Trends and Mechanics you wish came back.

[BrawlMan]

Oneechanbara and Earth Defense Force were born from it.

Pretty much what I just implied. Both titles pretty much form their own franchises and dropped the Simple Series name.

Sadly, nowadays people prefer games that look highly detailed probably to justify the investment they do on modern hardware or consoles.

Not really. You have the obsessive graphic type (graphic whores, insecure teenage boysetc.), but those type of people are either gaming for the wrong reason, or just want to show their money in front of those less privileged and less fortunate. Minecraft and Roblox (as distasteful it is for me to bring it up as an example) have me going over nearly two decades strong, and still appealed to kids, and they really don't care about the realism much. The indie and AA side has proven this wrong again and again. Now, graphics do matter to an extent, but it's all about stylistic choice and art direction. Some people aren't aware of this, but that's what i'm looking for even if they don't realize it.

There is nothing wrong on continuing gaming at 1080p for another decade.

4K has its uses, but I find it overrated for most movies. Gaming, it's a bit more useful, but I will still take 1080p or 720p over at a majority of the time or not mind it. 1080i to 1080p conversion works great for me as well.

 

[shaggi]

Split screen multiplayer mode. New games usually have multiplayer only by internet, but i like to play with friends on one PC or console, like years back.

 

[extermist]

Split screen multiplayer mode. New games usually have multiplayer only by internet, but i like to play with friends on one PC or console, like years back.

So much this!

 

[BrawlMan]

Split screen multiplayer mode. New games usually have multiplayer only by internet, but i like to play with friends on one PC or console, like years back.

So much this!

At least indie, small Japanese studios, and Nintendo never gave up on that.

 

[Ikagura]

Medkits that actually look like medkits (yeah, yeah, the Red Cross doesn't want that, but still).

While I understand the need to recognise the actual meaning behind the Red Cross in real life I never understood making it forbidden in games.

 

[BrawlMan]

One more thing about coop split screen: it's been back for a while and here to stay.

15 Best Split Screen Games You Must Play in 2026

Discover the best split screen games, top co-op and competitive titles for PC, Xbox, and PS5. Find games suited perfectly to play together!

www.eneba.com

 

[nobitakun]

Not really. You have the obsessive graphic type (graphic whores, insecure teenage boysetc.), but those type of people are either gaming for the wrong reason, or just want to show their money in front of those less privileged and less fortunate. Minecraft and Roblox (as distasteful it is for me to bring it up as an example) have me going over nearly two decades strong, and still appealed to kids, and they really don't care about the realism much. The indie and AA side has proven this wrong again and again. Now, graphics do matter to an extent, but it's all about stylistic choice and art direction. Some people aren't aware of this, but that's what i'm looking for even if they don't realize it.

It is clear there are these types, but nobody is gaming for the wrong reason. We are not entitled to say something is right and something is wrong in videogames. If somebody wanted to spend 1000€ in a GPU just to show they own a good one, that is the reason and it is perfectly right for them, it meets its purpose as it is part of its personality. That could be extrapolated to other things in that individual that have nothing to do with videogames, such as a house, a car or even a phone. Kids are easy targets, but they are honest as well, and they don't care about graphics as long as they have fun, because that's their purpose. People seeking for quality agree that having talented people working for a game (art direction as you say for instance) has better chances of creating a good and solid product, of course.

4K has its uses, but I find it overrated for most movies. Gaming, it's a bit more useful, but I will still take 1080p or 720p over at a majority of the time or not mind it. 1080i to 1080p conversion works great for me as well.

Yeah, but it has been proven by many people that at a reasonable distance, the difference is minimal to non-existant. Only close in still images would benefit from it, so jobs such as designers. 4K movies are still a niche market, a market still full of DVD's. Even some people would not tell the difference between DVD and Bluray quality sitting on their couch on their standard size TV's.

I was just stating that 1080p is the sweet spot where both words converge and you get most of benefits. You have a very good level of detail and you don't waste performance / resources / electricity on showing something at a resolution your eyes won't appreciate. That is why a console with that option in mind would be wonderful, it wouldn't have to be very powerful, hence it could be smaller, more energy efficient and less noisy.

 

[BrawlMan]

nobody is gaming for the wrong reason.

HAAAHAAA! Then, you have forgotten or have not been looking hard enough. Not you have to do so in the first place to see this.

If somebody wanted to spend 1000€ in a GPU just to show they own a good one, that is the reason and it is perfectly right for them, it meets its purpose as it is part of its personality.

They are well within their right, but not everybody is as privileged. Or are looking for something much more financially stable and affordable. Though the weighty chip shortages are going, things are only gonna get more expensive from here.And already have. Everyone has their limits at some point or have better things by putting food on a table for themselves and/or their family.

People seeking for quality agree that having talented people working for a game (art direction as you say for instance) has better chances of creating a good and solid product, of course.

Yes within reason. Then, you have those that either take it too far or don't care about quality, so long as they get it as fast as possible, or the patch comes out within a day or so. Though we finally sent some pushback against this, but this was never a good defense in the first place, and I was always against the patchet later mentality that was forced to pound every one, and certain gamers held stockholm syndrome for.

Even some people would not tell the difference between DVD and Bluray quality sitting on their couch on their standard size TV's.

Which goes to show you that it was usually not that necessary to begin with. Though that is mostly to the untrained eye or those that barely touched our blu-ray player. Even on a standard or small size t v my parents can notice the difference between dvd and Blu-ray. They are much older than me or my older brother. Not every one can, but at some point you notice things enough times.

4K i find useless especially for old movies. They make most pre 2010 movies look worse or reveal effects you aren't supposed to see at all.

I was just stating that 1080p is the sweet spot where both words converge and you get most of benefits. You have a very good level of detail and you don't waste performance / resources / electricity on showing something at a resolution your eyes won't appreciate. That is why a console with that option in mind would be wonderful, it wouldn't have to be very powerful, hence it could be smaller, more energy efficient and less noisy.

Guess what? I one hundred percent agree with you on this. I'm not exactly splitting hairs about it.

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

While I understand the need to recognise the actual meaning behind the Red Cross in real life I never understood making it forbidden in games.

I think they see it as a world-sanctioned violation of their copyrighted symbol, which would understandably piss off a lot of people.

 

[Bakuma1997]

Remember when cute games were cute and not hidden horror games about trauma, social commentary or whatever?

Pepperride Farm remembers

 

[KenaiPhoenix]

I agree with your first point with violence.

I recently dust off my GBA SP and Im having a blast. Is not the power the matter or the nostalgia, the thing is that you can play a game that is designed to be played on the bathroom, between meetings, on public transport, etc.

I get that playing Elden ring on handheld is cool and all, but I dont want to do that while Im waiting for my bus stop.

And to add to the list:

Proper physical releases with game manuals that include lore. Heck I would love if someone just put a "Quick reference guide" so you can read in case you havent picked up the game in a while.

And game magazines. A more curated information is probably than the mess we live today with youtubers and influences with terrible takes, half asses information/leaks.

 

[nobitakun]

HAAAHAAA! Then, you have forgotten or have not been looking hard enough. Not you have to do so in the first place to see this.

I mean, everyone has their own reasons. They might be absurd for us, but valid for them. Who is right and who is wrong?

They are well within their right, but not everybody is as privileged. Or are looking for something much more financially stable and affordable. Though the weighty chip shortages are going, things are only gonna get more expensive from here.And already have. Everyone has their limits at some point or have better things by putting food on a table for themselves and/or their family.

The world is full of people that would prefer to show off and stay one month eating bread than just buy what the body needs to have a healthy nutrition. It's not worse than eating junk food every week, and millions of people do it. I can understand people gets happy eating what they love, it happens to me as well, but luckily the food I like is quite healthy, as it is based on rice, vegetables, meat and fish.

Which goes to show you that it was usually not that necessary to begin with. Though that is mostly to the untrained eye or those that barely touched our blu-ray player. Even on a standard or small size t v my parents can notice the difference between dvd and Blu-ray. They are much older than me or my older brother. Not every one can, but at some point you notice things enough times.

Curious enough I find difficult to differentiate between DVD and Bluray at some distance but I can notice input lag over 12ms, and over 16ms I find it very annoying to use for playing most games. That's why I do a deep search every time I have to buy a new TV regarding input lag, and I buy the one with the lowest even if the image quality isn't the best.

 

[BrawlMan]

Who is right and who is wrong?

The wrong ones are those who buy shit only graphics, but go out of their way to look down upon on/mock/belittle people who look for more than that, or just want good gameplay and don't need realism for every single thing nor whim.

The world is full of people that would prefer to show off and stay one month eating bread than just buy what the body needs to have a healthy nutrition. I

The one who prefer showing off constantly are bigger fools. I make no pathetic excuses. Remember that.

Curious enough I find difficult to differentiate between DVD and Bluray at some distance but I can notice input lag over 12ms, and over 16ms I find it very annoying to use for playing most games. That's why I do a deep search every time I have to buy a new TV regarding input lag, and I buy the one with the lowest even if the image quality isn't the best.

Smart move.

 

[Yousef Yousef]

I am conflicted on whether or not i should say lives/limited continues/no save modes.
Personally with current indie games, they’re better off using those modes for bonus achievements after you already gained mastery of the game. I’ve seen games claimed to be “built around them” yet they seldom not completely betray or deviate from the design philosophy of some old games that used lives.

Especially if you factor in that not all retro games were created equal, some did use lives as a difficulty modifier, but others only used it as a resource to make you interact with other aspects of the game, like hiding them in parts of the level.

I wouldn’t claim indie devs lost touch with all this, as it is hard to convey even things you have good knowledge on. Art production is really tricky after all, and sometimes devs just worry about implementing tech that’s long forgotten, like how a ton of old platformers had a bit of input delay combined with their jumps having an “arc”.

Think Pac-Man, with how the remake of World 2 somewhat bastardized the game-feel of the ps2 original and made it pretty boring and less satisfying to master.

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

As do I, but it seems like the only major ones who try nowadays are Capcom, sometimes Square, and various 1st party studios under Sony. I would include Sega, but Streets of Rage 4 and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance are the exceptions and not the rule for the company.

It's why i'm glad we have AA, indie, and small or medium sized Japanese studios. How majority of them are either being experimental or making the games we actually want, and make sure they're fun. Or going to try to make it fun to the best of their abilities.

Yeah fair. Though sadly it seems even indie games are going through something similar. The chances you see a game that’s not an RPG, FPS, or roguelike succeeding or getting mainstream appeal is thinning and I think that’s really sad. Makes me glad Crosscode is becoming more well known. Hope more puzzle games get recognition after it. I also hope CAVE doesn't shit the bed with the Dodonpachi Resurrection remake they got going on, because if that happens, the genre and their other games are even MORE cooked and I want to see a legal way to play Mushihimesama Futari release in my lifetime

 

[BrawlMan]

Though sadly it seems even indie games are going through something similar.

Not really. Indie fighting games are doing good or better than most of their AAA brethren. Indie brawlers have been a success on nearly all fronts, and are still not stopping. Some genres dip every now and then, but that's to be expected. The important thing is moderation and learning not to copy for the sake of it nor mindlessly. We still got plenty of indie platforming games (2D and 3D), and run n' gun style of games. Hell, there's indie stylish actions games coming out this year, or have already been for more than a year. SHMUPs are a dime a dozen, and most have cheap price or go on sale cheaply. We got plenty of indie arcade racing games too.

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

Not really. Indie fighting games are doing good or better than most of their AAA brethren. Indie brawlers have been a success on nearly all fronts, and are still not stopping. Some genres dip every now and then, but that's to be expected. The important thing is moderation and learning not to copy for the sake of it nor mindlessly. We still got plenty of indie platforming games (2D and 3D), and run n' gun style of games. Hell, there's indie stylish actions games coming out this year, or have already been for more than a year. SHMUPs are a dime a dozen, and most have cheap price or go on sale cheaply. We got plenty of indie arcade racing games too.

Oh yeah I forgot fighting games are doing well in the space too. Don’t see them pop up nearly as often but they’re there

And i’m just now remembering the metroidvanias are doing well too, but they’ve been doing well for a while

 

[Sudonim]

I miss when pre-ordering games came with actually cool extras. Like the artbook that came with Tales of Symphonia or the bonus disc that came with Pokémon Colosseum, or even a whole copy of Ocarina of Time when pre-ordering Wind Waker. These days it feels like either you get something lame like some extra in-game items or currency (that you could already obtain in-game within the first hour or so), or you just get literally nothing.

 

[Graves Ruinwalker]

1. Someone said it already but im all in for having tank controls and camera angles back .

2. Another trend that should coming back are the simulative aspects in RPGs . Complexity doesnt automatically mean its deeper and better but i want to have more engagement into the game with mechanics that underlines the adventurous aspects and approaches .

3. Having games again that uses the right analog-stick for something different than just controlling the camera . Getting into the third-person-grip in most games tire me out lately . And many PS2 games that had camera angles , had cool mechanics with the right stick .

4. Having an overworld map again instead having an open-world . You can put secrets much better and the world seems much more mysterious that way instead traversing open fields for many minutes straight to reach the goal or fast-travel anyway to skip the unnecessary leg-work . Its more efficient and most games wouldnt be huge data-juggernauts while making dungeons and other places something as the main-attractions that doesnt overstay its welcome and have still function . At this point less is more .

5. Please more Cell-shading .

6. I miss the trend in the 2000s when horror-games were actually horror and edgy games are always stylish and cool with a great premise and a banging soundtrack included . It was always perfectly underlining and focused with the soundtrack and the atmossphere that games had with even obscure and well-known Bands instead being mixed with different styles that ends up being bland overall . (Played Splatterhouse 2010 few days ago again and had a blast with it . Very flawed but the banging metal soundtrack , the gorey action and cthulhu mythos backed in just fullfilled me with joy at the end . )

 

[Ikagura]

It's not a mechanic but I do like when bosses from previous levels become a regular enemy (or at least a elite mook/mini-boss) with a recolor.

I also like it when the final level features a boss rush of every previous levels (even if they have slightly less HPs than their boss form).

I do love when a game's "Hard Mode" isn't just about stats increasing but also giving new attack patterns to enemies and/or bosses.

 

[BrawlMan]

It's not a mechanic but I do like when bosses from previous levels become a regular enemy (or at least a elite mook/mini-boss) with a recolor.

This technically has not gone away. Indie and Japanese gaming still do this. Also, pick nearly any Indie developed brawler in the past 7 years.

On the Western AAA side, I've only seen various first party Sony games do this. Mainly anything from Santa Monica, SP, or Insomniac. Hell some people complained about this in God of War 4 with the Troll enemy types. These actually didn't bother me. There are more than a few pallet swaps in the sequel, as well, but that has these expanded enemy variety.

Please more Cell-shading .

That hasn't gone away either.

 

[King Torro]

I miss the trend of a lot of games putting emphasis on environment / character physics simulation that started around the general timeframe of the aftermath of Half Life 2 and the usage of Havok engine. We could have a lot better physics in modern technology and applied to more things but it feels like developers are shying away from this despite it being more technically feasible know.

2. Another trend that should coming back are the simulative aspects in RPGs . Complexity doesnt automatically mean its deeper and better but i want to have more engagement into the game with mechanics that underlines the adventurous aspects and approaches .

I *probably* agree with this but I would like to learn more what you mean by this. Do you mean things like players and the party requiring food / water / sleep and gear maintenance or world simulation like NPCs having day / night schedules and high degree of responding to players' actions?

 

[Graves Ruinwalker]

I *probably* agree with this but I would like to learn more what you mean by this. Do you mean things like players and the party requiring food / water / sleep and gear maintenance or world simulation like NPCs having day / night schedules and high degree of responding to players' actions?

What you mentioned at first but not about survival mechanics per se ( which can be build upon into a more beneficial system with cool buffs and extras , that i dont mind ) and rather skills like Daggerfall which are for traversal , interactions ( NPCs , monsters and objects ) and different approaches to combat that isnt just only straight " sharp metal-stick to the face" or " Pointy stick-launcher makes much ouch" but with different aspects behind it.