5 of the Shortest Video Games Ever

Many of us get at the end of an FPS disappointed by the eight hours of gameplay. We console ourselves with endless hours playing online with our friends, but part of us is still a little peeved that we spend $60 on a video game that can be taken down in a good afternoon or two. Still, a game that takes hours is a lot better than one that takes mere minutes. This list of some of the shortest video games ever makes your FPS look like a never-ending game in comparison.

5. Portal (Multiple Systems)

This puzzle game was released in 2007 as part of the Xbox 360 bundle pack. The game involved teleporting the main character and objects to different places in order to solve simple puzzles. The game was lauded as amazingly innovative and original as well as fun immediately after release. In the style of an FPS, players jump through portals and come out in different places, while maintaining momentum as if they had fallen straight down the entire time. Despite being such an amazing game, it was also remarkably short for a modern game--only a few hours. Reviewers didn't all find fault in this, however. Some said that its brevity was part of what made it a great game.

4. Area 51 (Multiple Systems)

Originally an arcade shooter, this game was released on the Playstation, Sega Saturn,and PC in 1995. The plot is set in Area 51 where aliens have escaped and must be taken down first person shooter style by the player. Like many of these arcade games that have eaten many a gamer's quarters, this game is not too long, however. The entire game can be completed in about 30 minutes, which makes for a quick run-through of a fun shooter game.

3. Jurassic Park (Sega Genesis)

Released in 1993, this game spin-off of the popular film by the same name is one of the shortest games of all time. You play as either Dr. Grant or a velociraptor battling through stages of humans and other dinosaurs. There are seven stages in all in this classic side-scrolling adventure game and they aren't very long at all. Taking your time, this game could take 30 minutes or so perhaps, but if you just rush as fast as you can (which is easily do-able), you can beat the entire game in less than five minutes. Since it was designed for a younger audience, this old game didn't think there was anything wrong with releasing a game so notoriously short.

2. Marble Madness (NES)

This 1984 arcade-style video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System is known as own of the very shortest games of all time. It's a strategy game where players roll their player (a marble) through each level of obstacles on their way to the exit. Learning the ropes with this game will be most of the time spent in playing it, though. Once you have everything understood, you can whip through this entire game is just a few minutes and with bonus points for speed too.

1. Dark Castle (Multiple Systems)

This late 80's platformer is often hailed as the shortest game of all time. The reason for this is that there are three paths to go through and the shortest of them is the one required to "beat the game." Players choose between going straight for the Black Knight, the magic fireballs, or the shield. If you go for the Black Knight, you only have to go through three rooms in total before beating the game. This means a total game-time of literally just a few minutes if you're a pro at this game. A game that short is hard to find, so Dark Castle holds the number one position on this list.

Source: http://www.gameandsave.com/blog/?p=32 ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Castle