Games that you had no idea what to do in as a kid

Maximus Alexander · 24-04-2014 5:48pm

Another World on the Atari ST. I tried to play it so many times and could never figure out what I was supposed to do. I vaguely remember walking to the right for a bit until you came to some sort of dude in a hanging cage. That was the entire game to me.

Edit: That is really odd. I read the first page of the thread, posted, and then the post right above mine was about Another World! :eek:

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 24-04-2014 6:04pm

Overheal · 24-04-2014 6:24pm

Sulla Felix wrote: »

Another World. Bought it as a child. Was nearly a man before I got past the very first screen....
I was a very dense child apparently. I remember putting it on every couple of months hoping irrationally that the dog wouldn't be there this time.

Great game though once I got past that!

Came out on Steam last year as a port.. which it looks like this is a shot from not the original

SouthTippBass · 24-04-2014 6:56pm

Good to know I wasn't the only one who got stuck on Another World

As well as the first screen, when that ship you and your buddy are in crashes into the arena. You are supposed to, eh, defend your ship somehow with your defense turrets, I think. But the controls didn't really respond to what was happening on screen. And I think you had to eject before the ship detonated/was destroyed?

Anyway, I was 9 years old at the time playing this, and could not understand a thing that was happening on screen. I knew you had to press a sequence of buttons in correct order at the right time, but only passed that section through trial and error, without really understanding what was happening. I cant remember how long I spent at it, but it felt like freaking ages, probably best part of a day lol!

Couldn't get past that frickin bear at the start either, for ages. More trial and error. Remember this was the first game of its type that I had played, I was more used to controlling characters like Sonic than Lester. So, to me, the control scheme was probably the most alien thing about another world.

Despite all that, totally worth it!

calex71 · 24-04-2014 7:02pm

Zelda : A link to the past for me was one, well only at the end. I never worked out the need for

the silver arrows

I remember getting stuck near the beginning of shadowrun too but for the life of me can't recall on what exactly

Must go back to those two gems now I'm reminded of them.

Think someone mentioned Dizzy earlier in the thread that gets +1 from me

Will I Amnt · 24-04-2014 8:00pm

Nightbreed on the C64. Absolutely no idea what was going on with that game

TheBrinch · 25-04-2014 1:29am

Played this on a PS1 demo disk several times and hadnt the slightest notion what to do...

Rory Gallagher · 25-04-2014 1:35am

Oh yeah I remember buying Metal Gear Solid II when I was really young and I thought something was wrong with the game since O is the action buttion and X is the back button and I was nae able to get past the main menu

Eventually after a month my cousin showed me how to get past the main menu.

-=al=- · 25-04-2014 1:38am

The original Tomb Raider was a good one!

I remember Terminator 2 on the Commadore when she was in the mental asylum I got out once and have no idea how

Jurassic Park on the Snes was also impossible as a we lad

lmimmfn · 25-04-2014 1:54am

In my early teens I tried.......many many times, but seriously, WTF?????

Captain Blood, what kind of drugs were those devs on?

DesperateDan · 25-04-2014 2:12am

When I was little we had an old pc, I believe it was an Amstrad of some kind. It had several bizarre but very memorable PC games. This one sticks out as being truly unfathomable for my tiny 8 year old brain.

The 'wars' just featured me frantically trying to wrestle the periscope to try and find the enemy blobs that were attacking, never worked out how to fire back. It had lots of this kind of thing:

c4759112-7be1-42b2-a342-dbe37349bb54_amiga_silent_service.png

Grimebox · 25-04-2014 3:11am

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I must have been about 4 years old playing this one. Hadn't a breeze what was going on. Somehow got through by pure chance. The world was such a different place when you simply accepted that you didn't understand the vast majority of things.

nesf · 25-04-2014 3:27am

DesperateDan wrote: »

When I was little we had an old pc, I believe it was an Amstrad of some kind. It had several bizarre but very memorable PC games. This one sticks out as being truly unfathomable for my tiny 8 year old brain.

Yeah, I had something very similar with a game graphically almost identical to the above that had you chasing the Bismark in the North Atlantic. I can't remember the name of it, no matter how hard I tried to get into it I never quite succeeded. Of early 90s vintage I believe.

sarumite · 25-04-2014 9:20am

I had an atari Lynx and it came with california games. I remember the skateboarding being utterly unplayable. Not sure if that was because it was utterly unplayable or because I couldn't grasp the controls properly.

Maximus Alexander · 25-04-2014 9:32am

sarumite wrote: »

I had an atari Lynx and it came with california games. I remember the skateboarding being utterly unplayable. Not sure if that was because it was utterly unplayable or because I couldn't grasp the controls properly.

Woah, nostalgia blast! I remember California Games, but I'm not sure from which system - might have been the NES.

Canis Lupus · 25-04-2014 9:59am

Any of the Dizzy games on the C64. Not a ****ing clue.... I could probably play them now and still be confused.

Maximus Alexander · 25-04-2014 10:14am

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Any of the Dizzy games on the C64. Not a ****ing clue.... I could probably play them now and still be confused.

Treasure Island Dizzy on the Atari ST. Oh my God, this thread! The memories! :eek:

I kinda want to go find that game and an emulator to see if I can figure it out now.

Canis Lupus · 25-04-2014 10:55am

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

Treasure Island Dizzy on the Atari ST. Oh my God, this thread! The memories! :eek:

I kinda want to go find that game and an emulator to see if I can figure it out now.

I just looked at a playthrough on youtube. Still complete nonsense of a game.

paulnewman408 · 25-04-2014 11:11am

When I used to play sonic back in the day I had no idea what I was doing I just ran through the level and hoped for the best ha I suppose I still do that.

Akrasia · 25-04-2014 1:38pm

Shadowgate for the NES.
I could never get past the bit with the shark pool. Seriously, me and my brothers tried for hours and couldn't figure it out.
Eventually we told our mother the game must be broken so she brought it back to the shop and exchanged it.

I wasn't there but that must have been the funniest conversation ever, but she brought home New Zealand story which was freakin awesome

thebostoncrab · 25-04-2014 1:46pm

The underwater level in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the NES. As I kid I loved the game, but could never get past this stage no matter how much I tried.

Few years ago my wife got me a NES for Christmas and the game. Just before I started the level I explained to her about how I spent an entire summer as a kid trying to clear this level but never could. Just as Donatello was about to die my wife says "Can't you change to another turtle with full health?" My jaw literally hit the floor and 1 minute later I had finally defeated my childhood enemy. I actually turned the game off at that stage because in my heart I had beat more than the game.

Next up, the winter of Echo the Dolphin!

Maximus Alexander · 25-04-2014 1:48pm

thebostoncrab wrote: »

The underwater level in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the NES. As I kid I loved the game, but could never get past this stage no matter how much I tried.

Few years ago my wife got me a NES for Christmas and the game. Just before I started the level I explained to her about how I spent an entire summer as a kid trying to clear this level but never could. Just as Donatello was about to die my wife says "Can't you change to another turtle with full health?" My jaw literally hit the floor and 1 minute later I had finally defeated my childhood enemy. I actually turned the game off at that stage because in my heart I had beat more than the game.

Next up, the winter of Echo the Dolphin!

I want your wife.

Kiith · 25-04-2014 1:50pm

Beneath a Steel Sky - was in an underground train track, and i couldn't get past a certain point. The tunnel was pitch dark, and i couldn't figure out how to activate a switch (or something like that...it's been a long time). Absolutely loved the game, but i just couldn't get past this point.

(screenshot taken after you turn the lights on i think)

TomCo · 25-04-2014 2:34pm

Through the trap door on the Amstrad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnyM9i3TlXk

Did not have a clue what to do after the first screen. And from the above, neither did that guy.

Also space quest 1 on the amiga. Typing astra bodies on the computer at the start, and also getting past the beams on the sand planet. Figured it out eventually and managed to finsh it. Took years though.

Drift · 25-04-2014 2:35pm

Anyone remember the adventures of Willy Beamish?

I could NOT avoid being sent to military school. Everything I did caused it to happen. To this day I have no idea what I was doing wrong.

125020-the-adventures-of-willy-beamish-sega-cd-screenshot-game-over.gif

125020-the-adventures-of-willy-beamish-sega-cd-screenshot-game-over.gif

Must see if there's a download available!!

SeantheMan · 25-04-2014 2:51pm

Oh....awful game that it was....but still never knew what I was doing

Superman on the Atari 2600
Watch the first 3 mins, even AVGN ends by saying "I can't figure this out"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NyWqiHQs7c

CiDeRmAn · 25-04-2014 4:01pm

Pyjamarama, Everyone's a Wally, Trouble in Paradise, not a clue on any of them, all on the Spectrum.
Trapdoor though, had that on the Speccy and was pretty good at it. Looked amazing too.

norrie rugger · 25-04-2014 4:49pm

thebostoncrab wrote: »

The underwater level in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the NES. As I kid I loved the game, but could never get past this stage no matter how much I tried.

Few years ago my wife got me a NES for Christmas and the game. Just before I started the level I explained to her about how I spent an entire summer as a kid trying to clear this level but never could. Just as Donatello was about to die my wife says "Can't you change to another turtle with full health?" My jaw literally hit the floor and 1 minute later I had finally defeated my childhood enemy. I actually turned the game off at that stage because in my heart I had beat more than the game.

Next up, the winter of Echo the Dolphin!

you beat nothing ha. You wife is the real gamer

Branoic · 25-04-2014 5:25pm

Indiana Jones and Fate of Atlantis.

There was a bit near the end where your female companion was trapped in a cell in Atlantis and you had to get the door open to let her out.

Stumped me for YEARS.

TinCool · 25-04-2014 9:26pm

Frankie goes to Hollywood. Bizarre game.

Games that you had no idea what to do in as a kid

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