| All of the categories are rated on a ten-point scale, which breaks down as follows: 9.9 Virtually flawless. No game is absolutely perfect, which is why 9.9 is as high as they go. It doesn't get any better than this. This is like winning the lottery on your birthday. It takes a rare and special game to earn this score. 9.0 to 9.8 A fantastic achievement with only minor flaws or imperfections. If a game scores a 9.0 or better you know it's a great title with just enough imperfections to let you know they're for real. Games of this caliber are must-haves, even if you're not particularly fond of the genre. 8.0 to 8.9 An excellent gaming experience that misses the boat in just a few key areas. Games that score in this range are still highly recommended. 7.0 to 7.9 A good game that has some obvious flaws. Games scoring in the high end of this range might have some first-rate elements, whereas the lower 7s have some serious shortcomings that keep them from ever achieving classic status. 6.0 to 6.9 Passable, but just barely. Games in this range have more blemishes than strengths, but still might be worth a look if you're into games of its type. The other games are polite to the sixes, but they don't get invited to any of the parties. Rent these games before spending your hard-earned money. 5.0 to 5.9 Games scoring between a 5.0 and 5.9 have numerous major shortcomings. It's a cliche -- but we have to say it: only fans of the particular genre will get any enjoyment out of this one. You might get some enjoyment out of this as a rental, but you probably wouldn't want to own any game that scores in the 5s. 4.0 to 4.9 Any game that scores in or below this range isn't worth your attention, and if you happen to end up with one, you'll probably find yourself returning to the store for a refund. These are the games your grandmother buys for you because she thinks they're cute. Trust me, they aren't 3.0 to 3.9 When you get to the terrible threes you know you have some major suckage going on. If your parents give you a 3 game for your birthday, suggest they start getting you socks instead. 2.0 to 2.9 Games of this caliber aren't even good enough to recycle. It's more fun to play catch with the box than it is to play the game. Maybe the cat could find some use for this one. 1.0 to 1.9 The absolute worst of the worst. Put it in a paper bag, set it aflame on your neighbor's porch, ring the doorbell, and run. Just as it's rare to see a 9.9, it's just as unusual to see a game score in the 1.0 to 1.9 range. 0.0 to 0.9 Okay, so I lied. 1.0 to 1.9 isn't "the absolute worst of the worst." However, we don't even consider titles that score below a 1.0 games. Think of them as sewage in a box. This range is saved for those titles that are just so incredibly bad that we question the sanity of the developer and publisher...and don't say it can't happen. It's important to remember that the overall rating is not an average of the other five ratings. The overall score is based on my final judgement of the game. I believe this gives you a better sense of my overall experience with the game rather than using some cut-and-dry formula to determine the final rating. Also, it is important to note that any reviews of NES or SNES games were scored by the standards at the time of their release and we're not judged by today's standards. |
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| Well, here I am to finally give everyone the lowdown on what my review scores really mean. At first, I used to average all the categories together to find the overall score, but over time I found out it didn't really represent how a game should score. Now that I don't average, my scores have more accurately represented how I feel about those games. However, I shouldn't be telling you how I feel about these games, I should be letting you know what strengths and weaknesses the games have, even if that means giving a game I thoroughly enjoyed a low score. After all, it's you who's deciding whether or not to buy the game, not me. Due to my entire revamping/rescoring of most of my reviews, I'm here to explain what exactly certain score ranges mean. So you might want to check out some of my reviews again, because the scores just might have changed! |
| Fierce Deity's |
| Review Scoring System |