History Main / AttractMode

In "VideoGame/NewHorizons", waiting long enough in the main menu triggers a trailer from Black Sails.

** Yet another example is ''VideoGame/{{Commando}}'', which just has a title screen, high score screen, and a screen that shows the main character Super Joe, plus how many points it takes to get an extra life[[note]]Which, in most other games, is usually only displayed during the "waiting for start" screen (which is shown after putting in a coin, but before actually starting the game).[[/note]]

** Other examples are ''Baby VideoGame/PacMan'' (justified since it's part [physical] pinball machine), ''VideoGame/SpyHunter II'' (not to be confused with the sequel to the remake), and ''Xenophobe''.

* One of the many games titled ''VideoGame/{{Zookeeper}}'' would show the usual demos of the game being played -- and, if the controls were jiggled enough, had a chance of letting you play for free for a brief time.

Attract modes that specifically show gameplay or plot elements are {{Precap}}s.

** The UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance remakes of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' feature one of the main themes from the game playing while a brief explanation of the story is shown.

* The unreleased ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' game for UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor has two sequences in rotation when idling on the title screen. The first sequence is a cutscene that establishes the basic premise of the game, and the second sequence is a gameplay demo with Chef explaining each character's abilities and how the game's mechanics work.

* Leave any of the three iNiS [[UsefulNotes/NintendoDS DS]] rhythm games (the ''VideoGame/OsuTatakaeOuendan'' duology and ''VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents'') idle on the title screen or main menu and a demo of the first phase of an early level will play on medium difficulty. Tapping the touch screen during the demo will restart the opening logo sequence and take you back to the title screen.

* ''VisualNovel/LuxPain'' has an anime-style animated opening sequence, complete with Japanese vocals, that introduces the main characters and the ''silent'' plot. Not bad for a UsefulNotes/NintendoDS game.

* UsefulNotes/Atari8BitComputers (the 400 and 800 and later variants) had what was commonly called "attract mode" built in. In truth, this feature was more akin to a primitive screensaver, simply cycling the color palette after about nine minutes of no input, in order to avoid screen burn. (This, of course, didn't preclude games from including a "real" attract mode).

* [[EveryTenThousandPoints "Extra life at N,000 points"]] (in arcade games, the value of N often depended on the owner-adjustable difficulty switches)

* The game being played by itself ([[ArtificialBrilliance with varying degrees]] [[ArtificialStupidity of skill]])

* ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' has one that shows some events that [[TrailersAlwaysLie don't actually happen in the game, and with characters that you can't have at the points displayed]], and has ''[[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic The Dream That Time Dreams]]''/''[[SpellMyNameWithAnS Time of the Dreamwatch]]'' play. Except for one obscure [[MultipleEndings alternate ending]], [[LongSongShortScene this is the only time it plays]].
* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'''s montage of events from various time eras accompanied by the very appropriate track "Premonition".

%%* Add ''VideoGame/{{Atelier}}'' to this list.

* The game being played by itself (with varying degrees of skill)

* ''VideoGame/{{Equinox}}'' has its attract mode designed for demo kiosks at retailers. How can you tell? Because it includes an advertisement for the game.

* ''VideoGame/{{Skweek}}'' didn't have one that played automatically, but selecting "About Skweek" would bring up the title character's demonstration of the game's features.

''VideoGame/JustDance '' had one that showed main game routines until Just Dance 2023 Edtion

* ''VideoGame/{{Blazeon}}'' has an attract mode showing off the abilities of the TFF-001 Garland and all of the units it can absorb.

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* ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'' has a particularly [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLTTXjxlZSU chilling one]].

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* ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'' has an attract mode that showcases [[TheManyDeathsOfYou the many ways you can die in the game]].

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[[AC: Non Video Game Examples]]

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* Sega Rally would cycle through three courses during the attract mode, and this applies to its sequel. In both games, there's a screen saying that the vehicles in Sega Rally are the cars that participated in the World Rally Championship (although some in the sequel were in the Formula 2 Kit Car category).

* Sega Rally would cycle through three courses durng the attract mode. Same with 2. In both games, there is a screen saying that the vehicles in Sega Rally are the cars that participated in the WRC.

* The attract mode in ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime 2: Echoes'' had, besides showing off the game, a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Jnua9YjL4 title screen theme]] that did not play anywhere else (a snippet of it appears before the credits).

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Metroid}} Super Metroid]]'' has several sets of demos, the initial ones just showing normal gameplay but progressing far enough into the game would unlock demos that actually show various tips and tricks, most of them being obscure stuff you wouldn't think of doing such as the [[ChargedAttack charge beam]]-powerbomb combos and fancy ways to use the [[SuperSpeed Speed Booster]].

* The [[Franchise/FinalFantasy Final Fantasy series]] has these examples:

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' games have class slideshows, showing off combat animations for each class along with short flavor text blurbs and a side table detailing how each class rates in each stat. ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' focuses especially on showing off specific characters, and adds some dialogue and map shots.

* The ''VideoGame/TalesOf'' series generally has anime cutscenes with fast-paced (often vocal) music. Sometimes it's the only anime cutscene other than the ending. Similarly with ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile''.

* Every ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' game, if left idle at the title screen for long enough, will eventually display a short video of the games' basic mechanics, called How to Play." At other times, it will show the first 15 to 20 seconds of a 4-player match played by the CPU. For the sake of convenience, from ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'' and onward, "How to Play" can be viewed from an in-game menu at any time.

* ''Blazeon'' has an attract mode showing off the abilities of the TFF-001 Garland and all of the units it can absorb.

* ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'', a game made up of several sub-games, will play a series of story sequences explaining the plot of each of the sub-games if you let it sit at the title sequence long enough. What most people don't realize is that letting the game cycle through these scenes twice will play an extra scene that acts as a prologue to the final sub-game, "Milky Way Wishes". Since many players are unlikely to ever find this scene, the final boss appears to be a GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere. Each sub-game shows its plot on its own sub-title screen as well, though, and the remake amended this by making the cutscenes play automatically the first time you start each game.