"Almost Perfect" Games, Films and Novels
Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 3:50 am
Now this should make for an interesting topic: What games, films or novels do you enjoy immensely, yet feel are one element shy of perfection? It could be anything from a certain moment that was poorly executed or the lack of something that could have enhanced the experience.
For me, the two games that would fit this mark are Mario Kart 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.
I play Mario Kart 64 almost daily, yet there's only so many times you can race the same tracks. It's a great game with enough quirks to really allow it to stand the test of time, but it doesn't really offer you anything for your attention. Winning the Gold Cup in all four cups on 150cc doesn't nothing more than unlock Mirror Mode, which does a lot to refresh courses that can become tired over so many playthroughs, yet really isn't a huge accomplishment.
If this game had just one hidden cup with four new tracks it would be absolute perfection. Alas, one must remain content with the 16 tracks of the four standard cups. I suppose I've been spoiled by the newer entries into the series and the general practice of rewarding players with replayability.
Super Mario Sunshine was an admirable direction for the 3D series of Mario games. It had great graphics, unique environments and genuine difficulty in certain areas. It was also a very short title. It's painfully obvious that, once you reach the flood sequence of the game, the story just sort of falls to the wayside and you're left to collect the minimum number of stars to face Bowser. If this game had just one additional area it would have been perfect. A tropical island or underwater cavern would have been amazing to play. Unfortunately, we're left with everything else.
How about you guys? Any "near misses" in terms of perfection?
For me, the two games that would fit this mark are Mario Kart 64 and Super Mario Sunshine.
I play Mario Kart 64 almost daily, yet there's only so many times you can race the same tracks. It's a great game with enough quirks to really allow it to stand the test of time, but it doesn't really offer you anything for your attention. Winning the Gold Cup in all four cups on 150cc doesn't nothing more than unlock Mirror Mode, which does a lot to refresh courses that can become tired over so many playthroughs, yet really isn't a huge accomplishment.
If this game had just one hidden cup with four new tracks it would be absolute perfection. Alas, one must remain content with the 16 tracks of the four standard cups. I suppose I've been spoiled by the newer entries into the series and the general practice of rewarding players with replayability.
Super Mario Sunshine was an admirable direction for the 3D series of Mario games. It had great graphics, unique environments and genuine difficulty in certain areas. It was also a very short title. It's painfully obvious that, once you reach the flood sequence of the game, the story just sort of falls to the wayside and you're left to collect the minimum number of stars to face Bowser. If this game had just one additional area it would have been perfect. A tropical island or underwater cavern would have been amazing to play. Unfortunately, we're left with everything else.
How about you guys? Any "near misses" in terms of perfection?