Surprisingly satisfying video game endings

[BoringSupreez]

EDIT: BUt I wouldn't call either of those game's endings "surprisingly good." They seemed about right for the production, and they way the games had presented their atmosphere and story leading up. What I meant in the OP is that, nowhere during RoDA would I have expected to be satisfied by an ending.

I can't say that I can think of any games I've played that meet this criteria. Games typically meet or undershoot the quality of their endings in relation to the level of production they get.

[MyNameIsVince]

There's only one instance in which I've played a game and had a surprisingly satisfying ending and that was Startropics for the NES. Mostly because it wasn't a 36 second ending with a short line of text, like many typical NES games, but in fact almost a damn near 6 minute ending, with ending dialogue (some of it gave me a good chuckle), the zoomed out shots of 8-bit planet Earth and space, the credits, and it ends with a photo slide show.

In reality, I've had way more instances of games with surprisingly UN-satisfying endings, especially for great games, like Crystalis, The Guardian Legend, Faxanadu, etc. Not saying they were "bad" endings (ok Faxanadu yes because it was so short), but I expected much more from their endings. Also noteworthy is the ending of Golden Sword for the SNES:

Taking the black orb makes you a dark lord, gives you a game over, and it goes back to the title screen. 65 minutes of gameplay for a "bad ending"? CURSE YOU TO HELL!!! Thankfully I replayed it, beat it, and chose the other option of destroying the black orb. Much better.

As for the Super Metroid/Ocarina of Time endings being surprisingly good....not necessarily. They're satisfying endings for sure, and among my favorites, but not surprisingly satisfying. The events in the final sequence in Super Metroid are surprising, but they satisfy, so in that regard it's not surprisingly satisfying (shit I don't know if I'm even making sense here right now, the heat's getting to me).

Oh and also surprisingly UNsatisfying? The endings to The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II (well Zelda II is better but still not that good).

[graffix_13]

It's a current gen game, but maybe one of the best endings for a game that I can remember is Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Wow.

As for retro, does anyone remember the ending for Ninja Gaiden 2? Specifically when Ryu's Dragon Swords turns into a ball of light and goes into Irene. I remember being kinda depressed as a kid from that ending because Ryu no longer had his Dragon Sword.

Yet, in Ninja Gaiden 3, there it is. He's got it back! But....how? Was it ever explained? Not that I recall.

[Runefaust]

In my book, Red Dead Redemption had one of the most impactful and satisfying endings of all time, and the game really lived up to its title.

[dogman91]

@Runefaust: completely off-topic, but what game are those sprites from in your sig? (if it's a real game?)

More endings that are awesome, but not necessarily surprising... the Donkey Kong Country series. The ending music always rocks (thanks to Dave Wise!) and the parade of characters/baddies and their names are cool to see. DKC1 has some funny new animations too with the characters/dialogue.

[Runefaust]

@Runefaust: completely off-topic, but what game are those sprites from in your sig? (if it's a real game?)

They're a couple of characters I created for a game I was working on a few years ago. I'm a comic/pixel artist; I create sprites like these in my spare time.

[hashiriya1]

Agree with Spec Ops: The Line, even though it is clearly from Apocalypse Now.

[SNKnicotine]

Jeanne D'arc(PSP)- This game has one of the best endings ever. The game beats you against the rocks with players being lost in battle and betrayal, the game sucks you in and makes you feel as if the worlds salvation is set upon your shoulders. Helpless and underskilled you brave on to the final boss battle(s)[4] as you deliver the last blow, your fallen friends and family flash before your eyes only to remind you of what you've lost.

after going back to your home town you relize your father and towne weren't slain but in hiding from the english tyrants. (after towne was trashed)

[Gunstar Green]

Hint: Look at my sig.

One of my favorite endings ever as well.

And it was surprising at the time especially if you count the entire end-game starting when the Master Emerald is stolen.

Other than that, Mega Man 7 comes to mind. I don't know if it's a satisfying ending but the dark English translation was certainly a surprising one. I'm not sure what the translation team at Capcom was thinking when they had Mega Man outright threaten to kill Dr. Wily. I heard a theory that they were trying to connect it to the darker X series but we'll probably never know how true that is.

I suppose it would've been more satisfying if he actually carried through with his threat. After seven games of pulling the same shit even robots get frustrated.

[graffix_13]

OoT has probably the best ending I've ever seen in any high-level Nintendo game. Even if the rest of the game hadn't been as good as it was it was still the perfect way to do it.

What are we defining as "ending" here? Because the entire final sequence to Super Metroid -- beginning with the Mother Brain boss battle -- has to be the pinnacle of anything Nintendo, IMO.

Playing Super Metroid now for the first time got me thinking about the original Metroid (NES) ending. If that wasn't a shock ending, I don't know what is!

I watched my buddy beat the game, and I remember when Samus takes off her suit and is standing there in a bikini. We were like "so....we've been playing a girl this whole time?!?!". No way, it has to be a dude with long hair (nevermind he had a bikini on). A girl protaganist, at that time, was unheard of.

It's another way for an ending to be "satisfying", IMO. An ending that you don't see coming. One that really throws you for a loop.