Title Screen

OpenArena title screen is the introductory display you see when starting a computer, video, or arcade game, following the game developer’s and publisher’s logos and credits. Historically, title screens would present all available game options (like single player, multiplayer, and control configurations). Modern titles, however, often utilise the title screen as a splash screen, possibly due to its function as a loading screen to cache the graphics for the main menu. Classic computer and video games featured relatively straightforward menu screens adorned with pre-rendered artwork.

In arcade setups, the title screen appears during the ‘attract mode’ loop, generally post a gameplay demo. It encourages potential gamers to pop in coins, highlighting the high scores. For console versions, if the screen isn’t amalgamated with the primary menu, it prompts the player to press ‘start’. On PCs, a “Press any key” prompt often appears. Systems without a dedicated “Start” button offer different instructions. Take the Wii, which usually asks players to press two specific buttons simultaneously, evident in games like Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Mario Party 9. Fan-created games frequently mimic the title style of their inspirational games.