Time to Die! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Resident Evil 2

The Licker is an opponent first encountered in the police station in Raccoon City. When you finally race your way through the infected city streets (which can be a bit overwhelming) you'll end up going face-to-face with this beast in one of the hallways before the all-powerful typewriter save station (go figure). Lickers use their long tongues and claws to inflict damage, attempting to decapitate or mutilate the bodies of their victims. Their exposed brains are particularly creepy. Keep in mind-- one-way mirrors can cause some particularly horrible sequences in this game. Keep your eyes peeled.

In "Resident Evil" games, a straight-forward, yet bloody 'YOU ARE DEAD.' posted on the screen, circling above your body, marks your fateful end. Licker or otherwise.

Answer: Diablo II

"Diablo II", the oft-online PC game, pits the player character against the demons of Diablo himself as they descend into Hell over the course of several acts. As the game progresses through levels and difficulties, enemies stat to get more and more difficult to beat. Andariel, the end boss of Act 1, evolves over the difficulties and takes on more poisonous attacks, making her fight particularly difficult for those with shoddy resistance. And if you're playing Hardcore, a single death spells the end of the game for your character-- can't be played again.

The game mode was resurrected for "Diablo III" more than a decade later. When you're dead, you're dead.

Answer: Pokemon Red

"Pokemon Red" and "Pokemon Blue", both released in North America in 1998, became a mega-hit on the Game Boy handheld resulting in many, many sequels and spin-offs over the next couple of decades. If you run out of Pokemon in your party (ie. They all faint.) your character will 'black out' and presumably travel back in time to a point when you were standing outside the most recent Pokemon Center. To prevent this from happening, you could always use said Pokemon Centers to heal your Pokemon to full health before taking on more difficult battles.

Answer: Dead Space 2

As if the horrible events on the Sprawl couldn't be any more psychologically-scarring or visceral, a later sequence in the game forces the player character, Isaac Clarke, to strap himself into a diagnostic machine, line a laser up to his eye, and jab himself in the face with a needle. Failure to properly align the needle will only result in a graphic death. No pressure. Then again, maybe it's more humane than some of the graphic deaths that could befall Isaac elsewhere in the sprawl. What with the Necromorphs all around the space station, things can get pretty bad. Videos accumulated after release of the game showed countless different possible death animations...each worse than the last.

Answer: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

In this scenario, you're Sonic the Hedgehog and it's the second zone of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" on the Sega Genesis. In the second level of this area, there's actually a chance of drowning in extremely deep water. After a certain amount of time with no air, things will get tense and without an air bubble Sonic will die.

Some platforms can prove tricky, especially when Sonic is just above the water, so it's best to be dextrous to avoid drowning. This level is followed up by the Aquatic Ruin Zone, so things obviously get more difficult.

Answer: Halo

Been there. Done that. Plasma Grenades are a helpful tool throughout the "Halo" series. Unlike the human-made Fragmentation Grenades, they have the possibility of sticking to surfaces or enemies, causing less damage but being great tactical devices.

The grenade also works effectively on enemy vehicles. Banshees, which fly through the air, are a Covenant ship and when you throw Plasma Grenades at them there is the chance of bringing them down. Unfortunately, a poor plan can result in one landing on your head...almost as disappointing a death as being hit by a Ghost you never saw.

Answer: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

"Ocarina of Time" (N64) was lauded in its day for being one of the highest-caliber action-adventure titles ever released. Amongst its lengthy story, there were, however, many opportunities to get into trouble. The humble Cucco, for instance, a chicken-like creature found in most civilized locations in the game, proved to be a formidable foe when attacked with a sword or the Megaton Hammer.

When provoked with battle, the bird would call upon its nearest friends to attack you, draining your health until you died or ran out of fairies...unless you were to hop into a building or leave the area.

Answer: Dance Dance Revolution

"Dance Dance Revolution", known for its, bright, loud, bulky arcade machines and its propensity for awkward dancing and J-pop originals, often allowed three dances per admission cost, but failing any of the three would result in a game over-- your tokens/cash would be lost to the game.

In earlier cabinets (think "Dance Dance Revolution Extreme"), playing songs and beginning to fail out on them would trigger a flashing shark on the screen which, to some, would likely only make things worse. The key was always to focus on the arrows, and never on the eclectic background images...but when that shark, appearing with red flashes, graced the screen, you knew you would be toast.

Answer: Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble

All three of the "Donkey Kong Country" games for the SNES featured different playable teams-- the first included Donkey Kong and Diddy, the second included Diddy and Dixie, and the third and final of the trilogy included Dixie and Kiddy Kong, the latter of whom was a baby.

While the previous game was more grim in that Diddy and Dixie would be sent to jail if they ended up losing to K. Rool or his Kremlings, Dixie and Kiddy were actually sent to a cell-like crib. That wouldn't stop them though.

Answer: Spaceteam

A game for two to four players (eight in massive mode), the entire premise involves piloting a spacecraft by yelling at each other. Trust me. Every device involved in the game had a control panel labeled with technical gobbledygook and receives different instructions, most of which will be for other players and all of which will be timed.

As long as all the directions are followed, your team will succeed. Too many issues will prompt a failure, and everyone will receive posthumous awards. It's not hard though-- it's just piloting through space. ;)