History Main / UnendingEndCard

* ''VideoGame/{{Wario}}'':
** ''VideoGame/WarioLandII'' doesn't let you exit the EndGameResultsScreen, though you can at least flip between three different views of your progress.
** ''VideoGame/WarioLand3'' has a picture of the music box containing the game's world and "END" until you turn off the system. If you collected all 100 treasures, the game would progress from this screen to [[spoiler:the "PERFECT!" screen with Wario giving two thumbs up]], and you'd be stuck on this screen as well.

* In the original ''{{VideoGame/Star Fox|1}}'', beating the "Out of This Dimension" level serves as a GainaxEnding to the game. After beating a giant slot machine boss, the player can fly through the credits until "THE END" appears. The player can shoot at the letters in "THE END", but the game will otherwise not progress any further. {{Downplayed|Trope}} as there is a way out aside from resetting the system, which is letting the enemies that still appear kill you until you get a game over.

* ''VideoGame/WarioLand3'' has a picture of the music box containing the game's world and "END" until you turn off the system. If you collected all 100 treasures, the game would progress from this screen to [[spoiler:the "PERFECT!" screen with Wario giving two thumbs up]], and you'd be stuck on this screen as well.

[[AC:Role Playing Games]]
* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'': Given how this game tells you to shut down the game console when you choose to save and quit rather than return to the title screen like most other games with that option, that makes it an indicator that this trope will come into play for when you reach the end. It does so on a black screen with "THE END...?"

[[AC:Shooter]]
* The Sega 32X port of ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' either drops you into a cycle of enemy presentations (similar to ''VideoGame/DoomII'') or a fake DOS prompt (if you used level select or one of the cheats).

[[AC:Text adventure]]
* ''VideoGame/BeyondTheTitanic'': Even though the game can either exit or restart, finishing the game required rebooting the computer to regain control of the system. As a bonus, the source code shows the victory procedure written just after the "dead" procedure, which also allows restarting the game or exiting.

[[AC:VisualNovel]]

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand2SixGoldenCoins'': The game's credits end with the worlds "Mario Land 2 The End" shown, alongside a shot of Fire Mario walking forward and Wario giving the player a thumbs up, all while the credts theme plays (it loops instead of ending). Nothing else can be done by this point except turning the game off.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'': after the credits and an EnemyRollCall, the game sticks to a screen with Mario, Luigi, and Peach under the words, "THE END".

[[caption-width-right:255:Alright! I get it! I'll turn off the system.]]

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'': At the end of the credits parade, Geno's true form ascends to the repaired Star Road before writing "The End" in the foreground. After a moment on the screen, the colors will shift and play a music box rendition of the Overworld theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' until the game is reset.

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' ends with a black screen title card calling the game “Xenogears Episode V,” as it was originally supposed to be the start of a six part series. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen That ended up never happening]] and most of the team left to make ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' and later ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles''.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'': At the end of the credits parade, Geno's true form ascends to the repaired Star Road before writing "The End" in the foreground. After a moment on the screen, the colors will shift and play a music box rendition of the Overowrld theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' until the game is reset.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'': At the end of the credits parade, Geno's true form ascends to the repaired Star Road before writing "The End" in the foreground. After a moment on the screen, the colors will shift and play a music box rendition of the Overowrld theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' until the game us reset.

* ''VideoGame/PaperMario'': At the end of the credits, Mario and Peach watch the fireworks from his house and the caption "The End" appears. With that, the screen is stuck on the scene until the game is reset.

* ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' takes this trope UpToEleven. After completely clearing the game, you are placed on a screen with a letter from Monika, or the game maker if you got the GoldenEnding. However, closing and reopening the game will not let you play the game again; to play again, you have to delete a specific file mentioned in the game's readme.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' and ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' provide a different clear screen depending on the difficulty you play. Averted in the ''Final Mix'' versions which give you options to save and return to the start screen.

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': Completing the True Pacifist run will treat you to an end card consisting of the game's title and "THE END" while "Memory" plays. [[spoiler: If you cleared a Genocide run first, the "THE END" text will be blood red and a slowed down version of "Anticipation" will play instead.]]

* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'': Given how this game tells you to shut down the game console when you choose to save and quit rather than return to the title screen like most other games with that option, that makes it an indicator that this trope will come into play for when you reach the end. It does so on a black screen with "THE END...?"
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' up to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' just shows a never-ending field of stars after the credits finish up.

* The Sega 32X port of ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' either drops you into a cycle of enemy presentations (similar to ''VideoGame/DoomII'') or a dos prompt (if you used level select or one of the cheats).

* In the SNES version of ''VideoGame/SimCity'', there was an option to "quit the game", which would lead to a "see you later" card accepting no input from the controller.

In most cases, this is likely done deliberately. Maybe the developers assumed that the player would just shut the system off upon beating the game anyway, so they don't bother to program a way out of these screens. You won't need to worry about losing your progress if said game has an {{Autosave}} feature, as it will recognize that you have beaten the final boss. For games without an {{Autosave}} feature, you'd better make sure to save if you decide you want to play that file again, especially if you have't saved in hours since reaching the end. Otherwise, you may find yourself resetting back to more than the near end.

* ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'' provides you a code to play the harder Extra Mode upon completing the game. You will have to reset the game boy to play it. After beating extra mode, it's back at this screen with a different code granting you access to config mode. Again, you have to reset the system.

* ''VideoGame/WarioLand3'' has a picture of the music box containing the game's world and "END" until you turn off the system.

[[quoteright:256:[[VideoGame/PanelDePon https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tetris_attack_u_001.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:256:Alright! I get it! I'll turn off the system.]]

Not to be confused with KillScreen, which results in games that weren't even programmed to have an end, or TheEndOrIsIt.

* ''VideoGame/{{Kingdom Hearts|I}}'' and ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' provide a different clear screen depending on the difficulty you play. Averted in the ''Final Mix'' versions which give you options to save and return to the start screen.

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': While clearing a neutral run sends you back to the title screen after watching an epilogue and a talk with Flowey (if you haven't killed him, that is), completing the Pacifist Run treats you to big the end words and sweet music after its credits until the game is closed manually. If you previously cleared a Genocide run, these words will be blood red and the sweet music will be replaced with ominous music. Closing and reopening the game will have Flowey talk to you and ask you not to reset from the beginning.

'''As this is an ending trope, expect spoilers'''

* ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' takes this trope UpToEleven. After completely clearing the game, you are placed on a screen with a letter from Monika, or the game maker if you got the GoldenEnding. However, closing and reopening the game will not let you play the game again; to play again, you have to delete a specific file mentioned in the game's readme.