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Edited by RetroEdit on 8/23/2024 3:09 AM
As part of creating and organizing game entries, they can be categorized with various genres. This page gives guidelines on which genres are appropriate. Certain genres encompass other genres, and the more specific one should be used in those cases.
(Note: Some content is paraphrased from [user:moozooh]; see [Forum/Posts/218442|original forum post].)
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!!! Action
Action is a broad term for games where various forms of violence are a major part of game-play; usually it's the main way for the game to interact with the player (and, more often than not, vice versa). This is often indicated by the player's character having one or more weapons or melee attacks which are used to traverse the game environment and deal with the enemies on the way.
Note that this game genre is commonly defined as one where you are required to ''act'' quickly and precisely, which is so common at TASVideos that it can be considered default. So not to mark 90% of all TASes as Action, we use the definition that is closer to that of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_film|Action film] genre.
There are genres that are, by this definition, subsets of "Action":
* [#Fighting|Fighting];
* [#Shooter|Shooter].
(Do not use "Action" for these.)
Examples:
* [1686M|Mega Man]
* [2312M|Metal Gear]
* [1761M|Super Bomberman]
!!! Adventure
This genre commonly gives the player secondary goals and allows him/her to revisit earlier locations with no hard time limit.
There are genres that are, by this definition, subsets of "Adventure":
* [#Rpg|RPG];
* [#Storybook|Storybook].
(Do not use "Adventure" for these.)
Examples:
* [1685M|The Legend of Zelda]
* [1054M|Maniac Mansion]
* [1368M|Super Metroid]
!!! Application
[TODO]: describe this genre; perhaps find the forum post providing additional context for why it was added.
!!! Board
[TODO]: describe this genre; perhaps find the forum post providing additional context for why it was added.
!!! Educational
[TODO]: describe this genre; perhaps find the forum post providing additional context for why it was added.
!!! Fighting
A subset of [#Action|action] games that generally feature melee combat between the protagonist and a certain number of antagonists. At TASVideos, this tag is used for versus fighters (1-on-1 or similar) as well as for brawlers (where several enemies are let on the screen in packs, only allowing the player to progress when every one of them is defeated).
Examples:
* [485M|Double] [1279M|Dragon] [1156M|series]
* [934M|Mortal] [759M|Kombat] series
* [2488M|Punch-Out!!]
!!! Gameshow
[TODO]: describe this genre; perhaps find the forum post providing additional context for why it was added.
!!! Platformer
Not a genre per se, "Platformer" indicates that the game environment is __primarily__ composed of platforms (forgoing logic or realism in their placement) that force the player to traverse them using jumps or similar ways of movement.
The difference between this genre and [#Action|Action] is that navigating platforms is the main focus in this style of game. A game like Mega Man can be a platformer game, however shooting with the Mega Buster and defeating enemies is an important part of gameplay as well. This makes it __both__ a Platformer and an Action game. Careful thought should be given to whether a game should have "Genre: Action", "Genre: Platformer", or both as tags.
This is the most typical genre for TASVideos by far.
Examples:
* [1715M|Super Mario] series
* [2410M|Sonic the Hedgehog] series
!!! Puzzle
This genre encompasses all games where logic and puzzle-solving are the main ideas.
Examples:
* [1252M|Lemmings]
* [703M|The Lost Vikings]
* [2142M|Tetris] games
!!! Racing
A subset of [#Sport|sports] games (don't let the two overlap) where the primary objective is to complete a course as fast as possible either against a timer or one or more opponents.
Examples:
* [946M|Diddy Kong Racing]
* [1348M|Excitebike]
* [1126M|Super Mario Kart]
!!! Rhythm
[TODO]: describe this genre; perhaps find the forum post providing additional context for why it was added.
!!! RPG
Role-playing games are a subset of [#Adventure|adventure] games that are notoriously hard to describe and discern. Usually they have at least two of the following characteristics:
* massive nonlinearity – the player can revisit most (or all) of the earlier visited locations and make choices that affect the game's continuity at several parts of its progression;
* [[nearly-]]direct control of the character development – depending on the game it may mean everything from player character's equipment and personal attributes to morality and outlook on the game world;
* ability to handle in-game situations in several different ways – for instance, by fighting, reasoning, or deceit/bribery.
Examples:
* [2339M|Chrono Trigger]
* [1482M|Dragon Warrior] series
* [2079M|Final Fantasy] series
!!! Shooter
A subset of [#Action|action] with large emphasis on shooting and dodging enemy projectiles (or killing enemies before they can shoot them). For 2D games this more often than not implies single-hit-deaths.
Examples:
* [1783M|Contra]
* [711M|Gradius]
* [814M|Star Fox]
!!! Simulation
[TODO]: describe this genre; perhaps find the forum post providing additional context for why it was added.
!!! Sport
A genre that encompasses all sports games, including all board/card games. [#Racing|Racing] games are a subset. [#Board|Board] games are another subset.
Examples:
* [1438M|International Super Star Soccer]
* [1118M|RBI Baseball]
* [1029M|Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3]
!!! Storybook
A subset of [#Adventure|adventure] with a menu-driven interface. Most or all of the interaction is turn-based and is done on a fixed screen by the means of a cursor.
Examples:
* [1952M|Déjà Vu]
* [1858M|Shadowgate]
* [2130M|Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom]
!!! Strategy
A well-established genre where the player has to manage their combat forces and/or economical resources in real-time or by taking turns. The objective is to achieve certain goals (more often than not being the elimination of the opposing parties). "God simulation" games are also covered by this tag.
Examples:
* [1424M|Advance Wars] series
* [1878M|Fire Emblem] series
* [1312M|Shining Force]
!!! Unofficial Games
There are several types of unofficial games (combinations may happen):
* __Bootleg__ - A game based on an existing franchise, released on ''hardware without due authorization'' from the franchise owner.
* __[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_modding|Custom level set]__ - A game released on ''software'', that uses ''official'' ecosystem for modding.
* __[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_game|Fangame]__ - A game based on an existing franchise, released in ''software'' form ''without due authorization'' from the franchise owner.
* __[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROM_hacking|Hack]__ - ''Unofficial'' modification of an existing game, released primarily in ''software'' form.
** [2639M|Super Demo World]
** [4227M|Super Boy II]
* __[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homebrew_(video_games)|Homebrew]__ - A game ''unofficially'' produced by ''hobbyists'' for a ''proprietary'' system which was not intended to be user-programmable.
** [1786M|Battle Kid]
* __Prerelease__ - An ''official early access'' (demo) release of a game.
* __Unlicensed game__ - A ''commercial'' game by an ''established developer'' for a ''proprietary'' system, that ''failed'' to meet console manufacturer's policies and get an official "seal of approval".
* __Unofficial port__ - An ''unauthorized'' game largely based on an existing game from a different system that attempts to ''replicate'' the original.
* __Unreleased game__ - A game that was more or less complete but its release got ''canceled''.
** [1236M|Star Fox 2]