Game design that never should have happened

[Chevywolf30]

A large part of older games is seeing how they differ from today's games. Many times there will be outdated mechanics that don't hold up well, even if they were common for their time. Most of these are just devs experimenting with game design and are unavoidable, but what are some mechanics that never should have been designed to begin with?

Case in point, I've been playing F-Zero a lot lately and I've been reminded of how much I hate old racing games treating races as levels and forcing you to have a good finish to move to the next race in the series.

 

[Fraxinus]

Multiplayer only games. Stop assuming I have friends!

 

[thePlinko]

Any mechanic that’s sole purpose is to add “realism” to a game, like weight limits in the Elder Scrolls.

 

[Mikey the Moblin]

Oh this is an easy one
K*izo blocks

 

[Princess Niki]

Hunger can get annoying especially when the game doesn't tell you how to feed your character properly. Looking at you Gamecube Harvest Moon games.

 

[The Dashing Darknut]

Games where there’s a boss that is very challenging, only to find out you lose no matter what because it’s part of the plot.

 

[Link&Midna]

Turn based RPGs that don't say the damn HP of the opponent!!! As if turn based wasn't grating enough already...

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

Any mechanic that’s sole purpose is to add “realism” to a game, like weight limits in the Elder Scrolls.

Yeah, have to agree specifically with carrying weight in Elder Scrolls. I just want to pick up every weapon I don't already have, maybe two of the same one so I can have a backup. If I see a book I don't already have, I want it. Sometimes after an hour of playing I have accumilated a lot of books on top of the loot I've gotten from exploring a ruin or something, and I'm over encumbered at the end of a ruin and would really rather not drop anything.

 

[Fraxinus]

Games where there’s a boss that is very challenging, only to find out you lose no matter what because it’s part of the plot.

I actually don't mind this, but it's gotta be obvious to an extent that it's supposed to happen. Rune Factory 4 did it and I didn't really like, question it really. I think if they make it happen rather quickly so you're not too invested into the fight, then it's fine.

 

[Mikey the Moblin]

Pokemon mystery dungeon be like "sometimes this battle is an autowin sometimes it's an auto loss either way screw you and your 30 reviver seeds that you needed for the real boss"

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

Games where there’s a boss that is very challenging, only to find out you lose no matter what because it’s part of the plot.

What about a boss that is incredibly easy, but that the story says is hard?

 

[Uwu_Oocoo2]

Turn based RPGs that don't say the damn HP of the opponent!!! As if turn based wasn't grating enough already...

I was playing a turn based RPG recently that had a similar mechanic. The first time you fought an enemy type it wouldn't show the health bar, and every other time it would. I suppose that makes sense, since you wouldn't know how strong something is if you've never fought it before. The only problem with that was they did it for boss battles too, so you could see how much damage you did but not how big it's health bar is, and what attacks are effective. So I agree, it completely sucks.
As for the OP question, probably games that tried to have open world or huge cityscapes before they had the technology to do it right. They usually just end up janky and glitchy.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

limited continues in old games just suck no matter what, die too many times and you're going all the way to the title screen

and I suppose forced tutorials in recent games, can make replays a pain in the neck if the game constantly stops you to explain whatever

 

[Mikey the Moblin]

and I suppose forced tutorials in recent games, can make replays a pain in the neck if the game constantly stops you to explain whatever

This has kind of happened out of necessity as people weren't reading manuals

 

[Chevywolf30]

Turn based RPGs that don't say the damn HP of the opponent!!! As if turn based wasn't grating enough already...

Miitopia does this, but the only time you can see the health is when your Mii is about to attack. So for the Darker Lord final boss, where you use the whole party in 3 parts it's especially annoying.