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Video Game Definition of the Week: Fighting Games

by Marie Rosa December 7, 2022

Every week the EFG staff will be defining a gaming term that is either confusing or ill-defined. Please leave a comment with any terms you find confusing and we will try to include them in future editions!

The gaming definition this week is a series of terms that is applicable to video games: Fighting Games

Fighting games are a type of action game where two or more characters fight each other. Players can fight a combination of other players or the computer. Fighting typically includes hand-to-hand or melee weapons.

Fighting games typically have a player and enemy health bar on the screen. Combat is divided into rounds. Rounds, typically 3, end when one player’s health is reduced to zero, or whoever has the least health with time runs out. In-game characters have different moves and attacks based on simple to complex button combinations. Most traditional fighter games are viewed from the side in 2-D and 3-D. Fights take place on a set area similar to a stage where players have limited movement capabilities. Animations in fighting games tend to feature exaggerated movements and reactions. Subsets of fighting games include sports-based, beat ‘em ups, brawlers, and other combat styles.

Street Fighter is the classic game most associated with this genre. Street Fighter has many series titles over the course of the years.

Fighting Game Examples Include:

Super Smash Bros
Street Fighter
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle

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December 7, 2022 0 comment

Board Games Parent Resources

Board Game Definition of the Week: Meeple

by Linda Wrobel August 31, 2022

written by Linda Wrobel

Every week the EFG staff will be defining a gaming term that is either confusing or ill-defined. Please leave a comment with any terms you are confused by and we will try to include them in future editions!

The gaming definition this week is a term that is applicable to board games:

Meeple

Meeple refers to tokens used to represent people, animals, or creatures in board games. Most commonly they are wooden, and the typical shape is like a person. However, they are also found in a huge range of animals or other shapes as well as a range of materials.

The Meeple has become a ubiquitous symbol of board games. Gamers can find many items to decorate their game spaces with Meeple art or objects. Meeples come in a huge range of games and serve a range of purposes within games. Some examples of their application in games can include: marking the players location on the board, as a score tracker, to mark and effect on the board, or claiming a tile.

History

The word Meeple come from the blending of “my people” in reference to the game Carcassonne. The term Meeple emerged in 2000, and credited to Alison Hansel for creating the word. In 2015 Meeple was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Dragoon Meeples — Metal Dragon Meeples from Dragoon

A Few Examples of Meeples in Games:

Fire in the Library: “typical” meeples
Dragoon: Metal or plastic dragons
Carcassonne: Where it all began
King Domino
Fire Tower: Rising Flames Fire Hawks (Featured in cover photo above)

So there you have it! Our guide to meeples. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or just starting out, we hope this article has helped introduce you to the wonderful world of meeples and shown you how much fun they can add to your gameplay experience. Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts on our favorite gaming token! Do you prefer wooden ones, like most gamers? Or do you like something a little more flashy and eye-catching? We want to hear from you!

You can also look at our other video game definitions from previous weeks here!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

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August 31, 2022 0 comment

Parent Resources Online Gaming Video Games

Video Game Definition of the Week: Battle Pass

by Michael Duetzmann August 10, 2022

written by Michael Duetzmann

The gaming definition this week is a term that is applicable to video games:

Battle Pass

A Battle Pass is a collection of rewards and cosmetics that slowly becomes available through play over a set period of time. These collections are often available either through real-life or in-game currencies and are often paired with rewards that are free for all players.

Battle Passes reward players who consistently play throughout the month, with rewards that renew on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Battle Passes are often priced so that they can be purchased using real or in-game currency.

The Battle Pass’s name originated in Fortnite, but most major free-to-play multiplayer games have integrated some variation of a Battle Pass into their play and reward offerings.

Examples:

MTG Arena Season Pass
Fortnite Battle Pass

So, what do you think? Are Battle Passes a good way to keep players engaged and coming back for more? Or are they just another ploy by developers to get more of our hard-earned cash? Let us know in the comments below! And don’t forget to check out our other blog posts for more great content like this.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

You can also look at our other video game definitions from previous weeks here!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get

Your Family Game On!

The EFG Essentials

Video Games for kids on Xbox One
Video Games for kids on PS4
Video Games for kids on Nintendo Switch
Board Games for kids

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August 10, 2022 0 comment

Parent Resources Video Games

Video Game Definition of the Week: Metroidvania

by Michael Duetzmann August 3, 2022

written by Michael Duetzmann

The gaming definition this week is a term that is applicable to video games:

Metroidvania

Metroidvania is a genre of games that features an interconnected map where shortcuts or entire portions of the map are locked away. These inaccessible areas are opened by in-game keys, or with new abilities acquired by the character during play.

This term comes from its first popular use in the SNES title Super Metroid and the PS1 title: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The interconnected nature of this design encourages exploration without tedious backtracking.

Metroidvania-style games often fall in the action/adventure genre of video games, but exist in other genres as well.

Metroidvania games will often include abilities and items that encourage players to rethink and re-explore places that have already been traveled through during the first part of the game.

The player will often encounter branching pathways where one or more exits are made inaccessible by being too far, too high up, or too hazardous to access.

These games will often have maps that loop back on themselves after unlocking more of the map through a key or new ability, which creates this feeling of an organically expanding world instead of a series of curated experiences.

Some examples of these types of abilities are:

Missiles (Metroid Series)
Double Jump (Symphony of the Night)
Cut/Surf (Pokemon Series)
Pollo Power (Guacamelee)

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

You can also look at our other video game definitions from previous weeks here!

What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Make sure to keep your eyes on Engaged Family Gaming for all of the latest news and reviews you need to Get