As for the ending after the credits...I can't find anything really spectacular about Kennedy, Castro, and Nixon getting ready to fight zombies. It's actually sort of laughably stupid.
But Robert MacNamara killing zombies is another story!
I'm not sure if I could even begin to give a proper Top 5. Unlike most people, I don't see a point in saying "these are the X best things ever" or "these are the X worst things ever", because if it's great, it's great, and if not then it isn't.
I'm a bit of a sentimental person, and if I'm crying tears of happiness by the end of a game, that's a pretty good ending. On the other hand, if I am balling up my fist and want to seriously injure and/or kill somebody, that's probably not an ending I'll want to see again anytime soon. The sad thing is, those are sometimes at the end of otherwise good games. The end of Ocarina of Time, for instance, made me want to really hurt somebody because of how stupid it was.
Chrono Trigger with it's 12 someodd endings is always a great game, as was Final Fantasy VI, being the longest ending I've ever seen in a videogame. It also really helped to end the game by clearing up most of the loose ends either by the time the game was over, or via the ending.
I'd have to say that Skyward Sword's ending was a big deal for me, mainly cause
it FINALLY seemed like Link and Zelda were gonna hook up, something I'd been waiting for Nintendo to do for so many years, partly cause I like romantic endings and partly cause I friggin loved Zelda this time around. No other entry in the series, save maybe WW, made me actually LIKE Zelda as something besides just another princess needing to be saved.
And I like it when characters I like have happy endings.
Some also mentioned Majora's Mask, which was arguably one of the best and most detailed endings to a Zelda game ever done. It certainly didn't leave plotholes or a bad taste in my mouth like Ocarina's did. Especially after all that suffering you saw during the game, it was nice to see a happy ending when you'd done all the sidequests and such.
The Journeyman Project 3 had a really good ending, resolving all the details and giving characters a sense of satisfaction over a job well done. Even saw the conclusion to a series of great games.
I dunno, my memory is always so foggy when it comes to remembering stuff, so while I might recall a game's ending being good, I couldn't explain it very well. Tail Concerto was good. Grandia.. oh gods, the first Grandia.. gods did I cry during that ending, I was so close to raging and then it delivered a truly good and complete ending. Wanna play that again someday.
I seem to recall Parasite Eve 2 having a really nice ending, better than the first one did, to say the least. I don't want anything to do with SquareEnix's new game in the series, I just know I'll hate it, like I have everything else they've made these last 12 years..
I wanna say Kingdom Hearts 2 had an excellent ending, but with the shadow of prequel bullshit lingering like the world's biggest fart, I couldn't enjoy it as much as I really wanted to. The reunion of the three characters was really touching and the climactic ending had me in tears and then made me smile. I just wish they hadn't kept trying to get away with other stuff and leaving it open for a prequel, instead of closing that crap up and giving a proper sequel where we get to play as Kairi and Riku and such. I think the fact that it stopped truly being a "fantasy universe mixed with Disney" during the course of the second game (and all later games) did nothing to help it.
But yeah, overall the second game had a really good ending.
I could go on about BAD endings, but that isn't the topic here.
EDIT: Someone mentioned endings of games by LucasArts and Sierra and so forth. I'm sure they're talking about adventure games... but I dunno. Most of the games are really good, but I don't think I could say the endings were ever something I'd consider "best ending ever" material. I quite enjoyed the endings of King's Quest 6 and 7, and Curse of Monkey Island had a good one, but the thing with adventure games is that they're more about the journey than the conclusion.
Oh, Gabriel Knight 2, gods, THAT was a pretty good ending. I loved the music..
But no, you'll not see me say how great the endings of MI1 or 2 were, largely cause there wasn't a whole lot TO the ending of MI1, and MI2 ended in a way that left me rather upset when I'd finished it. Like when I first watched Monty Python & the Holy Grail all the way through and then the ending was just.. what the hell?
MI1 and MI3 definitely had lackluster endings for me, as endings go. MI2's ending was kind of WTH but at least the final reveal was cool, but I guess as an ending wasn't exactly great either.
I'm not sure that makes it an amazing ending though. It's an intriguing one, but not one I necessarily see as being, long term, 'amazing'. Though the term is subjective and to each their own. I feel the same way about MI2's ending as I do about Neon Genesis Evangelion's, which is not entirely positive.
Hm, Super Mario 64's ending will always have a special place in my heart.
Same for the Assassin's Creed 2 ending. I'll probably blast through Brotherhood and Revelations once they're really cheep to see how it continues.
I suppose that's better. Though, I apologize for earlier. You're entitled to like what you like. I just don't agree at all with that particular choice.
Which is a damn shame, but I myself am not blameless. Despite loving EarthBound growing up, and playing EB0 (which had a pretty interesting ending), I've not gotten around to playing Mother 3.
Of course, that would've been a non-issue if Nintendo had just released the damn thing instead of taunting us and ruining crap with Brawl. *fume*
I need to get around to playing it, it's just that it involves staying at my computer constantly. I'm looking to try and figure out how you do flashcart stuff for the DS, I just don't have the stuff to do it and am afraid it's expensive. But it'd be nice to play old games on the go.
What I know about the Kingdom Hearts endings is that I always immediately want a new KH game after they're done.
Except for BBS though,
I hate BS deaths and KH pulled the biggest BS by saying Sora must save the majority of the people that died. And having those people be shown at their respective world and say "Sora" doesn't exactly make for a good ending
.
EDIT:And what is so great about Mother 3's ending? I get its a depressing game, but from what I know, its a final boss with the emotional part being that
he is your brother and is struggling to fight, but its kinda boring as from what I saw, you don't need to attack him at all, just keep healing until a deus ex machina occurs and saves you. Then flint jumps in front of an attack and goes down, but you've been taking these attacks for a while now so he was an idiot for doing so. Then after the boss, THE WORLD ENDS? WHAT KIND OF STUPID ENDING IS THAT! ARE THEY ARE SUICIDAL? WAS THE DEATHS OF SO MANY PEOPLE THE TEAR FILLED ENDING EVERYONE WANTED? What idiot would like that?
Ok, now either tell me how I ruined a childhood or why I am wrong and something happened that I don't know about. Thank you.
I hate BS deaths and KH pulled the biggest BS by saying Sora must save the majority of the people that died. And having those people be shown at their respective world and say "Sora" doesn't exactly make for a good ending
.
The problem here is that
none of the people in that ending has ever actually died, and the only one of them who has appeared to die was Axel, though the end of Re:Coded indicates that by destroying Axel, Lea can be restored if his Heartless is destroyed
none of the people in that ending has ever actually died, and the only one of them who has appeared to die was Axel, though the end of Re:Coded indicates that by destroying Axel, Lea can be restored if his Heartless is destroyed
.
Ventus lost his heart(that's death to me), Aqua is still alive I know, Terra... he uhh. Would he reappear now too if old Xehanort returned? Roxas fused with Sora, Namine fused with kairi, Xion was killed by Roxas and fused,
Technicaly there wasn't a death scene, but that honestly seems like a death to me on most of the characters.
I hate BS deaths and KH pulled the biggest BS by saying Sora must save the majority of the people that died. And having those people be shown at their respective world and say "Sora" doesn't exactly make for a good ending
.
EDIT:And what is so great about Mother 3's ending? I get its a depressing game, but from what I know, its a final boss with the emotional part being that
he is your brother and is struggling to fight, but its kinda boring as from what I saw, you don't need to attack him at all, just keep healing until a deus ex machina occurs and saves you. Then flint jumps in front of an attack and goes down, but you've been taking these attacks for a while now so he was an idiot for doing so. Then after the boss, THE WORLD ENDS? WHAT KIND OF STUPID ENDING IS THAT! ARE THEY ARE SUICIDAL? WAS THE DEATHS OF SO MANY PEOPLE THE TEAR FILLED ENDING EVERYONE WANTED? What idiot would like that?
Ok, now either tell me how I ruined a childhood or why I am wrong and something happened that I don't know about. Thank you.
On the Mother 3 ending, I think you're missing that Japan has a cultural stigma on nature and the damage mankind does to the planet by its very existence, owing to their experience with the atomic bomb.
On the Mother 3 ending, I think you're missing that Japan has a cultural stigma on nature and the damage mankind does to the planet by its very existence, owing to their experience with the atomic bomb.
so.. what?
Symbolism that mankind got what they deserved?
EDIT:And what is so great about Mother 3's ending?
I take it you haven't played the game.
It's not great because it's sad, though it is sad. Nor is it great because it touches the idea that mankind supposedly gets what it deserves, which it doesn't. The ending is about redemption and moving on.
It should be noted that the video that Fawful posted actually doesn't have the full ending sequence which features an actual boss battle prior to the battle sequence with Claus. The fight with Porky shows that the puppeteer of the tribulations in the game is an individual who cannot move on. Despite his advanced age through life support, he remains infantile with no regard for anyone but his own pride resorting to any possible method for attention. While this is an actual battle, it ends in a "stalemate" as he locks himself up in an indestructible capsule. But in a fit of irony, while he cannot be hurt, the capsule cannot be exited. With this, he will not nor ever will move on.
This leads to the confrontation with Claus.
For the first time in several years, Lucas finds his brother who he had presumed to be dead only to find that he had been horribly mutilated and transformed into this robot slave. In this interesting battle sequence, you are left with just Lucas and Claus. Lucas, unable to bring himself to fight, takes the hits from his brother no matter what. Despite all the things he's done, Lucas still loves his twin brother.
Hinawa, the boys' mother who was murdered towards the beginning of the game of the game, comes to comfort Claus, who was meant to be dead long ago. She asks of both of the boys to stop fighting and eventually gains the attention of Claus who, at long last, remembers who he is. He realizes that he cannot be the one to pull the needle as it would bring about the end of the world and decides in the end that his time has finally come to return to his Mother. With all the energy he had left, he strikes the final blow and sends a lightning bolt fatally through his body.
He apologizes and thanks his brother before parting.
Lucas, who had struggled with letting go of the passing of his mother throughout the entire game finally realizes that it's time. He faced the final needle, knowing that the village he had grown up, the last bastion of human life, had already been abandoned and ruined by greed, and knew it was time to move on.
As the prophesy held, the Dark Dragon reawoke and as Ionia had prophesied, the world had been cleansed and reborn by Lucas's good heart.
The world was not destroyed.
People weren't killed.
There wasn't a suicide pact.
If you were looking for an ending with giant swords and 5000 things going on at once, this isn't it. But Shigesato Itoi managed to write one of the most touching and emotional endings in video game history and I stick by that.
"It is said that the Force has a will, it has a destiny for us all. I wield it, but it uses us all, and that is abhorrent to me. Because I hate the Force. I hate that it seems to have a will, that it would control us to achieve some measure of balance, when countless lives are lost. But in you… I see the potential to see the Force die, to turn away from its will. And that is what pleases me. You are beautiful to me, exile. A dead spot in the Force, an emptiness in which its will might be denied."
"I use it as I would use a poison, and in the hopes of understanding it, I will learn the way to kill it. But perhaps these are the excuses of an old woman who has grown to rely on something she despises."
"You are greater than any I have ever trained. By killing me here - you have rewarded me more than you can possibly know."
Well, damn. I just decided to update my list with links to videos of the endings, and I re-watched them all while I did it. All were as good as I remembered, Gemini Rue even better than I remembered, but there was one thing I forgot about. At the end of the Metroid Prime 3 100% ending, there's
the mystery ship that tails Samus, which may belong to Sylux
. Now I'm stuck hoping for Nintendo to resolve that plot line.
I recall disliking that little thing at the end of MP3 because it could possibly relate to a game that I absolutely hated and don't want a return to it anytime soon, but that's my personal feeling on the matter. I prefer to think of it as
Dark Samus survived
if only cause my sister loves that character.
However, I know that
Sylux
is rather popular among a lot of people who played that game. I don't see the appeal cause I thought the characters were just hollow shells with no personality or background besides what's in the manual, and further excuse to give us a lackluster single player.
...sorry, it's just that game left a bad taste in my mouth and it's a bit of a sour point for me.
To slightly change the subject, I'd love to see a follow up to the way Fusion ended. It's a shame Nintendo refuses to touch it and go down the route we're all expecting.
is because he (she? it?) is an empty shell of a character. I feel it would be a great way to flesh out the character to put him in a more prominent villain position, and what little information there is on him is a fantastic starting point for that.
As for
Dark Samus, I feel that her story was tied too strongly to the Phazon story arc, which I feel should be over after the climax of Metroid Prime 3.
But aside from resolving the end of Metroid Prime 3, a sequel to Fusion is right at the top of my list for what I want to see in a new Metroid game, along with a Zero Mission style remake of Metroid II.
Oh gods, no thanks on a ZM style anything. I know a lot of people seem to like that game for some reason, but I couldn't stand the faster pace, lack of floaty jumps and the change in art style.
But I suppose that's like people being used to the art style in Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow and not caring for the anime style used in Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin. Personally, I felt it fit PoR, but not DoS. They were both good games, though.
I suppose that fact that I saw MZM as a turning point in the series towards a direction I didn't care for hasn't helped it gain my love. I'm not saying you're wrong for wanting a Metroid 2 remake, I just don't think I'd like it in the MZM style.
Oooh, yes, Thousand Year Door had an excellent ending! I've been meaning to replay that and keep forgetting. So much better than the original Paper Mario.
My Top 5 Endings [of the games that I have finished (and listed in no particular order)]
Tales of Symphonia
Tales of The Abyss
Final Fantasy VIII
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
This list was really hard for me to decide upon, especially the last one.
In deciding the top 5 endings, I had to decide what "ending" means. Does it include the final boss fight and/or the sequence leading up to it? mmm... depends, but not usually. I would qualify "ending" to mean cutscenes--before, during and after the credits--which occur after the final boss fight. With that in mind...
Final Fantasy VII? Great story, but the ending is very short and gives little to no resolution about the main cast.
Tales of Monkey Island? Okay sure, it has a great post-credits sequence; good enough to warrant serious consideration. However, in retrospect the final puzzle and its lead into the following cutscene does seem a tad deus ex machina in that
suddenly everything is okay.
Ocarina of Time? nah... the final cutscene isn't much more than Zelda sending Link back through time, cue NPC's partying together.
Wind Waker? No,
I wanted Hyrule back
. I understand the ending, and it was good. It's just not the one I wanted.
Mass Effect 1 or 2? The games are very good, but the ending cutscenes are short and don't exactly exude revelation or resolution to the overall story.
Dragon Quest VIII? mmm... the
relationship between the Hero and the princess
isn't exactly wrapped up entirely. The (post-Dragovian Trial) ending suggests that it is, but the player has to assume it rather than getting to watch it happen.
Skyward Sword? okay, it's a good ending, but I like Midna (from Twilight Princess) better than Fi.
King's Quest VI? Great game, great post-boss fight resolution regardless of the path taken. (The credits song is not a cutscene.) However, if I have to be objective about it, my fondness for the whole game is probably weighted heavily by nostalgia.
There are other games that I assume from playing they might have great endings, but I haven't beat them yet so I can't say for sure.
My Top 5 Endings [of the games that I have finished (and listed in no particular order)]
...
[*] Final Fantasy VIII
...
I agree completely. Ever since I first completed 'Final Fantasy VIII', I've maintained that it has one of the very best endings ever seen in a video-game. I think that a large part of that is down to the magnificent closing theme by Nobuo Uematsu, played by a full orchestra. Pure sublime, wrapped in a sheet of awesomeness.
Tales of Monkey Island? Okay sure, it has a great post-credits sequence; good enough to warrant serious consideration. However, in retrospect the final puzzle and its lead into the following cutscene does seem a tad deus ex machina in that
suddenly everything is okay.
I couldn't agree more with this. TellTale did such a fantastic job of infusing true weighty drama and character emotion within the 'Monkey Island' universe, arguably for the first ever time. TellTale essentially took all of that build up, which was established over the course of five episodes and chucked it all out of the window for a 'happily ever after' ending.
Of course it's understandable that the game needed a reasonably happy ending but surely some of the plot points raised throughout the game could have been carried over to the ending. For example wouldn't it have been more interesting if Guybrush and Elaine hadn't gotten back together at the end?
Not only would such a scenario be more interesting and thought provoking from a narrative perspective but it would probably be more in keeping with the character of Elaine as conceived by Ron Gilbert for the first two 'Monkey Island' games (particularly in regards to 'LeChuck's Revenge'). Gilbert's Elaine was a very independent and strong woman. Whilst Elaine does have feelings for Guybrush, she doesn't need him half as much as Guybrush needs her.
What if Elaine had actually willingly remained with LeChuck at the game's conclusion?. Yes it would dark and yes, it would fail to deliver a "true" conclusion to the story. Do you know another game that had such an ending? It was that piece of utter garbage that nobody likes; Monkey-Friggin'-Island 2!
As Chyron said; yes, we did get that post credits sequence but to be honest it felt fairly throw away to me. Whereas 'LeChuck's Revenge's ending was purposefully daring, upset the status quo and left fans everywhere discussing it's true meaning; the post credits ending to 'ToMI' feels as though it exists merely to say "HEY, DON'T FORGET TO BUY SEASON 2 WHEN IT COMES OUT NEXT YEAR". Yeah, that worked out real well...
eh... I don't rank ToMI, not because it's stupid, bad, or not the ending I wanted. I don't rank it because the solution to the final puzzle leads instantly to happily ever after, with no lead into it. The pre-credits cutscene should have been longer and had more build up into being happy rather than suddenly being happy.
MI2 is neither daring nor original--it's wtf. I dislike wtf endings. I can accept cliffhangers and the hero doesn't always have to win (though I like for them to) but MI2 just leaves the player with the question "what the hell just happened??" in their minds for a long time afterward. I disapprove.
eh... I don't rank ToMI, not because it's stupid, bad, or not the ending I wanted. I don't rank it because the solution to the final puzzle leads instantly to happily ever after, with no lead into it. The pre-credits cutscene should have been longer and had more build up into being happy rather than suddenly being happy.
MI2 is neither daring nor original--it's wtf. I dislike wtf endings. I can accept cliffhangers and the hero doesn't always have to win (though I like for them to) but MI2 just leaves the player with the question "what the hell just happened??" in their minds for a long time afterward. I disapprove.
I recall disliking that little thing at the end of MP3 because it could possibly relate to a game that I absolutely hated and don't want a return to it anytime soon, but that's my personal feeling on the matter. I prefer to think of it as
Dark Samus survived
if only cause my sister loves that character.
However, I know that
Sylux
is rather popular among a lot of people who played that game. I don't see the appeal cause I thought the characters were just hollow shells with no personality or background besides what's in the manual, and further excuse to give us a lackluster single player.
...sorry, it's just that game left a bad taste in my mouth and it's a bit of a sour point for me.
To slightly change the subject, I'd love to see a follow up to the way Fusion ended. It's a shame Nintendo refuses to touch it and go down the route we're all expecting.
Sylux is no different from Bobba Fett really. Just cool factor that fans took and run with.
MI2 is neither daring nor original--it's wtf. I dislike wtf endings. I can accept cliffhangers and the hero doesn't always have to win (though I like for them to) but MI2 just leaves the player with the question "what the hell just happened??" in their minds for a long time afterward. I disapprove.
To be honest, I don't usually care for video game endings. It's generally a combination of a lack of any sort of denouement, and the fact that many have open endings to make for sequel fodder. I can probably think of five that I liked though (disclaimer: I haven't played console games since the SNES, and that was more than 10 years ago, so they won't really feature on any list I make).
One game ending that I did like recently was Dragon Age: Origins. It had a fun if somewhat cliched climax, and a nice long winding-down epilogue.
I have a weak spot for the ending of King's Quest 6. Well, except for that goddawful song that plays.
Portal's ending is pretty awesome, even if it has been sort of ruined by the ubiquitous internet meme generator at this point.
Hm... the ending of Grim Fandango was very well done in my opinion. Tied up the story nicely, a bit bittersweet but appropriate.
I think my recently minted favorite video game ending of all time though is Bastion. It's really quite moving.
Sylux is no different from Bobba Fett really. Just cool factor that fans took and run with.
I guess? I never really saw the appeal of Bobba Fett, either. Insofar as I knew he was some bounty hunter who died in the Sarlac Pit in Return of the Jedi, and then I find out years later he was written out of the pit in a comic or a novel or something. Then he was suddenly Mr. Popular. *shrug*
I guess? I never really saw the appeal of Bobba Fett, either. Insofar as I knew he was some bounty hunter who died in the Sarlac Pit in Return of the Jedi, and then I find out years later he was written out of the pit in a comic or a novel or something. Then he was suddenly Mr. Popular. *shrug*
No no, you've got it all wrong.
Boba Fett appeared in The Empire Strikes Back (or the Holiday Special if you want to be pedantic) and following its release become a hit with the fans, simply because he looked cool and had a cool, fucked up, raspy voice for all of the two lines of dialogue he spoke!
Then Return of the Jedi was released and Boba Fett was unceremoniously disposed of in the least badass way possible; a gigantic sand vagina... eww! The fans were pissed and so Boba Fett survived (having been spat out of the gigantic sand vagina... double eww) via the expanded universe (comics, novels etc.).
So, Fett wasn't "suddenly popular" after he escaped the Sarlacc. He was "suddenly popular" after his brief appearance in Empire. However, neither reason for the popularity makes much sense; other than Boba Fett being... well, cool.
Having said all that; I haven't been a fan of Star Wars since I was a kid. I really should replace my knowledge of it with something a little more worthwhile!
MI2 is neither daring nor original--it's wtf. I dislike wtf endings. I can accept cliffhangers and the hero doesn't always have to win (though I like for them to) but MI2 just leaves the player with the question "what the hell just happened??" in their minds for a long time afterward. I disapprove.
In fact, I qualify MI2's ending as one of the worst endings of all time. The game before the "final battle" is very very good. It's everything a Monkey Island game should be in that it's very funny yet slightly serious, and Guybrush is lovable to us but a jerk to almost everyone ingame.
However, all the feeling, adventure, wonder and humor created by the fantastic core gameplay is totally undone by the ending--it is so off the wall, so nonsensical, so random yet totally cliche, and so anti-climactic... that it completely overwhelms any and all feeling about or build up made by the rest of the game.
Being different doesn't inherently make an ending good; being artsy doesn't make it interesting or fun. The status quo isn't what it is because the man says so and must therefore be rebelled against; the status quo is what it is because people generally know what they like and thus gravitate to liking certain things. With that in mind, if one is to go against the status quo, it should be done with a specific purpose in mind other than as a means in and of itself.
ie. in storytelling, being non-conformist merely for non-conformity's sake is stupid. In other words:
Comments
But Robert MacNamara killing zombies is another story!
I'm a bit of a sentimental person, and if I'm crying tears of happiness by the end of a game, that's a pretty good ending. On the other hand, if I am balling up my fist and want to seriously injure and/or kill somebody, that's probably not an ending I'll want to see again anytime soon. The sad thing is, those are sometimes at the end of otherwise good games. The end of Ocarina of Time, for instance, made me want to really hurt somebody because of how stupid it was.
Chrono Trigger with it's 12 someodd endings is always a great game, as was Final Fantasy VI, being the longest ending I've ever seen in a videogame. It also really helped to end the game by clearing up most of the loose ends either by the time the game was over, or via the ending.
I'd have to say that Skyward Sword's ending was a big deal for me, mainly cause
Some also mentioned Majora's Mask, which was arguably one of the best and most detailed endings to a Zelda game ever done. It certainly didn't leave plotholes or a bad taste in my mouth like Ocarina's did. Especially after all that suffering you saw during the game, it was nice to see a happy ending when you'd done all the sidequests and such.
The Journeyman Project 3 had a really good ending, resolving all the details and giving characters a sense of satisfaction over a job well done. Even saw the conclusion to a series of great games.
I dunno, my memory is always so foggy when it comes to remembering stuff, so while I might recall a game's ending being good, I couldn't explain it very well. Tail Concerto was good. Grandia.. oh gods, the first Grandia.. gods did I cry during that ending, I was so close to raging and then it delivered a truly good and complete ending. Wanna play that again someday.
I seem to recall Parasite Eve 2 having a really nice ending, better than the first one did, to say the least. I don't want anything to do with SquareEnix's new game in the series, I just know I'll hate it, like I have everything else they've made these last 12 years..
I wanna say Kingdom Hearts 2 had an excellent ending, but with the shadow of prequel bullshit lingering like the world's biggest fart, I couldn't enjoy it as much as I really wanted to. The reunion of the three characters was really touching and the climactic ending had me in tears and then made me smile. I just wish they hadn't kept trying to get away with other stuff and leaving it open for a prequel, instead of closing that crap up and giving a proper sequel where we get to play as Kairi and Riku and such. I think the fact that it stopped truly being a "fantasy universe mixed with Disney" during the course of the second game (and all later games) did nothing to help it.
But yeah, overall the second game had a really good ending.
I could go on about BAD endings, but that isn't the topic here.
EDIT: Someone mentioned endings of games by LucasArts and Sierra and so forth. I'm sure they're talking about adventure games... but I dunno. Most of the games are really good, but I don't think I could say the endings were ever something I'd consider "best ending ever" material. I quite enjoyed the endings of King's Quest 6 and 7, and Curse of Monkey Island had a good one, but the thing with adventure games is that they're more about the journey than the conclusion.
Oh, Gabriel Knight 2, gods, THAT was a pretty good ending. I loved the music..
But no, you'll not see me say how great the endings of MI1 or 2 were, largely cause there wasn't a whole lot TO the ending of MI1, and MI2 ended in a way that left me rather upset when I'd finished it. Like when I first watched Monty Python & the Holy Grail all the way through and then the ending was just.. what the hell?
Them's fightin words, boy.
Same for the Assassin's Creed 2 ending. I'll probably blast through Brotherhood and Revelations once they're really cheep to see how it continues.
Fine.
5. God of War III.
Happy?
I suppose that's better. Though, I apologize for earlier. You're entitled to like what you like. I just don't agree at all with that particular choice.
Of course, that would've been a non-issue if Nintendo had just released the damn thing instead of taunting us and ruining crap with Brawl. *fume*
I need to get around to playing it, it's just that it involves staying at my computer constantly. I'm looking to try and figure out how you do flashcart stuff for the DS, I just don't have the stuff to do it and am afraid it's expensive. But it'd be nice to play old games on the go.
Except for BBS though,
EDIT:And what is so great about Mother 3's ending? I get its a depressing game, but from what I know, its a final boss with the emotional part being that
Forgive me for living but I never played it.
The problem here is that
Technicaly there wasn't a death scene, but that honestly seems like a death to me on most of the characters.
On the Mother 3 ending, I think you're missing that Japan has a cultural stigma on nature and the damage mankind does to the planet by its very existence, owing to their experience with the atomic bomb.
so.. what?
Symbolism that mankind got what they deserved?
I take it you haven't played the game.
It's not great because it's sad, though it is sad. Nor is it great because it touches the idea that mankind supposedly gets what it deserves, which it doesn't. The ending is about redemption and moving on.
It should be noted that the video that Fawful posted actually doesn't have the full ending sequence which features an actual boss battle prior to the battle sequence with Claus. The fight with Porky shows that the puppeteer of the tribulations in the game is an individual who cannot move on. Despite his advanced age through life support, he remains infantile with no regard for anyone but his own pride resorting to any possible method for attention. While this is an actual battle, it ends in a "stalemate" as he locks himself up in an indestructible capsule. But in a fit of irony, while he cannot be hurt, the capsule cannot be exited. With this, he will not nor ever will move on.
This leads to the confrontation with Claus.
For the first time in several years, Lucas finds his brother who he had presumed to be dead only to find that he had been horribly mutilated and transformed into this robot slave. In this interesting battle sequence, you are left with just Lucas and Claus. Lucas, unable to bring himself to fight, takes the hits from his brother no matter what. Despite all the things he's done, Lucas still loves his twin brother.
Hinawa, the boys' mother who was murdered towards the beginning of the game of the game, comes to comfort Claus, who was meant to be dead long ago. She asks of both of the boys to stop fighting and eventually gains the attention of Claus who, at long last, remembers who he is. He realizes that he cannot be the one to pull the needle as it would bring about the end of the world and decides in the end that his time has finally come to return to his Mother. With all the energy he had left, he strikes the final blow and sends a lightning bolt fatally through his body.
He apologizes and thanks his brother before parting.
Lucas, who had struggled with letting go of the passing of his mother throughout the entire game finally realizes that it's time. He faced the final needle, knowing that the village he had grown up, the last bastion of human life, had already been abandoned and ruined by greed, and knew it was time to move on.
As the prophesy held, the Dark Dragon reawoke and as Ionia had prophesied, the world had been cleansed and reborn by Lucas's good heart.
The world was not destroyed.
People weren't killed.
There wasn't a suicide pact.
If you were looking for an ending with giant swords and 5000 things going on at once, this isn't it. But Shigesato Itoi managed to write one of the most touching and emotional endings in video game history and I stick by that.
"It is said that the Force has a will, it has a destiny for us all. I wield it, but it uses us all, and that is abhorrent to me. Because I hate the Force. I hate that it seems to have a will, that it would control us to achieve some measure of balance, when countless lives are lost. But in you… I see the potential to see the Force die, to turn away from its will. And that is what pleases me. You are beautiful to me, exile. A dead spot in the Force, an emptiness in which its will might be denied."
"I use it as I would use a poison, and in the hopes of understanding it, I will learn the way to kill it. But perhaps these are the excuses of an old woman who has grown to rely on something she despises."
"You are greater than any I have ever trained. By killing me here - you have rewarded me more than you can possibly know."
However, I know that
...sorry, it's just that game left a bad taste in my mouth and it's a bit of a sour point for me.
To slightly change the subject, I'd love to see a follow up to the way Fusion ended. It's a shame Nintendo refuses to touch it and go down the route we're all expecting.
As for
But aside from resolving the end of Metroid Prime 3, a sequel to Fusion is right at the top of my list for what I want to see in a new Metroid game, along with a Zero Mission style remake of Metroid II.
But I suppose that's like people being used to the art style in Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow and not caring for the anime style used in Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin. Personally, I felt it fit PoR, but not DoS. They were both good games, though.
I suppose that fact that I saw MZM as a turning point in the series towards a direction I didn't care for hasn't helped it gain my love. I'm not saying you're wrong for wanting a Metroid 2 remake, I just don't think I'd like it in the MZM style.
I believe that this photo was taken on one of Alcoremortis' bad hair days, though it was actually one of the better days for her skin!
Bad hair days? Psh. This was a good day. I mean, it's actually lying flat!
4 - Uncharted 3
3 - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
2 - Portal 2
1 - Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
This list was really hard for me to decide upon, especially the last one.
In deciding the top 5 endings, I had to decide what "ending" means. Does it include the final boss fight and/or the sequence leading up to it? mmm... depends, but not usually. I would qualify "ending" to mean cutscenes--before, during and after the credits--which occur after the final boss fight. With that in mind...
Final Fantasy VII? Great story, but the ending is very short and gives little to no resolution about the main cast.
Tales of Monkey Island? Okay sure, it has a great post-credits sequence; good enough to warrant serious consideration. However, in retrospect the final puzzle and its lead into the following cutscene does seem a tad deus ex machina in that
Ocarina of Time? nah... the final cutscene isn't much more than Zelda sending Link back through time, cue NPC's partying together.
Wind Waker? No,
Mass Effect 1 or 2? The games are very good, but the ending cutscenes are short and don't exactly exude revelation or resolution to the overall story.
Dragon Quest VIII? mmm... the
Skyward Sword? okay, it's a good ending, but I like Midna (from Twilight Princess) better than Fi.
King's Quest VI? Great game, great post-boss fight resolution regardless of the path taken. (The credits song is not a cutscene.) However, if I have to be objective about it, my fondness for the whole game is probably weighted heavily by nostalgia.
There are other games that I assume from playing they might have great endings, but I haven't beat them yet so I can't say for sure.
I agree completely. Ever since I first completed 'Final Fantasy VIII', I've maintained that it has one of the very best endings ever seen in a video-game. I think that a large part of that is down to the magnificent closing theme by Nobuo Uematsu, played by a full orchestra. Pure sublime, wrapped in a sheet of awesomeness.
I couldn't agree more with this. TellTale did such a fantastic job of infusing true weighty drama and character emotion within the 'Monkey Island' universe, arguably for the first ever time. TellTale essentially took all of that build up, which was established over the course of five episodes and chucked it all out of the window for a 'happily ever after' ending.
Of course it's understandable that the game needed a reasonably happy ending but surely some of the plot points raised throughout the game could have been carried over to the ending. For example wouldn't it have been more interesting if Guybrush and Elaine hadn't gotten back together at the end?
Not only would such a scenario be more interesting and thought provoking from a narrative perspective but it would probably be more in keeping with the character of Elaine as conceived by Ron Gilbert for the first two 'Monkey Island' games (particularly in regards to 'LeChuck's Revenge'). Gilbert's Elaine was a very independent and strong woman. Whilst Elaine does have feelings for Guybrush, she doesn't need him half as much as Guybrush needs her.
What if Elaine had actually willingly remained with LeChuck at the game's conclusion?. Yes it would dark and yes, it would fail to deliver a "true" conclusion to the story. Do you know another game that had such an ending? It was that piece of utter garbage that nobody likes; Monkey-Friggin'-Island 2!
As Chyron said; yes, we did get that post credits sequence but to be honest it felt fairly throw away to me. Whereas 'LeChuck's Revenge's ending was purposefully daring, upset the status quo and left fans everywhere discussing it's true meaning; the post credits ending to 'ToMI' feels as though it exists merely to say "HEY, DON'T FORGET TO BUY SEASON 2 WHEN IT COMES OUT NEXT YEAR". Yeah, that worked out real well...
MI2 is neither daring nor original--it's wtf. I dislike wtf endings. I can accept cliffhangers and the hero doesn't always have to win (though I like for them to) but MI2 just leaves the player with the question "what the hell just happened??" in their minds for a long time afterward. I disapprove.
Well, I certainly agree with that.
This on the other hand...
Ah well, it's all horses for courses.
Sylux is no different from Bobba Fett really. Just cool factor that fans took and run with.
High five.
One game ending that I did like recently was Dragon Age: Origins. It had a fun if somewhat cliched climax, and a nice long winding-down epilogue.
I have a weak spot for the ending of King's Quest 6. Well, except for that goddawful song that plays.
Portal's ending is pretty awesome, even if it has been sort of ruined by the ubiquitous internet meme generator at this point.
Hm... the ending of Grim Fandango was very well done in my opinion. Tied up the story nicely, a bit bittersweet but appropriate.
I think my recently minted favorite video game ending of all time though is Bastion. It's really quite moving.
I guess? I never really saw the appeal of Bobba Fett, either. Insofar as I knew he was some bounty hunter who died in the Sarlac Pit in Return of the Jedi, and then I find out years later he was written out of the pit in a comic or a novel or something. Then he was suddenly Mr. Popular. *shrug*
No no, you've got it all wrong.
Boba Fett appeared in The Empire Strikes Back (or the Holiday Special if you want to be pedantic) and following its release become a hit with the fans, simply because he looked cool and had a cool, fucked up, raspy voice for all of the two lines of dialogue he spoke!
Then Return of the Jedi was released and Boba Fett was unceremoniously disposed of in the least badass way possible; a gigantic sand vagina... eww! The fans were pissed and so Boba Fett survived (having been spat out of the gigantic sand vagina... double eww) via the expanded universe (comics, novels etc.).
So, Fett wasn't "suddenly popular" after he escaped the Sarlacc. He was "suddenly popular" after his brief appearance in Empire. However, neither reason for the popularity makes much sense; other than Boba Fett being... well, cool.
Having said all that; I haven't been a fan of Star Wars since I was a kid. I really should replace my knowledge of it with something a little more worthwhile!
In fact, I qualify MI2's ending as one of the worst endings of all time. The game before the "final battle" is very very good. It's everything a Monkey Island game should be in that it's very funny yet slightly serious, and Guybrush is lovable to us but a jerk to almost everyone ingame.
However, all the feeling, adventure, wonder and humor created by the fantastic core gameplay is totally undone by the ending--it is so off the wall, so nonsensical, so random yet totally cliche, and so anti-climactic... that it completely overwhelms any and all feeling about or build up made by the rest of the game.
Being different doesn't inherently make an ending good; being artsy doesn't make it interesting or fun. The status quo isn't what it is because the man says so and must therefore be rebelled against; the status quo is what it is because people generally know what they like and thus gravitate to liking certain things. With that in mind, if one is to go against the status quo, it should be done with a specific purpose in mind other than as a means in and of itself.
ie. in storytelling, being non-conformist merely for non-conformity's sake is stupid. In other words: