We all have the impression that video games provide rewarding experiences. After all, most are rich journeys complete with a colorful cast of characters and an intriguing plot. Yet, they can be extremely infuriating, especially if you’re stuck on a certain level. 2D platformers, both the classics and the current ones, are primary examples. Despite them providing a huge spike in one’s blood pressure, we still play them. Why? Well, there are quite a number of reasons and all of them are worth looking into.

Rage Moments

• Touching a pipe in Flappy Bird





Flappy Bird is an awful game, yet addicting and stimulating. People obsessed over tapping on a phone screen, meticulously guiding a bird to a straight yet endless tunnel full of pipes that can kill in one touch.



• Barely missing a jump in the Mario Games





Mario Bros is usually most people’s first gaming experience, defining millennial childhoods. If you’ve played any of the games, you’ve likely blew your fuse by missing platform or mistiming a jump. The same can be said for platformers like Crash Bandicoot and Sonic.



• Getting stuck on a single boss for hours in Dark Souls





Any gamer who has played any Dark Souls game is a masochist. Jokes aside, the series provides the hardest gaming experience ever. First encounters always result in deaths, and the bosses themselves are extremely hard to beat. Anyone who has played it has probably been stuck on a single level against a particular boss. The feeling of hopelessness from failing to defeat a seemingly unbeatable adversary is rage-inducing.



• Struck by a blue shell in Mario Kart





The blue shell, informally known as the “breaker of friendships”, allows racers to shoot a projectile directly at the first-placer, temporarily immobilizing him. Yes, this dashed the hopes of many a near-winner and getting hit will probably make you throw your controller in a fit of rage.



• Failed set up in MOBAs, especially in DOTA 2





Imagine setting your team up to do a combo in DOTA 2. Everything goes well, but suddenly, an opponent counters or one of your teammates mess up. This is incredibly frustrating and such instances probably contributed into the gaming accessories industry.



• Finishing 2nd in Battle Royale games





Whether you’re playing Fortnite or PUBG, finishing second and almost feasting on the sweet taste of victory can make you go from calm and collected to absolutely screaming.



• Horrible teammates in shooters





Whether you’re playing CS:Go, Battlefield 1, or Call of Duty, there are always awful players who act as money in the bank for enemy combatants.

Why do we still play them?

1. Our drive to succeed cannot be underestimated





If there is one thing most gamers can be proud of, it’s their drive to succeed. We may not beat the boss or finish the level today, but we can certainly sleep it off and try again tomorrow. After all, you have to save the world and defeat the evil that is haunting your digital friends.



2. The taste of victory and fulfillment is out of this world





I remember getting my first win in Fortnite. The realization of being the last two out of a 100 combatants. The tension as you run into the safe circle, spot the enemy on the way and fire. You don’t think. You just aim, shoot, and hope for the best. The victory music sounds. You jump for joy and scream, red-faced as the euphoria rushes throughout your body. Accomplishing a gaming feat like beating a boss is a transcendent feeling, one that one that is comparable to checking a box on your real-life to-do list.



3. It’s fun





Video games are primarily made so people can have fun. Despite dying a dozen times in Flappy Bird or Getting Over It before the first hurdle, getting far into the game can give a rewarding feeling.