When is it truely "beating the game"?

[Drakkon]

Scenario 1: You use warp whistles/tubes/etc to skip past castles/ships/etc to get to the final level and beat bowser.

Scenario 2: You complete EVERY level of the game beating every boss at each level, using no hidden tricks/whistles/tubes/etc.

Poll active - let me know if there is some other scenario

 

[Farang]

If the game allows it without special codes it isn't cheating, as in Super Mario Bros.

If you don't think so, that is like saying if you don't kill every alien in Halo you didn't beat the game.

 

[ElFenix]

both?

3 didn't have the save option, i doubt i ever played it all the way through. just warped at near the end of world 2.

world had a save option, and i beat it by going through every possible exit, but if i was just playing for fun i'd beat it fast via star road.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

I would say Scenario 2, but what about a third option:

Finding every hidden exit/level, special coin/banana/package, unlocking all characters/weapons/cars...completing all achievements basically.

(I realize that few gamers have enough skill or time to actually do this on many new games BTW.)

 

[homercles337]

I have never liked the term. I finish games, but i dont "beat" them. Its one of my pet peeves.

 

[BigJ]

First time through is just to finish with whatever I find along the way. 2nd time through is heavy duty exploring along the way. 3rd time through I use a guide to find whatever I didn't on the first two times through.

 

[effowe]

I would have to go with the second option, as the first one allows you to bypass large portions of the game. Farang compared warping to not killing all the aliens in Halo, however I don't think that this is a good comparison. You still have to play through all the levels of the game to get to the end, there is no warp (unless using a cheat code.) If you go through SMB3 without using any whistles and don't kill every last turtle and goomba, you still beat the game.