http://go.fireandrobot.com/ 2010-09-10T06:42:47-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/ http://go.fireandrobot.com/lib/images/favicon.ico text/html 2008-06-06T03:42:25-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=alternate_underwater_arsenal&amp;rev=1212748945 An alternate underwater arsenal exists in a handful of videogames, consisting of one or more weapons used only within the briny deep. Examples * wp>Devil May Cry (includes the needle gun, which is the only weapon that can only be used underwater) * wp>Marathon Infinity * wp>Metal Slug 3 (the standard bomb is replaced by a depth-charge when used underwater) * wp>Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (includes a second arrangement of weapons for underwater use, including the speargun and torpedo launcher) … text/html 2009-06-12T01:57:31-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=animate_object&amp;rev=1244797051 An animate object is an enemy mimicking an inconspicuous item or useful element of a game’s environment; able to move or attack, often in an attempt to subvert the player’s progress or hurt/kill them. The generally don’t reveal themselves to be hazardous until the player is near. text/html 2008-06-06T03:44:58-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=backup_call&amp;rev=1212749098 A backup call is when a videogame’s enemy or injured party—upon suspicion, sight, or assault of the player—summons help from at least one offscreen ally. Common Types Ally Call / Summon * wp>Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (a small number of enemies (such as Dingalings and Muddy Hands) are able to summon backup during encounters) * wp>Super Mario World (along with Chargin’ Chuck’s various attacks, in certain locations he will shake his head and whistle, drawing in a … text/html 2010-01-08T20:59:17-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=demolition_interlude&amp;rev=1263013157 A demolition interlude is an interim bonus stage or minigame involving the (often timed) destruction of inanimate objects, found in fighting and beat ‘em up videogames. Examples commonly include breaking, target practice, or destruction of a large, stationary object. text/html 2009-01-07T21:44:32-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=diegetic_hud&amp;rev=1231393472 A diegetic HUD is a head-up display which (the context of the game implies) the player character can see; implemented in first-person-perspective videogames and those with an over-the-shoulder perspective. Common Types Cockpit View Helmet Mounted Display * wp>Half-Life * wp>Half-Life 2 text/html 2008-01-22T19:46:53-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=disarmament&amp;rev=1201060013 Disarmament is the act of a videogame protagonist being stripped of significant weapons and/or armor, after having used them to some extent. Examples * wp>Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (ic>Death) * wp>Half-Life * wp>The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask * wp>Metroid Prime text/html 2010-01-08T19:14:26-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=dogu&amp;rev=1263006866 Sightings * wp>Chelnov * Darkstalkers / Vampire / Vampire Saviour series (Huitzil/Phobos) * Doguu Senki: Haou * wp>Dynamite Headdy * Megami Tensei series (Arahabaki) * wp>StarTropics See Also * Haniwa text/html 2009-08-29T14:24:30-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=enemy_generator&amp;rev=1251581070 Enemy Generators are distinct structures in videogames that produce lowly assailants at a steady rate. They can be presented as ports—ranging from a door or cave entrance to a dimensional portal—through which it would be feasible for any number of enemies to emerge, though many are more like a clown car gag, forgoing logic to send forth a large if not infinite amount of bodies from a small source. text/html 2010-04-19T14:44:39-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=ephemeral_diversion&amp;rev=1271713479 An ephemeral diversion is a usually-passive part of a videogame that offers even the smallest amount of interactivity. Examples Credits * wp>Katamari Damacy * Punch-Out!! (Wii - the player is able to use the cursor to ‘correct’ misspellings and remove the names of the fighters) * wp>Super Smash Brothers Melee text/html 2009-01-07T21:59:35-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=evolving_mechanics&amp;rev=1231394375 Evolving mechanics involve a steadily advancing play style throughout the course of a single videogame. They often involve advanced player characters having some form of advantage or dominance over their previous incarnations. Examples * Flow (the player controls advancing evolutions of a creature, each with a separate unique ability) * Gumption (in development) * wp>Space Station Silicon Valley (the player controls a microchip that can enter the bodies of various animals, each possessing i… text/html 2010-04-14T23:31:13-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=flatwoods_monster&amp;rev=1271313073 The Flatwoods Monster (aka Braxton County Monster, Green Monster or Phantom of Flatwoods) is a supposed extraterrestrial or cryptid reported to have briefly sojourned in the town of Flatwoods in Braxton County, West Virginia, USA on September 12, 1952. Various accounts described it as at least 10 feet tall, with a man-shaped body clad in a dark, pleated skirt. It was also reported to have bulging, non-human eyes within either a head or cowling shaped like an Ace of Spades, and short stubby arms … text/html 2007-06-22T23:15:07-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=fleeting_enemy&amp;rev=1182579307 Fleeting enemies are videogame enemies or creatures that appear once, and never again. Different than a standard boss which usually won’t return upon death, this applies to smaller enemies that typically exist in the general gameworld and return upon each visit. text/html 2009-06-04T17:03:16-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=flood_level&amp;rev=1244160196 A flood level is a stage or location within a videogame that requires the player to fill/drain water to gain access to different areas. Examples * wp>Half-Life 2 * wp>The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time * wp>The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess * wp>Quake II (a big deal in one of the expansions) * wp>R-Type Final * wp>Skies of Arcadia * wp>Super Mario 64 text/html 2009-06-04T22:25:29-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=foster_monster&amp;rev=1244179529 A foster monster or bad mother is a videogame enemy that shoulders one or more smaller versions of itself, giving the impression of a mother with children. Often the tiny entourage will have their own attack patterns with which to contend. Examples Game Appearance wp>Cave Story wp>Decap Attack wp>Diablo 2 wp>Mega Man 4 wp>Puss 'n Boots: Pero's Great Adventure wp>Sonic the Hedgehog 2 wp>Super Mario All-Stars wp>Super Mario Bros. 3 text/html 2009-08-13T04:52:33-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=fourth_wall&amp;rev=1250164353 Self-awareness during gameplay. The phrase “breaking the fourth wall” refers to the act of a character or other aspect of the gameworld directly addressing the player, television or other non-diegetic elements beyond the game. Internal Awareness Game Addresses... text/html 2010-04-02T16:55:06-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=gashadokuro&amp;rev=1270252506 In Japanese folklore, Gashadokuro are materializations of the ghosts of people who have starved to death. Appearing as a giant skeleton, they are comprised of bones collected from the starved dead. They appear in a multitude of videogames. Sightings text/html 2009-05-28T17:18:21-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=genre_guise&amp;rev=1243556301 A genre guise is a term for a videogame having the appearance of belonging to (and sharing many of the trappings or conventions of) a certain genre, while the gameplay places it firmly within another. Examples * wp>Dynasty Tactics series * Grow RPG * wp>Odama * wp>The Typing of the Dead text/html 2010-01-08T21:09:21-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=giant_running_boss&amp;rev=1263013761 A giant running boss is just that—a huge boss that runs after, around, alongside or away from the player. Videogames (or the portion of those games) with a giant running boss tend to be on rails, keeping the player as close to the behemoth as possible during the battle or sequence. text/html 2007-07-04T17:14:03-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=hammerspace&amp;rev=1183594443 Hammerspace is a term—adapted from animated cartoons—for the thin air from which a character can produce an item or weapon (not to be confused with the Magic Satchel). It is one of the common liberties videogames take with in-game logic and physics, and accounts for such examples as a character being able to pull a too-large sword from over his shoulder, or bring forth a ladder from seemingly nowhere. text/html 2010-01-08T18:59:38-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=haniwa&amp;rev=1263005978 Sightings * wp>Animal Crossing (Gyroid) * Final Fantasy series (Cactuar) * wp>La Pucelle: Tactics * wp>Mischief Makers (Clancer) * wp>Monster Party See Also * Dogū text/html 2009-03-21T13:20:52-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=help_desk&amp;rev=1237666852 Information and assistance in browsing and contributing to the Long Library Contribute * All are welcome to Register in order to edit the wiki * Use Site Discussion for any comments, questions or suggestions * Test Formatting Syntax in the PlayGround * When in doubt, use Study Carrels to flesh out concepts and examples text/html 2009-01-07T19:40:41-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=icebergvania&amp;rev=1231386041 Icebergvania describes any videogame with a great deal of content that is easily overlooked by most players upon reaching an ending, analogous to the majority of an iceberg’s volume being hidden beneath the ocean’s surface. Although the term draws inspiration from the portmanteau, Metroidvania, its requirements extend beyond only those games with Castlevania-like mechanics and presentation, while still adhering to an emphasis on exploration. text/html 2008-04-13T21:15:10-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=immersive_interface&amp;rev=1208146510 Videogames typically display information such as health, items and level progress on a head-up display (HUD). Immersive interface describes the more sophisticated means by which this information is relayed, rather than overlayed, to the player in order to achieve a more engrossing overall experience. text/html 2009-05-28T17:16:52-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=index&amp;rev=1243556212 Welcome to the Long Library, a site which explores the ambiguous relations between videogames; those curiously common, often unusual recurring themes, tropes and elements beyond standard mechanics and narrative—the dark matter of the gaming wikiverse. text/html 2009-06-22T17:47:07-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=indirect_control&amp;rev=1245718027 Consider the following three categories of indirect control within videogames: * In which the player guides non-player avatars/agents through programmed tasks, as in wp>The Incredible Machine and wp>Lemmings; * In which a player character or environment under the player’s direct control is used to direct a dependent object, as in wp>Bubble Ghost and wp>Cameltry; and * In which a player character controls its own player character(s) without that control transfered directly to the player—… text/html 2009-10-05T20:18:12-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=interactive_cut_scene&amp;rev=1254799092 Examples * wp>Beyond Good & Evil (video game) * wp>BioShock * wp>Half-Life 2 * wp>Halo 3: ODST * wp>Metal Gear Solid * wp>Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty * wp>Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater * wp>Shadow of the Colossus text/html 2009-03-21T13:23:55-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=interlibrary_loan&amp;rev=1237667035 Collected resources on the subject of videogame recurrences and tropes * Recurring Themes and Elements in Videogames — Insert Credit Wiki * Videogame Tropes — TV Tropes Wiki * The Minus World * Flying Omelette's Video Game Glossary * The Grand List Of Console Role Playing Game Clichés text/html 2010-01-08T21:03:55-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=internal_conflict&amp;rev=1263013435 An internal conflict, in this case, is a battle or stage of a videogame which takes place within the body of a living or otherwise animated being. This often involves the protagonist being shrunk by some means in order to traverse the bowels of either a burdened or burdensome beast. text/html 2009-04-10T01:08:06-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=item_attraction&amp;rev=1239350886 Item attraction and involves videogames in which the main character is able to attract relatively distant “pick-ups” which are absorbed into their avatar and collected. Examples * wp>Crackdown * wp>God of War II * wp>Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver * wp>Metroid Fusion * wp>Metroid Prime * wp>Metroid Prime 2: Echoes * wp>Metroid Prime 3: Corruption text/html 2009-07-04T15:15:15-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=last_resort&amp;rev=1246745715 Last resort refers to any mechanic within a videogame that makes the player character more powerful when certain stats—often health—are heavily depleted. This mechanic can be utilized strategically, may often exist as a wryly subversive novelty, and at the most fundamental level, provides a better chance at resurgence during situations in which a player is otherwise most vulnerable. text/html 2008-01-22T19:39:13-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=magic_satchel&amp;rev=1201059553 Magic satchel is a term for a specific or implied container which stores a character’s impractically large inventory within a videogame. A character will often carry more items (such as 99 potions) than is feasible or individual items that are too large to carry; the magic satchel being the concession games make to breach physics and allow an enormous stockpile of weapons and items. text/html 2009-10-05T20:18:33-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=main_archives&amp;rev=1254799113 Collected ludonarratological recurrences Character * Animate Object * Fleeting Enemy * Foster Monster * Giant Running Boss * Stacked Opponent * Tentpole Foe * Twin Bosses * Walking Bomb Concept * Evolving Mechanics * Fourth Wall * Genre Guise * Hammerspace * Icebergvania * Magic Satchel * Metroidvania * Monster Closet * Tonsilvania * Zeldalike text/html 2007-04-30T17:01:21-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=metroidvania&amp;rev=1177977681 Metroidvania describes 2D, non-linear, exploration-heavy videogames that draw unmistakable influence from wp>Super Metroid and its ilk within the Castlevania series. text/html 2009-03-25T19:40:02-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=mixing_pot&amp;rev=1238035202 A mixing pot is a term to describe a chamber in which multiple items can be combined and transformed into rare items. Examples * wp>Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (”Alchemy Pot”) * wp>Mischief Makers (”Clan Pot”) * wp>Power Stone 2 (a furnace for “mixing” in the Item Shop) text/html 2008-01-22T19:42:39-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=monster_closet&amp;rev=1201059759 Monster closets are hidden rooms from which monsters emerge once a player’s actions trigger a wall to open. Often this occurs out of view in order to take the player by surprise. Examples * Doom * wp>Doom II: Hell on Earth * wp>Wolfenstein 3D text/html 2010-08-05T21:48:41-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=mothman&amp;rev=1281070121 The Mothman is a cryptid reported to have appeared in West Virginia during the 1960s; described as a winged, man-sized creature with large reflective red eyes and large moth-like wings. The Mothman more recently resides in a handful of videogames, wherein he remains just as elusive. text/html 2009-06-04T23:00:44-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=navigation&amp;rev=1244181644 * Main Archives * Phasma vocabulum * Reference Desk * Study Carrels * Help Desk * Interlibrary Loan text/html 2010-04-02T16:50:37-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=nurikabe&amp;rev=1270252237 The nurikabe, a spirit from Japanese folklore, manifests as a wall that impedes or misdirects those who travel at night. Able to extend itself indefinitely, it can only be bypassed if one knocks on a low part of the wall, causing it to disappear. text/html 2009-06-04T17:01:37-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=paralysis&amp;rev=1244160097 Paralysis in videogames is a sudden, temporary impairment of control between a player and the player character, portrayed as a loss of voluntary movement (immobilization) of the avatar. There are various types and causes of paralysis of characters in videogames. text/html 2010-01-08T21:44:46-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=phasma_vocabulum&amp;rev=1263015886 A compendium of common cryptid cameos within videogames Mythologies American * Flatwoods Monster * Mothman Chinese * Jiang Shi Christian * Legion Himalayan * Yeti Japanese * Dogū * Gashadokuro * Haniwa * Nurikabe Rapa Nui text/html 2009-04-02T23:34:27-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=reference_desk&amp;rev=1238740467 Glossary of common Long Library terms Avatar An avatar is a personified manifestation of a character, player character or other entity within a videogame, or one of the actual player. Diegesis In videogames, diegesis includes all the “in-game” parts of the story; not limited only to those elements that the character(s) would be able to sense and/or interact with. Elements that only exist for the player’s sake—such as health bars and pause menus—are considered non-diegetic, since th… text/html 2009-10-05T15:37:53-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=screen_theory&amp;rev=1254782273 “The television screen is the retina of the mind’s eye.” -Videodrome In the field of videogames, the screen serves as the symbolic boundary between the gameworld and the player; an illusory plane commonly referred to as the fourth wall. The areas obscured by the limits of the screen—any in-game space not viewable to the player—are collectively referred to as ic>offscreen. text/html 2008-01-22T19:53:18-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=scripted_battle&amp;rev=1201060398 Common Types Timed Battle Unwinnable Battle Other Examples * wp>Killer7 See Also * ic>Timed Battle * ic>Unwinnable Battle text/html 2009-03-22T15:53:47-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=silhouette_barrage&amp;rev=1237762427 <kf> nothing more unnerving than watching 2d objects go around oblique corners Examples * wp>Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia * wp>Castlevania: Symphony of the Night * wp>The Battle of Olympus * Noitu Love 2 * wp>Silhouette Mirage * wp>Super Mario Sunshine * wp>Super Smash Bros. Brawl * wp>Zelda II: The Adventure of Link text/html 2007-08-08T02:44:33-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=slime_division&amp;rev=1186566273 Slime division is the act a of large slime or blob monster splitting into smaller versions of itself. Examples * wp>Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King * wp>The Nightmare of Druaga: Fushigino Dungeon * wp>Secret of Mana * wp>Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island * wp>Zelda II: The Adventure of Link text/html 2009-01-07T21:45:09-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=soft_landing&amp;rev=1231393509 Soft landing describes any classically fatal fall in a videogame which results in minor to no injury. This can include falls into hazardous material in some cases. Examples * wp>Marathon 2: Durandal * wp>The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess * wp>The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker * Portal (the player character is equipped with mechanized heel springs to prevent damage from falling, though she can still be killed by toxic liquid) text/html 2008-06-06T19:33:56-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=stacked_opponent&amp;rev=1212806036 Stacked Opponents are quite literally videogame enemies arranged of (mainly vertically) stacked parts. Combat with these foes is often a bit more involved than most, since their attacks and defenses are complimented by either or both their stature and composition. text/html 2010-04-17T07:34:26-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=study_carrels&amp;rev=1271514866 Section for information and resources not yet suited for archival Game Philosophy Dilemmas “ Am I still playing Shenmue when I’m playing Space Harrier within Shenmue?” “ What’s a good term for ‘3D silhouettes’, such as the shadow-like creatures in Ico and SotC?” text/html 2009-01-07T21:45:30-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=surface_tension&amp;rev=1231393530 Surface tension exists among videogames in which health is lost at a steady rate if the player character remains underwater for too long and sometimes replenishes upon resurfacing. Examples * Half-Life series * Sonic the Hedgehog series * wp>Super Mario 64 * wp>Tomb Raider text/html 2009-04-10T01:10:16-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=tentpole_foe&amp;rev=1239351016 A tentpole foe is a load-bearing boss that carries the weight of the stage or entire gameworld on its shoulders, literally or figuratively. Defeating such an enemy causes the environment to collapse, providing the player with a secondary hazard that must be escaped. text/html 2008-01-22T22:25:17-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=tonsilvania&amp;rev=1201069517 Tonsilvania describes platformer videogames in which swallowing and regurgitating foes is a fundamental technique. Examples * wp>Ardy Lightfoot * wp>Chameleon Twist * wp>Chameleon Twist 2 * Kirby series * wp>Super Mario World * wp>Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island text/html 2009-05-11T20:15:09-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=twin_bosses&amp;rev=1242098109 Twin bosses are videogame bosses that appear as two similar characters in the same battle, usually with contrasting elements, such as ice and fire. Examples wp>Forgotten Worlds Fuujin Raijin wp>Okami Ocarina of Time Lechku and Nechku Twinrova wp>Skies of Arcadia Mao and Jao Sinistra and Destra text/html 2009-08-23T03:00:44-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=unfortunate_detection&amp;rev=1251021644 In videogames, unfortunate detection involves the player agitating a reclusive enemy by observing them in some way, thus triggering a battle. Examples * Beyond Good & Evil (once the player photographs what are ostensibly a pair of one-eyed creatures, they retract to reveal themselves as part of the boss, “Petrolimex”) * wp>The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (the boss “Gohma” literally looms above the player; the battle isn’t triggered until the player looks up to view its eye as … text/html 2009-06-08T18:51:25-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=walking_bomb&amp;rev=1244512285 Walking bombs are suicidal videogame enemies that pursue the main character, hoping to initiate contact and explode in order to inflict damage or death. Examples * wp>Dead Rising (When a cult member receives enough damage, they will pull out an explosive and rush the player character) * wp>Diablo II: Lord of Destruction (”Suicide Minions” attempt to charge and blow up in the player’s vicinity) * Final Fantasy series (”Bombs” and their derivatives) * wp>Gauntlet Legends (”Suicid… text/html 2007-06-22T08:18:22-07:00 http://go.fireandrobot.com/doku.php?id=zeldalike&amp;rev=1182525502 A Zeldalike is a videogame that that draws unmistakable influence from the 3D games within the Zelda series. Examples * wp>Okami