Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

January 21, 2009 -

Over at 1UP, Jeremy Parish recounts some of the most incompetent presidents found in video games.

We think, however, that Jeremy is being a bit rough on his digital chief execs when he rates them "way less inspiring" than even the lately-exited President Bush. Dubya's galactic level of uninspiring-ness far surpassed anything conjured up by a mere game designer.

That said, Jeremy's choices are:

Mr. President / Bad Dudes (NES)
Laguna Loire / Final Fantasy VIII (PlayStation)
President of the Axis Nation / Assault Suits Valken (aka Cybernator) (SNES)

GP: Can you think of any others?

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Comments

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by godmoney on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 00:30.

FYI The President's name from Bad Dudes is President Ronnie, and not "Mr. President".

At the end of the game he invites you to have a cheeseburger with him! So does that make him Ronald Reagan or Ronald McDonald?

Best. Fake President. Ever.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by shady8x on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 19:52.

why hasn't anyone said it already?

Former king georg...president Bush in the shoe throwing game or any game about him or reality...

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Kajex on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 15:51.

I actually admired that President Richardson in Fallout 1 and 2 had the initial feel of current presidents in his attitude and manner of speaking- initially.

Seriously, when will video gaming ever see a president as epic as Harrison Ford?

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by DCOW on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 14:18.

Laguna was good, however president shinra, Garnet's Mother, The President of the US in RA3, Micheal Dugan from RA2, and even Emperor Gestrahl from FF6 was bad.

I just don't think this person researched the number of different fictional presidents.

I mean Garnet's mother (who's name escapes me), albeit under the influence of others, caused the massive wars.

President in RA3 was insane, and eventually removed from office.

Micheal Dugan is just a cocky SOB IMO.

President Shinra was bad because he didn't care about anyone, just kept going on and getting mako from the planet without listening to anyone else.

Emperor gestrahl was horrible because he wanted to take over the world, and would have if kefka hadn't killed him first.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Cecil475 on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 22:56.

Her name is Brahne. If I spelled it correctly

- Warren Lewis

Consumer responsibility is just as important as Corporate responsibility. So, be responsible consumers.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 13:35.

What about Andrew Ryan? Rapture was technically a country and he it's leader, and that place went to hell in only about 25 years.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Kris on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 17:00.

Heh, yeah he was totally crazy. Some Utopia that was.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by SounDemon on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 14:27.

The best thing was he made only one rule, don't go to the surface, and that was the one rule that was made to be broken. He made his own doom.

Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?" Pinky: "I think so, Brain, but we're already naked."

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 15:52.

Which also proves that without rules a society is as doomed as one with too many rules.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by DarkSaber on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 16:32.

I don't think a what-if scenario in a game counts as bona fide proof.

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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Aprincen on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 07:03.

It isn't proof, it's just common sense. A society without rules is doomed to collapse.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by finaleve on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 12:56.

I thought Laguna was cool...hell, his battle music was awesome.

I was going to say President Eden, but...they never really disclose any of the "election" details that really label him as the so called president of the united states (as noted several times in the Enclave Radio).

That, and if you ever get into the enclave base...well...yeah. I don't think he's legally allowed unless some laws were ammended.

The worse president? God...I played too many games that they all kinda fuse into 1 stupid president.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Father Time on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 12:52.

How about all the game series where the president existed as nothing more than a hostage you eventually had to save?

Time Crisis comes to mind although I think that was the president's daughter.

----------------------------------------------------

Debates are like merry go rounds. Two people take their positions then they go through the same points over and over and over again. Then when it's over they have the same positions they started in.

---------------------------------------------------- Debates are like merry go rounds. Two people take their positions then they go through the same points over and over and over again. Then when it's over they have the same positions they started in.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by SounDemon on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 14:26.

If we're talking about the worst president's daughter, then I cast my vote for Ashley Gramm.

God, I hate her. I hate her, I hate her, I hate her. She was the albatross around my neck for about half of RE4.

Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?" Pinky: "I think so, Brain, but we're already naked."

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by hayabusa75 on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 16:20.

Yeah, but she was fun to use when you got her the suit of armor.

"There is no sin except stupidity." - Oscar Wilde

"De minimus non curat lex"

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Vake Xeacons on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 09:36.

The (former) President/ Sam & Max Season 1, ep. 4: Abe Lincoln Must Die. Based on Dangly Deever, the Howdy Doody wannabe from the Sam & Max show, this guy was known solely as "The President." Only to be discovered as a hideous puppet, intended to hypnotize the mass TV-watching public. Aside from his Federal Pudding Embargo, he passed all kinds of crazy laws, like Federally Mandated Group Hugs, and worst of all, Manditory Gun Registration!

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by sqlrob on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 11:07.

Don't forget Max himself. Not exacly the greatest of Presidents.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by sheppy on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 09:10.

I have a vote for best digital President....

Michael Wilson... HE is the president of these, the great United States of America....

Wall of Text Simulation- Insert coin to continue.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Zero Beat on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 09:28.

Vice President Richard Hawk was kind of a bad pick though. But now, HE'S ROAST CHICKEN!

"That's not ironic. That's justice."

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by MaskedPixelante on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 08:22.

What's so bad about Laguna? He's an idiot, sure, but what did he do wrong?

---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by shady8x on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 19:47.

agreed, I wish our president was as bad as laguna: deposed an evil despot and then lead the nation to a golden age and technological superiority over the rest of the world... hmm well obama did depose king george... well will see...

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Kris on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 16:57.

Yeah really! As a leader he wasn't half bad. His people pretty much loved him and it was fairly peaceful until...circumstances that were rather beyond his control. Like a crazy psycho witch trying to manipulate time and space.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Nagaina on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 09:02.

Seriously. I mean, you can make a case for him being the worst father in the history...well, okay, he's not even the worst father in the history of Final Fantasy...but he seemed to be a pretty competent Executive.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by hayabusa75 on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 16:19.

At least his Triple Triad card was pretty useful...

"There is no sin except stupidity." - Oscar Wilde

"De minimus non curat lex"

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 11:09.

DP, plz delete....

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http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 10:29.

Its been forever and day since I played FF7 but was not Rufus worse? Midgar was pretty much a city state that conquered or controlled alot of places.... so he is president like....even if he was the company president...*brain fries*

Gore,Violence,Sexauilty,Fear,Emotion these are but modes of transportation of story and thought, to take them from society you create a society of children and nannys, since adults are not required.

http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com

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http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Nocturne on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 08:14.

George Sears/Solidus Snake: Not only does he completely fail in his plan to take out the super secret organisation that controls him when his attempt to steal Metal Gear Rex is foiled by his genetic clone 'brother', but then he's forced to resign.

Solidus cements his level of incompetance by deciding to take on his adopted son in one-to-one combat right after he gets a completely new weapon at the very end of the game complety changing the gameply style, which everyone knows means your just about to go through the motions and takedown the bad guy in some vaguely spectacular fashion.

Last seen being a decoy corpse.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Cecil475 on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 22:53.

I was wondering when someone was going to mention him. :D

- Warren Lewis

Consumer responsibility is just as important as Corporate responsibility. So, be responsible consumers.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by reverandspaniel on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 07:35.

Gears of War 2 - Richard Prescott. His official title is "Coalition Chairman". He uses ruthless tactics to win the war, doesn't care about collateral damage ("kill the few to save the many"), enacted several orders that granted the Coalition sweeping authority to help defeat the Locust. These decisions made him unpopular with those who felt the Coalition overstepped its bounds and, in the name of security, became an authoritarian regime. Prescott served eighteen months as a Gear, but according to Colonel Hoffman, it was "for appearances" and he has never been under fire, simply a PR stunt...

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Aprincen on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 08:13.

Did you get that from background material? I knew Prescott was bad but that was just because he was being ominous and he oozes villainy (Like Seymour from FFX, first time you see him you know he is evil).

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by reverandspaniel on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 08:30.

You pick up most of it from the game, but you have to read into some of it to get all that.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Aprincen on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 07:21.

The presidents of the enclave from Fallout 2 and 3. At least Bush wasn't a genocidal maniac in charge of a radioactive wasteland. Alternatively, the president who was in charge at the time the world ended. Might not have been his fault entirely, but the nucleair holocaust happening on your watch looks bad on your resumé.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by shady8x on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 19:43.

The president was impeached by congress for jaywalking just before nuclear war...

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Aprincen on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 06:57.

Oh right, I forgot that. Still means there was a president. His vice president must've taken over.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Abnaxos on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 07:29.

Well, in my game, Eden at least realised that he was an idiot and took consequences (lots of speech skill allowed me to convince him) ...

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Harry Miste on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 18:51.

Speech skill? Bah, I just used my Science tag to convince him he was crazy. BOOM! (Though I did the speech skill dialogue first, and then the science)

Also, Eden is more evil than Richardson. Eden was going to kill off nearly everybody in the Wasteland with the FEV. Richardson just ordered the kidnapping of Arroyo and Vault 13.

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Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by shady8x on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 19:42.

richardson did that and attemted the extermination of nearly everyone in the world...

while eden just wanted to kill nearly everyone connected to washingtons water supply...

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by Aprincen on Thu, 01/22/2009 - 06:59.

Eden wouldn't have stopped there. It's the Enclaves mission to commit mass genocide of everyone genetically unpure.

Re: Gaming's Worst Fictional Presidents

Submitted by sqlrob on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 11:06.

Ditto. It wasn't as satisfying as I wanted though, I wanted to put a bullet in his head so badly.

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