atelierpenny | Using every tool in the gamedev kitchen

I am not sure if there is a term for this phenomenon, but it is something I have become rather fascinated with. Game consoles (especially dedicated handhelds) always have strange and unique features, though they are typically forgotten past the initial excitement of their respective gimmicks (i.e. many of the Nintendo 3DS's later models and games outright did not include 3D support). What intrigues me are the games which use all these odd tools in their toolbox without being outright commercial tech demos (so something like 1 2 Switch does not qualify for this article, lol).

As mentioned prior, the 3DS and Nintendo handhelds are the leaders in this weird arbitrary category. Bravely Default inspired me to write this article. Sure, I could have waited for the upcoming remaster, but I am very glad I am playing the original. While the combat has plenty of its own unique mechanics, Bravely Default's main advertised appeal was that it was essentially a 1990s Final Fantasy game with more modern visuals and sensibilities. I do adore the game but we are here to talk about the other shit. When you start the game, Bravely Default has you play the opening cutscene as a VR video projecting on to your table. Full voice acting and the effect of void like chunks being taken out of your table give the scene a really striking effect. After the rather predictable destruction of the protagonist's home town, a seasoned RPG player would expect to merely move right along to their quest for vengeance. But the starting town is not ignored! The bottom screen has access to the town viewable whenever you are not in battle or viewing a map! The town can be rebuilt through an idle game, which runs even while the console is in sleep mode. Rebuilding the town does not unlock anything wholly necessary, but it is packed with cool customization, quality of life, and combat tools. New limit breaks are unlocked, you can add modifiers to your limit breaks like increasing stats or adding elemental properties, you can buy unique armor and weapons from town, you can unlock the ability to buy healing items at save points, and more. Getting new workers for town reconstruction happens as you StreetPass other players who own Bravely Default (works strangely well with Agnes' character arc about learning to trust again)! StreetPass features don't just stop there. In combat, you can “record” an attack or ability used in battle. When you StreetPass another player, your recorded move is sent to them and they can use it once per battle. Thankfully, the game gives you like 3 constantly updating bot players so the StreetPass features are not completely dead nowadays.

The Metal Gear Solid series wholeheartedly embraces this phenomenon. We got all the classics everyone already knows about, but I gotta mention them. You got Psycho Mantis reading your memory card, you got the guy in 3 who you can kill by waiting like two weeks, 3D being disabled in MGS3 3D after the interrogation sequence... between Metal Gear, PT's use of the PS4 microphone, Death Stranding's online features, and Boktai's solar panel stuff, Kojima might be the king of this very specific category.

I've got two more games I wanna discuss. First, I have to mention the Zelda games. The player draws maps on the bottom screen to solve riddles (child-me just REFUSED to draw a damn dolphin on the bottom screen and that island took me like 40 minutes), screams into the mic, closes the DS to stamp a letter (sorry 2DS players)... sure, it has the big downside of a very clunky control scheme being the only way to play, but I can forgive it for being so damn charming.

Listen I know I just complained about Phantom Hourglass's controls but I will not tolerate The World Ends With You slander. It only has two gimmicky sorts of features worth noting: First, you can play the touch screen minigame Tin Pin through local wireless and trade with others, which is kinda silly and fun. But the other one, despite being not ideal to most players, I actually rather like. Food gives you stat boosts in TWEWY, and you need to wait real world time for your party to digest the food. It is rather annoying to anyone marathoning this game. But I found it a really cute, yet not too intrusive way to push the games themes! You are rewarded for going out there are expanding your horizons beyond just the game, but not in a way that feels patronizing or demeaning towards the player. You can beat the game perfectly fine with no food stat boosts, I have done it plenty of times. I also think it has used the control schemes of its respective console releases wonderfully. Our protagonist cannot connect with others and shuts himself out, so you gotta do really clunky gameplay with both DS screens, touch and buttons. It has a kinda steep learning curve, but it is fun to get used to even if you gotta stumble and start over with new party members. Just like being social and meeting new people! On the switch version, I think two player is the ideal way to experience this game. It is really goddamn disorienting with two cursors swiping all over the place and two anime boys screaming and the jpop soundtrack blaring away and probably also you arguing with the other player about the boss puzzle. But it works beautifully to replicate the two screens set up with this disorientation. You and your second player are disconnected, and you gotta clear out the bad thoughts, listen, and work together. It rules so hard.