30 Days of Video Games

[Solly]

Sheesh, these questions are getting harder to answer.

Favorite Ability: Wall Kicks/Wall Jumps

Wall Jumping in video games is a pretty common mechanic in platformers nowadays, appearing in basically every main Mario game, Sonic games, and the new Rayman Origins. It's something of a trope, but it really changes the way the designers make their levels. I like it best when it's tricky to always do correctly. It forces players to think two-jumps ahead which makes the action feel more frantic.

So I guess my favorite overall mechanic is also one of the most basic, but I have to give an honorable mention to another trope in videogames.

Honorable(?) Mention: Cliché Anime Power Up Super Moves

Whether it's a state transformation like Super Sonic, an Ultra Combo in Street Fighter 4 or whatever, I love cheesey super powerful moves in videogames. I generally get a kick out of things that are weird and over the top, even if it isn't a really crucial mechanic(even though it sometimes is, like Street Fighter).

While I enjoy a lot of strategy in games, sometimes it's the most fun to let loose and go to town on your foes in a ridiculous fashion.

Edited January 23, 2012 by Solly

[Lucky]

DAY #8 - FAVOURITE ABILITY

Gadgets!

Or more specifically... Cate Archer's collection of awesomely wacky gadgets from the No One Lives Forever series. I mentioned NOLF in here a couple of days ago, and one of the reasons I adore it so much is because of just how many gadgets and gizmos you get to play around with.

You've got your standard enough FPS arsenal, but it's the other stuff that really makes the game shine. First you start with a barrett for picking locks (oh but wait... it also doubles as a poison dart!) and a run-of-the-mill coin for distracting the enemies. Then soon after you get... toxic powder to get rid of dead bodies, infrared sunglasses with in-built zoom vision, a lighter/mini-welder that works as a torch, can cut through locks, AND even be used for starting fires if you're in dire need of a distraction... perfumes that double as sleeping gas and (the slightly more lethal) acid... exploding lipstick... the belt-buckle zip cord... and one of my favourites... a robotic poodle equipped with pheromone dispensers, just in case you should run into any pesky guard dogs.

Yeah, there's a lot of awesome gadgets in other games and it's a concept I love in general, but none have made me laugh or been as much fun to use as NOLFs.

Also... I can't post here without giving Ulala a mention...

Because seriously, what's cooler than saving the universe with your funky dance moves?

[#EndyGate]

Kirby's Suction/Copy Ability

I always found this ability so dynamic with limitless potential abilities coming with it. Not only does it give you a quick way to get rid of enemies, but it also allows you to use that very same enemies powers against its friends. Plus you've gotta love some of the hats and colors the pink puff takes on when he has certain abilities.

Celestial Brush - Okami/Okamiden

What i love about this ability is the single fact that you have the power to control the elements that construct the world, and all it takes is a single brush stroke. Not only that but some of the different abilities that come with it are amazing, my favorite being Rejuvination which allows you to restore life in plants, and usually leading to those gorgeous scenes of entire areas being restored.

Also:

Explosive poop for the win

[Kamicciolo]

Day #8 - Kami's Always Reliable "Ninjasharks are unqualified to use" Favourite Ability

Uwaaahhh! Oooooh yeahhhh! Un-hunhhh! Baaaaby! Rock on!!

The Mike Ability from various Kirby games. I always love getting this ability for the combination of being pretty powerful, and rare to come across. Getting the Mike Ability means you can literally clear the screen of enemies and pretty much wipe out a boss (if you manage to carry it that far) with three shots of Kirby's "beautiful" singing voice~, which is always a laugh to see. In particular, its always a great moment if this ability crops up from a Mix (when you inhale more than one enemy with an ability, and it does a random scroll through). those moments are always great.

I would also like to mention that I liked how they carried this ability over into the anime, as literally a show stopper of epic proportions (destroying an entire castle any time it shows up). yet despite that, Kirby looks like he's having fun with it...and that's kinda...cu-cool...I mean cool....it's cool and ultra-manly is what I mean >:V.

Honourable Mentions

Mad Moves (Wario World) - One of my top favourite games, for this reason alone. Wario has a variety of attacks he can use against enemies (usually incorporating some of them into it in the process) that literally clears the place in a fashionable way~. The Wild Swing Ding, where he spins the enemy around, clearing out those in the way, then throws after a while, and the Pile-Drive, where he takes an enemy and smashes them head first into the ground, again clearing out those around him as well, are two of my top favourites.

Dash Attack - Again with Wario. I've just always loved his Shoulder Barge attack, partly because despite the simplicity of the idea behind the move, it always proves to be really helpful in any situation in his games, and partly cause its just a really cool attack. I was pretty happy to at least see that appear in Wario's moveset in Smash Bros. Brawl (that it happens to be a powerful finisher is even better :V).

[SuperStingray]

TIE: Prototype: Blade Arm and Vanquish: AR Functions

Coming up with these two answers was surprisingly easy, but the hard part is choosing between them. I was going to post this earlier but my internet crashed before I could post, so I was ninja'd (in a loose sense of the term) by Alien/Renegade on the latter, but it doesn't change my opinion on it whatsoever.

For Prototype, it was almost a toss up between the Blade Arm, the Whip Arm and the consumption ability- hell, almost any ability in the game is visceral bliss. If I could come up with video game award titles, it's easily my choice for Best Game To Play On A Bad Day. But the Blade Arm outshines them all because A: it has an awesome design, B: it's particularly satisfying even next to the game's other powers, and C: when fully upgraded, you can jump high, drop down blade first and explosively slice a tank in ONE HIT. Just thinking about it gives me a power boner.

As for Vanquish, it has a similar satisfaction in its execution, but where Prototype is visceral, Vanquish is elegant. Whatever steps you take, every move flows right into the next. Slide on your knees up to a titanic robot, kick it upside the torso, go into slow mo and shoot it as you descend to the ground, flip behind cover and take a smoke as you watch it explode over your shoulder. Where most games would need QTEs to execute something this specifically awesome, Vanquish executes it in natural gameplay and it FEELS SO GOOD.

Edited January 24, 2012 by SuperStingray

[Jimbo]

Day 8: Favorite Ability in a Game

wheeeeeeeeeee.

[Tornado]

Other people are listing guns and swords and such, so I'mma do the same:

DD44 Destovei (Preferably X2) - Goldeneye 007

Let's get this out of the way: The Destovei was a piece of shit gun. It was incessantly loud. It wasn't that accurate. The PP7 shot faster and more accurately, and other than not being able to dual wield and being down a round, really was the superior weapon. I mean, it was no Klobb, but it certainly was no RCP90.

But god damn it, that bastard was fun to shoot. To this day, regardless of any problems I have with Goldeneye in it's default, not-played-with-a-Dual-Shock-and-an-emulator normal self, I can still boot up Archives, go akimbo with the thing and just shoot shit for 20 minutes until my left index finger gets tired. All of it's negative qualities become positive aspects. The noise, while crazy loud, becomes music when you just start flinging rounds at everyone that moves (and chairs, and plate glass, and computer terminals). The lack of accuracy and somewhat slower cycling rate ceases to be an issue when you have two of them shooting at the same thing. And the reload noise... It's technically the same for almost all of the guns, but it just sounds so right coming from the Destovei.

Best of all, it even returned in Perfect Dark; and, inferior game or not, it is nice to be able to give it a go in a game that is a bit more "modern."

Edited January 24, 2012 by Tornado

[Swiss]

Earthworm Jim's Super Suit

I love this ability for its sheer creativeness. Without the suit, Jim is just your average worm. When he steps (crawls?) into the suit, however, he gains super strength, a powerful ray gun and the 'Pocket Rocket'. The best part though is that it gives Jim the ability to use his head in a variety of useful ways. Be it a whip, swinging rope or helicopter, each way is always a blast to use. Suits (no pun intended) the character perfectly.

I'll just leave this here, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRli1rRMoSQ

Edited January 24, 2012 by Swiss

[Shoot em up Capbusta]

Cyber Blaster

One of favorite weapons in Saints Row the third has to be the cyber blaster. Two reasons why I absolutely love this weapon is that it is basically a homage to megaman's mega buster. Two it is so random and hella powerful it became my favorite. Well that was actually three reasons but I hell whose counting. You get this weapon after you defeat the deckers gang and the amount of shit you go through to get it is worth it in my opinion. From the sheer amount of damage it does and how random and wacky it is definitely one of my favorte power..I mean weapon in recent memory.

Heavy Metal Fist

Rayman 3 was my first rayman game and probably my favorite platformer. With excellent platforming and awesome power-ups that make them all feel useful. One of my favorite power-ups has to be the heavy metal fist witch makes rayman look like a total bad ass and his attacks more powerful. Smashing enemies with gloves that has FUCKING SPIKES on them is very satisfying imo oh and did i mention he looks badass while doing it I did well I'll say it again.

Honorable mention: Ionic storm from infamous 2 has to be mention here. The Infamous series is a host of many awesome powers but one that stands out to me is the ionic storm. Basically in a nutshell this is a power up where you shoot a big ass lighting bolt on your target and just obliterate it.

[Tori Himemiya]

Day 8 already!?!

So favorite super ablity in video games huh? Well I'd say...

Transformation A.K.A the One Winged Angel to those on TV Tropes.

What's not cool about changing into a dragon and destroying your foes? Or even becoming some kind of winged menace for escapes and to peck out eyes? Transformation has been a part of gaming for a while now and it looks fun to be something else. My favorite example of this power in gaming is in Prototype where Alex Mercer can changes parts of his body into a weapon and can also change himself into someone else. Its all fun and games until you get owned by changing into the wrong thing.

[T-Min]

Day 8: Your Favorite Video Game Ability

I can't find any images that properly illustrate my favorite power, so I'm just going to post the character that it's associated with:

Kirby's Copy Ability.

Kirby can swallow just about any enemy he sees, and some of them may give him a special power or weapon, such as Beam, Sword, Hammer, Leaf, Ninja (my personal favorite), and a crapload of others. At this point, you can pretty much spam it on just about anything you see, and it's incredibly fun. Oh, and if you're playing Super Star or Return to Dream Land, each power comes with its own full move set rather than a single attack, and Return to Dream Land even gives you super versions of these powers, which are completely awesome in every sense of the word. Kirby's Copy Ability is a huge part of what makes the Kirby series so much fun and it's my personal favorite video game ability.

[PSI Wind]

Celestial Brush from Okami and Okamiden is my favorite ability. Something about drawing simple things like circles and lines and then turning them into weapons or for puzzles is so satisfying. It's a very unique ability too, being in only 2 video games ever. Oh, and you control the various elements as well as Night and Day.

[Sean]

Day 8: Favorite video game ability

I can't believe that none of you are cool enough to mention Tea Time from Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure.

Watch this video (sorry for the poor quality, but YT has no idea what I'm talking about whenever I try searching this ability). Tea Time is Hatsworth's ultimate power-up when you fill out his puzzle meter and push the tea button on the bottom screen. After a single swig, Hatsworth proceeds to swiftly decimate everything.

Why do I love it? It's a British adventurer in a giant fucking robot. It's also extremely powerful and has ten million different abilities - each of them rigorously tested by experts from around the world. The theme music is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJzpLAOXMfY, and it never gets old whenever you activate it. The only downside is that the power-up lasts too short. But that one moment is always sufficient enough for you to turn the tables in your favor. You spend the whole level at the mercy of powerful, multiplying enemies gangraping you through your every pore. The situation seems hopeless. What's one to do? Fill out the puzzle meter and go ape-shit on them all until there's no living entity left standing in your way.

[Tornado]

Day 8: Favorite video game ability

I can't believe that none of you are cool enough to mention Tea Time from Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure.

Come now. I imagine you and me represent 50% of the entire world population who actually played that lovely little game.

[Swiss]

Day 8: Favorite video game ability

[Gregzilla]

Day 8 -Favorite ability

Well, since my childhood with Sonic taught me to love going really really fast, this move always was a blast to use.

Speed Booster from Super Metroid - This move is so FUN. It lets you run like a madman (er, madwoman), jump about 5x higher, perform the Shinespark tackle move, and bust through walls and enemies. It appears in many Metroid games, but Super Metroid did it best, because you actually felt like you were going insanely fast, while later games just added a nifty animation and made you move a decimal point quicker. Super Metroid just has the best 2D controls overall, it seems much more flowing and smooth, and those buttery smooth controls are what help this move stand out above the rest. Did I mention that this is the best game ever?

Runners Up:

Spin Dash from Sonic series - I loved this move as a kid, but only recently have I learned how truly fun it is to use. You could go about the normal path, but if you were daring (especially in SA1), you could risk taking a Spin Dash Jump and skipping ahead to a distant platform. Dangerous, but it's that kind of freedom that I think games nowadays are lacking.

Screw Attack + Space Jump from Metroid series - Nintendo's Mario series let you jump on enemies and squish 'em, but Metroid took it a step further by giving you a powerup that makes your enemies explode just by touching them. Coupled with the Space Jump, Samus becomes a flippy-flying death machine.

Jumping from any platformer - You may take it for granted, but where would us gamers be if our beloved game characters couldn't jump?

[Indigo Rush]

The Spindash / Roll Mechanic

aka "Spinball Physics"

Man... I just love me some spindashing. Holding down, mashing the jump button and releasing to get some high speed action downhill while plowing through enemies and breakable rock is something awesome.

Unless you're Sonic 4, then it's more like this:

Edited January 24, 2012 by Indigo Rush

[Kuzu]

Unless you're Sonic 4, then it's more like this:

Edited January 24, 2012 by Shadic Claus

[Indigo Rush]

Silly Indigo, Rolling physics don't exist in Sonic 4.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Indigo Rush

[Shane]

I'm surprised nobody has done this, but my favourite ability is... What? I was beaten to it?

Jumping from any platformer - You may take it for granted, but where would us gamers be if our beloved game characters couldn't jump?

[Mandyrobin]

Stealth

[KHCast]

The ability to walk on walls!!!

Okay really though a unique fav of mine would probably be the ability to switch your keyblade. I mean not only do they look badass, but they are more powerful as well! I mean look at this thing and tell me it's not epic:

Edited January 24, 2012 by the hedgehogs boost

[mcsleepy]

Day 8 - Favorite move.

When it comes to favorite attacks, I like the Kingdom Hearts attacks because they're so flashy an simple to pull off, and they tend to do massive damage, and my favorite Kingdom Hearts move would have to be Chain Rave.

You can see it 20 seconds in.

Chain Rave is only in re:Coded I think. I might be in Birth by Sleep but I never got to play that game. Anyway Chain Rave is a freaking boss move. Sora takes his Keyblade by the little key chain dangling off of the end, and starts the spinning it like crazy, and create a swirling blade of doom in front of him. He spins it fast enough it causes him to float and propel him forward. It also acts a shield and blocks any attacks that hit it. The attack can also set up or continue air combos, and is powerful enough to finish off most mid/low health mooks in one hit, and because the hit range is so big, he can kill a bunch of enemies with just one Chain Rave. This is basically my "go to" move when I'm in a tight spot, even though there are other moves that are better becuase well...it's my favorite move.

Edited January 24, 2012 by mcsleepy

[Conando]

I played Henry Hatsworth but, I somehow forgot about Tea Time! I feel...shame.

[Noir]

I figured school would do this but now that my break for midterm week is over I'm back to being tired constantly so no drawing today because I'm a lazy sack of suds

The Airblast - TF2

I wanted to pick jumping to be super special but I saw other people already showed their super specialness by doing that, so this works too.

The pyro's kind of the underdog of TF2. Until his update he didn't even have the airblast or the axetinguisher, pretty much two invaluable things to a good pyro. So he was useless, got trampled all over, generally unloved by his parents and everyone. And that's still how it is today. In a game of crit rockets and spamming grenades and snipers everywhere and spies that are immune to fire, it's easy to get fucked over as a pyro. People march into medium range thinking, ha! loser can't get me with his silly fire over here. And then they launch their rocket and before they have time to react it's speeding back at them and suddenly they burst into a shower of blood and limbs.

It's a very empowering feeling. Bonus points when you redirect their rocket to kill a medic. Because that's just a dick move, and it feels so good.

p.s. I fucking hate the phlogistonator if that was hard to guess

Honorable mentions:

Gravity Gun (Half Life 2) - Nothing's quite as fun as chucking things at enemies with this. Especially slicing a zombie in half with a sawblade or smashing a log into a hunter's face.

Portal Gun (Portal) - It's the fucking portal gun I mean really

Edited January 24, 2012 by Noire