Game Over Part 7

Two words that signify that you're a failure at video games and should pick up a hobby where you won't suck so much. Welcome to Game Over, an on-going feature where we take a look at the numerous screens that show you've reached the end of the line. You might find some of these to be humorous while others can be quite unsettling.

Cuphead (PC, XBO)

Like a lot of games are doing these days, Cuphead wisely gets rid of the life system. Make no mistake, no matter how much you improve at this game you will die. A lot. As is the case with most run 'n gun titles, bosses have invisible life bars but when you inveitably fail trying to take any of them down, you not only get to see them taunt you, usually with a pun, but you get a to see how close or how far you were from being victorious. There's plenty of them, so check the video above.

Metal Gear Solid (PS)

The quality of voice acting for video games (as well as anime) in the mid to late 1990s outside of Japan were for the most par, pretty low. Even some of the most critically acclaimed games of the time such as Star Fox 64 and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, had some pretty bad voice work. To the surprise of many, Metal Gear Solid released with some exceptional voice actors, among them being David Hayter, Cam Clarke and Jennifer Hale. It helped that the crew had an excellent voice director at the helm. Without proper voice direction, even well trained VAs can turn in a pitiful performance. Fortunately, that was not the case for Metal Gear Solid. Thanks to the amazing voice work and direction, every game over you get feels like it carries extra weight to it. Die in this game and you get to hear the cries of Snake's off the field allies via codec call out his name, but to no avail. Depending on the circumstances of the game over, it might not be your friends that you hear from. The above video has every line of dialogue from all the game overs.

Ghosts 'n Goblins (ARC)

If you thought Mario had his hands full saving Princess Peach, you haven't seen the sheer BS Arthur has to put up with to save Princess Prin Prin. Peach may have been kidnapped a dozen times in comparison to Prin Prin's handful, but the odds are stacked against Arthur much more than they are Mario. Sections of literally endless zombies, ghosts that can appear out of nowhere at any time to kill you, red, flying demons that will make your life even more of a living nightmare and that's just the first level of the game! There are some that can actually beat this game, no sweat. For the rest of us mere mortals, well, we've got that death jingle and this game over screen greeting us over and over and over again. There really isn't anything special about the first Ghosts 'n Goblins game over screen. However, there are a great deal of players that will see it more than they will the rest of the game.

The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin (SCD)

This one is actually more of a bad ending but I think it still qualifies. Spidey has been framed for the umpteenth time and he's out to clear his name. Raising the stakes even higher, Kingpin has taken Mary Jane Watson-Parker, whom unbeknownst to Fisk, is Spider-Man's wife. Or at least, she was until some stupid story involving a deal with the devil, but we don't talk about that crap. Ahem. In a display of cliche villainy, Kingpin dangles the redhead over a pool of acid and she slowly descends at he and Spidey duke it out. Should you fail to take down Kingpin in the final showdown, he'll tie you up along with Mary Jane. At least the two get to die together. Oh and were you expecting the camera to pan away as he dips the two lovers in acid? Nope! With a big, evil grin plastered on his mug, he lowers them into the vat, right before you horror filled eyes.

Game Over Part 6

Two words that signify that you're a failure at video games and should pick up a hobby where you won't suck so much. Welcome to Game Over, an on-going feature where we take a look at the numerous screens that show you've reached the end of the line. You might find some of these to be humorous while others can be quite unsettling.

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (ARC)

Nothing motivates a player to drop more quarters in the arcade machine then presenting them the very imminent death of their character. Capcom lived and breathed off of it with the games in the '90s as you'll see with the next game on this list. If you don't cough up some dough before the countdown reaches zero, you get a POV of the protagonists getting straight up murdered in cold blood, complete with blood splattered across the screen. Dang!

The Punisher (ARC)

Another Capcom beat 'em up from the 1990s, which means another traumatizing game over screen! When the Punisher goes down, Microchip gives him CPR, desperately trying to get his partner back in action. OK, so it isn't the proper way to do CPR, but regardless, the scene is still pretty tense. When the countdown reaches zero, you get to see and hear Frank's heart flat line. Microchip failed him! No wait, you did because you couldn't cough up more quarters, you cheap git.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie' s Double Trouble (SNES)

Being tossed in a crib seems like more of an annoyance to Dixie Kong than anything else, at least that's what her facial express tells us. Kiddy Kong, on the other hand has a look that sells despair. The fact that the two kongs are in a crib might not seem bad, but then you hear a door slam and the screen goes black, which suggest that the Kremlings put the heroes in a much bigger prison that cannot easily be crawled out of.

Daytona USA (ARC)

Alright, we've had enough gloom for this feature. Time to end on a high note. The developers were not only so jazzed about your failure that the sing about it, they do you the curtousey of spelling the words out for you, you know, just in case you forgot how to spell "Game over."

Game Over Part 5

Two words that signify that you're a failure at video games and should pick up a hobby where you won't suck so much. Welcome to Game Over, an on-going feature where we take a look at the numerous screens that show you've reached the end of the line. You might find some of these to be humorous while others can be quite unsettling.


The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U, NS)

Your first few hours/days of playing Breath of the Wild will have this screen staring back at you quite frequently. Being an open world game that does not hold your hand, it is quite easy to wander into an area with enemies far out of the range of your current abilities and get curb stomped. Even early enemies in the game are packing weapons strong enough to one-shot you. When you die in Breath of the Wild, you get some obligatory sad game over jingle, but depending on how you died, the game over screen will differ. If you freeze to death or drown, the words "Game Over" are blue. Death via a lightning strike? Those two famous words will be yellow. These changes might be few but they do add some spice to your death.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (NS, PS4, XBO, PC)

A remake of the Sega Master System's Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, outside of the spruced up hand drawn HD visuals, this game over screen is more or less just like the 8-bit version. Being an a remake of a very old, difficult game, it was nice of the developers to throw you a bone. Every time you die you have a chance to win a blue potion at the game over screen. If it lands on a red heart, the potion is your. What is a blue potion? Think of it as a fairy from the Legend of Zelda games: auto resurrect when you kick the bucket.

The Adventures of Bayou Bill (NES)

I actually used to own this game. It was freaking brutal. When Billy inevitably gets the crap beaten out of him and you don't continue, you get a pretty powerful image of the titular hero reaching out in desperation. Sorry, Billy but your game is just too much butt cheeks for me to keep pressing on. But I gotta admit, that game over jingle is pretty sick. Also, Billy's death cry amuses me. Hear it for yourself.

Sega Rally 2 Championship (ARC)

I would love to be a fly on the wall at the SEGA offices to see how they came up with this one. I mean, "GAME OVER, YEAAAAAHHHH!!!" It is impossible to put into words just how amazingly awesome that is! It was first used in the original Sega Rally but the one from Sega Rally 2 sounds better.

Game Over Part 4

I have to admit, as much as I loath getting a game over, I do love the thought and creativity developers put into them. This week's loser screens feature ETs, apes and squirrels with killer hangovers.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)

The first Donkey Kong Country was no jungle stroll but its a lot easier compared to the sequel. Even if you aren't taking on the levels of the Lost World, Diddty's Kong Quest is quite possibly the toughest of the original SNES Donkey Kong Country trilogy. When that final balloon is popped Diddy and Dixie are stuffed in what looks to be quite the cramped prison box complete with melancholy looks and a sad harmonica jingle to boot.

Alien 3 (SNES)

A dreadful musical jingle matched with a horrifying image of  saliva dripping extraterrestrial. Then the whole horror filled atmosphere is ruined by three hilarious words: Game over, man! To someone with no prior knowledge to the Alien films this may seem out of place but its arguably the greatest line of dialogue Hudson ever spouted. Including it on Alien 3's game over really does seem like a no brainer.

Conker's Bad Fur Day (N64, XB)

Most big bad's seldom have good intentions involved for the heroes. They are called big bads for a reason. The antagonist of Conker's Bad Fur Day is no exception. But unlike most fiends, Conker isn't really standing in the way of his schemes. No, he just has a table that won't stay properly leveled so his milk doesn't spill. Turns out Conker is just the right height so he wants to use him for a table leg. There are numerous takes on this one and I recommend checking out each and every one.

Star Fox (SNES)

Even on the easiest setting (the middle path) the final confrontation against Andross ranks among one of my favorite boss battles in gaming. But even if you never made it to the maniacal villain, you could still catch a glimpse of his true form by getting a game over, which was something I saw quite frequently when I played Star Fox as a lad.

Fatal Fury (ARC)

Geese Howard, being an SNK boss is one tough customer. It isn't just enough for him to thoroughly thrash you. He isn't too fond of trash stinking up the place, so he quickly disposes of you by kicking you out the window. As to elicit pity from the player, you get to watch as your fighter rapidly plummets to their doom.

Game Over Part 3

Those old-school game overs were really something. They take up the bulk of Game Over Part 3 but we do make the transition from sprites, to polygons to HD in this one.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)

Ganon is not a real threat in Zelda II. His minions, however, are quite the salty bunch since Link took down their lord and master. All the baddies you encounter in the game serve Ganon and he can be brought back to life if they sprinkle Link's blood on his ashes. No joke, that stuff comes straight from the game's manual. So every time you get a game over in Zelda II, the mooks were successful in reviving Ganon and in true villain form, he taunts the player with a cackle for their failure.

Duck Hunt (NES)

Every time one of those mallards flies off the screen that infernal mutt will pop out of the grass to laugh at your shortcomings. Nintendo must have known how irksome it was so they decided to paste his mug on the game over screen. After years of being powerless to do anything against that dog, we can now kick the crap out of him in Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U.

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES)

There's something about seeing a dejected Little Mac sitting down, filled with the disappointment of shattered dreams that just crushes the soul. The road to become a boxing champ is a painful one as players were quick to find out. Bald Bull, Mr. Sand Man, Super Macho Man and especially Dynamite Kid himself do not pull their punches.

Banjo Kazzooie (N64)

Bear and bird are on a quest to save bear's sister from an evil witch out to use said bear's sister's cute looks to get a makeover. The game over shows the witch Gruntilda's scheme being successful and when she steals Tooty's looks she transforms from a hideous witch to a smoking hot babe. You can pretty much guess what happens to Tooty. What's interesting about Banjo-Kazooie's game over is that you don't even have to lose all of your lives to see it. Simply saving your game and quitting results in this scene playing out in full.

Bayonetta (PS3, 360, Wii U)

If you opt to call it quits after the witch falls, she's dragged down to hell by a host of hands. It isn't overly long and drawn out. She's snatched down so fast you barely have time to take it in.

Game Over Part 2

Its an old-school affair in this week's Game Over with games ranging from the 8 and 16-bit eras.

Friday the 13th (NES)

Wait, not only did you die but your friends died too? They certainly aren't sugarcoating this one. Friday the 13th is yet another crappy licensed NES game but that game over screen is all kinds of stone cold.

Mega Man (NES)

I honed my Mega Man skills on Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3. Those games were difficult for me to be sure, but they paled in comparison to the challenge the original Mega Man brought forth. I'm quite adept at Mega Man games now, but I always end up staring at this screen whenever I go back to playing the title that birthed the series. A humble blue screen accompanied by my personal favorite Mega Man Game Over jingle. Novice players will get this screen many a time.

Sonic the Hedgehog (GEN)

What's worse than losing your last life? Losing it at a boss fight, particularly in the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Each boss confrontation is a face off against the game's big bad, Dr. Robotnik and he always has a smug face to show you whenever you fail. It especially stings when he flashes that kisser during a Game Over, complete with a downer version of the game's title theme.

Street Fighter II (Multi)

After receiving a sound thrashing by your opponent and having them taunt you on your lack of skills, you can choose to continue or give up. As the counter ticks down to zero, you see your choosen fighter battered and bruised. Once that zero hits, you hear them let out one final cry of defeat. Its actually a little wince inducing to hear. Since Balrog, Vega, Sagat and M. Bison caused me no end of grief as a child, I don't get too broken up when I see their bloodied faces.

 Awesome Possum (GEN, SNES)

Remember Awesome Possum? Yeah, I didn't think so. He was another one of those mascots with attitude that never took off during the platformer ruled era of the 1990s. When AP bites the big one, I'm assuming his enemies took the liberty of burring what was left of him. I say his enemies because I don't see any friends mourning his loss. Even the game's antagonists didn't view him as a worthy adversary. They buried him, sure, but they laid him to rest in a dump. That rat is just look for his next meal so you know he can't be bothered to care about some D-list platform hero.

Game Over Part 1

Two words that signify that you're a failure at video games and should pick up a hobby where you won't suck so much. Well, that's one way to look at it. But the Game Over screen can also be viewed as a means to spur you on to do better.

Welcome to Game Over, an on-going feature where we take a look at the numerous screens that show you've reached the end of the line. You might find some of these to be humorous while others can be quite unsettling.

Strider Returns (GEN)

When you lose your last life in Strider Returns, you get far more than those two famous words. The man under the big bad shows up and starts talking trash. After sending you to Hell, you then get to see what appears to be Strider's lover, battered and broken, telling Strider to live for her. Pretty sure they don't do too much living down in Hell, so I don't think he's gonna be able to fulfill that request. Strider Returns isn't the best outing of one gaming's greatest ninjas. It wasn't even made by Capcom but that Game Over really, really stings. I don't think failure has even been rubbed in one's face so much. This is really one of those things that has to be seen so you can view it here.

Final Fight (Multi)

In order for arcade cabinets to make a hefty chunk of change, they had to make the games punishing and Final Fight was no exception. The original arcade version can surround the heroes with up to eight Mad Gear flunkies at once, even with a second player on the screen, meaning you'll be seeing much of that Game Over screen. And man, is it a dozy. Something about seeing your character tied up, tying desperately to blow out a stick of dynamite is enough to make you as frantic as they are. These days, having Guy, Cody and Haggar get blown to bits is an easy enough fate to avoid since most emulated versions give you unlimited continues. But if you played a stand up arcade and were out of quarters or your folks were heartless, then having Jessica's would-be saviors die a horrible death probably kept you awake at night.

Alfred Chicken (Multi)

At the continue screen, Alfred takes a nap on, of all things, a bomb. Rather than die in his sleep, he wakes up just before the bomb explodes. At the game over screen, we can see that he's been cooked. What did you think the bad guys were gonna do with him? He is a chicken, after all and even baddies gotta eat.

Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

Often times we see our protagonists die by fire, spikes, getting crushed and countless other means. Seldom do we get to see their crushed spirits after taking a beating. This isn't the case in the original Donkey Kong Country. Donkey and Diddy Kong look like they've been put through the ringer. Diddy has one nasty black eye and Donkey Kong's face palm shows that he's clearly had enough. Never have I seen a pair so completely and utterly defeated.

Ninja Giaden (ARC)

Most people are familiar with the ninja exploits of Ryu Hyabusa through the NES trilogy and his Xbox revival in 2005. But there's actually an arcade version of Ninja Gaiden and it's game over screen is enough to produce nightmare fuel. Ryu is tied down with a buzz saw descending towards his chest, all the while his enemies watch for their entertainment. When the countdown reaches zero? Fade to red as Ryu lets out a scream. Three words: scared for life.