History Main / SimonSaysMiniGame

** Also used during the Goron Dance mini-game in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle Of Ages]]''. You're given very little margin for error, and it must be completed multiple times. ''Oracle Of Seasons'' featured it too, but there was much more room for error.

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' had a plot-relevant mini-game which gave you [[spoiler:a perfect replica of the main character to replace him at the moment of his PlotlineDeath and undo it]]. Fortunately, during the one time it's plot-relevant, you could still continue if you failed...assuming you don't mind parting with a large sum of money.
* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' has the Blockhead encounters: Attack one to see a sequence of weak points appear, then dot over the weak points in the same order to actually defeat it. Many players didn't initially realize that the order matters, which can add to the frustration of trying to take down [[SideQuest Blockhead Grande]] for his [[LastLousyPoint Stray Bead]].

* A closer TropeNamer than the children's game of Simon Says is the 1977 game ''Simon'' from Milton Bradley had colored buttons and musical sound effects.

Not to be confused with ActionCommands or {{Quick Time Event}}s.

Note that this Mini Game isn't ''quite'' like the children's game Simon Says, as there is no trick of losing if an action isn't prefaced with some special denotation. Still, most people associate the game with repetition, so these mini games are often likened to Simon Says. They also bear a strong resemblance to the electronic game [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_(game) Simon]] from the early 80's, which was itself named after Simon Says.

* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsGame'' used this, requiring the player to play back the Simpson's theme in order to gain access to Matt Groening's mansion.

* There's a minigame in the first ''VideoGame/{{WarioWare}}'' where you do this, with the musical justification.

* ''VideoGame/{{Pitfall}}: The Mayan Adventure'' has a similar game involving pull-levers in some bonus levels.
* The ''{{Wall-E}}'' computer game uses a simple challenge of this style to open some of the doors.

<<|VideoGameTropes|>>
<<|OlderThanTheNES|>>

* The UrExample of this may be the 1974 {{Atari}} ''Touch Me'' arcade game, making this OlderThanTheNES.

[[quoteright:344:[[PokemonStadium http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/simonsaysminigame.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:344:Okay... Repeat after me!]]

* In ''TheLegendOfZelda: Ocarina of Time'', a [[HeartContainer Heart Piece]] was earned by playing a game of this with the Skull Kids in the Lost Woods, requiring you to memorize musical notes and play them back using the titular ocarina.

** Also used during the Goron Dance mini-game in ''Oracle Of Ages''. You're given very little margin for error, and it must be completed multiple times. ''Oracle Of Seasons'' featured it too, but there was much more room for error.
* In ''BanjoKazooie'', used with the "Tiptup Choir" jigsaw piece in Bubblegloop Swamp, and again with a giant OminousPipeOrgan in Mad Monster Mansion.
** Rare must love these, as they used it again in ''DonkeyKong64'', as one of Lanky Kong's golden bananas is earned this way in the Frantic Factory level, requiring him to GroundPound the multicolored notes on a piano.

* ''TheSimpsonsGame'' used this, requiring the player to play back the Simpson's theme in order to gain access to Matt Groening's mansion.

* A quest in ''WorldOfWarcraft'' uses this.

* The MiniGame "Clefairy Says" in ''{{Pokemon}} Stadium'', pictured above.
* ''{{Pitfall}}: The Mayan Adventure'' has a similar game involving pull-levers in some bonus levels.
* The ''Wall-E'' computer game uses a simple challenge of this style to open some of the doors.
* ''Light Crusader'' for the Sega Genesis features some doors that only open after the player goes through a few rounds of "hit these things in the exact order they light up."
* ''ParappaTheRapper'', ''SpaceChannel5'', and for that matter almost every other RhythmGame.
* One of the forms of tower calibration in ''FinalFantasyX2''.

* ''EternalSonata'' has a part that's sort of like this, but with some of the level between each sequence. The buttons are keys on a keyboard, and you play part of a song. [[spoiler:It's part of Chopin's ''Nocturne''.]]
* In ''BraveFencerMusashi'', the boss battle against Topo is a dancing contest that's one of these. In addition to repeating the sequence, you have to maintain roughly the same tempo. Make a mistake and a row of fans blows you into an electric field.

* ''Metal Arms: Glitch in the System'' had one part where the titular Glitch must pretend to be a spy-bot during calibration tests. Various movement and rotation instructions are given, and three mistakes earn a ticket to the shredder. Sadly, going ballistic with a weapon isn't an option.
* ''ChronoTrigger'' had a plot-relevant mini-game which gave you [[spoiler:a perfect replica of the main character to replace him at the moment of his PlotlineDeath and undo it]]. Fortunately, during the one time it's plot-relevant, you could still continue if you failed... assuming you don't mind parting with a large sum of money.
* ''{{Okami}}'' has the Blockhead encounters: Attack one to see a sequence of weak points appear, then dot over the weak points in the same order to actually defeat it. Many players didn't initially realize that the order matters, which can add to the frustration of trying to take down [[SideQuest Blockhead Grande]] for his [[LastLousyPoint Stray Bead]].

* ''Alien Hominid'' had one miniboss that was like this. Hit the wrong color and you got zapped to death and had to repeat the process.
* Multiple ''Nancy Drew'' games include mini-games like this, but the best example is ''Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy'', which has a drum minigame that even ''looks'' like a Simon toy.
* In an underwater section of ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'', five torches were ignited in a certain order, and then extinguished. Mario had to relight the torches in the same order.

* The dancing level of ''Pinocchio'' for Sega Genesis and Super NES.
* The piano puzzle in ''TheSeventhGuest''. The tune turns out to be the game's main theme.
* The ''HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'' game for the Game Boy Color had a DDR-style minigame with this sort of gameplay featuring Harry and Professor Flickwick, resulting in the amusing images of Harry doing things like shaking his tush at the screen or breakdancing on his head.
* Gets you to a golden key in ''[[{{Fable}} Fable 3]]''

* ''TheSimpsons Game'' used this, requiring the player to play back the Simpson's theme in order to gain access to Matt Groening's mansion.
* ''VideoGame/MegaMan and Bass'' has these in Astro Man's level. A gun will fire at you if you make an error.

* In the Xbox 360 version of ''MassEffect'', this was how you'd hack into any piece of electronics that littered the world. The PC version replaced this with something that actually looked slightly sophisticated.

* ''Game/MegaMan and Bass'' has these in Astro Man's level. A gun will fire at you if you make an error.

* ''EarthwormJim 2'''s underwater level has a Simon Says game at the exit. There are 4 pinball bumpers with ridiculous sound effects and you must repeat the sequence played. It starts at a one note sequence then gradually builds to 12 notes. The level exit appears when you finally fail, but the power up presented depends on how far you go before failing.

* ''{{Aquaria}}'' has a Simon Says MiniBoss.

[[quoteright:344:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/simonsaysminigame.jpg]]

* ''MarioParty'' will '''always''' have some variation on this...

* There's a minigame in the first ''WarioWare'' where you do this, with the musical justification.

* In an underwater section of ''MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'', five torches were ignited in a certain order, and then extinguished. Mario had to relight the torches in the same order.

** Rare must love these, as they used it again in ''DonkeyKong 64'', as one of Lanky Kong's golden bananas is earned this way in the Frantic Factory level, requiring him to GroundPound the multicolored notes on a piano.

Note that this Mini Game isn't ''quite'' like the children's game Simon Says, as there is no trick of losing if an action isn't prefaced with some special denotation. Still, most people associate the game with repetition, so these mini games are often likened to Simon Says.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/simonsaysminigame.jpg
[[caption-width:344:Okay... Repeat after me!]]

* ''MegaMan and Bass'' has these in Astro Man's level. A gun will fire at you if you make an error.

* The piano puzzle in ''TheSeventhGuest''.

A MiniGame that presents the player with a sequence of buttons and challenges them to memorize it and repeat it back. Usually this must be done multiple times, with each sequence adding one or more buttons. It may not involve button presses directly, but rather requires the player to memorize some combination of actions. For example, you may have to press a group of differently-colored switches in the order they light up or kill a group of mooks in the order they first appear.

Note that this MiniGame isn't ''quite'' like the children's game Simon Says, as there is no trick of losing if an action isn't prefaced with some special denotation. Still, most people associate the game with repetition, so these mini games are often likened to Simon Says.

* {{Aquaria}} has a Simon Says MiniBoss
* The UrExample of this may be the 1974 Atari Touch Me arcade game, making this OlderThanTheNES.
* This was the entire premise for ''Flagman'' for the Game & Watch.

* Mega Man and Bass has these in Astro Man's level. A gun will fire at you if you make an error.

* ''Metal Arms: Glitch in the System'' had one part where the titular Glitch must pretend to be a spy-bot during calibration tests. Various movement and rotation instructions are given, and three mistakes earns a ticket to the shredder. Sadly, going balistic with a weapon isn't an option.
* ''ChronoTrigger'' had a plot-relevant mini-game which gave you [[spoiler:a perfect replica of the main character to replace him at the moment of his PlotlineDeath and undo it.]] Fortunately, during the one time it's plot-relevant, you could still continue if you failed... assuming you don't mind parting with a large sum of money.
* ''{{Okami}}'' has the Blockhead encounters: attack one to see a sequence of weak points appear, then dot over the weak points in the same order to actually defeat it. Many players didn't initially realize that the order matters, which can add to the frustration of trying to take down [[SideQuest Blockhead Grande]] for his [[LastLousyPoint Stray Bead]].

* Multiple ''Nancy Drew'' games include minigames like this, but the best example is ''Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy'', which has a drum minigame that even ''looks'' like a Simon toy.

* In the Xbox 360 version of ''MassEffect'', this was how you'd hack into any piece of electronics that littered the world, OrSoIHeard. The PC version replaced this with something that actually looked slightly sophisticated.