15 Video Game Firsts We Take For Granted
7. New Game +
A huge variety of modern games include a New Game Plus mode.
It's becoming increasingly common for larger games to offer up one of these modes, whether it's in place or added in as a free update afterwards. New Game Plus allows the gamer to start a subsequent playthrough usually with everything they've gained so far or - less commonly - play through the game again with some changes.
But where does the New Game Plus mode actually come from? Well, the obvious answer is Chrono Trigger. The classic SNES RPG was the first one to actually include a mode entitled 'New Game+', but, technically, is it actually the first?
While nominally it is, there are many examples of older games including continuation elements. What about the original Super Mario Bros, offering a harder mode where Goombas are replaced with Buzzy beetles? Or how about the Legend of Zelda's second quest, which swapped around dungeon designs?
In terms of date, Super Mario Bros., first released in 1985, is probably the first, technically, to have this mode. Zelda, in 1986, is the first to technically have it like we know it now, where it allowed you to carry things over like spells and stats.