What is Your Desert Island Game?

1up has a feature today asking games industry heavyweights what their 'desert island game' would be. Games from the Civilization series are backed by the likes of Sony's Phil Harrison, David Jaffe, and Bethesda's Todd Howard, while Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has waiting-for-rescue fans among a number of the list respondents. Bioware CEO Ray Muzyka has an interesting answer to the question while talking about his pick: StarCraft. " It's an unusual choice for me in that I'd normally pick a role-playing game. But StarCraft has a strong campaign editor to make new content (including making either combat-oriented or story-based campaigns), plus you can play both the solid single-player campaign and against the A.I., and -- here's the trick -- you can play on a LAN or WAN (you said no Internet, but didn't mention local or wide area networks...my goal would be to build a WAN -- I'd explain how, but that would be telling -- connecting other folks similarly dropped onto nearby desert islands by other videogame online sites, who are equally eager to play some competitive multiplayer RTS or try out the campaigns I've created to kill time on the long days where there's nothing else to do but collect coconuts and build rafts." So, assuming that you have everything you need to play, what game would you want to take with you into seclusion?

NetHack

[Nerdfest]

I might even be able to beat it without saving eventually ...

Hmm...

[TodMinuit]

Does Visual Studio count as a game?

No? Fine: Chess.

chi-chi-chip and dale

[Ojuice]

Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers for NES, because that damn Fat Cat must go down!

Re:the obvious answer

[eln]

No, the correct answer is any non-FPS networked game, so you could ask the other players for help. The reason an FPS would not work is because no one would believe you...they would just assume you're using the excuse "I'm stranded on a desert island, ping times suck!" for why you have -3 kills and 58 deaths.

Re:NetHack - source code and compiler

[RichMan]

The nethack source is the real game.

Come on, this one is easy.

[glindsey]

Given that you will find no AC outlets or battery chargers on a desert island, eventually you'll be playing "bang on coconuts with sticks."

Warhammer 40K: Dark Crusade

[SadGeekHermit]

Two words: "Skirmish Mode". You can set up an off-the-cuff battle between any combination of races, using any of numerous maps, pick from several races, set different game rules... It's infinitely configurable. You would never run out of weird situations to try.

I'd personally try to get the point where I could own Chaos as Tao under the hardest difficulty level. Of course this is nearly impossible; Chaos is TOUGH. I think it's like this:

The Eldar are the "cool kids" who take Theater and think they're better than everyone else.

The Tao are the nerds. Everyone picks on them, but they've got better technology and can strategize.

The Space Marines are the football team.

The Orcs are the delinquents, smoking cigs out back instead of going to Biology class.

The Imperial Guard are the Young Republicans.

And the Chaos Marines are the psycho satanists smoking cloves and playing Ozzy at top volume in the courtyard; they're planning to sacrifice the dean's cat to Nurgle after Saturday's rave.

It's College, writ large in outer space!

How can you not dig that...

Re:Definitely Oblivion

[jimstapleton]

...

Sorry, but this just makes me think of what I did in morrowind once.

I took this dinosaur like creature, made it 3x it's normal hight... Made it ultra-powerful, and stuck it in the middle of the starter villiage. (over 2k HP, I think all the stat/skills were in the hundreds, etc. I can't remember though, it's been a couple years)

This villiagers ran away but not fast enough.
The guards ran towards the villiage, and didn't survive long.
It was fun to watch.

Masturbation

[Nimey]

Reason: it'll never get old.

Downside: do it too often and you'll bleed.

Ummm...

[killmenow]

Custer's Revenge [wikipedia.org]

Re:Candidates...

[LighterShadeOfBlack]

But I would say that Diablo Battle Chest would provide the most replayability and the most depth (if you like RPG types).

And once the game gets old you can use the packaging as a raft to get home.

I'll go when...

[the grace of R'hllor]

I want to take Duke Nukem Forever. Tell me when it's done, and I'm off to the island.

Re:Hmm...

[Red Flayer]

Who needs a campaign editor when you have a text editor!

Someone without a compiler?

Subjects are for sissies

[Raynor]

Just get Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls Construction Set. After you spend your first year or two fully playing through Oblivion you'd open up the construction set and start recreating the island you are on and make an adventure out of your life (adding in cool stuff like aliens and mythical beasts which you have slain with your bear hands while stranded). You'll be posthumously awarded the best game designer of the 21st Century! (Which they will then go back in time to save you from the island and you will live your your years in luxury in the 23rd Century (Maybe even meet Capt. Picard)

Re:Come on, this one is easy.

[Conception]

So... you answer is Donkey Konga?

Re:Whatever game...

[nomadic]

Voyage of the Mimi! You'll need an Apple II on that island though...

Re:gcc

[Anonymous Coward]

>After all, you're on a desert island, so you'll have lots
>of time on your hands to make these games.

Yep, and you'll die from hunger and thirst..
Desert island does not mean desert island with hotel nearby providing everything.
That's why those 'desert' questions suck. ;-)

World of Warcraft, no question

[edremy]

/g "Hey guys, I'm stuck on a desert island in RL. Could someone please send a rescue party?"

Sadly, this would probably be followed by

/g "No, my hearthstone is not set for Virginia"
/g "No, I *don't* have my flying mount with me. This is real life. Please send a rescue party ASAP (and some beer)"
/g "Damnit, no, I can't cast Underwater Breathing on me and swim out. I'm not a warlock in real life guys."

Re:Tetris DS

[bobo mahoney]

Tetris is good, but something with boobs would be better. My vote is for Dead or Alive Extreme - after you finish your game you have something to do for a couple of minutes and then have a good nap.

Re:Masturbation

[kalirion]

Plus surviving on a deserted island would be that much more challenging while blind.

Re:Heck Yes

[Tim Browse]

I'm a writer myself.

...which let's you battle over territories.

D'oh!

Re:the obvious answer

[Floritard]

You wouldn't get the far. 10 sec into the game you'd see:
Kicked by console - god you ping sucks, what are you on a fucking desert island or something?!