It's both. Some games are mostly fun, but for some ridiculous reason have puzzles or "challenges" that are so stupid and aggravating you want to heave them out the window.

And other games are just plain aggravating without having anything much to recommend them. The only reason you'd continue with them is that you think they might get better... only sometimes they get worse instead.

But they all made you want to chuck them out the window at least once.

I still remember getting frustrated with Monkey Kombat in Escape from Monkey Island. But because I loved the previous games so much I stuck with it but if the Kombat part had been near the start of the game I'm quite sure I would have chucked it.

All most all of the puzzles in 9 would make one want to toss this game.

When I first started playing Blue Ice I wanted to throw it out window but I persevered and now it is one of my all time favourites. But I'm betting there are more than a few people that think it was a waste of time.

Crystal Key! It kept crashing, the graphics were terrible in some spots and I hated the ending.

Followed closely by Jerusalem. I spent a good deal of time whining here about it.

Hugs, Cheryl

Well, I touched on this issue in another thread, but even so:

King's Quest 7. Probably the only adventure game I ever anxiously awaited. Then it finally gets released, I plop it into my cd drive, start it up....

Oh man, so many bugs. And every single one crashed the computer in ways that were NOT pretty. Then there was the stuttering audio, and who knows what else by now, since I've certainly forgotten half of what happened.

And on top of all that, it just wasn't all that great a game. I loved the animated cutscenes, but the story was actually worse than most KQ games (not that storylines were ever KQ's strong point), the environments flat, the puzzles pretty boring....and there just wasn't enough character interaction.

Though maybe I was being unfair in my appraisal, just because King's Quest 6 was so much better. Even with all the problems, the game had its interesting, even rewarding moments, and I did eventually finish it....after uninstalling OS/2, installing Windows 95, installing some patches and actually getting the game to stop crashing more than once every few hours....

Once I managed to get past the initial history puzzle in the ADVENTURE AT THE CHATEAU D’OR, there were a couple of puzzles that were fun, but I do believe it is at the bottom of my list for overall poor quality. The acting was so bad that I really felt like leaving her in that bubble prison at the end.

I loved OBSIDIAN, except for that rabafratzen slider puzzle at the end. (I can still hear those clicks and beeps in my head!) Luckily, I knew enough to save it BEFORE I hit the red switch, so I was able to view both endings. I also think that OBSIDIAN was one of the most unique games I've ever played. As I was walking around on what moments before was the ceiling, Paul Simon's song "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor" kept going through my head,

Lady Kestrel

I hated Drascula.

For me it was Tony Tough. The more I played, the more I wanted to strangle the little guy. I hated his voice so much and I thought his comments on everything were so assinine and a lot of drivel.

The other game I disliked was The Adventure at the Chateau d'Or. Felt like exam time to me.