Cult video game
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A cult video game is a video game that has maintained a dedicated cult following among gaming enthusiasts.
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[edit] Definition
Generally, the definition of a cult video game is a video game that was not widely successful, but has maintained a strong and dedicated fan following nevertheless. Other cult video games may be widely successful and critically acclaimed, but may have been overshadowed by other video games in the same series or released around the same time. For example, while Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are both critically acclaimed, the former is widely heralded as one of the best video games of all time[citation needed], while the latter is remembered for its difficulty, unconventional gameplay and deep characters[citation needed]; a cult following of minority gamers who prefer Majora's Mask over Ocarina of Time has since developed[citation needed].
The appeal of cult video games often derives from their unconventional characteristics that are not present in other games, and which do not appeal to a wider audience. For example, certain Japanese video games have developed a cult following in the West due to cultural differences and other idiosyncrasies that appeal to a minority of non-Japanese gamers[citation needed].
There are other elements which may contribute to a game's classification as "cult":
- Gameplay
Cult video games often stray from genre conventions, and may therefore be difficult to pigeonhole or to appeal to a specific gaming demographic (e.g. first-person shooter fans, role-playing game fans, etc.)
- Plot and characters
Where applicable, cult video games often contain unconventional plotlines and characters.
[edit] Reception
Since cult video games are not generally considered mainstream, they are not widely received in a positive manner. However in the media, reviewers often consider cult elements to be enriching experiences and provide positive reviews.
[edit] Examples
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The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (October 2011) |
[edit] 1970s
- 1979: Star Raiders[1]
[edit] 1980s
- 1981: Castle Wolfenstein,[3] Wizardry[4]
- 1984: Boulder Dash,[5] Elite[citation needed]
- 1987: Phantasy Star[6]
- 1989: Herzog Zwei,[9] River City Ransom,[10] Mother, Final Fight, Clash at Demonhead, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
[edit] 1990s
- 1990: StarTropics
- 1992: Night Trap, X-Men
- 1993: Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, Gunstar Heroes,[6] Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Shadowrun, Link's Awakening, Sonic CD, Violent Storm, Virtua Fighter
- 1995: EarthBound (Mother 2) (originally released in Japan in 1994), chrono trigger, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Rise of the Triad, Hong Kong 97, Indycar Racing II
- 1996: Mortal Kombat Trilogy, NiGHTS into Dreams..., Dragon Force, Tetris Attack[6], Die Hard Trilogy, Killer Instinct Gold, Metal Slug
- 1998: Panzer Dragoon Saga,[6] Guilty Gear,[6] Grim Fandango, Shogo: Mobile Armor Division, LSD: Dream Emulator
- 1999: Kingpin: Life of Crime, Shenmue,[12] Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber,[13] R-Type Delta,[6]System Shock 2,[14]Planescape: Torment[15], Blue Stinger, Street Fighter III: Third Strike, Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within, Outcast, Pokémon Snap
[edit] 2000s
- 2000: Phantasy Star Online, Grandia II, Skies of Arcadia, Chu Chu Rocket, Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, StarCraft 64
- 2003: Beyond Good & Evil, Gotcha Force,[18][19][20] Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean,[21]
Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing
- 2004: Katamari Damacy
- 2006: LocoRoco,Okami, God Hand, Mother 3,shadow of the colossus, The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning
- 2007: Odin Sphere, No More Heroes, The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, Hotel Dusk: Room 215", Earth Defense Force 2017
- 2009: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, Little King's Story, Another Code: R – A Journey into Lost Memories
- 2010: Deadly Premonition,[13][22] Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, Last Window: The Secret of Cape West, Deadliest Warrior, Deathsmiles, Infinite Space, Nier, Splatterhouse[22]
- 2011: El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, Radiant Historia, Shadows of the Damned, Lost in Shadow, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter
- 2012: NeverDead
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ «A cult classic on the Atari 400 & 800 computers». "Star Raiders". Phosphor Dot Fossils. Archived from the original on 2008-04-17. http://web.archive.org/web/20080417015219/http://www.thelogbook.com/phosphor/atari26/q1-05/a.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ^ Craig Harris (December 19, 2002). "Defender: Lesson one on how not to remake a classic on the GBA". IGN. http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/377/377848p1.html. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ^ D'Silva, Roy. (April 4, 2007). "History of Video Games". Buzzle.com. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/history-of-video-games.html. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
- ^ Parish, Jeremy. (2009). "The Coming RPG Storm: The Dark Spire". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8980470&publicUserId=5379721. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
- ^ "Tour the planet: Boulder Dash - Rocks! new trailer". December 16, 2007. http://pspupdates.qj.net/category/Boulder-Dash-Rocks-/cid/3743. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "TOP 10 CULT CLASSICS". 1UP.com. June 22, 2005. http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3141616. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ^ Tom Goldman (19 Jun 2010). "Kojima To Unveil "Massive PS3 Exclusive" at TGS 2010". The Escapist. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101495-Kojima-To-Unveil-Massive-PS3-Exclusive-at-TGS-2010. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
- ^ "Previews: Bionic Commando". 1UP.com. March 6, 2008. http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3168060&p=1. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ^ Ian Erickson. "Game of The Week: Herzog Zwei". GameSpy. http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=242. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ "Atlus Set To Release River City Ransom Ex". GameZone. May 14, 2003. http://www.gamezone.com/news/item/atlus_set_to_release_river_city_ransom_ex/. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
- ^ David Chen (2005-12-14). "Retroactive: Kojima's Productions". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/features/retroactive-metal-gear. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
- ^ Don Reisinger (November 16, 2010). "Shenmue creator wants to make a third title". CNET.com. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20022933-17.html. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
- ^ a b c Stewart Shearer (February 14, 2011). "The 19 Best Underrated Games". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2011-11-30. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/218237/the-19-best-underrated-games/&date=2011-11-30+18:57:44. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
- ^ Andrew Park (October 8, 2004). "System Shock 2 Retrospective". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/features/6109881/system-shock-2-retrospective. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
- ^ Chris Dahlen (August 23, 2005). "Planescape: Torment". The Escapist (magazine). http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_7/47-Planescape-Torment. Retrieved 2011-08-19.
- ^ Zachary Gasiorowski (19 August 2004). "Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes". MyGamer.com. http://www.mygamer.com/index.php?page=gameportal&mode=reviews&id=511. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
- ^ "Robot Arena 2 website". http://gametechmods.com/forums/index.php.
- ^ "Gotcha Force for GameCube reviews". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/gamecube/action/gotchaforce/players.html.
- ^ "Gotcha Force reviews". GameFAQs. http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/review/914796.html.
- ^ "Review: Gotcha Force". Nintendo World Report. http://www.planetgamecube.com/reviewArt.cfm.
- ^ "Top 10: Why We Still Play". IGN. http://wii.ign.com/articles/715/715091p1.html.
- ^ a b Brandon Sheffield (December 22, 2010). "Gamasutra's Best Of 2010: Top 5 Cult Games". Gamasutra. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/32126/Gamasutras_Best_Of_2010_Top_5_Cult_Games.php. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
