Hi Dark, I think you are making this more complicated than it needs to be. I don't know of any master list of categories for styles and genres of games, but all the same there are some general classifications widely accepted universally by mainstream gamers and game developers. I personally feel that they would apply to accessible games as well as to mainstream video games most of the time.
For example, you wanted to know where to place Super Liam in the scheme of things. For starts it attempts to clone classic arcade games by having an arcade look and feel to it so it definitely would go into the classic arcade genre. It also happens to be a side-scroller so that classification or category also works here as well. It is not, however, a walk along beat-m-up because there is no hand to hand fighting as in a game like Double Dragon. I also would not classify it as a 2d plat former because A, its not 2d, and B, it lacks certain features that a plat former has. Therefore its nothing more or less than an arcade game with a side-scroller type style or format. I guess the point I want to make is that many of the genres and styles of games in use today are widely accepted by mainstream gamers and I don't feel we should try and invent our own categories. If you pull out a copy of Double Dragon and ask mainstream gamers how they would classify it they would tell you it is first and foremost a walk along beat-m-up. They might also say it is a side-scroller since that is the style or format of the game. They wouldn't call it a 2d fighter even though that classification might apply to that type of game. If I were to write a game like Double Dragon you would expect me to call it a beat-m-up, which is the accepted classification for that game, than for me to call it a 2D Fighter. If I called it a 2D Fighter and a mainstream gamer or game developer happened to look at my classifications they'd go "what the heck is that?" I'd look pretty foolish in their eyes because I chose to invent my own terminology for things instead of using widely accepted terminology. :D Cheers! On 12/16/12, dark <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi charlese. > > However that doesn't answer my points about a, average genre classifications > > as you put it being not applicable to audio games, and also the problem of > where games like puppy1 vs 3D velocity fit in. > > Also, I am a little confused where you and tom get this "average game > classifications from" as though there is a big list, or at least if there is > > I've never found it. > > While I have heard of some commonly understood general catagories, even > those are pretty fluid, for example the metroid series came about by mixing > > the adventure game style of zelda, with a platform game. This gets still > more complicated if applied to audio games, ---- for example is superliam a > > 2D platformer, or a walk along beat em up? a beat em up which uses a laser > > gun? > > Beware the grue! > > Dark. > --- Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [email protected]. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to [email protected].
