History Main / LimitedSoundEffects

** ''LittleBigAdventure'' (1994) and its sequel (1997), created mostly by the same people as ''Videogame/AloneInTheDark1992'' (under a different label), similarly use a variety of sounds for walking on different surfaces.

[[AC:Out of Place Sound Effects]]

[[AC:Overly-Repetitive Sound Effects]]

** [[AC: I KNOW THIS HURTS YOU, SHEPARD]]

[[AC:Other]]

* In VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue, due to the software limitations of the day, two sets of two Pokémon had identical cries - Charizard and Ryhorn as well as Poliwag and Ditto. Even more Pokémon had cries that were just sped-up or slowed-down version of the other's - Caterpie and Poliwag/Ditto, Fearow and Cloyster, Jynx and Exeggutor, etc. However, this was changed from [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Gen II]] onward, so now no two Pokémon have the same cry.

** The studio did the same thing again on ''WhatsNewScoobyDoo'' 35 years later, using a similar small portion of the Hanna-Barbera sound effect library repeated over and over; most of the others were the studio's own effects created in-house (including many recorded just for the show.)

Pretty much [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin exactly what it sounds like]]. In videogames, both the constraints of space and simple practicality mean that there's a limited number of sound effects available, and this number is less than the number of actions a player can perform. So one sound effect will often be triggered by multiple actions. At its best, this is barely noticeable. Sure, the sound isn't exactly right, but it's close enough. Sometimes, though, this can get a little blatant.

* If you think recycled sound effects within a single game are bad, imagine sound effects being re-used across multiple games. This is exactly the case with ''ActRaiser'', ''SoulBlazer'', and ''IllusionOfGaia''. Enix re-used numerous sound effects in two or more of those games, such as taking damage, dealing damage, projectiles being fired, thunder, life bars being refilled, menu selection confirmations, cursor movements, and probably more.

** In the PS2 version (not present or since then patched in the PC version) of ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' if you try to smash bullet proof glass with your crowbar you will hear a bullet ricochet sound.

* In ''OneMustFall 2097'' punching or kicking another mecha causes a clanging metal sound. Burn it with your [[PlayingWithFire Pyros]], and you hear the same CLANGG.
** This a bit jarring when you realize that custom hit sounds were implemented for various stages, as well as some of the other robot's special attacks.
* Flying units in the Amiga version of ''Lords of Chaos'' make the same clip-clop sound as walking units when they move. This kind of stands out when it's otherwise more complex than the Commodore 64 version, which has different sounds for walking and flying.

** And the other one voiced by [[SeanBean Boromir]].

* ''[[Videogame/{{X}} X3: Reunion]]'' and the two games based on its engine have precisely ''two'' explosion noises, one for fighter ship destruction and another for weaponry, the latter of which is obnoxiously loud. It's not too bad in ''Reunion'' where only Flak produces the explosions, but in the sequel multiple weapons use it. The Fragmentation Bomb Launcher plays it when it fragments, Flak Artillery Arrays play it upon detonation, Cluster Flak plays it [[RecursiveAmmo multiple times]], capital ships play it when they explode, and so on. A number of {{Game Mod}}s change the firing noise or at least reduce its volume.

* "HeavyRain" uses the same three "Jason!" and "Shawn!" voice clips at random.

* In VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue, due to the software limitations of the day, several sets of two Pokémon had identical cries - Charizard and Ryhorn as well as Poliwag and Ditto. Even more Pokémon had cries that were just sped-up or slowed-down version of the other's - Caterpie and Poliwag/Ditto, Fearow and Cloyster, Jynx and Exeggutor, etc. However, this was changed from [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Gen II]] onward, so now no two Pokémon have the same cry.

* In VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue, due to the software limitations of the day, two sets of two Pokémon had identical cries - both Charizard and Ryhorn as well as Poliwag and Ditto. However, this was changed from [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Gen II]] onward, so now no two Pokémon have the same cry.

* The later ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoons of 1967 to 1969 (produced when WarnerBrosAnimation reopened their doors) had a very limited sound effects library, consisting of some of Treg Brown's classic sound effects (including several obscure ones only heard in two or three pre-1964 cartoons) as well as at least thirty effects taken from the HannaBarbera sound library. Compare this to when Treg Brown was sound editor prior to 1963, when WarnerBrosAnimation had ''hundreds'' of effects.

* Ditto for ''{{Myst}} IV'', in which every single thing within reach of your character produces a distinctive sound when rapped with your virtual knuckles or trod upon by your virtual feet.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' contains a vast open world populated by hundreds of people. There's a total of about 5 voices among them, aside from the one character voiced by Patrick freakin' Stewart. (Whose [[DeadStarWalking death]] is the impetus for the beginning of the game. Oh well.)

* ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}'' uses the same whip noise no matter what object they're hitting, fleshy zombies, armor, walls, skeletons, ectoplasm, etc.
* ''CityOfHeroes'' does this to varying degrees- regardless of whether you're hitting a zombie or a giant robot, you get the same sound effect for your attack. What's more noticeable (because it's limited) is the sound of walking. While there are several different sounds (metal, carpet, and a generic hard surface) these appear to be less granular than the floor detail: you can find yourself suddenly running across a linoleum floor to the muted thuds of carpet, or dashing through a particularly large planter while listening to hardwood flooring.
** And then there's the Arachnos Fliers (huge transport gunships) in ''CityOfVillains'' that, to this day, ''still'' use the creaking wooden door sound for its access hatches.
*** And let's not mention ''VideoGame/ChampionsOnline'', in its remarkable attempt to differentiate itself from ''CityOfHeroes'' actually using the exact same sound library for many of its effects. It's rather jarring to be play both games and hear the same sound effects across different powers.

** Not to mention the infamous "I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite story on the Citadel!" For those not familiar with the game, Shepard can offer an official endorsement to various stores in exchange for a discount. For convenience, the game uses the ''exact same voice clip'' every time you do this. This means that if you give endorsements to every store, you're going to be hearing the clip over and over every time you go in.

* The {{Freeware}} and Independent game scenes (both Eastern and Western) use the [[StockSoundEffects sound libraries]] of popular development suites so often that they are no longer disparaged (even in titles that are otherwise of triple A presentation value) and custom effects of sufficient quality are treated as works of art in themselves.

* Averted in the ''HalfLife'' series, where every texture is associated with a material, and every material has a different set of sound effects for things like crowbar impact, bullet impact, and footsteps. Other forms of the trope, such as limited NPC voices, are still present, however the variety of the lines and background chatter is quite large and well thought through, often giving hints to what's really going on.
** In the PS2 version (not present or since then patched in the PC version) of ''Half-life'' if you try to smash bullet proof glass with your crowbar you will hear a bullet ricochet sound.
** This is also true in the ''{{Thief}}'' trilogy.

* [=NPCs=] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' have about three combat taunt: '''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mi2NKZ37YE ENEMIES EVERYWHERE! GO GO GO! I WILL DESTROY YOU!!!!]]'''. They like to say a taunt about once every... 2 seconds? So you will hear those three sound clips ''[[MostAnnoyingSound A LOT]]''. Strangely, they recorded multiple voices saying the same three taunts.
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' isn't nearly as bad about this as its predecessor, but it still has some sound effects that repeat way too much, especially since your allies now call their attacks. Yes, Jacob, I understood that [[GravityIsAHarshMistress gravity was one mean mother]] the first fifty times you used Pull, you asshole!

* The original ''AloneInTheDark'' came as close to averting this trope as technology could allow at the time. Footstep sounds changed depending on whether the character was walking on wooden floorboards, rugs or tiles, sounds echoed when in the underground tunnels... while most of this is taken for granted nowadays, back in 1992 it was a remarkable achievement.
** ''LittleBigAdventure'' (1994) and its sequel (1997), created mostly by the same people as ''AloneInTheDark'' (under a different label), similarly use a variety of sounds for walking on different surfaces.

** Humorously, VideoGame/GuiltyGear's [[SpiritualSuccessor Spiritual]] [[BlazBlue Successor]] is very bad about using the same sound effects on each attack. Why is this funny? Because you can interupt most of them.

-->-- '''{{Cracked}}''' review of Lollywood movie ''Kalka''

-> At this point you may have noticed something as retarded as it is awesome: Both the gun fight and the fist fight have exactly the same sound effects! This can only mean one of two things: Either the Pakistani punch out bullets (which would account for the solitary gun. It's just superfluous; when your fists are firearms, pistols are little more than condoms for your deadly intentions) or else literally every sound in Pakistani--from the crying of a newborn babe to the sizzling of a hot pan on a quiet Sunday morn--is gunfire.
-->-- '''{{Cracked}} review of Lollywood movie 'Kalka''''

* In PokemonRedAndBlue, due to the software limitations of the day, two sets of two pokemon had identical crys - both Charizard and Ryhorn had identical crys, as did Poliwag and Ditto. However, this was changed from [[PokemonGoldAndSilver Gen II]] onward, so now no two pokemon have the same cry.

----

* ''Superman'' for the Nintendo 64 has the sound of a bullet ricocheting that plays when Superman takes a health pick-up.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrolls: Oblivion'' contains a vast open world populated by hundreds of people. There's a total of about 5 voices among them, aside from the one character voiced by Patrick freakin' Stewart. (Whose [[DeadStarWalking death]] is the impetus for the beginning of the game. Oh well.)