Best (and Worst) Video Game Endings?

[AlvinKarpis]

Karnov on the NES. After all that hell you go through, it just gives you "Congratulations. The End". Really? No, really?..

 

LMAO!

 

I beat Karnov back in the 80s and my friend Joe was helping me along and pumping me up the whole game

 

When the ending came and was just "Congratulations. The End" we just looked at each other and busted out laughing, I had busted my ass trying to beat Karnov for a long time and I was so exhausted mentally when I finally did beat it that instead of getting pissed off at being jipped out of a real ending all I could do was laugh

[toptenmaterial]

Best:

 

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Soma has the acceptence of all of his new friends, and Alucard vows to keep kicking ass into the 21st century.

 

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Link makes out with Zelda, enough said.

 

Give me some time to think of a worst....

Edited January 21, 2012 by toptenmaterial

[+jeremiahjt]

Worst for me would be Baldies on the Jaguar CD, I have never played the other versions so I don't know if they are diferent. After 100 levels you get 1 Congratulations screen and the credits roll. Even though that is what I expected from a Jag game I was still pissed.

 

There are a lot of games that I really enjoy the endings: all the NES Dragon Warriors, Fatal Run on the 7800, Flashback, and a bunch of others I can't remember right now.

[high voltage]

Best: Every Infocom game really, not only did they have the most excellent stories, but also terrific endings. Remember when you finally finished Deadline, a game which only gives you 12 hours to solve the murder.

Edited January 23, 2012 by high voltage

[cparsley]

I got one that beats Karnov.... Vectron on the Intellivision... In the manual you are promised a thrilling light display for beating the 100 LEVELS of building bases while aliens thy to dismantle it, and you, and all you get is one word (congratulations) in gold, thats it!

[SoulBlazer]

Vectron is talked about on the Blue Sky Rangers website, the programer was quoted as saying they had planned a bigger and better ending but they ran out of space. "I think the game is impossible to beat, anyway" he adds. "I certinaly hope so, cause if I had done all that work and only got Congratulations, I sure would have been pissed!"

[bradjewell]

One of the worst IMHO is:

Rampage on NES.. not sure on other version...

I just remember it took several hours and it just popped up congratulations and some such nonsense.

Of course, the fun was in playing it.

[Cynicaster]

So skills can't be improved if a game doesn't list numbers up top?

 

You're completely missing the point. Developing skills is one thing, measuring those skills in an objective way is another. That's where score comes in--it provides a quantitative measurement of a player's proficiency at a game.

 

I realize this is just another "to each their own" scenario, but I personally find it a rather empty experience sitting on a couch by myself and playing a game like Uncharted (for example) because it's just a mind-numbing, time sucking waste of time. Like, aside from wasting large chunks of my day, what am I trying to achieve? What am I actually striving for? To "finish" the game. When I finally do make it from point A to point B, how do I know how well I did? The answer is, I don't know how well I did--I just throw the game out and move on to a new one.

 

Sure, there are many who would gladly tell you that videogames are a complete mind-numbing, time sucking waste of time regardless of the form they come in--score based or not. That would be an undestandable opinion for a complete non-gamer to hold. But as somebody who enjoys the hobby of videogames (hell, call it a vice if you like, I don't give a shit), at least an achievement on a score-based game gives me something tangible for my time; an objective measure of my performance that I can track and try to improve.

 

Don't get me wrong, simply having a scoring system doesn't mean a game is necessarily any good--there are plenty of crappy titles out there. But plenty of great ones, too. And when you come across one you really like, the replay value is limited only by your level of determination to improve.

[BillyHW]

It does sound like Karnov takes the cake for worst ending.

 

[SoulBlazer]

So skills can't be improved if a game doesn't list numbers up top?

 

You're completely missing the point. Developing skills is one thing, measuring those skills in an objective way is another. That's where score comes in--it provides a quantitative measurement of a player's proficiency at a game.

 

I realize this is just another "to each their own" scenario, but I personally find it a rather empty experience sitting on a couch by myself and playing a game like Uncharted (for example) because it's just a mind-numbing, time sucking waste of time. Like, aside from wasting large chunks of my day, what am I trying to achieve? What am I actually striving for? To "finish" the game. When I finally do make it from point A to point B, how do I know how well I did? The answer is, I don't know how well I did--I just throw the game out and move on to a new one.

 

Sure, there are many who would gladly tell you that videogames are a complete mind-numbing, time sucking waste of time regardless of the form they come in--score based or not. That would be an undestandable opinion for a complete non-gamer to hold. But as somebody who enjoys the hobby of videogames (hell, call it a vice if you like, I don't give a shit), at least an achievement on a score-based game gives me something tangible for my time; an objective measure of my performance that I can track and try to improve.

 

Don't get me wrong, simply having a scoring system doesn't mean a game is necessarily any good--there are plenty of crappy titles out there. But plenty of great ones, too. And when you come across one you really like, the replay value is limited only by your level of determination to improve.

 

Not to sidetrack the thread here, but when I play a game like Skyrim, you could argue since there's no score the only thing I'm doing is playing it to beat it. But it's what you get out of the game that counts. The fun time you have playing it, losing yourself in a rich and detailed world, the plot lines and battles and 'WTF!' moments. Any RPG is like that, also, and those are my fav games. Adventure games also, or strategy and simulation games. Don't get me wrong, I love old school arcade games also like Gyruss and Time Pilot. But to me the 'score' was always very secondary, since it's possible to do quite well and go far in a game with a low score. (Tron comes to mind)

Edited January 23, 2012 by SoulBlazer

[Cynicaster]

So skills can't be improved if a game doesn't list numbers up top?

 

You're completely missing the point. Developing skills is one thing, measuring those skills in an objective way is another. That's where score comes in--it provides a quantitative measurement of a player's proficiency at a game.

 

I realize this is just another "to each their own" scenario, but I personally find it a rather empty experience sitting on a couch by myself and playing a game like Uncharted (for example) because it's just a mind-numbing, time sucking waste of time. Like, aside from wasting large chunks of my day, what am I trying to achieve? What am I actually striving for? To "finish" the game. When I finally do make it from point A to point B, how do I know how well I did? The answer is, I don't know how well I did--I just throw the game out and move on to a new one.

 

Sure, there are many who would gladly tell you that videogames are a complete mind-numbing, time sucking waste of time regardless of the form they come in--score based or not. That would be an undestandable opinion for a complete non-gamer to hold. But as somebody who enjoys the hobby of videogames (hell, call it a vice if you like, I don't give a shit), at least an achievement on a score-based game gives me something tangible for my time; an objective measure of my performance that I can track and try to improve.

 

Don't get me wrong, simply having a scoring system doesn't mean a game is necessarily any good--there are plenty of crappy titles out there. But plenty of great ones, too. And when you come across one you really like, the replay value is limited only by your level of determination to improve.

 

Not to sidetrack the thread here, but when I play a game like Skyrim, you could argue since there's no score the only thing I'm doing is playing it to beat it. But it's what you get out of the game that counts. The fun time you have playing it, losing yourself in a rich and detailed world, the plot lines and battles and 'WTF!' moments. Any RPG is like that, also, and those are my fav games. Adventure games also, or strategy and simulation games.

 

Oh, I fully understand what you’re saying; that’s why I made sure to point out that it’s all personal preference.

 

In my mind, the design, objectives, and general design philosophy behind titles like Skyrim is so vastly different from titles like, say, Missile Command, that I don’t even consider them to fall under the same category of entertainment. Let’s face it, many modern games have far more in common with feature films than they do with the classic concept of a “ videogame”. Why, then, do we even refer to a title like Uncharted 3 as a videogame and not an “interactive movie” or something like that?

 

Don't get me wrong, I love old school arcade games also like Gyruss and Time Pilot. But to me the 'score' was always very secondary, since it's possible to do quite well and go far in a game with a low score. (Tron comes to mind)

 

I think if you're clearing lots of boards but putting up low scores, you're probably doing that by willfully dodging the challenges and dangers that make up the essence of the game. What I'm saying is, it could be argued that if you're scoring low, you're not doing very well, no matter what level you make it to.

[Tr3vor]

Best: Zelda Link to the Past. Its cool with a polygonal triforce and awesome music, and the sick bug catcher starts catching bugs again such a satisfying ending.

 

worst: Ghostbusters on the NES.

 

"CONGLATURATION !!!

YOU HAVE COMPLETED A GREAT GAME.

AND PROOVED THE JUSTICE OF OUR CULTURE.

NOW GO REST OUR HEROS !"

 

horrible, along with the game having a spaz attack after you beat the final boss before these dumb words appear.

[Reaperman]

Deus Ex: Invisible War. Great game--but the ending was just *horrible.* A console with three buttons, and a computer down the hall with a fourth. Each trigger slightly different but equally boring ending sequences consisting of stock footage and voice-overs. I believe Zero Punctuation called it something along the lines of 'EndingTron 4000'

 

For the best I've seen--probably Super C. Great music and decent animation that came together and made me 'feel like I won at something.'

Edited January 24, 2012 by Reaperman

[Lentzquest]

For best I gotta go with Secret of Mana on the SNES. If we were talking about the Atari world, I also enjoy finishing rounds on Journey Escape when I'm good and drunk. Gotta love that scarab ship cutscreen

 

For worst I have to agree with games like Rampage. That game's a real marathon and then you get pretty much nothing for all the time spent. Others like it are Godzilla and Super Off-Road for the NES. Oh, and the one that pissed me off more than any: Jurassic Park for the SNES. That big-ass game has no save or password feature so it has to be done in one sitting, takes forever to beat, and then still gives a crap ending.

[A_Locomotive]

Best: Tough call, there have been a lot of great endings to games. I personally love the endings of the Metal Gear Solid games(especially 4), though I didn't much care for the ending to 2 as I had no idea what the hell they were talking about for a good chunk of it.

 

Worst: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat. The game is amazing and a blast to play but the ending is you just leaving on a helicopter and it comes out of no where. I seriously thought I still had a couple more hours at least of gameplay left, but then all of a sudden everyone makes a b line out of their.

[Reaperman]

though I didn't much care for the ending to 2 as I had no idea what the hell they were talking about for a good chunk of it.

I was actually debating using MGS2 it for my 'worst' for exactly that reason. I thought the game was pretty good until the plot jumped the shark there at the end with like half an hour of pointless dialogue.

 

...but then I remembered Deus Ex 3, and its ending was far worse.

[retrorussell]

Karnov is one I thought of too for worst.

Phantasy Star IV was a great, long ending.

I like the goofy ones from the Gunbird series.. and the silly ones during some of the Fatal Fury ending credits (2 fighters square off and something silly happens).

Ikari Warriors is a sucky game, with a fittingly sucky ending:

You have accomplished the mission.

You are the very prevailer that protect right and justice.

I would express my sincere, thanks to you.

Take good rest!

General Kawasaki

(I can't count the number of times I got stuck behind something on that stupid game and couldn't complete it. Lazy-ass programmers..)

[SoulBlazer]

Star Control 2 has a great ending, with 'outakes' that are LOL funny.

[StoneAgeGamer]

The original Toe Jam and Earl I thought had a cool ending. Allowing you to walk around their planet and visit family.

[bomberpunk]

not necessarily a crap ending, but how's about the genny Sonic games. you go through all that trouble and happen to miss even one Chaos Emerald. it's like, "i just defeated you, Robotnik, so your fat ass shouldn't be juggling what i obviously missed like a damn clown laughing at me."

[high voltage]

Best

River Raid on VCS, all the sudden your score turned into exclamation marks, sort of meaning 'awesome'. How cool was that?

 

[Satoshi Matrix]

Best:

 

Megaman 2:

Megaman reflects on all the robots that he's had to fight and destroy. He fights for peace, justice and freedom, but is he ultimately just a killer robot...? Unable to find these answers, he marches through many seasons until finally, up on a grassy hill far from the city, Megaman stares up at the sky, dropping his helmet to the soft grass as if to say he found his answer.

 

 

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

After one of the most epic boss battles in gaming history, the stork carries baby mario to the tune of an outstanding credits theme, and then presents baby mario to his parents along with baby luigi. Yeah its cheesy, but in a touching and beautiful kind of way.

(Skip to 10:10)

 

 

Final Fantasy VI

How abotu that twenty one minute ending?? This whole ending just feels to me like a send off to the 16-bit era as a whole.

 

Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard

I won't spoil the ending, but man it had me rolling.

 

Worst:

 

Ghosts 'n Goblins

Bubble Bobble

[Metal Jesus]

Best: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

 

- When you play the game as a evil Sith bastard Revan, the hopes and dreams of the those terrorist Rebel scum get crushed under your thumb. You kill your Sith apprentice Darth Malak, even though he was just following your lead. There is a massive space battle as your overwhelming Sith forces destroy several Republic capital ships and force the retreat of their forces. However, you have cut off their escape route and then you destroy all of their leaders including the Yoda character. The final shot is of your legion of Sith and Empire troops swearing allegiance to you, as your space armada heads into the defenseless Core Worlds for complete domination over the entire galaxy. Now, this is what I call "role playing".

 

Worst: Impossible Mission (7800) the N. American version

 

- Cuz...there isn't one, because of a bug in the code? At least, that's what I read

Edited January 25, 2012 by Metal Jesus

[bomberpunk]

Worst: Impossible Mission

there isn't one

 

how ironic.

[7800Lover]

The special endings to the NES Metroid and Super Metroid on SNES were cool. The NES manual said there was a special ending if you beat the game under a certain amount of time. That ending was Samus removing his helmet...or should I say, HER helmet and revealing that under the suit, she was a woman.

 

If you beat Super Metroid in two hours or less, Samus wore a bikini.

 

That led to an urban legend that if you beat Super Metroid in thirty minutes or less, Samus would be completely naked. I have no clue how that legend got started.