October 25, 2003

• Okay... here it is... the video game terminology dictionary
  i did this to help all you non-gamers out there know what yer gamer friends are talking about.

  
  

  2D - a game that relies on flat graphics.

  
  

  3D - a game that features polygonal characters and/or levels.

  
  

  3-layer background - a background in a 2D game that features 3 pictures that move at different times to give the illusion of depth. this can best be seen rare's killer instinct.

  
  

  adventure game - often, a top-down view (but not always) video game with a direct fighting system or no fighting system at all(legend of zelda series, blood omen series, diablo series have direct battle systems, games like broken sword and myst have no system for this). These games often have an RPG-like story.

  
  

  beat 'em up - a genre classified by it's endless hoardes of cpu-controlled opponents where 1 or more players must beat the living shit outta them (final fight series, fighting force series, dynasty warriors series, the bouncer)

  
  

  card game - a game that features some type of cards that correspond to real life games. these can use something as simple as a standard 52-card deck to larger, more complex collectible/trading card decks. (video casino, yu gi oh series, pokemon TGC)

  
  

  driving game - a game where the player(s) controls a vehicle of some sort. the player(s) usually has a choice of which vehicle he/she wants to control. (gran turismo series, driver, smuggler's run)

  
  

  ESRB - entertainment software ratings board. the group that rates all video games in america. their ratings are usually very fair and accurate.
  ec - early childhood - age 3 and up
  e - everyone - age 6 and up
  t - teen - age 13 and up
  m - mature - age 17 and up
  ao - adults only - age 18 and up
  rp - rating pending - age product awaiting review

  
  

  fighting game - generally, a one-on-one game with a variety of characters where two people or a person and a cpu opponent beat each other until one is knocked out or killed (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH A BEAT 'EM UP) (mortal kombat, soul calibur, tekken)

  
  

  FPS (first person shooter) - a game where a player takes on the role of a character through that character's eyes. these games are often explicitly violent and feature several weapons and multiplayer support. (doom, unreal tournament, duke nukem 3D, half-life)

  
  

  platforming (platformer) game - a game that features a series of platforms that the player must direct his/her character across/through to reach the end of the stage. these games often feature enemies that can eliminated for points or other means. (mega man, super mario brothers)

  
  

  retro - a term describing games or gamers that prefer pre-90's games. used retro gaming, retro game

  
  

  RPG (aka RP Game) - generally, a one-player game where the player takes control of a group of characters to defeat some spectacular evil. these games almost always have an exploration mode and a random battle system that breaks up the exploration. (final fantasy series, breath of fire series, lunar series, ark the lad series)

  
  

  shooter - refers to a broad selection of games with one thing in common; the objective is to shoot everything in sight. these games are usually not explicitly violent. (contra series, einhander, galaga)

  
  

  side-scrolling - describes any 2D game that features a background that moves with the player(s)' character(s) and a side-view. (super mario brothers). used - "mega man is a side-scrolling platformer"

  
  

  sim(ulation) game - a game that gives the player control over a certain situation. generally, these games have no ending. (the sims, simcity)

  
  

  sports game - any game that features a simulation of a real-life sporting event. (tony hawk's pro skater series, madden NFL) 

  
  

  sprite - an image in a 2D game that is not part of the background. (the players, enemies and bricks in the super mario series)

  
  

  strategy game - usually, a top-down view game in which the player commands squads of troops to defeat the enemy. these games often have twisting plots and specific mission goals. (warcraft, starcraft)

  
  

  any suggestions? feel free to leave them in the comments section or emailing them to me at chris_mader@yahoo.com

  • 3:43 am
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