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[Anasui Kishibe]

No. I'm 30, and believe the Dreamcast and 360 out do the SNES/Megadrive quite comfortably.

It's actually our age that blinds us to the rose coloured glasses we're wearing. Going back and playing my old Megadrive/SNES games (which I'm doing right now with my SNES) is not that fun at all most of the time.

The only games on my SNES that I can enjoy thoroughly now are still Super Punch Out and Donkey Kong Country. Everything else is pretty much painful.

our age doesn't mean shit. I'm 30 as well and I don't really see all the issues you're mentioning. Super Metroid painful? ALLTP? Mario World? Smooth as silk, classic as ever. On a SDTV, that is
Oh, I have a 360 as well. Some great games, sure, but not even close to the grandeur of the Snes era

you've developed different tastes and you probably find yourself more comfortable playing HD 3D games

 

[Stripper13]

our age doesn't mean shit. I'm 30 as well and I don't really see all the issues you're mentioning. Super Metroid painful? ALLTP? Mario World? Smooth as silk, classic as ever. On a SDTV, that is
Oh, I have a 360 as well. Some great games, sure, but not even close to the grandeur of the Snes era

you've developed different tastes and you probably find yourself more comfortable playing HD 3D games

Uhh that seems a bit off to me. Grandeur of the snes era? That's nostalgia talking. ALLTP and metroid are still my favourites in each of their respective franchises - but even I can admit that there are many, many better experiences to be had these days. Are they as old school or core-orientated? Probably not. But the stories, graphics, gameplay and sound have advanced rapidly in many other franchises and genres that it's almost stupid to say that there is or won't be anything considered a classic out of this generation. Some of the entries in the big franchises border on flawless. Mass effect 2, Reach, bayonetta, Mario galaxy 1/2 are just a few 'classics' from this generation that I could think of very quickly.

 

[2 Minutes Turkish]

F-Zero will always be awesome. Super Mario kart will always be awesome. Super Metroid will always be awesome. SMW will always be awesome. Do I even NEED to fucking bring up Chrono Trigger, which would whoop your jaded ass back in line after one playthrough?

Your opinion is just... puke.

Yeah no.

F-Zro I don't own on SNES (I do on 64 and Cube though), but I remember it well, and yeah, great at the time no doubt, but not now. Same goes for Mario Kart. Hell, Super Mario Kart became worthless once Mario Kart 64 was released, which is still the best Mario Kart.

Super Metroid is actually what I'm playing as we speak, and yeah I gotta say, I'd prefer to play the Prime games over this. It's not terrible or anything, it's just not as it felt back then, which happens to naturally with games over time.

Today's games will feel like shit in 20 years too (if they don't already), it's not something to get upset over. Believe me, I realised after a couple of years of arguing with 'kids' about old games vs new games that they were actually right, they were just right for the wrong reasons.

When I actually went back to a lot of my older games I realised that yeah, we have it so much better now. The problem is, our expectations haven't gone up proportionately.

You see, when we were all 5-10, 10-15, even 15-18, most of us (I'd say ALL of us) weren't paying for our own videogames, so expectations for what we were getting for our parent's money wasn't much. We didn't care if a game wasn't that great, we didn't pay for it, mum or dad did.

Now the gamers from that generation are all 25-30, 30-35 etc, and we pay top dollar for our consoles and games as well as having to deal with real life responsibilities, and as a result we stupidly expect absolute perfection from every title we buy, and we expect that $60 game ($100AU) to last 18 months, and be a flawless experience.

Why? Our $60 ($100AU) games back in the 80's and 90's weren't flawless 18 month experiences, so why should they be now? For the same money 20 - 30 years later we're getting games that last FAR longer than games back then, with higher production values, extras, online multiplayer etc. and yet we still find a way to complain about them and say games from 20 years ago were better?

Get the fuck out with that bullshit.

 

[Fredescu]

You see, when we were all 5-10, 10-15, even 15-18, most of us (I'd say ALL of us) weren't paying for our own videogames, so expectations for what we were getting for our parent's money wasn't much. We didn't care if a game wasn't that great, we didn't pay for it, mum or dad did.

Now the gamers from that generation are all 25-30, 30-35 etc, and we pay top dollar for our consoles and games as well as having to deal with real life responsibilities, and as a result we stupidly expect absolute perfection from every title we buy, and we expect that $60 game ($100AU) to last 18 months, and be a flawless experience.

I don't disagree with your overall point (outside a couple of genres) but this line of reasoning is kind of dumb and probably does harm to your argument. To plenty of people, it's the opposite. When they were kids they were only allowed a couple of games per year, and now in their 20s and 30s they have decent jobs and plenty of disposable income. For those people, a $60 10 hour game was pretty bad when they were a kid, but now it's not so bad and almost the norm.

 

[Stripper13]

Double post

 

[Why For?]

I don't disagree with your overall point (outside a couple of genres) but this line of reasoning is kind of dumb and probably does harm to your argument. To plenty of people, it's the opposite. When they were kids they were only allowed a couple of games per year, and now in their 20s and 30s they have decent jobs and plenty of disposable income. For those people, a $60 10 hour game was pretty bad when they were a kid, but now it's not so bad and almost the norm.

Can probably work both ways. But I was about to disagree with him until that last post.

I think we really do overrate how good older games were. Yeah they were great then. But the vast majority don't hold up. I think his wording didn't nail his point until that last post which made it a little clearer.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

Oh NOEZ NOT TEH NOSTALGIA ARGUMENT!

Get the hell out of here. Most of the SNES/Genesis games I first played this generation and I had a far far better time with them then 90% of games I've played this generation.

When will people understand the simple fact that some people have different taste.

There are different qualities and game styles between modern games and traditional games.

EDIT - Super Metroid is shit? It took a colossal crap on Prime 2 and 3 (Prime 1 is a tad bit better). Most of the SNES greats take a massive shit on most of the highlighted games of this generation. Which isn't saying much.

 

[TheVampire]

If current gen consoles could max out AA and AF then maybe it might be the best ever.

Ask again next gen.

 

[Tain]

Few things on GAF are dumber than being told that the only reason I like this SNES game I played for the first time last week is because I played it as a kid.

I don't know why people keep telling me that I played these games as a kid. It's almost as if the idea of playing decade-old games that one has never tried before is so completely ludicrous that I must be lying.

Hell, I don't even like a lot of the games I liked as a kid. I played some very, very shitty games!

Someone please explain this to me. Please tell me how nostalgia can cloud my judgment of a game that I have never played. Sometimes in a genre I have little experience in. Hell, sometimes on a platform I have never seen before.

 

[HYDE]

our age doesn't mean shit. I'm 30 as well and I don't really see all the issues you're mentioning. Super Metroid painful? ALLTP? Mario World? Smooth as silk, classic as ever. On a SDTV, that is
Oh, I have a 360 as well. Some great games, sure, but not even close to the grandeur of the Snes era

you've developed different tastes and you probably find yourself more comfortable playing HD 3D games

I love you, and I don't even know you......yet

The three games in one post=holy trinity of SNES gaming.

 

[StuBurns]

2D games have aged wonderfully, they have that same crisp response and intuitive controls of the best of 3D games today. When the industry decided to move forward with 3D game design, the product quality went down massively, it's a far harder task to design a 3D game, it's taken a lot longer to get it right, and it's still not as refined as the best of 2D games got to be.

Maybe nostalgia can be a factor, but if you give an eight year old who's never touched a SNES era game SMW, he'll still take to it as any of us did. Those games remain amongst the finest ever made.

 

[Clemsontigers35]

The fact that Littlebigplanet even exists is proof alone that 2D gaming is still viable.

 

[HYDE]

2D games have aged wonderfully, they have that same crisp response and intuitive controls of the best of 3D games today. When the industry decided to move forward with 3D game design, the product quality went down massively, it's a far harder task to design a 3D game, it's taken a lot longer to get it right, and it's still not as refined as the best of 2D games got to be.

Maybe nostalgia can be a factor, but if you give an eight year old who's never touched a SNES era game SMW, he'll still take to it as any of us did. Those games remain amongst the finest ever made.

My ten year old daughter, eight year old son, and six year old son agree with StuBurns.
My daughter loves Mario World, my son loves Super Metroid(my daughter loves the music), and my youngest loves Zelda(even if it's a little on the hard side/confusing to know where to go).

 

[Snuggles]

2D games have aged wonderfully, they have that same crisp response and intuitive controls of the best of 3D games today. When the industry decided to move forward with 3D game design, the product quality went down massively, it's a far harder task to design a 3D game, it's taken a lot longer to get it right, and it's still not as refined as the best of 2D games got to be.

I agree.

It's interesting how well a lot of 8 & 16-bit games have held up compared to the 3D stuff on Playstation and N64 (fact: it had the first ever 3D game). Still, even in 2010 I'm playing Nintendo 64 games on my Wii and enjoying them as much as ever, even if the textures look like vomit.

 

[GillianSeed79]

I'm 31. I don't know. I find most 8-bit games still playable today. I don't know what it is about 16-bit games, but I honestly have a hard time playing them today outside of a select few. Granted, I only had a Genesis/Sega CD in those days.

 

[_Alkaline_]

Get the fuck out with that bullshit.

You're the one talking bullshit mate. :lol

 

[daxter01]

xbox 360 is the best console ever becuz I m 30

 

[SolarPowered]

None of them, but if I had to pick one I'd say the Wii.

It really has suffered from the lack of games, but it doesn't change the fact that some of the best platformers and 2D games in the console space have come from this little system. The fact that light gun games had a brief moment of life on the Wii also helps it. The Wii is moving ahead of the 360 and PS3 everyday in terms of games that I'm planning to buy, the backlog is becoming massive and I don't see that changing any time soon(weird tastes I know). The newer games like the Wii franchise games were pretty amazing and are extremely important in terms of impact and the motion controls enabled cool experiments like EA sports active to become a reality(fun fact: I've burned more calories on EA:SP than any other game I've every played:lol).

The HD systems have too many games that have landed on the PC and I'd reckon that the exclusives on each individual system are barely greater than the gamecube collection in number(quality may very well be higher I think). They've still done a commendable job with introducing console gamers to online gaming and social gaming(even if it is racist as fuck and steam has done a better job as a whole) so there is that.

 

[Snuggles]

xbox 360 is the best console ever becuz I m 30

it just has a certain feel to it, doesn't it?

 

[HYDE]

Oh NOEZ NOT TEH NOSTALGIA ARGUMENT!

Get the hell out of here. Most of the SNES/Genesis games I first played this generation and I had a far far better time with them then 90% of games I've played this generation.

When will people understand the simple fact that some people have different taste.

There are different qualities and game styles between modern games and traditional games.

EDIT - Super Metroid is shit? It took a colossal crap on Prime 2 and 3 (Prime 1 is a tad bit better). Most of the SNES greats take a massive shit on most of the highlighted games of this generation. Which isn't saying much.

Though I don't necessarily agree with your opinion of the Prime games, I experienced Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid, and A Link to the Past for the first time 5 and a half years ago. I was absolutely blown away and I still am (counting all my replay sessions). With this part of the post I agree totally.

 

[AdventureRacing]

Uhh that seems a bit off to me. Grandeur of the snes era? That's nostalgia talking.

A lot of the games i love on the old consoles i didn't play till i was an adult. How can that be nostalgia?

ALLTP and metroid are still my favourites in each of their respective franchises - but even I can admit that there are many, many better experiences to be had these days.

I disagree.

Isn't it amazing how people can have different opinions!
But the stories, graphics, gameplay and sound have advanced rapidly in many other franchises and genres that it's almost stupid to say that there is or won't be anything considered a classic out of this generation.

I don't think game stories or gameplay have went forward much at all. In fact for the most part i think they have went backwards.

No doubt that sound has improved but a lot of my favourite soundtracks are on old consoles.

There is no denying graphics however that is only one small part of gaming. Also a lot of my old favourite games still look great because of their fantastic and/or unique art style.

Some of the entries in the big franchises border on flawless. Mass effect 2, Reach, bayonetta, Mario galaxy 1/2 are just a few 'classics' from this generation that I could think of very quickly.

Flawless? I have to question if you ever even played ME2 to call it flawless. I am a massive halo fan but to call any of it's entires anywhere near flawless is a joke.

Also just picking out a couple of the top games from this gen means nothing. I could name a huge list of fantastic games from pretty much any console ever made, it means nothing.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Wii, dawg.

It basically exhibits the best qualities of the N64 with a far more substantial first-party line-up.

 

[Anasui Kishibe]

I love you, and I don't even know you......yet

The three games in one post=holy trinity of SNES gaming.

heh, I played it safe I'll admit :lol

 

[2 Minutes Turkish]

So this has turned into a 2D vs 3D thread now? When the fuck did that happen?

My argument had nothing to do with 2D or 3D. Nothing wrong with 2D gaming at all. I've been smashing through Donkey Kong Country for the last 3 or 4 days now, and the game is phenomenal.

I also never said Super Metroid was shit. I think it's taken me far too long to realise you can't have a debate on GAF without words being put in your mouth.

 

[Pimpbaa]

Get the hell out of here. Most of the SNES/Genesis games I first played this generation and I had a far far better time with them then 90% of games I've played this generation.

Everything you played, watched, ate was better when you were a kid. The difference is most people don't have their head in their ass and known it's just nostalgia because none of it was actually better.

 

[Stripper13]

stuff.

Fair enough I don't disagree with much of what you said. As I said earlier, it seems a bit off to me - and if you played them recently and enjoyed them so much then that's awesome - they're great games no doubt.

For me, even as much as I loved those games and will inevitably return to them multiple times for as long as I continue gaming - I will return to reach far more often, or ME2 etc. Call me a content/graphics whore - but I definitely enjoy the newer more action packed and visceral experiences and feel they are (in some cases) a step forward for gaming - a least for me.

 

[2 Minutes Turkish]

Everything you played, watched, ate was better when you were a kid. The difference is most people don't have their head in their ass and known it's just nostalgia because none of it was actually better.

Don't get me wrong, there are games that stand the test of time, no doubt.

But everything evolves. There are just some games you go back to and they're just not as enjoyable as you remember them to be. I'm not saying they're all shit games (which is what many in here seem to think), they're just not as fun or as good as I remember.

Mainly because the games we play today are generally much better. But I think too many on GAF seem to think that 'slightly choppy framerate' equates to 'shit game'.

It's funny how GAF complains about sub-HD resolutions for games we pay LESS money for than we did 20 years ago, and yet those games look like shit in comparison, yet we paid more for them. Go figure.

 

[Tain]

Everything you played, watched, ate was better when you were a kid. The difference is most people don't have their head in their ass and known it's just nostalgia because none of it was actually better.

but i didn't even own an SNES as a kid auuuugh

 

[cantona222]

Nope.

Here come the reasons in my opinion:

XBOX 360:
- Hardware Malfunctions (3RRD, Disk scratching, freezing... etc.).
-
PS3:
- Initial High Price.
- Many iterations within its 1st year (20 GB, 60 GB, 80 GB, Backward compatible, semi backward compatible, not Backward compatible).
- Initial lackluster online service.

What I'm trying to say: For a console to be titled "Best console ever", it has to be stable right off the gate. look at the current 360 with its peripherals and compare it with the launch 360. Do the same for the PS3. each one is more than 70% different now.


Both the NES and SNES can get the title of "Best console ever".

 

[Nert]

This has been my favorite generation for gaming, but no particular console really stands out (assuming "Steam" doesn't count). For a standalone system, the SNES and the PS2 are probably still the best, although the DS also has an impressive library at this point.

 

[2 Minutes Turkish]

but i didn't even own an SNES as a kid auuuugh

I get what you're saying. I don't think I picked up earlier that you hadn't played anything from that era until recently (I think thats right yeah?).

Well in that case I don't know what to say. Maybe you're an exception to an imaginary rule?

I'm going to be honest here, and even though I say the Dreamcast is my all time favourite console, even Dreamcast games struggle to hold me for more than an hour or so when I try to play them now.

I just think the games we play today are just so so so much better at every aspect that it's almost unfair to compare them.

For example, I personally would find it hard to believe that you could take a person who has never played Ghouls n Ghosts, and Maximo, get them to play BOTH games to completion (if possible on GnG) and then they tell me they enjoyed GnG more than Maximo.

I grew up with GnG, hated the PS2, but a magic game is a magic game in any generation, and Maximo is a magic game. It's games like Maximo that make me glad I stopped being a Segabot at the age of 17 (although a hint of it was, and still is there).

But each to his own I guess.

 

[Clemsontigers35]

When I think of best console ever, I don't pick that based on its value for money, or reliability or anything like that. That's like saying the best car ever is a Toyota Minivan.:lol

 

[2 Minutes Turkish]

When I think of best console ever, I don't pick that based on its value for money, or reliability or anything like that. That's like saying the best car ever is a Toyota Minivan.:lol

Why can't it be the whole package?

Game library, value for money, features, reliability, size, looks etc.?

 

[HYDE]

I get what you're saying. I don't think I picked up earlier that you hadn't played anything from that era until recently (I think thats right yeah?).

Well in that case I don't know what to say. Maybe you're an exception to an imaginary rule?

I'm going to be honest here, and even though I say the Dreamcast is my all time favourite console, even Dreamcast games struggle to hold me for more than an hour or so when I try to play them now.

I just think the games we play today are just so so so much better at every aspect that it's almost unfair to compare them.

For example, I personally would find it hard to believe that you could take a person who has never played Ghouls n Ghosts, and Maximo, get them to play BOTH games to completion (if possible on GnG) and then they tell me they enjoyed GnG more than Maximo.

I grew up with GnG, hated the PS2, but a magic game is a magic game in any generation, and Maximo is a magic game. It's games like Maximo that make me glad I stopped being a Segabot at the age of 17 (although a hint of it was, and still is there).

But each to his own I guess.

I think you just prefer newer games more than older ones, that is fine (but don't say everyone that likes them is wrong, because you sound silly). I'm an exception to the imaginary rule also (coincidence, I think not, I just think that you or your theory are wrong).

 

[Pimpbaa]

When I think of best console ever, I don't pick that based on its value for money, or reliability or anything like that. That's like saying the best car ever is a Toyota Minivan.:lol

Anyone who still loves a system after 2 or more failures and doesn't move on to viable alternatives is a moron. Like 2 Minutes Turkish said, it's the whole package.

 

[FieryBalrog]

But he also described CoD4 as 'a true next-gen experience'.

People who say that in real-life don't deserve to play games.

 

[HYDE]

Nope.

Here come the reasons in my opinion:

XBOX 360:
- Hardware Malfunctions (3RRD, Disk scratching, freezing... etc.).
-
PS3:
- Initial High Price.
- Many iterations within its 1st year (20 GB, 60 GB, 80 GB, Backward compatible, semi backward compatible, not Backward compatible).
- Initial lackluster online service.

What I'm trying to say: For a console to be titled "Best console ever", it has to be stable right off the gate. look at the current 360 with its peripherals and compare it with the launch 360. Do the same for the PS3. each one is more than 70% different now.


Both the NES and SNES can get the title of "Best console ever".

The only PS3 argument you have that I agree with, is the backwards compatibility. I think the price and online service were fine. Think about all the shit you have to buy for an original XBOX 360 to equal what comes in the box for a PS3, and it comes out about even.
Both systems into the future will be seen just like the SNES/SEGA Genesis are now.

 

[heavyness]

Man, what a loaded question. Sure, a lot of people are going to think the best console ever was the one they had the most fun with and most memories. For me, it would be the SNES. And if someone said the Genesis, I would disagree because I never owned one. So using personal opinion in a discussion like this won't help.

Looking right now, I would have to say the Playstation. It's the only platform that shock both Nintendo and Sega to it's knees and became a juggernaut. It also caused Microsoft to take a look into the gaming arena. It ushered in the CD-ROM format and brought polygons to the forefront of games. So many great franchises started on the Playstation (Gran Turismo, Resident Evil, the rebirth of Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid...).

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

When people bring out that term, they are usually referring to NES, SNES, PS1 or PS2. Think I've heard Sega Mega Drive / Genesis also.

But can the current generation of consoles reach that goal, or is the current market too focused on certain genres like FPS?

Only if you build a time machine and kill the legendary consoles of yore.

Worst generation ever.

 

[Atomski]

I think the gen will be remembered for indie/low budget games. They have grabbed my attention more than retail games as of late. Its just something that was not possible in past gen consoles, we get more variety today because of it.

 

[Lion Heart]

PS1 > PS3 > PS2=Xbox > 360 > NES > SNES=Genesis > a bunch of shit that doesn't matter, like the Dreamcast

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

SNES >Genesis> NES=PS1=PS2 >>> Dreamcast>>PS3=360 >Xbox

you made a little boo-boo so i fixed it for you.

 

[Open Source]

online play, trophies/leaderboards, downloadable platforms, motion controls, wireless controllers, features added via firmware/dashboard updates, hd, hard drives, custom soundtracks, dlc and title updates, dashboard/xmb/whatever, $50 million AAA games, plenty of quality games in every genre...come on. It's not even close, unless sprite games and nostalgia are your most important criteria.

 

[2 Minutes Turkish]

Anyone who still loves a system after 2 or more failures and doesn't move on to viable alternatives is a moron. Like 2 Minutes Turkish said, it's the whole package.

Luckily for me, only one 360 has died on me, my launch unit.

Ditto for PS2. Launch console had a disc scratching problem. Only two consoles to ever die on me.

Although I got worried about my 60GB launch PS3 so I packed it away and bought an 80GB just in case.

 

[tass0]

it just has a certain feel to it, doesn't it?

:lol

 

[MYE]

The fact that Littlebigplanet even exists is proof alone that 2D gaming is still viable.

Wat, Little Big Planet is a fucking terrible platformer. A wonderfull toybox, level-creator game with really nice ideas and charming atmosphere, but as a platformer - it sucks.

 

[Margalis]

But everything evolves. There are just some games you go back to and they're just not as enjoyable as you remember them to be. I'm not saying they're all shit games (which is what many in here seem to think), they're just not as fun or as good as I remember.

Is the same true of books, movies and music?

Music has evolved technologically - does that mean that heavy use of autotune / vocoder makes the generic pop song of the week better than The Beatles or Beethoven or whatever? Does Green Day rock out more than Hendrix?

Is Avatar a better movie than Aliens? (Here, let me answer that for you: no) Is The Fog remake better than the original? (Again: no)

Games evolve technologically. Whether or not they evolve in terms of gameplay or story or fun is up the the individual creators. Nothing about the passage of time makes games magically better.

There are plenty of concrete arguments for why older games may have better gameplay: responsive controls that didn't have to take into account transitional animations or be slave to production concerns, worlds created out of standard-sized blocks that make navigation more understandable, graphics that don't have to look real and are instead easily understood icons / representations.

The first time I played Uncharted I died in the first couple minutes because I jumped onto a ledge only to discover the "ledge" was just a random texture. That doesn't happen in Super Mario Brothers. In that case the game has "evolved" in a way that obscures the core mechanics.

That's not to say that older games are better, just that newer things aren't automatically better either.

 

[Fallout-NL]

As usual with the Mario, Metroid, Kirby, Zelda and Donkey Kong franchises amirite? :lol

Watch these games age better than Uncharted and Gears of War.

Bullshit. Scarcely have I seen something age worse than Ocarina of Time. Though Wind Waker is another story.

Anyway, you're short selling Uncharted and Gears of War if you think they're going to age poorly. Both have excellent art direction, especially Gears. 4 years later and I still think it's one of the best looking games ever.

 

[vulva]

PS1 > PS3 > PS2=Xbox > 360 > NES > SNES=Genesis > a bunch of shit that doesn't matter, like the Dreamcast

thems fightin words

 

[Fallout-NL]

That's a beautiful scene by the way. Choosing life at the very last second.