The Angry Videogame Nerd isn't beloved by everyone, but I find comfort in his disjointed rantings. It's definitely a hit-or-miss affair, but when he latches onto a game that's actually worthy of his unbridled rage, fun for everyone ensues.
Somewhere in the back of the Bible, God warns us against mixing the Angry Videogame Nerd with Superman 64 for fear of igniting an early Apocalypse. We did not heed His warning and instead encouraged the union. Thankfully, we all survived the result and we all had a good laugh about our near-deaths.
I found the Nerd's rant particularly educational. We've gotten used to seeing Superman 64 near the top of every "Worst Games Evar" list, often second only to the Atari 2600's E.T.--the title that touched the game industry's with a glowing finger that killed rather than healed. But I never realised how ghastly Titus' disaster actually is. Superman 64's very existence offends me. It does not have the right to be matter. Why should it exist when worms and bugs die every day?
Sorry for the dramatic streak, I'm just having a bit of fun.
I often review games and manga in exchange for bags of weevil-ridden flour and vials of heroin--er, I mean, vials of not-heroin. Maybe I'm soft-hearted, but I rarely dole out failing grades. There are many, many mediocre pieces of work out there, but (in my opinion) few failures. In my book, you get a grade for having the determination and stones to put pen to paper and keep on going until you have a finished product.
There is not one speck of effort in Superman 64. It completely earns its failure. It revels in it like a little boy who picks his nose to gross out his elders. I guess it's possible at least one developer missed his kid's birthday because of deadlines, but I'd be surprised. Look up the game's intro on YouTube, where Lex "throws" some of Superman's loser friends into some virtual reality world...by standing completely still. His victims stand even more still. Hell, Lois Lame poses for the event like it's a glamour shot.
There's something to be said about Superman 64, though: it will always live on as one of history's worst examples of a video game. That's arguably preferable to sinking down into Mediocrity Mire* and never being heard of again.
(*Misery Mire's slightly more tolerable twin bog.)
Related Links:
Periphery: Angry Video Game Nerd Edition
Common: Rare Makes Bad Games