Today, we are turning to video games. 2020 had it’s shares of highs and lows when it came to video games. We look back and see what game just didn’t do anything for us.
In the realm of video games, this year, we focused largely on three different systems: Atari 5200, Atari 2600, and the original Game Boy. Some games impressed us while others just made us wish we had our (insert game duration here) back. This list commemorates what drove our palm to our head the most. So, without further delay, let’s count down the top 10 worst games we’ve reviewed this year:
10. Millipede (Atari 2600)
This game tries to be the next iteration of the famous game Centipede. Unfortunately, poor choices in color pallets make playing this game an exercise in how long you can squint at the screen. So, a game that is not recommended as a result.
Score: 52%
9. Alleyway (Game Boy)
A game that proves that the inclusion of Mario doesn’t always make the game a great play. This game tries to play just like Breakout, but with other clones taking this genre of game forward, this game takes the easy road and fails to really innovate. In a time when the game industry is moving forward so quickly, this is almost never a good idea.
Score: 52%
8. Boxxle (Game Boy)
This game brings the basic game called Sokoban onto the small screen. The unfortunate result is what you see here. With limited graphics and numerous spikes in difficulty, this game limits itself to the hardcore puzzle fans. Even then, the difficulty will likely scare off some of them. A game with such a small potential fan base is likely to flop.
Score: 50%
7. The Jungle Book (Game Boy)
While the movie may be famous, that doesn’t necessarily make the game a hit. In this case, one system can ruin the entire experience. Good luck finding every gem in the level without breaking a sweat. It’s a system that is so cryptic, it even stumped the GameFAQ’s FAQ writing community apparently.
Score: 48%
6. Asteroids (Game Boy)
If you take a title that was really popular years ago, make minor adjustments for the system and release it as is, will it still be an excellent game? Not necessarily. As is the case here, what you get is a badly outdated game making an appearance onto the system with new gamers wondering what is so great about this particular game.
Score: 46%
5. Quest for Quintana Roo (Atari 5200)
Making it into the top 5 this year is a game with a massively steep learning curve. To add to this, if you figure out how to play before you throw your hands up in the air, you discover that this game is largely a game of luck in the end. With such a bad combination, there is little wonder why this game made the list this year.
Score: 46%
4. Total Carnage (Game Boy)
Imagine my surprise when I find a game midway through the life of the Game Boy that is about on par with an Atari 5200 game. This port is one of those games. With no real music in the regular levels and a jumble of pixels that make up most of the smaller sprites, this game gets old quick.
Score: 44%
3. The Lion King (Game Boy)
The circle of life has an ugly side. In this case, we find it here in the top 3. This particular port has a number of big problems with it. With poor collision detection with ground and sluggish controls, this game is practically broken. The only reason this game didn’t top the list is because some of the art and animations found here is actually pretty good.
Score: 44%
2. Space Invaders (Game Boy)
Not a game I expected to wind up on this list, let alone make it so high up it. This game does have some great ports, but this isn’t one of them. With art, audio and gameplay practically copied from a decade earlier, this game shows just how outdated it can look on a newer system. Blank backgrounds and basic gameplay sunk this game very badly.
Score: 34%
1. Pick ‘N Pile (Atari 2600)
This years winner beat out every other game by a long shot for very good reasons. This game was released in 1990 – the same year as Super Mario Bros. 3. As a result, the graphics are horrible for the day it was released. The confusing gameplay didn’t help any either. With no real audio to be proud of, this game manages to be terrible on every front. Go ahead, compare this game with the NES classic. The terribleness of this game becomes very eye-popping.
Score: 26%
Honorable Mentions
We’re not done yet. This year, we have a full compliment of honorable mentions to add to this list. In spite of the full compliment, this year is actually an improvement with games only barely making it here. Let’s see which games didn’t quite make it to the big time:
Burger Time Deluxe (Game Boy):
This game manages to squeak into the list for having outdated gameplay. While the developers, in all fairness, tried to change things up a little with improved level design, it only marginally helped things.
Score: 60%
Hangman (Atari 2600):
Once again, an educational game manages to make the list. With such an annoying interface, it’s difficult to see how the younger portions of the targeted age group can ever find this game to be entertaining. The difficulty really didn’t help much here.
Score: 60%
Days of Thunder (Game Boy):
For the second time, this game manages to make an appearance on one of these lists. This game manages to improve on the gameplay by, well, not being horribly broken like its NES counterpart. While the attempt to make a first person racing game is an impressive attempt, it still made for a rather painful experience.
Score: 58%
Mountain King (Atari 5200):
There may well be some interesting ideas put into this game, but what ended up happening is having a game that has an extremely steep learning curve. The difficulty in level one is so big, I could never complete it. It’s never a good sign when even the instruction manual admits that there are frustrating parts in the game.
Score: 56%
No Escape! (Atari 2600):
This year, this is the game that just barely didn’t make the cut. With short gameplay, repetitive levels, and low replay value, this game manages to be very forgettable. A definite flop in my books.
Score: 56%
This concludes another interesting year here on Freezenet. Stay with us though, because we explore what were the greatest games we’ve reviewed this year tomorrow!
Drew Wilson on Twitter: @icecube85 and Facebook.
