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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.
Games that are based upon books or novels.
Some game characters just cannot swim. This usually means automatic death as soon as they hit the water.
Special codes or button combinations used to gain powers or advantages in a game. Generally hidden.
Games involving characters that round up local hoodlums for the good of the community.
The act of bending at the knees from a standing position. Crouching is an essential part of many shooters and platformers, and can be used by players to stay behind cover or avoid incoming projectiles.
Someone who investigates unsolved crimes and other mysterious happenings, either for a living, as a hobby, or simply by chance.
An illusive effect in games with 2D graphics where a character attacks the player so that it seems like the attack came from either behind or in front of the screen.
Hostile marksmen who shoot people from a concealed place. Tactics and quick reflexes are often necessary in order to defeat them.
Items that prove innocence or guilt.
A door that players must go through to exit the level
Literally meaning "black film," film noir is a term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas. This unique style of storytelling and cinematography is often incorporated into video games.
Flip screen (or flick-screen) describes a way of dividing the game world into fixed screens, displayed one at a time. It's commonly found in 2D platformers, especially prior to the 16-bit era.
Video games that are based on comic books, manga and graphic novels.
Sometimes movies are based on comic books, many of these movies go on to gain video game adaptations.
"Hand to hand. It is the basis of all combat." -Gray Fox
Health is a value that gauges how much damage players can take in a game before they die or pass out. Also known as life in some games. Health is usually represented by a bar or a percentage instead of an exact amount. Found in most non sport games
A concept in a game where the playable character can't run out of ammo, and doesn't need to pick up/buy ammo. In some cases, you still have to reload your weapon, but you will still have an endless amount of magazines.
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.
Information on the time honored tradition of killing rats. Killing rats is a much cliched first quest for many western RPGs.
These games are based off of established licenses, such as movies, comics, or TV shows. Examples are the James Bond 007 and Spider-Man franchises.
Non-linear level design where the player is able to freely traverse the game world and choose where and when to visit certain areas in the game.
Passwords are codes used to save a player's progress, primarily during the 8-bit era and, to a lesser extent, the 16-bit era.
Police are paid protectors who enforce the law through legal use of force. They are supposed to help ensure public safety and social order. Their motto is to protect and to serve.
A sequel (also called a follow-up) is a game that carries forward the gameplay concepts, and often the story, of a previous game to which it is officially linked.
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.
An organized crime syndicate often consisting of members with shared ethnic backgrounds or cultural beliefs.
Video games that, for better or for worse, are based on an existing non-video game franchise. Usually drawn from movies, tie-in games have also been made about TV shows, novels, and even one-hit wonder pop bands.
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