OK, so the tournament is now half over. Everyone should have had a chance to play all of the games. Thus, I present you all with a question. Which game is the worst? Here's your chance to soundoff against the combat instructor from Combat School, Sark from Discs of Tron, or one of the three rejected muppets from Zzyzzyxx.
<p>
Try to evaluate the games according to the following criteria, before posting your decision:
<p>
1) Controls and Control Responsivenss
<p>
2) Stage difficulty, quality, and progression
<p>
3) Overall bad concept and design
<p>
4) Your state of mind when having to play the game
<p>
Thanks, and may the worst game win.
--
qan@home.com
the masochist's surey
Moderator: Chad
-
Gameboy9
OK... I'll score on a 100 point scale, with a 100 as the worst...
because that's how I want to do it
<p>
12. Money Puzzle Exchanger - 4(the number of people who beat me)
<p>
11. Pang 3 - 7
<p>
10. Galaga - 10
<p>
9. Gyruss - 15
<p>
8. Wild Ride - 24
<p>
7. Lock N' Chase - 33
<p>
6. BombJack - 34
<p>
5. 2020 Super Baseball - 48 - The scoring system stinks... we tried
it... and I think that wasn't the right way to play it.
<p>
4. ZZYZZYXX - 64 -
- you're dead just like that
<p>
3. Discs of Tron - 72 - The controls stink!
<p>
2. Combat School - 89 - Horrible control in the later stages...
<p>
and the worst game of all time... in my opinion is...
<p>
Us Vs. Them - with all the lacking background images and all the
broken games and all the imaginary ships and imaginary hits... I'm
giving this one a perfect 100! or is it an imperfect 100?
<p>
Thanks for reading my opinions
--
goldengameboy@yahoo.com
because that's how I want to do it
<p>
12. Money Puzzle Exchanger - 4(the number of people who beat me)
<p>
11. Pang 3 - 7
<p>
10. Galaga - 10
<p>
9. Gyruss - 15
<p>
8. Wild Ride - 24
<p>
7. Lock N' Chase - 33
<p>
6. BombJack - 34
<p>
5. 2020 Super Baseball - 48 - The scoring system stinks... we tried
it... and I think that wasn't the right way to play it.
<p>
4. ZZYZZYXX - 64 -
- you're dead just like that<p>
3. Discs of Tron - 72 - The controls stink!
<p>
2. Combat School - 89 - Horrible control in the later stages...
<p>
and the worst game of all time... in my opinion is...
<p>
Us Vs. Them - with all the lacking background images and all the
broken games and all the imaginary ships and imaginary hits... I'm
giving this one a perfect 100! or is it an imperfect 100?
<p>
Thanks for reading my opinions
--
goldengameboy@yahoo.com
-
Aquatarkus
Aqua's most hated tournament picks (In order)
<p>
#1 Bombjack
<p>
The main reason I hate this game is I'm learning it under pressure.
Doing a wave perfectly is worth 50k, doing in any which way you can
is worth 5k. If I was learning the game in a vacuum (like during the
NES days), this wouldn't matter so much. I'd play normally, build
skills, and otherwise enjoy myself. Eventually the higher scores
would come with practice. However, in these conditions I absolutely
have to do each level perfectly because I get zilch for points
otherwise. I've spent more time watching the intro to bombjack lately
than playing it, because if I die or grab the wrong bomb on the first
two waves I have to restart - which is 9 out of every 10 games.
<p>
#2 Us Vs. Them
<p>
The game sucks. It's the only game in the tournament that didn't ever
deserve to be in one. This has nothing to do with emulation problems.
The controls are bad, the scoring is bad, and it's boring as hell.
Mylstar should have converted all these machines into M.A.C.H. 3's.
<p>
#3 Combat School
<p>
There are three classes of recordings: 1. Beat the game, 2. Beat the
instructor, 3. Failed to beat instructor. Within each class, the
difference between scores (and leaderboard points) is based almost
entirely on shooting galleries I & III. The scoring opportunity and
difficulty of these two waves varies widely from game to game, making
the rank within your class mostly luck.
<p>
4,5&6. Galaga/Gyruss/Pang 3
<p>
Three variations of a theme I don't like. Pang 3 has some scoring and
strategic differences which make it somewhat more interesting, but at
heart Panic Mode has the same feel.
<p>
Borderline: Money Puzzle Exchanger
<p>
I quit playing puzzle games completely when I got sick of Tetris, and
I don't have the speed it takes to do any better without focusing far
harder on them than I'm willing to do anymore. However, this is one
of the best puzzle games I've played, and if I was still into them it
would probably be one of my favorites.
<p>
Other comments:
<p>
The control problem on DoT is not present in the arcade - the game
used a grip joystick and a spinner control that could be pulled up or
pushed down. Lock 'N Chase does not suck. Zzyzzyxx is probably
underappreciated, but does have some annoying features. Baseball
video games (including 2020) don't give pitching skills anywhere near
enough credit - for all practical purposes they're home run derbies.
Mr. Do's Wild Ride is practically perfect, but next time we should
probably turn the diamonds off (it's in the dipswitches).
--
aquatarkus@digicron.com
<p>
#1 Bombjack
<p>
The main reason I hate this game is I'm learning it under pressure.
Doing a wave perfectly is worth 50k, doing in any which way you can
is worth 5k. If I was learning the game in a vacuum (like during the
NES days), this wouldn't matter so much. I'd play normally, build
skills, and otherwise enjoy myself. Eventually the higher scores
would come with practice. However, in these conditions I absolutely
have to do each level perfectly because I get zilch for points
otherwise. I've spent more time watching the intro to bombjack lately
than playing it, because if I die or grab the wrong bomb on the first
two waves I have to restart - which is 9 out of every 10 games.
<p>
#2 Us Vs. Them
<p>
The game sucks. It's the only game in the tournament that didn't ever
deserve to be in one. This has nothing to do with emulation problems.
The controls are bad, the scoring is bad, and it's boring as hell.
Mylstar should have converted all these machines into M.A.C.H. 3's.
<p>
#3 Combat School
<p>
There are three classes of recordings: 1. Beat the game, 2. Beat the
instructor, 3. Failed to beat instructor. Within each class, the
difference between scores (and leaderboard points) is based almost
entirely on shooting galleries I & III. The scoring opportunity and
difficulty of these two waves varies widely from game to game, making
the rank within your class mostly luck.
<p>
4,5&6. Galaga/Gyruss/Pang 3
<p>
Three variations of a theme I don't like. Pang 3 has some scoring and
strategic differences which make it somewhat more interesting, but at
heart Panic Mode has the same feel.
<p>
Borderline: Money Puzzle Exchanger
<p>
I quit playing puzzle games completely when I got sick of Tetris, and
I don't have the speed it takes to do any better without focusing far
harder on them than I'm willing to do anymore. However, this is one
of the best puzzle games I've played, and if I was still into them it
would probably be one of my favorites.
<p>
Other comments:
<p>
The control problem on DoT is not present in the arcade - the game
used a grip joystick and a spinner control that could be pulled up or
pushed down. Lock 'N Chase does not suck. Zzyzzyxx is probably
underappreciated, but does have some annoying features. Baseball
video games (including 2020) don't give pitching skills anywhere near
enough credit - for all practical purposes they're home run derbies.
Mr. Do's Wild Ride is practically perfect, but next time we should
probably turn the diamonds off (it's in the dipswitches).
--
aquatarkus@digicron.com
-
Sandman
Well, my first post on the board, and for something as subjective as
a "poll". Still, I figure I might as well contribute my "2 cents
worth".
<p>
In order from worst/least favorite to "best"/least objectionable! :
<p>
1) UsVsThem. Ok, for me, in the first level, up is down & down is up.
But it's only the 1st part, so I can't really adjust it. Then, if I
can get thru the 3rd with only 3 "invisible" hits, I feel I've done
well. And yet, partially since I HAVE passed the 3rd part, I've the
6th best current score. Arguably twice as bad as anything else.
<p>
2) Money Exchanger. For personal reasons, as it mainly suffers in
the "state of mind" category, although I think I STILL haven't gotten
used to the "unique" scoring system (I'm more used to "score is
everything", even in puzzle games).
<p>
3) Combat School. It's sort of sad. The game isn't that bad thru 5
stages, so much that I think (almost) every score submitted beats
them. But the last 3 stages (3rd firing range, fight vs. instructor,
& mission) kill what could have been at worst an "average" game.
<p>
4) Zzyzzyxx. I actually can stand the music & intermissions, but
sometimes I wonder if the control suffers, or it's just me. And I
often wish the scenery would change from just bricks.
<p>
5) Mr. Do's Wild Ride. Possibly this "high" since I never really
cared for the Mr. Do character, though that death scene rather annoys
me, too.
<p>
6) Bombjack. Like Aqua, I feel I have to do well early, since about
lv 5 or so, I start to lose any pattern, in response to the seemingly
increased enemies' intelligence and decreased coins.
<p>
7) Galaga. The fast shoot option helps (at least in challenge
stages), but I'm obviously used to an easier than "hardest" setting.
<p>
Lock N Chase. I swear sometimes the game doesn't put my "locks"
where I want, but otherwise there's a lot of worse games in this
genre.
<p>
9) Gyruss. More room to maneuver than Galaga, and more potential for
bonus points, but otherwise vaguely similar.
<p>
10) 2020 Baseball. I've played a lot of baseball games (better and
worse), enough to get used to this game's "quirks".
<p>
11) Discs of Tron. The game I had the most experience with before the
tourney, both in arcades and MAME (though, considering the 12 games,
that's not necessarily saying a lot).
<p>
12)Pang3. I think my main problem with this game is that the
paintings keep distracting me!
--
msander@journey.com
a "poll". Still, I figure I might as well contribute my "2 cents
worth".
<p>
In order from worst/least favorite to "best"/least objectionable
! :<p>
1) UsVsThem. Ok, for me, in the first level, up is down & down is up.
But it's only the 1st part, so I can't really adjust it. Then, if I
can get thru the 3rd with only 3 "invisible" hits, I feel I've done
well. And yet, partially since I HAVE passed the 3rd part, I've the
6th best current score. Arguably twice as bad as anything else.
<p>
2) Money Exchanger. For personal reasons, as it mainly suffers in
the "state of mind" category, although I think I STILL haven't gotten
used to the "unique" scoring system (I'm more used to "score is
everything", even in puzzle games).
<p>
3) Combat School. It's sort of sad. The game isn't that bad thru 5
stages, so much that I think (almost) every score submitted beats
them. But the last 3 stages (3rd firing range, fight vs. instructor,
& mission) kill what could have been at worst an "average" game.
<p>
4) Zzyzzyxx. I actually can stand the music & intermissions, but
sometimes I wonder if the control suffers, or it's just me. And I
often wish the scenery would change from just bricks.
<p>
5) Mr. Do's Wild Ride. Possibly this "high" since I never really
cared for the Mr. Do character, though that death scene rather annoys
me, too.
<p>
6) Bombjack. Like Aqua, I feel I have to do well early, since about
lv 5 or so, I start to lose any pattern, in response to the seemingly
increased enemies' intelligence and decreased coins.
<p>
7) Galaga. The fast shoot option helps (at least in challenge
stages), but I'm obviously used to an easier than "hardest" setting.
<p>
Lock N Chase. I swear sometimes the game doesn't put my "locks" where I want, but otherwise there's a lot of worse games in this
genre.
<p>
9) Gyruss. More room to maneuver than Galaga, and more potential for
bonus points, but otherwise vaguely similar.
<p>
10) 2020 Baseball. I've played a lot of baseball games (better and
worse), enough to get used to this game's "quirks".
<p>
11) Discs of Tron. The game I had the most experience with before the
tourney, both in arcades and MAME (though, considering the 12 games,
that's not necessarily saying a lot).
<p>
12)Pang3. I think my main problem with this game is that the
paintings keep distracting me
!--
msander@journey.com