things_i_like_in_games
title: “My Favorite Things in Games” tags:
- favorites
- games
- post
- published
This might make for a good devlog.
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Inspired by NaNoWriMo’s “magna carta”s, this is a list of things in games that I’ve liked.
They are here as inspiration, motivation, and as a tribute. I hope to borrow/steal/remix/create with this, to give my own games a bit of the joy these brought me.
These should help step towards the principles I care about in games. What themes are threaded through all these?
See also:
- games i love
- JUICY (juice in games)
- Best Game Talks
secrets
Section titled “secrets”rewind/replay of big moments
Section titled “rewind/replay of big moments”super meat boy’s all-at-once replay
Section titled “super meat boy’s all-at-once replay”towerfall’s last-death-rewind replay
Section titled “towerfall’s last-death-rewind replay”last-time review / catch-up
Section titled “last-time review / catch-up”last time, on x
- pokemon started doing this at some point
- before tv show episodes
easy pickup and play
Section titled “easy pickup and play”Blending in with AI
Section titled “Blending in with AI”- hidden in plain sight
the game and the concept
Fog of War
Section titled “Fog of War”games! chess?
NPCs: personal, quirky, honest
Section titled “NPCs: personal, quirky, honest”Fast Restart/Retry
Section titled “Fast Restart/Retry”on death, or pause menu you never die, you are only reborn
- Hotline Miami
- Celeste
- Towerfall
Telling players to Take A Break
Section titled “Telling players to Take A Break”- end of pomodoro
- sword and sworcery
session-based game flow
Level Completion Percentage on death
Section titled “Level Completion Percentage on death”- cuphead
ink-stories?
Progress Meter towards Unlockables
Section titled “Progress Meter towards Unlockables”- downwell
- streets of rage 4
Boss Battles
Section titled “Boss Battles”- Mr X in Streets of Rage
- Metroid Dread
- Cuphead
boss battles
Choose Your Character
Section titled “Choose Your Character”Often with unlockables
- Super Smash Bros
- Streets of Rage
- Cuphead
- TMNT
Story Flashbacks
Section titled “Story Flashbacks”- zelda botw
- braid
Devs that Play their own game
Section titled “Devs that Play their own game”Elevator Levels
Section titled “Elevator Levels”Something about fighting in an elevator is quite fun.
elevator dungeon?
- Streets of Rage
- teenage mutant ninja turtles
super elevator level
Real-Calendar and Date Features
Section titled “Real-Calendar and Date Features”- animal crossing
- Pokemon Ruby/Diamond
real-time (animal-crossing-day-calendar-weather-style) features
Some things only come out at night.
Weather Systems
Section titled “Weather Systems”- animal crossing
- zelda botw
real-time (animal-crossing-day-calendar-weather-style) features weather system (game mechanic) the weather
Character Idle Animations
Section titled “Character Idle Animations”falling asleep when you haven’t touched controls for a while
- Toe Jam and Earl
Knocking Enemies ‘Over the Side’
Section titled “Knocking Enemies ‘Over the Side’”a combat short-cut.
- Streets of Rage
- Super Smash Bros
- Toe Jam and Earl
- teenage mutant ninja turtles
Luring Enemies into Traps
Section titled “Luring Enemies into Traps”- Breath of the Wild
Hitting Enemies with Other Enemies
Section titled “Hitting Enemies with Other Enemies”“Stop hitting yourself!”
Skate’s Grab, Jump, Throw Across Screen combo
- Streets of Rage
Enemies Hitting the ‘Camera’
Section titled “Enemies Hitting the ‘Camera’”- teenage mutant ninja turtles
- Super Smash Bros
Falling in the Sewers for a sec
Section titled “Falling in the Sewers for a sec”“This cave is creepy”
- teenage mutant ninja turtles
Side-Dodge, Air-Dodge
Section titled “Side-Dodge, Air-Dodge”- Super Smash Bros
- Towerfall
in-game coffee shops
Section titled “in-game coffee shops”destroy the car!
Section titled “destroy the car!”Those levels in street fighter when you just destroy a car.
- street fighter
fight 3 people, then mini games
Section titled “fight 3 people, then mini games”- Super Smash Bros
break the targets!
Section titled “break the targets!”- Super Smash Bros
discovering a new village
Section titled “discovering a new village”screen wrapping
Section titled “screen wrapping”Moving from one side to the other in Pacman or Towerfall.
- Pacman
- Towerfall
moving through portals/shortcuts
Section titled “moving through portals/shortcuts”Moving from room to room through a secret passage in Clue
- Pacman
- Towerfall
- Clue
dropping bananas
Section titled “dropping bananas”- Mario Kart
getting a hit with a green shell
Section titled “getting a hit with a green shell”- Mario Kart
alley oops
Section titled “alley oops”Since the latest superstrikers, i’ve wanted to do some kind of arch-ing shot one on one game. It’s all about that alley-oop, that whipping half-court shot.
- Super Mario Strikers
come-from-behind victories
Section titled “come-from-behind victories”- Mario Kart via items thunder, red-shell
- NBA Jam via shifting stats/probabilities
capture the flag
Section titled “capture the flag”running with the flag, chasing the other team’s carrier…
it helps to have a feel for the current state of the game (zoomed out camera? on-screen map?)
half-court shots
Section titled “half-court shots”-
the way it whips
-
the long-distance
-
the random, sometimes-ness of success
-
the whoop! when it goes in
-
Super Mario Strikers
-
NBA Jam (Hangtime)
meteor smashes
Section titled “meteor smashes”-
aka Spike
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aka ‘DOWN TOWN’
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Super Smash Bros