Is Using Save States Cheating?

[Jimmu]

Save states are no doubt an easier way to get through a virtual console game without having to spend so much time moving back and forward with each and every death, but do you consider this to be cheating?

Do you use it yourself and if so do you feel as though it takes away from your feelings of accomplishment after you finish a game?

I admittedly have used them myself at a few key difficult junctions in some games as I just don't have the time to grind for full health again after every stupid death I bring on myself. I feel like as long as I don't use them to an insane level it doesn't really take away from my feelings of accomplishment but it certainly does take away some of the frustration and increases the likelihood of me actually finishing a game in a reasonable amount of time. I guess it can be considered "cheating" in the sense that it gives additional functionality that was never intended for the original game to make it easier, but really I don't think it is a huge issue to be using them if it makes your experience better as that's what it is all about.

 

[Princess Niki]

Such a life savor when it came to Zelda 2 and how ridiculously hard it is. It was also a nice time save if I were to die during a boss battle in other older Zelda games on VC.

 

[TheHeroofTime]

I think it really depends. If the game isn't designed with their use in mind, then yes. For example, if you're playing on an emulator and you use a built in save state function that the original version didn't have, then you've altered the experience, likely for the worse. If it's something like Skyrim where you can quicksave at any time (including during combat), then it's an intentional feature.

However, the point of videogames is to have fun. My experience is reduced by spamming save states, but for some people it wouldn't be. I think that it only matters if you had a good time playing the game and got something out of the experience. Save states are there to make games more fun, not ruin them, so using them certainly doesn't taint the experience unless that's how you feel about them.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

if it's purely used as a save point for you to come back to a game later, then I see zero problems w/ it, though if you spam save states to ensure that you won't lose, then yeah I can see an argument against that

though at the end of the day, how a person wants to play a game is completely up to them, there's no right way, so labeling it as cheating or not doesn't matter if that's how they want to play, heck some games might even be a worse experience w/o save states to some people

 

[Quin]

It is in fact cheating, but with games with ****ty save systems or no save system at all, I don't care and use them.

 

[MapelSerup]

Yes, I think so. But I feel no guilt towards using them in Zelda II. It’s nice to let people have the option.

 

[Azure Sage]

I literally used save states frame by frame to get through a bunch of fights in Zelda II because that game was so wack. I also used them to avoid climbing back up if moldorm knocks me down below because that's frustrating. I do think it's a little cheap yeah but I wouldn't call something cheating if it's a feature. Save states are a feature.

 

[Quin]

Its not though. Its an emulator function that no game was programmed in mind with. How is that not cheating?

 

[A Link In Time]

Yes, it's cheating but I feel no shame in doing so. Games like Zelda II or SMB: The Lost Levels are brutal without save states. They are hard for the sake of being hard, sometimes to the point of being unfair.

 

[Chevywolf30]

I'm leaning on them heavily in LoZ because id you die in a dungeon, you go allll the way back to spawn.

 

[NintendoCN]

My argument for both sides (Because debate club background) (I'm personally for).
For: Do you want to rely on RNG or luck to be in your favor for some games? (i.e. Fire Emblem hit rate or catching that fish you need for a recipe in HM64).
Against: They weren't there originally. If you can't do it, get better.

 

[Rubik]

It's kind of cheating, sure.

That doesn't mean you can't feel accomplished beating a difficult game using it, though.

 

[the8thark]

Save staes are omly cheating if you are aiming to do a single segment speedrun. For everyone else they are fine. You are still achieving everything in game, no cheat codes or hacks are implemented.
Also some amazing things can be done with emulators and save states. TASes can get really out of control and bonkers with what people do in them.

 

[AwdryFan1997]

It's not cheating. If I'm about to die, and someone gives me CPR, is that cheating?

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

Yes, but it doesn't matter.

The games in which save states are at their most prevalent these days tend to be older games from the 80s or 90s. Back then developers were trying to stretch out the game as much as possible, often through the use of broken, unfair difficulty that encouraged memorization and constant retries.