over and making sure to save your game _after_ you enter the time portals instead of right before. So it doesn’t some how corrupt the saved game. (Not exactly obvious, that one. I’m not sure if it was a progammer or an obsessive fan who figured that one out.) Annoying as hell. I put the game down and didn’t bother finishing it (or, more aptly, re-starting and finishing it) for another few months. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/49 "2006-06-02T19:36:32Z")
**Arcanum Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura** is an absolutely incredible game…except that the level cap is 50, and to play a really effective tech character one needs more levelling up. I had a hack on my old Win98 that allowed characters to level up to 127, but I can’t find a working hack for my new WinXP computer. Googling turns up a couple of inactive links. Anyone know where I can get this hack? ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/50 "2006-06-02T20:21:41Z")
> [@BabaBooey](#): > > I forgot the name, but the reason I rented the game was to get the MGS2 demo. Turns out it had some badass robot fighting action, great controls, and some of the best console graphics of the time. Problem was, it ended up only having like 4 different types of enemies throughout the whole game. Now that I think about it, add the first Devil May Cry to the list for the exact same reason. Zone of the Enders. Oh, Kojima, you make us sad… > [@SkipMagic](#): > > Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (Xbox). I’m not a hard-core gamer, so I pretty much focus on these fun adventure games with a decent storyline. Not too difficult, lots of save points, and you get to chop a lot of things apart with a sword. > > But, oh, boy. There’s a bug in the Xbox version that shows up right before the final confrontation with the Big Bad. Should the bug affect you, instead of traveling through the last time portal, you’re stuck in the time portal room, unable to make your way back to the rest of the game. What’s worse is that it’s not obvious there is a bug–something I found out when, after an hour of trying to figure out the neat trick that’d rescue me, I gave up, went on-line and saw that I wasn’t the only one to go through such boring torture. The solution? Playing the game over and making sure to save your game after you enter the time portals instead of right before. So it doesn’t some how corrupt the saved game. (Not exactly obvious, that one. I’m not sure if it was a progammer or an obsessive fan who figured that one out.) > > Annoying as hell. I put the game down and didn’t bother finishing it (or, more aptly, re-starting and finishing it) for another few months. That bug was also in the Gamecube version - happened to my friend. Sad part was it was a rental. She did manage to go back and do the game over in the rental time though. My vote is for a console, not a game: Any non-backlit Gameboy handheld. Wonderful systems, but impossible to play with. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/51 "2006-06-02T20:27:19Z")
Half Life: Steam. Whoever designed that piece of crap should be shot. I don’t think it has ever worked correctly. It seems they spent so much time getting a fancy UI pinned down that they forgot to make sure that the programme actually works correctly. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/52 "2006-06-02T21:36:00Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > Zone of the Enders. Oh, Kojima, you make us sad… Yeah, I bought that game used, for itself rather than the MGS demo. I thought it was fun. Four hours later I said, “What do you mean that’s the end?! Fucking hell!” It had a multiplayer battle mode, but you had to beat the game several times to unlock all the mechs. I didn’t bother. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/53 "2006-06-03T01:14:51Z")
ET : The Extra-Terrestrial, for the Atari. The problem being that it was released for sale. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/54 "2006-06-03T01:49:28Z")
The OP specifies that the game could have been great but for a horrendous flaw. I don’t think there was ever a hint of greatness in ET, at any time from design to final product. I suppose you might say that it was a great mistake, in the same sense that WWI was once called the Great War. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/55 "2006-06-03T06:47:21Z")
The lack of challenge in Wind Waker was a horrendous problem for me, without it it could have been one of my favorite games. But the dungeons were, really, a breeze. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/56 "2006-06-03T10:30:14Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > At Normandy you are required to creep forward a foot toward the beach, die randomly, reload, creep 2 feet forward avoiding the insta-death spot, die again, reload, creep 3 feet forward… You were playing it wrong. Scattered around the beach are chunks of metal which you can hide behind. If you listen carefully to the gunfire, it comes in bursts and you can run from hiding place to hiding place until you are all the way up the beach. Doing this means you can complete that bit pretty consistantly. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/57 "2006-06-03T19:02:10Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > You were playing it wrong. Scattered around the beach are chunks of metal which you can hide behind. If you listen carefully to the gunfire, it comes in bursts and you can run from hiding place to hiding place until you are all the way up the beach. Doing this means you can complete that bit pretty consistantly. Yeah, except some of the chunks of metal were ridiculously transparent to gunfire, while other small innoccuous barriers were somehow bulletproof. It again became repetitive trial and error due to it being impossible to know what the game considered to be a “safe spot” and what was actually safe. I stand by my self-righteous indignation 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/58 "2006-06-03T22:11:25Z")
Max Payne’s ultra weak dream maze sequences. Jesus tittyfucking Christ, I almost turned it off during the first one. I trudged through and got to the second one. That did it. It went off and never came back on. Damned shame, too. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992/59 "2006-06-03T23:33:58Z")
> [@sturmhauke](#): > > The OP specifies that the game could have been great but for a horrendous flaw. I don’t think there was ever a hint of greatness in ET, at any time from design to final product. I suppose you might say that it was a great mistake, in the same sense that WWI was once called the Great War. As I said, it would have been great, if only they hadn’t released it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-video-games-sabotaged-by-one-horrendous-problem/358992.md?page=2)