Alternative Names/"Nick Names" that you despise people give to genres, which either makes no sense or is stupid.

[DinoRexMax DinoRexMax]

For example: The term for Character Action is stupid. I don't know who started the terminology like that for Devil May Cry style games, but it's generic and does not make any sense. Almost any type of game has a character doing an action. I do know that more people started using it after the Former Two Best Friends used the term in many videos that involved or discussed DMC style games.

Just call these genre of games Stylish Action. That's what they were called back then, when more variety came out of the wood work back in the early 2000s. Even then, you still had people use the term DMC clone back in the day. Hell, Spectacle Fighter sounds more dignified by comparison. At least it makes a certain amount of sense. If not any of those, call them beat'em ups, hack n' slash, or brawlers. All of these genre have crossbred multiple times back in the 2D era, 3D era, and now. Though I began to hate that not long afterward and was tired of the "joke" Yahtzee started long before he did. Thankfully, both of these terms mostly crashed and burned, but it was annoying hearing them unironically, or seeing them in the Steam tags a lot of the time.

I do remember them trying to correct themselves at some point and try to get "Stylish action" going at one point, so even they knew Character Action wasn't the most apropos descriptor. Spectacle Fighter is a good name, but not for Charact....er...I mean, Stylish Action games, probably for Arena Fighters or Licensed Anime Fighters (derogatory, mostly) that are more about the aesthetic than gameplay (KoF Maximum Impact anyone?).

I feel this like a fury, since "Souls-Like" and "Pokemon-Like" makes me want to kill someone. "Souls-Like" is just an empty moniker, because there is nothing about those games that is so quintessentially unique that you couldn't just call them "ACTION/RPGS" like they are. I mean, Jesus, it's really just the result of a fanbase huffing their own fumes. Also, it conflicted with the Soulcalibur series, since that was composed of Soul Edge, Soul Blade, and Soulcalibur. Soul, Soul, Soul. Which was extra funny when Bloodbourne and Elden ring came out, since then they had to scramble in order to find a new thing to identify themselves with. Soulsbourne got passed around for a while, but I think they just settled on just saying their the "From Software RPGs" (which retroactively includes King's Field and Shadow Tower).

Pokemon-like or Poke-Clone brings my piss to a boil. Like, molten magma levels of ass mad. We seriously have failed to recognize that there are other games that have come before or since Pokemon in over 40 years? Like, imagine we were still calling FPS' "DOOM-clones" like we did in the 90s. Like, still? I'm sure this is a Nintendo psy-op to keep their precious cash cow in vogue, but no one...NO ONE!? Nobody wants to come up with a name for these games!? Shin Megami Tensei, Monster Rancher, Bistro Recipe/Fighting Foodons, Digimon, Monster Sanctuary, Fossil Fighters, Dragon Quest Monsters, Telefang, Monstania, Zonzarah, Rhapsody: A Musical RPG, Eternal Eyes, Cassette Beasts, Metal Walker, Medabots, Azure Dreams, Robopon, Jade Cocoon, Dragon Seed, Star Beasts, Chocovaders, Monster Racers, Animastar, Command Master, ZokZokHeroes, Granbo, Mon*Star Traveler, Shaman King: Legacy of Spirits and a handful of Yu-Gi-Oh! games (Breed & Battle, Falsebound Kingdoms, Capsule Monsters Colliseum. Fuck me, even Evangelion has an Angel breeding game on the Wonderswan, what the hell is it gonna take!?

These nimrods like DarkSouls so much that they wanna turn it into it's own genre after 2 fucking games, but we're still comparing everything to Pokemon after 1000s of entries, across multiple systems, and after 30 years!??! Shin Megami Tensei and Digimon (Story, though people on here have been saying nice things about World: NeO, which appreciate) are popular now! We have the internet, there's no exuse for this blithering ignorance!

I personally use the term Collectible Creature Role-Playing Game (CCRPG) as it feels a tad more concise than Monter Taming, Monster Raising, or Monster Breeding games (although in the Steam reviews for games like DQM, Digimon, and Monster Sanctuary I see people popping in with just Collectible Creature Game (CCG)). I doubt I invented it, and I feel it's more like the Telephone of Dragons and it's just something that exists in the collective unconcious across multiple cultures and people.

BUT THEN SOME JACKASS STARTED TO COIN THE TERM CRPG (cRPG, short for simply "Computer Role-Playing Game)!?!? WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT???? YOU GOTTA SPECIFY THE GAME IS PLAYED ON A COMPUTER AS A CODIFIED GENRE?!? WHAT DO YOU CALL A CONSOLE RPG!? CAN'T YOU TELL IF YOU'RE PLAYING AN RPG ON A COMPUTER OR NOT WITHOUT BEING TOLD YOU BRAIN DEAD NEANDERTHAL!!!?

There is no justice in the world....

 

[BrawlMan]

Spectacle Fighter is a good name, but not for Charact....er...I mean, Stylish Action games, probably for Arena Fighters or Licensed Anime Fighters (derogatory, mostly) that are more about the aesthetic than gameplay (KoF Maximum Impact anyone?).

Though like I said, even spectacle fighter got tiring for me after a year Yahtzee started it, and then got bored and hating the term around 2018. You can rarely find it as a steam tag anymore. So that's a good sign.

BUT THEN SOME JACKASS STARTED TO COIN THE TERM CRPG (cRPG, short for simply "Computer Role-Playing Game)!?!? WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT???? YOU GOTTA SPECIFY THE GAME IS PLAYED ON A COMPUTER AS A CODIFIED GENRE?!? WHAT DO YOU CALL A CONSOLE RPG!? CAN'T YOU TELL IF YOU'RE PLAYING AN RPG ON A COMPUTER OR NOT WITHOUT BEING TOLD YOU BRAIN DEAD NEANDERTHAL!!!?

When did this happen specifically? Also, do you need a minute?

 

[Noon]

Simulation almost always seems unnecessary.

 

[DinoRexMax DinoRexMax]

When did this happen specifically?

It's likely a recent phenomenon of the 2020s, as I can only find articles and posts mentioning the term going as a far back as 2021. Much like you're Character/Stylish action example it's got a section and keyword for it on sites like Steam and GOG. And there's little to nothing to justify as an umbrella term since it encompasses so many gameplay styles from Wizardry to Fallout. There's always been a distinction between Console games and PC games, but there was never any need to slap a label on it in this fashion. Like, there are console ports of Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment for the Playstation and XBOX, does that still make them cRPGs? All of the Persona games ended up on PC, are they still console RPGs? How do you spell that? With a capital C? A K like in Mortal Kombat?

Also, do you need a minute?

yes...

 

[Ikagura]

That one hasn't stayed too long in gaming circles but I still am confused about the mere concept of "Metroidbrainia" just because a game hid some knowledge you could reuse in subsequent playthrough...

Then it should apply to Mega Man, Mario Bros with the Warp Zones or any video game with any secrets or bonuses that you could only have known by having played the game at least once in your life...

This is a rather vague (if not pretentious) name for a genre that doesn't even properly exist.

 

[BrawlMan]

This is a rather vague (if not pretentious) name for a genre that doesn't even properly exist.

Not only that, whoever came up with this was also high off their own farts, with weed sticking out their anal hole and needs to have their ass kicked pronto. They sound like a dumb motherfucker.

 

[Graw]

shmups have become so niche in the current landscape a lot of people don't even consider them.

I realize that. That's why it's kind of funny. The idea of FPSs being just another subgenre of shooter game became lost over time as it and 3rd person 3d shooters became pretty much the only kind of main stream shooters.

 

[No_Life_King]

Soulslike. 99% of the time the game isn't like Soulsborne games at all.

 

[Ikagura]

Not only that, whoever came up with this was also high off their own farts, with weed sticking out their anal hole and needs to have their ass kicked pronto. They sound like a dumb motherfucker.

Thanks for the mental image but I agree lol.

This and video essays are some of my pet's peeve in video game analysis...

Soulslike. 99% of the time the game isn't like Soulsborne games at all.

People use that term for ARPGs too...

Demon's Souls is a "King's Field like" in third person.

 

[Bandini]

all of them: metroidvania, soulslike, boomer shooter, etc...

 

[CG4R12I4N]

"QTE RPG."
Fuck, just call it Action Command RPG and be done with it. Even Shenmue, the game which pioneered the QTE system, only used it for limited amount of cutscenes & plot dialogues and not for gameplay while ACRPG already existed since 1996 with Super Mario RPG.

 

[toothflick]

I'll be honest, I think genre titles for almost every game genre do horrible jobs of actually telling people what you're getting yourself into when you get a game in that genre. One of the only genre titles that I think is unambiguosly really good and descriptive is the Platformer.

Like take the "RPG," things get confusing very fast when you realize that RPG's don't refer to games with a lot of choices and freedom to build unique characters, but rather games that involve a lot of stats. Things get even more confusing when you realize that in Japan "RPG" is used to refer to games that in the West would be called "Adventure Games," Monkey Island, for instance, would probably be considered an RPG there. 90% of game genres titles don't make any sense or make it clear what kind of game you're playing unless you're someone who's already really into videogames and has learned via trial-and-error what these stupid terms actually mean.

 

[BrawlMan]

Things get even more confusing when you realize that in Japan "RPG" is used to refer to games that in the West would be called "Adventure Games," Monkey Island, for instance, would probably be considered an RPG there. 90% of game genres titles don't make any sense or make it clear what kind of game you're playing unless you're someone who's already really into videogames and has learned via trial-and-error what these stupid terms actually mean.

Remind me of this subject:

​

 

[Bakuma1997]

Game: *Has a Inkblot mechanic but has completely unrelated gameplay to Cuphead*

People: "OhmyGOdIsLITerallYCupHEad"

 

[Ikagura]

Game: *Has a Inkblot mechanic but has completely unrelated gameplay to Cuphead*

People: "OhmyGOdIsLITerallYCupHEad"

Or just any rubber-hose era cartoon style for video games...

 

[ProfessorFrog]

"QTE RPG."
Fuck, just call it Action Command RPG and be done with it. Even Shenmue, the game which pioneered the QTE system, only used it for limited amount of cutscenes & plot dialogues and not for gameplay while ACRPG already existed since 1996 with Super Mario RPG.

I'd also prefer games with actual game to not be associated with the garbage that is QTEs

 

[Shihainin]

Its not even a genre but for me its when I hear the term "Gooner Game" or "Goonslop".
Because 99 times out of 100 its said from a person that didn't play said "Gooner Game", somethings taken out of context, or it has mild themes and suggestions.

 

[BrawlMan]

Its not even a genre but for me its when I hear the term "Gooner Game" or "Goonslop".
Because 99 times out of 100 its said from a person that didn't play said "Gooner Game", somethings taken out of context, or it has mild themes and suggestions.

I hate the new term for goon in general, and I often ignore it. There are those who use those two term you mentioned as an honor of pride/ badge of honor, or use them for a game with any type of fan service I find even worse sometimes.

 

[Ikagura]

Its not even a genre but for me its when I hear the term "Gooner Game" or "Goonslop".
Because 99 times out of 100 its said from a person that didn't play said "Gooner Game", somethings taken out of context, or it has mild themes and suggestions.

While there is a ton of chinese mobile game with anime girls.png being sold for real money via a gatcha just to get otakus into buying them I agree that I also read that term when there's a pretty looking female character even if there's nothing suggestive shown either via clothes or poses.

 

[Princess Viola]

'Soulsborne' (or ugh 'Soulsbornekiro')

Calling the genre 'Soulslike' was more than adequate enough, adding the 'borne' from Bloodborne and the 'kiro' from Sekiro doesn't add anything to it.

 

[kuroninneko]

When I was a kid I would hate when adults would say Pokeman. I guess they think its a super hero like Spiderman or Batman. Pikachu is Pokeman?

 

[nomohero7]

 

[BrawlMan]

Calling the genre 'Soulslike' was more than adequate enough, adding the 'borne' from Bloodborne and the 'kiro' from Sekiro doesn't add anything to it.

Yeah, I chose to not do either of those new terms, because they sound really stupid and the only other game to fit either description is just Lies of P. While it does take influence from three of those things, it still does its own thing to differentiate itself from all three and the genre as a whole.

 

[Bakuma1997]

'Soulsborne' (or ugh 'Soulsbornekiro')

Calling the genre 'Soulslike' was more than adequate enough, adding the 'borne' from Bloodborne and the 'kiro' from Sekiro doesn't add anything to it.

Reminds me of the dark age of "Barely hard game is like Dark Souls"

 

[Princess Viola]

Reminds me of the dark age of "Barely hard game is like Dark Souls"

This is the Dark Souls of replies to my reply.