Weird Video Games?
I'm now working on a rather large project and am looking for the weirdest video games ever made. If you come across any games that are off-putting, nonsensical, or just plain messed up, send me an e-mail, but please read this first.
Update: Sept 11, 2005
Just in case you're wondering, I'm still working on this, and to show it I've uploaded some screenshots you can view here
General Criteria:
- Above all else, remember I'm looking for games that would make someone say to themselves "How did this end up on store shelves?". Something you made in grade five and never left your computer doesn't count.
- Joke games don't count. Earthworm Jim was weird, but it was supposed to be funny. I'm looking for games that fit under the "What were they thinking?" category.
- I'm looking for games that are strange, not necessarily bad. Please don't send me an e-mail saying "This game has terrible graphics, isn't that weird?"
- Once a game becomes mainstream and other games try to emulate it, it tends to be less weird. The classic example of Super Mario Bros. Yeah, it's got jumping through pipes and collecting mushrooms that make you big. it's kind of weird, but we've seen it a thousand times and as far as video games go it's fairly normal.
- Some ideas for games don't translate well to games, like say, a game where you have to grade homework within a time limit. This doesn't necessarily make it weird. Unless it's game where aliens try to eat your grandma when the time runs out, it doesn't fit my criteria.
- I'm looking for actual commercially released games. A prototype that was never released does not count. Games that were released through nonconventional means are still acceptable (Ie, a game that was sold out of cereal boxes and not on store shelves, or a game that was released as freeware and became widespread)
- No hacks or mods. Yeah, I've played "Mega Crap," which was odd, but since it's really the product of some kid who got his hands on a hack editor and a Megaman 5 rom it doesn't exactly qualify as commercial.
- Some games are not thoroughly weird but only have one or two weird elements. These are acceptable if the element is bizarre enough. (For example, let's say some perfectly normal action game has a talking toilet in level 5.)
- Games that are availabe only on websites do not count unless it's being sold or distrubuted as freeware. Most flash games or games made with Games Factory, for example, are not what I consider commercial.
That's generally it. Feel free to e-mail questions.
If you're not sure whether a game fits the criteria, (or if it doesn't but you really think it should) go ahead and e-mail anyway and I'll consider it. Just keep all of the above in mind, as I'm likely to ignore you if you say "LOLOLO Tehres a falsh gam were u play Rivarsity Ransomm but teh caractars are nakad! WTFLOL!"
E-mail: hyena@kiwibonga.com. When you e-mail me, be sure to tell me:
- The title.
- The system (Ie, PC, Arcade, Sega Genesis, etc etc)
- A brief (or detailed) description of what makes it weird. Particularly if there's only one or two weird elements that I need to look for.
- If it's hard to find, the more information you can give me, the better. If it's impossible to find on the net, but there's an Ebay auction where it's being sold for super cheap, feel free to point me in its direction.
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