 | Confession: A gameboy game made me cry. Not a ~single tear slowly rolls down cheek~ cry, but an UGLY cry, a snot-rolling-down-my-nose-into-my-mouth sob. Not my proudest moment! For the last Sad Game, I’m going to delve into my own personal Old Yeller of Video Games. The game was introduced to me as being “a bit sad” so I was caught unprepared for the emotional punch to the gut. |
Now that I’ve warned you, you might be able to brace yourself accordingly, and not be a complete wreck at the end. Or not! Everyone needs a good cry every once in a while.
The Saddest Game I Ever Played award goes to Mother 3, the last game in the cult classic Mother series. I’m not going to make you play the previous games, but if you want the full experience, please play Mother 2, more commonly known as Earthbound in the US.
It’s full of charm and humor, has a crazy fanbase, and is probably my favorite game of all time (™). Best of all, it’s heartwarming, not sad. It’s available on the Wii U Virtual Console, so if you’re looking for a reason to get a Wii U, here you go. Yes, for a SNES game-- it’s worth it.
Go on, I’ll wait.
Go on, I’ll wait.
……...Have you finished Earthbound? Want all those warm fuzzies to turn into a pit at the bottom of your stomach? Great! Let’s get back to Mother 3. This game has never been released in the US, but I won’t judge how you get your hands on it. The fan translation to English was done with much love, and can be found here: http://mother3.fobby.net/
    | Mother 3 is a very different game from its predecessors-- whereas the earlier games begin in a semi-realistic America, in this game you’re immediately thrust into Bonkersville, complete with a fantasy town and tiny adorable dinosaurs. You also play as a variety of main characters in desperate situations, from an old cowboy searching for his family to a monkey escaping from his evil master. The cute charm is definitely still there, but most of the game is deliberately designed to be unsettling-- especially the ever-creepy cyborg monsters. It’s not all doom-and gloom; the adorable Magypsies: helpful masculine and magical beings who help you along the way, add some much-needed lightheartedness. There’s also an unbeatable enemy in the game that is equal parts hilarious and terrifying as he chases you down. |
As you progress through Mother 3, the “twist” starts to become very obvious. I’m guessing that was a deliberate choice by the writers, like the horror cliche of the protagonist going into a CLEARLY unsafe location as the audience winces. You don’t know what’s going to happen, but you know it isn’t going to be very pretty. I suggest going through the ending all in one go for Maximum Sadness Impact.
The ending drags out the sadness reaaallllly long, and keeps making emotional jabs over and over until you absolutely cannot stand it. Well, I couldn’t stand it. About halfway through, I was mashing buttons through my tears like a big blubbering baby. But it’s a great game! An emotional game, but definitely still one of my favorites, and a fitting conclusion to the Sad Games Series.
SAD LEVEL: Tissues Ahoy!
-The Dungeon Dame
The ending drags out the sadness reaaallllly long, and keeps making emotional jabs over and over until you absolutely cannot stand it. Well, I couldn’t stand it. About halfway through, I was mashing buttons through my tears like a big blubbering baby. But it’s a great game! An emotional game, but definitely still one of my favorites, and a fitting conclusion to the Sad Games Series.
SAD LEVEL: Tissues Ahoy!
-The Dungeon Dame
