15 Ridiculous Rivalries That Prove Gamers Have No Life

Since the dawn of time, rivalries have existed and not only between good and evil. Sometimes a rivalry can be a trivial, unnecessary thing like the attention of a parent to siblings or coworkers vying for the opportunity to get a promotion to a much harder job for little compensation. Rivalries can also happen between whole corporations such as competing cola companies arguing over who is better, even though they have the exact same ingredients in different measurements.

In the video game world, rivalries are expected between the hero and the villain because that’s pretty much the basis of every adventure in history whether it be book, movie, or playable series. In the old days, it was easily noticed in the form of a dragon or ugly tyrannical leader but has evolved into the final baddie being just as good-looking, if not more so.

Rivalries are a common occurrence in videogames as well as those games’ players. This has even helped create the eLeague where players face each other in digital competition. Just clicking on the “comment” button on video game post can prompt message after message of gamers eSlapping one another over their favorite installment of a game or even the better protagonists of said game.

In today's online world, there are whole websites dedicated to the hatred of one character while simultaneously praising his “rival” from a totally separate game. Here are the fifteen rivalries that just make you wonder what’s wrong with some people.

Sonic vs. Mario

Sonic is far more than a hedgehog with really good sneakers and Mario is so much more than a chubby, dragon slaying plumber. They arrived in the video game industry at separate times and became the mascots of the Sega Genesis and the Nintendo Entertainment System. In a perfect world, we could all live in harmony as owners of both, but that is not the reality.

In the lates '80s for Mario, and early '90s for Sonic, these two made their debut in completely different ways yet sparked a rivalry between Sega and NES owners. It’s truly baffling why they make good rivals when their games are so different. One is an adventure of saving a princess and the entire toadstool kingdom and the other is a blue rodent running through loop-to-loops. This rivalry lets off steam at the olympics every couple of years, but it never ends.

Call of Duty vs. Battlefield

With only a year of separation between their releases, Call of Duty and Battlefield hit the scene in ‘03 and ‘02 respectively. They are both FPS’s that take place in various settings. They both are also on the top of the list for best FPS games to grace both consoles and PC’s. Nevertheless, their fans are divided when either one of these is mentioned on social media outlets.

If you ask a die hard Battlefield gamer, they will tell you that their game is infinitely better because of the more realistic experience. Battlefield utilizes the use of vehicles much better than COD as well as more accurate kill areas and the destruction of property. However, a Call of Duty fanatic will beg to differ as they feel that Battlefield’s success is owed to COD since they “copied” everything from the knife animation to camo weapons; it’s the classic whine defense.

Grand Theft Auto vs. Saints Row

With nearly a decade gap between the release of each of their debut games, Grand Theft Auto and Saint’s Row started out very differently. GTA began as a humble top-view driving game with some light killing and modest missions of getting from point A to B. Saint’s Row’s first installment was surprisingly similar to a late GTA game, so much so that you would think it’s actually a GTA game that’s been modded.

Ask the fans and they will tell you that GTA is far superior because of the serious story, open-world gameplay, and the simple fact that they were first. However, first isn’t always better because wasn’t Lost in Space before Star Trek? Ask the Saint’s fans and they will say that GTA takes itself too seriously with a middle finger held up. Saint’s Row’s fans are like the sophomore class clown and GTA’s are seniors preparing for college.

Resistance: Fall of Man v. Gears of War

In 2005, there was a rivalry that people saw coming during the release of the Xbox 360 and the PS3, but the real rivalry ended up happening between their combating FPS’s. Resistance: Fall of Man is about an impending alien invasion on Earth in the early 1900s while Gears of War is about an impending alien invasion on Earth in the future. The two of them are actually quite similar from a spectator’s point of view.

However, further inspection reveals the vast differences in these two games by way of POV, weaponry, and the type of alien that means to wipe you out. As a gamer, these two couldn’t be more different unless one used swords to fend off the invaders. Yet, the player of one loathes the players of another and will never admit to playing both because that would be blasphemous in their eyes.

Final Fantasy v. Every Game Ever Made

Undoubtedly the strangest and most bizarre rivalry in history, Final Fantasy against everyone else is just plain odd. The only way that this rivalry works is that each installment is almost never related to the previous one in story or setting. The rivalry started with Final Fantasy and every similar RPG game, but after ten or so games, the franchise was big enough to challenge every comer.

Now, it seems that every time you find a game you truly enjoy and have the audacity to express your admiration, it is greeted with a hearty “Final Fantasy is better.” You’re bewildered by this, since you were bragging about the new Madden. The results of this obtuse rivalry is that fans of the esteemed RPG series just seem crazy now.

Forza v. Gran Turismo

Back in the 20th century, racing games were a dime a dozen because they were easy to make and just about anyone could have fun playing one against your family, friends, or the seven cpu opponents. In the late 90s, Playstation released the new generation of racing games in the form of Gran Turismo which identified more as a “racing simulator.” It dominated the video game racing industry for eight years before Microsoft answered with their own real-life racer called Forza.

For some fans, GT is better because it was the originator of this sub-genre while others prefer Forza because it’s the new generation of racing simulators. It seems with each installment, the shift in power changes from franchise to franchise in the current years. The general consensus is that Gran Turismo is superior mechanically, but Forza is more fun to play.

Guitar Hero v. Rockband

Clever, novelty controllers and peripherals date back to the intellivision when each game had a different card for the various buttons on the telephone-like controller. By the late '80s, it started getting a little high tech and chic with the release of the power glove, but people really responded. In the 21st century, we met one of the more inventive and fun in the form of a guitar with five buttons on the neck for the release of Guitar Hero. It wasn’t long before the original had a competitor called Rockband who decided to double the number of buttons.

The rivalry between the two sparks the worst in hardcore fans, but casual players love both franchises because embracing both means you get twice as many songs. Lovers of music in general love this rivalry because it has sparked games like DJ Hero and Band Hero.

NBA Live v. NBA 2k

Basketball games have had a place in the video game industry since the stickfigure days of Atari, but have evolved immensely. In the '90s NBA Jam reigned supreme, followed by NBA Street, and now there are two seemingly identical professional basketball games: NBA Live and NBA 2K. But if you ask the players of both, they are as different as Madden and NFL Blitz.

NBA Live debuted in 1994 and was uncontended for five years until the release of NBA 2K and they’ve been playing a competitive game of 0ne-on-one ever since. These two are always pretty close, but true fans of the NBA in real life will tell you that NBA 2K is far superior because it looks and sounds just like the real thing. Yet, NBA Live players will say their game is much more fun to play and that’s what a video game is all about.

Scorpion v. Sub-Zero

There are literally thousands of rivalries that lie inside of our favorite video games, but none as epic and legendary as the battle between a yellow ninja and a blue ninja. Scorpion was a member of the Shirai Ryu clan who was murdered by Sub-Zero of the Lin Kuei. After some time in hell, Scorpion returns with white eyes and a skull where his head once was, to kill his murderer.

This rivalry is one that people really can get behind because it’s just plain fun to pick a side. These two ninjas look rather similar, but so does the two sides of yin and yang. One is fire and one is ice and that appeals to the game because of their opposite elements. The rivalry is accentuated by the fact that this rivalry has been there since the beginning of the franchise and still continues today.

Resident Evil 2 v. Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil is no doubt the founding father of the survival horror genre and has been steadily raising the bar of horror gaming since the mid '90s. The 2 most influential games in the series are the second and fourth games. These two installments star the same protagonist, yet they couldn’t be more different.

The clunky, tank controls and mediocre voice acting of Resident Evil 2 is outweighed by its stellar story and superb puzzle sequences. Resident Evil 4, on the other hand, took the horror genre and gave it an action-based makeover with intense battles and a whole new cult-based viral threat.

RE2 fans mercilessly smack down RE4 for “losing touch” with its roots and how terrible Ashley Graham is. RE4 fans try to take the high road, but end up just angrily dissing the classic PS one game’s archaic design flaws.

Doom v. Quake

Quake is the successor to Doom put out by the same company, aptly named Id. To the naked eye, these two franchises looked rather similar in the beginning because of their similar maze-based levels and attacking monsters that must be dispatched with various weapons. They both require the use of keys to progress through each level, but that’s where the similarities end.

The rivalry between these two are much like the rivalry between bowlers and soccer players. Quake gamers will tell you that their game is far superior because of its multiplayer friendly atmosphere and the “rocket jumping” is popular as well. Doom players have been called anti-social by their rivals since the game’s main focus is a campaign atmosphere where you fight demons on Mars and in hell. This is one rivalry that could be finally solved if only Id would make a hybrid game.

Mortal Kombat v. Street Fighter

It’s obvious to every old school gamer that arcades (and the video game industry as a whole) succeeded because of the vast amount of fighting games over the years. However, when you look at the fighting games of today there really are only two still standing over the rubble of the rest: Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat.

The rivalry between these two is a little off putting because of their incredibly different soul. They both have their R-rated moments, but one is completely over the top. Fans of both game series’ will argue that theirs is better for different reasons entirely.

Mortal Kombat fans argue that they like Street Fighter too, when they were eight. Street Fighter fans don’t like the insinuation and will claim MK players will play anything that has too much violence and lack any type of palate when it comes to fighting games.

Wiimote v. Kinect

In video games, motion controls is a relatively new concept and is still being perfected. Motion controls was the primary selling point for the Nintendo Wii in 2006, but their gamble paid off in a big way. The success of the Wiimote was so substantial that other consoles didn’t hesitate to implement their own versions of this technology. The most successful one was Xbox 360’s Kinect which utilized motion control games without the use of a wand or remote.

The Wiimote can get a little tedious, but the games are far superior to that of the simplistic Kinect games with little to no substance. On the other hand, Kinect is a far more advanced piece of technology and one day this could inspire an amazing all-in-one console. One thing both fans can agree on is that Playstation Move is just lame.

Ocarina of Time v. Majora’s Mask

The Legend of Zelda is without a doubt one of the most popular and complex franchises in gaming history, but there are two installments that have their fans at each other’s throats. Ocarina of Time was the first 3-D installment of the series and was followed by its sequel, Majora’s Mask.

These two episodes were released at the same time, featured the same mechanics and graphics, yet the players argue over the superior game.

MM players are constantly accusing OoT players of loving it for the sheer reason of its popularity; the Kardashian of video games. Anyone who’s ever played Majora’s Mask either loves every inch of it or despises its very essence; there is no middle ground. If you ever need a chuckle, click on the comments section of any post relating to either game and just enjoy the drama.

Playstation vs. Xbox

There have been plenty of console wars over the years, but none as consistent as Microsoft’s Xbox against Sony’s Playstation. Since the release of Xbox’s first console and Playstation’s second, they have been at war with one another. Every few years they each come out with their newest console and these two juggernauts release them never more than a week apart.

What makes the rivalry the most epic and strange is that 90 percent of their libraries are completely identical. The exclusive titles are what really separate their respective buyers: Gears of War or Resistance, Uncharted or Halo?

This rivalry is actually a good thing because it not only keeps each other on their toes, but could possibly inspire a new guy to one day come in and try to take over.