Loading Screens in Video Games
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- Today I wanted to talk about loading screens in video games.
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First thing that came to mind was the loading screen in Assassins Creed. Just keeps you engaged while making sense in the world.
That one was absolutely good, but Ubisoft one-upped themselves with the Shaun White Snowboarding loading screen. Just an infinite half pipe that kept going until you hit start. Perfection.
The first two that came to mind for me were the Skyrim loading screen with the text and 3D Models
And the Halo 3 halo ring loading screen
Booo
It was just great
One detail I really like about the Insomniac Spider-Man loading screens is that later in the game when Sable International takes over NYC, the loading screens change to show Spidey hiding in the back of the train so Sable agents don’t see him. Nice touch.
Right! Extremely funny yet understandable due to the circumstances of the world. It's the little things....
Considering you talked about loading screen mini games I'm surprised you didn't mention the one on Sonic and All Stars racing transformed. It's a slot machine that is shown during the loading screen and the coins or tokens or whatever it is you get within the game You can spend some on the slot machine to try to get a boost for your next race while you're waiting for the racetrack to load
I like how mirrors edge catalyst does loading screens. It loads the game first, then the main menu, so pressing start immediately goes into the game.
Omg... I remember.... I forgot about that. Was really nice to just jump right in.
Must be similar to Prototype 2. That game's main menu felt like magic when it came out
A loading screen that randomly came to mind was fire emblem three houses.
You can move Byleth using motion controls while the game loads.
Haven't played it but the first couple Assassin's Creeds did something similar.
Wait that's how she moves?? I thought it was random or a progress bar! Taken I'm only a few hours in.
@@IHitTheWaterpress A and she’ll jump
@@Gatorade69 Many games do it one off the top of my head is Bayonetta. The combos you perform are listed to the right of the screen.
Weirdly enough, I miss loading screens. I also really liked those that'd show cool artwork of the area or boss that you're about to go to. Dead Rising comes to mind, with the loading screens showing title cards of the bosses when entering their fights.
What Spec Ops: The Line did with its loading screens is also amazing, as they completely change the further you go into the story and its twist.
Serious question but would you rather have loading screens or have a "Squeeze through this gap" kind of scenario ?
@@Gatorade69 You mean when a game forces you through an animation or a "press forward to procceed" scene for transitioning to a different area?
Personally, I think I'd still rather wait with a loading screen. Nowadays those go faster than having to wait for an animation to finish.
my favorite "loading screen minigame" has to be splatoon's squid jump and the others
so fun!
You’re the only person I trust to make an entertaining video about loading screens
Scott the woz could
Nakey Jakey did
@@aldobonilla24Jake the Nake ?
@@Gatorade69 Naked Jacob
@@aldobonilla24 Nakob Jakob ?
Okami on PS2 had some pretty cool loading screens.
One of them would show six footprints in sequence, and if you timed pressing O with each footstep correctly you'd earn in game currency.
Kiro keeping his race anonymous at 1:03 XD
one thing I can actually praise the Mario and rabbits game for is how smooth the 'loading screen' are, its so smooth you feel like there was even a loading screen (I'm talking about the ones in the same world), they do it pretty perfectly, at least for people who don't want loading screens
I appreciate loading screens that ask you to press a button after loading, so if there's something interesting is on the loading screen, you'll get to soak it in before progressing at your own discretion.
An indie game I like named Undead Darlings has a neat loading screen. It's basically a scaled down version of the game's real battles where the characters, shown as sprite versions of themselves, autofight enemies from the current area, and their real stats, and all current possible party members, are reflected in these fake battles. I think it might make more sense to see for yourself than from my description, but I think it's a nice extra to watch while the game loads.
8:16 I really appreciate this so much. I actually loved those loading screens, they always got a laugh out of me.
you gotta love the Arkham series’s using dialog and walking to hide the loading, it felt normal and flowed well even if it was clearly trying to hide loading
Not a lot of games do it. It's become a staple. Where crawling through a scripted sequence or something similar like covering the loading parts of the level with camera placement is used to control the player's movement or view to let the place load.
Loading screens during the sixth console generation were something special. Some of my favorites are the loading screens from Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex and PaRappa The Rapper 2.
My top favorite loading screen is from Square Enix’s The Bouncer-depending on which of the three bouncers you played as, you would be treated to a backstory snippet of your chosen character during loading periods between cutscenes. Each of the three bouncers have their own unique loading screen background to accompany their backstory text, and the game logo appears in the bottom right corner with a streak of deep blue fading over it in a loop. If the game is loading without a backstory sequence, the game logo animation is used on a black screen, fading in and out in the same loop.
i love metroid dread's ambient elevator loading screen. so diegetic and adds this certain emotion to the game and samus' character, allowing the player to really connect with her
The loading screen that I’ve loved the most is Insomniac’s Spider-Man. Where Spidey interacts with the people of New York City.
What fascinates me more is that on the PS5, you actually have the option to enable or disable those loading screens.
nintendo kind of brought back loading screen mini games with splatoon 1, and you could unlock more via buying amiibo and doing the ingame challanges. They never brought them back, and since in splatoon 3 you can just run around the training room while waiting for people it looks like they'll never be comming back... RIP squid jump
The Splatoon waiting activities are my favorite! I cover more area in the practice room than in actual turf wars /j
My favourite use of loading screen is in Midnight Club 3. It’s really simple. They include random images of cars, either by itself or racing others along with looped music. Even though it’s really basic, there are videos on yt with edited alternate music that fit in with the game’s setting and publishing year.
I really like the loading screens for the Spyro games and Parappa (especially Parappa 2). The Crash games has some nice ones as well like Titans letting you control the directions of footprints and Tag Team Racing having gaseous sounds. Oh yeah, Ratchet and Clank too with the ship travelling.
MY BOI PARAPPA GOT MENTIONED! In all seriousness Parappa 2 is the game that made me realise how cool and creative loading screens can be and it's one of the only ones that I can watch and listen to all day without getting tired
The superliminal loading screens never fail to catch me off guard
Another really cool example of loading screen minigames (though it is used in multiplayer), in in Splatoon on Wii U.
The TV displays the map, players & rank, while the gamepad displays simple minigames that look like they're on the NES.
I dunno if anyone remembers but, Crash Tag Team Racing on the PS2 the loading screen is probably my favorite. During the loading screen you press triangle to fart and square to burp and move the left and right analog to speed up/slow down and increase/decrease the pitch respectively. it was very hilarious.
I like when games use the loading screen to tell me fun lore facts
I like when games use the loading screens to tell me off and make fun of me for being a bad gamer.
@@Gatorade69 Spec Ops The Line, except it goes above and beyond than just call you a bad "gamer".
Skyrim 👊!
I love it when kiro talks
We also got situations like FF7 Remake, which has a few of those "loading squeeze-tunnels" where Cloud is slowly funneling through a few crates, tubes, or other tight alleyways, which are hidden loading screens.
The Yuffie DLC was PS5 only, and lo and behold, not a single "loading tunnel" to be seen here.
So now we have a point in technology where the weaker platform is forcing the more advanced platforms into unused loading systems. (as in PS4 FF7R needs the loading tunnel, the PS5 version doesn't, but has it anyway)
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen had a feature that wasn't exactly a load screen but it was where it showed you the last five or so things you had done when playing so you could remember
I cant really remember the last time a loading screen felt like it added to the atmosphere of a game. Destiny and bungie’s halo games have pretty great loading screens that feel like an organic and artistic part of the game’s atmospheres
Great video and channel! First time viewer and was pleasantly impressed ❤
I'm so sad you didn't mention Mario Galaxy, especially in the disguising loading screen section! Everytime you got the wonderful spectacle of Mario shooting from a launch star, flying through space, making cool twists and loopdeloops, collecting dozens of starbits in cool patterns, going past mini planetoids/meteors, and even circling the planet you're about to land on, IT'S LOADING THE PLANETS YOU FLY TO!! I never noticed that as a kid, because it felt so continuous and natural to go from jumping around to flying to the next planet, and I love it to death now as an adult :D
I remember that Splatoon for the Wii U had a loading screen minigame you played on the gamepad while you waited for a match to start.
The best kind of loading screen is one that doesn't tell you it's a loading screen.
I actually loved those Spiderman loading sequences. They felt so chill. It's a shame we won't see them anymore with the sequel
THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE-
This version of The Stanley Parable’s loading screen is one of my personal favourites. Don’t we just love pondering random philosophical concepts while we wait for our stuff to load?
bro i swear every video essay have to start with a history lesson
7:52 that game is Persona 2 Eternal Punishment
The only good persona game alongside innocent sin. (In my opinion)
I like the Lego games. At the start of the game they tell you to look at this random little logo and to not shut off the console when you see it. It’s simple, quick, tells you what not to do, and every game has a different loading screen to fit with the theme of the game. Example the Bat Signal for Lego Batman or the S.H.I.E.L.D logo for marvel.
I also love the Spider-Man loading screen.
Got recommended this video and I really liked it, that and the redesigns video. Subbed :)
I finished Fire Emblem Three Houses recently and oh boy there sure were loading screens. But you can make Byleth walk around with your controller's gyro and jump with B, so they weren't as dreadful as they could've been
2:26 "8in the last decade or so, consoles have finally gotten on PCs level"
I'm surprised you didn't mention the disguised loading screens in the Uncharted series. The most infamous example is when the player has to boost another character up a ledge.
I guess the first interactive loading screen for me is “Devil May Cry 3” on PS2. In that game, you press the face buttons to do the hack and slash along with shoot gun effect on the Now Loading icon in the corner.
It isn’t something flashy but it fun.
I've always loved the amazing Spider-Man 1 loading screens. Cause ya get to see how people react to what's happening around them. Makes the world more alive. Especially when ya reach the pandemic part. Nowadays its relatable
Another one I like, similar to Bayonetta, is the loading screen from Sonic Frontiers
Similar to Bayonetta, (usually when you’re going in and out of Cyber Space), you can play a training session which has Sonic perform various actions, trying to get as many stars as possible in 30 seconds for completing various strings of actions (like a homing attack stomp cancel for example)
You also have the ability to go into the options and turn that off if you want to speed things up
My favorite part about loading screens is when it’s at 100% but still takes an extra five minutes for you to load in
starting off strong with that sonic 06 zinger
I remember when you can create Gotenks ghosts in the Budekai game thinking that we have peaked as a civilization to make me want to see a loading screen
Bro your videos are amazing
amazing video!
aw man i wish you brought up (after bayonetta) the loading screens for rayman origins, with the stylized silhouettes in a playable bumpy area for a few seconds, i forgot about that one until you brought her up!
The Bayonetta one kinda reminds me of Sonic Frontiers where you can practice your moves and other button combos
Yeah it’s the entire reason I knew how to parry
I wouldn't describe the Resident Evil remake's door animation 'fake loading screens' as they serve to build tension and anticipation. Additionally they were ripped from Sweet Home which didn't require the load time.
Playing games with tips/lore in their loading screen but blazing through it before i even have a chance to read them, it’s suffering from success.
"Why waste time making a looting screen look pretty when you could be working on the game?"
If only developers still had that mindset
The loading screens I remember was the paradox ones, (eu4 and hoi4) mostly because of the art, quotes/tips and music. Even if it’s more lazy then others
Playing with "Now Loading" text in Castelvania: Symphony of the Night...
Hi I love your videos!
Ur first
Namco didn't even invent loading minigames - they were occasionally sighted in tape loader games on 8-bit microcomputers.
The American version of Tyco RC on PS1 has two loading screen minigames. They were removed from the later JPN release.
I really enjoyed the loading screen of Devil May Cry 3 on the PS2. You could attack the game title by shooting it or using Dante's sword. I was totally amazed by this when I was a kid 😆
Splatoon had a minigame to play when waiting in que on the game pad
Honestly I do like short load screens. I remember after I got my PS5 I would get mad because I would usually go the restroom while a race was loading in GT7 but now it loads like in 3 seconds instead of almost 3 minutes
I remember Sakurai covering a video on this
Back in the day Homestar Runner had a song about their loading screens
This was a very good video!
Raging blast had the flying nimbus mini game
This channel is so underrated :/
DBZ Budakai 2 had Master Roshi and if you spammed buttons he'd spin around and fly off
Surprised Okami's load screen wasn't mentioned. You can mash buttons and earn an in-game reward.
Funny how you didn't mention assassin's Creed loading screens. Those were so good
In Ac Origins you can move and attack in an empty void that is part of the simulation
I like Metroid Prime. No, not the elevator loading screens, just that sometimes when you shoot a door it doesn't open right away for no discernable reason while various enemies chip away at your health and then there's been too much time passed and the door opens and immediately closes again so you have to repeat the whole process
Great video, although I'm sadly remi of waiting five to ten minutes while playing Crash bandicoot Wrath of Cortex. Just sitting there, watching Crash fall on screen.
Best loading screen is Age of Calamity because you get to control Terrako
Loading, loading~
New Kiro 😎
No ones gonna talk about the dbz budakai Tenkaichi minigames? You could even do them in co-op with one player controlling goku and another vegeta
Not a mention of the Spyro or ratchet and Clank loading screens where you felt like you were travelling to another location?
8:46 what is this game called?
I was hoping id see a sonic 06 reference and it took less than 5 seconds you’re getting your like
Hey! It's me!
Long title cards also counts as loading screens for example in heroes if you're actually going to play a normal level in the game you can see the name of the level and what not but you can see the heroes symbol spinning if you're going to play a boss level in the game the loading screen is different having each individual piece of the heroes symbol appearing and disappearing in Shadow the hedgehog 2005 the loading screens for normal levels are ok
Cause we’re at that point (from optimisation and SSD now being more widely available) I’m sure there are games out there that have artificial loading screens. As in purely for the aesthetics even if the entire level has loaded.
Cause sometimes you play a game and the loading screen is there for like a handful of frames and just ‘BAM’, gone.
Especially if it’s one with a beautiful art of something interesting, like lore or a viewable model, it can sometimes be sad to not be able to appreciate them on modern hardware.
Not one I care for the loading screen, but a modern example is when I play Star Wars battlefront 2 (EA) and cause it’s downloaded on my SSD rather than HDD, I don’t even have time to read the tip prompts (not that I care). Just an example
Sonic frontiers also uses the bayonetta training mode idea for it's loading screens
So advancements in technology just keep getting slower and slower? Or not as slow but still really slow? Or maybe it depends on what you have?
Well, as much as I didn’t ever consider them as a thing to pa attention to, this has broadened my stance on. Them,
we love katamaris loading screen was pre cool :)
The dragon ball series has the best loading screens
Why does switch and 3ds have some load screens 🤔 just curious never thought of cartridges become one with the system wouldn't switch and 3ds be the same way? Great video BTW
You should of mentioned the Famicom disk system,the games for that add on had loading screens.
And then Nintendo has gone *BACK* to ROM-based cartridges with the Nintendo Switch, which makes it really funny when you can get two physical cartridges that contain the 11 CDs worth of data making up Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX together between them.
I mean, you might even seen on every game that has a loading screen since the floppy era.
Sonic Frontiers has a practice mode while the game loads like Bayonetta
At the beginning you said that cartridges can load up faster, but why does it then take the Switch forever to load games?
"Playble minigame as lodin screen " can be patented says so much about how ridiculous and counter-productive the patent system is.
I think loading screens are cool but in the same bag as videogame manuals, their just unnecessary today. Games can load pretty fast these days, fast enough that you won't be waiting minutes to get in (aside from the odd GTA 5 which takes 10 minutes to start!), just like how games have evolved to have instructions & story components in the actual game rather than the manual. Today their neat as novelty but neither are necessities & neither are things I can't play videogames without, if anything the lack of manuals saves space & the lack of loading screens saves time for the player which means while they may be partially missed it's best they were mostly removed from the landscape.
How is it possible that Namco can patent a concept such as “video game loading screens”
It’s like Nintendo getting a patent for ice levels in games.
It honestly sounds like bullshit
GTA 4 LOADING SCREEN:WHY LOADING SCREEN 😢CANT BE LONGER
GTA 5: DAMN IT LOAD FAST😡