
As a category of entertainment, the gaming sphere has a complex history. It should probably come as no surprise then to learn that sometimes various inclusions haven’t always delivered, particularly when it comes to video game titles. In the same way that some movie names have been bad, we’ve seen some truly terrible video game titles over the years.
In the gaming world, names really matter. If a protagonist’s name doesn’t fit the character’s design, then a gaming community will definitely voice their concerns. Likewise, coming up with a gaming nickname is also hugely important to players of games, with people spending hours conducting research or opting to use a tool like a nickname generator, a fantastic assistant that ensures your in-game persona really stands out. Sometimes, though, video games don’t have the best names. In fact, there are some horrible examples.
Barbie Horse Adventure (2003)
Barbie is an iconic character in her own right, but she’s generally associated with leading a glamorous lifestyle and treating herself to facials instead of riding a horse. Still, the makers of Barbie Horse Adventure couldn’t resist going ahead with this one, as the fashion doll is seen riding on horseback while looking for lost flocks. As you can imagine, it isn’t the best game ever seen on Xbox and the PlayStation 2.
If It Moves, Shoot It! (1989)
Generally, if you’re developing a top-down shooter with nasties to kill in space, then you probably don’t need it to have a title that essentially gives basic advice.
That’s exactly what If It Moves, Shoot It! felt like, with gamers from that particular era feeling a tad patronized by this Amiga and DOS classic’s title. The game itself was a fun installment, but the title is absolutely terrible.
Touch Dic (2005)
While the Touch Dic is more of a tool than a game, we had to include it, given the humongous error by Nintendo. The tool itself is a dictionary and translation title for the DS, but it instead left gamers wondering just how many employees at Nintendo had dirty minds. In the end, the name of this Korean product was changed to Touch Dictionary for obvious reasons.
Tongue of the Fatman (1989)
Yes, you did read that correctly – Tongue of the Fatman is an actual game. Released in 1989 on iconic consoles like the Commodore 64 and the Mega Drive, players had to fight their way through aliens in this one. Out of nowhere, though, the end boss is a large man who clearly enjoys his food. It was odd but quite entertaining despite the game’s bad title.
Ninja Baseball Bat Man (1993)
We’ve seen some iconic ninjas enter the gaming world over the years, but none of them have necessarily stated their love for the sport of baseball. In the end, it was over to the makers of Ninja Baseball Bat Man to create that particular character, even though it’s an entirely ridiculous idea to go with.
Overall, the ninja skills and baseball bats people used to see off their enemies resulted in a pleasurable gaming package, but it was still an odd concept to push forward in the first place.
Big Mutha Truckers 2: Truck Me Harder (2005)
A video game name that almost sounds like a pornographic title for lonely truck lovers to watch, Big Mutha Truckers 2: Truck Me Harder was released in 2005 on both the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. With a strong focus on trucks and trucking, players have to save their mother by buying and selling trucks. It doesn’t really seem like that would be the game’s premise, though.