Quotes / Game-Breaker

Rock, paper, scissors, gun.

— Old joke

"Blah blah blah. Tidal Wave!"'

— Rita, Tales of Vesperia, casting Tidal Wave through the Spell End fast casting trick.

"For the vast majority of missions, it doesn't matter who you're playing as — police officer, ice cream man, goldfish in a bowl on a skateboard — because all of them can be equipped with a spider droid, and this game might as well have been called Watch Dogs: Just Use the Fucking Spider Droid. The spider droid is fast, agile, hard to spot, and it can open doors, take down enemies, pick up collectibles, hack most systems, play audiobooks, dice vegetables, and, in short, can do everything a human can do with the significant exception of die. Even if the enemies spot it and blow it up and start hunting around for its controller, as long as you're outside the building, you can stand in front of their windows with two middle fingers up and your knob pressed against the glass, and they won't do shit. So if you're the sort of person who just wants to beat the game's challenges as efficiently as possible, there's not much point in recruiting a range of talents, 'cause everyone's equally talented at being a spider droid delivery system."

—Zero Punctuation on Watch Dogs: Legion

"Goblin Lackey, Entomb, and Frantic Search are banned in Extended. 'What about Grim Monolith and Tinker?' asks a bystander. 'Isn't Mirrodin supposed to be the all-artifact set?' 'Meh,' says R&D. "'How bad could it be?' ... October: Pro Tour: Tinker is held in Tinker Orleans. Tinker Mindslaver Tinker, Rickard Osterberg, Tinker Tinker ban that f**king card Grim Monolith Tinker."

— The Ferrett, Magic: The Gathering, 2003 in Review

"Foolish girl! I am a druid, I have special abilities that are more powerful than your entire class!"

— Leeky Windstaff, The Order of the Stick

Chika: Now, you will learn how to fear the power of Granzon the cheater!
Shu: Chika...where did you even learn how to talk like that?

— 2nd Super Robot Wars: Original Generation

"I have designed some broken mechanics in my day. The 'free' mechanic from Urza's Saga was mine. Affinity, (based on an earlier mechanic created during Tempest design by Mike Elliott) from Mirrodin was mine. Artifact lands, also from Mirrodin, was mine. Storm was ... no wait, that's all Brian Tinsman's fault."

— Mark Rosewater

"If you max out Lightning's combat roles you get her super-fuck-off ability called Army of One. Army of One is the 'win' button."

— Noah Antwiler on Final Fantasy XIII, The Spoony Experiment

"Once you learn the Web-Strike, it's like owning a giant Swiss army knife with five hundred different little blades and one that folds out into a minigun. There's literally no reason to use anything else."

—Zero Punctuation on Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

A brief interlude. An archer has 15 points in archery, which is pretty good. A warrior jumper on the other hand has 10 points in warrior, 10 points in jumping, and then they have 5 MORE points in archer, which just seems rude. Once per game, they can turn the whole world into a jungle. Long story short, the Warrior Jumper is HELLA OP. Nerf Inc.

—Penny Arcade here

"The special weapons take a dramatic drop in quality...For many players who tend to save their special weapons only for bosses, this isn't much of a problem, but it leaves the game feeling less special in comparison to its predecessors if the default gun is the best choice for the majority of the playthrough. Unless you unlock gamebreaker Beat, whose fast, baddie-seeking pecks of death trump almost everything in your arsenal. This mechanical bird of prey homes in on any threat that Mega Man might have trouble reaching, which equals anything not right in front of it. And since bosses aren't immune, Beat can swoop in and peck the baddie until its health is delepted or its energy runs out."'

—Neil Foster on Mega Man 5, Hardcore Gaming 101

"Final Fantasy VI... was apparently designed without any real consideration toward balance or challenge. Final Fantasy V's Job System might lend itself to abuse, but Final Fantasy VI's Espers/Relics setup practically begs it. It's possible (and pretty easy) to set up Terra so that she's dual-wielding Excalibur and Ragnarok, doublecasting Ultima, summoning Bahamut, choosing from a list of stat bonuses whenever she gains a level, and retaining her Trance command. For Japanese players who had survived Final Fantasy III and IV, in which fighting as dirty as possible was necessary in order to win, Final Fantasy VI must have been like tossing a hand grenade into the barrel with the fish."

— Pat R., "The World is Square"

"...the most powerful way to disprove that [all the classes are balanced and equally viable] is to play a C.o.D. (Cleric or Druid). So by all means, if you must win that argument, take you C.o.D. to town. Annihilate the opposition. Make the NPCs and other players scream "Oh no, it's C.o.D.zilla!!!!!" in badly dubbed English. Breathe radioactive fire. Knock down buildings. Then stomp out of the burning Tokyo that is the ruins of the game and swim off into the ocean, seeking a DM with some basic cognitive functions."

— Radical Taoist, discussing D&D 3E on the old Wizards of the Coast forums.^{For those of you wondering why this doesn't apply to wizards...} Wizards are definitely Game Breakers for much the same reasons that clerics and druids are (including sheer versatility and powerful options), but they're, in a sense, slightly weaker game breakers, for a few reasons. First off, wizards have fewer hit points and fewer "good" base save bonuses than clerics or druids (d4 Hit Dice as opposed to d8, and only good Will saves instead of good Fortitude and Will saves) — this doesn't matter as often as you'd think in practice, especially at higher levels, since 3e D&D is notorious for its Rocket-Tag Gameplay and a sufficiently Crazy-Prepared (and clever) spellcaster can all but completely nullify anything that might threaten them, but the fact of the matter is that a caught-off-guard cleric or druid won't die as quickly as a caught-off-guard wizard, and therefore has a better chance of actually surviving long enough to get out of Dodge, set up defenses, or wipe out their attackers. Second, clerics and druids have a "moderate" base attack bonus as opposed to wizards' "poor" base attack bonus, and are also proficient in more weapons — in other words, clerics and druids don't completely suck at physical combat. Again, this usually doesn't matter, especially at higher levels where one gets enough spells per day to resolve most encounters with magic, but in the absolute worst-case scenario, a completely cornered cleric or druid can at least put up a half-decent fight, while a completely cornered wizard is utterly screwed. Third, druids have a whole bunch of class features, many of which are very good in their own right (as Leeky alluded to in an earlier quote, wild shape by itself makes a lot of melee classes obsolete); while clerics don’t have such a big toolbox, they do get the ability to Turn Undead, plus a smattering of extra spells based on their domains — meanwhile, all wizards get besides spellcasting is their familiar (and back to the druids, they get an animal companion that serves essentially the same purpose). Fourth, wizards only learn a couple of spells each time they level up, and actively have to seek out spells (in the form of scrolls and spellbooks) and pass a skill check to expand their arsenal; clerics and druids automatically learn every spell they can possibly know as soon as they're of a high enough level to cast them. Fifth, unlike wizards, clerics and druids enjoy a degree of spontaneity (a la sorcerers) by being able to convert any spell they have prepared to an appropriate member of their class's "signature" line of spells (cure/inflict wounds for clerics, summon nature's ally for druids); most of the time, they don't want to (again, the way 3e D&D works, healing in mid-battle is a waste of time — it's much more efficient to just incapacitate the enemy before they can do the same to you (and, yes, whole essays have been written to make that point)), but it's nice that the option is there. Finally, wizards' spellcasting is significantly hampered by wearing any non-light armor, while clerics don't face any such restrictions and druids can wear any "natural" (read: made of plant matter (read: wood) or leather instead of metal) armor without hampering their class features (but face steep penalties for wearing any "unnatural" armor). Long story short: wizards have more weaknesses and limitations than clerics and druids, and even though most of the limitations can be mitigated, the fact of the matter is that wizards are just plain harder to play than clerics or druids, especially at lower levels.

Athena: Do I have to go with friends? I can't just do it alone?

Brick: Not unless you wanna die. Or you found a broken-ass combination of loot and want to show off on the ECHOnet.

— Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!, "The Bestest Story Ever Told"

"They just gave me Unlimited Bombs! Why would you do that!? That's like the worst idea!... You know what I need to find? I need to find Line Bomb combined with infinite bombs. That would be insane! In fact, I'm gonna do my best to try to find that now..."

— ProtonJon, in his first Bomberman Act:Zero livestream

"The GT Nighthawk is a superb vehicle that can easily pummel other competitors out of the way and is an excellent choice for aggressive players. Though because of this, many players exploit this car's special ability to take down other cars with relative ease. For no car can match its superiority, unfortunately making it the most hated car in the entire lineup. It accelerates the fastest of any car, it takes down other cars with a turn of its wheel, and no other car can take it down head on, even at half speed."

—Burnopedia on the Carson GT Nighthawk, Burnout Paradise

Meta Knight is everything, he's all you ever wanted
You could win a set now, even if you've never won it
Clashes he always wins, trade they ain't never gonna
You want him forever any counter pick he's better on it
Aerial is down, press it while I'm jumpin' up
Then hit the B button like I don't give a fuck
I know you wait for it, but you're out of luck
I can do the same thing every single time
I say, Meta Knight da bess, Meta Knight da bess,
Meta Knight da bess, Meta Knight da bess,
Now Donkey Kong is mad, Dedede is mad,
Mario is mad, Ice Climbers are mad
I say, Meta Knight da bess.

— Meta Knight Da Bess You Ever Had, a parody of Drake's "Best I Ever Had"

"Come back when you start getting banned from tournaments."

— Meta Knight, One More Brawl Taunts

"RBY Mewtwo is the single most powerful Pokemon in any generation. Nothing even comes close to the raw destructive power of this thing. That's all there is to be said about the joy that enters the heart of a 6-year-old when they capture the Uber and can truly call themselves a Pokemon Master. [...] Checks and Counters: Nope. Nothing can fully counter a Mewtwo; some can make it think twice, though."

— Smogon

"Feast your eyes on the most destructive Pokemon in any tier in history. Not one stat Mewtwo has can be called bad or even average, including the highest Special in the game and a tie with Aerodactyl and Jolteon for second-highest Speed. [...] There is no true way to defeat Mewtwo head-on other than sending in your own, statusing it, or getting plain lucky. Thus, many RBY Ubers games are decided by a Mewtwo mirror match. Mewtwo was designed to be the world's strongest Pokemon, and Game Freak certainly succeeded: Mewtwo has zero inarguable flaws and is an automatic pick on any RBY Ubers team that aims to win."

— Revised profile of Pokémon Red and Blue Mewtwo, Smogon

"A nuclear base 170 Attack powered up by 50% with Intrepid Sword, the fastest unboosted Speed in Ubers, a great defensive typing in Fairy / Steel, Swords Dance, strong physical STAB attacks, and nearly unlimited coverage all makes Zacian-C the best Pokemon in SS, centralizing the offensive and defensive metagame."

— Smogon

"Zacian-C is a centralizing force in AG that threatens offense and balance alike with its Intrepid Sword-boosted Attack, excellent STAB combination, great coverage, and fantastic Speed. Its good bulk and typing allow it to deal with Xerneas, Eternatus, and Yveltal, offering valuable defensive utility. Behemoth Blade is preferred over Play Rough for preventing Pokemon such as Yveltal and Groudon from effectively using Dynamax defensively against Zacian-C while also reliably OHKOing Xerneas. Wild Charge OHKOes specially defensive Yveltal after minimal chip damage, deals with Ho-Oh, and devastates Kyogre. Close Combat provides good coverage for Ferrothorn and 2HKOes a weakened Necrozma-DM. Assurance deals great damage to Zacian-C's most reliable check in Necrozma-DM if it switches in while Stealth Rock or Spikes is on the field and prevents Lunala from reliably checking it. Zacian-C can alternatively run Swords Dance, boosting its already terrific Attack to break through physically defensive walls such as Zygarde-C, Giratina, and Necrozma-DM."

— Revised profile of Pokémon Sword and Shield Zacian-Crowned, Smogon

"The best single forme of a Pokemon in Ubers, Primal Groudon has become nigh mandatory on teams. Its absurd number of viable options along with the insane role compression it provides, both offensively and defensively, make it a Pokemon that few teams elect not to use. Primal Groudon is also notable for checking big threats such as Xerneas, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh. Blessed with very high offensive stats and solid physical bulk, Primal Groudon is considered to be the best and most common setter of Stealth Rock in the tier. Additionally, Primal Groudon has great options for boosting Speed and Attack in Rock Polish and Swords Dance, which makes it one of the most dangerous offensive threats around. Its immunity to Water- and Electric-type attacks give Primal Groudon built-in defensive synergy, while its immunity to burns makes it impossible for foes to neuter Primal Groudon's physical attacks."

— Smogon

"Mega Rayquaza is a dominant force in the current Anything Goes metagame, with its amazing 180 offensive stats coupled with a great Dragon / Flying offensive typing making it one of the best wallbreakers in the tier. Its STAB moves combined with its great coverage make it difficult to find checks and counters that can reliably switch into its attacks. It also has great durability for an offensive Pokemon, as its amazing defensive typing in conjunction with Delta Stream cutting the damage from some super effective moves in half and canceling out opposing Primal weather means it can provide great defensive synergy on offensively oriented teams. Mega Rayquaza has a diverse movepool with priority in Extreme Speed, two setup moves in Dragon Dance and Swords Dance, and amazing coverage letting it hit most of the metagame for at least neutral damage. Its lack of needing to hold a Mega Stone also helps increase the diversity between its sets, meaning it can have more options compared to other Mega Evolutions."

— Smogon

"During playtesting, we honestly just thought that Galakrond Shaman was an incredibly fun deck to play and wanted to push it to a level where it would be considered one of the more powerful decks. We pushed too far, it happens."

— Dean Ayala, on Hearthstone

Sinon: A moving target is that much harder to hit; don't sit still long enough for your enemy to get a bead on you, and get close enough to land a hit.
Yui: That sounds like [Kirito]'s strategy.
Kirito: Only because I can use the Prediction Lines to parry.
Sinon: Says the guy who cut my bullet in half from ten metres based on my eye through the scope. Ever since the third [Bullet of Bullets], people have been blowing their money on Photon Swords and finding out that the kind of reflexes you need to parry a bullet are completely broken. The only other person who came even close to making one of those things work only almost won the second Squad Jam, and neither she nor the winners qualified for BoB.

—"A Yuletide Gift for Yui", a Sword Art Online fic

If the Cultafia does not die immediately in a game, it is almost guaranteed to win. Do not use this.

—MafiaWiki [1]

"But one character stands above the rest in terms of power, I am of course talking about the maid robot Poppi QT Pi. As far as Xenoblade 2 is concerned, she is a cut above the rest, the highest ranked Blade in the game and 1st place on the tier list. QT Pi pretty much has no real weaknesses, pretty much anything you want her to do, she can do better than any other Blade and offers unique things no other Blade can on top of that. She fits perfectly on any team and will excel in any role you give her. In short, QT Pi is broken!"

— Enel in his "How to use Poppi QT Pi" video, Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Didn’t even try, made lots of money
Didn’t even try, made lots of money
Doesn’t matter if it’s rainy or if it’s sunny
Just plant some trees and makes lots of money

— PeanutButterGamer, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life review

"You see, N.Gin's weapon he has are these rockets, and they are so overpowered, I'm pretty sure they could be used in tactical warfare. With these rockets, you mow everybody down with no effort. One to two hits max plus splash damage. [...] And the best thing? If you run out of rockets, you can always detach and then immediately reattach again to get all of your ammo back.

— Caddicarus, "The Depressing World of Bad Crash Bandicoot Games" on Crash Tag Team Racing.

"Well...some folks out there don't invite me to their Versus and Online matches. They say I'm too unfair. I think they're unfair!"

— Hachi, Advance Wars 1&2: Re-Boot Camp

"The CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama kept killing Boron during the playtests so I decided to make him super strong to mess with my boss. Now the boy has become so strong and unstoppable even us cannot control him."

— Yoann Gueritot, Fuga: Melodies of Steel development stories

Lythero: Alright Badger, you can pick two characters [on my team]. Hell, you can pick all three of 'em!
TheRussianBadger: Alright, uh- Chun-Li, Vergil, and Spider-Man.
Lythero: Did you say Vergil? [evil laughter] I don't NEED to know how to play this character!
HeavenlyFather: You gave him dirt, water, and then a .44 Magnum.

— UMvC3: Lobby Shenanigans 7 (feat. TheRussianBadger)

There is nothing you can do, there is nowhere to hide, if you play as Mouri Motonari, the opponent dies

— Dustloop Wiki on Mouri Motonari in Sengoku Basara X

Pinball Carnival Zone's boss convinced me that this game was designed with only Sonic in mind, because if there was one thing Dr. Eggman did not account for, it was Amy f*cking Rose. Her double jump makes this boss completely redundant.

— Charriii5 on Sonic Superstars

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