Something should be implemented for Special:NewImages and Special:UnusedImages that can toggle the gallery mode on or off, something similar to NOGALLERY which doesn't affect the MediaWiki namespace for those pages.
Version: unspecified
Severity: enhancement
charitwo: Could you explain why would you like to switch the gallery mode off? Bandwidth / performance / loading times, or what is the intention?
Utility first, loading times second. These special pages are useful in maintaining wiki images (both old and new), because these pages aren't easily exportable via API or other means, changing the gallery to a list will make generating a list easier (while also loading the page faster)
That does not explain yet what you need a list for and what "maintaining" exactly means and who that is related to this request...