Mastering Skills

There are a lot of games out there where your character starts out rather weak, and as you progress through the game, you are rewarded with stronger attacks and skills.  The idea is "from all the training, you got more powerful".  Let's face it though, you didn't hone your skills any better, the game just gave you rewards. 

Are there any games out there that "reward" you with skills that YOU have to master?  I'm thinking skills that, though they allow your character to do cooler and more powerful attacks, require actual skill on the player's part to effectively use, or, if used ineffectively, make the game harder?  I'm thinking skills like speed boosts that make your character harder to control.  I guess you could say that items and skills that increase your attack power, but lower your defense work this way.  Any other ideas for similar things that should be in a game, or you've seen in a game?

NES games.  You have to improve as levels get progressively worse.

http://www.concs-r-us.com/

Real player skills, nothing ingame. Like it should be.

Shmups?

pretty much any one on one fighting game like street fighter or DOA. they all make you memorize button combos to pull off the fancy moves.

I'm not saying that ONLY the player's skills improve.  What I mean is that as your characters gain more powerful skills and attacks, you have to improve your playing skills to use them. 

I just finished up God of War (a year late, I know.) and you could consider it something like that. As you progress through the game you gain new abilities, but you often have to revise your tactics when the game introduces new enemy mob combinations. Maybe this is something commong to the Action genre?

Yeah, I was thinking more of the action or action rpg genre.  Games like the newer Castlevania games, for example, you start off weak, but end up godlike from all the better weapons and stuff.  I just think it would be interesting to, for a change, only give the player things that they have to themselves master using.

>>8
I like that setup for the new 3D castlevanias, very nice. Now if only they would hire some competant level designers. It doesn't feel like the castle connects as it did in the N64 one. LoI's hub was just lame.

M4D SK1Lz y0

You know what would be bitching hawt? An adventure game based on Guilty Gear or KoF.

Give me money.

>>11

no it wouldnt ): beleive me I wish it would be, but it wouldlnt.