Title Screens

What is a title screen?

A title screen is a screen that shows up at the start of every game. This screen shows the title of the game and a background, while also having some options you can select between such as “start game” or “settings”. Title screens set the mood of a game, allowing you to get a glimpse of a games general style while also not being bombarded by too much story or action or anything.

Examples of title screens in popular games:

This is what, to me personally, is one of if not the most iconic loading screen in video games. Infact when I think of the words “title screen” it immediately springs to mind. The black foggy background shows the player before even starting the game that the colour scheme is pretty drab and dark, while the dragon insignia hints to the player at what is to come story wise. The dramatic backing track ties a nice bow around the mood the whole screen conveys, making the player feel ready for a badass fantasy adventure. This title screen is simplistic but effective

The Banjo Kazooie loading screen actually shows gameplay from the game in the background. Like I was talking about before with the mood setting, this is the most literal example of that as you get to see clips from multiple different levels the longer you wait. The different environments mixed with both the fabulous music by Grant Kirkhope, and great sound design for the different characters, the game immediately oozes with character and gets you right in the mood to play it.

https://youtu.be/euz5gestqeA -N64 Version

https://youtu.be/pjO4UqkyCwo -3DS Version

The final title screen I wish to talk about is the most nostalgic title screen to exist to both me and probably a large amount of people. The ocarina of time title screens relaxing theme song plays as we see our protagonist riding his horse across a field, it shows us very little but intrigues you immediately. I love the fact that if you allow the cinematic to continue to the end, the camera zooms into the Kokiri forest, which is where our hero starts his journey once the game has started. This way the title screen links to the game itself (no pun intended) extremely smoothly. I love this game to pieces however I feel the subsequent game in the series, Majora’s Mask, could’ve been interchangeable in this list as it too sets the mood for the game spectacularly. From the get go these games get the player ready for an adventure in a fantasy world of childlike wonder which the games themselves also keep the player feeling the whole way through.

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here we have a mock title screen for a game I wish to make named roxanity. If this was actually in the game it would be animated where the camera constantly pans to the right with endless dead trees passing by and other things (some examples I drew was a zombie arm doing a backwards peace sign coming from the ground and the tire swing, the title screen would have other funny/story related things passing us by. This can show the fun side of my game as early as the title screen, where as the logo and options themselves have a more cool design to make it appear at least somewhat serious.