Game List of Unusual Hardware Cues

[Ziggy]

doesn't any game for any system with a noisy drive and/or a loading light count? not sure what you are going for here...

I know exactly what CRT is talking about. Of course any game console with a disc drive will make a noise (quiet or loud) when it starts to load something. But it has a lot to do with the game itself, where the shock factor comes into play.

I'm also not sure why a list of these is a "guide"

OK, I'll give ya that one.



Here's my contribution to this "guide," as well as a perfect example for dsh.



I've probably mentioned this on RB at least twice already, actually. While you're in an area that has random encounters, you'll hear the disc load a second or two before the attack starts. You might say, "So what? Isn't that every RPG game?" I guess so, but for whatever reason it's very noticeable here. I've never experienced exactly this in any other RPG. It has everything to do with the game itself, and not just the fact that the console is making a noise loading (or a blinking indicator light).

Shining the Holy Ark is a first person RPG, and you play the entire game with a first person view. If you're walking around a dungeon, the screen wont change at the start of a battle. Right where you are, an enemy will just pop out (front, back, left right, up or down) and the view never changes. Perhaps the first person view helps submerge you into the game a little more.

Just picture strolling through a creepy forest, trying to navigate your way, and then your Saturn makes a loading noise and a split second later a group of enemies ambush you. I rather like it. It's almost like you're there and you sense something a second before you see the enemy.

Sometimes you can even use it to avoid an encounter. You might turn left or right and hear the drive load, then turn around to avoid the fight. It's like if you were actually there and you had a bad feeling about that hallway (the hairs on the back of your neck stood up!) so you decided not to go that way.

[dsheinem]

ok, so change thread title to "list of unusual hardware cues"?

[Ziggy]

Yeah, something like that would be more accurate. I came into this thread not knowing what it would be about.

[CRTGAMER]

I know exactly what CRT is talking about. Of course any game console with a disc drive will make a noise (quiet or loud) when it starts to load something. But it has a lot to do with the game itself, where the shock factor comes into play.

Shining the Holy Ark is a first person RPG, and you play the entire game with a first person view. If you're walking around a dungeon, the screen wont change at the start of a battle. Right where you are, an enemy will just pop out (front, back, left right, up or down) and the view never changes. Perhaps the first person view helps submerge you into the game a little more.

Just picture strolling through a creepy forest, trying to navigate your way, and then your Saturn makes a loading noise and a split second later a group of enemies ambush you. I rather like it. It's almost like you're there and you sense something a second before you see the enemy.

Sometimes you can even use it to avoid an encounter. You might turn left or right and hear the drive load, then turn around to avoid the fight. It's like if you were actually there and you had a bad feeling about that hallway (the hairs on the back of your neck stood up!) so you decided not to go that way.

Nice story! I especially like the idea that in your example the Saturn drive noise can actually help you avoid the enemies. This is unlike the other games where nothing can be done once the drive starts its dance. Added your game to the OP list and indicated that Reaction Is Allowed. THANK YOU!

Come to think about it the PSP game SNKnicotine suggested adds another dimension to the game. A sort of vibration pack when the drive spools up for the battle.

Have you played Skies of Arcadia on Dreamcast? The disc doesn't simply spin before a battle, it grinds. And from what I recall you still have a second or two before the battle actually loads so you can heal up or whatnot if unprepared. So the grinding is almost like a "heads up" in a sense. I really can't think of a game that has such a drastic "transition" between two scenes, it's nothing like the usual loading/disc-whirring you'd expect.

A good point, I think I remember hitting the Start Button to pause the game when I heard that grind. A sort of take a breath before going back into the game against the forced battle. Added "Reaction Is Allowed" to Skies Arcadia. Thanks!

This reminds me of something Douglas Hofstadter said about books. Essentially his complaint was that you can always tell how far away from the end of the book you are, which takes away a good bit of suspense. There is, in effect, a hardware indicator that you're nearing the ending. This was before ebooks, so his suggestion was to pad out books with an arbitrary number of blank pages so you're surprised when you get to the ending. Silly idea, but it seemed tangentially relevant.

Thats a good way to get the reader who always wants to read the end first.

ok, so change thread title to "list of unusual hardware cues"?

Good idea for the clarity. Renamed the OP to "Game List of Unusual Hardware Cues", thanks!

[ExedExes]

In D2 (Dreamcast), there's no surprise about random encounters -- you hear that disc GRIND when one is about to begin, 2-3 seconds before it comes on screen! Plus, it's LOUD.

[CRTGAMER]

In D2 (Dreamcast), there's no surprise about random encounters -- you hear that disc GRIND when one is about to begin, 2-3 seconds before it comes on screen! Plus, it's LOUD.

Thank You! Added to OP. Can you react to it in any way such as pause or ready a weapon or add health?

[ExedExes]

Thank You! Added to OP. Can you react to it in any way such as pause or ready a weapon or add health?

There is nothing you can do, but when the encounter starts you already have a weapon in hand, and I believe you can press a button to switch it in battle. This video here, watch to 0:35 and then an encounter starts. I also forgot the music and sound except for the footsteps stop when they start too. That's when you hear the disc grinding away.