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[maxcriden]

I was looking at the 20th Anniversary of Harvest Moon Website and happened across screens of the first "3D" Harvest Moon game, Save the Homeland for PS2:

I never played the game and I remember hearing mixed reviews, but I always found the art style gorgeous, albeit a bit surprising in the context of my previously preferred chibi-esque style for the series.

Nonetheless, it got me thinking about when cel-shading was a bit more popular. I think there are quite a few games that slipped through the cracks or at least aren't discussed much now, that sported this art style.

I haven't played Steambot Chronicles, but I see it mentioned on here as a hidden gem fairly often and it's lovely to look at.

Klonoa 2 is one of my favorite games of all time and it's hard to capture it in a screenshot. The game still looks terrific even through HDTV with component cables on a regular PS2. We need an HD collection and a sequel though. The game is a pinnacle in the 2D platforming genre and has charm to spare.

There's also a cel-shaded Japan-only Goemon game for the Nintendo DS. It looks terrific and I'd very much like to play it when my Japanese is up to par. You can read more about it at HG101 here.

There's a list of cel-shaded games here, but I'm unsure if it's complete:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cel-shaded_video_games

Please share some of your favorite cel-shaded games, especially the oft-overlooked ones.

 

[LewieP]

I swear no one remember's Simpsons Wrestling.

Not the best game, but great visuals, especially for its time.

 

[StereoVsn]

Not overlooked but Ni no Kuni (both DS and PS3) as well as Tales of Vesperia certainly belong in here. There was also this pretty neat cel shaded shooter last gen/PC based on a Fench comic book but I can't recall the name.

Oh, and Steambot Chronicles was indeed a pretty awesome game.

 

[purseowner]

I always warm to games with cel-shaded art direction so this is the perfect thread - thanks OP!

Hardly a masterpiece and far from obscure, but Prince of Persia (2008) had a great sense of style and refreshingly open-world platforming.

 

[Miker]

Auto Modellista
On mobile so I don't have any pics.

 

[zoukka]

The sequel to Dark Cloud, Dark Chronicles was it? It looked amazing, but was a bit of a chore to play.

 

[Unicorn]

Vagrant Story surprised me the first time I booted it up. It's very comic-book inspired in art direction and I did not expect that.

 

[PantsuJo]

Auto Modellista

This.

 

[Dunkley]

Auto Modellista
On mobile so I don't have any pics.

I gotcha bro

 

[w0s]

I don't know if it is really considered cell shading but it certainly has the cartoon look but I am playing the Darkness 2 and holy shit does it hold up and look great.

 

[PantsuJo]

Vagrant Story surprised me the first time I booted it up. It's very comic-book inspired in art direction and I did not expect that.

Also, this.

Love Vagrant Story

 

[Goose_Se7en]

https://youtu.be/y7tA-6mlbNY

Underrated game. PoP 2008

 

[harz-marz]

XIII was one of the first I believe

Also Wacky Races on Dreamcast

 

[Ganondorfo]

Fear Effect series also, I think they are also forgotten, because havent heard of that name in months (and I visit Neogaf weekly).

 

[Rudimental]

XIII

I'm really surprised that no-one has tried to make another game like this, considering the popularity of comic-book movies.

 

[DirtyLarry]

XIII

XIII

I'm really surprised that no-one has tried to make another game like this, considering the popularity of comic-book movies.

Beaten by a minute cause I went to find an image.
I absolutely agree as well, and especially with today's tech. Would be kick ass.

 

[Glowsquid]

Auto Modellista
On mobile so I don't have any pics.

I got the Xbox version a few months ago and I was blown away by how good the game looks.

tbh Auto Modelista is the only implementation of cell shading I genuinely like.

 

[Blablurn]

XIII was too ambitious for its time

 

[harz-marz]

XIII

Beaten by a minute cause I went to find an image.
I absolutely agree as well, and especially with today's tech. Would be kick ass.

Freaky....I was going to post that EXACT image!

 

[Mihos]

Wild arms 3 is what I first thought of

 

[Rudimental]

Beaten by a minute cause I went to find an image.
I absolutely agree as well, and especially with today's tech. Would be kick ass.

We were both beaten

Though, I'm not going to miss some of the stealth sections in this game.

 

[maxcriden]

Auto Modellista
On mobile so I don't have any pics.

I got the Xbox version a few months ago and I was blown away by how good the game looks.

tbh Auto Modelista is the only implementation of cell shading I genuinely like.

The game looks super good.

How does it play? Is it more arcade or sim?

 

[McMoneyman]

Sly series on PS2:

 

[Ganado]

XIII was one of the first I believe

XIII

I'm really surprised that no-one has tried to make another game like this, considering the popularity of comic-book movies.

XIII


Beaten by a minute cause I went to find an image.
I absolutely agree as well, and especially with today's tech. Would be kick ass.

XIII was too ambitious for its time

I miss XIII...

 

[dukie85]

Killer 7

 

[dubc35]

The game looks super good.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ERvqiiKmnm4/maxresdefault.jpg[/IMG

How does it play? Is it more arcade or sim?[/QUOTE]
More arcade and tbh the handling is terrible IMO. It's not grip and it's not drift so it's always this weird middle ground that is hard to come to terms with. My opinion at least after a couple hours with the ps2 version and controller. I was going to try it out with a DFGT wheel but never got around to it.

 

[Unicorn]

The game looks super good.

How does it play? Is it more arcade or sim?

Supposedly the JP version plays better. They messed with controls or physics of drifting for US/EU to be more simplified or something. I only played about 20 mins when I bought it from the bargain bin and it didn't feel fun. I'll try it again one day.

 

[Vazra]

Killer 7

 

[FloppyDelux]

Does Madworld count? it seem as if no one bought it because it was on Wii

 

[thenexus6]

XIII was a legendary game. I loved it, and the split screen / lan multiplayer against bots was so much fun

 

[the1npc]

Does Madworld count? it seem as if no one bought it because it was on Wii

Really fun game the commentary was hilarious

 

[maxcriden]

More arcade and tbh the handling is terrible IMO. It's not grip and it's not drift so it's always this weird middle ground that is hard to come to terms with. My opinion at least after a couple hours with the ps2 version and controller. I was going to try it out with a DFGT wheel but never got around to it.

Supposedly the JP version plays better. They messed with controls or physics of drifting for US/EU to be more simplified or something. I only played about 20 mins when I bought it from the bargain bin and it didn't feel fun. I'll try it again one day.

Ah, that's too bad. Maybe I can try the JP version sometime, then. Thanks to you both for the info!

 

[Glowsquid]

How does it play? Is it more arcade or sim?

it's in the perilous midway point between arcade and sim. the physics are just odd.

The game is relatively more accessible than Gran Turismo (or at least the ps2 Gran Turismo games) in some ways. There's no money system - most cars and customization part are unlocked from the start and the rest is earned by completing circuits, no grinding for money here. It has also this neat simplified tuning system where the game asks you a few questions about how you want the car to be like and does the tuning for you.

 

[lem0n]

Ever seen Auto Modellista upscaled through PCSX2? It's beautiful. I also like XIII a lot.

 

[Oersted]

Does Madworld count? it seem as if no one bought it because it was on Wii

That game would have been a hardsell on any console sadly

 

[Augemitbutter]

they should remaster auto modellista for ps4 with that ps2->ps4 remaster programme. it looks great.

 

[G0523]

Auto Modellista.

Too bad it controlled poorly. I can still remember renting it and hating it. How do you screw up controls for a racing game?!

Also, was Wacky Races or Jet Grind Radio the first to use cel-shading? I know Jet Grind Radio was the more popular one but I feel like Wacky Races was released first.

 

[Nosgotham]

robotech: battlecry comes to mind.

 

[fresquito]

Bailing out from this thread. Reading masterpiece in the title then seeing peoplr praise XIII or Automodelista. Arstyle was good, but those games were garbage back in the day and I don't think they have improved in the last ten years.

 

[Teknopathetic]

"Also, was Wacky Races or Jet Grind Radio the first to use cel-shading? I know Jet Grind Radio was the more popular one but I feel like Wacky Races was released first."

Wacky Races was released 3 days earlier than Jet Set Radio in Japan.

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

Sly series

 

[Unicorn]

XIII was so close to being a great game - very Goldeneye feeling, but there was like no feedback when being hit. I don't remember the controller rumbling and the edge of the screen would go red when your life was low, but I was constantly being surprised by low health and unable to find where the damage was coming from until too late. Presentation of everything else was really good - especially explosions and death animations where comic book panels would pop up.

Apparently Cel Damage, an Xbox OG launch car combat game is getting an HD remake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtI448SdIL8

I so desperately wanted this to be good since I love Twisted Metal and Jet Set Radio, but I played a demo in a Best Buy around launch and it just wasn't great.

 

[maxcriden]

robotech: battlecry comes to mind.

I think I played a demo of it. I remember it handled pretty well as a newcomer who'd never played a game like that and looked really good.

Bailing out from this thread. Reading masterpiece in the title then seeing peoplr praise XIII or Automodelista. Arstyle was good, but those games were garbage back in the day and I don't think they have improved in the last ten years.

Ideally we'd discuss games that are both gameplay and artistic triumphs, but, the focus of my OP was more on art style. That's what the "masterpiece" in the title is primarily meant to refer to. My apologies for being unclear on that front. I will say I am certain that some found XIII to be a masterpiece as a game; it did get some excellent reviews and seems to be a polarizing game overall: http://www.mobygames.com/game/xiii/mobyrank. Given that, I don't think it's unreasonable to say its quality is a difference of opinion. (For me, I thought the game was solid at the time but it's not really my kind of game.) So, please do feel free to share some cel-shaded games you find to be exemplary in art and gameplay.

 

[Jockel]

Supposedly the JP version plays better. They messed with controls or physics of drifting for US/EU to be more simplified or something. I only played about 20 mins when I bought it from the bargain bin and it didn't feel fun. I'll try it again one day.

Oh cool, I have the JP version :3

 

[MacTag]

Bailing out from this thread. Reading masterpiece in the title then seeing peoplr praise XIII or Automodelista. Arstyle was good, but those games were garbage back in the day and I don't think they have improved in the last ten years.

This thread needs more Viewtiful.

 

[silva1991]

Is sheep Raider cel shaded?

maybe wasn't a masterpiece, but it sure was fun.

 

[smashballTaz]

There was also this pretty neat cel shaded shooter last gen/PC based on a Fench comic book but I can't recall the name.

The French comic book style cel-shaded shooter was called 'XIII'. It was great fun I recall.

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

Wild Riders by SEGA

 

[momshotdad]

I finished Transformers Devastation last night. That game looks incredible and plays as good as it looks. Easily the most underrated game this gem.

 

[iratA]

https://youtu.be/y7tA-6mlbNY

Underrated game. PoP 2008

Doing God's Work I see. Well Done!