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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.
Running at 60 FPS is standard for arcade & PC games, but hardware restrictions of consoles often force developers to aim for lower framerates in order to preserve visual detail or allow greater scale. 3D console games hitting 60 FPS are thus uncommon, though the trend of re-releasing games on newer hardware has technically resulted in more 3D console games hitting 60 FPS.
Achievements are extra challenges added into video games that sometimes carry a point value or unlock bonus material, and are sometimes solely for bragging rights.
Games that feature stages in which the player is forced to continually progress, chased by a relentless and lethal threat that covers the entire height/width of the screen.
Levels that progress forward by themselves at a fixed rate.
Avatar Awards are items or clothing that are unlocked for Xbox Live avatars by completing certain tasks within the game.
Videogame bosses, generally enormous ones, that take up the entire background of the screen you fight them on, usually only extending the body parts they attack with (and for some reason, their weak point) into the foreground where the player can interact with them.
Necessary to sustain life in organic creatures, the crimson fluid known as blood tends to make appearances when the body's structure is compromised in some way, a very, very common occurrence in videogames.
When blood will splash textures on walls or floors and even roofs.
Bosses are enemies that fight you at the end of a level or at a significant point in the story.
A boss fight is a culminating challenge that pits the player against one or more enemies representing a greater threat and/or difficulty than those previously faced. These scenarios typically feature unique antagonists.
A distinct and predictable pattern of attacks or movement a boss takes. This can be based in reaction to a player's actions or simply a stringent script the boss adheres to.
Games have recently begun including methods of bypassing the standard console certification processes to allow quicker and free-er DLC and patches. Examples include Super Meat Boy's Teh Internets (allowing constant level patches without MS point costs) and Monday Night Combat's numerical tweak system (allowing minor updates to occur without necessitation a patch and therefore weeks of cert)
When a character from an existing media franchise makes a brief appearance in a video game, sometimes without even openly acknowledging their origins.
When the player's death is addressed and integrated in-game as a part of the player's continuing story. This often involves reincarnation of sorts, or the player continues by moving on to a different character.
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.
Games that numerically track the player's progress towards completion of a specific goal, single level, or the entire game.
A page devoted to cataloguing and explaining appearances and the use of concept art in games.
These games let players see the credits without needing to play the game first.
A crossover occurs when a character from one franchise makes a special appearance in a game from an unrelated franchise. Some games are specifically designed to be crossovers that bring together characters from two or more franchises.
The concept of a helpless female character in desperate need of rescuing by the protagonist, in most cases from a villain, or from a form of impending doom.
The main line of distinction between victory or failure in video games, death is the process of a biological being ceasing to be alive.
Sometimes designers add old-school things on purpose to enhance game design. These games tend to be heavily inspired by hardware limitations of older systems. NES, Atari 2600, and early computer platforms (DOS, Commodore 64, MSX, etc...) are common sources of inspiration.
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.
This concept deals with platforms that phase in and out of existence as time passes. It is used to create tricky platforming situations requiring excellent timing to overcome.
A double jump is the ability to jump while already in mid-air to get some extra lift. In reality, double jumps are not possible and violate fundamental laws of physics.
Games that were only available through digital distribution, then later released on physical media.
Electronic music is one of the broadest classifications of music, and has been a staple of video game soundtracks since the 90s. The genre's main trait is the use of electronic instruments.
Some rooms or items have twisted contortions, unnatural laws of gravity, or a generally confusing (yet working) architecture.
A fake glitch is a "glitch" coded into the game, designed to confuse, scare, or amuse the player.
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