This is a screen shot of the 2008 Wii video game Wario Land: The Shake Dimension. It is a sequel in the Wario Land series, which is itself a spin-off of Super Mario Bros. Although it has been fairly well-received by critics and general audiences alike since release, those sentiments aren't without their criticisms. One of the most common complaints leveled at Wario Land is its relatively short length. This is a surprisingly interesting point of discussion because it recognizes one crucial characteristic that distinguishes great games from not-so-great ones: longevity.

Generally speaking, when you see a movie, it doesn't really matter to you how long the movie is. What's important is what the film manages to achieve during its runtime. If it's a good film while it lasts, then it doesn't make much of a difference whether it was 80 minutes long or 150. To be sure, the length of a film may have some bearing on its quality, but even that is due to poor pacing, not the length itself. Gamers, however, aren't quite as forgiving. When evaluating a video game, the typical gamer will take the length of the game into account as a factor in judging its quality. The longer a game is, the higher it is likely to rank in that category.

I find such concerns to be legitimate. Although I believe Wario Land critics severely underestimate the game's longevity, owing to its heaps of replay value, games that offer a bang for your buck definetly have an edge over those that don't. Longevity is one of the things that defines what is a game and what is not. A great game can fall short of its potential if it ends too soon. That being said, longevity is by no means the only factor in judging a game. A great game that ends too soon is much more preferable to a mediocre game that runs longer. Overall, unlike with movies, music, and the like, games are often drastically affected by their length, and it can be the difference between a memorable game experience and a forgettable one.