The Most Dangerous Video Game: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
{{trope}}
[[File:StayAlivePoster_5902.jpg|link=Stay Alive (Film)|right]]
[[File:StayAlivePoster_5902.jpg|link=Stay Alive|right]]


{{quote|''[[You Fool|You fools!]]'' Destroyer of Worlds ''will kill us all!''|Skips, ''[[Regular Show (Animation)|Regular Show]]''}}
{{quote|''[[You Fool!|You fools!]]'' Destroyer of Worlds ''will kill us all!''|Skips, ''[[Regular Show]]''}}


An evil video game, usually packing some paranormal baggage. Playing the game will cause you to [[Gone Mad From the Revelation|go mad]], suffer from horrible nightmares, and even [[Driven to Suicide|commit suicide]] in an effort to make the horrors stop. Sometimes, they are less destructive, casting a trance over the player and causing him or her to play constantly, at the expense of their health and relationships.
An evil video game, usually packing some paranormal baggage. Playing the game will cause you to [[Gone Mad From the Revelation|go mad]], suffer from horrible nightmares, and even [[Driven to Suicide|commit suicide]] in an effort to make the horrors stop. Sometimes, they are less destructive, casting a trance over the player and causing him or her to play constantly, at the expense of their health and relationships.
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== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* The "Legendary Heroes" [[Filler Arc]] in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh]]'' features an evil virtual-reality [[RPG]] created by the Big Five to trap Kaiba and keep him from firing them.
* The "Legendary Heroes" [[Filler Arc]] in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' features an evil virtual-reality [[RPG]] created by the Big Five to trap Kaiba and keep him from firing them.
* The virtual-reality game ''Greed Island'' in ''[[Hunter X Hunter]]'' really ''physically transports players to a real gameworld'' (a small, uncharted island) and only lets the player leave at certain [[Save Point|Save Points]]... which means you can be trapped in the game if you can't get that [[Last Lousy Point]], and if you die you're really dead.
* The virtual-reality game ''Greed Island'' in ''[[Hunter X Hunter]]'' really ''physically transports players to a real gameworld'' (a small, uncharted island) and only lets the player leave at certain [[Save Point|Save Points]]... which means you can be trapped in the game if you can't get that [[Last Lousy Point]], and if you die you're really dead.
* The titular game in ''[[Angel Sanctuary]]'' allows an angel to steal the body of the player.
* The titular game in ''[[Angel Sanctuary]]'' allows an angel to steal the body of the player.
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== [[Comics]] ==
== [[Comics]] ==
* The ''[[Hack Slash|Hack/Slash]]'' miniseries ''My First Maniac'' featured an old arcade game called ''Bludbus'', which urban legends state was banned due to causing things like suicidal and homicidal thoughts (undoubtedly inspired by the real-life urban legend of the Polybius cabinets). The slasher of the story, Grinface, was a normal boy who was either possessed by the game after his death, or was so obsessed with it he simply decided to adopt the identity of the [[Villain Protagonist]].
* The ''[[Hack Slash]]'' miniseries ''My First Maniac'' featured an old arcade game called ''Bludbus'', which urban legends state was banned due to causing things like suicidal and homicidal thoughts (undoubtedly inspired by the real-life urban legend of the Polybius cabinets). The slasher of the story, Grinface, was a normal boy who was either possessed by the game after his death, or was so obsessed with it he simply decided to adopt the identity of the [[Villain Protagonist]].




== [[Film]] ==
== [[Film]] ==
* The game in ''[[Spy Kids (Film)|Spy Kids]] 3D'' traps the player and keeps them playing.
* The game in ''[[Spy Kids]] 3D'' traps the player and keeps them playing.
* One of the three segments from the film ''Nightmares'' is about JJ Cooney, a video game whiz obsessed with beating an arcade game named ''The Bishop of Battle'' - a game so [[Nintendo Hard|unfairly difficult]], not even the best players could make it past the twelfth stage. When Cooney finally succeeds (after having snuck into the arcade in the middle of the night), he realizes that beating the game [[The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You|causes the threats and enemies from within to come alive]].
* One of the three segments from the film ''Nightmares'' is about JJ Cooney, a video game whiz obsessed with beating an arcade game named ''The Bishop of Battle'' - a game so [[Nintendo Hard|unfairly difficult]], not even the best players could make it past the twelfth stage. When Cooney finally succeeds (after having snuck into the arcade in the middle of the night), he realizes that beating the game [[The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You|causes the threats and enemies from within to come alive]].
* The eponymous game in ''[[Stay Alive (Film)|Stay Alive]]'' summons the spirit of the Blood Countess in its intro sequence. If your character in the game dies, she hunts you down and kills you in the same way.
* The eponymous game in ''[[Stay Alive]]'' summons the spirit of the Blood Countess in its intro sequence. If your character in the game dies, she hunts you down and kills you in the same way.
* This trope has been used often in terrible straight-to-rental movies, particularly in the 90's. Specific examples are difficult to pinpoint because they are all equally forgettable.
* This trope has been used often in terrible straight-to-rental movies, particularly in the 90's. Specific examples are difficult to pinpoint because they are all equally forgettable.
** ''Brainscan'' is probably one of the more memorable ones: It starts off as a surprisingly effective thriller about a kid buying a product that supposedly uses hypnosis to make the in-game experiences more realistic, before discovering that he may be affecting the real world by playing the game. Then, just as it looks like the movie could be a b-classic, it introduces an incredibly lame "video game demon", and quickly goes down-hill.
** ''Brainscan'' is probably one of the more memorable ones: It starts off as a surprisingly effective thriller about a kid buying a product that supposedly uses hypnosis to make the in-game experiences more realistic, before discovering that he may be affecting the real world by playing the game. Then, just as it looks like the movie could be a b-classic, it introduces an incredibly lame "video game demon", and quickly goes down-hill.
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* ''How to Make a Monster'' had a video game coming to life after [[Lightning Can Do Anything|a lightning strike]]. It then starts killing its developers by animating an animatronic suit based off the game. It's only stopped when one junior developer dons a virtual reality suit of her own, which somehow allows her to destroy it in the real world too.
* ''How to Make a Monster'' had a video game coming to life after [[Lightning Can Do Anything|a lightning strike]]. It then starts killing its developers by animating an animatronic suit based off the game. It's only stopped when one junior developer dons a virtual reality suit of her own, which somehow allows her to destroy it in the real world too.
* The Bollywood film ''Ra-One'' has the titular video game villain (programmed to be "undefeatable") come to life because [[AI Is a Crapshoot]] and [[Applied Phlebotinum]] allowed it to have a solid body.
* The Bollywood film ''Ra-One'' has the titular video game villain (programmed to be "undefeatable") come to life because [[AI Is a Crapshoot]] and [[Applied Phlebotinum]] allowed it to have a solid body.
* In ''[[Maximum Overdrive (Film)|Maximum Overdrive]]'' a man is mesmerized by an arcade cabinet, which fatally electrocutes him when he touches it.
* In ''[[Maximum Overdrive]]'' a man is mesmerized by an arcade cabinet, which fatally electrocutes him when he touches it.
* In a sense, ''[[Tron (Film)|Tron]]'' was one of the earlier movies to pull this off. It wasn't the game itself sucking you in, but the MCP used several "game programs" (disc battles, the jai-alai looking arena, Space Paranoids, Light Cycles, the *tanks*) to help keep control over still-semi-free programs. Quinn simply got zapped into the computer world ''and'' stuck in the deadly games. ''[[Tron Legacy (Film)|Tron Legacy]]'' took it a step further, in that {{spoiler|CLU}} became just a dick that enjoyed making others fight to the death, program, user or otherwise.
* In a sense, ''[[Tron]]'' was one of the earlier movies to pull this off. It wasn't the game itself sucking you in, but the MCP used several "game programs" (disc battles, the jai-alai looking arena, Space Paranoids, Light Cycles, the *tanks*) to help keep control over still-semi-free programs. Quinn simply got zapped into the computer world ''and'' stuck in the deadly games. ''[[Tron: Legacy]]'' took it a step further, in that {{spoiler|CLU}} became just a dick that enjoyed making others fight to the death, program, user or otherwise.




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== [[Live Action Television]] ==
== [[Live Action Television]] ==
* The infamous ''[[Touched By an Angel]]'' episode "Virtual Reality" reveals that all violent video games are apparently tools of hatred and of [[Satan]] that make children evil bastards with little regard for human life.
* The infamous ''[[Touched By an Angel]]'' episode "Virtual Reality" reveals that all violent video games are apparently tools of hatred and of [[Satan]] that make children evil bastards with little regard for human life.
* The show ''[[Level Up (TV)|Level Up]]'' revolves around a group of teens working with the creator of an MMO to defeat monsters from the game that have escaped into reality. The monsters keep escaping even after they initially defeat the game's [[Big Bad]] in the 90-minute pilot.
* The show ''[[Level Up (TV series)|Level Up]]'' revolves around a group of teens working with the creator of an MMO to defeat monsters from the game that have escaped into reality. The monsters keep escaping even after they initially defeat the game's [[Big Bad]] in the 90-minute pilot.
* Though not deadly by itself, the titular virtual reality game in the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode ''The Game'' caused its users to become highly addicted, to the point of not wanting to do anything else, and also become extremely open to suggestion at the same time. It was planted by a woman seeking to gain control of the Enterprise by controlling her entire crew, and spread through the ship due to peer pressure and, eventually, crewmembers forcing it on the few individuals who refused to participate.
* Though not deadly by itself, the titular virtual reality game in the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode ''The Game'' caused its users to become highly addicted, to the point of not wanting to do anything else, and also become extremely open to suggestion at the same time. It was planted by a woman seeking to gain control of the Enterprise by controlling her entire crew, and spread through the ship due to peer pressure and, eventually, crewmembers forcing it on the few individuals who refused to participate.
* In the ''[[X Files]]'' episode "First Person Shooter," co-written by [[William Gibson]], a virtual reality game becomes haunted by an AI that kills players in real life. The episode gets virtually nothing right about programming or gaming.
* In the ''[[X Files]]'' episode "First Person Shooter," co-written by [[William Gibson]], a virtual reality game becomes haunted by an AI that kills players in real life. The episode gets virtually nothing right about programming or gaming.
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== [[Video Games]] ==
== [[Video Games]] ==
* The titular nameless game in ''[[Nanashi no Game]]''.
* The titular nameless game in ''[[Nanashi no Game]]''.
* The ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh]]'' video game ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh the Falsebound Kingdom (Video Game)|Yu-Gi-Oh the Falsebound Kingdom]]'' is about a virtual-reality game that's actually a method of gathering souls for a sacrifice.
* The ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' video game ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh the Falsebound Kingdom]]'' is about a virtual-reality game that's actually a method of gathering souls for a sacrifice.
* [[Parody|Parodied]] in the indie game ''[[Ben There Dan That]]''.
* [[Parody|Parodied]] in the indie game ''[[Ben There, Dan That!]]''.
* In the game ''[[Kid Chameleon]]'', the new Virtual Reality arcade game on the block turns deadly, and actively tries to kill the players. Kid Chameleon tries to beat the game at its own game, presumably to save the people the game has already beaten. [[Nintendo Hard|It won't be easy.]]
* In the game ''[[Kid Chameleon]]'', the new Virtual Reality arcade game on the block turns deadly, and actively tries to kill the players. Kid Chameleon tries to beat the game at its own game, presumably to save the people the game has already beaten. [[Nintendo Hard|It won't be easy.]]
* Also used as the [[Excuse Plot]] for the ''Wayne's World'' video game; it's not quite clear if Wayne and Garth were sucked into the game or if the baddies came out, but the levels are 90's platformer versions of a few places from the movie; Wayne must use his laser-shooting guitar to rescue Garth, who has been consumed by the purple gelatinous cube from that game in Noah's Arcade in the movie.
* Also used as the [[Excuse Plot]] for the ''Wayne's World'' video game; it's not quite clear if Wayne and Garth were sucked into the game or if the baddies came out, but the levels are 90's platformer versions of a few places from the movie; Wayne must use his laser-shooting guitar to rescue Garth, who has been consumed by the purple gelatinous cube from that game in Noah's Arcade in the movie.
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== [[Web Original]] ==
== [[Web Original]] ==
* [[Ben Drowned (Web Video)|Ben Drowned]] (sometimes called simply ''Majora''), an Internet meme / [[Alternate Reality Game]] about a blogger named "jadusable" who gradually loses his grip on reality as he is tormented by a haunted ''[[Majoras Mask|Majora's Mask]]'' cartridge. The whole thing can be found [http://www.youshouldnthavedonethat.net/ here].
* [[Ben Drowned]] (sometimes called simply ''Majora''), an Internet meme / [[Alternate Reality Game]] about a blogger named "jadusable" who gradually loses his grip on reality as he is tormented by a haunted ''[[Majoras Mask|Majora's Mask]]'' cartridge. The whole thing can be found [http://www.youshouldnthavedonethat.net/ here].
** That site now redirects to the forum for the 3rd arc of the BEN Drowned ARG. Right now, you'll have to view that story [http://inuscreepystuff.blogspot.com/2010/09/majora.html here].
** That site now redirects to the forum for the 3rd arc of the BEN Drowned ARG. Right now, you'll have to view that story [http://inuscreepystuff.blogspot.com/2010/09/majora.html here].
* ''Lost Silver'', a memetic story about a hacked, possibly haunted ''[[Pokémon|Pokémon Silver]]'' cartridge. [[Defictionalization|It can be]] [http://www.64digits.com/download.php?name=lostsilver.zip&id=29478 downloaded].
* ''Lost Silver'', a memetic story about a hacked, possibly haunted ''[[Pokémon|Pokémon Silver]]'' cartridge. [[Defictionalization|It can be]] [http://www.64digits.com/download.php?name=lostsilver.zip&id=29478 downloaded].
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** There's also the [http://pastebin.com/f71e6728f Lavender Town Syndrome] story, which has plain old ''Pokemon Red and Green/Blue'' being a dangerous video game, and talking about how various things (Lavender Town's music, fake stuff supposedly from the tower and haunted video games) led to mass suicide. There are actually two stories tied to this one, one haunted and one having various in-game stuff causing illness and death.
** There's also the [http://pastebin.com/f71e6728f Lavender Town Syndrome] story, which has plain old ''Pokemon Red and Green/Blue'' being a dangerous video game, and talking about how various things (Lavender Town's music, fake stuff supposedly from the tower and haunted video games) led to mass suicide. There are actually two stories tied to this one, one haunted and one having various in-game stuff causing illness and death.
** Pokémon is a very frequent subject of these sorts of stories. Another example is [http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/Tarnished_Silver Tarnished Silver] and its sequel [http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/Audible Audible], which use [[Missing No]]., the Unown, and events from the protagonist's past to screw with his life and/or health.
** Pokémon is a very frequent subject of these sorts of stories. Another example is [http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/Tarnished_Silver Tarnished Silver] and its sequel [http://creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/Audible Audible], which use [[Missing No]]., the Unown, and events from the protagonist's past to screw with his life and/or health.
* Stories of haunted / evil video games are a fairly common type of Internet meme. Games from ''[[Super Mario 64 (Video Game)|Super Mario 64]]'' to ''[[Wolfenstein (Video Game)|Wolfenstein]]'' and ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' have gotten this treatment.
* Stories of haunted / evil video games are a fairly common type of Internet meme. Games from ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' to ''[[Wolfenstein (2009 video game)|Wolfenstein]]'' and ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' have gotten this treatment.
* Parodied, to great effect, by [[Jon Tron]] in his "review" of ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]''.
* Parodied, to great effect, by [[Jon Tron]] in his "review" of ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]''.
* ''[[Sonic R]]'' has the myth of Tails Doll. Tails Doll was an unlockable character with an appearance that many considered to be creepy (though some just find him [[Nightmare Retardant|cute]]). According to a number of [[Creepypasta|Creepypastas]], upon meeting certain conditions (usually tagging Super Sonic with Tails Doll on a specific track), Tails Doll would break into the real world and violently murder the player.
* ''[[Sonic R]]'' has the myth of Tails Doll. Tails Doll was an unlockable character with an appearance that many considered to be creepy (though some just find him [[Nightmare Retardant|cute]]). According to a number of [[Creepypasta|Creepypastas]], upon meeting certain conditions (usually tagging Super Sonic with Tails Doll on a specific track), Tails Doll would break into the real world and violently murder the player.
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== Western Animation ==
== Western Animation ==
* ''Destroyer of Worlds'' from ''[[Regular Show]]''. Plugging it in (you don't need to play) unleashes an enormous, pixelated devil face with intent to, [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|as the name implies]], [[Omnicidal Maniac|destroy the world]].
* ''Destroyer of Worlds'' from ''[[Regular Show]]''. Plugging it in (you don't need to play) unleashes an enormous, pixelated devil face with intent to, [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|as the name implies]], [[Omnicidal Maniac|destroy the world]].
** [[Recycled Script|Similarly]], one episode featured the final boss of a video game ('The Hammer') [[Instant AI, Just Add Water|coming to life]] and attacking everyone after Mordecai and Rigby [[Lightning Can Do Anything|short circuit the TV]].
** [[Recycled Script|Similarly]], one episode featured the final boss of a video game ('The Hammer') [[Instant AI, Just Add Water|coming to life]] and attacking everyone after Mordecai and Rigby [[Lightning Can Do Anything|short circuit the TV]].
* ''[[Megas XLR]]'': Coop comes into possession of what appears to be an old video game cartridge, but it's actually an intergalactic ''prison'' housing many dangerous alien criminals. When Coop finally finds a game console that it fits into (or rather one that he can hit it hard enough to fit into), he accidentally releases them and spends the episode putting them back in.
* ''[[Megas XLR]]'': Coop comes into possession of what appears to be an old video game cartridge, but it's actually an intergalactic ''prison'' housing many dangerous alien criminals. When Coop finally finds a game console that it fits into (or rather one that he can hit it hard enough to fit into), he accidentally releases them and spends the episode putting them back in.
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