Gamers reminisce about their favorite Save Points as autosave culture slowly takes over

Publication date of the original Japanese article: 2021-01-07 17:45 (JST)
Translated by. Braden Noyes

On January 7, 2021, the topic of game save points suddenly began trending on Japanese Twitter.

While it used to be commonly understood that whenever you decided to sit down to play a game, you would need to make sure you had enough time to progress to the next save point before you could take a break, you can no longer assume this once obvious concept will be understood by today’s gamers. This realization all began with the following tweet.

This conversation is meant to imitate how an interview might begin on the Japanese documentary program “Close-Up Gendai Plus”—known for its content relating to “social problems”—and jokingly serves to highlight the current danger save points face. In other words, recent games have turned the “autosave” function into the new norm.

When a game automatically saves your progress as you play, the need to travel out of your way to a specific location in order to save your game disappears. This means that the once commonplace save point is becoming a rare sight in games these days. Just try asking an elementary schooler who mostly plays games like Minecraft what a save point is, and you’ll probably end up getting a response similar to the one in the above tweet.

The tweets were made by Japanese Twitter user @rods_skyfish. We had the opportunity to interview him, and he expressed his belief that there are a number of gamers who still have an emotional attachment to save points. He also stated he believes a good number of these feel somewhat saddened about the autosave function becoming the new standard.

He never expected his posts to go viral, however, and expressed surprise at the number of responses he has received. Interestingly, his tweet has prompted a large number of users to post images of their favorite save points. Let’s take a look at a few of the residents.

First, we have the save points from Final Fantasy VII. Early on in the game, players can speak to a man who gives an explanation of the icons that appear throughout the game. When he finishes, a short comical scene appears in which the save point introduces itself to the player.

Though it is a little less obvious that the save point is the one speaking in the English translation, having an inanimate object suddenly greet the player and say, “I’ll probably see you again somewhere down the road” gives these save points a bit of extra personality. Just after the save point is finished introducing itself, a treasure chest also gives a short self-introduction as well. Unfortunately, neither of these scenes made it into the remake, possibly because they no longer fit the overall aesthetic of the game.

A number of users also commented about a fake save point that appears in the same game. After encountering the materia hunter named Yuffie, players have the chance to recruit her to the team. However, players are also presented with a save point in the corner of the screen which, when used, results in Yuffie springing a trap. Not only is the player denied the chance to save their game, but Yuffie proceeds to steal some of their money before running off.

If players are paying close attention when they walk up to the save point in the original Japanese version, however, they will notice that the text that appears on the screen says that “by opening the MENU, you will not be able to save your game.” It’s interesting to note, however, that this trick text apparently did not make it into the English translation of the game. Instead, the message that appears on-screen reads exactly the same as any other save point, making it even more likely players of the English version fell for Yuffie’s trap.

Next up, we have the save points from EarthBound 2 (known as MOTHER 3 in Japan). In this game, players must speak to one of the many “save frogs” in order to save their progress. These frogs take on a number of different appearances throughout the game, including one that looks like a fairy and another who has been eaten by a snake. They also feature different dialog depending on which one you are speaking to. One of the most memorable for players is probably the first one you encounter, who goes on a rather lengthy—and slightly philosophical—rant about what memories are.

Many gamers will also remember the save points used in the first two games of this series, EarthBound Beginnings (MOTHER in Japan) and EarthBound (MOTHER 2 in Japan). By picking any of the black phones around town, the main character is able to speak with his dad, which allows the player to save their progress. The dad even gives you a helping hand from time to time by depositing money into your bank account. The enigmatic energy of this mysterious father is sure to have made its mark on many players.

This next example comes from the save points known as memory cubes from Xenogears. At first glance, these tall, slightly transparent, gold pillars seem harmless. However, these memory cubes are hiding a dark secret. Though they can be found scattered throughout the world, they are more than simply waypoints for travelers to save their progress. They actually play a part in controlling the fates of not only the main character, but all the people within the game’s world. The truth behind these seemingly innocent save points, and the meta role they play in the story, was undoubtedly a shocking revelation to many players. The unique sound effect that plays whenever you use one and the subtitles they assigned to players’ files were also popular features.

When we asked the user responsible for starting this Twitter conversation what his favorite save points were, @rods_skyfish mentioned the ones from ICO. In this game, players are able to save their progress by sitting on one of a number of stone benches located inside an old castle. He also added that he loves the background music and the fact that players can almost feel the sense of security that washes over the main characters. In these brief moments of rest, Ico and Yorda are able to escape the constant fear of not knowing when another shadow creature will strike. It’s likely that many players shared in their temporary relief.

The use of save points has undoubtedly been declining in recent years, but that does not mean they are gone altogether. There are still a number of games in which strong, dependable save points can be found. Indeed, a number of these memorable save points from recent games were mentioned in the thread started by @rods_skyfish’s tweet. There’s no denying, however, that the necessity of the save point has declined in recent years due to the modern popularization of the autosave feature.

Still, Twitter user @rods_skyfish believes this will only serve to make the save points that do find their way into future games that much more unique. He mentioned that game developers often put a lot of effort into small details when making their games, so he is hoping to continue enjoying save points going forward. It was clear from his comments that they hold a special place in his heart.