Attract Mode

[Shay Chaise]

I think this is worth a thread. What are the best attract modes?

For me, Ocarina of Time is the greatest I've seen.

https://youtu.be/_VV6f8OI8Bw

The galloping hoofs, the piano and strings, the wistful ocarina melody, the lighting, the framing, the silhouette of Link and Epona against that peach and purple sky. It's the exact opposite of what an attract mode is supposed to be, but they knew how fantastic the game was and that everyone would be hanging on every single detail. It perfectly teases the paradigm shift of open world 3D exploration and that particular sense of peace and freedom which they wouldn't come close to again until BotW.

[falafel]

What's one of those?

[brat-sampson]

What's one of those?

Like when you'd turn on a game but not play it, and it'd go into a cutscene or cycling gameplay video. You'd see them sometimes in shops on unplayable demo units to advertise the game, hence 'Attract Mode'.

[bgmnts]

I thought that was called Demo Mode, like in the arcade.

Learn something new everyday.

[Shay Chaise]

I guess the term comes from the arcades because it doesn't simply show you a demo of the game, there's often a brief cut scene or some dramatic titles and dramatic musical sting to grab your attention before it goes into some gameplay to show you what you're missing. That's why the OoT attract mode is so special. It's basically the opposite of its traditional function. Obviously, it doesn't really function in the same way on consoles (retail demo units aside) but it's a great example, nonetheless.

[the]

I thought that was called Demo Mode, like in the arcade.

Learn something new everyday.

In the arcade it's more commonly called Attract Mode, as it attracts you over and lures you into putting your 10p's* in.

^{*DEAD SOON}

Personally I liked the Manga-ish intros to Sol-Feace on the Mega CD (with added CD music and voicing), luring you into a jazzy but incredibly sub-par horizontal shooter. One of those where the attract mode was far better than it had any right to be.

[buzby]

Back from when I was a kid, being amazed at synthesised speech booming out across the arcade, coming from Sega's Astro Blaster (1980):
"Fighter Pilots needed for Sector Wars! Play Astro Blaster!"

[the]

Back from when I was a kid, being amazed at synthesised speech booming out across the arcade, coming from Sega's Astro Blaster (1980):
"Fighter Pilots needed for Sector Wars! Play Astro Blaster!"

Some passers-by were also apparently freaked out by Berzerk's "Coin detected in pocket!" :)

[boki]

This one for Sega's Hang-On sticks in the mind courtesy of spending many an 80s hour in various Butlins arcades.  That spinning title was the stuff of wonder to my tweenage brain.

Don't think I ever even went on the machine: it was twice the cost of the other games, the bike looked a bit too big and I'd have just been shit at it.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Time Crisis - "Since you have travelled so very far, be my guest and let me ENTERTAIN YOU!!!"

The huge Ryu sprite from Super Street fighter 2 was a cut above anything I'd seen in a game at that point. The mind fair boggled with the thought that entire games might one day look like that.

[Kelvin]

[Kelvin]

In a way that's cheating, as you had to move the control stick to pull his face. But left alone, you still get "it's a mia, Mario!", followed by his huge head appearing, "hello!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_ZyI6HnkJ4&feature=youtu.be

[Shay Chaise]

That is a massive call. I still remember going to some indie game shop who'd imported a Japanese N64 and that face pulling thing blew my little mind. It made more of an impact on me even than the game that first time.

[the]

This one for Sega's Hang-On sticks in the mind courtesy of spending many an 80s hour in various Butlins arcades.  That spinning title was the stuff of wonder to my tweenage brain.

Yes, something about the way those chords hum out at you across the arcade. Agree about the hypnotic chain of scaling letters too.

Don't think I ever even went on the machine: it was twice the cost of the other games, the bike looked a bit too big and I'd have just been shit at it.

It can only be completed if you don't crash, and even then it requires a near-perfect flat-out run. In short: everyone's shit at it.

I wonder if anyone's ever done out their motorbike with a Hang On body kit? Phwoar:

     

[Kelvin]

All the Smash Bros games have good attract modes, but I'd say Melee's was the best:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp92T0Iw2cc

The stupidly OTT music, the stream of classic Nintendo characters all getting their moment in the sun, all topped off with the announcers delirious "SUPER SMASH BROS!!!" at the end.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

You often hear people comparing games to films, but Silent Hill's attract mode was like the opening credits of a telly show.

[bgmnts]

You often hear people comparing games to films, but Silent Hill's attract mode was like the opening credits of a telly show.

Silent Hill 2 with the Theme of Laura guitar hitting. Perfection.


What is the acceptable amount of time to pass to start an attract mode? 1 minute?

[Norton Canes]

Some passers-by were also apparently freaked out by Berzerk's "Coin detected in pocket!" :)

Ha, Berserk was the first game I thought about when I started reading this thread. It was "Intruder alert, Intruder alert" that got me.

[AsparagusTrevor]

Time Crisis - "Since you have travelled so very far, be my guest and let me ENTERTAIN YOU!!!"

On a holiday to Newquay, an arcade I frequented had the language of their Time Crisis set to German for some weird reason. "Ein mann armee". They also had a cabinet of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 which had the freeplay activated.

[gmoney]

WCW vs NWO Revenge had a ridiculous one for a wrestling game. It involves a long sequence with a truck driver driving through the night, being startled by a brooding Sting. None of that had anything to do with the game. The rest is typical wrestling fare, but it's got a place in my heart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kcq8_CxUdUY

[Pseudopath]

WCW vs NWO Revenge had a ridiculous one for a wrestling game. It involves a long sequence with a truck driver driving through the night, being startled by a brooding Sting. None of that had anything to do with the game.

Ha ha ha! That's amazing.

[Delete Delete Delete]

This? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvexfs-k8pw

[Consignia]

This? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvexfs-k8pw

Pepsi for TV Game.

[Phil_A]

The Majora's Mask intro beats Ocarina for me. It's so full of foreboding.

The speaker-rattling rumble as the titular mask flies into view, hovering suspended in the void, followed by the unsettling giggle of the Mask Salesman. The daytime scenes in Termina giving way to night before inexorably panning up to the clock tower, the music turning sinister as the Skull Kid stands looking up at the leering countenance of the moon bearing down on everything.

Fuckin chills, mate.