Games that break the fourth wall?

This topic is locked from further discussion.

Avatar image for Tenaku
Tenaku

526

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#1 Tenaku
Member since 2003 • 526 Posts

I was just wondering. Do any of you know any gameswhere the characters wouldbreak the fourth wall?

The closest I have found was Metal Gear Solid (forgot which one) where some of the NPCs would tell the main character which buttons on the controller to press when they are giving some instructions during the game. But I'm not sure if people would consider this breaking the fourth wall.

Does anybody know any instances in other games where the characters break the fourth wall?

Avatar image for MicWazowski
MicWazowski

1704

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#2 MicWazowski
Member since 2004 • 1704 Posts

No More Heroes breaks the fourth wall at the very beginning, and if you unlock the secret ending, that breaks it too.

Viewtiful Joe breaks the fourth wall when you pause.

By the Way, the fight with Psycho Mantis in MGS definitely counts as breaking the fourth wall.

Avatar image for Videogamefan123
Videogamefan123

941

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

#3 Videogamefan123
Member since 2007 • 941 Posts

Super Paper Mario. In this game a lot of the characters break the fourth wall such as questioning dialouge about pressing a certain button to do something, also everybody seems fully aware they are in a game and they all refer to death(aka running out of extra lives) as there games being over.

Avatar image for Foolio1
Foolio1

7467

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 16

User Lists: 0

#4 Foolio1
Member since 2003 • 7467 Posts

Metal Gear has no problem breaking the fourth wall. Namely the fight with Psycho Mantis.

Avatar image for LoG-Sacrament
LoG-Sacrament

20397

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 33

User Lists: 0

#5 LoG-Sacrament
Member since 2006 • 20397 Posts
sacred 2 does it pretty regularly. characters talk about how they need to level, who has the higher endurance stat, and shout at the player if they stand still too long.
Avatar image for prinnyhero25
prinnyhero25

57

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#6 prinnyhero25
Member since 2009 • 57 Posts
The Disgaea series breaks the fourth wall at times.(They talk about levels and other RPG things.)
Avatar image for Stinger78
Stinger78

5846

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#7 Stinger78
Member since 2003 • 5846 Posts

Bubsy (the mascot game on SNES and Sega Genesis)
- Bubsy, if left standing still for 21 seconds would knock on your tv screen with the sound of a hand knocking on tv screen glass.

Avatar image for gameguy6700
gameguy6700

12197

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#8 gameguy6700
Member since 2004 • 12197 Posts

Seaman didn't just break the fourth wall, it nuked it. At one point your seaman even tries to argue that he actually is real in a metaphysical sense.

As for other games, I believe Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door had a part in it where the dungeon boss tells you to jump into a trap (though he's disguised as a good character when he does it). If you refuse several times he actually flat out tells you that the game can't continue unless you trigger an event by jumping down.

And if it counts there are a ton of games out there that have characters telling you to press X button to perform Y action, though that's usually do to lazy developers more than anything else.

Avatar image for UT_Wrestler
UT_Wrestler

16426

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 27

User Lists: 0

#9 UT_Wrestler
Member since 2004 • 16426 Posts
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard has a story based entirely around breaking the fourth wall.
Avatar image for WiiMan21
WiiMan21

8191

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 12

User Lists: 0

#10 WiiMan21
Member since 2007 • 8191 Posts

No games come to mind at the moment.

Avatar image for ScorpionBeeBee
ScorpionBeeBee

394

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

#11 ScorpionBeeBee
Member since 2009 • 394 Posts
The random insanity effects in Eternal Darkness definitely broke it. I tripped out the first time the tv went on mute and the remote was on the coffee table D:
Avatar image for shakensparco
shakensparco

825

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#12 shakensparco
Member since 2003 • 825 Posts

Metal Gear has no problem breaking the fourth wall. Namely the fight with Psycho Mantis.

Foolio1

Yeah, in the fight with Mantis, he tells you to put your controller on the ground and he will 'magically' move it. The camera then zooms in on Snake's face who nods at the screen (you). And then Mantis will say something like "now I will read your memory card. Ohhh... you've played Zelda... and have saved often...." and goes on about other games saves on your memory card.

Avatar image for shocka-delica
shocka-delica

245

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#13 shocka-delica
Member since 2009 • 245 Posts

No games come to mind at the moment.

WiiMan21
thanks for letting us know that the futurama game did it a few times as I recall, making fun of the lives system in platform games
Avatar image for Blackguard7666
Blackguard7666

37

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#14 Blackguard7666
Member since 2009 • 37 Posts
Only thing I can think of is in WoW, the female humans will say: "Don't you feel like there are times you are being controlled by some invisible hand?" Something like that...
Avatar image for muthsera666
muthsera666

13271

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 9

User Lists: 0

#15 muthsera666
Member since 2005 • 13271 Posts
The Bard's Tale on Xbox has the Bard and the Narrator conversing at points...
Avatar image for TriangleHard
TriangleHard

9097

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 62

User Lists: 0

#16 TriangleHard
Member since 2005 • 9097 Posts

Disgaea series breaks it all the time.

Avatar image for brittoss
brittoss

1028

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#17 brittoss
Member since 2004 • 1028 Posts

Conkers bad fur day along with live and reloaded did a few times. There was a moment at the start where in live and reloaded pointed out some differences between the two versions.

Avatar image for 190586385885857957282413308806
190586385885857957282413308806

13084

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 116

User Lists: 0

#18 190586385885857957282413308806
Member since 2002 • 13084 Posts
Xmen on Genesis broke the 4th wall. It had players reset the console to reset a bomb in real life.
Avatar image for Muxika
Muxika

107

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#19 Muxika
Member since 2009 • 107 Posts

Does Missing 2: Evidence count? The serial killer in the game literally sends you threatening emails...it's downright creepy.

Avatar image for SPYDER0416
SPYDER0416

16736

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 24

User Lists: 0

#20 SPYDER0416
Member since 2008 • 16736 Posts

The first 2 MGS games did it alot in Codec conversations (which was a bit more acceptable, since those conversations aren't really considered canon I would guess), and sometimes in cut scenes. I'm kind of glad they kept it to a minimum in MGS4.

Avatar image for WesWelker_83
WesWelker_83

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#21 WesWelker_83
Member since 2009 • 25 Posts
All of the Sly Cooper games did that as well. Manyof the in game characters would say things like "Press the square button to attack and then triangle to follow up with a special maneuver" or something to that effect.
Avatar image for Slightly_Emo
Slightly_Emo

797

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 17

User Lists: 0

#22 Slightly_Emo
Member since 2007 • 797 Posts

The ending to Conker's bad Fur Day is a good one.

If you've played it, you'll know what I mean.

Avatar image for Black_Knight_00
Black_Knight_00

78

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 12

User Lists: 0

#23 Black_Knight_00
Member since 2007 • 78 Posts
Metal Gear Solid 2, near the end "You've been playing this game for a long time. Don't you have anything to do with your time?" Double Switch on the Sega CD The Secret of Monkey Island. Guybrush would often face the screen and say things like "Are you crazy?" "Are you serious?"
Avatar image for Legolas_Katarn
Legolas_Katarn

15556

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 14

User Lists: 1

#24 Legolas_Katarn
Member since 2003 • 15556 Posts
Deadpool does all the time in Marvel UA and Marvel UA 2 (I don't know about X-Men Legends). "It's time for a boss battle!" "Deadpool is about to die." "I should have asked the developers for a bigger life bar."
Avatar image for DraugenCP
DraugenCP

8486

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 69

User Lists: 0

#25 DraugenCP
Member since 2006 • 8486 Posts

Like someone mentioned, Conker's Bad Fur Day and Live & Reloaded do this a lot. Conker says things like "Now this is what I call a platform game!", and when you don't touch the controller for some time, Conker looks toward the camera and says "Hey, stop doing that, it'll make you go blind!".

Jazz Jackrabbit 2 has a similar effect, as Jazz will start asking where you are if you don't touch the keyboard for too long.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has it, as Samus holds her thumb up to the player after completing the game.

Super Paper Mario does it more implicitly. When characters explain the controls by mentioning buttons on the Wiimote, Mario won't understand it, and they will say something like "Don't worry, the great being in control will understand". Very funny effect.

I also recall the Banjo games doing it at occasions, but I can't recall what exactly. In fact, Rare games in general have a habit of breaking the fourth wall. It fits with the British humour.

And I don't know if it counts, but in the FPS Shadow Warrior, at one point you enter a level and a rocket will hit in the distance in a similar fashion as in Duke Nukem 3D (a FPS by the same makers), and the protagonist will say "Hoho! Look like Duke Nukem!"

Avatar image for motorbikegame
motorbikegame

25

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#26 motorbikegame
Member since 2011 • 25 Posts
EA Skate does this a lot. The camera-man/voiceover guy (Reda) will often make comments such as 'We're trying to save the planet here, turn the game off' (something like that) if the game is left unpaused for a long period of time. Also when perfoming 'dangerous' challenges, characters will say things like 'it's not like you can really get hurt. It's just a video game.' In Skate 3 in a cutscene which demostrates the object-dropper, one character exclaims 'stuff's falling out of the sky, man! It's crazy!'
Avatar image for Moriarity_
Moriarity_

1332

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#27 Moriarity_
Member since 2011 • 1332 Posts
A couple of units in WC3 do it if you spam click them(left click the unit repeatedly without giving them any commands), best example being the sorceress for humans.
Avatar image for doubalfa
doubalfa

7108

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 22

User Lists: 30

#28 doubalfa
Member since 2006 • 7108 Posts
In Battlefield you break more than 4 walls you can destroy the whole house!!! Lolololololoolololol
Avatar image for Melkari
Melkari

595

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#29 Melkari
Member since 2004 • 595 Posts

Many NIS franchises do. Atelier Iris has "Fourth-Wall Lecture" segments, specifically calls out fanservice, and even mentions the ESRB. Disgaea blatantly references gaming cliches while acknowledging they're in a game using said cliches.

Old Thread!