Good Games (the ones I’m good at) vs. Bad Games (the one’s I’m not)

<p>My talent at playing a game rarely has much influence over my opinion of a game. There are games that I can beat blindfolded that I can't stand and games that I sometimes have spent years playing without seemingly getting any better yet enjoy thoroughly. </p><p><br></p><p>Every so often I will get frustrated with my inability to get past some obstacle, scene or a poorly timed death takes me from mere pixels from the goal back to the beginning of a level and I will growl, grumble or even yell at the TV. My wife has learned that this is not a sign of me hating the game. As I had to point out to her repeatedly over the years, as she would be concerned, if I didn't like the game, I would simply turn it off. The mere fact that I am frustrated and still playing it means that I am enjoying the game, just currently frustrated with myself for not being able to complete it.</p><p><br></p><p>For most of my life Dragon's Lair has been one of my favorite games. It came along when I was young and totally transformed my opinion of what video games could, and should, look and sound like. It was probably 25 years, until I finally beat that game (to be fair, the full arcade version wasn't available for home play for 10 of those years). Yet during 25 years of failure I enjoyed myself every-time I would drop 50¢ into the coin slots.</p><p><br></p><p>Ghosts and Goblins is another example of a game I am terrible at yet consider to be a great game. It has all the elements I like in a game, even if it is unforgivingly difficult. I rarely get past the first stage. But it is fun, it looks great, it has a sense of humor and despite being hard it is fair. Much like Cup Head, which I also enjoy.</p><p><br></p><p>Don't get me wrong, sometimes waltzing through a game on a carpet of quickly dispatched foes can be fun, but a truly good game is one that can challenge you and push you to the limits yet you keep coming back for more while enjoying your time playing. Make a solid game that is challenging, but not impossible, and I am there.</p>