Jump to content

Cult video game: Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 67: Line 67:


: 2006: ''[[Okami]]'',<ref name="1UP.com">{{cite web|title=The Five Cult Video Games that will never get their due|author=John Perkowski|date=February 11, 2010|work=[[1UP.com]]|url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9033512|accessdate=2012-07-03|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.1up.com%2Fdo%2FblogEntry%3FbId%3D9033512&date=2012-07-03|archivedate=2012-07-03}}</ref>''[[God Hand]]'',<ref name="1UP.com"/>
: 2006: ''[[Okami]]'',<ref name="1UP.com">{{cite web|title=The Five Cult Video Games that will never get their due|author=John Perkowski|date=February 11, 2010|work=[[1UP.com]]|url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9033512|accessdate=2012-07-03|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.1up.com%2Fdo%2FblogEntry%3FbId%3D9033512&date=2012-07-03|archivedate=2012-07-03}}</ref>''[[God Hand]]'',<ref name="1UP.com"/>
: 2008: ''[[Valkyria Chronicles]]''<ref name="GamePro"/>, ''[[The World Ends With You]]''
: 2008: ''[[Valkyria Chronicles]]''<ref name="GamePro"/>, ''[[The World Ends With You]]'', ''[[Pathologic]]''


=== 2010's ===
=== 2010's ===

Revision as of 07:41, 28 May 2013

A cult video game is a video game that has maintained a dedicated cult following among gaming enthusiasts, although not meeting commercial success upon release.

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 titles in the Legend of Zelda series, the former is widely heralded as one of the best video games of all time, while the latter is remembered for its difficulty, unconventional gameplay and deep characters; a cult following of minority gamers who prefer Majora's Mask over Ocarina of Time has since developed.

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.

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.

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.

Examples

1970's

1979: Star Raiders[1]

1980's

1980: Defender[2]
1981: Castle Wolfenstein,[3] Wizardry[4]
1984: Boulder Dash,[5] Elite[citation needed]
1987: Phantasy Star,[6] Maniac Mansion
1988: Snatcher,[7] Bionic Commando,[8]
1989: Herzog Zwei,[9] River City Ransom,[10] Mother,[11]

1990's

1993: Gunstar Heroes,[6]
1994: Marathon,[12] Policenauts,[13] Samurai Shodown II,[6]
1995: EarthBound (Mother 2) (originally released in Japan in 1994),[11]
1996: The Neverhood,[14]Tetris Attack,[6]
1997: Shadow Warrior,[6]
1998: Panzer Dragoon Saga,[6] Guilty Gear,[6] Suikoden II,[15],
1999: Shenmue,[16] Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber,[17] R-Type Delta,[6] System Shock 2,[18] Planescape: Torment,[19] The Longest Journey,[20]

2000's

2001: Ico,[6] Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil [citation needed]
2002: Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem,[21]
2003: Gotcha Force,[22][23][24] Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean,[25]
2004: Cave Story,[26]
2005: Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath,[11] Indigo Prophecy,[27]
2006: Okami,[11]God Hand,[11]
2008: Valkyria Chronicles[17], The World Ends With You, Pathologic

2010's

2010: Deadly Premonition,[17][28] Splatterhouse,[28] Alan Wake,[29]

See also

References

  1. ^ «A cult classic on the Atari 400 & 800 computers». "Star Raiders". Phosphor Dot Fossils. Archived from the original on 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  2. ^ Harris, Craig (December 19, 2002). "Defender: Lesson one on how not to remake a classic on the GBA". IGN. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  3. ^ D'Silva, Roy. (April 4, 2007). "History of Video Games". Buzzle.com. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
  4. ^ Parish, Jeremy. (2009). "The Coming RPG Storm: The Dark Spire". 1UP.com. Retrieved 21 November 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |description= ignored (help)
  5. ^ "Tour the planet: Boulder Dash - Rocks! new trailer". December 16, 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Top 10 cult classics". 1UP.com. June 22, 2005. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  7. ^ Tom Goldman (19 Jun 2010). "Kojima To Unveil "Massive PS3 Exclusive" at TGS 2010". The Escapist. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
  8. ^ "Previews: Bionic Commando". 1UP.com. March 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  9. ^ Ian Erickson. "Game of The Week: Herzog Zwei". GameSpy. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
  10. ^ "Atlus Set To Release River City Ransom Ex". GameZone. May 14, 2003. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
  11. ^ a b c d e John Perkowski (February 11, 2010). "The Five Cult Video Games that will never get their due". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-03. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
  12. ^ Mike "Scrimshaw" Potts (2011-07-07). "Bungie Day Brings Marathon to the iPad". Mishmash Magazine.
  13. ^ David Chen (2005-12-14). "Retroactive: Kojima's Productions". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
  14. ^ Jim Sterling (2011-04-07). "Cult PC game Neverhood being pitched as a mobile title". Destructoid.
  15. ^ Jenny Major/Kevin (March 1, 2012). "Retro Gaming Session: Suikoden II". GPXGaming.
  16. ^ Don Reisinger (November 16, 2010). "Shenmue creator wants to make a third title". CNET.com. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
  17. ^ a b c Stewart Shearer (February 14, 2011). "The 19 Best Underrated Games". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2011-11-30. Retrieved 2011-04-01. Cite error: The named reference "GamePro" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  18. ^ Andrew Park (October 8, 2004). "System Shock 2 Retrospective". GameSpot. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  19. ^ Chris Dahlen (August 23, 2005). "Planescape: Torment". The Escapist (magazine). Retrieved 2011-08-19.
  20. ^ Davi (November 1, 2012). "THE LONGEST JOURNEY Series Gets Revived!". UnleashTheFanboy.
  21. ^ Zachary Gasiorowski (19 August 2004). "Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes". MyGamer.com. Retrieved 2011-04-01.
  22. ^ "Gotcha Force for GameCube reviews". GameSpot.
  23. ^ "Gotcha Force reviews". GameFAQs.
  24. ^ "Review: Gotcha Force". Nintendo World Report.
  25. ^ "Top 10: Why We Still Play". IGN.
  26. ^ Luke Plunkett (2011-02-11). "Cult PC Game Being Remade For The 3DS". Kotaku.
  27. ^ "Fahrenheit, also known as Indigo Prophecy in North America, is a cult video game developed by Quantic Dream and manufactured and marketed by Atari". Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  28. ^ a b Brandon Sheffield (December 22, 2010). "Gamasutra's Best Of 2010: Top 5 Cult Games". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
  29. ^ Kartik Mudgal (13th, Mar. 2012). "Alan Wake sells 2 million units, game is a "cult classic"". Gaming Bolt. Retrieved 2012-11-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cult_video_game&oldid=557136651"