Summary
Video games have evolved a lot over the decades, with different genres rising and falling over the years. Getting high scores at arcade games used to be as alluring as completing Trophy/Achievement lists. Lightgun shooters fell to first-person shooters while RPGs went from being niche NES games to groundbreaking PS1 games that appealed to everyone.
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Then there’s the action genre. Nowadays, it’s more of an umbrella term for all sorts of games that see the player(s) fighting foes in real-time. But it wasn’t always so broad. Every journey begins with a single step, and these steps saw the innovative combat mechanics that created the subgenres fans love today.
10Kung Fu Master
Made by Takashi Nishiyama for Irem,Kung Fu Masterwas originally a tie-in for the Jackie Chan movieWheels on Meals, orSpartan Xas it was called in Japan. Yet in practice, it played more like the Bruce Lee movieGame of Death, as Thomas has to progress up different floors on a pagoda against increasingly difficult enemies to save his girlfriend Sylvia.
It became the first sidescrolling beat ‘em up, as players had to master Thomas’ punches, kicks, jumping, and crouching attacks to get the better of a variety of enemies, from knife throwers to poisonous snakes. As basic as it is compared to newer games,Kung Fu Masterstill holds up quite well today. If creating one genre wasn’t enough, Nishiyama would move to Capcom to create the modern fighting gameStreet Fighter.
9Hover Attack
This one is fairly obscure. Googling the title will bring a few pages on GiantBomb and Mobygames, the occasional gameplay video, and a passing mention on the Wikipedia page forBangai-O. Not even online lists for its primary machine, the Sharp X1 computer, mention it often. Yet it’s one of the more important titles around.
Earlier shooters, like 1982’sFront Linesaw players move up the screen or move all around a static black screen like 1979’sSheriff. ButHover Attackis one of the first, if notthefirst, to have players scroll right across different levels to shoot enemies down. It’s a simple move for a simple-looking game, but one that led the way forContra,Turrican,Gunstar Heroes, and more.
8Renegade
Kung Fu Mastermay have been the first, though it didn’t have a lot of moves. Just some swift kicks and punches. Technos improved upon its formula withNekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun(“Hot-Blooded High Schooler Kunio-Kun”), better known in the West asRenegade. It was more popular on its original release, as its wonky controls weren’t as intuitive as, say,Double Dragon.
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Nonetheless, it expanded the brawler’s move set with running strikes, throws, and weapons. It also used a ¾ perspective that allowed players to move up and down the stages as well as left to right.Renegadecreated the formula allfuture beat ‘em upswould follow, fromFinal FightandStreets of RagetoThe TakeOverandFinal Vendetta.
7Metroid
It wasn’t like the run & gunners were simple, but their formula certainly was. All the players had to do was run right and shoot everything in sight while dodging bullets. There wasn’t much exploration to be had, and the best weapons tended to be the ones that covered the most ground.Metroidchanged all that, and let players know this by hiding its first big power-up left of the starting point instead of right.
It encouraged players to roam its world in all directions and to use any new items they got to access new areas, like freezing enemies to turn them into platforms. AlongsideVampire Killer,Castlevania’s more exploratory MSX port,Metroidcreated the“Metroidvania” or search-action genre, where scouring every inch of the world was as rewarding as the fighting.
6River City Ransom
Though Sega’sYakuza/Like a Dragonseries came out during the boom for open-world crime games likeGrand Theft AutoandSaints Row, it wasn’t aiming for the same market. If anything, both it and its spiritual predecessorShenmuewere walking the path set byRiver City Ransom, another sidescrolling beat ‘em up from Technosbased in theKunio-kununiverse.
It had an open-world structure where the player could purchase health items or boost their stats to gain new moves on top of brawling with the different thugs on the street. It even had optional bosses for players to test their mettle on. Aside from inspiringLike a DragonandShenmue, its DNA can be seen inScott Pilgrim Vs The World, and WayForward Tech’sRiver City Girlsseries.
5Resident Evil
Hitting/shooting things while avoiding getting hit/shot is a pretty standard concept for games. But some games carved their niche by making their gameplay aboutwhenandwhen notto strike. RPGs, RTSs, and the like considered this (Flee commands, etc), but aside from some early stealth games, action games encouraged getting in the enemy’s face.
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Resident Evilonly offered so many arms for players to use against the horrors in the Spencer Mansion. They had to consider when to use their weapons and watch their ammo as vigilantly as they did for the undead lurking around the corners.REdidn’t strictly invent survival horror (asAlone in the Darkfans may attest), but it became the most influential series in the genre.
4Metal Gear Solid
Surprisingly,Metal Gearwasn’t the first stealth action game, let alone its 3D sequel.3D Monster Mazeand the originalCastle Wolfensteinbeat it to the punch in 1981. Yet neither they nor the originalMetal Gearhad as much impact asMetal Gear Soliddid. BeforeMGS1,there was the odd stealth game like Sega’sBonanza Bros, but they didn’t outsell the shooting games.
AfterMGS1, sneaking became a staple innearly all action gamesfromTomb RaidertoUncharted. They offered their own tactical approach, where the player could do all sorts to get the drop on an enemy, move by without trouble, or mess around with them for laughs. TheMetal Gearseries would continue to expand the stealth genre, as would its rivals inHitmanandSplinter Cell.
3Devil May Cry
3D graphics gave action games a new dimension to explore, albeit often with stiffer movement. As popular asTomb RaiderandResident Evilwere, their tank controls felt particularly clunky, especially after analog controls were introduced. Originally proposed as aResident Evilsequel until it was deemed too action-heavy,Devil May Crymade full use of the smoother movement.
As its hero Dante, players had to mix up their moves, using those extra buttons and directions, to get higher grades for their combos (from “Dull” to “Stylish”). The higher the grade, the more orbs they’d earn, which could then be used to get more upgrades. It encouraged high-level play and was exciting to watch. It wasn’t long until other games likeGod of Warand the PS2Prince of Persiaseries followed in its stead, creatingthe hack n’slash genre.
2Batman: Arkham Asylum
The hack n’slash formula was a potent one, withSonic Unleashedspending half its time as aGod of Warclone via the Werehog. Then theGhost Ridergame was essentiallyDMCinMarvelclothing right down to the grading system. With the Batman license falling into Rocksteady Studios’ lap, they wanted to do something more to capture the spirit of The Dark Knight. Instead of styling on foes,Batman: Arkham Asylum’s freeflow combat played almost like a rhythm game.
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As he built up momentum, Batman could swoop from one foe to another, knocking them down with hits, with a counter button to strike anyone trying to stop his pace. While it felt simpler thanDMC’s tight frame setups, it wasn’t a button basher either. Players had to keep their momentum going and combos high to access instant takedowns and other techniques. It was more intuitive, and really captured what Batman’s multi-man brawls in the comics felt like.
1Demon’s Souls
Being the first entry in a series means being less refined than the sequels.Demon’s Soulsrarely gets as many kudos as theDark Soulsgames orBloodborne. However, those games wouldn’t be around today if FromSoftware didn’t test the waters withDemon’s Souls, since its big contribution was a more realistic approach to sword-swinging in an otherwise fantastical setting.
No one in real life can do the superhuman tricks Dante, Kratos, andBayonettacan do in their games. So players inDemon’s Soulscan’t do that either. They had to time their dodges and blocks just right to expose their opponents’ openings, and find ways to replenish their stamina after (or during) fights to keep going. As hard as it was, it was rewarding to play as each successful move felt earned, and each victory sweeter than the last.
