Summary
- Demo Discs were iconic and missed, but we understand why they’re gone.
- Live-action actors in cutscenes dove deep into the uncanny valley.
- Full-Body Motion Controls like the ones used by the Kinect were gimmicky and unwelcome.
The video game industry as a whole has always been plagued by fads and trends. Some piece of technology that’s brand-new will be hailed as ‘the future of gaming,’ only for it to basically disappear overnight. Some of these trends can prove fun, but ultimately, they get lost to the sands of time after a year or so, or sometimes, even after only a few months.
Related
We’re So Glad These Once Common Gaming Accessories Got Phased Out
The evolution of video game accessories thankfully made these options passé. We really don’t miss them.
But, which of these short-lived trends is truly the worst? We’ve broken down some of the worst, quickest fads the gaming world has ever experienced. So join me for a retrospective of some of gaming’s weirdest mistakes.
8 Demo Discs
I Actually Miss These
As our headline suggests, Demo Discs are one of those oddball gaming trends that burned fast and furious. A lot of games, particularly in long-running franchises, would often come with a 20-minute demo for another game inside the package. I honestly really miss these, but understand why they might’ve been costly to produce.
Demo Discs were actually how I got introduced to iconic games like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. I remember playing the 20-minute demo for that game over and over again late into the night. Now, the evolution of this trend really is open betas, which just don’t have the same magic.
7 Live-Action Actors
Uncanny Valley
We all love a good cutscene, but this particular trend almost ruined them for me. A lot of point-and-click adventure games, or sometimes mystery games, would use live-action actors inserted into a video game space for their cutscenes. While these certainly have their charms, they oftentimes veer into uncanny valley territory.
Related
So No Games? Video Game Consoles Ranked By How Many Games They Had At Launch
And you thought some consoles were lacking in games, wait until you see these ones.
Plus, a lot of the games that used this technology are just a lot older, so the visual quality just wasn’t ever as good, nor was the audio. Ultimately, this is a trend I’m glad is long gone.
6 Full-Body Motion Controls
RIP Kinect
Motion controls, as a whole, have always felt gimmicky, and for the most part, are largely out of the gaming zeitgeist. However, there’s one particular element of motion controls that is truly dead in the water, and that’s full-body motion.
This was most famously popularized on the Kinect, which allowed you to use your entire body as a controller. Wii Fit also comes to mind as a game that tried to get you to use your entire body in tandem with the Wii Fit board to serve as one unified controller. Don’t gaming companies know that gamers just want to sit down and be comfortable?
5 Dark Graphic Trends
Everything’s Got Like, A Glare
This trend, in some ways, still really plagues the industry, but there was a time in the mid-2000s when almost every single game was either incredibly dark and hard to see or had a sepia filter over the entire thing. Now, games are allowed to be much more colorful.
Related
This trend, in some ways, is similar to the way the 2010s were dominated by grayscale movies. Ultimately, this is another trend that I’m really glad is gone, as I much prefer a bright cartoonish vibe to an overly dark one.
4 Touchscreen Functionality
Remember The Wii U? Me Neither
Obviously, nowadays, we still have touch screen phones and tablets, but there was a time when a lot of different consoles were trying to implement touchscreen mechanics into their consoles. Sure, it could work on some mobile consoles, but when it came to something like the Wii U, it couldn’t be more useless.
True, the Switch still has touchscreen functionality, but it’s not really used all that much. Personally, when I’m gaming, particularly at home, I only really need one screen, thank you very much.
3 Movie Tie-Ins
I Do Miss CD-ROMS Though
Kids of the ’90s in particular will remember this one. For a long time, every single game had a direct game tie-in. It’s true, we still have movie and video game crossovers, Dune: Awakening comes to mind. But these games tend to be more ‘in the world’ of the movie, rather than a direct copycat.
Related
21 PC Games Best Played With A Controller
While using a keyboard and mouse is traditional for PC games, sometime using a controller just feels better.
I’m old enough to remember when every Shrek movie got its own video game spin-off, in which you just play through the events of the movie. A ton of Pixar movies also had tie-ins, and frankly, we really don’t have much need for these types of games anymore.
2 Mobile Home Console Connections
What Are All These Cables For?
This next item on the list is a very specific call-out. During the height of mobile gaming consoles, there was a lot of emphasis placed on connecting consoles like your Game Boy to your GameCube for additional gaming possibilities. Personally, though, I have a bone to pick with The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures.
This game required so many different connective cables and consoles to play properly that it just wasn’t worth it. There’s a lot of merit to the game if you could get it to work, but frankly, I don’t ever want to hear the phrase ‘Game Boy Advance Link Cable’ ever again, or I riot.
1 Game-Specific Controllers
Looking At You Again, The Legend Of Zelda
This last one is another controller-based gripe. There are a few games that come to mind when it comes to controllers that were designed specifically for games. The Mario Kart wheel is one, but the one that sticks out the most in my mind is the Link’s Crossbow Training controller, lovingly named the Wii Zapper.
I’m sorry, but I just don’t want to buy more controllers for one game ever again. The idea is cute, but in practice, it really doesn’t matter, and it always feels like a total waste of money. I’m personally so glad that we’re back to the trend of gaming controllers that are optimized for pro play, as opposed to feeling gimmicky.
Next
8 Best Wii U Games That Never Came To Switch
We can’t believe these Wii U games aren’t on Switch.
