Cult video game

A cult video game is a video game that has maintained a dedicated cult following among gaming enthusiasts, although not meeting commercial success upon release.

Definition
Generally, the definition of a cult video game is a video game that was not widely successful, but has maintained a strong and dedicated fan following nevertheless. Other cult video games may be widely successful and critically acclaimed, but may have been overshadowed by other video games in the same series or released around the same time. For example, while Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask are both critically acclaimed titles in the Legend of Zelda series, the former is widely heralded as one of the best video games of all time, while the latter is remembered for its difficulty, unconventional gameplay and deep characters; a cult following of minority gamers who prefer Majora's Mask over Ocarina of Time has since developed.

The appeal of cult video games often derives from their unconventional characteristics that are not present in other games, and which do not appeal to a wider audience. For example, certain Japanese video games have developed a cult following in the West due to cultural differences and other idiosyncrasies that appeal to a minority of non-Japanese gamers.

There are other elements which may contribute to a game's classification as "cult":

Cult video games often stray from genre conventions, and may therefore be difficult to pigeonhole or to appeal to a specific gaming demographic (e.g. first-person shooter fans, role-playing game fans, etc.)
 * Gameplay

Where applicable, cult video games often contain unconventional plotlines and characters.
 * Plot and characters

Genres
Graphic adventure games have seen a cult following in recent years. The Flash cartoon website Homestar Runner features a game called "Peasant's Quest", a parody of the King's Quest series (particularly the first four games) with some references to The Black Cauldron and other early graphic adventure games using text parser. The website also features a parody of text-based adventures such as Zork or Hunt the Wumpus, known as Thy Dungeonman. This game is part of a trilogy, the third of which features still images in a parody of early computers such as the Apple II. The protagonist of the second game is described as being a "custodial knight", a reference to Roger Wilco, the janitor hero of the Space Quest series.

Telltale Games developed a few graphic adventure games for WiiWare, such as the Homestar Runner episodic series Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People and a revival of the Tales of Monkey Island series.

Reception
Since cult video games are not generally considered mainstream, they are not widely received in a positive manner. However in the media, reviewers often consider cult elements to be enriching experiences and provide positive reviews.

1970s

 * 1979: Star Raiders

1980s

 * 1980: Defender


 * 1981: Castle Wolfenstein, Wizardry


 * 1984: Boulder Dash


 * 1987: Maniac Mansion, Phantasy Star


 * 1988: Bionic Commando, Snatcher


 * 1989: Herzog Zwei, Mother, River City Ransom

1990s

 * 1990: The Secret of Monkey Island


 * 1993: Gunstar Heroes


 * 1994: Marathon, Policenauts, Samurai Shodown II


 * 1995: EarthBound (Mother 2) (originally released in Japan in 1994)


 * 1996: The Neverhood, Tetris Attack, Toonstruck


 * 1997: Shadow Warrior


 * 1998: Guilty Gear, LSD, Panzer Dragoon Saga, ''Suikoden II


 * 1999: Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber, Planescape: Torment, R-Type Delta, Shenmue, System Shock 2, The Longest Journey, Vib-Ribbon

2000s

 * 2001: Conker's Bad Fur Day', Ico, AquaNox


 * 2002: Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem


 * 2003: Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, Beyond Good & Evil, Gotcha Force,  Postal 2, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst


 * 2004: Cave Story, Katamari Damacy, Yume Nikki Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines


 * 2005: Fahrenheit, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance ', Killer7,  Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, Psychonauts


 * 2006: God Hand, Okami


 * 2008: Mirror's Edge,  No More Heroes, Persona 4, The World Ends with You, Valkyria Chronicles, Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors

2010s

 * 2010: Alan Wake, Deadly Premonition, Splatterhouse "Nier"
 * 2012: Spec Ops: The Line
 * 2013: Kentucky Route Zero