Retro game mechanics that are highly prevalent but you hate

[RageBurner]

For me that one is easy: one hit deaths.
While this tends to be more common in shmups, this mechanic tends to sneak into other kinds of games like platformers, run and gun games and so on.

To me it feels like time padding: creating a sense that the game is longer than it actually is due to the difficulty of making progress, and I find this needlessly frustrating, though I realize one has to approach such games with the right mindset.

So that's me, what about you guys? what are some mechanics/quirks you hate?

 

[ATenderLad]

Platforming tricks that you usually have to die to learn about. Think disappearing ledges, surprise enemies to knock you off, that sort of thing. It wouldn't be so bad, if not for most of these games having limited lives and checkpoints, and a death forcing you to re-do so much progress.

Examples being some of the vanishing platforms in Mega Man 2, or those bastard Medusa heads in Castlevania.

 

[RageBurner]

Platforming tricks that you usually have to die to learn about. Think disappearing ledges, surprise enemies to knock you off, that sort of thing. It wouldn't be so bad, if not for most of these games having limited lives and checkpoints, and a death forcing you to re-do so much progress.

Examples being some of the vanishing platforms in Mega Man 2, or those bastard Medusa heads in Castlevania.

Ouch, yeah you're absolutely right!

 

[Waffles]

Enemies with no visible lifebar.

Like, come on...

 

[RageBurner]

I think games that show you enemy health in less ostensible way are kind of charming. Wonderboy for example where generally the boss' weakpoint changes color the closer it is to dying.

 

[Yousef]

So that's me, what about you guys? what are some mechanics/quirks you hate?

It’s Time for one that’s gonna surprise literally everyone here.
It’s not ice physics
It’s not water levels
It’s not anti gravity
I love all those three
It’s conveyer belts.

 

[ATenderLad]

It’s Time for one that’s gonna surprise literally everyone here.
It’s not ice physics
It’s not water levels
It’s not anti gravity
I love all those three
It’s conveyer belts. View attachment 3503

....but they make you feel so important at the airport!

 

[RageBurner]

It’s Time for one that’s gonna surprise literally everyone here.
It’s not ice physics
It’s not water levels
It’s not anti gravity
I love all those three
It’s conveyer belts. View attachment 3503

Well, I'm surprised, honestly. Conveyor belts tend to a problem when combined with other stage hazards (think MM2's Metal Man stage), but on their own? they seem fairly harmelss. Can you elaborate?

Post automatically merged: Monday at 11:12 PM

....but they make you feel so important at the airport!

You could say they... convey a lot. Yeah, I'll see myself out.

 

[Yousef]

Well, I'm surprised, honestly. Conveyor belts tend to a problem when combined with other stage hazards (think MM2's Metal Man stage), but on their own? they seem fairly harmelss. Can you elaborate?

Post automatically merged: Monday at 11:12 PM

You could say they... convey a lot. Yeah, I'll see myself out.

That’s kinda what it is yeah.
I think I’ve always had a dislike for stage gimmicks where you have to keep track of two big things moving at once that operate independently, conveyer belts are always a prime culprit of this little ocd tic of mine.

They’re actually inherently a fun concept, I love when your actual movement suddenly changes and you have to adapt to new controls (hence water, ice, gravity and hence why I don’t dislike labyrinth zone in sonic) but man… I think I first noticed how much I hate them was in Megaman X1 with Flame Mammoth. A good boss by the by, but him constantly going offscreen, constantly tripping you while theres a silly conveyer belt you constantly moving your position… just really disorienting.

Megaman Powered Up was when I fully realized my dislike for this. I’m generally totally ok with learning pixel perfect or jumping off the edge jumps, but they’re usually easier to digest in 2D sprite based games. 3D models are a lot vaguer, so Megaman constantly having to jump off of the edge of a conveyer belt, and I do mean the very edge in Time Man’s stage… just annoying!

Post automatically merged: Monday at 11:21 PM

I also wanna give a shoutout to bosses that heal themselves, they’re not invited to my birthday party.

 

[JustLooking123]

For me that one is easy: one hit deaths.
While this tends to be more common in shmups, this mechanic tends to sneak into other kinds of games like platformers, run and gun games and so on.

To me it feels like time padding: creating a sense that the game is longer than it actually is due to the difficulty of making progress, and I find this needlessly frustrating, though I realize one has to approach such games with the right mindset.

I think one-hit death can actually enhance the sense of danger and seriousness, it can be especially nice touch in rpgs and generally story-driven games when players go where they are not supposed to go (e.g. prematurely fighting a last boss at beginnings of game).
it's only tedious if there's no mechanics to revert back in a close enough position... (e.g. lack of well positioned save-point and/or smart auto-save).

 

[RageBurner]

That’s kinda what it is yeah.
I think I’ve always had a dislike for stage gimmicks where you have to keep track of two big things moving at once that operate independently, conveyer belts are always a prime culprit of this little ocd tic of mine.

They’re actually inherently a fun concept, I love when your actual movement suddenly changes and you have to adapt to new controls (hence water, ice, gravity and hence why I don’t dislike labyrinth zone in sonic) but man… I think I first noticed how much I hate them was in Megaman X1 with Flame Mammoth. A good boss by the by, but him constantly going offscreen, constantly tripping you while theres a silly conveyer belt you constantly moving your position… just really disorienting.

Megaman Powered Up was when I fully realized my dislike for this. I’m generally totally ok with learning pixel perfect or jumping off the edge jumps, but they’re usually easier to digest in 2D sprite based games. 3D models are a lot vaguer, so Megaman constantly having to jump off of the edge of a conveyer belt, and I do mean the very edge in Time Man’s stage… just annoying!

Post automatically merged: Monday at 11:21 PM

I also wanna give a shoutout to bosses that heal themselves, they’re not invited to my birthday party.

You know what, you and I might be one of the two people in the universe that don't hate Labyrinth Zone.

Flame Mammoth is a bad fight, honestly. He barely uses his weapon (and it's one of the best fire weapons in the franchise when X uses it), heck, his true "power" is just being heavy, and he depends entirely on the room to be some sort of threat. Ditto for a lot of flying bosses that have arenas that end on pits.

Bosses that heal are a definite pain. Dynamo Man comes to mind, it really drags the fight.

 

[Firenoh]

Falling off a ledge insta-kills you, making you reload your last save.
Main reason why Evergrace is bad game.

 

[Inkingsama]

For me that one is easy: one hit deaths.

Coupled with the fact that if you die like 3 stages in that's it, you won't recover from that. Better to restart the whole game than trying to claw your way to a power up while there is a wall of bullets coming at you. That's how i learned to play contra, killed once? restart, even if i'm at the final stage.

 

[moonbits]

Enemies with no visible lifebar.

Like, come on...

I hate health bars, fuck em forever
show me blood, limbs flying off, damage. So much detail games can show and we rely on a huge rectangle

 

[KelpTea73]

It's maybe a skill issue on my part, but when a boss has multiple forms or stages without any prior mention of it. Of course, there is nothing surpassing the feeling of awe when a boss that has a significant level of authourity whips out another form with wings and determination, but i am specifically talking about, like, a spider in a cave with poison or something that will not die

 

[RageBurner]

I hate health bars, fuck em forever
show me blood, limbs flying off, damage. So much detail games can show and we rely on a huge rectangle

I too prefer more organic, subtle ways to show damage, such as bleeding or sparks to hit confirm.

 

[middler]

I hate health bars, fuck em forever
show me blood, limbs flying off, damage. So much detail games can show and we rely on a huge rectangle

I think both have their place. The last thing I want to do is have to remember if sucking chest wound means I am closer or further from death than a blood fountain spraying out of my head... in FF2.

 

[moonbits]

I think both have their place. The last thing I want to do is have to remember if sucking chest wound means I am closer or further from death than a blood fountain spraying out of my head... in FF2.

yes, there is a place for both. In the settings, as an optional feature >: (

 

[KIDCON26]

I guess RPG's that are too easy, my first time playing parasite eve and while yes it's cinematic horror I think the enemies feel so nonthreatening that it makes the world a little boring and kills my immersion. So i guess it's when enemies are too easy,

 

[RageBurner]

I guess RPG's that are too easy, my first time playing parasite eve and while yes it's cinematic horror I think the enemies feel so nonthreatening that it makes the world a little boring and kills my immersion. So i guess it's when enemies are too easy,

While I agree with you in regards to normal enemies in PE, bosses felt adequately challenging to me.

 

[hembruh]

it really depends on the game in question but probably just knockback from getting hit. I don't mind it in theory, because I do like a penalty beyond just losing life for taking damage and it adds to the challenge but in a lot of games it just racks up tons of cheap deaths. this isn't too bad in games with either unlimited continues or something like that, but really sucks in something you have to start again from the beginning over and over because in level 5 or wherever you jumped and an invisible off screen enemy or their attack is what you jumped into and it knocks you just barely back away from the platform you would have landed on.

 

[Michael Frank]

For me that one is easy: one hit deaths.
While this tends to be more common in shmups, this mechanic tends to sneak into other kinds of games like platformers, run and gun games and so on.

To me it feels like time padding: creating a sense that the game is longer than it actually is due to the difficulty of making progress, and I find this needlessly frustrating, though I realize one has to approach such games with the right mindset.

So that's me, what about you guys? what are some mechanics/quirks you hate?

One hit deaths are good in some cases and an absolute nightmare in others.
Contra Hard Corps in the OG japanese system has 3 hits per life, even the hack is in the repo, you can play in hard difficulty and it feels fair.
In Contra and Super C for the NES honestly it´s not as hard to consider it unfair, more like an incentive to polish your skills.
So there is the balance that the designers put in the game to consider as a factor in this.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 12:34 AM

I guess RPG's that are too easy, my first time playing parasite eve and while yes it's cinematic horror I think the enemies feel so nonthreatening that it makes the world a little boring and kills my immersion. So i guess it's when enemies are too easy,

Enemies are easy or you just got those MAD SKILLZ in RPG´s XD.