Happy Thanksgiving - Top 5 Thankless Mechanics in Games

It's that time of year again - A time for gratuitous amounts of consumption and deep sleep inducing food comas.  But in this time of excessive compulsions, let's not forget to give thanks for the many gifts and joys found in our lives.  This Thanksgiving, I want to particularly highlight useless mechanics found in games that deserve more thanks and acknowledgement.  To better define this, I am referring to actions players can perform in a game, but serve no effect or direct purpose on the gameplay.  So why have them in the game at all then?  Their value is measured instead in how they can help amuse and immerse players into the experience, and quite often makes the games all the more better for it.  These are my Top 5 Thankless Mechanics in Games:

-1- Character Chat (Luigi's Mansion series)

Whether its exchanging quips between heroes in Hearthstone or demanding extra resources in Age of Empires, character chats in games have provided a wealth of amusement and memorable lines to be enjoyed.  And the fact that the players can prompt this banter at their whim makes for all the more chaotic merriment to be had.  Of these player-driven character calls, one of the most perhaps iconic in my books is none other than the endearing, stuttering cry for "M-M-M-Mario" found in the Luigi's Mansion series.  At any given moment during your ghost-filled expedition, players can press a designated button solely for the purpose of calling out for your beloved brother.  And depending on the mood of the room and if ghosts are still lurking about or not, this bit of dialogue varies in degrees of confidence and fear.  It's the perfect marriage of comedy and thematic aid to storytelling that makes this one of my most cherished useless game mechanics.

-2- Taunts (Super Smash Bros. series)

For as long as there has been competition, there has been the deep-seeded desire to taunt and boast one's achievements over the other.  Even in games which have no directly programmed means of expressing taunts, players find a way, even if by means of disrespectful repetitive crouching.  But for the games that purposefully program the ability to taunt, there are none who do so better than the Super Smash Bros. series.  Although taunts put players at a competitive risk, temporarily immobilizing the fighter as they perform these often silly animations, it's an action players will frequently perform anyways because it brings such joy to see (and added shame to the competitors when allowed to pass).  And with each of the characters' many taunts carrying an abundance of historical nods, humor, and distinct charm, taunts have earned their right as an essential move no matter how unnecessary.

-3- Dancing (Wandersong)

Be it a massive online multiplayer like World of Warcraft or the battle royale sensation that is Fortnite, players have been busting moves and showing off their dance grooves in games for generations.  One of my favorite instances of useless dancing to be found in games though comes in the form of a small indie narrative platformer that is Wandersong.  Throughout this musical adventure, players can unlock new dance moves if they explore and poke around enough in each act, of which the variety of dances escalate in adorable absurdity.  The best part is these dances can be used whenever and without restriction.  You can dance while moving, dance during dialogue, even during important cut scenes if you really want to upstage the moment into a delightful fit of giggles.  The dancing of course serves no purpose in the actual game, but I can't imagine the game being complete now without this whimsical form of expression.

-4- Extraneous Animation (Super Mario World)

I absolutely adore games that have just that little bit of additional animation and extra attention to detail.  From the likes of Hollow Knight actually pulling out his map when players go to look at the world map to Toki Tori getting dizzy if players spin around in circles too quickly, these little flourishes make the characters and the world all the more endearing.  And in this regards, my fondest memory of just such an extra touch was Mario being able to tilt his head up in Super Mario World.  Technically, looking up allowed players to view just a little bit more of the level above, but such rarely proved necessary or needed while playing.  Rather, I enjoyed this thankless mechanic instead as a means to better animate and portray myself as this heroic plumber.  When a large, crushing grinder would threaten to smash down from above, I'd have Mario look up as if well aware of this imposing danger.  It's such a small, almost meaningless detail, but it's one that has made this particular Mario title all the more treasured and such an immersive experience because of it.

-5- Emotes (The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes)

Emotes are of similar vein as character chats, taunts and dancing, but for purposes of this last pick, I'm referring to emotes in the sense of communication through use of pictures or expressions of emotion.  Think for instance the charming emotes displayed by villagers in the Animal Crossing series, as little flowers spring about the character's head when in elated joy or how sad rain clouds instead circle about when in a dejected state.  But as the animated GIF above is distractedly asserting otherwise, the best use of emotes has got to be as those found in The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes.  While you may argue these were in fact an essential mechanic in the game used for effectively communicating and working together in this cooperative adventure, I counter-argue that they hardly were ever necessary for such purposes and often digressed into a never-ending parade of pom poms, regardless if the context was appropriate or not.  Despite their uselessness, they remain one of the most memorable aspects of this game and they never fail to put a stupid smile on my face.


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So let's extend many poms poms and a mighty cheer of thanks for these many games and their thankless mechanics they generously provide despite their needless nature.  Have any particularly fond memories of useless game mechanics you'd like to share?  Or just other underappreciated games / mechanics that deserve more praise?  Be sure to share your thanks and discuss in the comments below.  And for more thanks in gaming, click here to see my Top 5 Games That Keep on Giving and here for my Top 5 Thanks / Deals in games.  Remember to share some thanks for the many blessings in your life and have a safe and happy holiday!