The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Anything from run & guns to modern RPGs, what else do you play?
Post Reply
Licorice
Posts: 247
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2019 10:04 am

The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by Licorice »

Many games come with a secondary mode completely unlike the primary, or at the least they're a remix of sorts, that could be a whole game in and of themselves, but for whatever reason weren't. This is akin to and indeed has some overlap with the arcade ports that are better than the original thread. I'll rattle off some examples, and hopefully a discussion can start on some of them or others can rattle off some examples too.

Mercs (MD)'s "Original Mode". The only arcade format ARPG I know of. It's all about collecting medals and using them as currency in shops to permanently build up your team's health, speed and attack power, with each team member representing a specific weapon. "Secret" alternate routes through parts of the levels (revealed in the end credits) give more medals and additional immunity items (gas masks, really), armor, health and power up items. I can't remember if medals are turned into score or not, but it's unfortunately lacking an aggressive (or any) timer so there's milking aplenty you can do rendering it moot. Nevertheless there's no "grinding", and everything is a resource. You have to have a game plan, and execute it well to succeed. Marvelous.

Final Fight (MCD)'s "Time Attack". Incredibly addictive pure distilled beat em up game play. Why scroll the screen at all?

Gauntlet (MD)'s "Quest Mode". This is Gauntlet to me, as I've not played the arcade mode. Again, a very distilled but alternate (to first person ala Wizardry) take on dungeon crawling. Very fine overhead dungeon first design.

Slapfight (MD)'s "Special Mode". Fortress assault course where you can now jettison wing span as a bomb, giving another dimension to the simpler shot power vs hitbox size trade off present in the arcade.

Tobal 2's "Quest Mode". I've not played this, but it's rogue like crawling but where the random battles are fighting game fights.

Biohazard 3's "Mercenaries". Time attack routing tank control action. As far as I can tell this is the only Mercenaries mode that doesn't have degenerate strategies in high level play (degenerate meaning it's optimal to only utilize a fraction of your available arsenal).

Metal Gear Solid's "VR Training". Distilled Metal Gear Solid "stealth" and gimmicks.

Metal Gear Solid's "VR Training Special Mode". Top down 3D time attack platforming and ninja slicing. Completely different take on action in the same engine.

Kirby's Airride's "City Trial". Free for all item hunt in a huge arena to build up your character for the specified ranking challenge at the end. You can win both by denial of resources, or efficient routing. Seems to have a lot of depth, but I've not sunk the time into it.

Soul Calibur 3's "Chronicle of the Sword". Another one I only know of. (Real Time?) Strategy and SRPG combined where attacks are fighting game fights. Really want to sink some time into this one.
User avatar
Air Master Burst
Posts: 762
Joined: Fri May 13, 2022 11:58 pm
Location: Minnesota

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by Air Master Burst »

I bailed on Witcher 3 maybe a third of the way through the main story because I was Gwent champion and owned every card. After that kind of glory, what possible rush could I get from reuniting with my surrogate daughter? Now I know how those gymnasts that gold medal the Olympics at 14 and are washed up by 17 feel.

I dunno if it counts, but I always preferred the Dreamcast exclusive level in Crazy Taxi to the original arcade map.
King's Field IV is the best Souls game.
Licorice
Posts: 247
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2019 10:04 am

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by Licorice »

Air Master Burst wrote:I bailed on Witcher 3 maybe a third of the way through the main story because I was Gwent champion and owned every card. After that kind of glory, what possible rush could I get from reuniting with my surrogate daughter? Now I know how those gymnasts that gold medal the Olympics at 14 and are washed up by 17 feel.

I dunno if it counts, but I always preferred the Dreamcast exclusive level in Crazy Taxi to the original arcade map.
Yeah minigames within a larger game (very often tend to be card games in RPGs) count, as do remixed levels.

What made you prefer the DC exclusive map btw?
User avatar
BulletMagnet
Posts: 13888
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 4:05 am
Location: Wherever.
Contact:

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by BulletMagnet »

Your mention of Kirby's Air Ride made me think of Kirby Super Star for the SNES, which might not technically count here since it's kind of a compilation as opposed to a single game, but either way it includes not only a pair of multiplayer-compatible minigames but several full-fledged segments that change up the usual Kirby gameplay significantly, particularly Gourmet Race (outrun a rival while picking up as much stuff as possible), Great Cave Offensive (take your time exploring and use the available abilities to sniff out treasures for a high score), Milky Way Wishes (instead of gaining abilities from eating enemies you now have to search out permanent "upgrades" for them, which can then be switched out freely; also tosses in a shmup segment for good measure) and Arena (endurance boss rush with limited recovery opportunities). I'm not much of a Kirby fan in general but Super Star's willingness to change things up will always make it a bit of a favorite for me.
User avatar
Marc
Posts: 3408
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2005 10:27 am
Location: Wigan, England.

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by Marc »

Air Master Burst wrote:I bailed on Witcher 3 maybe a third of the way through the main story because I was Gwent champion and owned every card. After that kind of glory, what possible rush could I get from reuniting with my surrogate daughter? Now I know how those gymnasts that gold medal the Olympics at 14 and are washed up by 17 feel.

I dunno if it counts, but I always preferred the Dreamcast exclusive level in Crazy Taxi to the original arcade map.
Wait, WHAT? How the FUCK did I muss this? A new level, or remixed way points?
XBL & Switch: mjparker77 / PSN: BellyFullOfHell
User avatar
Air Master Burst
Posts: 762
Joined: Fri May 13, 2022 11:58 pm
Location: Minnesota

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by Air Master Burst »

Entirely new level, it's smaller but I remember thinking the layout is more fun. It might just be because it was new and I'd already played the OG map a shitload in the arcade, though. Honestly I haven't played any Crazy Taxi in well over a decade, so my memory is a bit hazy.

Pretty sure most of the 00s console ports include both. No idea about the more recent ports.
King's Field IV is the best Souls game.
User avatar
To Far Away Times
Posts: 1661
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:42 am

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by To Far Away Times »

I don't like console exclusive map as much, but it's still quite good, although with a different design philosophy. It's more of an open world square and less of a racing line like the Arcade map, so you can go really go crazy and plan out your routes if you want. It really is like a second game. It has a lot of new art assets too.

I'd usually do two arcade runs and one original run just to spice things up. The license tests were also a blast.

Crazy Taxi deserves the best, and they put a lot of love into that port.

---

Regarding the Witcher 3, while I enjoyed both sides of the game, I really did feel like a traveling Gwent master who was a witcher on the side. I was more excited to see that someone wanted to play cards than to go rescue their child from a pack of wolves.
User avatar
Leandro
Posts: 825
Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:55 pm
Location: Green Hell

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by Leandro »

Super Hang-On Original mode on the Genesis.
A career mode with upgrades, sponsors etc. Really cool for the time.


Enviado de meu 2201116SG usando o Tapatalk
User avatar
Blinge
Posts: 5369
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:05 pm
Location: Villa Straylight

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by Blinge »

Were there different tracks on that mode?
Image
1cc List - Youtube - You emptylock my heart
sunnshiner
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon May 09, 2022 3:42 pm

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by sunnshiner »

Would the Heroes and Heralds mode in UMvC3 count here? I find that more fun than the main game which can be a bit 'one touch death' on harder difficulties. I'm enjoying the World Tour mode in SFA3 on Saturn at the minute too.
Steven
Posts: 2873
Joined: Tue May 11, 2021 5:24 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by Steven »

Don't forget the skateboarding thing in Metal Gear Solid 2 that I've never played.
Licorice
Posts: 247
Joined: Wed Sep 25, 2019 10:04 am

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by Licorice »

Front Mission 5's Survival Simulator. Finally decided to check out this menu option during my play through of Front Mission 5 last night. It's a rogue-like. You select *one* pilot from your team, but they are reset (pilot level reduced to 1, skills, skill slots and EP removed, etc.?) and you get a set starting wanzer. The way the numbers work is slightly different from how it is in the main game too. You then proceed through floors collecting loot, in standard rogue-like fashion, but with Front Mission 5's turn based combat engine (minus links, among other tweaks). If you clear the dungeon, you get to carry over acquired loot to the main game. Alternatively you can use an "escape" item. I'll talk more about how that affects the main game when I write a full review of Front Mission 5, but ignoring that (which, my preliminary conclusion is, you should) this is a fun game by itself.
User avatar
BIL
Posts: 18989
Joined: Thu May 10, 2007 12:39 pm
Location: COLONY

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by BIL »

Great thread, and a favourite subject of mine. :smile: While not marketed as such, I'll mention Gain Ground's MD port as bringing a very interesting riff on the classic base game. "Hard" difficulty nonplusses at first, starting you off with the entire roster of characters. The catch is, there are absolutely no in-stage POWs to rescue; so if a character dies, you're never seeing them again.

I had a lot of fun with this mode. On one hand, you get to mow through the early stages with cool later-game soldiers, like my boy THE PROFESSOR and that bitch MUD PUPPY. On the other, it's fiendishly easy to lose them early/midgame - and there's also the potential for hilariously ruinous trainwrecks, where attempting to retrieve a downed favourite gets their would-be rescuer nailed, the cycle repeating ad infinitum, none ever heard from again. Kind of a survival/permadeath spin on the army-building base mode; easily worth having the cart around for, alongside M2's AC-perfect NSW AGES version.
User avatar
Air Master Burst
Posts: 762
Joined: Fri May 13, 2022 11:58 pm
Location: Minnesota

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by Air Master Burst »

Just finished RE2 remake's 4th Survivor and Ghost Survivors chapters today. 4th Survivor is a fitting tribute to the original, and Ghost Survivors is basically more of the same with a slightly different gimmick (collecting items as you go vs a set amount to ration). I've never been a huge fan of RE's alternate modes, but these are probably the best of them (RE0 has some good ones too, actually).

I especially enjoyed the chapter where you're the sherrif in the gas station from the start of the main game fighting off 100 zombies. I also wish the extra zombie types had featured in the main game, they were a fun addition.

ETA: I don't know if this quite fits, but I spent a shameful amount of hours playing the watch pong minigame in Commander Keen 4.
King's Field IV is the best Souls game.
User avatar
BrianC
Posts: 8859
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:33 am
Location: MD

Re: The Ecstacy of Original Modes

Post by BrianC »

Space Invaders for the Atari 2600 has some neat alternate modes. Some early 2600 games even managed to port multiple arcade games. Combat/Tank Plus is one of them, which modes based on airplanes, as well as the tanks. Canyon Bomber also has a conversion of Atari's Destroyer arcade game and is actually more fun to play than the title game (though I like both games).
Post Reply