Innovation of the Week: Ability/Tool Gating

This week, let's have a look at a classic mechanic that has stood the test of time and continues to shape popular titles: ability gating/tool gating. This concept is about overcoming obstacles by acquiring persistent abilities or tools, essential for progression. Usually these are gained through item pickups or completing specific objectives. More than a metaphorical key, using these involves testing player skills at positioning, movement, timing and sometimes puzzle solving.

This mechanic serves a crucial role in encouraging exploration but also provides a sense of accomplishment and progression as you unlock new areas or overcome challenges. It adds a layer of strategy and planning, forcing players to think about the order in which they tackle tasks or areas and how a new ability or tool interacts with the level design. When well implemented, the abilities or tools can also recontextualize what has already been explored, opening up new shortcuts and methods for the player to backtrack. Furthermore, some games also allow for something called sequence breaking through their abilities or tools, which is when a player takes on areas or objectives in an order either not intended by the developer or not recommended for a first time playthrough with a smooth difficulty curve. All in all, it's a mechanic that is fundamental to the beloved Zelda-like and Metroidvania/Platform Adventure subgenres, action adventure games with interconnected worlds.

Let's go back to where it all began – Adventure. Released in 1980 for the Atari 2600, this revolutionary, best-seller title introduced players to the concept of tool gating as described above. From the moment you obtain the bridge, new parts of the game world open up through it letting players pass over water/pit tiles. You can also find a magnet, allowing for reaching otherwise unreachable items like keys or a sword. While the first game mode (aka the easy mode) is pretty straightforward and more key gating oriented, other modes test players skill at using these tools in new ways. Adventure was a revolutionary title that set the stage for various action adventure games to come, laying the foundation for the exploration-driven gameplay we love.

Some Later Notable Examples:

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1982) - The grenade adds explosive capability, aiding in breaking through certain barriers, while the grappling hook lets players swing over holes that would otherwise drop the player into the valley of poison

Dragon Slayer (1984) - This game features three spells that relate to the concept. Break which lets you breaks blocks, Kick which moves blocks and this also lets you kill enemies similar to the arcade game Pengo, and Fly which temporarily transforms you into a bird to move over obstacles

Below the Root (1984) - In this early genre hybrid, the shuba item allows for glide jumping which in turn allows for a sequence break at one point. Ropes and the grunspreking magic allow for creating bridges across gaps between trees, and kiniporting (telekinesis) allows for moving objects or even NPCs across the screen

Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu (1985) - The mattock lets you break brick blocks diagonally below or straight below you, the mantle lets you pass through most walls, and the winged boots allow for time limited flight. These are ammo-based however so you eventually need to find or buy more

The Legend of Zelda (1986) - In the first Zelda, the stepladder lets you cross water tiles (small gaps) much like in Adventure, the candle lets you burn down bushes and the bombs, besides being a good weapon lets you break weak walls. While the game also introduced the bracelet, which in later games lets you lift and throw heavy rocks, it is optional here.

Metroid (1986) - This and Zelda seem to have been the main popularizers of ability gating in action adventure games on a more global scale. The morph ball lets you reach into tighter spaces, the high jump boots and ice beam let you reach higher/further by using enemies as platforms, and bombs let you break weak blocks. It also introduced bomb jumping, which is when bomb laying is repeatedly timed to let you reach higher, although it is more useful in later games and doing it for extended periods is much harder than in later games

The Goonies II (1987) - In this video game sequel to the movie, the scuba gear allows for swimming, bombs let you blow up a few weak walls, the hyper shoes let you jump further and move faster while the spring shoes let you jump even higher

Blaster Master (1988) - Here there are tank upgrades that allow for temporary flight, wall climbing and a dive engine for letting the tank move around underwater like a submarine

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap/Monster World II: Dragon no Wana (1989) - A game focused on gaining abilities by transforming into different creatures at certain points. Climb wall and ceilings made up of checkerboard blocks as mouse man, swim as piranha man, break blocks above and below you as lion man or fly around as hawk man

Gargoyle's Quest (1990) - This one features flight and jump height upgrades, as well as a projectile (called Claw) that sticks to spiked walls, letting the player cling to that wall

Super Metroid (1994) - The game brilliantly utilized this mechanic to create a sense of discovery in new ways and was a step forward for multi-purpose upgrades. Acquiring the speed booster not only let the player get past weak floors, certain special material tiles/blocks, or easily dispose of smaller enemies and jump past vast pits. It also allowed access to the shinespark ability, through which players could trigger an aimed dash through the air while in a boosted state signaled by Samus flashing white.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) - Alucard's progression through the game depends on finding key relics and abilities such as the wolf form, the mist form, the bat form and the super jump. The success of Symphony of the Night paved the way for the term "Metroidvania" and solidified the genre as a staple in retro gaming, initially describing Castlevania games structured like Metroid and making use of RPG elements like experience point leveling and a loot focus.

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What's your favorite ability/tool in a retro game, or moment where you gained a new one? Share your thoughts and experiences!