The Challenge, beating a game is never enough!

[Inuko Dyneir]

Yeah, yeah, anyone can beat a game. Anyone can claim to be a master at Ocarina of Time, but in reality, beating a game is one thing. Beating it with flying colors is one thing, but challenges really show your skill (or lack of life).

So, what kind of challenges are there? Why do a challenge? Can anyone do try a challenge?
Simple enough questions, with simple enough answers. First off, yes, anyone can attempt a challenge, but only the dedicated/skilled can accomplish it.
So, what kind of challenges are there? Well, let's start with the classic challenges.
My personal favorite is the 3-heart, no continue runs for the Zelda games. Like most challenges, simple to understand, hell to pull off. Go through the entirety of a Zelda game, from start to end, with only three hearts. No heart containers, no heart pieces, and if you're truly skilled, no damage reducing armor/abilities (like the Blue/Red ring in 1, tunics in LthP, and half-damage upgrade form the Great Fairies in OoT on). And oh yeah, if you die, you start over. Game over means exactly that.

Then, there are more unique challenges, like the Solo character Challenges in Final Fantasy. Take the one i'm doing right now, the 1 Red Mage Run. I start the game, kill off my other three party members, and play the rest of the game, with one, single character.

Of course, final fantasy has tons of challenges. Low level/level 1 challenges, No Magic User challenge, Only Magic User challenge, et cetera.

Or, take First Person Shooters. One of the most classic challenges for an FPS is the Goldeneye and Perfect Dark PP7/Falcon 2 only run. Play the entire game using only the starting pistol, excetping of course, for time when it is literally impossible to do such (such as the Skedar ship where you have no Falcon 2, or the Skedar King which requires a rocket to the face.)

Now, the question, why do a challenge? Well, it's in the name. The Challenge. So, you can beat Ocarina of time in a single sitting with your eyes closed. Can you beat it in under 5 hours? I have. Can you beat it with only three hearts and no continues? I have. I beat the hell out of OoT so many times, the only way for me to enjoy it was by doing an insane challenge. The harder it is, the more enjoyable. So, I forgot to bring a fairy, this wouldn't be a pain usually. When the Fairy is the only way you survive a single punch in the face from Gannon, it dawns on you: every little edge becomes vital. Only the best can go through the later parts of the game virtually unscathed.

So, yeah, the challenge. Nothing makes a game that you can beat one handed more fun then, well, beating it one handed. Or with one memeber in your party. Or using starter equipment. Or running around with a single hit till you croak.

So, gaians, here it is at last, the Challenge thread. Discuss everytthing about challenges here. The planning, new challenges, victories, defeats, tricks, hints, and of course, I bet you can'ts.

[Karasu Lanford]

I don't justify my existence based on how thoroughly I can beat a video game.
So I don't bother with "challenges".

[Inuko Dyneir]

Ouch. I try to make a thread for those of us who enjoy challenges, and the first reply is someone trying to troll. Of course I don't justify my existence with videogames. I don't justify my existence at all. That's human arrogance. As far as anything close to justifying it, It's martial arts, high test scores, and serving in the army. One doesn't justify his life by his passions, he merely defines it with such. People justify their lives by changing lives. But that's for the philosophy forum.

Update on my latest challenge: Red mage run on FF1 is going slowly, due to my attention being consumed by the motorpool, webcomics, and my other challenge, the Mage Only Challenge for ff5

[The_Emperor_of_Darkness]

Falaranoran

Ouch. I try to make a thread for those of us who enjoy challenges, and the first reply is someone trying to troll.

Your So Graceful When You Die....

How is someone disagreeing with you considered trolling? Anyway, i dont really try and do 'challenges' sort of ruins the game for me. I play games just to play them, and then Ill go back and re beat it, not set ridiculous limits on myself, that would just become frustrating....

It's Like When Someone Shoots A Swan...

[Choukyuu Bushin Hakazan]

The_Emperor_of_Darkness

Falaranoran

Ouch. I try to make a thread for those of us who enjoy challenges, and the first reply is someone trying to troll.

Your So Graceful When You Die....

How is someone disagreeing with you considered trolling? Anyway, i dont really try and do 'challenges' sort of ruins the game for me. I play games just to play them, and then Ill go back and re beat it, not set ridiculous limits on myself, that would just become frustrating....

It's Like When Someone Shoots A Swan...

Contrary opinions are always trolling. It makes it easier to accept the fact that there might be someone in the world out there that doesn't think like you do.

[Daydream Lately]

I enjoy challeges, but not in games. To me they are meant to be fun.
I challenge myself when i can in real life. Sports/ Academics etc.

[Moodlet]

The_Emperor_of_Darkness

Falaranoran

Ouch. I try to make a thread for those of us who enjoy challenges, and the first reply is someone trying to troll.

Your So Graceful When You Die....

How is someone disagreeing with you considered trolling? Anyway, i dont really try and do 'challenges' sort of ruins the game for me. I play games just to play them, and then Ill go back and re beat it, not set ridiculous limits on myself, that would just become frustrating....

It's Like When Someone Shoots A Swan...

Indeed: maximize pleasure, minimize pain. That's why they make games like Animal Crossing. It seems to me like the OP of this topic just wanted to do some bragging, which is all well and good, but goes without embrace from the community.

[L337_N1NJ4_M4573R]

You brought fairies to the fight with Ganondorf on a minimalist challenge? How sad...

The true challenge is to not acquire anything you don't need. For instance, you only ever have to get one bottle, but you never fill it.

The Sun's Song? Nah. Eye of Truth? Nope, not needed. Only the items you absolutely need to beat the game.

Really, only the items you get in a dungeon that you are required to use to beat/reach the boss.

[Metroid Dread]

Alternatively, play a video game for fun instead of status.

[Fukitsu Sama]

unless you have 100% the game you have not beaten it..just cause you can play through the single player on normal and beat it doesn't mean s**t...prove yourself gamers!!!

[Inuko Dyneir]

Wow, ya guys completely missed the whole "Why do a challenge' part of my original topic. Braggin rights? Not really, since me and my friends all have done the same challenges. Buddy back home is working on the level 1 run on ff7 while I do the SCC on ff1. We both switched off doing the 12 hour run on ff9. We do this FOR fun. Especially when playing a game normally, it's gets too easy. Final fantasy 5 was over once I got the nija class and mastered dual weild and berserk. I didn't even really play so much as walked through the dungeons while the game beat itself.

Having these limitations forces me to think, plan, and do everything with the utmost care and caution. It's no fun playing chess with a three year old, and it's not impossible like playing chess against a max level computer. It's obtainable, you just have to know what you're doing, knw where you went wrong, and restrategize. It adds puzzle to the RPG's, adds more finesse to the action/adventure, and more reflexes to the fps.'

The trolling I mentioned was not in the fact that he didn't like challenges. I'm cool with that. It's the fact that he tried to tell me I attempted to justify my existence with such. there's a difference between disagreeing and attempting to insult someone.

And for the "Only using necessities' run, I'll have to do that when I get back home to my n64, or have my wii sent here. being able to do the shadow temple without the eye of truth would free up a lot of time for speed runs, and after the water temple, I need every second I can get.

Maybe it's the fact that nowadays Gaia's filled with maistreamers rather than the original nerds and otakus, but I really thought there'd be more people in to challenges. But, why put effort into something you love, right? It's not like football teams try to be the best. It's not like scientists try to push the limits of physics and what's possible. the hardcore gamers, those of us you'd see at Quakecon and every local LAN party, we try to see just how many things we can throw in our way to overcome.

Like I said before, the point in doing challenges is self explanatory. It's a CHALLENGE.

[Shunji Sato]

Beat i wanna be the guy on Insaine?

[Grave of Zered]

Fukitsu Sama

unless you have 100% the game you have not beaten it..just cause you can play through the single player on normal and beat it doesn't mean s**t...prove yourself gamers!!!

LOL
"if you beat it you didnt beat it!"

sorry, but as long as there's the "The End" after beating the game, i consider that beating it.

[Repo The Genetic Skeiver]

L337_N1NJ4_M4573R

You brought fairies to the fight with Ganondorf on a minimalist challenge? How sad...

This.

********, I didn't even bring fairies to the fight in a non minimalist challenge.