Blogs In Search Of A 'B Game'

No way! ICFTD may have been in B-movie 50's sci-fi style, but it was easily an A-game. A for "Awesome!!!". That's right, it is three exclamation marks worthy.

B-games, if we are going to stay true to the B-movie model, needs to be made cheaply and independently of a large, mainstream studio, it needs to be serious or semi-serious (that is, not self-conscious of it's B-movie status or tongue-in-cheek), and it needs to be unsuccessful to mainstream audiences.
For instance, The Blair Witch Project is a B-movie that failed and became a highly successful A-movie. It could have been a great cult classic, but now it is going to be a meh but interesting mainstream movie.

When I read this blog I thought of Scarface (the game) that meant to be A-game, but turned out, I think, B-game.

 

Oregon Trail..... NUFF SAID, the ultimate B game, its a horrible game but we all love it anyway.

 

Yes!

 

Definitely another vote for Earth Defense Force 2017 on the xbox 360. Best rubbish game i've ever played but only in co-op. You might struggle to find a copy though as it was only given a small release.

 

Another vote for Serious Sam. For my mind it's the B movie equivalent in gaming;
it's got a nonsensical plot, the AI seems to consist of either shooting directly at you, or just runing directly at you (whilst screaming), the guns are each more hilariously overpowered than the last, it requires very little thinking to play, but most of all, it's bloody great fun.
(except for what playing through SS:HD did to my RSI)

 

Painkiller?

To quote Yahtzee: "All you really need to know is that there's a gun that shoots shurikens and lightening."

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/57-Painkiller

 

....Painkiller is a VERY good example, actually.

 

Thanks

I really enjoyed playing it and thought it was perfect for having some uncomplicated fun.

 

Typing of the dead sounds like the best fit for -so bad it's good: and on a Dreamcast related note might I suggest Sega Bass Fishing as well?

Fundamentally a one-note kind of game but (like B movies) you find yourself providing a lot of the entertainment: for me and old friends this was ramping up the suspense by generally shouting at and heckling whoever happened to be playing at the time. Whenever you got a bite, 'FISH' would flash on the screen in massive type and sterotypical 'crazy japanese guitar music' would start rocking out. This is the cue to start shouting. Don't forget this is before the Wii so the novelty of whipping that fishing rod around was something hilarious in itself. Lightguns = fundamentally cool, Fishing Rods = not as cool.

So to conclude- it's a B-Game because it is almost a parody of itself.

I am still waiting for the release of 'Fishing of the Dead' a combined fishing and lightgun game. Sometimes you get fish, sometimes you get zombie fish!

 

Sorry Skutbag ... disagree on the fishing games.

All the fishing games on Dreamcast are far too good to be so bad they are good.

I had weeks of pleasure out of them and they are family friendly as well which means a broad appeal.

...

It's a difficult OP question for me because if a game is bad, I turn it off and play something else, so they never get an opportunity to grow on me.

 

mm borderlands maybe?

 

The original Worms? Hours of fun and hilarity.

Simple idea, but so stupid. Worms in a strange platform landscape shooting at each other in turns until only one is left.

Seriously, if someone said to you 'hey, get this game. It's garden worms shooting at each other. nothing else.' would you buy it?

 

Deadly Premonition definitely fits into this category. $20 game on 360, not sure if it has been released in PAL territories though.