Cult video games
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Cult video games is a term used for video games that are not considered to have mainstream appeal. Although the term cult used does not mean that these games per se have a group of dedicated fans, but in stead is designed so differently that it generally takes people with a certain taste to be interested in these sort of games. Ironically enough, this strange element often makes it appealing to certain non-gamers when they happen to see it.
Video games that become cult-games are often developed by Japanese game developers, and games considered cult-games is sometimes due to the difference of the culture of Japan and the Western culture. However, many cult-games are also considered out of the ordinary for Japanese standards.
[edit] Definition of a cult-game
There is no set definition of a cult-game, since it is often a combination of elements that make a game to be considered non-mainstream. The following however are some elements that usually contribute to the status of a cult-game.
- Gameplay
Although there are a great variety of video game genres, some games offer gameplay that stray away so far from any normally defined genre, that the game is considered a cult-game.
- Controls/camera
Usually a very simplified control system, using only the control sticks and maybe one or two buttons. If this is combined with a single-point camera view, it usually results in a very different then normal video game experience.
- Plot
If the plot, or the goal, of a game is so over-the-top that it is just plain weird on purpose, this can brand the game as a cult-game. This does not apply to games that merely have a plot for no story-telling reason, such as with puzzle games.
- Graphics
Although other then normal graphics by itself, such as cel-shaded graphics, do not per se make a game a cult-game, in combination with other elements it often strengthens the status of a game as a cult-game.
[edit] Reception of cult-games
Since cult-games are not generally considered mainstream, they are not widely positively received. However in the media, reviewers often consider these cult-elements to be an interesting enriching experience and provide positive reviews for this. However, if the game is simply no fun, or does not work well technically, cult-games are rated low just as any other game.
[edit] Examples of cult-games
[edit] Elite
[edit] Another World
[edit] EarthBound (series)
[edit] Ancient Domains of Mystery
[edit] I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
[edit] Vib-Ribbon
[edit] Shenmue
[edit] Grim Fandango
[edit] Vangers
[edit] The Longest Journey
[edit] Katamari Damacy
The game's plot concerns a diminutive prince on a mission to rebuild the stars, constellations and Moon, which his father, the King of All Cosmos, has accidentally destroyed. This is achieved by rolling a magical, highly adhesive ball called a katamari around various locations, collecting increasingly larger objects, ranging from thumbtacks to schoolchildren to mountains, until the ball has grown large enough to become a star. Katamari Damacy's story, characters, and settings are bizarre and heavily stylized, rarely attempting any semblance of realism, though the brands and items used are based on those current in Japan during the game's production.
- See also: We Love Katamari
- See also: Me & My Katamari
- See also: Beautiful Katamari
[edit] Killer7
The gameplay in Killer7 is that of an unconventional first-person shooter. The game takes place on rails, and the player, using one of two buttons directs the character on-screen to move forward or reverse direction, respectively. The most freedom the player has comes when the player reaches intersections, at which point the player must choose which path to continue. Besides the unconventional gameplay, the heavily simplified cel-shaded graphics and extreme gore mark Killer7's status as a cult-game.
- See also: No More Heroes (video game)
[edit] Shadow of the Colossus
The game is unusual within the action-adventure genre in that there are no towns or dungeons to explore, no characters with which to interact, and no enemies to defeat, other than the colossi. Shadow of the Colossus has been described as a puzzle game, as each colossus' weakness must be identified and exploited before it can be defeated. It's gameplay is very unconventional as well, having the player have to climb an enormous moving creature, exploring it's body and trying to hit it without being thrown off.
- See also: Ico
[edit] LocoRoco
In the game, the player must tilt the environment by using the left or right shoulder buttons in order to maneuver a variety of coloured jelly-like characters through each level via gravity. Living peacefully on a faraway planet, the LocoRoco and their friends, the Mui Mui, help grow vegetation and look after nature, making the planet a pleasant place to be, playing and singing the days away. When the Moja Troop comes to the planet to take it over, the LocoRoco do not know how to fight against these invaders from outer space. As such, the player assumes the role of "the planet" that is capable of tilting the landscape back and forth, and bouncing the LocoRoco in the air, to defeat the Moja Troop and rescue the LocoRoco. The player will also meet many different characters along the way, some of which are unknown to the player. The player must find out how to interact with these characters, and find out what they know, while determining if they are beneficial or should be avoided as foes. Mui Mui can be found in secret areas within the game.
- See also: Patapon
[edit] Beyond Good & Evil
[edit] Rez
[edit] Ikaruga
[edit] River City Ransom
[edit] Jet Set Radio
- See also: Jet Set Radio Future
[edit] Panzer Dragoon Saga
- See also: Panzer Dragoon (series)
