Binge gaming stories - success, fail or fainting episode?

[GPX | 1,374]

This topic is similar to a binge eating episode. Only imagine now instead of food, you’re holding a controller. Instead of yummy tastes and non-stop chewing motions, you’re intensely focused on the visual and aural pleasures and non-stop button-munching...

Some points to consider:

- the longest stint of gaming you’ve had

- what game(s) did you play?

- did you break any sweat, or develop physical signs such as leg cramps, carpal tunnel, hand tremors or a dizzy spell?

- interesting/funny events during the binge?

 

 

 

 

 

[DefaultGen | 5,436]

One of the longest is in college I tried to beat Majora's Mask casually in one sitting. After 24 hours I made it to the final boss without the fierce deity mask and was too tired to beat it  I see in the modern age of speedrunning, a 100% run of Majora's Mask takes less than 5 hours, so I really suck.

[Tanooki | 4,953]

Outside of probably working in the industry nearly 20 years ago, probably no more than 6-8 hours as I'll get tired, stiff, or just plain bored.  Maybe I'm wrong, I have sat on my ass all day on a computer messing with games so maybe that's shot out of the water by just forgetting how long I sat online plugging away at Guild Wars a decade ago, or perhaps an all day insanity run at TIE FIghter or Wing Commander, kind of hard to say.  But definitely for consoles, 6-8 hours definitely fits.  I recall doing one long run with the original Dragon Warrior on a bet with my best friend somewhere around 1993.  He said he'd let me keep the game if I could finish it in one sitting, well an afternoon later it was mine.

[GPX | 1,374]

I’m one of those gamers who don’t play for overly long periods. Reason being when I was a student, I had other interest such as sports and movies. Nowadays, with a fulltime job and married life, I simply don’t have the time to go nuts over a game for extensive period of play. 

I would say my longest stint would be around 4-5 hours. I don’t recall the exact games back in the 90s but certainly would have played some games repeatedly and interchangeably with the likes of Sonic, Super Mario World, Streets of Rage, Streetfighter 2. Present day, several bouts of binge gaming to top-score Defense Grid/Geometry Wars 2. So I guess a typical tale of a gamer, with the odd thumb blister from one too many hadoukens!

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

I can't think of any specific episodes of extreme binging on a single game, but when I was a kid I used to have video game sleepover parties for my birthday. I'd have my dad haul our heavy-ass 27" living room CRT and another 19" CRT into our unfinished basement, throw some blankets and sleeping bags on the floor, have all my friends bring their consoles and games over, order pizza, then stay up as late as we could playing games. I remember unlocking every single item on Cruis'n USA on N64 and maxing out the in-game mile (points?) counter. We'd play Mario Party and sports games and just generally have a blast. I'd usually spend the whole next day down there as well when my friends went home. Awesome memories.

Now I've got a wife, two kids, and a 60 hour/week job, so anything over 3 hours would be considered an extreme binge for me since I'd be up until some time after 1am.

[MeganJoanne | 365]

The longest I ever played on a game were on the 360, be it Skyrim, Fallout 3, State of Decay or Just Cause 2, many times an all day long affaire with only small breaks with game left on to walk dog, go to the bathroom or fix something to eat. Heavily addicting, very long games, tons to do, not enough time to do it all. The body wants to gives up after a while and says, umm, are we like, going to sleep sometime soon, or at least rest the eyes, or get up and exercise, something... else? But then a time long ago I used to do the same on the NES, just with multiple games one after another and play all day on those days I was able to.

[Hammerfestus | 3,891]

The one that comes to mind was:

I got Suikoden II for Xmas one year when I was a teenager. It was so engrossing that I’m pretty sure I only came out of my room to eat for like a week.

[Estil | 1,265]

I played my SMB3 cartridge so much back in the day I made it feel hot!  

[JamesRobot | 5,840]

October 27th, 2002, I took the day off for the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City release.  I was robbing, murdering, wreaking general mayhem, and rocking 80s tunes for roughly 15 hours straight.  Good times.

[Estil | 1,265]

Usually it's hard for me to do any one thing for very long (I rotate around a lot) but boy was Dragon Quest 11 a game that really was hard to put down!  

[Nesmaster | 402]

I do this a few times per year, and usually book time off work to do it. Have done so since 2008 with GTA IV. Cyberpunk 2077 will be the next up, and I'll probably book 2 weeks off work.

The longest I believe was 30 hours. GTA V from midnight to 6 AM the NEXT day. I remember trembling in bed when I finally tried to sleep from caffeine pills and 5-hour energies. I don't mess with caffeine pills anymore.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

7 hours ago, JamesRobot said:

October 27th, 2002, I took the day off for the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City release.  I was robbing, murdering, wreaking general mayhem, and rocking 80s tunes for roughly 15 hours straight.  Good times.

Still the best GTA. I spent so many amazing hours in that game. And that soundtrack... Wonderful.

[Tanooki | 4,953]

I find that argument almost too hard not to agree with, but GTA3 really is fantastic too.  Series took a serious nose dive in one way after another after those 2 games.

[Estil | 1,265]

Remember kids, always remember to take a short break every 1-2 hours when playing!  They do have pause and (most) have save features after all.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Estil

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

I remember my older brother's friend came up to visit him during March break just after Chrono Trigger was released. I don't think my brother did anything but play CT in front of this guy for almost the entire time he was there... we still make fun of him (my brother) for it.