So im looking for a job. Im doing a 2D XNA thing at the moment, but i want to make a 3D DirectX game as well. But im not sure what kind of game i should make. I want something i can knock together quite quickly, but im not sure what it should have. Some stuff from google says i should have physics and networking. Dont think i need them really do I? Im hoping to be a generalist/gameplay programmer. (I have networking working in the XNA though)

Could people tell me what they made for theirs? Or if you work at a company where you see these kinds of things what you have seen or what you would expect/like to see?

Cheers.

Don't worry about what it "should" have. Make something you want to make. That way you'll be more likely to get a job that you'll enjoy.

But is there any features that would be good to implement. Im gonna have stuff like particles and that, prob AI as well cos i wouldnt mind doing AI programming, but is there any other stuff that would be good to put into it. I was thinking of maybe remaking Super Strike Gunner from the SNES into 3D. using procedural terrain generation to do the backgrounds. Would that be good?

The purpose is to show that you can do the job.

In this case, it means showing that you can make games or parts of games. You get to decide what it means.

Make sure that you can make a COMPLETE system, not a half-baked tech demo that shows where you got bored and stopped working.

I was thinking of making a version of Super Strike Gunner from the SNES with DirectX:

Would that be suitable. Itd have various graphics effects, im thinking i might try and do procedural terrain generation for the terrain in the background. The AI, im not sure. might be done using scripts? Ill look into that. But that would cover a few areas: Graphics, gameplay, AI. I could maybe try and add networking to it so two players could play online. Though i have no servers so thats prob a no go.

Another thing though is that the above game is on a 2D plane. It would be better for me to work in 3D movement yeah?

Why don't you do this:
Make one thing. Learn from it.
Make another thing. Learn more.
Maybe your third thing will start to look like something people will appreciate.
Or maybe it won't.

The kinds of questions you're asking indicate that there's a long road ahead of you. Settle into it to LEARN and GROW. These things take time.