The Video Game Critic's Explanation of Icons
In order to spice up the reviews, I often assign icons to each game. Some icons are insightful and some are just silly, but I like to think they add a little spice to the reviews. Below are explanations of the 89 icons spread over 11 arbitrary categories. See
Icon Statistics Page for statistical breakdown.
Seasonal icons
| Icon | Name | Tool tip | Description |
|---|
 | Winter | Seasonal winter fun | Features snow, ice, and harsh winter conditions. |
 | Spring | Seasonal spring fun | Features scenic spring elements. |
 | Summer | Seasonal summer fun | Features summer elements such as beach, aquatic, and tropical locations. |
 | Autumn | Seasonal autumn fun | Features colorful autumn elements. |
 | Christmas | Christmas themes | Ideal to play around the holidays. |
 | Halloween | Halloween themes | Embodies the creepy sights and sounds of Halloween. |
Positive icons
| Icon | Name | Tool tip | Description |
|---|
 | Head To Head | Head-to-head action | Ideal for one-on-one competition. |
 | Cooperative | Cooperative Play | Team up with a friend to play this one. |
 | Multiplayer | Supports multiple players | Try this game when you have some friends over. |
 | Great Music | Great music | This game contains terrific music. |
 | Funny | Good humor | This game is likely to make you laugh. |
 | Comeback | Rising from the Ashes | Marks a long-awaited return for the series. |
 | Chicks Dig This | Chicks Dig This | Even girls like this game! That's sexist. |
 | Hidden Gem | Hidden gem | Not a well-known title, but worth checking out. |
 | Split Screen 2P | Two-player split-screen | Contains a local two-player split-screen mode |
 | Split Screen 4P | Four-player split-screen | Supports split-screen for up to four players |
Negative icons
| Icon | Name | Tool tip | Description |
|---|
 | Online | Requires constant connection | Requires constant online connection to play. |
 | Nausea | May Cause Nausea | May cause nausea due to motion sickness, ugly graphics, or poor gameplay. |
 | Long Loads | Long load times | Suffers from long, aggravating load screens. |
 | Pain | May cause pain | May cause pain to hand or wrist. |
 | Buggy | Bugs and glitches | This game is known to have glitches and bugs. |
 | Boring | May cause drowsiness | Do not play while operating heavy machinery. Might put you to sleep. |
 | ET | Extreme disappointment | This game didn't live up to expectations. |
Genre icons
| Icon | Name | Tool tip | Description |
|---|
 | RPG | Role-playing Game | This is a role-playing style game (usually turn-based). |
 | Strategy | Strategy | This is a strategy game. |
 | Puzzle | Puzzle | This is a puzzle-oriented game (Tetris, Dr. Mario, etc). |
 | Musical | Musical | Game is musical in nature (Guitar Hero, Dance Central, etc). |
 | Compilation | Classic Compilation | A collection of older games in one package. |
Content icons
| Icon | Name | Tool tip | Description |
|---|
 | Construction | Construction elements | This game has build-it-yourself features. |
 | Full Motion Video | Full Motion Video | This game contains full-motion video. |
 | Educational | Educational | This game may contain educational subject matter. |
 | Kid Friendly | Suitable for children | This game is suitable for young children. |
 | Adult | Adult Subject Matter | This game contains adult themes and is unsuitable for kids. |
 | Violence | Violence and gore | May contain brutal violence, blood, and gore. |
 | Profanity | Bad language | This game contains profanity. |
 | Controversial | Controversial | This game has been a source of controversy. |
 | Scary | Scary | Caution: This is a scary game! |
| Frightening | Frightening | Caution: This game is extremely frightening! |
| Terrifying | Terrifying | Caution: This game is downright terrifying! |
Media icons
| Icon | Name | Tool tip | Description |
|---|
 | Download Only | Download Only | Only available via download from an on-line service like Xbox Live. |
 | Fine Literature | Fine Literature Award | Comes with high quality instruction manual. |
 | Floppy Disk | 5.25" floppy disk | Comes on 5.25" floppy disk media. |
 | Game Card | Game card | Game is stored on card media. |
 | CD | CD Format | Comes on a CD. Notable for systems like Neo Geo which also support cartridges. |
 | Two CDs | Two CDs | This game comes on two CDs. |
 | Three CDs | Three CDs | This game comes on three CDs. |
 | Four CDs | Four CDs | This game comes on four CDs. |
Controller icons
| Icon | Name | Tool tip | Description |
|---|
 | Arcade Joystick | Joystick recommended | Best when played using an arcade-style joystick. |
 | Light Gun | Light gun support | Supports (or requires) light gun controller. |
 | Steering Wheel | Steering wheel support | This game works with an optional steering wheel controller. |
 | Trak-ball | Trak-ball support | This game supports optional trak-ball controller. |
 | Balance Board | Balance board support | Supports balance board controller (like the one for the Wii). |
 | Keyboard | Keyboard supported | Supports (or requires) keyboard controller. |
 | Paddle | Paddle controllers | Uses Atari 2600 paddle controllers. |
 | Motion | Motion controls | Supports motion controls like the Kinect or Move. |
Effects icons
| Icon | Name | Tool tip | Description |
|---|
 | Voice | Voice feature | Game supports voice synthesis (Intellivision) or voice recognition (microphone). |
 | 3D Glasses | 3D Glasses | Works with 3D glasses such as those available for the Sega Master System. |
Special icons
| Icon | Name | Tool tip | Description |
|---|
 | Difficult | Extreme Difficulty | Named after Arthur of Ghouls and Ghosts fame, this is hard as nails. |
 | Short | This game is short | You can finish this game in a short period of time. |
 | Hottie | Hottie Alert | This game may contain one or more hot-looking babes. |
 | Manly | Contains Testosterone | This game is extremely manly. |
 | Best at Night | Best at night | This game is best enjoyed at night. |
 | Drinking | Better when drinking | This game is more fun if you've been drinking. |
 | Brain | May require use of brain | This game is cerebral in nature. |
 | Expensive | Rare and Expensive | This game is rare and expensive. |
 | Budget | Budget title | This game was released as an inexpensive budget title. |
 | Fake Review | This review is totally fake | This review was posted on April Fools Day. |
Origin icons
| Icon | Name | Tool tip | Description |
|---|
 | Import | Imported | This game originated from outside of the USA. |
 | Homebrew | Homebrew | This is a home-made title developed for a classic system. |
 | Hack | Hack | This game is a modified version of an old title. |
 | Prototype | Prototype | This is an unfinished, previously unreleased prototype. |
 | Film-based | Based on a film | This game is based on a movie. |
 | TV-based | Based on TV show | This game is based on a television program. |
 | Pack-in | Was a pack-in game | This game was included with the system. |
 | Launch-title | Was a launch title | This game was available at launch in USA. |
Specific icons
| Icon | Name | Tool tip | Description |
|---|
 | Penguin | May contain penguins | This game may contain penguins. |
 | Skyline | Contains scenic skylines | Contains scenic city building skylines. |
 | Bunny | Caution: May contain rabbits | Caution: This game may contain bunny rabbits. |
 | Cheese | May contain cheese | This game may contain cheese. Yes, the dairy product. |
 | Eggplant | May contain eggplant | Caution: This game may contain eggplant. |
 | Chicken | May contain chickens | This game may contain chickens. |
 | Pig | May contain pigs | This game may contain pigs. |
 | Sharks | May contain sharks | This game may contain sharks. |
 | Monkeys | May contain monkeys | This game may contain monkeys. |
 | Dragons | May contain dragons | This game may contain dragons. |
 | Graveyards | Graveyards | This game contains a graveyard! |
 | Exploding Barrel | Exploding barrels | This shooter features obligatory exploding red barrels. |
 | Clown | May contain clowns | This game may contain frightening clowns. |
 | Pirate | May contain pirates | This game contains pirates (as in Pirates of the Caribbean). |
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