Pokemon Series - Monster Catching
Spawning an entire genre of monster catching games, the Pokemon games are based entirely around the one mechanic of simply trying to catch every creature in the game. Oddly addictive and an extreme time waster, the reason this wasn't picked as one of the final three was mostly due to my insistence on finding less-known mechanics to use.
Persona Series - Social Link System
The most touted mechanic of the series, and one that inevitably consumes most of the play time, the Social Link system involved forming relationships with characters outside the dungeon crawling side of the game. These sections are simply lots of dialogue interspersed with the occasional multi-choice dialogue option. It's this simplicity that made me choose not to use this as a mechanic.
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep - Command Fusing
Aside from the basic hack n slash combat, the gameplay of Birth By Sleep revolves around levelling and fusing combat commands. Once a command reaches a certain level it can be fused with another to create a more powerful command. Different combinations of commands create different outcomes. I didn't end up using this mechanic due to the lack of potential creativity or real innovation, each combination of commands creates a definite, predetermined outcome.
Mirror's Edge - Free Running
This mechanic was very close to being used in my final three. A personal favourite of mine, the sense of speed and fluid motion is one not found in many games. Running, jumping, sliding, climbing and swinging over and around obstacles in a chain of motion where momentum and timing are critical.
Audiosurf - Music Based Tracks
Also spawning a genre, Audiosurf analyses an audio track and generates a course populated by coloured blocks based on the music. The main attraction of the mechanic is the ability to use whatever content (music) you want to create the course. This wasn't used in the final three due to the rather rigid nature of the mechanic.
The World Ends With You - Dual Screen Combat
The singular mechanic in The World Ends With You is the use of both screens on a DS during combat. Controlling two separate characters (one with the d-pad, one with the touchscreen) is a very unique feature and one that is surprisingly difficult to get your head around. It encourages multi-tasking and uses your brain in a way that's not often used in games.
Final Fantasy VIII - Junction System
At its core, the Junction system involves attaching elemental attributes to in-game statistics. In the context of the game this affects the damage and effects attacks do to both you and your enemies. It's a very deep and highly customisable system that allows you to structure the characters any way you want. I decided not to focus on this due to the fact that it's really a secondary mechanic in the game.
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