Continue
Continue refers to an option used in computer games . It enables a game to continue even though the player has used up his supply of attempts ( lives ). Other features of Continues are resetting the player's accumulated points and usually a fresh start at the beginning of the level, or at least at certain specified points in this.
The term originated when arcade games were given more complex levels . The first arcade game with this feature was the space shooter Bosconian ( Namco , 1981). In the event of a defeat, the slot machine now displayed the phrase “Continue?” Instead of a game-over screen, giving the player the opportunity to insert another coin and continue. Characteristic of this approach is a countdown (usually from 10–0), which triggers the end of the game if you don't react.
In the implementation of these games on home computers or game consoles and later also in new developments, this approach was largely adopted, although the stimulus for a player to continue to spend money was no longer present. The change in the use of a concept of video game culture also show games, such as parts of the Contra series, in which it is to determine the level of difficulty not only possible to set the number of lives, but also those of Continues . In the case of arcade machines , the operator could set this via DIP switches for most games .
The term is also to be distinguished from English-language games that use a data memory and use the word to resume the last memory point.