Oh crap, I broke my mom's front-room window!! CTRL+Z! CTRL+Z! FUCK!

Does anyone else want to always know how long of a cutscene they are watching? I really want to know if it will be a minute or thirty. For those that want to skip the scenes, I think there should be an option to replay them later.

Mark Oates said (where is autoquote? I almost typed Narc Oates):
"I've seen videos of the cut scenes from the new Contra. For some - reason - they talk - with - long - pauses - between - their - words - like - it's - a - language - learning - course."

So they sound as if they have one of those breathing machines like Bush?

Yep, been there.
I once had something really annoying happen, because I had to run off and had to save... long story. I always fully switch off electronics.
So I like suspending the best. Although only emulators do it properly
And I hate dialogs. Except perhaps maybe for killer 7, which still makes no sense.

But to be on topic: most console games aren't even really 3D IMO.
I think developers switch to 3D too soon. There aren't many games which have a proper 3D game mechanism.
And I like 2D art better than 3D. So for 2D games I prefer 2D graphics.
(Unless you have some super spectacular special shadings to highlight your eppilepsy-inducing exagarative enormous explosions. But I've never seen that.
Why don't you make that?
Augh... I'll have to do it!>:(
It will take centuries to finish for me that is... )
Please forgive the rant.

The suitable method would be "Save & Quit" here. You can, at any time in the game, just save and quit the game and you can continue at exactly the same position next time. But if you die you have to restart the level.
As long as the game balance is good enough to allow it, this is IMO the best solution.

As a hardcore NES fan, I approve of this. SMB3 with no Warp Whistles .... go.

PAUSE + TV PWR BTN == SAVE & QUIT (CLASSIC)

When tasked with an easy path or a difficult path the majority of people would naturally choose the easy path. We're capable of completing the difficult path, but if there's an easier alternative why bother? Having save points forces the player to think more and strategize* a little bit about how and when to do things. It adds to the game in more ways than one. Besides, when I save a game I expect to be right back where I was when I saved it; not at the beginning of the level, etc. (I'm talking about real games).

_{* Allegro.cc's Spell Check doesn't like it, but dictionary.reference.com does.}

Then why do so many games have difficulty settings; wouldn't everyone naturally choose "easy"?

I don't think you should "force" the player to do anything. It's much more satisfying to overcome a challenge you choose than one that's thrust upon you. If you want to reward players for not taking the easy way out (through, say, unlockable bonuses for getting though a level without saving, etc.) that's cool, but you shouldn't punish a player for not being "hardcore" enough. Hardcore-ness should be its own reward.

I know personally there are times when I'm in the mood to play a game for the challenge ("I'm gonna beat this level if it takes me all night!") and other times I want to play more casually ("I've had a long day and I just want to drink a couple beers and kill stuff!"); if one game gives me both options, I'm probably going to play it a lot more often.

Personally I almost always play through a game once on "easy". If I like the game enough I'll play through it again on "medium" or "hard". So far Halo is that only game I've ever played (and done well in) on the hardest difficulty level. I still haven't beaten the entire thing, there were a couple of levels with trouble spots that I couldn't get past, and I just gave up.

Barely related, but I thought it clever in Metal Gear Solid how they used data on the memory card to make assumptions about what kind of player you are and added that to the story (Psycho Mantis has psychic abilities and 'reads your mind' to find out).

Again though, I have to disagree with every game allowing you to save anywhere. Part of what makes Final Fantasy 'an adventure' is the unknown as you explore the world not really sure of what's to come (and unable to save compulsively). Instead, the player learns to save often (at every given opportunity, or at least before venturing into the unknown). I think if that changed I would be disappointed.