We’re the only species on earth with the brainpower to comprehend its own existence. This makes it all the more embarrassing when we have moments that have us truly questioning our own intelligence.
Moments that stoke the imposter syndrome and make us think “huh, maybe I’m not that smart after all”. When we have these moments, it’s good to talk about them.
Ollie Reynolds, Ball Dropper
"I turned the GameCube off in frustration. No joke, when I finally realised that the game was referring to the Morph Ball ability, I turned the GameCube off in frustration.
“I’m clearly not cut out for this experience,” I thought." “I’m clearly not cut out for this experience,” I thought.
You see, at this point in the game, Samus has many of her core abilities intact; it’s only when you actually escape the Frigate and land on the nearby planet Tallon IV that she loses them all.
I knew I had the Morph Ball, because I tested it out directly after jumping off my ship. There’s a moment about ten minutes into the game where you come across a locked door.
Naturally, of course, this is referring to Samus’ Morph Ball ability, but for reasons I still can’t quite comprehend to this day, I must have spent a good two hours or so scouring the rooms I’d already visited for some sort of spherical object.
Alana Hagues, Ninja Neglecter
"when I told my friends, they were shocked. I’ve been branded a ninja murderer"
When there’s a time limit in the corner of a screen, I always panic, and so I see this clock ticking down as I’m running around the Floating Continent, trying to save the party’s lives, and I think “I need to get out of here fast“.
Then the game gave me a choice — jump or wait. Had I said ‘Wait’, and tried to jump again, the game would’ve specifically suggested “Gotta wait for Shadow…”. I’ve been branded a ninja murderer despite the signs Final Fantasy VI gave me.
It’s not obvious like “fire magic heals the fire enemy” — maybe if I’d done this as a kid I’d feel a bit better about it.
"I got lost. In a Lego game." You move from a clearly-defined point A to an equally clear point B, solving some not-too-head-scratching puzzles along the way and getting involved in some very simple single-button combat.
Jim Norman, Arrow Avoider
I emphasise hover in this instance because, well, it was pretty important. After making it so far, I was faced by a big gap with a series of studs across it.
“I suppose that’s just a hole that leads to nowhere,” I concluded, after using R2’s limited hover ability to fly out, collect the studs and then fly back to my side.
All you had to do was follow the direction of the arrow and the scrolling screen would move with you, showing you the other side of the pit. But one thing I am sure of is how that gap still haunts me.
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Ah… We feel better now that’s off our chests. Now, we’d love to hear your stories, too. Moments that, until this day, you’ve been simply too embarrassed to tell anybody?