Thou hast been slain most awesomely: Greatest Game Overs Ever

[ivannorr]

Final boss in prototype, if you fail, at least you get to see a nuke go off on the coast of Manhattan, very pretty.

Also the many different endings in Dead Rising, if you failed to complete specific goals.
eg. The truth slips into Darkness.

I hoped for a great game over video if you took to long to beat the Brute at the end of Halo 2, but they just keep telling you you are running out of time.

 

[pyros550]

getting your head cut off by salvador in RE4.
Just the feeling of dread as you know there's nothing you can do

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

I Wanna Be The Guy. Take your pick.


APPLES DON'T FALL UP!
They're more like giant cherries.

(cool Game Over music too)

 

[T-Bone24]

"You and your friends are dead" - Friday the 13th. That is the best game over screen. So blunt. No pansy-ass sugarcoating like "Objective failed". EDIT: Dammit, Ninja'd.

Dead Space has, without a doubt, the best death scenes I've ever seen! Not only has his arm been removed, but while he was still in a dazed shock, he is slashed through the torso. This doesn't seem to do much, until he takes a few steps forward, his torso slides off, and he trips over it. That's when you know you've been owned, you trip over your own torso.

 

[HentMas]

not favourite but when i trew the car in Half Life (dont remember wich) into the sea and it said "Failed to mantain critical resourses" (or something like that) i always thought "WTF?? i walked TWICE the distance to get to the car!! why cant i just WALK!!!"

 

[The Rockerfly]

Every
single
Final Fantasy boss
RAWRGHHH, you cheap bastards. Just die already
Worst one though was in FF5 (correct me if I'm wrong) there is a boss that even when he runs out of health he is still alive....Bastards

 

[Anarien]

The first one that came to mind was in Silent Hill 3 when Heather dies and Valtiel drags her away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTwZ-vvnbps

 

[Captain Pancake]

That. Video. Was. Epic.

come to think of it, i never really play any games that give you any interesting "Game overs". I guess my best would be the professionalist fails in half life and half life 2, just for keeping with A style in the game and disregarding all others.

 

[BonerMacTittyPants]

Half-Life.

The cold, soulless whispering as the screen goes red - "User...death...imminent". It sends a chill down your spine.

 

[blackcherry]

I would say the gameover screen of Majoras Mask. When you fail to stop the moon crahing down onto termia, the gameover screen includes a cut scene showing the moon destroying the whole world!

That was pretty cool.

 

[Rorschach II]

I thought the tutorial in Futurama was quite funny.

'So Fry, whats it like being dead?'

'Theres a dark tunnel, and then you see this blinding light and it says...Game Over'

Also, when you go back to the body and you just see his head completely flattened by the Anvil.

 

[cj_iwakura]

Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land's is incredibly depressing.

It shows your gravestone, and

"Only the eternal dark was left inhabiting the town of Duhan."

 

[Magnatek]

I don't get the question.
do you mean the 'you have failed' screens?
In that case any resident evil with the ultimate understatement - You Are Dead
Continue? Y/N
Which kind of defies the fact you are dead.

Another Capcom game blows that understatement out of the water: Onimusha. All it says is one word, no matter what; Died. The screen goes black after that and then it asks the continue question, so I guess that's a plus.

To answer the OP, I would say losing the FINAL final boss battle in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is the greatest game over. You become Dracula (complete with the wineglass of blood).

 

[HentMas]

I would say the gameover screen of Majoras Mask. When you fail to stop the moon crahing down onto termia, the gameover screen includes a cut scene showing the moon destroying the whole world!

That was pretty cool.

THAT HAPPENS!?!?!?

I NEVER ACTUALLY LET THE MOON TO FALL!!!! i always felt horrible and just a second before that happened i would play the time song...

damn hahaha, i have to try that!!

 

[tremkl]

I was so amused by this question I actually signed up for an account on this forum JUST to answer it. My current favorite is from Tales of Vesperia. The screen goes black, and the main character's voice comes on and says "And they were never heard from again." This amuses me for a few reasons. First of all, the epicness of the failure. I always like to dub in "EVER" right after it. Secondly, how is the main character telling the story of his death, and how is he doing it without inherently making that statement false?

 

[WittyName]

I thought the tutorial in Futurama was quite funny.

'So Fry, whats it like being dead?'

'Theres a dark tunnel, and then you see this blinding light and it says...Game Over'

Also, when you go back to the body and you just see his head completely flattened by the Anvil.

This. I found it funny when the Professor said he'd been trying to kill him for over a week.

 

[kewlrabbit]

Prince of Persia SOT, every time you died/failed, you'd hear the Prince go "No, no, that's not how it happened." and you'd get sent back to the last checkpoint.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Nasty: Ninja Ryukenden(Ninja Gaiden)

You're strapped to a table with a descending circular saw. Don't insert money in time and *SPLURGE* red screen.

Also the boss fight on Fatal Fury 2 is pretty awesome. You think you've won and then the screen has a static buzz at full volume and ominous music starts.

Then the camera pans down past an orchestra playing Dies Area (Nightcrawlers music) whilst Wolfgang Krauser tries to kick your head in.

The truly, truly best one is the end of Diablo I though.

No spoilers but it's one of the best mindscrews ever.

 

[blackcherry]

I would say the gameover screen of Majoras Mask. When you fail to stop the moon crahing down onto termia, the gameover screen includes a cut scene showing the moon destroying the whole world!

That was pretty cool.

THAT HAPPENS!?!?!?

I NEVER ACTUALLY LET THE MOON TO FALL!!!! i always felt horrible and just a second before that happened i would play the time song...

damn hahaha, i have to try that!!

Oh yeah. I made my sister take the remotes away from the gamecube so i couldn't go back in time (this is the emotional effect the game has on you, for those who haven't played it). Very epic.

People may brand nintendo with the kiddie image, but do you know of any other big developer that would do that in a game?