Top 10 Strangest Video Games

Warning: Some of the videos may contain material that is offensive to some readers. TopTenz.net does not support these games and lists them here only as a matter of showing how strange some video games, especially their storylines, may be. Unfortunately, some of these strange video games also are in extremely poor taste.

Many different types of videos games exist, with the most common being arcade, console, computer, and handheld.  The first commercially sold video game was an arcade game named Computer Space.  Computer Space was released in 1971 and the technology helped pave the way for video game expansion all over the world.  In 1983, Atari was mass producing large amounts of computer games and systems.  The company often times developed more merchandise then they could sell and this ultimately led to a collapse of the entire North American video game market.

However, the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985 changed everything.  Video game manufactures became smarter and today the video game industry is one of the largest in the world.  In the last 20 years there have been incredible advances in video game graphics and technology.  Since the time of Computer Space, tens-of-thousands of video games have been released under various system platforms.  This article will be examining ten of the strangest and controversial video games.

10. The Great Giana Sisters

Video Game System: Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Commodore International in January of 1982.  The Commodore 64 is the best-selling personal computer model of all time.  In 1987, the German company Rainbow Arts developed a platform game named The Great Giana Sisters.  The game was made available to a wide variety of computer systems, most notably the Commodore 64.  However, due to the blatant similarities between the game and The Super Mario Brothers, Rainbow Arts was forced to withdraw all copies directly after its initial release.  The cover of the original C64 game poked fun at the Mario Brothers directly, by using the tagline “The brothers are history.”

Game Plot

The Great Giana Sisters has two playable characters, Giana and Maria.  The goal of the game is very similar to that of the Super Mario Brothers.  However, instead of collecting mushrooms from blocks, the sisters gather brightly-colored balls from blocks.  After gaining the power balls, the characters do not get large, but instead their hairstyle changes into a brightly colored Mohawk.  In both games, the advanced state allows the characters to break blocks.  The Giana Sisters break the blocks with their heads, while Mario and Luigi use their fists.  Most of the games enemies are extremely similar to those used in the Mario Brothers and the games interface and backgrounds are almost identical.

After the first two levels, the Giana Sisters breaks into a more original design.  The game was never made available commercially, but it has gained a large following over the years and illegal copies have been published on the Internet.  In 2005, a version of the game was made available for mobile phones.  A copy of the Commodore 64 version of the game was also released for the Nintendo DS.  It proved to be a success, so in 2009 an updated copy of Giana Sisters was made for the Nintendo DS.  The new Giana Sisters game features all new levels and a code to unlock the original game.

9. Metal Wolf Chaos

Video Game System: Microsoft Xbox

The original Xbox is a video game console that was manufactured by Microsoft from 2001 to 2006.  In 2004, Microsoft released a game named Metal Wolf Chaos.  The game was only sold in Japan, but was made with a full English dialogue.  The Western World became aware of Metal Wolf Chaos by way of a series of YouTube videos.  The videos were poking fun at the games cheesy voice work and unusual plotline.  Over the years, Metal Wolf Chaos has garnered a cult following and has received many positive and negative reviews.

Game Plot

The game revolves around a fictitious United States President named Michael Wilson.  Michael Wilson is a relative of former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.  In the game, the U.S. Vice President is named Richard Hawk, which is a play on the phrase War Hawk.  War Hawk is a term that was originally used to describe the members of the 12th Congress of the United States who advocated waging war against the United Kingdom in 1812.  Over the years, the term has evolved to describe a political stance of aggression, which is used to improve the standing of one’s own government.  In the game, Richard Hawk decides to plan a coup against Wilson and succeeds in taking over the country.

President Michael Wilson survives the initial attacks and travels to the west coast of the United States and starts liberating cities by moving west to east.  The game is completed after Wilson battles his way to the White House, fights Hawk in space, and ultimately saves the U.S. from nuclear destruction.  During battle, President Michael Wilson wears a powerful armor that contains shoulder pods with weapons.  The character of Michael Wilson has appeared in other media and he was ranked #1 on Electronic Gaming Monthly’s list of video game politicians.

8. Monster Party

Video Game System: NES

The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was first released in 1983.  The NES helped revolutionize the U.S. gaming industry after the crash of 1983.  In all, over 1,000 games were made for the NES and a particularly strange one is the 1989 release Monster Party.  Monster Party is a platform game that has gained a strong following over the years.  The game contains many standard horror themes and revolves around the story of Mark and Bert.  Bert is a monster who recruits Mark to help him save his homeland, called the Dark World.  Critics of the game note that many characters are extremely bizarre and disturbing, while supporters claim that the strange features make the game stand out.  It was a bit surprising that Nintendo released a game in 1989 that contained blood and the word “hell,” as the company was a strong supporter of video game censorship.

Game Plot

Monster Party begins when a boy named Mark is accosted on his way home from a baseball game by a winged, alien-like monster named Bert.  Bert speaks to Mark and asks him to assist in ridding the Dark World of evil monsters.  Mark is initially reluctant, but Bert insists and whisks him off to the evil land.  Upon arrival, the two are joined as one being and throughout the game Mark is occasionally allowed to transform into Bert.  The monsters and characters used in the game are quite strange.

They include mummies, giant spiders, zombies, Medusa, dragons, and the Grim Reaper.  Along the way Mark encounters a haunted well that throws giant plates, walking plants, oversized caterpillars, a bouncing piece of fried shrimp, and a huge cat that throws kittens.  Some other strange occurrences are killer umpires, masked elephants, imps, and a caterpillar named Rolls Royce. The game features eight levels and the final boss is named the Dark World Master, as is represented as a giant face that shoots eyeballs.  Many critics of the game have complained that it is too easy to master.

7. Revolution X

Video Game System: Arcade

Arcade systems are entertainment machines that are used to provide public businesses with a form of video game entertainment.  In the 1970s and 80s, the arcade industry exploded, but has since declined due to the expansion of home gaming entertainment.  In 1994, video game publisher Midway developed an arcade game named Revolution X.  It was a follow-up to the successful T2: The Arcade Game.  Revolution X features the rock band Aerosmith and was a popular game with a strange storyline.  Similar to many other arcade games, Revolution X was released on many other video game platforms, including the Super Nintendo, Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, and the PlayStation.

Game Plot

The storyline of Revolution X starts by describing an alternate version of 1996 where a corrupt group of military forces have taken over the world.  The group is known as the New Order Nation (NON).  The NON have waged war against the world’s youth and outlawed all music, television, and video games.  Everyone between the ages of 13 and 30 are at risk.  Right before the game begins, members of the NON kidnap Aerosmith during a concert.  Revolution X then takes the form of a rail shooting game and the goal is to shoot targets as they appear on the screen.  The five members of Aerosmith are hidden throughout the game and they all need to be found and recovered in order to win.

Many Aerosmith songs are included in the video game, including Sweet Emotion, Toys in the Attic, Walk this Way, and Love in an Elevator.  The final battle takes place in London’s Wembley Stadium.  During the game, after a large explosion, Steven Tyler can be heard saying “Toasty!” in a high-pitched voice.  This is a reference to an easter egg found in the game Mortal Kombat II.  At one time there was a plan to create a sequel to Revolution X.  It was set to star the band Public Enemy, but Midway thought the Aerosmith game was not making enough money, so the sequel was never developed.

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