We all deserve a second chance which is why we're doing a list of the 10 Best Continue Screens. The only time we ever really get a second chance is within a video game. After the horror of failing, we’re always presented with the choice for gaming redemption. With the tap of a button we can resurrect our former selves for one more chance at glory. This is our list of the 10 Best Continue Screens that will give even the most downtrodden gamer hope. They’re helpful, hilarious, and at times, violently motivating.

  • 10

    Shaq-Fu

    Shaquille O’Neil is a big guy, but seeing him cower after being defeated in Shaq Fu is disheartening. It makes you want to focus all of your skills, find your fighting center, and go back for another round with that crazy cat lady. It may not have been the best game around, but Shaq Fu certainly has one of the 10 Best Continue Screens.

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  • 9

    Bayonetta

    From the length of Bayonetta’s legs to her sexy special moves, everything about this title is done to the extreme. But, the continue screen is one exception. Simply a view of a beaten Bayonetta laying in some ethereal light. Of course you want to hit continue and get back back to fighting all sorts of devilish monsters. Plus, witches can’t die, can they?

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  • 8

    Magician Lord

    In the days of the Neo Geo, there was a magician out to reclaim the land from an evil sorcerer. In Magician Lord, you play that conjurer and failing is not an option. When you lose, you’re only treated to a encouraging, but somehow mocking, magician face. Come on, you have to continue. Do you want to be a disappointment? Of course you don’t.

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  • 7

    Bioshock Infinite

    You don’t have much of a choice when it comes to continuing in Bioshock Infinite. When Booker falls, Elizabeth hauls him right out of the enclosing darkness with a needle and a yank of her arm. It is a continue screen that doesn’t give you any options, but it is one that you’ll remember. It forces you ever onward through the streets and skyways of Columbia.

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  • 6

    Primal Rage

    The post-apocalypse never looked so ridiculous. Primal Rage was a fighting game that came out in 1994 and happened to feature one of the most insane continue screens ever coded. It has dinosaurs, cave-women, and claws counting down the seconds to your imminent demise.

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  • 5

    Final Fight 3

    The Final Fight games have always had a certain knack for showcasing some of the best continue screens around. Final Fight 3 though takes the middle spot on our list of the 10 Best Continue Screens. Just look at the impending ceiling of spikes descending on our unwitting warrior. Back in the days of coin op arcades, this would definitely get you to fork over your lunch money.

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  • 4

    Super House of Dead Ninjas

    Surprised to find a more modern game on our list? Well, Super House of Dead Ninjas is a title that really earns a spot on our list. Its continue screen is simply one of the best we could find. It is clear, concise, and something you’ll probably see a lot. Super House of Dead Ninjas is one hard game, and we’re thankful for a good looking continue screen.

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  • 3

    Ninja Gaiden

    This classic of the NES and arcade days has made it pretty high on our list of the 10 Best Continue Screens. It features a zoomed in view of the horrific happenings that are about to befall Ryu Hayabusa. You can see all the baddies in the background, leering in preparation for the bloody mess that is just about to happen. Better hit that continue button!

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  • 2

    Warriors of Fate

    The spiritual predecessor to Dynasty Warriors, Warriors of Fate featured soldiers of the Three Kingdoms as they battle it out for supremacy. As always with any Three Kingdoms game, Lu Bu is ever present to mess up your day and provide you with a look at one of the best continue screens you’re liable to find. Damn, that Lu Bu is a jerk even now in Dynasty Warriors 8.

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  • 1

    Mortal Kombat 4

    Of course a Mortal Kombat game had to round out our list of the 10 Best Continue Screens. Mortal Kombat 4 featured a spiked pit with an exceedingly long drop to give you enough time to mash that continue button or put in a couple more quarters. It provided you with a bit of mystery when you first saw it. What was at the bottom? Being a Mortal Kombat game, it was obviously something pointy and ready to dismember anyone not quick enough with the quarters.

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