Mini-games! Enough Already!

I love a good RPG. KOTOR I, the Final Fantasy Series, Legend of Mana, Fables. I love the twists and turns of the story, seeing how the characters go from young and inexperienced to heroes ready to save the world from impending doom. I love seeing the betrayal, the romance, the action, the loss… I don't love the mini-games.

Don't get me wrong. A mini-game can be a fun break from the major storyline, a change to just goof around. The mini-games in Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask are a lot of fun. When the game designers decide to make the mini game part of the plot and force it on you, that enjoyment goes down the drain.

I didn't buy this game to play inane claw games, or to try to race around and hit ten posts before they all shut down! I didn't buy this game to race on a motorcycle and hit people, or to try to shot down annoying starships before I can move onto the next part of the game. I didn't buy this game to play some stupid aquatic ball game or toboggan race.

A mini game often detracts from the overall game play by disrupting the flow. They come at the most inopportune moments, dramatic situations requiring some kind of resolution - but they require a skill set different from the one that the gamer has been using for the rest of the gameplay. It goes from turn based to real-time hitting and dodging. It goes from controlled combat to a helter skelter conveyer belt. It goes from selecting your target and attacking to full mouse controlled First Person Shooter. Card games. Ski runs. Space battles. Aqua-ball. So many games NOT the game I want to play.

Countless times I've been playing a game and enjoying myself - and then up pops some mini-game I HAVE to play in order to advance. You have to play this card game to get access to this person. You have to perform this task to get a horse. You have to fight in space combat to get away. I never wanted to do this! If I wanted to play cards I'd have put in Yu-Gi-Oh. If I wanted to play space-combat I'd have loaded X-Wing or TIE Fighter. If I wanted to get a horse I'd have leveled to 40 and gotten 100 gold or played Barbie's Pony Palace or something.

I want to play an RPG. I want to pick and chose and fight and throw combos down. If I want to fish, or get a horse, or fly, or play cards - it should be my choice. It shouldn't be shoved down my throat by the designers. If I DO play there should be rewards; there should not be consequences for those of us who hate mini-games and would rather skip them.

So please, game designers? Squaresoft, I'm looking at you! No more forced mini-games. Please?