Gimmicks

[BumblebeeCody]

As long as the game concept or peripheral is an integral part of the game and doesn't take away from the experience then I don't see it as a game.

Gimmick:
Steel Battalion. So much potential from Capcom but that crappy hunk of Kinect ruined it with pathetic hand gestures which failed to work on any level and is nothing like operating an actual mech from the previous games
Doing it right:
The original Steel Battalion is known for having an extravagant control setup which featured a controller with 40+ buttons. Operated fine and worked well.

Gimmick:
Zelda: Skyward Sword Using the infuriating motion plus to control your Loftwing when there is a perfectly functioning control stick on the nunchuck. In OoT/MM/TP etc you could kill a Deku Baba by slashing at the stem. In SS you have to accurately slash horizontal or vertical on it's mouth. A simple enemy became a tedious chore
Doing it right:
Zelda: TP slashing while running/combat. Minimal motions and worked fine.

Gimmick:
Positioning your PSP so you can see what's coming behind you in Gran Turismo 5. No!
Doing it right:
Using the rear view mirror like we have been doing in those games for years.

Peripheral gimmicks:
Anything you can attach on to the Wii. Because flailing your around wildly needed to be more dangerous with a pointless Tennis raquet attachment that adds nothing to the game.

Lets also be honest, did anyone seriously enjoy playing Zelda PH/ST with the touch screen and not wonder why we weren't using the D-pad? Writing on the charts = awesome. Playing the entire game like Diablo 2 = No thanks.

Just a few I've come across in gaming.