You can probably call it a bad habit, but i can't fucking help myself and I still don't know why. If its not on offer then I honestly couldn't care less, but if its there at all then you can be sure that I'll be using it like a god damn junkie.
I think it all started with Megaman X. At first it was a novelty, like "oh cool, instead of shooting a pea I can charge up a blue fireball". Then once I got the laser upgrade and the blue fireball turned into a purple wave of death, I was sold. Sure it was impractical, but I think i spent 90% of my time in that game holding down the Y button with that fucking charging noise humming in the background (that noise. that fucking noise), just so that I could unleash pure firey hell upon even the smallest enemy that would stand against me.
I've tried to think of other games which offered me the charge shot, and surprisingly, only Capcom games came to mind (minus Metroid ofcourse). Devil May Cry. Street Fighter 3 (Ryu's Super Art) and now Street Fighter 4 (Gouken's Hadoukens), but sure enough, the second i discovered that there was a charge move, I was all over it. I'll admit that they're still pretty impractical most of the time, but that hasn't stopped me from using them AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. In fact, by now I've learned to balance my gameplay (in SFIV in particular) in order to make the most of the charge shots.
I've been wracking my brain trying to think of more games that offer the Charge Shot, but is that it?? Only 4 games? That just can't be right.... why would a technique that has had me so fixated for so long be so rare??!
Surely there's been more games with the Charge Shot. Tell me I'm not the only one like this? Come on, speak up!
Also,
I show my lady friend my "charged shot" every once in a while IFUGETWHATTAMEAN!
It's awesome in fighting games as well because people can't predict your timing so you can play some tricky mindgames.
I loved owning fuckers with Ryu's Denjin Hadouken in SFIII. They'd always freak out and jump, then BAM!!!
Come on, can anyone else think of games with a charge shot, please! I'm going crazy here, lol.
Star Fox 64 sort of has a charge shot, as does Panzer Dragoon Saga, though they are both for lock-ons, not really of big lasers.
All the R-Type games have charge shots as well.
YES!!!! YES!!! SHOOTERS!! I completely forgot about shooters. Gradius! Star Fox! Oh my god, thankyou! Hahaha.
I Just remembered Unreal Tournament's rocket launcher where you charged it up to shoot 8 rockets all at once..... oh yeah, thats the stuff.
-Mega Man 4 through 8
-Castle Shikigami III , on a handful of characters I think
-Castle Crashers (Low FI, bow nd arrow style)
-Lost Planet has a few charge guns
-Halo (1-3), mostly on covenant weapons
-Bangai-O Spirits (sort of... though I guess that's more of a tension/timing thing)
I dig it too!
"Dude, why are you using the Plasma Pistol (Halo)?"
"MEGAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!"
True story. Also, E. Laser + R. Option in Gradius = Extreem rape. At least, in the games where the shot charges and fires automatically, and the shot damages enemies before it launches.
And uh... well that's all I've got for "charge shots". I guess I'm not as big of a fan as I thought I was reading this article. :'(
Still a fun article though, I liked it.