Almost everyone loves video games. From sports to fantasy adventure RPG, to about anything you can imagine, there are all sorts of games for any type of taste. Some games never get old: look at Mario, Final Fantasy, and the Legend of Zelda. Other games, however, should never have made their way out of the idea room. As a note: it’s amazing how many terrible games are out there. If you look at item 15, it’s hard to believe there are 14 games worse, and yet…
On the shame level, this one is up there with “Custer’s Revenge.” This game is based on the Virginia Tech massacre, and the creator of the game said he did so “because it was funny.”
A terrible game based on a terrible movie, with one of the most boring games ever. Characters look like they were made by a 10 year old using Microsoft Paint program.
This is one of the worst games ever, getting only a 6% out of 100 from PC World, and is best known as the game that was knowingly shipped without any AI programming at all. This remains the second lowest rated game by PC Gamer US of all time.
There were three bastard legend of Zelda games developed by a different company when one branch of Nintendo tried to go to CD technology and failed. The game is considered one of the worst ever.
This is the game that almost killed Microsoft’s video game dreams. Early on the system was strong, but the games were terrible. This video game was so bad that it received some of the lowest scores in the entire history of several video game reviewers. “Edge” only gave it a 1/10 (it is still the only game ever to score that badly) while “Game Informer” gave it 0.5 out of 10. That’s beyond bad.
This game was named the worst game cube game ever, and inspired G-4′s golden mullet award, based on the hair style of one of the evil bosses in this game. The “golden mullet award” is given to the worst game of the year, and it all started with Aquaman.
How bad is this game? It is widely considered by many experts to be the worst fighting game of all time, and it needed Shaq’s image to make sure it didn’t completely bomb. The story is idiotic (Shaq is in Japan and learns kung fu to save the world… really?) The controls suck, game play sucks, and this is on almost every top ten list of worst video games ever made.
This game was so terrible, that there is an actual website of people whose mission is to buy every copy and destroy it. They will pay you for your copy of the game and then destroy it. That’s dedication, and worthy of a place on the all time bad game list.
The introduction starts out promisingly enough with a full brief, decent looking opening graphics, and the promise of good missions. And that’s it. This game is the epitome of terrible programming and AI. the professional video game players from GameStop said they NEVER got past level one. Hostages were stupid, would disappear into walls and thin air, and a ridiculous time limit would count down as you tried to do an impossible mission.
So the graphics are terrible, controls far more complicated than they should be, the AI is junk, and the game is literally impossible…from as early as level one.
Early on, Xbox just could not get it right! Winner of the Golden Mullet award, an award given out for the worst video game every year, this game was generally declared an even worse video game than the Aquaman video game that was so bad it gave them an idea for the Golden Mullet awards.
There is nothing about this game that works. Not fighting, not graphics, not story line. With how many early Xbox games were terrible, it’s amazing the system survived long enough to hit its groove. Drake is one game that most likely, will not be on the top of anyone’s list to make Xbox 360 compatible.
This is on the majority of top ten horrible lists. The graphics and controls are terrible, and this is a blatant rip off of Mario 64, with the stupid furry whatever it is yelling a “cool, hip” line every 3 seconds.
The 3DO is considered perhaps the worst video game platform ever, and many of the 3DO forums online brag about “as owners of the 3DO, we gamers know about truly bad games.” This game was the bar for bad, by which all the terrible 3DO games were measured. Most people have never even heard of “plumbers.” They’re much luckier than the ones who actually played this game, a sad attempt at a sim game about plumbers trying to woo women.
There hasn’t been a good Superman game yet, but this one takes the cake. Terrible cube like graphics that were even worse than pixel games, a weird green haze over everything, and shoddy game play are just a few of the things wrong. One example: you’re supposed to be able to throw cars. Only problem is the game won’t let you ever pick one up. This game was on Nintendo Power’s list of “5 Worst Games Ever,” and this game even has an award named after it: the “Superman 64″ award for most disappointing game of the year.
Okay this is kind of a cheap one since it was never technically released, as this was going to be part of a mini-game from an unreleased Penn and Teller video game that would have been released for Sega CD back in 1994. This game is now available as a download to PC. But the idea behind this game (even if it was meant as a joke, and it isn’t clear if it was or not) is so bad that it belonged on the top ten.
This game is very straightforward. You have to drive a bus through the desert from Tucson, Arizona, to Las Vegas, Nevada. And in an homage to accuracy, the entire trip is in real time, so it is a minimum of 8 hours. Even better:
There is no scenery or traffic or anything on the road. Only one plain desert scene that never changes for eight hours. At five hours of driving, one bug hits the windshield and becomes a green splatter. And the alignment is off just enough that the bus veers to the right just slightly, so it’s impossible to just tape down a button and go do something else. If you make it through eight of the most boring and painful hours of your life, then you score one point.
Especially notable: Burning desire and Custer’s Revenge. As far as not only being bad, but being “shameful,” these are the worst games ever made. Either they’re trying to peddle violent sexual fantasies to kids, with those great Atari graphics, or the sheer stupidity of not catching what those games implied is just stunning. These are the types of games that give video gaming a bad name, and are by far and away the most shameful examples of games ever made.
Not only do these games make almost every list of worst games ever, but when Game Spy Magazine put together a list of the most shameful games ever, Custer’s Revenge came in #1. There is nothing redeeming in any way about these games, and quite frankly I’m amazed they were ever allowed to be produced.
This game was so terrible that even after over 30 years of video gaming, there is still consensus that this is the worst game ever. So many returned cartridges came back that they literally buried thousands upon thousands of them in the desert, piling concrete on top of it. This isn’t even a myth. You can look up online where the dump site is in the Nevada desert.
Ouch. This game was so bad it single handedly destroyed the Atari corporation, and almost destroyed video games, being the biggest single contributor to the “Video Game Crash of 1983.” Wow. I mean, wow.
E.T. was easy.
I have a 3DO and it is NOT the worst system ever. However, Plumbers Don’t Wear ties should be number one here. It sucks so bad it hurts. Like, really really hurts.
The only thing that makes it barely tolerable is the nude code that showed a nipple or two that was handy for a kid that didn’t have any access to Playboys or the internet back in the day.
“Brianne…
2 n’s, huh?
Dont you think thats lazy and repetitive?
I mean, come on, who has 2 n’s?”
Uh…Brianne is a female name, not an alternate spelling of Brian.
ET was a nasty game.
Honorable mention should go to Rygar and Contra for the NES. On the surface they look good but don’t be fooled.
The only way to play Contra was to use a cheat code for a ton of free guys. If you in essence can’t die with the code what was the point.
Rygar was lesser known but even worse. You could get hit three times then game over and no saving.
Dischunter: you may be right that geeky gamers may be ***** starved but they ain’t gonna need a video game. They can find it elseware. (hint: the internet)!!!
what about daikatana?
OMG! The picture for #2 is hilarious! I’ve never even played any of these or heard of some of then.
Hey, do you award scholarships?
What about Hotel Mario???
Shaq Fu!!
That’s the only one I’ve heard of/played.
I played that a TON in kindergarten!
Then I grew up and was like…. “What was that weird game, again? I mean….what??”
Yikes- I’ve played none of these games, except the worst one. I remember making E.T.’s head move and having to run away, then another scene of something else. Last time I played it, I got extremely frustrated and said how stupid the game was. Which, looking back, was impressive because I’m usually easy to please with video games and I was 7.
58. NeoLudd
Uh, why the countless Jennifers that roam the landscape, such as myself. Who has two D’s, anyway? Puddle of Mudd? Great model, there, Chief.
Oh, and I think you are referring to “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?”, the single best game to come from the Commodore 64*. Has nothing to do with Mario.
*Yes, even over King’s Quest or Space Quest.
Cedestra: I remember Carmen Sandiego – they also made a TV show based on it (or was it the other way around?)
“Desert Bus” should, (and, it’s a big SHOULD), definitely be item no 1. It’s so freakin’ boring and I, for one, hate such monotony.
62. Paul- I agree, too, that “Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties” must be on a higher place in the list. ***** stuff isn’t good for kids.
BUT, (another big BUT to your statement on ***** exposed) Even if I’m a teenager, I can easily resist such temptation and simply feel such…
“abhorrence, abomination, acrimony, alienation, animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, aversion, bitterness, coldness, contempt, detestation, disapproval, disfavor, disgust, displeasure, distaste, enmity, execration, grudge, hate, horror, hostility, ignominy, ill will, invidiousness, loathing, malevolence, malice, malignance, militancy, odium, pique, prejudice, rancor, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion, scorn, spite, spleen, venom” (http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/hatred)
…towards the nude, distasteful, and utterly repulsive display of nude women. Women don’t act that way. Really. They deserve respect.
ET is actually quite underrated. First of all, the graphics suck, yes, but ALL Atari games suck in the graphics department. That shouldn’t even bee an issue. What’s left? All I can tell, people hate stuff like where ET has to go down a pit to collect a piece of candy, and you have to hit up to clim out of the hole, but when you reach the top, you appear in a position near the hole that results in ET falling back into the hole, forcing you to make him climb back out. Here’s a hint: try not sucking at the game? Have patients, take your time, and do it friggen RIGHT.
I was going to hurt you if ET wasn’t #1.
Good work, finally a list about games that is done properly.
“Video games shouldn’t be based off of real-life, horrible events.”
Hence all the war games we love so much.
To pick a nit: the copies of E.T. that were entombed in concrete in the desert were not all “returned cartridges,” but rather unsold inventory that had to be completely destroyed in this way to justify an asset writedown. It’s possible there were a few returns in the lot, but the vast majority buried were never purchased in the first place.
Howard Scott Warshaw, E.T.’s programmer, is also responsible for what is considered by some one of the best Atari 2600 video games: Yar’s Revenge. He was very talented, but was given very little time to develop E.T., as management wanted it released in time for Christmas. There are many that bear more responsibility for its monumental failure than he.
what makes ET so bad, ive never played it. Is it game play, graphics or what?
It seems not only was Atari sorely mistaken in it’s decision to create the ET game, the writer of this list was mistaken when it was noted the games were supposedly dumped in Nevada when they were dumped in New Mexico – of course the desert is the desert.
@79: It was an Atari 2600 game so the graphics were bound to suck. My guess is most people are complaining about the game play which, admittedly, takes a bit to master. Once you know what you’re doing the game is actually quite easy. Beatable in 20 minutes or less.
Cedestra-
I know Carmen Sandiego. Me and that broad go way back.
I swear to God there was a geography based NES game where you played as Luigi and had to rescue Mario.
No one will help me out with this cause I lack social skills and etiquette, but still…
My first post!!
I felt it necessary to let you know that I read this list at 10 a.m. while at work. Since then I have been on a wonderful journey through Wikipedia learing about the worst games ever! I just wanted to thank you for contributing to 7 1/2 hours of a complete lack of productivity!! Thanks Listverse!!
I agree completely with Superman 64 being up there. It was given to me and soon after was thrown into the garbage out of anger.
Mario is Missing!
Look it up all you slack jawed fagets who told me i was wrong.
I’m a goddamned *****ual tyrannosaur.
Strap this on your sore ass!
Don’t feed the trolls.
Neo “The Body” Ludd: No one argues that Luigi running around with a vacuum cleaner isn’t a crappy idea, But these are by far much much worse.
I refer to the Ghost hunting Luigi crap for the 64. If there was any confusion. Mistaken video game.
@DiskHuker: The stereotype of gamers being nerds is quite new, though. Back in the 70s and 80s, the stereotype was of children playing video games (which, to be fair, was mostly true). That’s why *****ogames like Custer and Leisure Suit Larry were so controversial. Among less “in the know” people, this stereotype still exists (and is still quite justified), part of the reason why the GTA: San Andreas thing was such a political ordeal. Of course, no child should have been playing that game in the first place, but ol’ Hil Rodham won’t admit that.
73. JFrater- the game came out first, if I remember correctly. Rockapella did vocals for the show and later did a coffee jingle; good stuff, if you like acapella groups.
85. Neoludd- who told you you were wrong? I thought you may have been mistaken, but I couldn’t find anyone saying you were flat out wrong.
Here’s the link to watch the video on the E.T. game. It made me cry, LoL.
GTA: AHHHHHHHHHHH! MY EYES ARE ON FIRE! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
If you can beat this game, you are a video-game GOD!
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/games/play/277055/#
Csimmons: I really don’t know what to say to that video, Except for laughing at it…I don’t know why it was made
did you say that almost everybody loves video games. I know a lot of people and almost none of them like video games including myself. you have little to gain but entertainment mixed with time wasting, and there is nothing to gain from them!
@Thepennymachine: TV is useless, and millions watch it.
One could argue for the dextrious, stimulating, or cathartic benefits of video gaming. It may not be as useful as curing AIDS, but it’s not at all useless. Besides, the NES game “Sesame Street: 1-2-3″ helped me learn how to count!
What do you mean T.V is useless? Instant information sent to the masses. can you think of a more effecient way? a lowcost T.V. that you can use for so may different things? come on.. brilliant invention
Why am I not surprised that Wand of Gamelon is on here?
I played and beat Superman 64 as a kid. In the early N64 days, which seems to be before anyone else’s time in these responses, Superman 64 was a decent game. It wasn’t the most fun had playing as Superman or anything like that, but it is comparable to Superman Returns for PS2 and other consoles today. As a little kid with a Nintendo 64 and not much else to do, you probably would have found some enjoyment in Superman 64 too…it was actually fun to try and fly through the rings. Lifting cars did work and you could even take cars way up into the air and throw them down onto buildings. Superman’s powers were also pretty cool to see for the first time in 3D.
The lamest part of the whole game had to be the fact that the city you’re defending, Metropolis, was uninhabited. Though the good thing about seeing an uninhabited city like in Superman 64 was that I immediately got the idea to make a game like Grand Theft Auto in 3D. I really liked the 2D Grand Theft Auto games and Superman 64 so Grand Theft Auto in 3D wasn’t a huge jump from that, but I did have the idea.
FBI Hostage Rescue (2004) I played it. I got headache from level one, but I passed it. Level 2 was simple, but at level 4 I started to womit.
the all time worst game would have to be a game by the name of: the legend of link! this is a rpg game and it sucked!!! the world is a crappy piece of work. the enemys look like dog crap with feet!!! And the never ending side mission!!!! enemies flying towards you and just killing you!!! what the hell is that about!!
not only that it just ruined alot of the essence of the legend of zelda! so i say this game was the worst honestly.
I… Would… SO… play… Desert Bus.
=D
You should add the Sims 2. this game requires that you play for at least ten hours in order to see any progress. You become a zombie if you consent to play the game for any length of time. When you play a sim life it corresponds to at least a week of your, human life so that you actually rot your life away as you play it. The game bombards your computer like a dos attack until everything slows down. It’s major device is annoyance and irritation and repetition. It can actually destroy your windows installation or worse. Also, the game makers are obsessed with urine, defecation, and vomit. The game open up with a mother who vomits in a toilet and her baby is programmed by the game to then go and play in the toilet. All toddlers in the game play in the dirty toilets, you can not stop them unless you install a hack. All babies are mistreated and abused – it’s a game for sadists. The game provides nannies, who are these decrepit,old hags who abuse all the babies and toddlers by leaving them in isolated areas, leaving them on the floor in their own refuse, starving them, leaving them alone, urinating on them or worse. Old people are depicted as human refuse incarnated – they are worthless whereas in real lie our elders are often quite healthy and fit. The game revolves around human waste- the nannies who care for the babies are programmed to abuse by putting the babies on the floor and then urinating on themselves so that the babies are laying in the nanny’s urine. The game attracts a lot of homo*****ual men and has been endorsed by an important gay and lesbian organization because of its very lenient attitude towards homo*****ual love and *****. It presents a distorted depiction of *****uality. I am not attacking homo*****uality, but the Sims presents it as though *****ual preference is just matter of random chance. The game is programmed so that two teenagers of same ***** who are playing together will spontaneously fall in love which each other. From then on, they will be homo*****uals or bi*****uals for the remainder of the game. The game is so sick, but it’s still very popular…
That was the most entertaining piece of drivel I’ve read all month.
And I’m referring to the comment above.
There’s a Sega Saturn game called Ghen War that should be on a list of terrible games! It apparently sucks so badly that the only time it has sold on eBay (in the completed listings search results) was for 1 CENT (USD). I’m meant to be selling it but can’t be bothered writing up the advertisement…
from where do i download desert bus (#3)
Where’s barbie Horse racing World adventures?
lol
Y’know, Vani; since you are the “god” of your own personal Sims universe, that universe is a direct reflection of yourself. The game itself is not the problem on this one…
Regarding Desert Bus; “Penn Jillette commented in his radio show that the overly realistic nature of the game was in response to Janet Reno and the controversy surrounding violent video games at the time.” (from Penn & Teller’s Smoke and Mirrors Wiki entry, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Bus#Desert_Bus)
I missed out on all these games, too busy playing the RPGs of the day, I guess. Lucky me.
HAHAHAHAHA longball I soooo agree with you! COD4>Halo 3
Any list of bad game that doesn’t include Big Rigs:Over the Road Racing especially one called, “15 Lousy Video Games That Should Never Have Been Made,” Has no credibility as far as I’m concerned. It is consider the worst game ever made by most of the major game reviewing sites.
google “angry video game nerd”… he reviews some of these games and others…he’s hilarious!
This is a great list. Like most, the only game I’ve had the misfortune of playing was shaq fu. Being a dumb little kid at the time I thought the game was kinda fun. But looking back now I was a fool….
For some strange reason I have an uncontrollable urge to play Desert Bus. Am I dead inside???
(My first post)
dear lord…i own E.T. and Superman 64…
Like the V-Tech game but on a much larger scale.
Muslim Massacre. http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,24335375-5014117,00.html
I will have to agree, superman 64 does suck. But you can pick up cars. Fly into em.
crappy list. its missing the two worst games of all time. anyone care to guess what they are? big rigs and action 52.
funny i’ve never played or heard of any of these :p
Haha I’ve played Bubsy 3d and Superman 64.
I actually thought both games were quite enjoyable, although i was confused a bit with Superman 64 and I actually completed Bubsy 3d
I laughed so hard at Desert Bus that I almost woke the neighbours up!