The 7 Worst Video Games of All Time (And Why Some People Still Love Them)

Video games are a well-ingrained part of our culture and some are more popular than others. Since the first video game, people have developed different preferences on the types of stories they want to play. However, some games are hated more than others. Here are the seven worst games of all time and why some people actually still enjoy them. 

1. Drake Of The 99 Dragons 

Year Released: 2003

Developer: Idol FX

Publisher: Majesco Entertainment 

System: XBOX

Description: 

“Drake is out for revenge in a supernatural Hong Kong world. You’ll join Drake in 25 intense missions, as he battles ruthless villains and female assassins with an array of firearms, short and long blade weapons, and thrown melee weapons. Use Drake’s power and agility to slow down the action, fire guns in any direction, and run and backflip off of walls.”

This first-person shooter was produced by Swedish studio Idol FX and released in 2003 with strong optimism. Before its release, there were plans to turn it into a comic book and animated series. However, those dreams were quickly dashed after gamers got their hands on it. 

With graphics that were either too sharp or two smooth, an expressionless main character and a story bogged down by meaningless tasks, the game was a creative and commercial failure. The game was soon forgotten by most and the plans for expanding the franchise were trashed. 

In 2018, the game saw some revival after its release on Steam. Many reflect on it with nostalgia and some players say it is a guilty pleasure. 

2. Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade

Year Released: 2012

Developer: Art Deco

Publisher: D3 Publisher

System: Wii U

Description: 

“Gather up your family and friends for 30 fun party games that bring the variety and excitement of the original to your Nintendo Wii U. Use your Wii U controller and display to play special head-to-head games, track scores, keep tabs on game progress and more. Duck, dive and dodge through extreme obstacle courses that throw everything from giant bouncing balls to alligators, hurdles and more in your way. Compete in wild sports, such as air hockey, eating contests and rodeo…”

The Wii had plenty of party games that players loved to do with their family. This was not one of them. With hard-to-manage controls, you had to have two Wiimotes and two nunchucks just to play the game. The graphics rivaled ones released a decade prior, making it too complicated for some gamers and a waste of time for others. 

Even with its problems, some reviewers enjoyed the game’s variety and the fun they had figuring it out with their families. 

3. Deal or No Deal (DS)

Year Released: 2006

Developer: Gravity-i

Publisher: Mindscape

System: Nintendo DS

Description: 

“The hit TV show is coming to your favorite video game system! The premise is simple: You have 26 briefcases in front of you. Each one contains a different amount of money. Open each case one by one, and try to find the briefcase with the biggest amount of money. Deal Or No Deal?”

Deal or No Deal was a HUGE game show in the early 2000s, which meant it was bound to get a video game. With several developers and publishers, the game was kind of a let down once you realized that the big draw of the show was the real money involved. 

Though it was boring, it was a functional game–unless you played the Nintendo DS version. It removed the guessing component by putting the same money amounts in the same cases every time you rebooted the game. Once you’ve played it once, that’s about all you can ask for. 

You can find this version of the game fairly cheap now, which some people think is worth it to experience the nostalgia or get some quick entertainment. 

4. Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma 

Year Released: 2015

Developer: Redacted Studios 

Publisher: Versus Evil 

System: Playstation 4

Description: 

“In Afro Samurai 2, Afro once again fights Kuma who is challenging him for his Number One headband.”

Some games are bad because they don’t meet the hype. Some have poor graphics or a glitch or two that lessens the experience…

This one was so bad the developer apologized for it, issued refunds to anyone who bought it and canceled the already-planned sequel. 

The first Afro Samurai was successful enough that the developer felt confident releasing the sequel in three volumes. The first volume had poorly-animated characters, was packed with bugs and glitches and had gameplay too boring to save it. The game got pulled from all digital platforms, the XBOX release got canned and the creators said they couldn’t “in good conscience” release the other two. 

5. Babylon’s Fall 

Year Released: 2022

Developer: PlatinumGames

Publisher: Square Enix

System: Playstation 5

Description: 

“A ground breaking project developed in partnership with renowned action specialists PlatinumGames, Babylon’s Fall features fluid, action-packed gameplay and a striking art style delivered via “Brushwork Filter” technology.”

This action role-playing game released in March 2022 to a less than stellar reception. Two months later, Square Enix pulled it.  

The progression was confusing, the gameplay got boring and most found the promoted graphics unappealing. With such a short run, the server got shut down officially in February 2023. 

With its abundance of flaws, some gamers didn’t mind the game and even found it enjoyable. However, most found the $60 wasn’t worth it. 

6. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5

Year Released: 2015

Developer: Romobado/Disruptive Games 

Publisher: Activision 

System: Playstation/XBOX

Description: 

“Tony Hawk’s’ Pro Skater™ 5 offers a fresh take on combo-driven skateboarding, the most advanced Pro Skater online multiplayer experience, and a state-of-the-art skatepark builder. Ride, build, and repeat!”

A collaboration between two developers, there were high hopes that this game would be as well-received as its predecessor. That was not the case. With an abundance of bugs, the game was incredibly hard to play. Combined with a boring story and simplistic graphics made this game fail.

Still, some defend how harsh critics and players were to the game–saying that it was playable with the right skills. 

7. Pac-Man 

Year Released: 1982

Developer: Atari, Inc.

Publisher: Atari, Inc. 

System: Atari 2600

Description: 

“Pac-Man is a variation of the original arcade game, which was released by Namco in 1980. It features similar—but not identical—gameplay. The player uses a joystick to control Pac-Man, navigating him through a maze of consumable dashes called Video Wafers, opposed by a quartet of multi-colored ghosts.”

Pac-Man exploded in popularity at games in 1980 and Atari jumped on the opportunity to create an at-home version. With millions of preorders, the hype was up for everyone’s favorite yellow circle. However, that publicity made the game a disappointment. 

Due to the 2600’s limits, Atari had to adapt Namco’s game by simplifying the graphics and mazes and changing the frame rate which caused the ghosts to flicker. People complained that the game paled in comparison to the arcade version and proceeded to hate the game ever since. 

Many kids who grew up with the game on Atari still love it as adults for nostalgia. For some, it was their first video game. 

Learning from Bad Games 

With every failure comes a lesson and it’s important to learn from these game failures for developers and publishers to perfect their next game as much as possible. If there’s anything these worst games of all time for, it’s the awesome games that we now have on our platforms.