30 Days of Video Games

[Kamicciolo]

First off, I'd like to start and say that today's theme-headline thingy is discriminatory towards me >:V (I never really got moved by things like Up, Toy Story 3 or Jurassic Bark as an example :V). But I guess if I want that badge I'll have to make do~. So without further a due...

Day #16 - Kami's Depressingly Sad "Sonic's Death was too Much for Ninja" Saddest Moment in a Video Game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EfLuFZLdvo&feature=related

all I need is the music

My saddest moment would have to be the ending to the Revenge of the King mode in Kirby Super Star Ultra, where he see King Dedede launched from his castle yet again after another defeat from Kirby (you wonder why he bothers to fix that roof :V). The entire story of the Revenge of the King mode is that Dedede essentially wants to finally beat Kirby (what an original motive for a villain, huh? :V), but in the last stage there is actually a sense of tension, as if he's pulling out all the stops by sending every minion he has (making a sorta mini-boss run), and then finally donning his Masked Dedede persona and declaring that he and Kirby will settle their grudge.

And then we get the scene itself where, following the battle and a quick flight via Hammer Kirby, Dedede solemnly walks through a desert, on his way back to his castle presumably, after being thoroughly shamed by losing to Kirby yet again. However as he walks, his faithful minions the Waddle Dees, join him as proof of their loyalty and respect for him (which seems to remain untarnished even with his most recent defeat). and they all continue to walk off into the sunset, as one big group.

(of course I only like it because it focuses on Dedede, but it's close enough right? :V)

Honourable Mentions

Any time Wario or King Dedede aren't playable in a game that they really should be (which is them all) - ...I still haven't recovered from the New Super Mario Bros. Wii incident... ;_;

[Covskin]

Final Fantasy 6 - Gau's reunion with his father.

I played this game around the same time I played FFX, and had completed 7, 8 and 9. Not a single event, even that death, has made me well up with tears, despite their technical advancements.

The game even suckers you into thinking it'll be a humourous, alls well that ends well scene. Gau has been comic relief all the way through, and then this comes along and highlights the desolate place that is The World Of Ruin.

[Tori Himemiya]

Day 16 Most Tragic/Saddest Moment in a Video Game:

I had a bit of trouble choosing for this one but I chose...

...Disgaea's Normal Ending.

Another ending so another paragraph in spoilers.

This scene was very sad. Laharl kills off Lamington and finds out he's the one who killed Flonne in his rage is pretty heartbreaking. And Laharl was willing to give up his life for Flonne was pretty bittersweet. I do remember this scene did made me cry because of these events. Laharl really developed in the end but events had to go bad for him leading to this.

I'm glad this ending wasn't canon. I would had made me cry some more. D:

[Carbo]

Off the top of my head I can definitely list so many more moments that probably are more tragic than this, Tornado picked a great example with Case 3-4 from Ace Attorney. So why exactly am I settling with this one?

Because through fantastic narrative exposition to a story I've already explained how much I love last day, I shit you not that this is the only moment throughout my 18 years in life playing games that I've literally broken down into tears playing. I literally cried, like a bitch, during this very moment.

I talked about Metal Gear Solid yesterday, and I can only see this being the case again with this certain category. Only this time, it's going to be about Metal Gear Solid 3, the game commonly considered the best game in the entire series, the one that chronologically takes place first in the series' timeline, and the one that shapes up the events of every plot thread that follows.

Hit the spoilers, because this is yet again going to be long winded and this time around, it's going to revolve around the game's ending.

The runner up to this category would in any given case have been the very moment before this ending, when you finally go face to face with The Boss, the mother of tactical espionage, the master in CQC, and more specifically, your mentor, who betrayed her country to enroll into Sokolov's regime as the head honcho of all their tactical operations, right in front of Naked Snake's eyes.

Every final boss in Metal Gear Solid has been an up-and-personal, often very emotionally charged hand-to-hand combat fight. MGS3 is the first time in the series it would have a more emotional implication since this time, it is something that isn't down to a matter of protocol or duty. This is a matter of you and your mutual understanding between mentor and student, a relationship no one but them two could possibly understand; one that extends beyond a motherly or loving relationship. Metal Gear Solid 3 is a story about betrayal and loyalty. You've known since the start of your mission that you would eventually have to go face to face with her again, and that only one of you would leave alive. As one final talk between mentor and student, The Boss decides to reveal her motivations, about her lost baby, about how her partner and lover died and about the extortion the government and economy imposed upon her. This however, still never explained her role in the entire operation, but the deed was done and after reluctantly killing her, it's time to escape with EVA before the island gets blown to shreds. They make it, have a night stay at a safe house, do some hot James Bond tier fucking and everything's all good right? No. No it isn't.

I can impossibly write the full details on how incredibly touching this is. You seriously need to see this for yourself.

What follows is perhaps the most emotional, tearjerking cutscene ever, as EVA leaves Snake behind, Snake get's promoted to the rank of "Big Boss", the world's most famous and renowned mercenary, who would eventually go down into history as a legendary icon and the antagonist of two of the games, as well as a presumed "antagonist" of the series after the events of this game.

During this cutscene, EVA narrates in a recording to Snake, every single part of The Boss' reasoning behind her defection, how she sacrificed everything, how this was all a setup by the US government which she had no choice but to oblige by, but everything which she in the end did for the country's sake. Because of the complete unpredictability of what went wrong during the Virtuous Mission, the entire plan they had was changed, and The Boss was abandoned by the US government, no support whatsoever, and she would have to die in the hands of her beloved student; with the complete inability to tell anyone this.

She died for her country. In US history, she would forever be labeled a traitor without honor who betrayed her country. In Russian history, she would be known as a terrorist who unleashed nuclear hell.

And not a single person would know the truth.

No one but you.

It might not be saying so much in mere words but the delivery of it all, the ramifications and implications on the entire series from that point on all stems from this very moment. The inauguration of Big Boss. Can this even be classified as a bittersweet ending? Barely. Nothing good would eventually come out of these events. The most tragic moment I've ever witnessed, and to this date it still makes me literally cry.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Day 16 - Most Tragic / Saddest Moment from a Video Game

The life and times of Hal Emmerich aka Otacon

This is probably not my final choice... but for a character who has been around for over 10 years, for a character who is quite popular and been in many many games.. I have yet to find a character who is either equally unlucky or equally tragic.

Consider this for a moment... if for some reason the walls of reality melt away and life becomes a videogame, should Otacon be working in the same lab as you... RUN! Run away as fast as you can, because chances are you or someone very close by is about to die in tragic circumstances.

Lets review, Metal Gear Solid, Otacon is convinced that he's working on a peaceful solution to the worlds problem, his entire life's work has been from his boyhood dream of saving the world like the robots from Japanese culture that he still idolises.

When snake shows him the truth, it all but destroys him, he breaks down and hates himself and believes his entire family is cursed with the scar of nuclear weapons which he's tried so hard to ratify.

Also... he falls in love with Sniper Wolf, theres a hint that Sniper Wolf also likes him since she gives him her handkerchief and treats him well for looking after the dogs/wolfs on the base. What happens... Sniper Wolf is killed... Otacon is a wreck.

Metal Gear Solid 2... His sister dies in his arms... Otacon is upset.. but not that upset... we have to wait until MGS 4 for that one... but still second game... second death. This time his sister.

Metal Gear Solid 4. He ends up falling in love with Dr Naomi Hunter who also has feelings for him... they share one night of passion and then.... Otacon watches her die on a TV screen... Otacon is near destroyed after all the people he loves are taken from him, his devastation is characterised by Metal Gear Mark 2 who is with her when she dies relaying the pictures to him. If there was any doubt that Naomi did truly love him, it's when she says 'you have such beautiful eyes' then tells them all to run as the building collapses around them.

And later... his best friend Snake... is also dying... everyone close to him and his friends are dying, Otacon is alone... with his robots.

Poor Otacon.

Go on... Cry. You know you want to. Because Otacon is cool, he builds robots.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Hogfather

[Senator NinjaShark]

Day Numbero 16 and the Super Pals - Ninja's Bawwtastic, "Kami Tears up at the Many Deaths of Eggman", Saddest Moments in Video games Ever!

the Death of John Marston, Red Dead Redemption

John Marston: Badass, Former Bandit, Badass, Cowboy, Badass, Part Time Bounty Hunter, Badass, Zombie Slayer, Farmer, Badass and Most Importandly; Badass

Betrayed by the People he had to work for, surrounded by an Entire Army, his "Uncle" Dead, and his Family Cornered.

So he sends his Son and his Wife off to Safety, he takes one Last Look outside to see how many People await for him.

then He Opens the Farm gate

and takes down as Many sons of Bitches as he can, before Finally dying Himself.

What makes this Scene so Sad is, aside of the fact that you played with John Marston through the game up until this Point, is the Music that plays over it when his Family finds his Dead Body and then lays it to Rest in his Grave.

http://youtu.be/XxKckHuHx_0

a Simple, yet effective song.

Honorable mention:

Ray's entire Backstory, Ghost Trick - Ray is a Character you meet very early on in Ghost Trick and shows you how to use your Newfound Ghost Powers, as the game Progresses you find out the TRUE identity behind Ray.

It's your Dog Partner Missile...from an Alternative Timeline.

in his Timeline, his Masters Lynne and Kamilla died earlier then in the Games actual events, so he asks that Timelines Sissel for Help...but he declines, saying He needs to find Himself first.

so He decides to Follow the Bad guys to their Submarine Headquarter, but eventually finds Himself Trapped in the Middle of the Ocean, togheter with the Corpse of Yomiel, a Gangster Turned Manipulator Ghost, whom he uses to Travel Back in time for 10 years (long story short: thats when said Corpse originally Died)

so he decides to Wait a Full 10 years in the Disguise of a Desklamp, waiting for Sissel to come and Help him save His Masters....alone...waiting for the Man he Hopes can Help him and save his Masters

and Why does he go through all of this? "Because that's what doggies do!"

Edited January 31, 2012 by Mr. NinjaShark

[Shane]

As a child, I'd have to say Yoshi splitting up with Mario at the end of Yoshi's Island was heartbreaking. The music that played during the credits was and still is one of the most emotional songs to me. It has a sense of accomplishment while providing feelings of sadness that the Yoshis must feel after splitting with their new friend.

Yoshi's Island was one of the first video games I played to have a story I truly cared about, and probably the second after Donkey Kong Country 2, the other best game on SNES. Yoshi's Island is still my favourite Mario game to this day - at the time I had already played the NES games and Super Mario World, and Super Mario 64 was just coming out in America.

There are other moments that are far more emotional that I wanted to use, but seeing as this was the first big one for me, I'm sure it counts for a lot, especially when nostalgia is taken into the factor. Here were some of my other choices:

-N's father admitting that he was just a tool and that he never cared for him, in Pokémon BW.

-Zero's death in Mega Man X5.

-Sniper Wolf's death, in Metal Gear Solid.

-Metal Gear Solid 3's ending.

-Heck, even Shadow's death in Sonic Adventure 2 was pretty epic.

-If I listed RPGs here it would take far too long, but I'm a fan of SNES/PS1-era Square so I think you get the idea.

[Danj86]

At one time I would've put the ending to Sonic Adventure 2 in this slot. But I've seen alot more heart wrenching momment in video games since then...honourable mention should go to Lost Odyssey, as half the main cast are immortal and lived for something like 1000 years, they would've seen alot of friends and family come and go over that time.

But I'm gonna hafta award this post to...

The Professor Layton Series:

What do I mean by that? Well, having played and completed all four Layton games that have been released in Europe at the moment, it's the endings that have the power to move you in ways both good and bad.

Warning! Spoilers for Curious Village, Pandora's/Diabolical Box, Lost/Unwound Future & Spectre's Call/Last Spectre!! Ahead!!

Curious Village: Having learned that Flora was the true Golden Apple and discovering the treasure hidden in St Mystere, Flora would like to accompany the Professor and Luke and it's the farewell scene that's so sad to me. Even though the villagers are robots, they are truly saddened by Floras leaving, and so is Flora, as she take one last look back as the village and the villagers go out of sight.

---------------------------

Pandora's/Diabolical Box: The tragic past revealed and the spectacular way the "vision" that Anton was trapped in, disappearing and revealing his true self, and an emotional reunion with his grandaughter.

---------------------------

Lost/Unwound Future: No doubt that this on has to be the saddest of them all. It's bad enough mourning the loss of a loved one once. But to have to do it twice, over the same person is just terrible. Add to that, Luke had to leave and your left with that final image of the Professor standing alone at the pier where Lukes ship had left, with him just looking out at the ocean.

--------------------------

Spectre's Call/Last Spectre: Finally the evil in Misthallery has been removed, but there is one last matter to take care of, and only Loosha knows what it is. So using the last of her strength after that cruelling fight, she guides the Professor and the gang to a sacred place that could heal Ariannas illness, only to die after making it there. But Loosha was successful, Arianna will live on...

[Ducktor Naldush]

Final Fantasy 6 - Gau's reunion with his father.

I played this game around the same time I played FFX, and had completed 7, 8 and 9. Not a single event, even that death, has made me well up with tears, despite their technical advancements.

The game even suckers you into thinking it'll be a humourous, alls well that ends well scene. Gau has been comic relief all the way through, and then this comes along and highlights the desolate place that is The World Of Ruin.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Phantom Nald

[Sean]

Day 16: Saddest video game moment

Sean talks Ghost Trick once again. There are massive spoilers below - they're not just the major kind, they're the kind that will ruin the entire game for you if you haven't completed it. Even the picture belongs under the tags; it's fan art, but it's an incredibly good piece of work that recaptures the moment incredibly well in a way that simply just posting a still screenshot or box art cannot.

(image borrowed from Pixiv)

Again, this is a hard question. I think the Ace Attorney games and Ghost Trick are just about equal in terms of emotional impact, so what I did was try to find something that appealed to me the most on a very personal level. And what I came up with was the combined forces of Sissel and Yomiel's backstories, which happens to be a contributing factor for my love for the game as a whole.

I had to look up some of the smaller details since it's been while, but I can remember the rest pretty clearly. Imagine that you are a system engineer for the government, and you have a bright future ahead of you and a lovely fiancee to support you. However, things go wrong with the project you're working on, and long story short, you're suspected to be a spy from another country or organization. Now, you've lead an incredibly honest life up to this point, and the very prospect of your future crumbling for no damn good reason is a shock that you can't take. Imagine how desperate you would be if you were threatened with life in prison... and the inspector who was interrogating you forgets his gun in the room you are in.

After a series of unfortunate events such as holding a young girl hostage (a bastard move no matter which way you look at it, even for someone desperate to escape), facing off against a detective with a dashingly cool-looking beard, and, er, getting killed by a meteor that happens to give you special radioactive powers to transfer your soul into other objects and manipulate them, you try using your newfound powers to re-enter your dead body. However, the first thing you discover is that your fiancee had killed herself, leaving a suicide note that says that she's coming to join you in the afterlife.

How would you feel wandering this earth for the next ten years as an ageless soul with nothing more to lose - not even his own life - with the only companion you have by your side is a cat? (Let's pretend that you're not a heinous cat hater because I'll have to rip out your throat for that.) Nobody acknowledges your existence, the person you loved more than anything is dead, and you have no future. You have no identity, you're just a walking dead body, and there's nothing you can do to change your fate. You can't even go into the afterlife, whatever it may be. You're stuck where you are forever.

Yomiel's powers grow, and predictably he goes on to take revenge on the people who ruined his life. One such action is killing detective Jowd's wife, making it look like their daughter did it and forcing Jowd to take the crime upon himself. The last thing he tries to do before the events of the game is frame Lynne for his own murder by manipulating her body to shoot his own. However, Lynne's will is hard to overcome, and he ends up shooting his own cat. This is what effectively seals the deal as one of the saddest backstories in a video game for me - whether it is a cat, dog, or fellow human, just the thought of accidentally taking the life of the only companion you had for ten years, the only living thing that's completely uninvolved in this whole mess, is heartbreaking.

Yomiel goes on to do some other pretty terrible things throughout the game, but he is a very believable, very human villain. He's not doing things just to be evil, nor does he want revenge for petty reasons. His ultimate goal is to obtain an identity of his own, something that is promised to him if he carries out these actions. But what really makes him sympathetic is that throughout the course of the game, Yomiel changes, and meeting Lynne in the present effectively makes him stop his quest for revenge. He definitely tries to make up for it by the end of the game, and it's an admirable change of heart, though it's up to the viewer on whether it redeems him for any of his past actions.

Lastly I want to talk about Sissel himself. As tragic as Yomiel is, it wouldn't be as much if it were not for this cat. He was his only companion for ten years, and to inadvertently kill him in a botched attempt to frame someone else for murder just feels like an inescapable personal hell. Sissel the cat only ever wandered onto the scene because he wanted someone to give him attention, and in a twist of irony, if it weren't for the events that transpired during Yomiel's death, he would have lived the rest of his short life as a lost, unloved kitten. This quote sums it up best:

Sissel: Those ten years were happy for me. But they weren't happy for the man. And there was nothing I could do for him.

Sad story bro.

[dirupti]

Day 16

I'm going to have to do a Portal 2 post again.

I'm not too sure why, but hearring Cave Jhonson's sick dieing voice made me very upset.

I'm not very fit to answer this question I guess. Nearly all of the games I play are relatively retro on the Genesis or Game Gear. Games didn't have the most indepth story lines back then I guess. (or at least not the one's I play)

[Conando]

Oh, you bitch! I already said the end of MOTHER 3 was the saddest and my most favorite part of any video game! D:

Seriously, I was pretty old by the time I played it but, it was the only game that managed to make me shed a tear. The whole story is filled with sad, funny, and bittersweet moments. Itoi is a masterful writer and, if he never wants to write another MOTHER, I'm ok with that because MOTHER 3 was perfect. It had an ending that was very VERY sad but, also hopeful.

Seriously, man. Lucas and Flint finally find Claus, hoping he was alive all that time. Then he dies before them, dies happily but, still dies.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Crow T. Robot

[SuperStingray]

Heavy Rain Spoilers:

Scott Shelby is the Origami Killer

I'm not going to lie, there are several things wrong with Heavy Rain's story, not limited to abundant and obvious plot holes and bad voice acting. But there's something to be said for a game that make you feel sympathy for a character even though you know he deserves none. It stems from a brilliant dissonance between what the player knows and what the player character knows. What you see, when playing as Scott Shelby is a soft, comforting and altruistic middle-aged man hoping to help people in distress. As it turns out, he's the very child-killing sociopath he claims to be hunting down, using his PI firm as a front for covering his tracks. But as a glimpse into his past reveals, the traumatic loss of his brother due to his deadbeat dad's irresponsibility gives a player a chance to sympathize with him through his motivations before remembering the terrible path it's brought him on. Watching Shelby burn the evidence piece by piece, there's a moment in there, even if subconscious, even if less than a second long, where the player has to ask if Shelby's actions were justified. Not good actions, not fair actions, but at least justified actions, given the events that transpired in his life. In that moment, I wasn't just sad, I felt betrayed. Not just by the character, but also by my own self. I wasn't guilty that I played as the killer, helping to cover his tracks, as I didn't know his true role, nor was I largely in control of it. But I did feel guilty that I couldn't bring myself to judge this man as a despicable criminal, despite taking several innocent young lives for such selfish purposes. And for that, I felt I was no better than a serial killer, having the ability to comprehend killing an innocent as somehow justifiable. It's because I knew there was a good man in Shelby from what I've already seen of him. The man who would go out of his way to take care of a baby when its mother was incapacitated. The man who would put his life on the line to reason a robber out of entering a life of crime. It takes a lot to undo that image, and he went way over that line, but after what I've seen of him, well, it's amazing how far first impressions can bias you. But I can't say I've ever felt so much disappointment, guilt, sadness, denial or betrayal out of a story as I did in that moment, let alone out of a video game.

Runners up: The end of Super Paper Mario, the death of John Marston in Red Dead Redemption, confronting Boss in MGS3, killing 100 million men to save the rest of humanity despite being forever seen as a war criminal (Armored Core For Answer), the death of Shadow in SA2 (at the time; it's retroactively disqualified for his revival.)

Edited January 31, 2012 by SuperStingray

[buba]

Day 16 - Most Tragic/Saddest Moment from a Video Game

Cubone's Mother from Pokémon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2we0TgpYyw0

During the events of Pokémon Red/Blue/Green/Yellow, Team Rocket invaded the Pokémon Tower located in Lavander Town.

The Pokémon Tower has hundreds of graves of deceased Pokémon, so many people visit the building daily to pay their respects to the fallen partners.

Team Rocket's mission was to steal the skull that hides the face of the Cubone and sell it for lots of money.

When they where about to remove the skull of a baby Cubone, its mother a Marowak (Pokédex says that the skull Cubone wear once belonged to their dead mother, so this doesn't make many sence) tried to protect it but they killed her in the process.

Thanks to that she now haunts the tower furiosly.

[Johnny Boy]

Definitely the death of the joker from Arkham City. Now granted, after all the stuff Joker has done he pretty much had it coming. But still, it was a bit heartbreaking to see one of the greatest comic book villains of all time die. It was even sadder to see the reactions of Jokers goons and Harley Quinn when they see their fallen leader, especially Harley, who just collapses to the ground and starts sobbing uncontrollably.

And to make things even sadder, this might be the last time we'll ever hear Mark Hamill voice the joker. And keep in mind this guy has been the jokers voice actor since the early 90's, when Batman TAS was still running. So in conclusion, not only did one of the most iconic villains of all time die in this game, but something you've known since childhood died as well.

Sad story bro. Sad story indeed.

[Autosaver]

DAY 16 - MOST TRAGIC MOMENT IN A VIDEO GAME

KLONOA - DOOR TO PHANTOMILE - Klonoa's goodbye

This scene was just.....heart warming. Klonoa must say goodbye to Huepow, as this will be the last time Klonoa will see him.

Yes, goodbye, Forever.

You can see the amount of work put into this scene. Look at all the details that really push this into becoming one of the most tragic endings to a video game. Klonoa slips, falls, and cries trying to reach Huepow.

How would you react if you had a close friend and you were split up to never see each other again? Just look at the struggles both of them face trying to stay together. You can easily tell that both of them like, or should I say LOVE each other as friends.

Goodbye Klonoa.

Honorable Mentions

Fire Emblem (Any) - ANY TIME one of your troops die. Geez, I shut off my DS every time!

Sonic Unleashed - ending

Sonic is barely conscious and he has to say goodbye to Chip. With all those cutscenes of them messing around, it was slightly sad that you had to say goodbye to him.

"I'll never forget you" - Chip LEAVES a bracelet behind. Sadly, you never see it again. D=

Edit: Autosaved content put in some weird typos.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Autosaver

[Soniman]

DAY 16 - Zelda's Eternal Sleep

Oh boy, here we go.

"I will always be your Zelda"

One of the many things I loved about Skyward Sword was the fact that the game presented a version of Zelda that you actually had emotions for and actually cared about (Other standouts include Tetra and maybe Sheik/Zelda). From the very beginning of the game she had a established relationship with Link, and thus established one with the player, we got to know and connect with her, it's certainly a far-cry from TP Zelda, who was so meaningless to the plot and incredibly bland that it wasn't even funny.

Ok, spoiler time.

She then gets kidnapped and now the first quarter of the game is basically a wild goose chase, trying to find and Zelda from whatever danger she's in. And when we finally do get to her, were treated to one of the most heart-wretching scenes in a Zelda game.

We find out that Zelda is the reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia, and that she must enter a deep sleep for thousands of years in order to keep the big bad all sealed up. The dialogue that occurs during this scene is somewhat woeful and really tear-inducing at times.

And then there's the part where stops speaking to Link as a reincarnated god and like the childhood friend that Link knows and love. In a wonderful throwback to an earlier part of the game, shes asks Link that when the time comes that he wakes her up like she used to do to him. You're given three responses by that point, I picked "I Promise" of course.

And then she enters her eternal sleep and the tears start flowing.

That look of utter sadness really gets to me for some reason, probably it's because ive never seen Link so emotional before in a Zelda game. Or maybe it's probably because he shares the same reaction as the player does. As I said, Zelda wasn't some obligatory damsel that needed saving, she was an actual character, one the player connected with, seeing her in this state almost brought a tear to my eye, it was so damn sad..

And that's what drives you to save Zelda of your own volition, not because the game tells you to, but because you want to, and that's what I find so amazing about this scene.

Runners up include all of Clock Town during the final hours in Majora's Mask. Its just so damn unnerving to see the moon so incredibly close, about to destroy everything, the chilling music, and seeing all the townsfolk in utter despair, knowing fully well that they're going to die, and there's nothing they can do to stop it.

There's also the dealings with Cremia, who wants to protect her sister from the knowledge that they will die, and keeps her blissfully unaware, right until the end. Really tragic stuff.

Finally SA2's ending.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj1wdx40Kgk

Unlike past Sonic games, this doesn't really on a triumphant note, but a slightly melancholic one.

Shadow is dead and the world was almost destroyed. Hell, the music doesn't help to much either, it screams "yeah you saved the day, but at what cost"? It's still very beautiful, and the final message does leave on a somewhat optimistic note.

A new day, brings new adventure

But for now

Rest easy heroes....

Edited January 31, 2012 by Grooseinator032

[Nix]

Day 16: Saddest Moment in a Video Game

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Spoilers

The Classroom Trail

At the school Phoenix attended, everyone had to bring in an envelope containing the amount of money they needed to pay for food for the entire month. At the beginning of Spring in the 4th grade, Phoenix skipped Physical Education due to a cold he came down with (Phoenix seems to have a problem with getting colds at the wrong time), and during that time Miles Edgeworth's lunch money ($38) was stolen. The one who was blamed was the one who didn't have an alibi for the time (Phoenix) and a class trail was held the next day.

Despite Phoenix's claims, the class continued to blame and insult him. Many kids were acting like he was a thief who stole their lunch money too, they said they wouldn't play with him anymore or be his friend for what he did. Even after all of this, the teacher of all people joins in with them and orders Phoenix to apologize to the entire class. Phoenix was completely alone and abandoned, and he burst into tears confused as to why everyone was blaming him for a crime he did not commit.

BUT THEN~

The kid whose lunch money was stolen jumps up to defend Phoenix, Miles Edgeworth (and Larry) to the fucking rescue. That's less of being sad, and more of Edgeworth being fucking awesome though.

Back to being sad, this is one of the most crucial moments in Phoenix's life because it greatly impacted his goals for the future. This is one of the reasons why Phoenix wanted to become a Defense Attorney, Edgeworth was an inspiration to him, and Phoenix didn't want anyone else to go through what he had to, alone and completely abandoned.

Though, I think it's safe to say this moment wouldn't be nearly as sad or touching if it wasn't for the music

Because I cry just listening to that song.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Nix

[buba]

Definitely the death of the joker from Arkham City. Now granted, after all the stuff Joker has done he pretty much had it coming. But still, it was a bit heartbreaking to see one of the greatest comic book villains of all time die. It was even sadder to see the reactions of Jokers goons and Harley Quinn when they see their fallen leader, especially Harley, who just collapses to the ground and starts sobbing uncontrollably.

And to make things even sadder, this might be the last time we'll ever hear Mark Hamill voice the joker. And keep in mind this guy has been the jokers voice actor since the early 90's, when Batman TAS was still running. So in conclusion, not only did one of the most iconic villains of all time die in this game, but something you've known since childhood died as well.

Sad story bro. Sad story indeed.

You could have put the name of the game you would be talking about outside of the spoilers tag.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Tmsp

[Solly]

Saddest Moment.

This is kind of a weird one.

Skies of Arcadia epilogue spoilers.

After you beat the final boss, you're treated to a happy, Disney-esque ending. The world is safe, the day is saved, and everyone throws a party before resuming their normal lives.

After that cutscene ends you're told what became of all of the members of the Blue Rogues, which can be a long list if you actually got them all. When the list gets to Drachma, one of the main party members, it's explained that some time after the end of the game, he died happily, and was remembered as a great fisherman.

I really have no idea why the off-screen death of this character from this game struck me as being so sad, but it was. Drachma had it rough. After living a life based on exacting revenge on the flying whale that killed his son, he was finally able to do what he wanted and live the last few months of his life fishing. That was really weirdly touching to me, especially considering it's not something you actually see.

It might be because he was my favorite 4th party member for two reasons. One is that he's a badass old man with a robot arm, and the other is that his defense and stamina are so high that he's the last one standing and often on Glyph duty so he can bring the other dead teammates back.

[Carbo]

Day 16: Saddest Moment in a Video Game

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Spoilers

The Classroom Trail

At the school Phoenix attended, everyone had to bring in an envelope containing the amount of money they needed to pay for food for the entire month. At the beginning of Spring in the 4th grade, Phoenix skipped Physical Education due to a cold he came down with (Phoenix seems to have a problem with getting colds at the wrong time), and during that time Miles Edgeworth's lunch money ($38) was stolen. The one who was blamed was the one who didn't have an alibi for the time (Phoenix) and a class trail was held the next day.

Despite Phoenix's claims, the class continued to blame and insult him. Many kids were acting like he was a thief who stole their lunch money too, they said they wouldn't play with him anymore or be his friend for what he did. Even after all of this, the teacher of all people joins in with them and orders Phoenix to apologize to the entire class. Phoenix was completely alone and abandoned, and he burst into tears confused as to why everyone was blaming him for a crime he did not commit.

BUT THEN~

The kid whose lunch money was stolen jumps up to defend Phoenix, Miles Edgeworth (and Larry) to the fucking rescue. That's less of being sad, and more of Edgeworth being fucking awesome though.

Back to being sad, this is one of the most crucial moments in Phoenix's life because it greatly impacted his goals for the future. This is one of the reasons why Phoenix wanted to become a Defense Attorney, Edgeworth was an inspiration to him, and Phoenix didn't want anyone else to go through what he had to, alone and completely abandoned.

Though, I think it's safe to say this moment wouldn't be nearly as sad or touching if it wasn't for the music

Because I cry just listening to that song.

Fun fact:

That exact same composer worked on Viewtiful Joe, and did an arranged version of that track, placing it at the moment of the antagonist's defeat when he explains what caused his downspiral to insanity.

It was quite a touching scene but it blew my mind when this track was brought back. It really shows how effective that track was as a whole and also comes to show how talented Masakazu Sugimori truly is.

[#EndyGate]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3eUWw5zhoM

The Deaths of Gamma & Emerl (Sonic Adventure and Sonic Battle respectively)

I find it funny how robots have more dramatic deaths than characters such as Sonic and Shadow. Though what made these both sad is due to the build up toward it. On Gamma's part his story was tragic from the very beginning, a machine made by Eggman to do his dirty work, just like all of the rest, but what made him special is that he actually questioned the conditions he had been in. Then came his meeting with Amy, which was basically his breaking point, where he actually began to question who he was, and why he worked for the doctor, and then had the vision of his flicky's family. Then he goes off to free his brothers, going across the mystic ruins and egg carrier to do so, and then he's confronted by his older brother. The same older brother that he had proved inferior to him at the beginning of his story, and the same older brother he witnessed being dismemebered and upgraded into the creature he saw before him. After the fight, Gamma's job had finished, he had killed the last of his brothers and freed each of their animals, but there was still one more to be set free. So once Beta sent a cheap shot his way, Gamma accepted his fate, and died. Though what makes it really tragic in my opinion is the fact that no one was there to witness it, and no one was there to greeve. The closest to that is Amy's ending where she finds her bird's lost parents, but she would never be able to learn what was sacrificed for this to happen.

Emerl is another pretty bad one, due to the fact that you would've never seen it coming from the beginning of the story. He started out as a baby, where he knew nothing about the world around him, and had to learn and adapt using the others as his role models. Throughout the game he gets developed the living shit out of him, from his interactions with other characters, learning the basic pieces of the living soul, and basically became as much of a living character as the rest of the cast. Let's not forget that he even caused the other characters to question their own standings in life, from inspiring Cream to fight, and Shadow comparing himself and Emerl to mere weapons. But then it all went sour upon the Death Egg. Here Eggman shows his full potential as a compitent villain, by not only destroying an entire star system using his laser, but also overriding Emerl's functions, to turn him into a killing machine, with only Sonic being able to come along and beat him. Now think of it this way, Eggman has basically taken the child that Sonic and his friends spent the past few days raising to become the bot that he was, and threw all of that development out of the window to create a near indistructible puppet that will not only destroy himself, but the entire planet with him. So after his and Sonic's battle is where it really gets emotional, at this point he questions his own death as if he were onlly a child, but in the time that is represented by his blinking image, likely indicates a sort of resolve to it all. Not only that, but he personally addresses each of his new found friends, giving each of them advise based on the memories he was able to share with them, and then he was gone...

[Burnt Ash]

I was going to choose Mother 3's ending, but seeing as I haven't played it, I probably shouldn't put it on here. So, yeah, I'm going to echo what Groose said. That would be SA2's ending for me. If you think about what had happened before the ending and the buildup to it: Sonic being on the run from the military, he and his friends setting out to stop Eggman, Shadow, and Rouge from destroying the planet, Shadow following a mistranslated wish from Maria, and realizing later on that his interpretation of Maria's wish had been wrong. So to give the people on Earth another chance, Shadow himself would have to die to carry out that wish. The ending shows it too. Yeah, Sonic and friends saved the world, but at what price? It felt kind of sad to me because Shadow was a good hero character, and then he had to die. The ending with the phrase "Wishes are eternal" felt like a real nice closure to the whole event and story.

EDIT: Emerl's death from Sonic Battle would be the runner up for this.

Edited January 31, 2012 by thebluehedgehog

[Nix]

Fun fact:

That exact same composer worked on Viewtiful Joe, and did an arranged version of that track, placing it at the moment of the antagonist's defeat when he explains what caused his downspiral to insanity.

It was quite a touching scene but it blew my mind when this track was brought back. It really shows how effective that track was as a whole and also comes to show how talented Masakazu Sugimori truly is.

I saw that in the related/suggested videos on the side and listened to it. It was lovely. Viewtiful Joe is one of those games that I really need to play, I should've picked it up when I saw it at our local game store a long while back (it's a lovely place that's in walking distance of my house, very convenient). I'll probably stop by there and see if they still have it, otherwise I could always go up to Gamestop and more than likely find it there.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Nix

[Starman Swift]

Day 16 - Saddest Moment in a Video Game

Iji

The entire game is sad, really. At the beginning, Iji wakes up to watch her parents get killed by aliens. Her little sister is nowhere to be found. The only surviving member of her family is her brother, Dan. Dan tells you the 'invasion' only affected the specific science lab you are in, and the rest of the world is fine. Only a few levels later, you go outside and find out that the entire world was hit by an alien weapon called an Alpha Strike, which turned it into a wasteland and killed almost everybody on it.

Later on, Dan gives you a single bomb you can use on any alien teleporter in the level. If you don't use it on the very last, insignificant looking teleporter right before the end, you are ambushed, and Dan dies. For the rest of the game, Iji continues to talk to Dan as if he were still alive. She can't comprehend the fact that he died right in front of her eyes.

What's more, the first aliens you saw were a race called the Tasen, who only invaded out of desperation. All of their other colonies were completely destroyed by another race of aliens called the Komato. Before you find this out, you call down the Komato to deal with the Tasen. If you did a pacifist route, there are three survivors. If you didn't, the entire race is gone.

Dan's death is pretty much the worst thing that happens in that game, but take your pick which path is worse: The pacifist route, where an innocent girl is forced to watch everything around her die, or if you kill too much, where she becomes a bloodthirsty monster laughing as she kills every alien around her.

Lets cement the game's plot with the credits music.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Swift