History ChekhovsSkill / VideoGames

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfEternia'', Rid gets the Kyokku skills (Aurora Artes) in three parts. The first two form his two-stage "Hi-Ougi", the high-powered low-HP sort of move most Tales leads get at some point. The last one is completely useless (and unusable) except as a requirement for the final PuzzleBoss.
* Inverted in ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', where many characters comment on a mysterious seemingly unexploitable "flaw" in the protagonist's martial arts, one or two theorising that his teacher included it to trap opponents. Once the nature of the flaw is revealed it turns the plot completely upside-down.
* In ''VideoGame/TraumaCenter: New Blood'', Valerie drags the operating team to a demonstration held by her friend. Unfortunately, she doesn't realize that her friend became a veterinarian. Any attempts to salvage the situation as having learned something useful are shot down by Markus as being highly unlikely, since human doctors would never have to operate on a dog. Much later in the game, a dog that had been given to them is shot, and they decide to use the skills they learned earlier to operate on it.
* Parodied in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' - early in the game, Vivi, being too naive to understand how to escape a captor, is easily kidnapped from the party. With Garnet standing right next to him, Zidane explains how to successfully resist capture. Later in the game, when Garnet is about to be captured, she only remembers to yell "Let go of me, you scumbag!", to the perplexity of the villains who then proceed to grab her anyway.
** The trope is inverted in Disc 3. Kuja's final plan is to use the power of Trance, the game's LimitBreak mechanic.
* Inverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' - Ultimecia's trump card is summoning Griever, and finally, Junctioning with it.
* Serah is mentioned to have been working as a ground school teacher at the beginning of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2''--and ruling her classes with an iron fist. Much later (''literally'' 400 years later), her IronLady skills finally come to use when she chases away a horde of juvenile semi-sentient monsters by yelling at them as she did at her misbehaving students.
* ChekhovsGun are the order of the day in any [[PointAndClickGame Point and Click]] [[AdventureGame Adventure]], since most objects you can pick up will undoubtedly become useful later. The ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'' series also includes the occasional skill.
** Insult Swordfighting, which is required to progress through several points in the game.
** A neater example comes at the end of ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland2LeChucksRevenge'': [[spoiler: at the beginning of the game, you were taught how to make a voodoo doll to defeat Largo [=LaGrande=]. At the end of the game, you must recall this skill to defeat [=LeChuck=].]]
** The most amusing example comes from ''VideoGame/TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland'', in which Guybrush mentions that one of his qualifications for becoming a pirate is to be able to hold his breath for ten minutes. Later in the game, someone attempts to drown him...and the player has exactly ten real world minutes to get him out of the water. This is also the only way Guybrush can actually die during the game.
* In ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', [[spoiler:Sonic becomes able to use Chaos Control with a fake Chaos Emerald to escape from one of Eggman's death traps, having previously seen it once when Shadow used it during their first meeting]].
* In ''VideoGame/CreepyCastle'', despite not being particularly smart, Stickbug has little difficulty handling [[spoiler: Ant Queen's ship while she's visiting various planets]] which ends up being a big deal at [[spoiler: the end of The Final Fist.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'', Nero, not Dante, is the main character of this one. One key feature of his gameplay is his claw, the Devil Bringer. You kill the final boss exclusively with it.

* In ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'', Paula's 'Pray' ability seems somewhat useless and unnecessary at first. You have to use it to kill the final boss.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 1}}'' included an optional perk called "Mental Block". This perk would allow you to resist [[BigBad the Master's]] psychic attacks, with the game describing it as "the ability to tune out any outside mental interference. You must have learned this talent from a passing guru, or from a really late night at a bar."
%% * At the start of ''VideoGame/WildARMs4'', Jude Maverick is scolded for missing his sword-fighting lessons.
* In ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', one of the many basic moves learned at the beginning of the game is a crouch attack which propels you forwards. However, with the huge amount of other moves at your disposal, especially the other crouching moves, it can be easily forgotten fairly quickly. So, when you're trying to get a MacGuffin by destroying multiple outer layers that can only be broken with a specific move in a specific marked spot, you might just end up scratching your head at what move you need to do for that really low spot...
* At roughly the midpoint of the main quest in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', you learn the Thu'um Clear Skies, which you use to reach [[spoiler:Paarthurnax]] by clearing away the freezing mist on the Throat of the World. [[spoiler:This Shout gets used again in Sovngarde, to clear the MysteriousMist Alduin has shrouded the place with and provoke him to battle.]]

* In ''VideoGame/MegaManZX Advent'', Model A may be your default form, but you have many better choices for combat. By the time you reach the final boss, you'll have nearly forgotten you have it... much less that it has a homing shot which is practically ''designed'' for taking out the boss's multipart shield.
* In ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'', you learn the ability to set objects and yourself on fire by using your Mach Speed ability. This is never required past the second area of the game, [[spoiler: that is, until you get to Fire Leo, where it's the only way to damage him.]]
* At one point in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'', Master Hama speculates that Proxian antagonists Saturos and Menardi were able to pass through the Lamakan Desert without Reveal -the spell that the heroes use to pass through the desert, and the Proxians do not possess- because their [[PlayingWithFire Fire Clan Psynergy]] shields them from extreme temperatures. In the sequel, Agatio and Karst, who are also members of the Fire Clan, freeze to death in Mars Lighthouse because the ForcedTransformation and subsequent battle with the heroes they had been subjected to left them too weak to maintain this ability.

* ''VideoGame/MadFather'': Maria's ImprobableAimingSkills with throwing knives - first used on one of the dead inside the house to protect Aya - comes back in the climax when [[spoiler:Aya is about to be killed by the chainsaw-happy doctor]].
* In ''VideoGame/JurassicParkTheGame'', Jess was sent to stay with her father on the island after getting caught shoplifting. [[spoiler: This skill allows her to [[SpannerInTheWorks throw a monkey wrench in Yoder's plans]] in the fourth episode.]]
* In ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'', spear-throwing is this for fighters and paladins: They first learn how to throw spears in [[VideoGame/QuestForGloryIII the third game]] and then put that skill to good use at the end of [[VideoGame/QuestForGloryIV the fourth]].
* ''VideoGame/BeyondTwoSouls'': Played with. In chapters that chronologically take place earlier in the story, Jodie can practice her guitar in her room, which later becomes useful when she plays the guitar to get charity money while living on the streets. However, since "Homeless" is played earlier due to the game's AnachronicOrder, her skill initially seems to come out of nowhere until we learn more of her past.
* In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', Ryuji used to be a runner until StarterVillain Kamoshida broke his leg and ended his career. [[spoiler:When the group are fleeing the last Palace, they need to get to a lifeboat release, but doubt they'll make it before the Palace goes down. Ryuji declares that it's "now or never" and runs at top speed to the lifeboat release, letting his teammates get far enough away from the Palace to survive its destruction.]]
** On a lesser note, the protagonist's "Third Eye" ability, which he gets very early on in the game. It allows him to focus his mind and pick up on more details of his surroundings. This is mostly useful for finding treasure, disabling traps, and gauging the strength enemies before engaging them. One notable quirk is that it reduces the contrast of the protagonist's vision in order to make important things stand out more. In the sixth Palace, the Thieves find themselves needing to navigate a pitch-dark labyrinth in order to progress. They're initially concerned as to how they're going to get through it... then they remember Third Eye. Sure enough, the contrast reduction of Third Eye makes it just possible for you to see the walls of the labyrinth, allowing you to complete it.
* ''VideoGame/TreasurePlanetBattleAtProcyon'': Jim Hawkins' experience with solar surfing established during the [[WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet film]], allows him to work out a way of manoeuvring his Frigate, RLS St. Roch, out of a dark matter explosion.

* VideoGame/{{Furcadia}} has a very meta example of this. As it has a massive focus on user-created content, it has a simple scripting language known as [=DragonSpeak=] to go along with its map editing program. [[LongRunner The game itself has also been around for over two decades]]--easily long enough for a complete newbie to get the hang of [=DragonSpeak=], thus learning the fundamentals of programming, which would then help in learning other programming languages... and because of the knowledge they've acquired and their continued love for the old game, return as assistant programmers of Furcadia. Felorin says Furcadia is one of only a handful of games that can claim this achievement.

* ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'' spends a huge amount of time beating hexadecimals and other non-base-10 number systems into Junpei and the player's heads. It turns out that this isn't just for puzzle purposes, as [[spoiler: Junpei eventually comes across a Number 0 bracelet that turns out to be a Number ''O'' bracelet, as well as a Number 9 door that's actually a Number ''q'' door.]]
* ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' hammers it into the player's head at every opportunity that there no auto-save, and the player should manually save at every opportunity, despite [[DeathIsCheap death being relatively cheap]], since dying just causes your in-universe backup data at the Bunker to be uploaded into a new body. [[spoiler: Partway through Route C/D, however, the Bunker is destroyed, and with nowhere left to store your backup data, PermaDeath is in full effect from that moment onward, rendering manual saves ''far'' more important.]]
* In ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'', Anonymous spends the first act trying to learn how to hack, but seemingly gets frustrated and quits when [[{{Hackette}} Til]] joins the team and is easily able to undo all of his tricks. Near the end, though, it’s revealed that they kept practicing together offscreen, and they finally put their combined skills to use by making a program that [[spoiler:finds and loads Arianna’s hidden backups, thereby fixing all the destruction she'd caused with STORM]].

* At the start of ''VideoGame/WildARMs4'', Jude Maverick is scolded for missing his sword-fighting lessons. Completely averted when he is then given a ''[[{{BFG}} gun]]'' to use for the rest of the game.

* At roughly the midpoint of the main quest in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', you learn the [[MakeMeWannaShout Thu'um]] Clear Skies, which you use to reach [[spoiler:Paarthurnax]] by clearing away the freezing mist on the Throat of the World. [[spoiler:This Shout gets used again in Sovngarde, to clear the MysteriousMist Alduin has shrouded the place with and provoke him to battle.]]

* Done in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', funnily enough. The one skill you ''will'' need to defeat the final boss (punting an item up in the air) is taught to you in ''the very first level''.
** Also in ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland''; to defeat Naval Piranha you need to be good at bouncing eggs off the wall [[spoiler: -- well, or hit it before Kamek transforms it --]] so it's lucky that ''entire boss level'' drills it into your muscle memory. You know, just a spot of tutorial.

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks'', you can go through the whole game without ever using the Spin Attack. But while protecting Zelda from Maladus, you'll have to do it THREE TIMES with almost PERFECT timing.
** This was even used to MetaTwist players of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword''. If you think that Beetle you found in Skyview Temple is going to give you an edge against the dungeon's boss [[TheDragon Ghirahim]], you're in for a ''[[WakeUpCallBoss rude awakening]]''.

* At one point in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'', Master Hama speculates that Proxian antagonists Saturos and Menardi were able to pass through the Lamakan Desert without Reveal -the spell that the heroes use to pass through the desert, and the Proxians do not possess- because their [[PlayingWithFire Fire Clan Psynergy]] shields them from extreme temperatures. In the sequel, Agatio and Karst, who are also members of the Fire Clan, freeze to death in Mars Lighthouse because the BalefulPolymorph and subsequent battle with the heroes they had been subjected to left them too weak to maintain this ability.

* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 4'', Nero, not Dante, is the main character of this one. One key feature of his gameplay is his claw, the Devil Bringer. You kill the final boss exclusively with it.

* In ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', Paula's 'Pray' ability seems somewhat useless and unnecessary at first. You have to use it to kill the final boss.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'':
*** Near the beginning of the game, if you speak to the mayor of the village, a goat comes flying out of the Ordon ranch, and you either catch it by holding 'A' or get run over. This 'skill' is used in the final fight with Ganondorf, while you're both in animal form.
*** The goat-catching skill comes into play a lot earlier, when Link is climbing DeathMountain and ends up dealing with charging Gorons in the same manner, officially making this a ChekhovsBoomerang.

* ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'' for [=PS2=]: Your sword, Akujiki, will kill you unless you satisfy it's hunger for souls. At the end of the game, the BigBad reveals his true intentions: turn everyone in Japan into demons, set you loose against them, and steal the cursed sword once it's full. Oh, wait. You can use the Tate system you've been using the whole time to kill him instantly.

* ''VideoGame/TreasurePlanetBattleAtProcyon'': Jim Hawkins' experience with solar surfing established during the [[{{Disney/TreasurePlanet}} film]], allows him to work out a way of manoeuvring his Frigate, RLS St. Roch, out of a dark matter explosion.

* In ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', [[spoiler:Sonic becomes able to use Chaos Control with a fake Chaos Emerald to escape from one of Eggman's death traps, having previously seen it once when Shadow used it during their first meeting.]]

** Early on in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', Link can learn how to use Din's Fire, a reasonably useful area-effect fire spell, but like the other magic spells, not perfectly necessary. It isn't until he gets to the Shadow Temple that Din's Fire becomes ''essential'', as its the only way to light the torches at once and open the doorway.
*** And to get rid of the [[DescendingCeiling big walls of wooden spikes]] that are protecting the [[InterchangeableAntimatterKeys Boss Key]] for that temple.
** We also have Bombchus, which were featured very early on in the game as a minigame in Hyrule Castle Town that you could win prizes from. However, they become a necessity in both the Spirit Temple and Ganon's Castle later on.

** And odd little one shows up in in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess''. Near the beginning of the game, if you speak to the mayor of the village, a goat comes flying out of the Ordon ranch, and you either catch it by holding 'A' or get run over. This 'skill' is used in the final fight with Ganondorf, while you're both in animal form.

* In ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'', Anonymous spends the first act trying to learn how to hack, but seemingly gets frustrated and quits when [[{{Hackette}} Til]] joins the team and is easily able to undo all of his tricks. Near the end, though, it’s revealed that they kept practicing together offscreen, and they finally put their combined skills to use by making a program that [[spoiler:finds and loads Arianna’s hidden backups, thereby fixing all the destruction she had caused with STORM]].

* In ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'', Anonymous spends the first act trying to learn how to hack, but seemingly gets frustrated and quits when [[{{Hackette}} Til]] joins the team and is easily able to undo all of his tricks. Near the end, though, it’s revealed that they kept practicing together offscreen, and they finally put their combined skills to use by making a program that [[spoiler:finds and loads Arianna’s hidden backups, thereby fixing all the destruction she caused with STORM]].

* In ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'', Anonymous spends the first act trying to learn how to hack, but seemingly gets frustrated and quits when [[{{Hackette}} Til}}]] joins the team and is easily able to undo all of his tricks. Near the end, though, it’s revealed that they kept practicing together offscreen, and they finally put their combined skills to use by making a program that [[spoiler:finds and loads Arianna’s hidden backups, thereby fixing all the destruction she caused with STORM]].

* ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' hammers it into the player's head at every opportunity that there no auto-save, and the player should manually save at every opportunity, despite [[DeathIsCheap death being relatively cheap]], since dying just causes your backup data at the Bunker to be uploaded into a new body. [[spoiler: Partway through Route C/D, however, the Bunker is destroyed, and PermaDeath is in full effect from that moment onward, rendering manual saves ''far'' more important.]]

* ''VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors'' spends a huge amount of time beating hexadecimal and other non-base-10 number systems into Junpei and the player's heads. It turns out that this isn't just for puzzle purposes, as [[spoiler: Junpei eventually comes across a Number 0 bracelet that turns out to be a Number ''O'' bracelet, as well as a Number 9 door that's actually a Number ''q'' door.]]