# Kusoge thread - Appreciating utter trash **URL:** \ **Category:** Video Games\ **Created:** [April 10, 2025, 12:57am UTC](https://www.retrogameboards.com/t/kusoge-thread-appreciating-utter-trash/3068 "2025-04-10T00:57:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![razorbeamz](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/www.retrogameboards.com/razorbeamz/32/26614_2.png) [@razorbeamz](https://www.retrogameboards.com/u/razorbeamz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 12:57am UTC](https://www.retrogameboards.com/t/kusoge-thread-appreciating-utter-trash/3068/1 "2025-04-10T00:57:51Z")
クソゲ (kusoge) is a Japanese term that means “shitty game.” This refers to games that are infamously terrible. The absolute bottom of the barrel. For example, a great kusoge is _Atlantis no Nazo_ for Famicom. This game has - A terrible jump - A weak attack that you can accidentally kill yourself with - A confusing layout - Required hidden items And yet, it’s incredibly popular in Japan. What kusoge do you appreciate? ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/www.retrogameboards.com/matt/32/13124_2.png) [@matt](https://www.retrogameboards.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 1:14am UTC](https://www.retrogameboards.com/t/kusoge-thread-appreciating-utter-trash/3068/2 "2025-04-10T01:14:00Z")
> [@razorbeamz](#): > > _Atlantis no Nazo_ I appreciate it because it features Moai > **[Atlantis no Nazo](https://moai.games/atlantis-no-nazo/)** > > Submitted by @vision I’ll have a think about some others. ---
**Author:** ![D.Lo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/www.retrogameboards.com/d.lo/32/4116_2.png) [@D.Lo](https://www.retrogameboards.com/u/D.Lo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 1:10pm UTC](https://www.retrogameboards.com/t/kusoge-thread-appreciating-utter-trash/3068/3 "2025-04-10T13:10:27Z")
Fire Rock on Famicom disk. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NF77kevGx8o/maxresdefault.jpg "Famicom Disk System - Fire Rock (1988)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF77kevGx8o) It reminds me so much of C64 games, exciting idea but so much jank. Matou no Houkai is a lot better than that, but still janky [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AWQ6ZCh97HM/maxresdefault.jpg "Famicom Disk System - Matou no Houkai - The Hero of Babel (1988)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWQ6ZCh97HM) If I go digging through my Famicom cart games I probably have another 100 more lol! I love all the attempts from that era. ---
**Author:** ![harborline\_765](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/www.retrogameboards.com/harborline_765/32/5947_2.png) [@harborline\_765](https://www.retrogameboards.com/u/harborline_765)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 7:54pm UTC](https://www.retrogameboards.com/t/kusoge-thread-appreciating-utter-trash/3068/4 "2025-04-10T19:54:22Z")
Atlantis yes! That’s the sort of trash I can appreciate, since the developers did have a lofty goal with it (surpass Super Mario Bros) but failed miserably at it. It’s as interesting as it is painful to play. The PC-88 version of Super Mario Bros is another one. ---
**Author:** ![Glowsquid](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/www.retrogameboards.com/glowsquid/32/8110_2.png) [@Glowsquid](https://www.retrogameboards.com/u/Glowsquid)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 11:28pm UTC](https://www.retrogameboards.com/t/kusoge-thread-appreciating-utter-trash/3068/5 "2025-04-11T23:28:02Z")
One of my favourite shit game nobody talks about is the Assassin 2015. It’s a FMV-heavy DOS FPS by the Vectorman developers featuring hyper-linear levels, only one gun throughout the entire things, characters that look like evil muppets, and the exciting feature of playing a cutscene _every_ time you kill the last enemy in a room [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/04EsXITPWXA/maxresdefault.jpg "Assassin 2015 (Windows Game) - Walkthrough (No Commentary)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04EsXITPWXA) ---
**Author:** ![Kazin](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/www.retrogameboards.com/kazin/32/27256_2.png) [@Kazin](https://www.retrogameboards.com/u/Kazin)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2025, 12:29am UTC](https://www.retrogameboards.com/t/kusoge-thread-appreciating-utter-trash/3068/6 "2025-04-12T00:29:44Z")
I don’t know if this is bad _enough_ to qualify for this thread, but I absolutely _adore_ Knuckles’ Chaotix for the 32X. Yes, it feels unfinished, and the level designs are often both sprawling and empty, and the inclusion of the Heavy and Bomb characters make the game worse, but… I’ve beaten it five times in the past year and a half lol. The art and music are incredible, and it is the polar opposite of nearly ever Sonic-series bonus stage, in that the Chaos Ring bonus levels are actually really fun, and look fantastic. It has problems, to be sure, but if you can learn to appreciate the rubber band mechanic, you can have a lot of fun with it, as I often do. ---
**Author:** ![Glowsquid](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/www.retrogameboards.com/glowsquid/32/8110_2.png) [@Glowsquid](https://www.retrogameboards.com/u/Glowsquid)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2025, 1:39am UTC](https://www.retrogameboards.com/t/kusoge-thread-appreciating-utter-trash/3068/7 "2025-04-12T01:39:54Z")
Chaotix is awesome. It’s one of my favourite Sonic games. If someone expects a thoughtfully made platformer that’s meant to be challenging and engaging, yeah it’s wank. But it’s a _fantastic_ delivery container for awesome art and music. ---
**Author:** ![DaveLong](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/www.retrogameboards.com/davelong/32/1419_2.png) [@DaveLong](https://www.retrogameboards.com/u/DaveLong)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://www.retrogameboards.com/t/kusoge-thread-appreciating-utter-trash/3068/8 "2025-04-13T16:34:25Z")
I definitely would not include Chaotix here. Cosmic Carnage on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![Kazin](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/www.retrogameboards.com/kazin/32/27256_2.png) [@Kazin](https://www.retrogameboards.com/u/Kazin)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://www.retrogameboards.com/t/kusoge-thread-appreciating-utter-trash/3068/9 "2025-04-13T18:15:09Z")
Fair! I wasn’t sure. It just gets a bad rap, but yeah, probably not a kusoge.