Difference between revisions of "New game plus"
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− | '' | + | [[Image:Chrono Trigger - SNES - Screenshot - New Game +.png|thumb|256x256px|''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' (1995) is the origin of the term.]] |
− | + | '''New game plus''', also referred to by various similar names (new game +, new game ex, etc.), is a video game mechanic where a player is allowed to restart a game from the beginning, but with all the character advancements they previously made left intact. This is usually done to allow the player to more easily find secrets they missed in their first play-through or more quickly experience alternate endings. | |
− | + | The term "new game plus" comes from [[Square]]'s 1995 JRPG, ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'', however, the mechanic has existed since the 1980s and was actually pioneered by [[Nintendo]] in their action adventure games, ''[[Metroid]]'' and ''[[Kid Icarus: Angel Land Story]]''. A traditional new game plus merely allows the player to use their more powerful character to replay the game without altering the story or plot. There are similarities between a new game plus and a similar game mechanics like [[hard mode]] or [[unlockable worlds]], but these mechanics are quite different and should be treated as separate even though most online resources do not properly distinguish between them. | |
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+ | I played many of the earliest games that featured the new game plus mechanic when they were popular, but I usually didn't even notice that the mechanic existed, and instead just assumed when I beat the game the first time there was nothing left to do. Like most retro gamers, my first memorable experience with the mechanic was from ''Chrono Trigger''. I appreciate it when developers add a new game plus feature to their games. It's usually fun to go through the early stages of a game as a highly over-powered character, and it's a fairly simple way for the developers to add replay-ability to a game. | ||
==Games== | ==Games== | ||
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! Title !! Released !! Notes | ! Title !! Released !! Notes | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | [[ | + | | [[Chrono Trigger]] || 1995-03-11 || The story resets, but each time a character joins your party they begin with the stats from the previous game. |
− | |||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| [[Diablo]] || 1996-12-31 || At any time, you can start a new game with your existing character, maintaining all your stats and equipment. | | [[Diablo]] || 1996-12-31 || At any time, you can start a new game with your existing character, maintaining all your stats and equipment. | ||
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| [[Gunmetal Arcadia Zero]] || 2016-11-15 || | | [[Gunmetal Arcadia Zero]] || 2016-11-15 || | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | [[Kid Icarus: Angel Land Story]] || 1986-12-19 || | + | | [[Kid Icarus: Angel Land Story]] || 1986-12-19 || Essentially required to get the best ending. |
|- | |- | ||
− | | [[Metroid]] || 1986-08-06 || You keep all | + | | [[Metroid]] || 1986-08-06 || You keep all power-ups excluding energy tanks and missiles. |
|- | |- | ||
− | | [[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]] || 1987-01-14 || You keep | + | | [[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]] || 1987-01-14 || You lose all equipment but keep your levels. When each is level eight, subsequent level-ups give you a 1-up. |
|} | |} | ||
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{{Link|TVTropes|https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NewGamePlus}} | {{Link|TVTropes|https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NewGamePlus}} | ||
− | * [https://www.giantbomb.com/new-game-plus/3015-150 giantbomb.com/new-game-plus/3015-150] - Giant Bomb | + | * [https://www.giantbomb.com/new-game-plus/3015-150 giantbomb.com/new-game-plus/3015-150] - Giant Bomb. |
[[Category: Game Terminology]] | [[Category: Game Terminology]] |
Revision as of 13:53, 8 July 2019
New game plus, also referred to by various similar names (new game +, new game ex, etc.), is a video game mechanic where a player is allowed to restart a game from the beginning, but with all the character advancements they previously made left intact. This is usually done to allow the player to more easily find secrets they missed in their first play-through or more quickly experience alternate endings.
The term "new game plus" comes from Square's 1995 JRPG, Chrono Trigger, however, the mechanic has existed since the 1980s and was actually pioneered by Nintendo in their action adventure games, Metroid and Kid Icarus: Angel Land Story. A traditional new game plus merely allows the player to use their more powerful character to replay the game without altering the story or plot. There are similarities between a new game plus and a similar game mechanics like hard mode or unlockable worlds, but these mechanics are quite different and should be treated as separate even though most online resources do not properly distinguish between them.
I played many of the earliest games that featured the new game plus mechanic when they were popular, but I usually didn't even notice that the mechanic existed, and instead just assumed when I beat the game the first time there was nothing left to do. Like most retro gamers, my first memorable experience with the mechanic was from Chrono Trigger. I appreciate it when developers add a new game plus feature to their games. It's usually fun to go through the early stages of a game as a highly over-powered character, and it's a fairly simple way for the developers to add replay-ability to a game.
Games
This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but rather games that are important to me.
Title | Released | Notes |
---|---|---|
Chrono Trigger | 1995-03-11 | The story resets, but each time a character joins your party they begin with the stats from the previous game. |
Diablo | 1996-12-31 | At any time, you can start a new game with your existing character, maintaining all your stats and equipment. |
Gunmetal Arcadia Zero | 2016-11-15 | |
Kid Icarus: Angel Land Story | 1986-12-19 | Essentially required to get the best ending. |
Metroid | 1986-08-06 | You keep all power-ups excluding energy tanks and missiles. |
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link | 1987-01-14 | You lose all equipment but keep your levels. When each is level eight, subsequent level-ups give you a 1-up. |
Links
- giantbomb.com/new-game-plus/3015-150 - Giant Bomb.