Games that Make You Want to Type "</genre>"

[Tain]

I don't really differentiate between Shatterhand, Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man, and Contra in my head. These are 2D action games, more specifically action-platformers or something like that. I'm even fine putting Mario in here. If a discussion warrants more detail than that, I'll just start talking about what it's most similar to and how, like with anything ever.

By far the most nonsense label is "RPG". The traditional Japanese stuff, the turn-based stuff like DQ, makes more sense as a subgenre of Strategy (lighter strategy games with a focus on exploration, dialogue). The traditional Western stuff like Baldur's Gate fits even more cleanly there, too. Action games like Mass Effect, Symphony of the Night, and Dark Souls are just that: they make way more sense in their respective action game genres. I think it's so crazy that many will refer to all sorts of action games as "RPGs" just because they expose some stats (which all games obviously have under the hood regardless).

[jyoung]

What genre is Blast Corps?

Terrorism

[YellerDog]

I guess I'm really not a fan of "hard" genre definitions. I think that strict adherence to genre conventions results in poorer games, and less innovation. Take for example Super Meat Boy. Now SMB is definitely a "platformer". It's very different in style than Super Mario Bros. But that's part of why it's so great. The developers decided to think outside the box and try some new things upon a very solid gameplay foundation. As a result they created the best "platformer" of the past generation.

I would argue that Super Meat Boy is EXACTLY Super Mario Bros, stripped down to the frame.

[Finch]

i don't think it is. it's more like a waffle sponk when mario is a mack shammy

[MechDeus]

I don't really differentiate between Shatterhand, Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man, and Contra in my head. These are 2D action games, more specifically action-platformers or something like that. I'm even fine putting Mario in here. If a discussion warrants more detail than that, I'll just start talking about what it's most similar to and how, like with anything ever.

Pretty much. Once you start trying to put in weird qualifiers to make "pure" genres or whatever it's just a mess of conflicting technicalities that doesn't make any sense, even more so as videogames have evolved and every genre has pulled from every other genre and nothing is just one single thing.

Light gun games are the only pure action games because all you do is shoot. But they're classified as light gun games. Uh-oh!

[Glass Joe]

I guess I'm really not a fan of "hard" genre definitions. I think that strict adherence to genre conventions results in poorer games, and less innovation. Take for example Super Meat Boy. Now SMB is definitely a "platformer". It's very different in style than Super Mario Bros. But that's part of why it's so great. The developers decided to think outside the box and try some new things upon a very solid gameplay foundation. As a result they created the best "platformer" of the past generation.

On the opposite end of the scale you have Wayforward's Contra 4, which is scrupulously faithful to the Contra "run n' gun" concept. Despite that, it's actually quite dull and frustratingly erratic in terms of control and shot and enemy placement. Just looking at the box cover and the sprite work and the basic concept, you'd call it a great-looking action platformer. But it's actually a piece of shit partly because Wayforward spent way too much time trying to be faithful to the original Contra and not enough time on what makes Contra on the NES such an enjoyable game to play.

Another good example of a game that busts out of genre conventions is Valkyrie Profile. A lot of people criticized it at the time it came out because it bared little resemblance to a traditional JRPG. Valkyrie Profile is basically a collection of short stories connected by an overarching plot, with action-y 2D turn-based battles. A lot of JRPG's have since taken a lot of inspiration from it. But at the time people had a tough time characterizing it because it was so different from, say, Final Fantasy IX.

So I say "bah" to genre definitions (and sub-definitions).

I know it isn't relevant to the point you were trying to make but you are effin crazy saying that Contra 4 was trash. That game is so god damn good. Just like the great Contra games before it, if you put in the work you have a masterpiece.

[kingoffighters]

Tempest 2000 </tube shooter>

I haven't played TxK yet.

[Joust Williams]

TxK took care of that

[Joust Williams]

And recent efforts to duplicate the Deus Ex formula suggest that no one will probably ever beat Deus Ex in the FPS/RPG category.

Pretty much this. It's a genre that top-tier developers are trying to emulate and failing. It's not nostalgia either; sure, the combat is a bit meh but it's still very functional and the amount of branching paths is ridiculous for such a tightly designed world. In most cases, it's just sprawling emptiness or superficial differences.

[Finch]

Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze </mock shammy>

Mario 3D World </mack shammy>

Plok </Rayman>