Power Bombcast: The Skin Doesn't Quite Fit
Giant Bomb Presents
Game Mess Mornings 05/03/24
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Game » consists of 6 releases. Released 1982
Sure, these days have almost every game sporting the newfangled 3D, but way back when, everyone had to live with plain old 2D. 2D, or two dimensions, limit the game to scrolling backgrounds, but some games even now make use of this basic concept.
8-bit can be a reference to actual computing power, or it can be a retro look for videogames that want to recall a bygone era.
Collectibles are items such as coins, rings, gems, packages etc. that can be gathered, usually for some kind of reward, or sometimes to simply beat a level. Often (almost too often) the source of earning achievements and trophies on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
A type of gameplay where the main goal is to eat or collect a certain amount of stuff. At the same time, enemies will try to eat the player character.
Ahh, eating... We can't live without it, and, apparently, neither can some characters. From snakes to dots, games have odd ways of dishing out their dishes.
To elude, escape, or get away from. Some games require players to escape from some people or things to perform some objective or avoid death.
Game Over originally appeared in pinball machines, and later, arcade machines. When players lose at a game, it is game over.
Games for the Nintendo 64 with the numbers 64 after the title to denote that it is, in fact, a 64-bit game for the Nintendo 64.
These spooky entities are the spirits of the dead, returned from beyond their graves for generally sinister purposes. There's generally about even odds whether a particular ghost will be helpful or malevolent towards the living, but some ghosts just want to be left alone entirely.
A situation where the player-controlled character loses their life immediately. The quickness of that demise is often a stark departure from the balance of power, and sometimes the rules, established by the developers during the rest of the game.
The concept of lives in video games evolved to let the player get a second chance after failing once. The most recognizable symbol is the heart.
Ever since Pac-Man, games have had us navigating mazes.
Sometimes, for one reason or another, a game will never actually tell you exactly where you are. Usually, this does not negatively impact the gameplay. Usually.
Any game that does not have any written or spoken dialogue in it, regardless if it has characters or not. This includes any text or recorded dialogue that is spoken by a character or narrator, but not text such as "Press Start".
Some games feature protagonists that are not humanoid in nature. These are creatures that do not have human characteristics (i.e. stand on 2 legs, have 2 arms, a body and a head).
A Palette Swap is when two or more characters share the same style sprite or character model with only minor color or cosmetic changes. Although visually similar, palette swap characters may have very different moves and personalities.
Enemies that are adamant in their will to hunt you down. Example: Pac-Man ghosts.
Pixel art refers to digital images composed of visible pixels, drawn with individual pixel-level intent and precision.
Porting is a term used when a game designed to run on one platform is converted to run on a different platform. Quality varies, though some titles are packaged with extras.
Power Ups can be used to give the controlling character, or any other character, temporary or permanent upgrades.
Video game combat in which combat actions are performed in real-time, rather than through a turn-based structure.
Being able to travel off one side of the screen and in from the other side.
Games whose titles consist of a single word.
A level in which everything is displayed on-screen at once, with no scrolling, flip screen, or 3D movement. Many '80s games consist entirely of single-screen levels.
A two-dimensional image or animation overlaid into a scene. The foundation of early 2D games, making up everything from props to the player-controlled character.
Survival is a concept that signifies that the player's life is constantly in jeopardy.
Whether by item or otherwise, temporary invincibility provides the user a brief moment where they are impervious to attack.
"Vore" is an internet term for a sexual fetish for the act of a creature swallowing someone else whole while they are still alive. The act is also seen in many video games, in a decidedly less sexual manner.
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