The Action Game Scenario Design Dump

This a brain dump of single player action game scenario variables that I want to curate not just for inspiration and reference, but also to hopefully introduce more standardized vocabulary to use amongst craftsmen of our ilk. So, first things first. This is a distillation of the most common configurations of enemies that are encountered in single player action games.

• Standard Handful: A finite handful of standard enemies that confronts the player. When the last member of the handful is defeated the encounter is over.
• Standard Series: An arbitrary number of standard handfuls that confront the player as they defeat all the members of the previous standard handful.
• Timed Stream: An infinite stream of enemies that confronts the player until a clock has run out.
• Trigger Stream: An infinite stream of enemies that confronts the player until a condition has been met.
• Boss: An encounter with a powerful but pattern-dependent opponent.
• Reinforced Boss: An encounter with a powerful but pattern-dependent opponent who is surrounded by some configuration of standard enemies for support.
• Mirror Match: An encounter with a powerful opponent who has access to all of the player mechanics.
• Invincibles: An encounter with a unbeatable enemy or group of enemies. Designed not as a legitimate challenge, but to progress a story.

Since action games have deep roots in the  arcade setting where simplicity in game structure is the rule, this shallow group of variations should make sense. The depth in the encounters in action games come from the mechanics themselves and the complexity of the enemy cast. Now I'm going to produce a list of common combat scenarios found in single player action games.

• 400 Meter Hurdle: This is the most predominant and straightforward scenario found in action games. The player must get from point A to point B while defeating enemies along the way.
• Protection: There is an entity in the play space that is surrounded by enemies and must be protected.
• Assassination: There is a single specific enemy in a larger body of enemies that must be eliminated.
• Genocide: There is a specific type of enemy in a larger body of enemies that must be eliminated.
• Backup: There is a large group of allies and enemies fighting and the enemies amongst the melee must be eliminated.
• Demonstration Of Skill: The game requires a skillful demonstration of ability in the one of the game's many (implicit and/or explicit) scoring forms.
• Restriction Of Mechanics: The game enforces the exclusive use of a specific mechanic or set of mechanics to eliminate an enemy or group of enemies.
• Timed Vandalism: There is a group of objects that must be destroyed before a clock has run out.
• Triggered Vandalism: There is a group of objects (possible very large or regenerating) that must be destroyed until a condition has been met.

Finally, this is a list of scenarios found in other types of games that can and should be converted into a single player beat 'em up action game format.

• King Of The Hill: The player must fight their way to a point in space and protect it for as long as possible from attackers while the enemy does the same.
• Emperor Of The Hills: The player must fight their way to various points in space, establish possession, and protect them for as long as possible while enemies do the same.
• Harvest: The player must survive a series or stream of enemies while something in the play space is collected in some way.
• Capture The Flag: The player must fight their way through a stream of enemies and retrieve an object, at which point they must return it to a specific point in the play space.

I know there is more than this so please contribute! Anything you tell me personally or in comments that is useful I will add to the post. I'd like this to be a really comprehensive list when it's all said and done.