History Main / ContinueCountdown

Of course, while console and PC games don't have the same limitations as arcade games, thanks to being able to more easily buy and keep them, it doesn't necessarily mean that they won't have a Continue Countdown. Particularly if said game happens to be an arcade game ported to consoles. As such, one of the biggest perpetrators of the Continue Countdown is [[FightingGame fighting games]], where flagship games usually launch at Japanese arcades prior to being ported to home consoles.

* ''VideoGame/FatalFuryKingOfFighters'' has one, where inbetween the numbers appearing, a picture of your character's beaten and bloodied face briefly flashes up. But if you happen to lose to FinalBoss Geese Howard, a special continue screen appears where Geese kicks your character out of his skyscraper's window, condemning them to a DisneyVillainDeath unless you sink another coin into the machine. Amusingly, [[GravityIsAHarshMistress the character doesn't actually start falling until the count of 3]].

* ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' features a Continue Countdown in some capacity in just about all of its games, usually showing your beaten character off to the side as the clock counts down. The odd ones out being [[VideoGame/StreetFighter1 the first game]] (And to an extent, ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII''[[note]]The 3rd Strike version only[[/note]], ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''' and ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha3''), the former which shows a time bomb ticking down. If the player decided not to continue? Boom, while the latter three is instead has the continue screen on the portrait of the character who defeated you.

* Many of the ''VideoGame/CapcomVs'' games would have a Continue Countdown for a losing player. The second and third ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' games would even give the player a message of encouragement if they decided not to continue.

* Dying in ''VideoGame/EightBitKiller'' gives the player 10 seconds to spend a credit to restart the level. Choosing to continue will make the soldier shown on the screen cock their weapon, while letting the timer hit 0 will make them drop dead [[GameOver for good]].

* The ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis'' series gives you 20 seconds (9 in the first game and ''Project Titan'') to spend a credit and gain a new set of lives, there are two options, Yes and No, inserting a coin in the arcade versions will reset the timer, pressing yes will just resume the gameplay, no prize on guessing what "No" does.
** Weirdly enough though, the arcade version of the first game doesn't have the Yes/No options, instead stepping on the pedal to continue.
*** Additionally, continuing will reset the stage in the first game (and in Project Titan too), as opposed to just continuing as if nothing happened.
* ''VideoGame/NinjaAssault'' and ''VideoGame/FlashOfTheBlade'' do the similar as above, with 20-second countdown after running out of LifeMeter; pressing the start button without inserting coins accelerate it and no prize on guessing what reaching zero does.
** ''Flash of the Blade'' also does this if time runs out, similar to the first ''Time Crisis'' and ''Project Titan''.

* ''VideoGame/RainbowIslands'' has a plain continue screen showing a countdown, provided the player is before the PointOfNoContinues. Home computer versions require pre-inserting credits to play, and skip the countdown if these credits are depleted (or if only one was inserted before the game start.)

* The NES version of ''VideoGame/FelixTheCat'', the game over screen gives you nine seconds to decide to continue or not, you can only pick your choice once the animation of Felix being thrown on the street is complete, if you run out of continues, it fades in to the game over background, only to fade out to the title screen two seconds later, the Game Boy version and the Sega Genesis bootleg port still has a continue screen, without the nine second timer.
* The first ''VideoGame/Bubsy'' game has this if Bubsy loses his last life and has at least one continue to spare, the screen fades into the continue screen, where Bubsy is standing, doing his usual idle animation, when the timer hits "3", Bubsy does the animation he does when he runs out of time, you are given ten seconds to continue, ''II'' still has a continue screen, only without the timer, ''Bubsy In Fractured Furry Tales'' has the same continue screen logic with the first game.
** ''3D'', ''The Woolies Strike Back'', and ''Paws On Fire'' all avert this trope (the latter had infinite lives).
* "VideoGame/MickeyMania"'s continue screen has Mickey falling on his back, and holding a lilac, considering you have at last one continue after losing your last life, you are given nine seconds (actually slightly less as it counts with the music's beat, atleast in the Sega Genesis version) continue and [[https://youtu.be/iHOgk1Un0mU?t=12 Mickey jumps right back up]] smiling, as if nothing happened, wait for the timer to expire, and it's game over, the NES bootleg averts this, by having no continues (but you can start with up to 30 lives to compensate)

** ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo1992'', has one of Arle on the ground, flabbergasted she lost. By extension, ''VideoGame/KirbysAvalanche'' has this too, but with Kirby flopped on the ground instead. Unlike its later iterations, the Game Over is on the countdown itself; timing it out will fade to black and into the scoreboard.

* ''VideoGame/PopNMusic'' entries prior to ''fantasia'' allows continuing, which gives you 20 seconds, ''fantasia'' onwards prohibited continuing at all. (Lapistoria however doesn't need this trope, as it doesn't have a [[GameOver]] as well.)

* Running out of lives in ''VideoGame/JamestownLegendOfTheLostColony'' will give you 10 seconds to spend a credit to continue the level. If you're out of lives and credits, though, it's GameOver.
* ''VideoGame/ShamelessClone'': As part of the games' retro aesthetic, if you lose, a countdown screen appears. It still saves your progress if it reaches zero, though.

** The continue screen for ''VideoGame/DoctorRobotniksMeanBeanMachine'', the North American DolledUpInstallment on the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis depicts Dr. Robotnik on a stage, talking to his robots as a spotlight shines over him. The player is given nine seconds to decide whether or not they want to continue the game, and if the timer reaches zero, then Robotnik laughs evilly before the player is taken to the high score board.

Some games, rather than ending the game immediately after the poor PlayerCharacter bites it, will ask a simple question: "CONTINUE?". Accompanying this will be a time limit that usually starts at 9 seconds, but variations exist. During this time, the player can either do something to get back into the game, or speed the countdown along. Once it hits 0? [[Film/{{Aliens}} Game over, man!]] (although some games doesn't do "0" as a forced game over, allowing you to Continue even if the countdown is at "0".

Of course, while console and PC games don't have the same limitations as arcade games, thanks to being able to more-easily buy and keep them, it doesn't necessarily mean that they won't have a Continue Countdown. Particularly if said game happens to be an arcade game ported to consoles. As such, one of the biggest perpetrators of the Continue Countdown is [[FightingGame fighting games]], where flagship games usually launch at Japanese arcades prior to being ported to home consoles.