Why Is This Terrible Nintendo DS Game From 18 Years Ago Still One of Metacritic’s Top-Ranked Games?

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Throughout the history of video games, many titles have been called “the greatest game of all time.” Games like Super Mario Bros. and Pac-Man established the foundations of the medium, while others like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Witcher 3 became defining hits for their respective generations. More recently, games such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Baldur’s Gate 3 have also entered the conversation. These debates about the best game ever have lasted for decades and will likely continue as long as video games exist.

The unexpected popularity of Cory in the House among highly-rated games is pretty amusing. Originally released almost twenty years ago, this TV show tie-in game was largely overlooked until it recently became an internet sensation, climbing to the top of Metacritic’s user rankings. Let’s explore why Cory in the House has made a comeback and what that tells us about gaming culture today.

Why Gamers “Love” Cory In The House For The Nintendo DS

I remember when Cory in the House came out on April 22, 2008! It was based on the Disney Channel show, which itself was a spin-off of That’s So Raven. The game puts you in Cory Baxter’s shoes as he moves to the White House with his dad, who becomes the White House chef. You basically run around the White House trying to find bobbleheads before they hypnotize the President! It was one of those games that seemed to come with every kids’ show back then, and honestly, critics weren’t too impressed when it first came out. But then, something amazing happened. A funny meme started going around about how ridiculous the premise of the show was, and suddenly, everyone online started calling this game a classic! It’s wild how things change, right?

Players started sharing heartfelt stories online about their experiences with the game, which quickly turned into an internet sensation. This led to a surge of positive user reviews on sites like Metacritic, effectively reversing the typical practice of review bombing. As of today, the game has over 8,800 fan reviews, placing it among the highest-rated titles on the site. The trend gained renewed attention when Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received critical acclaim in 2025, inspiring players to keep Cory in the House near the top of the charts. As a result, original copies of the game have unexpectedly become valuable collectibles.

Sometimes, A Good Gamer Gag Will Endure

After almost twenty years, the Cory in the House video game should be mostly forgotten. It was one of many games made to coincide with a TV show, and likely felt outdated even before it was released. The show itself has become a bit of a nostalgic footnote, just one of the many TV series that have faded from public memory. Usually, Cory in the House would simply be another unremarkable game from that era. But a funny, ironic observation about the game’s odd concept unexpectedly turned it into a popular running joke within the gaming community.

The joke is surprisingly funny and works in a lot of different ways. Some people deliberately give the game positive reviews on sites like Metacritic as a playful jab at how seriously gamers take highly-rated titles, showing how fan culture and silly memes can influence critical discussion. On the other hand, the over-the-top praise for Cory in the House – with some “reviewers” even claiming it changed their lives – playfully mocks players themselves, pointing out how quickly they can exaggerate when talking about a game they enjoy. It’s also a lighthearted take on nostalgia, showing how people who fondly remember the game from childhood often believe it was a groundbreaking technical achievement, even compared to more modern titles.

Despite being a harmless Disney game, Cory in the House avoids the pitfall of many memes, where the joke feels mean-spirited. Instead, it brings people together through a shared experience of laughing at its oddness and how the internet reacted to it. The game shows how much of gaming culture relies on playful, ironic humor – the ‘shitposting’ that creates memes, jokes, and videos about what makes Cory in the House so uniquely bad. Ironically, by being a game that should have been easily forgotten, Cory in the House has become surprisingly memorable.

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2026-04-15 22:11