Loading Screens in Video Games

Today I wanted to talk about loading screens in video games.
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World of Longplays - Spazbo4 (www.longplays.org) / @worldoflongplays
LongplayArchive - Resident Evil Remake / @longplayarchive
Project Longplay - Ridge Racer PS1 / @projectlongplay
CommodoreBlog - Invade-A-Load / @commodoreblog
Micke Kring - Commodore 64 Loading / @mickekring
Cheng Teoh - Spider-Man 2018 / @chengteoh
MrRedRivers - Spider-Man Remastered vs Spider-Man 2018 Load Time Comparison / @mr_redrivers
Music
TrackTribe - Squirm Worm • TrackTribe - "Squirm W...

[@BlackoutStarman]

First thing that came to mind was the loading screen in Assassins Creed. Just keeps you engaged while making sense in the world.

[@andrewmcmullen8064]

That one was absolutely good, but Ubisoft one-upped themselves with the Shaun White Snowboarding loading screen. Just an infinite half pipe that kept going until you hit start. Perfection.

[@MasonOfLife]

The first two that came to mind for me were the Skyrim loading screen with the text and 3D Models And the Halo 3 halo ring loading screen

[@archithrough]

Booo

[@DankPit]

It was just great

[@Hylemxylem-ou4sp]

One detail I really like about the Insomniac Spider-Man loading screens is that later in the game when Sable International takes over NYC, the loading screens change to show Spidey hiding in the back of the train so Sable agents don’t see him. Nice touch.

[@LAGator-qu7tc]

Right! Extremely funny yet understandable due to the circumstances of the world. It's the little things....

[@Sly88Frye]

Considering you talked about loading screen mini games I'm surprised you didn't mention the one on Sonic and All Stars racing transformed. It's a slot machine that is shown during the loading screen and the coins or tokens or whatever it is you get within the game You can spend some on the slot machine to try to get a boost for your next race while you're waiting for the racetrack to load

[@duckymouth]

I like how mirrors edge catalyst does loading screens. It loads the game first, then the main menu, so pressing start immediately goes into the game.

[@hazelcrisp]

Omg... I remember.... I forgot about that. Was really nice to just jump right in.

[@hundvd_7]

Must be similar to Prototype 2. That game's main menu felt like magic when it came out

[@Marlin-]

A loading screen that randomly came to mind was fire emblem three houses. You can move Byleth using motion controls while the game loads.

[@Gatorade69]

Haven't played it but the first couple Assassin's Creeds did something similar.

[@IHitTheWater]

Wait that's how she moves?? I thought it was random or a progress bar! Taken I'm only a few hours in.

[@ElChombo7]

@@IHitTheWaterpress A and she’ll jump

[@aaaawubadugh8054]

@@Gatorade69 Many games do it one off the top of my head is Bayonetta. The combos you perform are listed to the right of the screen.

[@LaRavachole]

Weirdly enough, I miss loading screens. I also really liked those that'd show cool artwork of the area or boss that you're about to go to. Dead Rising comes to mind, with the loading screens showing title cards of the bosses when entering their fights. What Spec Ops: The Line did with its loading screens is also amazing, as they completely change the further you go into the story and its twist.

[@Gatorade69]

Serious question but would you rather have loading screens or have a "Squeeze through this gap" kind of scenario ?

[@LaRavachole]

@@Gatorade69 You mean when a game forces you through an animation or a "press forward to procceed" scene for transitioning to a different area? Personally, I think I'd still rather wait with a loading screen. Nowadays those go faster than having to wait for an animation to finish.

[@jademonass2954]

my favorite "loading screen minigame" has to be splatoon's squid jump and the others so fun!

[@jessebenson8799]

An indie game I like named Undead Darlings has a neat loading screen. It's basically a scaled down version of the game's real battles where the characters, shown as sprite versions of themselves, autofight enemies from the current area, and their real stats, and all current possible party members, are reflected in these fake battles. I think it might make more sense to see for yourself than from my description, but I think it's a nice extra to watch while the game loads.

[@spongebobfan78]

I appreciate loading screens that ask you to press a button after loading, so if there's something interesting is on the loading screen, you'll get to soak it in before progressing at your own discretion.

[@nuberiffic]

Okami on PS2 had some pretty cool loading screens. One of them would show six footprints in sequence, and if you timed pressing O with each footstep correctly you'd earn in game currency.

[@Kurbirb]

one thing I can actually praise the Mario and rabbits game for is how smooth the 'loading screen' are, its so smooth you feel like there was even a loading screen (I'm talking about the ones in the same world), they do it pretty perfectly, at least for people who don't want loading screens

[@michaeldunn8972]

Kiro keeping his race anonymous at 1:03 XD

[@kingpikmin6361]

Loading screens during the sixth console generation were something special. Some of my favorites are the loading screens from Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex and PaRappa The Rapper 2. My top favorite loading screen is from Square Enix’s The Bouncer-depending on which of the three bouncers you played as, you would be treated to a backstory snippet of your chosen character during loading periods between cutscenes. Each of the three bouncers have their own unique loading screen background to accompany their backstory text, and the game logo appears in the bottom right corner with a streak of deep blue fading over it in a loop. If the game is loading without a backstory sequence, the game logo animation is used on a black screen, fading in and out in the same loop.

[@Mankey619]

The loading screen that I’ve loved the most is Insomniac’s Spider-Man. Where Spidey interacts with the people of New York City.

[@SpideyfanX]

What fascinates me more is that on the PS5, you actually have the option to enable or disable those loading screens.

[@bostonrailfan2427]

you gotta love the Arkham series’s using dialog and walking to hide the loading, it felt normal and flowed well even if it was clearly trying to hide loading

[@hazelcrisp]

Not a lot of games do it. It's become a staple. Where crawling through a scripted sequence or something similar like covering the loading parts of the level with camera placement is used to control the player's movement or view to let the place load.

[@jwsdreamland]

i love metroid dread's ambient elevator loading screen. so diegetic and adds this certain emotion to the game and samus' character, allowing the player to really connect with her

[@cookiesandtea6442]

The Splatoon waiting activities are my favorite! I cover more area in the practice room than in actual turf wars /j

[@Foldingfan0394]

My favourite use of loading screen is in Midnight Club 3. It’s really simple. They include random images of cars, either by itself or racing others along with looped music. Even though it’s really basic, there are videos on yt with edited alternate music that fit in with the game’s setting and publishing year.

[@BlueBeetle1939]

I like when games use the loading screen to tell me fun lore facts

[@Gatorade69]

I like when games use the loading screens to tell me off and make fun of me for being a bad gamer.

[@LaRavachole]

@@Gatorade69 Spec Ops The Line, except it goes above and beyond than just call you a bad "gamer".

[@shawnwilcowski]

Skyrim 👊!

[@Mike-bx9yr]

You’re the only person I trust to make an entertaining video about loading screens

[@base4yrface]

Scott the woz could

[@aldobonillaquiros7884]

Nakey Jakey did

[@Gatorade69]

​@@aldobonillaquiros7884Jake the Nake ?

[@aldobonillaquiros7884]

@@Gatorade69 Naked Jacob

[@Gatorade69]

@@aldobonillaquiros7884 Nakob Jakob ?

[@rcjackal1861]

I really like the loading screens for the Spyro games and Parappa (especially Parappa 2). The Crash games has some nice ones as well like Titans letting you control the directions of footprints and Tag Team Racing having gaseous sounds. Oh yeah, Ratchet and Clank too with the ship travelling.

[@OrangeBunt]

The superliminal loading screens never fail to catch me off guard

[@Godfather_-yi1fe]

I dunno if anyone remembers but, Crash Tag Team Racing on the PS2 the loading screen is probably my favorite. During the loading screen you press triangle to fart and square to burp and move the left and right analog to speed up/slow down and increase/decrease the pitch respectively. it was very hilarious.

[@pictonomii3295]

I remember that Splatoon for the Wii U had a loading screen minigame you played on the gamepad while you waited for a match to start.

[@UltraSTH]

Another one I like, similar to Bayonetta, is the loading screen from Sonic Frontiers Similar to Bayonetta, (usually when you’re going in and out of Cyber Space), you can play a training session which has Sonic perform various actions, trying to get as many stars as possible in 30 seconds for completing various strings of actions (like a homing attack stomp cancel for example) You also have the ability to go into the options and turn that off if you want to speed things up

[@twobrosincorporated]

8:16 I really appreciate this so much. I actually loved those loading screens, they always got a laugh out of me.

[@MegaManGames1987]

Another really cool example of loading screen minigames (though it is used in multiplayer), in in Splatoon on Wii U. The TV displays the map, players & rank, while the gamepad displays simple minigames that look like they're on the NES.

[@basedostrich]

Best loading screen ever was in Crash Bandicoot Tag Team. Crash was there and with certain imputs you could make him fart or burp and even control the pitch.

[@nicocchi]

I finished Fire Emblem Three Houses recently and oh boy there sure were loading screens. But you can make Byleth walk around with your controller's gyro and jump with B, so they weren't as dreadful as they could've been

[@vicceskope7480]

I love it when kiro talks

[@HaitaniMasayuki]

We also got situations like FF7 Remake, which has a few of those "loading squeeze-tunnels" where Cloud is slowly funneling through a few crates, tubes, or other tight alleyways, which are hidden loading screens. The Yuffie DLC was PS5 only, and lo and behold, not a single "loading tunnel" to be seen here. So now we have a point in technology where the weaker platform is forcing the more advanced platforms into unused loading systems. (as in PS4 FF7R needs the loading tunnel, the PS5 version doesn't, but has it anyway)

[@darkspike7543]

I'm so sad you didn't mention Mario Galaxy, especially in the disguising loading screen section! Everytime you got the wonderful spectacle of Mario shooting from a launch star, flying through space, making cool twists and loopdeloops, collecting dozens of starbits in cool patterns, going past mini planetoids/meteors, and even circling the planet you're about to land on, IT'S LOADING THE PLANETS YOU FLY TO!! I never noticed that as a kid, because it felt so continuous and natural to go from jumping around to flying to the next planet, and I love it to death now as an adult :D

[@dylanisradical6788]

i just started watching your channel very recently and i just gotta say i love it man

[@nastynani_]

Great video and channel! First time viewer and was pleasantly impressed ❤

[@Mr.Waffle.]

While not quite a loading screen, I still love Splatoon's inclusion of a minigame while you wait for other players to join the lobby.

[@BrianAstovi]

Got recommended this video and I really liked it, that and the redesigns video. Subbed :)

[@kylespevak6781]

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen had a feature that wasn't exactly a load screen but it was where it showed you the last five or so things you had done when playing so you could remember

[@N00biePwner]

I'm surprised you didn't mention the disguised loading screens in the Uncharted series. The most infamous example is when the player has to boost another character up a ledge.

[@akirakilluar]

I guess the first interactive loading screen for me is “Devil May Cry 3” on PS2. In that game, you press the face buttons to do the hack and slash along with shoot gun effect on the Now Loading icon in the corner. It isn’t something flashy but it fun.

[@AntiRiku]

bro i swear every video essay have to start with a history lesson

[@mr_chicke]

I like the Lego games. At the start of the game they tell you to look at this random little logo and to not shut off the console when you see it. It’s simple, quick, tells you what not to do, and every game has a different loading screen to fit with the theme of the game. Example the Bat Signal for Lego Batman or the S.H.I.E.L.D logo for marvel. I also love the Spider-Man loading screen.

[@DrRank]

The best kind of loading screen is one that doesn't tell you it's a loading screen.

[@UnsightlyThinker]

THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE- This version of The Stanley Parable’s loading screen is one of my personal favourites. Don’t we just love pondering random philosophical concepts while we wait for our stuff to load?

[@abt01]

Bro your videos are amazing

[@HistoricalFanatics]

The loading screens I remember was the paradox ones, (eu4 and hoi4) mostly because of the art, quotes/tips and music. Even if it’s more lazy then others

[@PringoOrSomething]

Splatoon had a minigame to play when waiting in que on the game pad

[@LateNightHalo]

I cant really remember the last time a loading screen felt like it added to the atmosphere of a game. Destiny and bungie’s halo games have pretty great loading screens that feel like an organic and artistic part of the game’s atmospheres

[@FEWOCiOUS-vt1qp]

amazing video!

[@KusogakiRenfir]

I actually loved those Spiderman loading sequences. They felt so chill. It's a shame we won't see them anymore with the sequel

[@ArMuffins]

I've always loved the amazing Spider-Man 1 loading screens. Cause ya get to see how people react to what's happening around them. Makes the world more alive. Especially when ya reach the pandemic part. Nowadays its relatable

[@waffles_ns]

aw man i wish you brought up (after bayonetta) the loading screens for rayman origins, with the stylized silhouettes in a playable bumpy area for a few seconds, i forgot about that one until you brought her up!

[@AfterBurnerTeirusu]

The American version of Tyco RC on PS1 has two loading screen minigames. They were removed from the later JPN release.

[@untitledpornstar5530]

I love Life is strange 2’s loading screen. Two wolves running together. Choked me up a few times. Reminding me what we are. Two loners on the run, a pack.

[@ShadowXeldron]

Namco didn't even invent loading minigames - they were occasionally sighted in tape loader games on 8-bit microcomputers.

[@shikalord1st]

7:52 that game is Persona 2 Eternal Punishment

[@christinablixthenningsson3529]

The only good persona game alongside innocent sin. (In my opinion)

[@TheBanana212_]

Hi I love your videos!

[@Jelly_shy_guy_man]

Ur first

[@Gatorade69]

Good job explaining/explaining why carts didn't have loading times. And of course I make it halfway through and make a post about the Namco patent and then you mention it right as I comment. Lol. Good job, well researched and to the point. You could have mentioned non loading screens loading screens. Like the elevator in Mass Effect or the "Squeeze through this tight space" thing some games do. Those are just essentially loading screens. I know some people complain about them but it's like "Would you rather have loading screens ?" They'd probably complain about them too.

[@jmurray1110]

Yes I would prefer a loading screen for one simple reason With the right spaces in particular you have now locked the timing to the slowest possible hardware a loading screen can be sped up because it stays for however long the area takes to load independently on what console it was released on Like imagine how long the hang life games would take if they were locked to the original speeds instead of scaling to modern hardware loading Plus it leads to pretentious shit like the modern GOW one shot camera

[@oryxkingofchads2030]

My favorite part about loading screens is when it’s at 100% but still takes an extra five minutes for you to load in

[@novamarpo3]

This was a very good video!

[@dragonfangs580]

nintendo kind of brought back loading screen mini games with splatoon 1, and you could unlock more via buying amiibo and doing the ingame challanges. They never brought them back, and since in splatoon 3 you can just run around the training room while waiting for people it looks like they'll never be comming back... RIP squid jump

[@KrispyMar]

Raging blast had the flying nimbus mini game

[@SodaPopBot]

starting off strong with that sonic 06 zinger

[@JustJulyo]

I remember when you can create Gotenks ghosts in the Budekai game thinking that we have peaked as a civilization to make me want to see a loading screen

[@asadlxdhi]

The Bayonetta one kinda reminds me of Sonic Frontiers where you can practice your moves and other button combos

[@jmurray1110]

Yeah it’s the entire reason I knew how to parry

[@StayMadLmfao]

Honestly I do like short load screens. I remember after I got my PS5 I would get mad because I would usually go the restroom while a race was loading in GT7 but now it loads like in 3 seconds instead of almost 3 minutes

[@TheScouseAuthor]

I really enjoyed the loading screen of Devil May Cry 3 on the PS2. You could attack the game title by shooting it or using Dante's sword. I was totally amazed by this when I was a kid 😆

[@supermahmoud]

Playing with "Now Loading" text in Castelvania: Symphony of the Night...

[@encrylix9092]

I remember Sakurai covering a video on this

[@thecreatorofpc7929]

Playing games with tips/lore in their loading screen but blazing through it before i even have a chance to read them, it’s suffering from success.

[@goatbone]

I wouldn't describe the Resident Evil remake's door animation 'fake loading screens' as they serve to build tension and anticipation. Additionally they were ripped from Sweet Home which didn't require the load time.

[@moupou5639]

In Ac Origins you can move and attack in an empty void that is part of the simulation

[@MegaHoro]

Back in the day Homestar Runner had a song about their loading screens

[@ChinoWantan]

This channel is so underrated :/

[@KFCGull]

Sonic frontiers also uses the bayonetta training mode idea for it's loading screens

[@23AndrewReyes]

Budokai tenkaichi 3 loading screens were the GOATS of loading screens. Those mini games were a fun experience

[@thomaskuzma4360]

Not a mention of the Spyro or ratchet and Clank loading screens where you felt like you were travelling to another location?

[@dehno3538]

No ones gonna talk about the dbz budakai Tenkaichi minigames? You could even do them in co-op with one player controlling goku and another vegeta

[@eligrabenhorst3016]

Great video, although I'm sadly remi of waiting five to ten minutes while playing Crash bandicoot Wrath of Cortex. Just sitting there, watching Crash fall on screen.

[@zerazerazerazerazerazerazera]

Loading, loading~

[@theWieRD]

Best loading screen is Age of Calamity because you get to control Terrako

[@SockenFuB]

awesome

[@pengun835]

we love katamaris loading screen was pre cool :)

[@kylespevak6781]

DBZ Budakai 2 had Master Roshi and if you spammed buttons he'd spin around and fly off

[@devilzgaming8006]

Funny how you didn't mention assassin's Creed loading screens. Those were so good

[@idan9928]

8:46 what is this game called?

[@kylespevak6781]

2:26 "8in the last decade or so, consoles have finally gotten on PCs level"

[@spiderplant]

I like Metroid Prime. No, not the elevator loading screens, just that sometimes when you shoot a door it doesn't open right away for no discernable reason while various enemies chip away at your health and then there's been too much time passed and the door opens and immediately closes again so you have to repeat the whole process

[@pokesketcherandy]

New Kiro 😎

[@DatDrawingKid011]

You should of mentioned the Famicom disk system,the games for that add on had loading screens.

[@goatbone]

Surprised Okami's load screen wasn't mentioned. You can mash buttons and earn an in-game reward.

[@seanelmlinger2052]

Well, as much as I didn’t ever consider them as a thing to pa attention to, this has broadened my stance on. Them,

[@watercat1248]

I'm curious what to do about my own game. Right now I only have the default loading screen wean the game is open. But I need to add some form of loading screen in the order people that have older hard drive or slower computer to not think that this game freeze or crash. Like you mentioned the loading now days it's extremely fast but even if that's the case it's still good idea to including some way that people know if the game it's loading or not in case someone use order computer slower drive ECT It not pleasant experience to think that the game have freez even if it's for birth monmet.

[@pian-0g445]

Cause we’re at that point (from optimisation and SSD now being more widely available) I’m sure there are games out there that have artificial loading screens. As in purely for the aesthetics even if the entire level has loaded. Cause sometimes you play a game and the loading screen is there for like a handful of frames and just ‘BAM’, gone. Especially if it’s one with a beautiful art of something interesting, like lore or a viewable model, it can sometimes be sad to not be able to appreciate them on modern hardware. Not one I care for the loading screen, but a modern example is when I play Star Wars battlefront 2 (EA) and cause it’s downloaded on my SSD rather than HDD, I don’t even have time to read the tip prompts (not that I care). Just an example

[@DatFastBoi]

I was hoping id see a sonic 06 reference and it took less than 5 seconds you’re getting your like

[@kylespevak6781]

"Why waste time making a looting screen look pretty when you could be working on the game?" If only developers still had that mindset

[@Pretentigon]

No squid jump mention??

[@soulfire67]

At the beginning you said that cartridges can load up faster, but why does it then take the Switch forever to load games?

[@phorchybug3286]

So advancements in technology just keep getting slower and slower? Or not as slow but still really slow? Or maybe it depends on what you have?

[@ddgaming9717]

Why does switch and 3ds have some load screens 🤔 just curious never thought of cartridges become one with the system wouldn't switch and 3ds be the same way? Great video BTW

[@Theneongreninja]

Sonic Frontiers has a practice mode while the game loads like Bayonetta