Dead End Innovations - Things new games gave up on WIP
1980s:
Isometric games with platforming (and racing games?)
Scaling sprites-based 3D and Rail Platformers using it (Galaxy Force 2, Panorama Cotton, Power Drift, Space Harrier, 3D World Runner, etc.)
Trackball controls (Missile Command, Marble Madness, etc.)
Your weapon can overheat (Red Baron, Shadowland) - Seen this in a few games since but it seems fairly rare
The trapping genre - Besides the Deception games I don't think there are any made now?
Text parsers (Zork, King's & Space Quest, QfG, etc.)
FMV Action/Fully QTE-based games
Biosphere (TRS-80 CoCo) - Life Sim/Edutainment w/ Environmental theme (ecologist protagonist, the goal is to create a functioning and self-supporting ecosystem)
https://www.reddit.com/r/truegaming/comments/1yollx/are_there_any_games_out_there_that_feature/
Top down/side view hybrid gameplay (Dig Dug, Boulder Dash, etc.)
Dynamite that can blow up even walls/floors/stairs used to progress (Aztec, to a lesser degree in Impossible Mission II)
Enemies that leave tracks (AD&D: Cloudy Mountain) - Darwin Project, more?
Looping levels/areas (Defender, SMB2, King's Quest, Aztec, Biplane Duel, Ice Climber, King's Valley II, etc.)
Alley Cat (PC, 1983/DOS, 1984) - Cat Sim
Archon (C64, 1983/AMI, 1985/NES, 1989) - TBS/Chess variation with real-time combat
Games that promote a band in a joking manner (Journey, Motörhead)
Invincible enemy that appears after spending too long in one place (Venture, Bubble Bobble, Montezuma's Revenge (some versions), The Magic of Scheherazade - not invincible but tougher to kill, etc.)
Below the Root (Multi, 1984) - telepathy/pense skill (used to read thoughts and emotions when encountering a stranger - provides clues to their attitudes and distinguishes friend from foe)
https://www.reddit.com/r/gamingsuggestions/comments/nsb5l9/mind_reading_are_there_any_games_that_feature_it/
Fast arpeggios in game music for chords and instrument attacks (besides retro-style games)
Jump Bug (ARC, 1981) - Constant automatic bouncing/jumping
Random starting locations in non-MP games (Tower of Druaga, Arac, Cauldron II?)
North & South (AMI, 1989/NES, 1990) - Different play styles for attacker and defender in siege and train segments (defending feels sort of like playing the other side in an action platformer as you can place units at will but they're much weaker)
The Gradius upgrade system
Games where the goal is to become a better person/be moral in other ways than killing "evil" creatures, based on a virtue system (Ultima IV)
And games that put a new spin on that virtue system of the previous game by having them enforced harshly on the world's inhabitants by a corrupt despot and makes the player a fugitive (Ultima V)
Hitting power ups to change/cycle them (Solomon's Key, some shoot 'em ups) - Seems rare now
Impossible Mission II (Multi, 1988) - Music mixing element (collect recorded pieces of music found in safes and play them back in the right order to progress)
Life Force (ARC, 1986) - Travel through a living creature theme
Rock Star Ate My Hamster (AMI, 1989) - Comical Band Management Sim
The Colonel's Bequest: A Laura Bow Mystery & Maniac Mansion - Real-time AI elements (Some NPCs move around and do things independent of the player's actions) - Last Express?
Games where you're a police that's kinda glorified and/or take the law in their own hands (APB, NARC, SoR, Police Quest, etc.)
Vehicle companion (Lunar Jetman, Ranger X (MD, 1993) - individually controllable in most levels here)
Religious propaganda themed games
Bosses appearing and harassing you during levels (Shinobi, Nazo no Murasame Jou FDS, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker ARC, Nemesis II: Return of the Hero/Gradius: Interstellar Assault GB) - I think I've seen this a few times since but can't quite place the games
Solaris (Atari, 1986) - Space Exploration/Combat Sim where you defend allied planets while attacking enemy planets (similar to Star Fox 2)
Binary Land (FM-7/PC-88, 1983/MSX, 1984/NES, 1985) - Control mechanic used as a metaphor for a bond between two people (Beavis and Butt-head MD?, Brothers, more?)
R-Type (ARC, 1987) - Pod mechanic (shield+semi-controllable gun drone)
King's Quest III: To Heir Is Human (PCs, 1986) - You're a wizard's slave trying to break free and have to explore while he's away under a time limit and have to put back things where they were before he comes back or be punished
Flying enemies that can pick you up and put you down somewhere else in a level/area (Pharaoh's Curse, Black Magic, Adventure)
Brain Breaker (Sharp X1, 1985) - Destroy any wall and floor tiles with a late game power which also lets you fly around (super saiyan basically)
Exile (Electron, 1988/AMI & C64, 1991)(Superior Software/Audiogenic) - Life-preserving teleport system (when very near death your avatar is automatically teleported to a location that you've previously designated)
Dragon Slayer (PC-88/PC-98/FM-7/X1, 1984/MSX, 1985/GB, 1990) - Can push your own house around (you heal and buy stuff inside it)
The New Zealand Story/Kiwi Kraze (ARC, 1988) - Get swallowed and fight one of the bosses from the inside (later re-used in Yoshi's Island, used in a similar way in Metroid II)
Alter Ego (PCs, 1986) - TB Life Sim/RPG encapsulating a whole life in heavily compressed form (Passage sort of does the same thing but in a simpler and shorter arcade-style form)
Timed turns (Utopia, Space Hulk 1993)
Journey to the Centre of the Earth (C64, 1984) - Boomeregg - teleports you to where you picked it up
Saboteur (C64 etc, 1986) & Dan Dare (C64 etc, 1986) - The HUD shows out of view items to you as you pass them/text pop-ups when walking past something of interest
Gain Ground (ARC, 1988) - Play as many different rescued characters with perma-death in an action/rtt game
Digitized characters (Reikai Doushi, Mortal Kombat)
Bionic Commando (ARC, 1987) - Hookshot mechanic which replaces jumping, spy on enemy communications and communicate with allies in communications rooms in an AA game (?)
Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu (Multi, 1985) & Xanadu Scenario II: Resurrection of the Dragon (Multi, 1986?) - Pay to save or let the game auto-save at certain points, a mantle that allows to pass through walls for a short time (?)
Space Quest (PC, 1986/VGA, 1990) - Smell and taste commands
Sorcerian (PCs, 1987) - Can get each char a job which affects stats and money when they're not adventuring (Dark Lord 1991, more?), can play scenarios over and over to get more loot
Imogen (BBC Micro, 1986) - Randomized level order (only recently became popular in the romhacking scene)
Difficulty options which change the level/course layouts (STUN Runner)
Virtue quiz character creation (Ultima IV, Ogre Battle, Der Langrisser)
Game speed options in an action game (Zeliard, Jazz Jackrabbit)
Mind Walker (AMI, 1986) - Unusual gameplay (in the tilted view segment each of 4 chars must build a path from a crystal to a special square located somewhere in a patient's brain, each char can connect only one type of platforms) with a psychological theme (the player is immersed inside a human brain and must cure a psychosis that is threatening the patient's well-being), you use a sound queue to find your way in the TD segments (repeats faster the closer you get to the goal), unique aesthetical elements reminiscent of some retro 90s elements used in music videos in recent years
Golden Axe (MD/ARC, 1989) - Meta ending
Quest For Glory I: So You Want To Be A Hero (PC, 1989/VGA ver., 1992) - Can throw rocks and daggers at enemies (rocks can be picked up pretty much anywhere in the wild) or cast spells at them outside of combat - game uses non-random encounters which can be avoided
Samurai Warrior: Usagi Yojimbo (C64, 1988) - Some enemies are disguised as civilians (Metal Gear 2's mannequin room is similar, The Magic of Scheherazade, Deus Ex?), if your karma reaches zero your avatar commits suicide?
Crack Down (ARC, 1989/MD, 1990) - Top down cover shooter/stealth w/ 2-player split-screen co-op
Starflight (PC (1986/MD, 1991) - RPG that can be beaten without fighting (seems Fallout 3 almost qualifies, Undertale sort of does but you still "fight" in the way that you avoid attacks and hazards like in some platformers)
Enemies that don't hurt simply by touching them (unless you walk into a knife or sword)(Shadow Dancer, Shinobi, Revenge of Shinobi, Double Dragon, X-Men 1 MD, Bionic Commando GB to an extent, Wario Land, Light Crusader - can also push them, Phantom 2040) - Pretty sure it's used at times but can't think of anything atm
Impossible Mission (1984) - Optional tips from a portable PC item which wastes some time with each use (time limited game/mission)
Detailed manuals and physical maps - Still done but rarer
Tilted view maze action & action adventure games (The Staff of Karnath, Entombed, Dragon View),
Ancipital (C64, 1984) - Four-way gravity switch mechanic - Until SMG I guess
Little Computer People (C64, 1985/AMI, 1987) - NPC that will write you worried letters if you neglect him/her completely - Animal Crossing?
The Bard's Tale (Multi, 1985/NES, 1990) - Import characters from another franchise (Wizardry and/or Ultima III)
Arc of Yesod & Nodes of Yesod (1985) - Sidekick which you can deploy and pick back up (Comix Zone (find items, pull switches, electrocute enemies), more?)
It Came from the Desert (AMI, 1989) - Small southern town setting in a horror themed game (?), interactive nightmares (?)
Take over enemies and play as them (Paradroid, Cholo, Avenging Spirit, Little Nemo: The Dream Master - here you feed certain enemies candy and then wear them as suits (kind of like in SMB3) which can be removed at will) - Kirby Squeak Squad (DS, 2006) kind of does this (you swallow them and wear them as a suit similar to suits in SMB3 or Little Nemo),
Valkyrie no Densetsu (ARC, 1989) - Create mini-clones of yourself that act like gun drones/options (in a TD action game) but can fall down pits
Clicking to move around in steps in adventure games (The Manhole, Myst)
Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter (PC-88/PC-98/FM-7/X1/MSX, 1988/PCE CD, 1989) - Transform into a demon to talk to enemies (Soleil/Crusader of Centy, Pochi in Legacy of the Wizard/Dragon Slayer IV is a monster, Ys IV, Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru/For the Frog the Bell Tolls - some animals which can speak to their own, more?),
Herzog (X1/MSX, 1988) - Action/Strategy hybrid where you can buy/hire cpu-controlled troops that fight alongside you in the levels
XZR: Hakai no Gouzou (PC-88/PC-98/X1/MSX, 1988) - Assassin protagonists (end up assassinating both the Caliph and the US President)
Woody Poco/Woody Poko (FM-7/PC-88, NES, 1987) - Can lower the difficulty by choosing to play as a girl character at the beginning (for obvious reasons)
Humanoid-Based Shoot 'Em Ups (Knightmare, Firebird, Elemental Master, Atomic Runner, Golvellius, Out Zone, etc.)
Knightmare II (MSX, 1987) - Fireball subweapon moving around a platform similar to traps in SMB2 (Strider NES's Spark & SP Ball) - it won't go up a wall though, optional handicap items that help with the boss fight in each world (Dark Souls?),
Treasure of Usas (MSX, 1987) - Can heal using collected money (pretty cheap) anywhere outside of boss battles, walk in mid-air as Cles using the fourth/rightmost power up
Super Cooks (MSX, 1989) - Kelesis learns some new real world languages during the adventure to understand NPCs in some new areas (shallow gameplay-wise as it's just a lock and key/trigger to be able to buy items but it is immersion building in a way)
Welcome to Heaven/Tengoku Yoitoko (MSX, 1987) - Unusual setting (a japanese/buddhist version of the christian heaven?), can stand on NPCs and enemies (SMB2) and you kill enemies by jumping on them repeatedly to bury them in the ground beneath, burying enemies on a single tile platform just makes them fall through it (sometimes into spikes)
The Legend of Zelda (NES, 1986) - Use your voice to kill a certain enemy (JP version)
Platform Adventure/Visual Novel or Adventure Hybrids (Spellcaster, Goonies 2, more?)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985 ARC port, NES) - Semi-random enemy spawning points (?)
The Magic of Scheherazade (NES, 1987) - Solar eclipse mechanic (affects certain spells and items plus your chance at winning in casinos, happens fairly seldomly), can loan money (at interest) in shops (?) and can haggle in some shops (these shopkeepers get pissed and kick you out plus take 10 coins if you do it twice in a row though and many later ones get pissed if you even try), corbock & shrink & caraba spells - makes enemies small and harmless and squashable, raincom and spricom spells - causes grass to grow in deserts and spring to come during winter respectively (ends HP drain occuring when in deserts and winter areas and heals you in deserts) when cast during an eclipse, basic diplomacy in the JRPG fights (propose peace command - you'll generally have to pay for enemies to accept)(Planescape Torment 2 has diplomacy before fights?, ), can hire mercenary troops to fight for you during turn-based battles (Diablo 2 - real-time, more?), the game automatically levels you up sufficiently after each boss battle, you and your party auto-uses HP restoratives when needed, can team up with only two other party members at once in turn-based battles but you get to pick which ones before each battle (can also choose to fight alone but it has no benefits), mythological Arabic setting (?)
Bio Senshi Dan: Inkrizer to no Tatakai (Bio-Warrior Dan: The Inkliezar Battle)/Bashi Bazook: Morphoid Masher (NES) - Bosses grow stronger as you're exploring the levels (you can see their health right away in the HUD)
Dragon Quest III (NES, 1988) - Hiring system - can leave or replace members and re-recruit them later (PSII at home base, FF Legend/SaGa, Baldur's Gate, more?)
The Guardian Legend (NES, 1988) - Action Adventure/Vertical Shoot 'em up Hybrid (Sigma Star Saga, GBA)
Asymmetric co-op (8 Eyes, Silkworm, Star Wars Arcade, Astal, more?) - ?
River City Ransom (NES, 1989) - Change difficulty on the fly (Baldur's Gate, more?), ?sauna bathing to increase will power+stamina and restore health
Little Ninja Brothers (NES, 1989) - Co-op where the other player can join or leave in-game in an ARPG/JRPG hybrid (Baldur's Gate?)
Strider (NES, 1989) - Each time the player requests a password the game ends with a brief description of the game's progress so far (which depends on Hiryu's current level) and gives a title for Hiryu's next adventure (similar to a television series or anime; Something kinda similar is done for Battle Mania/Trouble Shooter on MD between levels), Ground spell - flying enemies crash to the ground (?)
Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti (NES, 1989) - Parody Horror theme (Stubbs the Zombie, Lollipop Chainsaw?)
Pinball Quest (NES, 1989) - Pinball/Action hybrid w/ AA/RPG elements
Mendel Palace (NES, 1989) - Floor tile flip mechanic (most tiles can be flipped to show either a power up or a block or a new enemy spawning point - some have more than one tile in their "stack", allows domino/row flip attack and launch pad/spring attack, flip all attack (a smart bomb of sorts)), some interesting enemies (some can flip a row of tiles by stomping the ground, some can crack wall tiles, three of the bosses transform you into an enemy, enemies that turn tiles unflippable by drawing on them - these can also draw enemies that come alive in later levels of that world), hidden level timer (enemies become faster and home in on you after a certain point, can be increased a little via power ups before that),
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (SMS, 1986) - Buy continues after dying (hidden feature here)(Dragon Crystal, more?)
High School! Kimengumi (SMS, 1986) & Anmitsu Hime (Alex Kidd: High-Tech World)(SMS, 1987) - Top down view Quest Adventure w/ comical tone (?)/Sidescrolling QA w/ direct control and platforming
Wonder Boy (1986 ARC port/SMS, 1987) & WBiML/Monster World - Hunger mechanic in a platformer
Ghostbusters (1984 Atari port/NES, /SMS, 1987) - RTT/Trapping/Action Hybrid? (Open-Ended/Sandbox), map out your route before traveling to your location via top down racing segments (touching ghosts here means meeting enemies during travel), ghost bait which also prevents ghosts from forming a marshmallow man, laser confinement system (auto-empties ghost traps so you don't have to go back to HQ), defensive wall - keep ghosts/gatekeepers/key masters from passing through on the map (Tower defense games?), semi-simultaneous control of two avatars while trapping ghosts on foot,
Cyborg Hunter (SMS, 1988) - 2.5D Radar feature (?)
Galactic Protector (SMS, 1988) - 360 degree missile defense-like w/ rotation mechanic (move around a planet and defend it from incoming enemies), paddle controls (Woody Pop, Arkanoid ARC?),
Escort mission light gun games (Rescue Mission, Laser Ghost SMS)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (SMS, 1989/PCE/PC) - First area ties into the prequel (used later in Lufia? and Castlevania: SotN)
Navigation items: Sextant (Ultima IV) and sun sight (Pirates!)(?)
Stylized goal-in cutscenes (Basketball Nightmare, Slap Shot SMS, more?)
Dungeon Explorer (PCE, 1989) - Maze Action (Gauntlet-like)/ARPG w/ 5-player co-op; some interesting items (ring of resistance - makes enemies less aggressive, holy water - enemies flee), music spell which changes the background music, you leave items you have a full stock of for later/other party members instead of wasting them
PC Genjin/Bonk's Adventure (PCE, 1989) - Some interesting mechanics (spin your head to float in the air, can juggle some enemies on your head),
Herzog Zwei (MD, 1989) – Early RTS/RTT w/ 2-player vs. mode w/ split-screen (can also pick split-screen in SP mode), mini-map lets you switch between seeing the map with bases and enemy commander or a zoomed in view showing nearby units relative to the commander, transforming mech avatar (plane/ground trooper) - this unit transports and orders other units plus it can resupply+repair itself by hovering over any controlled base (AirMech, more?), decide unit command/behavior before building it (can be edited for a built unit by picking it up), queued commands in one order (destroy nearest enemy then go take over/guard the nearest neutral base, hunt down attacking enemies then return to position, etc.), attack enemy main base command (makes the unit ignore enemies),
Thunder Force II (MD, 1989) – TD Free-Roaming/Horizontal Shoot 'em up Hybrd; Less unforgiving design with respawning on the spot (lose only the currently equipped weapon in your inventory),
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (MD, 1989) - You can place used vehicles back into the inventory and use them again later in a platformer (PS1-4? - JRPG, more?),
Final Fantasy Legend (GB, 1989) - Some interesting mechanics (lives/hearts in an RPG - restoring a character at 0 HP costs one life and if they all run out they need to be revived or replaced (only the main character has to stay) - Saga series, purchaseable stat boosts (humans) - ?, near random ability growth and reductions for mutants/espers - ?, God is the final boss
Kwirk/Puzzle Boy (GB, 1989) - Switch between two characters in some levels (Kwirk 2/PB2, Alundra, more?) - Never Alone 2014 (also has asymmetric co-op)
TMNT (NES, 1989) & Ufouria: The Saga/Hebereke (NES, 1991) - Switch between four different characters on the fly (Mercs MD, Wai Wai World 1-2, Valis III, X-Men MD, Kingdom Crusade/Legend of Prince Valiant GB, Rolan's Curse II, TMNT III GB, Seiken Densetsu 2-3 & SoE, Popful Mail, Pokemon R/B/Y, Mystical Ninja N64, more?) - even in mid-air here
Enemies that can accidentally hit or kill each other (Crack Down, Doom 1-2, Beyond Oasis, Light Crusader, Growl, more?)
Can escape boss fights/get pushed out of the room (Ys series, Metroid II, Final Fantasy Adventure, more?)
Bionic Commando series - Grapple hook which can also be used as a weapon of sorts (knocks enemies back)(more?)
Cute/funny cutscenes between worlds/after bosses using in-game gfx (Ms. Pac-Man, Psychic World, Donkey Kong '94, Sonic 3 & Knuckles (within the levels themselves), more?)
Dragon avatar (Dragon Spirit (1987), Dragon Saber, Lair kinda (rider)),
Ship linking power up (Galaga, Detana!! Twinbee - link to the green ship to gain a shield to the side you chose (1 extra hit) and extra fire power, Slap Fight/Alcon, Dangerous Seed, more?) -
Rank system which makes the game harder when you play better or more aggressively and/or ship strength (Zanac, Battle Garegga, Donpachi, more?) - Only in shoot 'em ups?
1990s:
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (SMS, 1990) - Launch into a fireball by spinning around pipes
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (SMS/MD, 1990) - Dance attacks (basically smart bombs with some charge up time)
Columns (ARC/MD/SMS/MSX, 1990) - Diagonal line ups, "clear all of one color" power up (Super Bub PS1?, some Tetris versions?)
Dragon Crystal (GG, 1990/SMS, 1991) - Pay to continue mechanic (up to 3 times only, lose all unequipped items, keep levels and status)(Alex Kidd in MW, Lunar 2 - to save in the localized ver., more?)
Metal Gear 2 (MSX, 1990) - Enemies turning off the lights?, pigeon message puzzle, Jerry 2 Mouse robot decoy,
Final Fantasy III (NES, 1990) - "Per enemy type" multi-targeting, Numbers indicating who is striking what target in the next round (FF10?), Unlearn spells, Temporary party members that follow the party in the overhead view and can be talked to manually (Mother 3, more?), Pretty major overworld change (FF5-6, parts of Phantom 2040 and Metroid II, more?), Shops and stash in the airship (FF7-9?),
Crystalis (NES, 1990) - ARPG/Action Adventure - Communicate telepathically with elders for quest tips (?), Ride a dolphin while fighting at the same time
StarTropics (NES, 1990) - Modern mediterranian setting in AA/ARPG (Far Cry?), fourth wall breaking puzzle (X-Men, MGS),
Solstice (NES, 1990) - Can pick up and then place and use objects as platforms in mid-air,
A Boy and His Blob (NES, 1990) - Feed a blob mascot various candy to make it turn into tools you can use to progress (GB ver., Wii/PC remake, more?)
Gun-Nac/Gun*Nac/Gun Nac (NES, 1990) - Shops in-between levels where you can order a bombing of the next area to make it easier (?), four different smart bomb types which are also upgradeable), choose between flicker or slowdown (there’s still some of the other regardless though),
Rampart (JP Konami ver.)(NES, 1991) - Turret shooter/Tower Defense/Base Building hybrid (All versions); Four settings (they all play mostly the same though - get attacked by larger moving units (two types of tanks in the modern setting) which can tear down walls in in the combat phase, get attacked by infantry in the build & fix phase (moves towards your forts) - need to wall them in or shoot them to defeat them, whirlwinds in the red riding hood and knight setting - moves super fast and destroys walls - Tornado in WC2), larger boss-like creatures in some settings,
Battletoads (NES, 1991) - Throw objects into the screen to hit the first boss - similar to TMNT IV, giant snake as a moving platform segment (Strider, World of Illusion, Mario games?, Mystical Ninja N64 kinda)
Micro Machines (NES etc., 1991) - Unique multiplayer mechanics at the time (move ahead enough to score points - making the race "restart" at that point) - Circuit Breakers?,
Cocoron (NES, 1991) - Unique character creation system (gain a new model after each boss, three interchangeable parts - body/weapon/head, name each build, builds can be canceled after testing them out (in an empty room though, not on enemies), each part has a few different looking sprites to choose from) -- similar to customization in some robot-based fighting games like Joy Mech Fight, different paths depending on where you were previously when picking a new level to play (?)
Hub map/selection menu-style towns (Dark Lord NES (1991), Shining in the Darkness MD, Crystal Warriors GG, more?)
Chitei Senkou Bazolder/Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth (NES, 1991)? - Talk to crew members during the FP view segments to increase your chance of hitting the enemy (similar to analyze spells/skills in RPGs)
Gimmick!/Mr. Gimmick (NES, 1992) - The star physics (bounces and slides around and can be stood on to use it as a temporary platform)
Lemmings (Multi, 1991) - Unique RTT/Puzzle mechanics (Troddlers and Krusty's Fun House are similar, Spirits, Rolando?, more?), later version had a fast forward feature which wasn't used besides emulation until much later
Seirei Senshi Spriggan (PCE CD, 1991) - Interesting weapon system (collect coloured orbs in 4 different colours that you can do a triple combo with (each new orb replaces the first one in your inventory) - 3 orbs of the same colour gives you a strong but specialized weapon, can also waste an orb to use it as a smart bomb which downgrades your weapon)
Master of Monsters (MD, 1991/PCE CD, 1991) – Day/night cycle that affects unit strength (Seiken Densetsu 3 - ARPG, more?)
Gekibo: Gekisha Boy (PCE, 1992) - Photographer or Paparazzi Sim/Auto-Scrolling Action Platformer Hybrid (Pokemon Snap is kinda similar, more?)
Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys (PCE CD, 1993) - The hidden "best" gear can't be used against the final boss
Warsong/Langrisser (MD, 1991/PCE CD, 1993) - Squad leader area of influence mechanic (WH40K: Dawn of War, more?)
Princess Maker series - Princess-themed Strategy/Life Sim
M.U.S.H.A./Musha Aleste: Full Metal Fighter Ellinor? (MD, 1990) – Weapon upgrades increase HP,
Moving Adventure Psy-O-Blade (MD, 1990) - You can't die (Wario Land 2, The Haunting (get punished by going into the underworld temporarily), more?)
Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin (MD, 1990) - Take photos of bosses to finance web production
Phantasy Star III (MD, 1990) - Generational system (Romancing Saga, more?), tech distribution/focus mechanic (balance which type of spells become more efficient at the cost of others)(Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (GB) does something similar for the ship), overworld theme arrangement builds up as you progress through the game (?), battle theme changes depending on how the battle is going ()
ToeJam & Earl (MD, 1991) - Dynamic split screen (?)
Rent-A-Hero (MD, 1991) - Comical JRPG/Side View Beat 'em up Hybrid w/ a modern setting (Xbox ver., more?)
Sonic the Hedgehog (MD, 1991) - The ring system, the rotating bonus levels
Warrior of Rome (MD, 1991) - RTS (Real-time except for when issuing orders) - Separate viewports for up to 3 battles which you can zoom in on at any time (Settlers II has one IIRC but here the battles are fire emblem-ish real-time cutscenes and you can pull out of each at will, more?), can make the game scroll to various events automatically (later RTS games tend to let you press a hotkey after the notification instead), can switch to a full zoomed out map view and zoom in on specific locations from there as if clicking on a mini-map
Alien Storm (1990 ARC port/MD, 1991) - Beat 'em up/Auto-Scrolling Platformer/Gallery Shooter Hybrid
James Pond II: Codename Robocod (MD, 1991/SNES/AMI) - The body stretch (and grab then climb ceilings) mechanic
Shining Force (MD, 1992) - Party HQ (later developed more in Suikoden, more?), flee from and replay battles to grind (?)
Ecco the Dolphin series - Dolphin Sim/Dolphin-based AA
King Colossus (MD, 1992) - Gladiator fights (SoE, Lunar 2, FF6, Darksiders, more?)
AD&D: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (MD, 1992) - PoR/Ultima hybrid (Top down TB battles in the OW, FP real-time combat in dungeons)
Thunder Force IV (MD, 1992) – Manual speed adjustment in 1 percent increments,
Vixen 357 (MD, 1992) - A transport ship can be used to switch mechs (can embark a pilot in one mech and then disembark in another mech - different mechs have different gear and sometimes special/magic attacks)
Alisia Dragoon (MD, 1992) – Action Platformer w/ upgradeable familiars/sidekicks (Magic Sword ARC/SNES, Monster World IV - also used for puzzles and platforming here, more?)
Two Crude Dudes (1991 ARC port/MD, 1992) – Grab and throw almost anything (?)
Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millennium (MD, 1993) - Gambit system (assign an action for each char in a turn and edit the order, can be used for combo attacks)(Lunar 2 is kinda similar, FF12 is similar, more?), Guild hunts (FF12, more?), Fight while in vehicles with different attacks
Pirates! (NES, 1991) & Pirates! Gold (MD, 1993/CD32, 1994) - Can be seriously injured up to 9 times before age 34 before the game forces you into retirement, Gold: World map with city info (2004 ver., more?),
Flashback: The Quest For Identity (PC/MD, 1992/MCD, 1993) - Warp beacon (teleport receiver and remote control) and puzzles built around it (similar to Exile (Western), more?)
Haunting starring Poltergeist (MD, 1993) – Haunting Sim (Play as a ghost stalking a rich family)
Ranger X (MD, 1993) – Light source charging (further developed in Boktai, more?)
Battle Mania Daiginjou (MD, 1993) - Dual avatar mechanic in a shoot 'em up (aim in two directions)
Zombies Ate My Neighbors (MD/SNES, 1993) – Permadeath of sorts on hostages
Disney's Aladdin (MD, 1993) – Some enemies can cut your projectiles (apples) in half
Sonic CD (MCD, 1993) - Time travel mechanic in a platformer (each level has a past, present and future version and you can change the future version by destroying a machine in the past)(The Messenger is similar?)
Lunar: Eternal Blue (MCD, 1994/PS1/SAT, ) - Can choose which spells to upgrade (FF3?, FF7-8, ), pretty advanced formation system for the time (), 6 man party (w/ Leo)
Langrisser II (MD, 1994) – Characters no longer stay dead when beaten in battle (they only lose the exp accumulated in the current scenario)
Popful Mail (MCD, 1994) - Get to see your rank and hear some voice acting bloopers if you wait for a while after the ending (finish the game faster to hear more bloopers), amulets that make you invincible and can be taken on and off at will - pausing their time limit ()
Panorama Cotton (MD, 1994) - Alternate paths in a rail shooter, experience system in a shoot 'em up (?)
Contra: Hard Corps (MD, 1994) – Alternate paths leading to different endings in a run 'n gun (HC Uprising?)
Bare Knuckle 3/Streets of Rage 3 (MD, 1994) - Alternate paths leading to different endings in a brawler (Guardian Heroes, D&D arcade games, more?), sidestepping (similar but more rigid in Guardian Heroes, more?)
Cannon Fodder (1993 port/MD, 1994) – Dead chars' graves are shown on a hill next to a line of new recruits in-between levels (CF2, more?)
Battletech (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994) & Soulstar (MCD, 1994) - Asymmetric co-op where one player controls movement and one aiming and shooting (?)
Soleil/Crusader of Centy (MD, 1994) - Animal mascot combos for new moves and spells, ricocheting thrown sword, very fast running and long jumping in a top down AA game,
Beyond Oasis/Story of Thor (MD, 1994) - Summon familiars using the elements (hit a torch with the armlet to summon a fire spirit for example)(Legend of Oasis, more?)
J-Carts (no multitap needed for 4-player)(Pete Sampras Tennis, Pete Sampras Tennis '96, Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament, Micro Machines 96, Micro Machines Military, Super Skidmarks)
Compilations with major audiovisual updates and gameplay alterations (Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Super Mario All-Stars, more?)
Pulseman (MD, 1994) – Arkanoid-like bounce mechanic in a platformer
Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel (MD/SNES, 1994) – Super dive move (u-shaped dive through some segments)
Light Crusader (MD, 1995) - Interesting physics-based puzzles in an isometric AA, can push NPCs around in their chairs/along with whatever they're interacting with without slowing down or them reacting (can also push and stand on enemies), town portals which also let you teleport back to a previous floor (Diablo 3?)
Alien Soldier (MD, 1995) – Transform projectiles into HP blocking move (lets you regain HP to perform a strong special move at full HP)(?)
Phantom 2040 (MD/SNES, 1995) - Exploding boxes (often containing items) also hit the enemies (Doom 1-2, Beyond Oasis, D&D: Tower of Doom - some chest traps also affect enemies, more?), you can spam the jump kick against walls to descend slower and search for destructible walls on MD, getting all four good ending scenes yields a pretty satisfying additional scene (?), double equip exploit on SNES - can map a weapon to two buttons and hold down both at once to pretty much double your rate of fire), slide kick move which stops as soon as you release the button (?)
Comix Zone (MD, 1995) - Interesting concept/premise (you're a comic book artist/athlete/bum trapped in his own comic by a fictional villain of his own creation)
Ristar: The Shooting Star (MD, 1995) - Climb by grabbing and bouncing into walls, temporary flight via the spinning wheel,
Sparkster MD, 1994) - Playable intro before stage 1 (giant robot fight)(Final Fantasy Adventure/Seiken Densetsu, X-Men 2: Clone Wars (MD, 1995) is kinda similar in that it goes right into the first level with a randomly picked char on boot-up - no menu or character selection or logos & title screen until level 2, more?)
Pocahontas (MD, 1996) - Non-violent Puzzle Platformer (?)
Gargoyle's Quest series (GB, NES, SNES) - Play as a demon fighting for rulership of the demon realm
Balloon Kid (GB, 1990) - Interesting balloon replacing mechanic (can let go of the balloons you're holding to do platform jumps, jump onto enemies to damage them and then back, or walk through narrow paths and then use a pump to blow new ones)
Parasol Henbee (GB, 1990) - "Stamina affects ability" mechanic (it being lower means you move slower and jump lower) - gain limited flight by maxing out your stamina (Diablo 2 has a simpler version, Mana series use it for the attack, Astyanax, Legendary Axe, more?)
Kingdom Crusade/Legend of Prince Valiant (GB, 1991) - Unique MP RTT gameplay (capture land and castles by moving onto them with one unit at a time and fighting 1 vs 1 battles when encountering enemy units, capture all castles or defeat all enemy units to win, switch between characters on the fly, stat upgrade items (each unit has seven stats) and spell inventories, can regenerate HP by moving up to a friendly castle's entrance), TD jumping with adjustable jump height and direction (w/ the wings)(Link's Awakening?), necklace - revive a dead unit of your choice (you also get to redeploy the unit),
Metroid II: Return of Samus (GB, 1991) - Spider ball (move on walls and ceilings in ball form)
Final Fantasy Adventure/Mystic Quest/Seiken Densetsu (GB, 1991) - Unusual premise (you start off as a gladiator for the main bad guy who manages to escape after a colleague dies and by his last wish goes looking for a certain character (a gemma knight))(?), CPU controlled ally which can't be attacked (Watts can be asked for shopping, chocobo can give a ride during which you can't be hit), ice tiles that move you in one direction - Lolo?, learn some spells from allies while resting
Super Mario Land 2 (GB, 1992) - SMW-style hub map but with an open ended structure (?)
Trip World (GB, 1992) - Pretty much no repetition - every new element only used once (Contra: Hard Corps comes close, Wario Ware?)
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (GB, 1993) - Unexpected dream setting (SMB2, Yume Nikki?, more?), tower dungeon puzzle (collapse floors together by destroying pillars),
Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Montana's Movie Madness (GB, 1993) - You can bounce on some enemy projectiles (sometimes over and over)
Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong '94 (GB, 1994) - Stop barrels by walking on your hands, place timed springs/ladders/platforms to solve puzzles (Mario vs. Donkey Kong?),
Mole Mania (GB, 1996) - Digging mechanics in a TD puzzle game (layered world similar to Goonies 2 but here you create the doors between them), pull balls and throw/roll them backwards above your avatar
Wario Land 2 (GB/GBC, 1998) - Crouch jump (Doom 1-2, Quake?, WL4?, more?)
Check rest of 1998 and onwards
Blue's Journey (ARC, 1990) - Can pick up and stack several enemies on top of each other before throwing them for a wider projectile, can choose not to fight bosses (causes a fake game over screen)
Magic Sword (ARC, 1990/SNES?) - Weapon upgrade which can be dropped if you take too much damage but you can pick it up again, some enemies can open chests and eat the key in them (you get it back by killing them),
Out Zone (ARC, 1990) - Can trigger cameos/power ups based on other games by the company by playing well (Zero wing & Truxton & Flying Shark), optional escort mission (of the company mascot hidden in the first level),
Non-PC wild west setting (Blood Bros., Sunset Riders, more?)
Blood Bros. (ARC, 1990 or 1991?) - Second player character is native american ally in a wild west setting, throw dynamite at airplanes and zeppelins (?), can't credit feed during boss fights (the fight resets)
Dragon Saber (ARC, 1990/PCE, ) - Can make bosses die from a timer if you don't hit them
The Super Spy (ARC/NG, 1990) - Unique 2D take on FPS (Year Walk is similar)
TMNT IV/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (ARC, 1991/SNES, 1992) - Throw enemies into the screen (?)
Growl (ARC/MD, 1991) - Animal rights theme (fight poachers, free animals - Golden Axe: Revenge Of Death-Adder (people and creatures)), some bizarre over the top elements (a spiked ceiling sometimes falls and kills all enemies on screen when continuing), animals sometimes attack enemies as they run away (shredding them to pieces),
Bomberman/Dynablaster (ARC, 1991) - Enemies that hide in blocks (other Bomberman games, SMW, more?),
Detana!! Twinbee (ARC, 1991/SAT, 1995) - A non-intrusive text pop-up tells you what you've just picked up,
Xexex/Orius (ARC, 1991) - Upgrades for the main weapon also affects the charge attack (MMX?),
Golden Axe: Revenge Of Death-Adder (ARC, 1992) - Eat squid tentacles after cutting them off, can pick up stuff while mounted (even the small turret weapons can be picked up and used!),
Check rest of 1992-1999 ARC games
Daytona USA (ARC, 1993 - limited release) - Up to 40 cars in a race (?)
Cyber Sled (ARC, 1993) - Arena Fighting/Tank Combat w/ sled robots
Virtua Fighter 2 (ARC, 1994) - Difficulty options affect ring size a bit
Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (ARC, 1994) - Countering after blocking (slam attack - need to be fast), transfer money between players when in the shop, can pick up and throw chests, can speed up in-game cutcenes (Alien vs. Predator ARC),
Alien vs. Predator (ARC, 1994) - Some unusual moves for BEUs (mid-air throw, wall bounce with predator, mid-air ranged attack, uppercut) and combo options (team juggling, grab two discs and keep throwing them, attack enemies bouncing off of the floor from a previous attack)
DonPachi (ARC, 1995) - Rapid fire/laser shot dynamic (move slower but do more damage with the constant/laser beam) (Dodonpachi?, more?),
Arcade Racing/Taxi Driver Sim (Crazy Taxi 1-2, more?)
Racing/Ambulance Sim (Emergency Call Ambulance (ARC, 1999), more?)
3D Hunting Sim/Driving Hybrid - (Jambo! Safari (ARC, 1999), more?)
Alpha Waves/Continuum (PC/Atari ST, 1990) - Emotion-themed areas (main difference is in the music), 2-player vs. split screen in a 3D Platformer (Atari ST and Amiga only)
3D models in pre-rendered environments or fully pre-rendered visuals
Isometric games with platforming (and racing games?)
Scaling sprites-based 3D and Rail Platformers using it (Galaxy Force 2, Panorama Cotton, Power Drift, Space Harrier, 3D World Runner, etc.)
Trackball controls (Missile Command, Marble Madness, etc.)
Your weapon can overheat (Red Baron, Shadowland) - Seen this in a few games since but it seems fairly rare
The trapping genre - Besides the Deception games I don't think there are any made now?
Text parsers (Zork, King's & Space Quest, QfG, etc.)
FMV Action/Fully QTE-based games
Biosphere (TRS-80 CoCo) - Life Sim/Edutainment w/ Environmental theme (ecologist protagonist, the goal is to create a functioning and self-supporting ecosystem)
https://www.reddit.com/r/truegaming/comments/1yollx/are_there_any_games_out_there_that_feature/
Top down/side view hybrid gameplay (Dig Dug, Boulder Dash, etc.)
Dynamite that can blow up even walls/floors/stairs used to progress (Aztec, to a lesser degree in Impossible Mission II)
Enemies that leave tracks (AD&D: Cloudy Mountain) - Darwin Project, more?
Looping levels/areas (Defender, SMB2, King's Quest, Aztec, Biplane Duel, Ice Climber, King's Valley II, etc.)
Alley Cat (PC, 1983/DOS, 1984) - Cat Sim
Archon (C64, 1983/AMI, 1985/NES, 1989) - TBS/Chess variation with real-time combat
Games that promote a band in a joking manner (Journey, Motörhead)
Invincible enemy that appears after spending too long in one place (Venture, Bubble Bobble, Montezuma's Revenge (some versions), The Magic of Scheherazade - not invincible but tougher to kill, etc.)
Below the Root (Multi, 1984) - telepathy/pense skill (used to read thoughts and emotions when encountering a stranger - provides clues to their attitudes and distinguishes friend from foe)
https://www.reddit.com/r/gamingsuggestions/comments/nsb5l9/mind_reading_are_there_any_games_that_feature_it/
Fast arpeggios in game music for chords and instrument attacks (besides retro-style games)
Jump Bug (ARC, 1981) - Constant automatic bouncing/jumping
Random starting locations in non-MP games (Tower of Druaga, Arac, Cauldron II?)
North & South (AMI, 1989/NES, 1990) - Different play styles for attacker and defender in siege and train segments (defending feels sort of like playing the other side in an action platformer as you can place units at will but they're much weaker)
The Gradius upgrade system
Games where the goal is to become a better person/be moral in other ways than killing "evil" creatures, based on a virtue system (Ultima IV)
And games that put a new spin on that virtue system of the previous game by having them enforced harshly on the world's inhabitants by a corrupt despot and makes the player a fugitive (Ultima V)
Hitting power ups to change/cycle them (Solomon's Key, some shoot 'em ups) - Seems rare now
Impossible Mission II (Multi, 1988) - Music mixing element (collect recorded pieces of music found in safes and play them back in the right order to progress)
Life Force (ARC, 1986) - Travel through a living creature theme
Rock Star Ate My Hamster (AMI, 1989) - Comical Band Management Sim
The Colonel's Bequest: A Laura Bow Mystery & Maniac Mansion - Real-time AI elements (Some NPCs move around and do things independent of the player's actions) - Last Express?
Games where you're a police that's kinda glorified and/or take the law in their own hands (APB, NARC, SoR, Police Quest, etc.)
Vehicle companion (Lunar Jetman, Ranger X (MD, 1993) - individually controllable in most levels here)
Religious propaganda themed games
Bosses appearing and harassing you during levels (Shinobi, Nazo no Murasame Jou FDS, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker ARC, Nemesis II: Return of the Hero/Gradius: Interstellar Assault GB) - I think I've seen this a few times since but can't quite place the games
Solaris (Atari, 1986) - Space Exploration/Combat Sim where you defend allied planets while attacking enemy planets (similar to Star Fox 2)
Binary Land (FM-7/PC-88, 1983/MSX, 1984/NES, 1985) - Control mechanic used as a metaphor for a bond between two people (Beavis and Butt-head MD?, Brothers, more?)
R-Type (ARC, 1987) - Pod mechanic (shield+semi-controllable gun drone)
King's Quest III: To Heir Is Human (PCs, 1986) - You're a wizard's slave trying to break free and have to explore while he's away under a time limit and have to put back things where they were before he comes back or be punished
Flying enemies that can pick you up and put you down somewhere else in a level/area (Pharaoh's Curse, Black Magic, Adventure)
Brain Breaker (Sharp X1, 1985) - Destroy any wall and floor tiles with a late game power which also lets you fly around (super saiyan basically)
Exile (Electron, 1988/AMI & C64, 1991)(Superior Software/Audiogenic) - Life-preserving teleport system (when very near death your avatar is automatically teleported to a location that you've previously designated)
Dragon Slayer (PC-88/PC-98/FM-7/X1, 1984/MSX, 1985/GB, 1990) - Can push your own house around (you heal and buy stuff inside it)
The New Zealand Story/Kiwi Kraze (ARC, 1988) - Get swallowed and fight one of the bosses from the inside (later re-used in Yoshi's Island, used in a similar way in Metroid II)
Alter Ego (PCs, 1986) - TB Life Sim/RPG encapsulating a whole life in heavily compressed form (Passage sort of does the same thing but in a simpler and shorter arcade-style form)
Timed turns (Utopia, Space Hulk 1993)
Journey to the Centre of the Earth (C64, 1984) - Boomeregg - teleports you to where you picked it up
Saboteur (C64 etc, 1986) & Dan Dare (C64 etc, 1986) - The HUD shows out of view items to you as you pass them/text pop-ups when walking past something of interest
Gain Ground (ARC, 1988) - Play as many different rescued characters with perma-death in an action/rtt game
Digitized characters (Reikai Doushi, Mortal Kombat)
Bionic Commando (ARC, 1987) - Hookshot mechanic which replaces jumping, spy on enemy communications and communicate with allies in communications rooms in an AA game (?)
Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu (Multi, 1985) & Xanadu Scenario II: Resurrection of the Dragon (Multi, 1986?) - Pay to save or let the game auto-save at certain points, a mantle that allows to pass through walls for a short time (?)
Space Quest (PC, 1986/VGA, 1990) - Smell and taste commands
Sorcerian (PCs, 1987) - Can get each char a job which affects stats and money when they're not adventuring (Dark Lord 1991, more?), can play scenarios over and over to get more loot
Imogen (BBC Micro, 1986) - Randomized level order (only recently became popular in the romhacking scene)
Difficulty options which change the level/course layouts (STUN Runner)
Virtue quiz character creation (Ultima IV, Ogre Battle, Der Langrisser)
Game speed options in an action game (Zeliard, Jazz Jackrabbit)
Mind Walker (AMI, 1986) - Unusual gameplay (in the tilted view segment each of 4 chars must build a path from a crystal to a special square located somewhere in a patient's brain, each char can connect only one type of platforms) with a psychological theme (the player is immersed inside a human brain and must cure a psychosis that is threatening the patient's well-being), you use a sound queue to find your way in the TD segments (repeats faster the closer you get to the goal), unique aesthetical elements reminiscent of some retro 90s elements used in music videos in recent years
Golden Axe (MD/ARC, 1989) - Meta ending
Quest For Glory I: So You Want To Be A Hero (PC, 1989/VGA ver., 1992) - Can throw rocks and daggers at enemies (rocks can be picked up pretty much anywhere in the wild) or cast spells at them outside of combat - game uses non-random encounters which can be avoided
Samurai Warrior: Usagi Yojimbo (C64, 1988) - Some enemies are disguised as civilians (Metal Gear 2's mannequin room is similar, The Magic of Scheherazade, Deus Ex?), if your karma reaches zero your avatar commits suicide?
Crack Down (ARC, 1989/MD, 1990) - Top down cover shooter/stealth w/ 2-player split-screen co-op
Starflight (PC (1986/MD, 1991) - RPG that can be beaten without fighting (seems Fallout 3 almost qualifies, Undertale sort of does but you still "fight" in the way that you avoid attacks and hazards like in some platformers)
Enemies that don't hurt simply by touching them (unless you walk into a knife or sword)(Shadow Dancer, Shinobi, Revenge of Shinobi, Double Dragon, X-Men 1 MD, Bionic Commando GB to an extent, Wario Land, Light Crusader - can also push them, Phantom 2040) - Pretty sure it's used at times but can't think of anything atm
Impossible Mission (1984) - Optional tips from a portable PC item which wastes some time with each use (time limited game/mission)
Detailed manuals and physical maps - Still done but rarer
Tilted view maze action & action adventure games (The Staff of Karnath, Entombed, Dragon View),
Ancipital (C64, 1984) - Four-way gravity switch mechanic - Until SMG I guess
Little Computer People (C64, 1985/AMI, 1987) - NPC that will write you worried letters if you neglect him/her completely - Animal Crossing?
The Bard's Tale (Multi, 1985/NES, 1990) - Import characters from another franchise (Wizardry and/or Ultima III)
Arc of Yesod & Nodes of Yesod (1985) - Sidekick which you can deploy and pick back up (Comix Zone (find items, pull switches, electrocute enemies), more?)
It Came from the Desert (AMI, 1989) - Small southern town setting in a horror themed game (?), interactive nightmares (?)
Take over enemies and play as them (Paradroid, Cholo, Avenging Spirit, Little Nemo: The Dream Master - here you feed certain enemies candy and then wear them as suits (kind of like in SMB3) which can be removed at will) - Kirby Squeak Squad (DS, 2006) kind of does this (you swallow them and wear them as a suit similar to suits in SMB3 or Little Nemo),
Valkyrie no Densetsu (ARC, 1989) - Create mini-clones of yourself that act like gun drones/options (in a TD action game) but can fall down pits
Clicking to move around in steps in adventure games (The Manhole, Myst)
Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter (PC-88/PC-98/FM-7/X1/MSX, 1988/PCE CD, 1989) - Transform into a demon to talk to enemies (Soleil/Crusader of Centy, Pochi in Legacy of the Wizard/Dragon Slayer IV is a monster, Ys IV, Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru/For the Frog the Bell Tolls - some animals which can speak to their own, more?),
Herzog (X1/MSX, 1988) - Action/Strategy hybrid where you can buy/hire cpu-controlled troops that fight alongside you in the levels
XZR: Hakai no Gouzou (PC-88/PC-98/X1/MSX, 1988) - Assassin protagonists (end up assassinating both the Caliph and the US President)
Woody Poco/Woody Poko (FM-7/PC-88, NES, 1987) - Can lower the difficulty by choosing to play as a girl character at the beginning (for obvious reasons)
Humanoid-Based Shoot 'Em Ups (Knightmare, Firebird, Elemental Master, Atomic Runner, Golvellius, Out Zone, etc.)
Knightmare II (MSX, 1987) - Fireball subweapon moving around a platform similar to traps in SMB2 (Strider NES's Spark & SP Ball) - it won't go up a wall though, optional handicap items that help with the boss fight in each world (Dark Souls?),
Treasure of Usas (MSX, 1987) - Can heal using collected money (pretty cheap) anywhere outside of boss battles, walk in mid-air as Cles using the fourth/rightmost power up
Super Cooks (MSX, 1989) - Kelesis learns some new real world languages during the adventure to understand NPCs in some new areas (shallow gameplay-wise as it's just a lock and key/trigger to be able to buy items but it is immersion building in a way)
Welcome to Heaven/Tengoku Yoitoko (MSX, 1987) - Unusual setting (a japanese/buddhist version of the christian heaven?), can stand on NPCs and enemies (SMB2) and you kill enemies by jumping on them repeatedly to bury them in the ground beneath, burying enemies on a single tile platform just makes them fall through it (sometimes into spikes)
The Legend of Zelda (NES, 1986) - Use your voice to kill a certain enemy (JP version)
Platform Adventure/Visual Novel or Adventure Hybrids (Spellcaster, Goonies 2, more?)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985 ARC port, NES) - Semi-random enemy spawning points (?)
The Magic of Scheherazade (NES, 1987) - Solar eclipse mechanic (affects certain spells and items plus your chance at winning in casinos, happens fairly seldomly), can loan money (at interest) in shops (?) and can haggle in some shops (these shopkeepers get pissed and kick you out plus take 10 coins if you do it twice in a row though and many later ones get pissed if you even try), corbock & shrink & caraba spells - makes enemies small and harmless and squashable, raincom and spricom spells - causes grass to grow in deserts and spring to come during winter respectively (ends HP drain occuring when in deserts and winter areas and heals you in deserts) when cast during an eclipse, basic diplomacy in the JRPG fights (propose peace command - you'll generally have to pay for enemies to accept)(Planescape Torment 2 has diplomacy before fights?, ), can hire mercenary troops to fight for you during turn-based battles (Diablo 2 - real-time, more?), the game automatically levels you up sufficiently after each boss battle, you and your party auto-uses HP restoratives when needed, can team up with only two other party members at once in turn-based battles but you get to pick which ones before each battle (can also choose to fight alone but it has no benefits), mythological Arabic setting (?)
Bio Senshi Dan: Inkrizer to no Tatakai (Bio-Warrior Dan: The Inkliezar Battle)/Bashi Bazook: Morphoid Masher (NES) - Bosses grow stronger as you're exploring the levels (you can see their health right away in the HUD)
Dragon Quest III (NES, 1988) - Hiring system - can leave or replace members and re-recruit them later (PSII at home base, FF Legend/SaGa, Baldur's Gate, more?)
The Guardian Legend (NES, 1988) - Action Adventure/Vertical Shoot 'em up Hybrid (Sigma Star Saga, GBA)
Asymmetric co-op (8 Eyes, Silkworm, Star Wars Arcade, Astal, more?) - ?
River City Ransom (NES, 1989) - Change difficulty on the fly (Baldur's Gate, more?), ?sauna bathing to increase will power+stamina and restore health
Little Ninja Brothers (NES, 1989) - Co-op where the other player can join or leave in-game in an ARPG/JRPG hybrid (Baldur's Gate?)
Strider (NES, 1989) - Each time the player requests a password the game ends with a brief description of the game's progress so far (which depends on Hiryu's current level) and gives a title for Hiryu's next adventure (similar to a television series or anime; Something kinda similar is done for Battle Mania/Trouble Shooter on MD between levels), Ground spell - flying enemies crash to the ground (?)
Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti (NES, 1989) - Parody Horror theme (Stubbs the Zombie, Lollipop Chainsaw?)
Pinball Quest (NES, 1989) - Pinball/Action hybrid w/ AA/RPG elements
Mendel Palace (NES, 1989) - Floor tile flip mechanic (most tiles can be flipped to show either a power up or a block or a new enemy spawning point - some have more than one tile in their "stack", allows domino/row flip attack and launch pad/spring attack, flip all attack (a smart bomb of sorts)), some interesting enemies (some can flip a row of tiles by stomping the ground, some can crack wall tiles, three of the bosses transform you into an enemy, enemies that turn tiles unflippable by drawing on them - these can also draw enemies that come alive in later levels of that world), hidden level timer (enemies become faster and home in on you after a certain point, can be increased a little via power ups before that),
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (SMS, 1986) - Buy continues after dying (hidden feature here)(Dragon Crystal, more?)
High School! Kimengumi (SMS, 1986) & Anmitsu Hime (Alex Kidd: High-Tech World)(SMS, 1987) - Top down view Quest Adventure w/ comical tone (?)/Sidescrolling QA w/ direct control and platforming
Wonder Boy (1986 ARC port/SMS, 1987) & WBiML/Monster World - Hunger mechanic in a platformer
Ghostbusters (1984 Atari port/NES, /SMS, 1987) - RTT/Trapping/Action Hybrid? (Open-Ended/Sandbox), map out your route before traveling to your location via top down racing segments (touching ghosts here means meeting enemies during travel), ghost bait which also prevents ghosts from forming a marshmallow man, laser confinement system (auto-empties ghost traps so you don't have to go back to HQ), defensive wall - keep ghosts/gatekeepers/key masters from passing through on the map (Tower defense games?), semi-simultaneous control of two avatars while trapping ghosts on foot,
Cyborg Hunter (SMS, 1988) - 2.5D Radar feature (?)
Galactic Protector (SMS, 1988) - 360 degree missile defense-like w/ rotation mechanic (move around a planet and defend it from incoming enemies), paddle controls (Woody Pop, Arkanoid ARC?),
Escort mission light gun games (Rescue Mission, Laser Ghost SMS)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (SMS, 1989/PCE/PC) - First area ties into the prequel (used later in Lufia? and Castlevania: SotN)
Navigation items: Sextant (Ultima IV) and sun sight (Pirates!)(?)
Stylized goal-in cutscenes (Basketball Nightmare, Slap Shot SMS, more?)
Dungeon Explorer (PCE, 1989) - Maze Action (Gauntlet-like)/ARPG w/ 5-player co-op; some interesting items (ring of resistance - makes enemies less aggressive, holy water - enemies flee), music spell which changes the background music, you leave items you have a full stock of for later/other party members instead of wasting them
PC Genjin/Bonk's Adventure (PCE, 1989) - Some interesting mechanics (spin your head to float in the air, can juggle some enemies on your head),
Herzog Zwei (MD, 1989) – Early RTS/RTT w/ 2-player vs. mode w/ split-screen (can also pick split-screen in SP mode), mini-map lets you switch between seeing the map with bases and enemy commander or a zoomed in view showing nearby units relative to the commander, transforming mech avatar (plane/ground trooper) - this unit transports and orders other units plus it can resupply+repair itself by hovering over any controlled base (AirMech, more?), decide unit command/behavior before building it (can be edited for a built unit by picking it up), queued commands in one order (destroy nearest enemy then go take over/guard the nearest neutral base, hunt down attacking enemies then return to position, etc.), attack enemy main base command (makes the unit ignore enemies),
Thunder Force II (MD, 1989) – TD Free-Roaming/Horizontal Shoot 'em up Hybrd; Less unforgiving design with respawning on the spot (lose only the currently equipped weapon in your inventory),
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (MD, 1989) - You can place used vehicles back into the inventory and use them again later in a platformer (PS1-4? - JRPG, more?),
Final Fantasy Legend (GB, 1989) - Some interesting mechanics (lives/hearts in an RPG - restoring a character at 0 HP costs one life and if they all run out they need to be revived or replaced (only the main character has to stay) - Saga series, purchaseable stat boosts (humans) - ?, near random ability growth and reductions for mutants/espers - ?, God is the final boss
Kwirk/Puzzle Boy (GB, 1989) - Switch between two characters in some levels (Kwirk 2/PB2, Alundra, more?) - Never Alone 2014 (also has asymmetric co-op)
TMNT (NES, 1989) & Ufouria: The Saga/Hebereke (NES, 1991) - Switch between four different characters on the fly (Mercs MD, Wai Wai World 1-2, Valis III, X-Men MD, Kingdom Crusade/Legend of Prince Valiant GB, Rolan's Curse II, TMNT III GB, Seiken Densetsu 2-3 & SoE, Popful Mail, Pokemon R/B/Y, Mystical Ninja N64, more?) - even in mid-air here
Enemies that can accidentally hit or kill each other (Crack Down, Doom 1-2, Beyond Oasis, Light Crusader, Growl, more?)
Can escape boss fights/get pushed out of the room (Ys series, Metroid II, Final Fantasy Adventure, more?)
Bionic Commando series - Grapple hook which can also be used as a weapon of sorts (knocks enemies back)(more?)
Cute/funny cutscenes between worlds/after bosses using in-game gfx (Ms. Pac-Man, Psychic World, Donkey Kong '94, Sonic 3 & Knuckles (within the levels themselves), more?)
Dragon avatar (Dragon Spirit (1987), Dragon Saber, Lair kinda (rider)),
Ship linking power up (Galaga, Detana!! Twinbee - link to the green ship to gain a shield to the side you chose (1 extra hit) and extra fire power, Slap Fight/Alcon, Dangerous Seed, more?) -
Rank system which makes the game harder when you play better or more aggressively and/or ship strength (Zanac, Battle Garegga, Donpachi, more?) - Only in shoot 'em ups?
1990s:
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (SMS, 1990) - Launch into a fireball by spinning around pipes
Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (SMS/MD, 1990) - Dance attacks (basically smart bombs with some charge up time)
Columns (ARC/MD/SMS/MSX, 1990) - Diagonal line ups, "clear all of one color" power up (Super Bub PS1?, some Tetris versions?)
Dragon Crystal (GG, 1990/SMS, 1991) - Pay to continue mechanic (up to 3 times only, lose all unequipped items, keep levels and status)(Alex Kidd in MW, Lunar 2 - to save in the localized ver., more?)
Metal Gear 2 (MSX, 1990) - Enemies turning off the lights?, pigeon message puzzle, Jerry 2 Mouse robot decoy,
Final Fantasy III (NES, 1990) - "Per enemy type" multi-targeting, Numbers indicating who is striking what target in the next round (FF10?), Unlearn spells, Temporary party members that follow the party in the overhead view and can be talked to manually (Mother 3, more?), Pretty major overworld change (FF5-6, parts of Phantom 2040 and Metroid II, more?), Shops and stash in the airship (FF7-9?),
Crystalis (NES, 1990) - ARPG/Action Adventure - Communicate telepathically with elders for quest tips (?), Ride a dolphin while fighting at the same time
StarTropics (NES, 1990) - Modern mediterranian setting in AA/ARPG (Far Cry?), fourth wall breaking puzzle (X-Men, MGS),
Solstice (NES, 1990) - Can pick up and then place and use objects as platforms in mid-air,
A Boy and His Blob (NES, 1990) - Feed a blob mascot various candy to make it turn into tools you can use to progress (GB ver., Wii/PC remake, more?)
Gun-Nac/Gun*Nac/Gun Nac (NES, 1990) - Shops in-between levels where you can order a bombing of the next area to make it easier (?), four different smart bomb types which are also upgradeable), choose between flicker or slowdown (there’s still some of the other regardless though),
Rampart (JP Konami ver.)(NES, 1991) - Turret shooter/Tower Defense/Base Building hybrid (All versions); Four settings (they all play mostly the same though - get attacked by larger moving units (two types of tanks in the modern setting) which can tear down walls in in the combat phase, get attacked by infantry in the build & fix phase (moves towards your forts) - need to wall them in or shoot them to defeat them, whirlwinds in the red riding hood and knight setting - moves super fast and destroys walls - Tornado in WC2), larger boss-like creatures in some settings,
Battletoads (NES, 1991) - Throw objects into the screen to hit the first boss - similar to TMNT IV, giant snake as a moving platform segment (Strider, World of Illusion, Mario games?, Mystical Ninja N64 kinda)
Micro Machines (NES etc., 1991) - Unique multiplayer mechanics at the time (move ahead enough to score points - making the race "restart" at that point) - Circuit Breakers?,
Cocoron (NES, 1991) - Unique character creation system (gain a new model after each boss, three interchangeable parts - body/weapon/head, name each build, builds can be canceled after testing them out (in an empty room though, not on enemies), each part has a few different looking sprites to choose from) -- similar to customization in some robot-based fighting games like Joy Mech Fight, different paths depending on where you were previously when picking a new level to play (?)
Hub map/selection menu-style towns (Dark Lord NES (1991), Shining in the Darkness MD, Crystal Warriors GG, more?)
Chitei Senkou Bazolder/Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth (NES, 1991)? - Talk to crew members during the FP view segments to increase your chance of hitting the enemy (similar to analyze spells/skills in RPGs)
Gimmick!/Mr. Gimmick (NES, 1992) - The star physics (bounces and slides around and can be stood on to use it as a temporary platform)
Lemmings (Multi, 1991) - Unique RTT/Puzzle mechanics (Troddlers and Krusty's Fun House are similar, Spirits, Rolando?, more?), later version had a fast forward feature which wasn't used besides emulation until much later
Seirei Senshi Spriggan (PCE CD, 1991) - Interesting weapon system (collect coloured orbs in 4 different colours that you can do a triple combo with (each new orb replaces the first one in your inventory) - 3 orbs of the same colour gives you a strong but specialized weapon, can also waste an orb to use it as a smart bomb which downgrades your weapon)
Master of Monsters (MD, 1991/PCE CD, 1991) – Day/night cycle that affects unit strength (Seiken Densetsu 3 - ARPG, more?)
Gekibo: Gekisha Boy (PCE, 1992) - Photographer or Paparazzi Sim/Auto-Scrolling Action Platformer Hybrid (Pokemon Snap is kinda similar, more?)
Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys (PCE CD, 1993) - The hidden "best" gear can't be used against the final boss
Warsong/Langrisser (MD, 1991/PCE CD, 1993) - Squad leader area of influence mechanic (WH40K: Dawn of War, more?)
Princess Maker series - Princess-themed Strategy/Life Sim
M.U.S.H.A./Musha Aleste: Full Metal Fighter Ellinor? (MD, 1990) – Weapon upgrades increase HP,
Moving Adventure Psy-O-Blade (MD, 1990) - You can't die (Wario Land 2, The Haunting (get punished by going into the underworld temporarily), more?)
Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin (MD, 1990) - Take photos of bosses to finance web production
Phantasy Star III (MD, 1990) - Generational system (Romancing Saga, more?), tech distribution/focus mechanic (balance which type of spells become more efficient at the cost of others)(Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (GB) does something similar for the ship), overworld theme arrangement builds up as you progress through the game (?), battle theme changes depending on how the battle is going ()
ToeJam & Earl (MD, 1991) - Dynamic split screen (?)
Rent-A-Hero (MD, 1991) - Comical JRPG/Side View Beat 'em up Hybrid w/ a modern setting (Xbox ver., more?)
Sonic the Hedgehog (MD, 1991) - The ring system, the rotating bonus levels
Warrior of Rome (MD, 1991) - RTS (Real-time except for when issuing orders) - Separate viewports for up to 3 battles which you can zoom in on at any time (Settlers II has one IIRC but here the battles are fire emblem-ish real-time cutscenes and you can pull out of each at will, more?), can make the game scroll to various events automatically (later RTS games tend to let you press a hotkey after the notification instead), can switch to a full zoomed out map view and zoom in on specific locations from there as if clicking on a mini-map
Alien Storm (1990 ARC port/MD, 1991) - Beat 'em up/Auto-Scrolling Platformer/Gallery Shooter Hybrid
James Pond II: Codename Robocod (MD, 1991/SNES/AMI) - The body stretch (and grab then climb ceilings) mechanic
Shining Force (MD, 1992) - Party HQ (later developed more in Suikoden, more?), flee from and replay battles to grind (?)
Ecco the Dolphin series - Dolphin Sim/Dolphin-based AA
King Colossus (MD, 1992) - Gladiator fights (SoE, Lunar 2, FF6, Darksiders, more?)
AD&D: Warriors of the Eternal Sun (MD, 1992) - PoR/Ultima hybrid (Top down TB battles in the OW, FP real-time combat in dungeons)
Thunder Force IV (MD, 1992) – Manual speed adjustment in 1 percent increments,
Vixen 357 (MD, 1992) - A transport ship can be used to switch mechs (can embark a pilot in one mech and then disembark in another mech - different mechs have different gear and sometimes special/magic attacks)
Alisia Dragoon (MD, 1992) – Action Platformer w/ upgradeable familiars/sidekicks (Magic Sword ARC/SNES, Monster World IV - also used for puzzles and platforming here, more?)
Two Crude Dudes (1991 ARC port/MD, 1992) – Grab and throw almost anything (?)
Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millennium (MD, 1993) - Gambit system (assign an action for each char in a turn and edit the order, can be used for combo attacks)(Lunar 2 is kinda similar, FF12 is similar, more?), Guild hunts (FF12, more?), Fight while in vehicles with different attacks
Pirates! (NES, 1991) & Pirates! Gold (MD, 1993/CD32, 1994) - Can be seriously injured up to 9 times before age 34 before the game forces you into retirement, Gold: World map with city info (2004 ver., more?),
Flashback: The Quest For Identity (PC/MD, 1992/MCD, 1993) - Warp beacon (teleport receiver and remote control) and puzzles built around it (similar to Exile (Western), more?)
Haunting starring Poltergeist (MD, 1993) – Haunting Sim (Play as a ghost stalking a rich family)
Ranger X (MD, 1993) – Light source charging (further developed in Boktai, more?)
Battle Mania Daiginjou (MD, 1993) - Dual avatar mechanic in a shoot 'em up (aim in two directions)
Zombies Ate My Neighbors (MD/SNES, 1993) – Permadeath of sorts on hostages
Disney's Aladdin (MD, 1993) – Some enemies can cut your projectiles (apples) in half
Sonic CD (MCD, 1993) - Time travel mechanic in a platformer (each level has a past, present and future version and you can change the future version by destroying a machine in the past)(The Messenger is similar?)
Lunar: Eternal Blue (MCD, 1994/PS1/SAT, ) - Can choose which spells to upgrade (FF3?, FF7-8, ), pretty advanced formation system for the time (), 6 man party (w/ Leo)
Langrisser II (MD, 1994) – Characters no longer stay dead when beaten in battle (they only lose the exp accumulated in the current scenario)
Popful Mail (MCD, 1994) - Get to see your rank and hear some voice acting bloopers if you wait for a while after the ending (finish the game faster to hear more bloopers), amulets that make you invincible and can be taken on and off at will - pausing their time limit ()
Panorama Cotton (MD, 1994) - Alternate paths in a rail shooter, experience system in a shoot 'em up (?)
Contra: Hard Corps (MD, 1994) – Alternate paths leading to different endings in a run 'n gun (HC Uprising?)
Bare Knuckle 3/Streets of Rage 3 (MD, 1994) - Alternate paths leading to different endings in a brawler (Guardian Heroes, D&D arcade games, more?), sidestepping (similar but more rigid in Guardian Heroes, more?)
Cannon Fodder (1993 port/MD, 1994) – Dead chars' graves are shown on a hill next to a line of new recruits in-between levels (CF2, more?)
Battletech (SNES, 1993/MD, 1994) & Soulstar (MCD, 1994) - Asymmetric co-op where one player controls movement and one aiming and shooting (?)
Soleil/Crusader of Centy (MD, 1994) - Animal mascot combos for new moves and spells, ricocheting thrown sword, very fast running and long jumping in a top down AA game,
Beyond Oasis/Story of Thor (MD, 1994) - Summon familiars using the elements (hit a torch with the armlet to summon a fire spirit for example)(Legend of Oasis, more?)
J-Carts (no multitap needed for 4-player)(Pete Sampras Tennis, Pete Sampras Tennis '96, Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament, Micro Machines 96, Micro Machines Military, Super Skidmarks)
Compilations with major audiovisual updates and gameplay alterations (Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Super Mario All-Stars, more?)
Pulseman (MD, 1994) – Arkanoid-like bounce mechanic in a platformer
Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel (MD/SNES, 1994) – Super dive move (u-shaped dive through some segments)
Light Crusader (MD, 1995) - Interesting physics-based puzzles in an isometric AA, can push NPCs around in their chairs/along with whatever they're interacting with without slowing down or them reacting (can also push and stand on enemies), town portals which also let you teleport back to a previous floor (Diablo 3?)
Alien Soldier (MD, 1995) – Transform projectiles into HP blocking move (lets you regain HP to perform a strong special move at full HP)(?)
Phantom 2040 (MD/SNES, 1995) - Exploding boxes (often containing items) also hit the enemies (Doom 1-2, Beyond Oasis, D&D: Tower of Doom - some chest traps also affect enemies, more?), you can spam the jump kick against walls to descend slower and search for destructible walls on MD, getting all four good ending scenes yields a pretty satisfying additional scene (?), double equip exploit on SNES - can map a weapon to two buttons and hold down both at once to pretty much double your rate of fire), slide kick move which stops as soon as you release the button (?)
Comix Zone (MD, 1995) - Interesting concept/premise (you're a comic book artist/athlete/bum trapped in his own comic by a fictional villain of his own creation)
Ristar: The Shooting Star (MD, 1995) - Climb by grabbing and bouncing into walls, temporary flight via the spinning wheel,
Sparkster MD, 1994) - Playable intro before stage 1 (giant robot fight)(Final Fantasy Adventure/Seiken Densetsu, X-Men 2: Clone Wars (MD, 1995) is kinda similar in that it goes right into the first level with a randomly picked char on boot-up - no menu or character selection or logos & title screen until level 2, more?)
Pocahontas (MD, 1996) - Non-violent Puzzle Platformer (?)
Gargoyle's Quest series (GB, NES, SNES) - Play as a demon fighting for rulership of the demon realm
Balloon Kid (GB, 1990) - Interesting balloon replacing mechanic (can let go of the balloons you're holding to do platform jumps, jump onto enemies to damage them and then back, or walk through narrow paths and then use a pump to blow new ones)
Parasol Henbee (GB, 1990) - "Stamina affects ability" mechanic (it being lower means you move slower and jump lower) - gain limited flight by maxing out your stamina (Diablo 2 has a simpler version, Mana series use it for the attack, Astyanax, Legendary Axe, more?)
Kingdom Crusade/Legend of Prince Valiant (GB, 1991) - Unique MP RTT gameplay (capture land and castles by moving onto them with one unit at a time and fighting 1 vs 1 battles when encountering enemy units, capture all castles or defeat all enemy units to win, switch between characters on the fly, stat upgrade items (each unit has seven stats) and spell inventories, can regenerate HP by moving up to a friendly castle's entrance), TD jumping with adjustable jump height and direction (w/ the wings)(Link's Awakening?), necklace - revive a dead unit of your choice (you also get to redeploy the unit),
Metroid II: Return of Samus (GB, 1991) - Spider ball (move on walls and ceilings in ball form)
Final Fantasy Adventure/Mystic Quest/Seiken Densetsu (GB, 1991) - Unusual premise (you start off as a gladiator for the main bad guy who manages to escape after a colleague dies and by his last wish goes looking for a certain character (a gemma knight))(?), CPU controlled ally which can't be attacked (Watts can be asked for shopping, chocobo can give a ride during which you can't be hit), ice tiles that move you in one direction - Lolo?, learn some spells from allies while resting
Super Mario Land 2 (GB, 1992) - SMW-style hub map but with an open ended structure (?)
Trip World (GB, 1992) - Pretty much no repetition - every new element only used once (Contra: Hard Corps comes close, Wario Ware?)
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (GB, 1993) - Unexpected dream setting (SMB2, Yume Nikki?, more?), tower dungeon puzzle (collapse floors together by destroying pillars),
Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Montana's Movie Madness (GB, 1993) - You can bounce on some enemy projectiles (sometimes over and over)
Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong '94 (GB, 1994) - Stop barrels by walking on your hands, place timed springs/ladders/platforms to solve puzzles (Mario vs. Donkey Kong?),
Mole Mania (GB, 1996) - Digging mechanics in a TD puzzle game (layered world similar to Goonies 2 but here you create the doors between them), pull balls and throw/roll them backwards above your avatar
Wario Land 2 (GB/GBC, 1998) - Crouch jump (Doom 1-2, Quake?, WL4?, more?)
Check rest of 1998 and onwards
Blue's Journey (ARC, 1990) - Can pick up and stack several enemies on top of each other before throwing them for a wider projectile, can choose not to fight bosses (causes a fake game over screen)
Magic Sword (ARC, 1990/SNES?) - Weapon upgrade which can be dropped if you take too much damage but you can pick it up again, some enemies can open chests and eat the key in them (you get it back by killing them),
Out Zone (ARC, 1990) - Can trigger cameos/power ups based on other games by the company by playing well (Zero wing & Truxton & Flying Shark), optional escort mission (of the company mascot hidden in the first level),
Non-PC wild west setting (Blood Bros., Sunset Riders, more?)
Blood Bros. (ARC, 1990 or 1991?) - Second player character is native american ally in a wild west setting, throw dynamite at airplanes and zeppelins (?), can't credit feed during boss fights (the fight resets)
Dragon Saber (ARC, 1990/PCE, ) - Can make bosses die from a timer if you don't hit them
The Super Spy (ARC/NG, 1990) - Unique 2D take on FPS (Year Walk is similar)
TMNT IV/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (ARC, 1991/SNES, 1992) - Throw enemies into the screen (?)
Growl (ARC/MD, 1991) - Animal rights theme (fight poachers, free animals - Golden Axe: Revenge Of Death-Adder (people and creatures)), some bizarre over the top elements (a spiked ceiling sometimes falls and kills all enemies on screen when continuing), animals sometimes attack enemies as they run away (shredding them to pieces),
Bomberman/Dynablaster (ARC, 1991) - Enemies that hide in blocks (other Bomberman games, SMW, more?),
Detana!! Twinbee (ARC, 1991/SAT, 1995) - A non-intrusive text pop-up tells you what you've just picked up,
Xexex/Orius (ARC, 1991) - Upgrades for the main weapon also affects the charge attack (MMX?),
Golden Axe: Revenge Of Death-Adder (ARC, 1992) - Eat squid tentacles after cutting them off, can pick up stuff while mounted (even the small turret weapons can be picked up and used!),
Check rest of 1992-1999 ARC games
Daytona USA (ARC, 1993 - limited release) - Up to 40 cars in a race (?)
Cyber Sled (ARC, 1993) - Arena Fighting/Tank Combat w/ sled robots
Virtua Fighter 2 (ARC, 1994) - Difficulty options affect ring size a bit
Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (ARC, 1994) - Countering after blocking (slam attack - need to be fast), transfer money between players when in the shop, can pick up and throw chests, can speed up in-game cutcenes (Alien vs. Predator ARC),
Alien vs. Predator (ARC, 1994) - Some unusual moves for BEUs (mid-air throw, wall bounce with predator, mid-air ranged attack, uppercut) and combo options (team juggling, grab two discs and keep throwing them, attack enemies bouncing off of the floor from a previous attack)
DonPachi (ARC, 1995) - Rapid fire/laser shot dynamic (move slower but do more damage with the constant/laser beam) (Dodonpachi?, more?),
Arcade Racing/Taxi Driver Sim (Crazy Taxi 1-2, more?)
Racing/Ambulance Sim (Emergency Call Ambulance (ARC, 1999), more?)
3D Hunting Sim/Driving Hybrid - (Jambo! Safari (ARC, 1999), more?)
Alpha Waves/Continuum (PC/Atari ST, 1990) - Emotion-themed areas (main difference is in the music), 2-player vs. split screen in a 3D Platformer (Atari ST and Amiga only)
3D models in pre-rendered environments or fully pre-rendered visuals