Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine Issue 36
Demo Derby
Game Mess Mornings 04/22/24
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8-4 Play 4/19/2024: LEAVE IT TO BEAVERS
8-4 Play
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The concept of purchasing media and having it delivered over the internet. No physical representation of this content is given, and although the content resides on the user's hard drive they are typically granted a license to the product, rather than ownership of it.
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.
Homebrew software is a slang term for unofficial software and games for consoles and handhelds which don't generally support it, such as the Wii or Nintendo DS.
Anthropomorphism is the concept of an object, concept or character that has human qualities or traits, such as speech, a level of intelligence similar or higher than a human's and self consciousness. "Anthro" means "of human" and related to the concept of humanity.
A sub-genre of adventure games, visual novels are a form of interactive fiction that usually have very little in terms of gameplay but often focus more on extensive storytelling, character interactions, decision-making and branching narratives.
It's arguably the one move that symbolizes the medium to those outside it. The ability to jump, be it onto a building, a platform, or a skull, is one of the all time most important abilities ever put in a video game.
Games whose titles consist of a single word.
Side-scrolling games present the world as viewed perpendicular to the direction the characters are facing on screen. With a heavy focus on lateral movement, objectives are often met by moving from one end of a stage to the other.
Rabbits, or bunnies, are smallish mammals with long ears and a cottony tail.
A species of striped feline.
The concept of requiring the player to collect large amounts of multiple tokens to progress in the game, learn new abilities, unlock secrets or optional content, etc. It was often implemented in the early platformers of the N64 & Playstation era.
An overworld is a simplified view of the game world that allows players to freely move to different locations or levels.
Never Ending Games is a self-explanatory concept in which a game is unbeatable and never ends, due either to the game having no true ending or because the game is not saved (or truly continued) after the last section of the game.
In many games there is a ranking system, the players with the highest point value are listed in a "high score" table.
Special codes or button combinations used to gain powers or advantages in a game. Generally hidden.
General MIDI (also known as GM or GM 1) is a standardized specification for electronic musical instruments that respond to MIDI messages. It is used in the large majority of older DOS and Windows games.
In video games, dithering is a graphical technique using pixel patterns to simulate additional colors or transparency. While far more common on CRTs, many games still use the technique, especially games which use pixel art.
Marriage is when characters, typically a pair of them, are joined in loving (or not so loving) matrimony!
A type of video game where the player plans out what their character does on a daily basis; filling in their agenda and developing them the way they want.
A mechanic used mainly in Japanese RPGs of both the action and turn-based variety.
A digital distribution platform that focuses on providing DRM-free computer games, both old and new.
The act of preparing food by applying heat, often cooking in games produces items which yield some kind of benefit towards your character.
The main line of distinction between victory or failure in video games, death is the process of a biological being ceasing to be alive.
Classes are different archetypes and playstyles that players can choose to play their game with.
Job systems allow for a user to dictate the role of a game character. Offering the capacity for deep customization and quick adaptability, job systems give players the ability to tailor their own experience.
Bite size games for the PSP and the PSPgo.
Tracker music, or module/MOD music is a digital music format that was popularized in the late 80's and became the de facto standard for video game music on the Amiga, as well as in the Demoscene, and is still in wide use today.
An all-in-one suite/programming language to help users create games in DOS.
Experience Points are part of a character advancement system commonly found in RPGs. These points are generally gained by defeating an enemy or completing a task.
Multiple endings is a term used to describe different outcomes or conclusions to a game based on the previous actions of the player.
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