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Game » consists of 8 releases. Released December 1983
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.
Action RPG (Action Role-Playing Game), also known as ARPG, refers to RPGs (role-playing games) that use direct, real-time, reflex-oriented, action combat systems, instead of the more abstract turn-based or menu-based battle systems.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, commonly refers to the programmed behaviors of NPCs in a game, whether it's the fact that a soldier takes cover behind a wall in Gears of War, or that townspeople cheer upon your arrival to their village in Fable.
One of the world's oldest board games, using eight pawns, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, a queen and king.
Chiptunes are musical compositions that are synthesized by a computer or console sound chip.
Games where the developer has held a contest during the active development process in order to determine or finalize certain aspects of the game.
A person serving time in prison or an escaped criminal on the run from the law.
The main line of distinction between victory or failure in video games, death is the process of a biological being ceasing to be alive.
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.
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.
Game Over originally appeared in pinball machines, and later, arcade machines. When players lose at a game, it is game over.
Grid-based movement limits players, and other entities in a game, to moving through the game world in increments of whole squares on a grid. It has been a common staple of turn-based strategy games since the earliest board games of antiquity. It was also used by early RPGs.
Enemies in RPGs that are visible on the overworld map and that are engaged in combat when touched. Examples include Earthbound and Paper Mario.
“Indie” or “independently developed” games are video games which are developed by a studio without the support of an external publisher.
A heavily armored soldier in the service of a lord or cause. Typically a champion of good and a defender of the innocent.
The process by which characters reach a new level, gain greater attributes, and learn more abilities. It usually involves earning enough experience points by completing a variety of tasks such as quests or by "farming" such as killing other characters for their experience points.
Ever since Pac-Man, games have had us navigating mazes.
Armed forces. The arm of government that deals with fighting wars and protecting a nation from external or internal threats
Characters controlled by the game for players to interact with, as opposed to player characters which are controlled by whomever is playing the game.
Everyone else can keel over as much as necessary, but if the party leader falls, it's game over. Sometimes this makes logical sense, like with perma-death battle systems. But more often then not the main character is one Phoenix Down away from a game over.
A system in which the player is allowed to control multiple characters. Most commonly seen in role playing games. Can also be used to describe party systems in the MMORPG genre, which brings a group of players together to accomplish various tasks.
Console games that derive from a past PC exclusive release, either due to popular demand or poor sales.
The act of turning someone or something to stone, generally by a fantastic means.
A phalanx is a rectangular formation of long spears and shields facing the enemy. Ranks would be tight, perhaps locking shields together, to present the enemy with a wall of spear points and shields. A typical phalanx unit was ten by ten men.
Any character you can control in a game is a Player Character (PC), as opposed to a non-player character (NPC), which is a character that can only be controlled by the game.
Some games actively taunt the player, through screen text, voice, or changes to the game itself. It's a form of authorial voice that can lead the player to really question their relationship to the developer.
Japanese PC online digital distribution service for emulated retro games, launched on 24 November 2001, years before similar services from Steam, Virtual Console, or XBLA.
Enemies that appear out of nowhere and force the player into a battle.
Video game combat in which combat actions are performed in real-time, rather than through a turn-based structure.
Many games allow you to add characters to your playable group upon fulfilling certain conditions. This is a central mechanic of many RPG franchises, including Fire Emblem and Suikoden. These can be NPCs or even enemy characters that the player persuades to join their cause, through sidequests or dialogue options.
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