Topic: What "little details" do you like to see in games?

What I mean by this is, what features are you glad to see developers put in their games, even though they're not needed to make a game good.

For fighters, I love it when they include an artwork gallery (Soulcalibur III has an amazing one), or different costumes instead of pallet swaps (Dead or Alive is undisputed champ here).

In JRPGs, I love it when they actually have your weapons change appearance in battle when you equip something new (such as the Keyblades in Kingdom Hearts), or when they include a log storing information about all the characters and/or monsters you run into (preferrably with the character/monster sprite or 3D model as well).

All these features are not needed whatsoever for making a game good, but it brings a smile to my face when I see these things.

I've always liked artwork, character bios and a way to listen to all of the soundtracks and sound effects in a game.
Also, attractive menus and loading screens go a long way for me. Even when I'm not in the action, I like to have a good time.

I really liked those loading mini games in the Dragonball Z video games.

The ability to listen to listen to the soundtrack springs to mind (Kid Icarus, Pictobits). Is that minor though? The only truly minor addition that pleases me (as well as frustrates me) would be seemingly throwaway information. Things like bios about unvisited areas (X-Scape)

Bikini costumes.

It's the little things that count.

Dude, edit that post. You sound like a child molester.

I love in level designs how things go into such incredible detail, even if its uninteractable. Like in Sonic Generations, I loved how much of the cities were so detailed and appear to go on for miles despite being unable to go anywhere except for the main passage way of the level.


Just look at how that village goes on and on, its so beautiful. Theres even hot air balloons and everything! I wish I lived in a place like that.

In Sidescrollers, I like a great use of Background. Perhaps thats the reason I love Donkey Kong Country Returns so much.

-Music/Artwork Galleries
-Bios for main characters as well as general enemies (A good example is Paper Mario TTYD)
-Records (i.e. Pokemon- How many caught, seen, battled, battles won, etc.)

I like Character bios and a way to listen to the soundtrack..

I always like having 3d models/trophies of characters/objects/vehicles. (Metroid Prime series, Smash Bros series, etc.) Its fun to see all the details on everything or just stare at them for 10 minutes.

Dude. I was making a joke about small bikinis. As in, not much material.

I'm a little worried that your brain went down that direction.

1. Costumes. I love it when a game gives you the option of wearing alternate costumes. Like say in Marvel Ultimate Alliance, I don't like the modern costumes for the characters-but wait! What's this? The game is giving me an option to use the classic costumes? YEEEEEAAAAAAH!!!

2. Sound tests and/or Cutscene theater. Actually sort of depends on the soundtrack [the sound tests]

3. Records. Just a nice little detail...

Does this work better, Raywords?

i looooove when developers make areas in games that are cool just for the sake of being cool like in mario, portal, the unfinished swan, shadow of the colossus, bioshock, and more, makes it feel like a real world, and makes me want to go there and explore

Eh, I'm a teenager with access to modern-day technology. With the crap that pops up on Facebook, cut me some slack.

I googled that, and immediately (even though it's not in the game) bad images from No More Heroes 2 popped up in my head.

You sound less illegal, I'll give you that.

The jiggly lady parts in a certain fighting series.

Sound gallery. It seems most people posting here concur that could be considered a smaller addition. Sound effect tests don't worry me, but we should be able to readily listen to soundtracks from our games. Sometimes I boot up Crash 3 and crank up the volume with SFX off just to listen to the music, which is simple enough, but there are games with time limits, constant risks, or that are on-rails.
I also like most of the design in-game to just MAKE SENSE. I'm not sure if that counts as minor, but it's ludicrous that my Skylanders can't jump by choice, anytime, outside of the 3DS games(not until Swap Force they won't), when you CLEARLY SEE THEM jumping off of ledges at high altitudes(Giants themselves are the worst offenders, because they jump down to break certain cracked floors a lot). I shouldn't be forced to patch the story in my own mind like that... Actually, I can't really think of anything story-wise that does fix that.

This, too. Makes even small games feel so much bigger.

I like it when developers put in small actions that have little-to-no real purpose in-game, other than maybe providing some texture.

Like the adorable "hug" button in A Boy and His Blob, or the "nap" command in the Pikmin series.