6 replies to this topic

[Keysle]

Hey!
I'm trying to find a pattern behind Innovation || "newness".
I'm requesting that you guys post references (preferably videos) to games that you found to have INNOVATIVE & FUN mechanics.
The new things don't have to be EXTREMELY ground breaking. Just small things you might like. Even if you don't know if the technique is original to the game you like, let me know!
I'm going to have a lot to go through, so please explain what you enjoyed or post a video.

Ex: MineCraft
A world that you flexibly manipulate in all 3 dimensions

[Saijee]

Nintendo's win button. This varies from game to game. In NSMBWii after dieing several times you get the option to watch the level be played through by an expert, and by pressing any button you get to take control. In Super Mario 3DLand, after dieing several times you get the option to use the fair advantage of invincibility and floaty jumps, and if you still keep dieing, you get the additional option to skip the level.

This is a good idea, because it gives the developer more room to make really difficult challenges in the game. For the people who can do those challenges without the additional powers is exciting and fun.

[dannyjenn]

The concept of a "microgame", as perfected by Warioware. Good because microgames are fun and quite different from mini-games.

Cheat codes (either having an actual menu in the game where you type them in or simply making it so the player does a cetain button combination on a certain screen)... these were awesome. I notice that not many games have this feature anymore. Good because it allows you to play the game in a whole new way (such as altering the graphics like the DK Mode in Goldeneye) or it allows the player to more easily unlock things if he wants to make the game easier (such as invincibility, infinite ammo, whatever).

Multiple genres within a single game, as seen in Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded. Not really sure what to think of it... some of it was pretty cool but other parts I didn't really care for.

A game controlled entirely by bongos (i.e. DK Junglebeat)... this was just a fun mechanic that surprisingly did not end up extremely gimmicky. Except that relies entirely on hardware... impossible to do with Game Maker alone.

Augmented Reality (but again, impossible with Game Maker)

Edited by dannyjenn, 26 May 2012 - 04:07 PM.

[Katuko]

They aren't exactly new, but:

- The Metroidvania style, with major ability and movement upgrades to your characters. Makes you really feel the growth more than simple +attack bonuses do.
- Action commands to spice up otherwise trite and boring turn-based battles.
- Chargeable weapons, alt-fire modes, weapon combos. Makes each weapon more interesting.
- New Game Plus, to let someone replay the game in a different way.
- With open-world games: MODS.

[Chris_Devl]

Diablo 2's randomized item stat generation system. So many cool stats to randomly generate making hunting for loot oh so addictive

[DakotaBonez]

Those invisible blocks in the original mario. The ones that appeared if you jumped under them. Really made me wonder what else was hidden.

[Spyro Conspiracy Theorist]

I really love the point-and-click-and-drag mechanics of Frictional Games's games (Amnesia: the Dark Descent, the Penumbra series). It's a unique way to interact with a realtime 3d environment, that adds to the immersion, because it requires more realistic input, the tension, because it takes longer to do things, like close doors behind you while being chased by a monster, and it's a way to combine one of my favorite perspectives (fps) with one of my favorite genres (adventure games) in real-time (which is the best time!). I'd post a video, but they're horror games and I can't find a video that doesn't have tons of disturbing content...