# VGs where the person you play falls asleep or other amusing things when left idle. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 23, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807 "2005-04-23T22:41:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/1 "2005-04-23T22:41:57Z")
I remember when I first played the new Super Mario 64 when it came out on the Nintendo 64. I must have dedicated most of my life playing that game and trying to get through it. Well, one day I grew hungry whilest playing and decided to keep the game on and fix me a nice, quick, microwavable dinner. Upon returning, I find that Mario was asleep and not only that, but talking in it as well, saying various things like naming foods he, no doubt, was dreaming of eating. For some reason I found this highly amusing. It reminded me of the old Nintendo game Fire n’ Ice, in which the person you play falls asleep and you can see little bubbles rising from under his hat if you leave him standing still for too long. I have no doubt there are other games where the lead character that you command does something amusing or funny if you leave them be for a bit. What are any others you know of? ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/2 "2005-04-23T23:22:07Z")
What’s a VG? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/3 "2005-04-23T23:35:11Z")
> [@liirogue](#): > > What’s a VG? ‘Video Game’ I expect. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/4 "2005-04-23T23:37:19Z")
I can remember the character in ‘abe’s oddysey’ did something amusing. Can’t remember what though. Sonic tapped his feet. Sam fisher adopts a more relaxing pose (whether crouched or standing) That’s about all I can remember after so much alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/5 "2005-04-23T23:46:21Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > ‘Video Game’ I expect. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/6 "2005-04-23T23:53:19Z")
> [@Idle Thoughts](#): > > I have no doubt there are other games where the lead character that you command does something amusing or funny if you leave them be for a bit. You mean a [fidget](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=309569&highlight=fidget)? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/7 "2005-04-24T00:01:16Z")
IIRC, Sonic the Hedgehog will tap his foot and look at you if you make him stand around too long. ---
**Author:** ![emekthian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecae2f/32.png) [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/8 "2005-04-24T00:48:19Z")
N64 Link will yawn and shift his feet. I think Windwaker Link does something similar, but I’ve haven’t played Windwaker in a while. The various characters of of Chrono Trigger will do different things if you leave them alone on the world map. Crono will stand up and wave his arms, for instance, while Marle will sit cross legged. I particularly like Lucca’s- she pulls out a book and starts reading it. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/9 "2005-04-24T00:57:47Z")
In Bubsy: Close Encounters of the Furred Kind, if you left him idle, he’d go up close to the “camera”, knock on the screen (it even made a sound like when you’d knock on a television screen), and ask if anybody was in there. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/10 "2005-04-24T04:37:18Z")
In Legacy of Kain: Defiance, Raziel draws on the ground. In Monkey Island, In a scene where they’re about to die if you don’t do something, so if you don’t do anything (and well, kill them); IIRC, one of the characters farts and saves the day. ---
**Author:** ![EvilHamsterOnCrack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@EvilHamsterOnCrack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilHamsterOnCrack)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/11 "2005-04-24T04:52:03Z")
In GTA: VC it just switches to a different view and looks around. In GTA: SA the main character, CJ, either starts beatboxing, or just talking, or singing a song you recently heard on the radio. It’s quite funny. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/12 "2005-04-24T05:32:30Z")
I once read a review for an Amiga game called “Rainbow Island” where they claimed if you left it long enough, the very cute, big-eyed cartoon character who hopped from raindow to rainbow took out a large handgun and played russian roulette. I don’t know if this was Amiga urban legend or the invention of a mischevious reviewer - the was no screenshot, but it made a good story! mm ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/13 "2005-04-24T07:07:02Z")
Zug Zug! DaVu! Yor Dook! I’m not that kind of ork! Oh, wait, amusing things when left _idle_… Join the Army they said! See the world they said! I’d rather be sailing! ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/14 "2005-04-24T09:28:12Z")
> [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > In Monkey Island, In a scene where they’re about to die if you don’t do something, so if you don’t do anything (and well, kill them); > > IIRC, one of the characters farts and saves the day. You might be thinking of the bit where Guybrush is thrown over the pier tied to an idol and is stuck on the sea floor, surrounded by cutting tools just out of reach. Of course, he can hold his breath for 10 minutes so he’s fine while you work out how to save him. Of course, if you don’t figure it out in 10 minutes… He goes green and starts floating, dead. As in seriously dead, not rubber tree dead. The verb bar turns from walk, open, etc, to float, decompose, rot, etc. It’s pretty funny and the only time you can properly die in a Monkey Island game. ---
**Author:** ![EssOEss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6bbea6/32.png) [@EssOEss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EssOEss)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/15 "2005-04-24T11:21:09Z")
Jazz jackrabbit! Omigod that was a great game! There were three characters: Jazz, Spaz and… forgot-her-name 🆒 The one I remember best is Spaz… when idle… a bird would fly overhead… land on his hand… and then he’d smile wide… and eat the bird in one bite 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/16 "2005-04-24T12:37:57Z")
> [@Silentgoldfish](#): > > You might be thinking of the bit where Guybrush is thrown over the pier tied to an idol and is stuck on the sea floor, surrounded by cutting tools just out of reach. Of course, he can hold his breath for 10 minutes so he’s fine while you work out how to save him. > > Of course, if you don’t figure it out in 10 minutes… > > He goes green and starts floating, dead. As in seriously dead, not rubber tree dead. The verb bar turns from walk, open, etc, to float, decompose, rot, etc. It’s pretty funny and the only time you can properly die in a Monkey Island game. That’s also true, but I am speaking of Monkley Island 2. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/17 "2005-04-24T14:15:53Z")
In [Fatal Frame 2](http://www.fatalframe2.com/fatalFrame2/index.html) (One of the greatest video games of all time, IMHO), if you leave the game idle for 5 minutes, very eerie ghosts will come and haunt the screen around the main character. Very cool. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/18 "2005-04-25T00:44:25Z")
In the Simon the Sorcrer games(at least 1 and 2, haven’t played 3), Simon will do stuff like pull out a walkman and listen to it, or play around. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/19 "2005-04-25T02:30:17Z")
In one of the Spiderman games, Spiderman will start snoring and in at least one of the Harry Potter games, Harry will fidget and look around and appear generally impatient. I only know about these because my son plays them and leaves the games idle. I see them when I happen to be walking by. I don’t know which games they are- he has two Spiderman and three Harry Potters. ---
**Author:** ![KJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@KJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KJ)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2005, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807/20 "2005-04-25T07:05:38Z")
The first games I noticed doing this were the **Sonic the Hedgehog** games. In Sonic 3, Sonic would tap his foot impatiently and then make a pointing gesture in the direction he was facing, Tails would stand around and yawn, and Knuckles would start shadow boxing. In **Earthworm Jim** , if you stood around long enough, Jim would randomly do one of a few different animations. I remember in one of them, he’s trying to spin his gun around on his finger and accidentally shoots himself in the face. I don’t recall any of the other ones, though. But I think the best one has got to be **Commander Keen 4** (a.k.a. Goodbye Galaxy / Secret of the Oracle). Normally, if you let the game idle for a minute, Keen would pull a book out of his pocket (which suddenly grew to full size) and start reading it. But there’s one level, the pyramid of the moons, that has a cool little easter egg. If you stand on one of the moon designs on the floor and wait, Keen actually pulls his pants down and moons you! I had to see this one myself to believe it. It’s one of the funnier video game easter eggs that I know of. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vgs-where-the-person-you-play-falls-asleep-or-other-amusing-things-when-left-idle/300807.md?page=2)