Playable Menu: Difference between revisions

An infrequent method for [[Painting the Fourth Wall]] in video games is to disguise a menu interface as a level unto itself, which the player can navigates using their game character and actual gameplay controls.

 

So, instead of navigating an abstract cursor across a set of icons and text labels that correspond to the various menu options, the protagonist essentially ''is'' the cursor, and the player approaches and interacts with menu options the same way they would interact with actual, in-universe objects. "New Game" and "Load Game" might be presented as literal doors for the player character to walk through, literal buttons to [[Goomba Stomp|stomp]] [[Ground Pound|on]], literal [[Crate Expectations|crates to smash]], literal [[Block Puzzle|blocks to slide around]], or so on.

 

 

* [[Hub Level]] / [[World Map]]: An actual level used to connect other levels via pathways, warps, or portals (possibly with a [[Save Point]] for good measure). Please describe the hybrids between main menu and the [[Hub Level]] only if it's indeed something special (and not just save/load screen).

* [[Mini Game Credits]]: Playable credits (''[[The House of the Dead (series)|The Typing Of The Dead]]''), which are an interactive form of '''[[Credits Gag]]'''.

 

* ''Earth 2140'' uses fully panoramic menus ''and'' briefing screens, all movable with mouse. Yes, of course, you still use your mouse to pan the camera and press these "heavy concrete panels", but you sure get into the skin of commander already, huh?

* ''[[Super Cosplay War Ultra]]'', partially as the result of being programmed on ''Fighter Maker 2002'' engine, allows you to choose one of the four singleplayer modes... by hitting cosplayers that represent these modes. Oh yeah.

* The first ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake I]]'' is one of the earliest examples of using this trope, combined with [[Hub Level]]. Reason? Well, you choose the difficulty level by entering one of the portals. After that, when you're inside the episode select part, it starts acting more like a [[Hub Level]]... {{spoiler|Although it's the only part where you can access the Nightmare difficulty.}}

** ''Quake'' takes it to the next level by allowing you to play the Hub Level ''in deathmatch mode.''

** Likewise, Zoe will do the same in the first homeworld of the third game.

* Used in a little Game Maker fangame, ''Bowser Jr.''.

* Several ''[[I Wanna Be the Guy]]'' fangames that use ''I Wanna Be The Engine'' or [[Follow the Leader|its variations]] as a base. But not those that throw you into the game DIRECTLY after the game starts running.

** Subverted in ''I Wanna Be The Shrine Maiden'': you have two options to choose from: "Start" and "Tutorial". "Start" is self-explanatory, but when you try to jump on "Tutorial"... [[But Thou Must!|Splat.]] Okay, let's just say the main menu '''IS''' the first level after all.

** ''[[I Wanna Be the Fangame]]'' starts the player out in a difficulty selection room. The harder the difficulty, the more [[Spikes of Doom]] you have to jump over to get there.

* ''Takeshi's Challenge'', [[He Also Did|from the creator of]] [[Takeshi's Castle]]. Moreover, you don't even have to leave the menu in order to get an ending! Just punch the title screen '''20000''' times and you're done.

* ''[[Magi Nation]]'' uses it. You can even reach the [[New Game+]] option by a secret area that you need a later-game item to access.

* ''[[System Shock]] 2'' has character creation/background chosen by several stages of walking into one of 3 exits. Complete with specific cutscenes.

* ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]'' has a playable difficulty selection screen.

* ''[[Katamari Damacy]]'' to some extent: the save game select screen uses the in-game controls; and while the Level/Character/Operation select system (Select Meadow, Space Mushroom, etc.) do not, they are playable in their own way.

* The menu of ''[[Scribblenauts]]'' doubles as a sandbox mode.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Video Game Tropes]]

[[Category:Video Game Interface Elements]]