From the devastating BFG9000s from the Doom franchise to the unwieldy 'Merica from the Saints Row series, cartoonishly powerful weaponry is a constant in gaming. Though typically tucked away in hidden areas or hampered by a lack of ammunition, gamers relish moments in which they can mow down an enemy horde or slay a boss with overpowered ordinance designed for such occasions.
That said, counter to the sage wisdom of Team Fortress 2's Engineer, using "more gun" isn't always a good idea. In fact, these particular weapons are more likely to blow up the player than they are to blow up the player's enemies.
Bomb-omb (Mario Kart Series)
While skill and experience are often required to finish in first place in a Mario Kart race, success often relies on a not-insignificant amount of luck, as well. Those leading the pack may find themselves accosted by blue shells, while racers bringing up the rear may be catapulted to the front via a fortuitous bullet bill.
That said, some Mario Kart items are outright detrimental. While nobody wants to wind up with the accursed thunder cloud, bob-ombs can be just as bad; overconfident players may hurl one at racers just ahead of them only to find themselves caught in the ensuing blast.
Wunderwaffe DG-2 (Call of Duty: World At War)
Though it was originally meant to be a superweapon designed to exterminate entire swarms of zombies with one pull of the trigger, Call of Duty: World At War's Wunderwaffe DG-2 turned out to be a massive liability for squads looking to survive in the game's iconic horde mode.
Capable of sending a massive arc of electricity through a ravenous pack of undead, errant Wunderwaffe blasts could splash back at the player, which inadvertently took away their Juggernog perk. This could essentially half a player's health without them even realizing it, and this often resulted in confounding and frustrating deaths.
Alien Engine (Enter the Gungeon)
Boasting a collection of dozens upon dozens of weird and wonderful weapons, Enter the Gungeon is bound to force a few feeble firearms on the player.
That said, while the Alien Engine isn't necessarily bad—it can be extremely powerful when used correctly—it forces players to get much closer to enemies than common sense would deem practical. Additionally, firing the weapon causes the player to fly backward, and reckless players may just find themselves careening into a pit of spikes or a pool of lava. It has its uses, but most players will find the Alien Engine to be nothing but detrimental.
Napalm Molotov (Days Gone)
Introduced relatively late in the game's campaign, Days Gone's napalm molotovs are made out to be the next great evolution in zombie warfare. However, in most cases, the player is just as likely to light themselves on fire as they are to do any meaningful damage to an undead horde.
The issue is that they can't be thrown very far and must be used strategically in critical choke points, but, as one might imagine, tossing napalm around in enclosed spaces isn't a sterling strategy for longtime survival. They can be useful, but only if the player can handle going up in flames a few times.
Rocket Launcher (Team Fortress 2)
The primary weapon of the Soldier, Team Fortress 2's rocket launcher is a beloved ballistic battlefield implement that features a wide array of craftable variants. Unfortunately, it's also potentially detrimental in unskilled hands.
While seasoned TF 2 gamers can use it to traverse the map in unique ways and perform tricks and taunts, newcomers will, more than likely, blow themselves up more than once. Though contained in a relatively small radius, most variants deal a non-negligible amount of splash damage, meaning that they're unwieldy weapons to use in close quarters.
Wabbajack (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
A nod to the massively influential 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Wabbajack is earned after completing the nonsensical Skyrim sidequest The Mind of Madness. Using it on an enemy will trigger one of a myriad of effects, and the weapon can do anything from blasting fireballs to casting healing spells, and, on rare occasions, it'll turn foes into piles of cheese.
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It can be quite entertaining, but it's not even close to practical. It's true that the Dragonborn doesn't stand much of a chance of being blown up, but all bets are off when the Wabbajack is used in excess.
Bombs (Bomberman)
Bomberman isn't a massively complex game; best experienced as a multiplayer title, players do their best to navigate a semi-destructible maze and catch each other in their bomb blasts. It's a bit more complex than that—particularly in later titles—but Bomberman is all the more entertaining when kept to its core elements.
That said, half of the challenge comes from players needing to avid their own bombs. In the chaos of a heated match, one wrong move can lead to embarrassing self-imposed destruction.
Armageddon (Worms Series)
One of the most devastating weapons in the wacky arsenal seen in the Worms series, Armageddon often results in the complete destruction of a level. Less of a conventional weapon and more of a natural disaster, Armageddon triggers a destructive meteor shower which is almost guaranteed to leave no survivors.
A last resort useful only to the truly desperate, Armageddon makes no distinction between teams, and it essentially boils down a long-fought battle into a game of random chance.
Fat Man (Fallout Series)
An infamous tool of mass self-destruction, the Fat Man launcher shows up in several games in the Fallout series, and it's always completely devastating. A weapon capable of catapulting miniature nuclear bombs, there's almost no chance a player will end up completely unharmed after pulling the trigger.
As impractical as it is, there's no denying the weapon's intimidating nature. Packing enough power to decimate some of the Wasteland's toughest enemies, the Fat Man is the ultimate equalizer—it just needs to be used with extreme caution.
Nuclear Warhead (Shadow Warrior)
A classic Build Engine FPS, 1997's Shadow Warrior featured an absurd arsenal of weaponry. While the game's rocket launcher initially seems to be fairly standard, it's actually capable of firing a nuclear warhead, which is outrageously destructive.
When fired, the nuclear warhead emanates a blinding flash, kills anything remotely close to the detonation site, and leaves behind a cloud of toxic gas. Packing enough punch to put the BFG9000 to shame, Shadow Warrior's nuclear warhead is almost comical in its ability to annihilate absolutely everything—the player included.