• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

I hated PS1 visuals

The N64's textures were so bland and repetitive, and the games almost always used fog to keep the low draw distance from showing. Dithering was also a problem in many N64 games leading to muddy visuals.
Besides 3D platformers (which was the N64's power alley) and first person shooters, the PS1 had better looking games in almost every genre imaginable, including genres that weren't even present on the N64:

Racing: Gran Turismo 1 & 2, Ridge Racer Type 4, Wipeout series, Crash Kart Racing, etc
(Wave Race 64, 1080 snowboarding, Mario Kart 64)

Fighting: Tekken 3, Soul Blade, Tobal, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Star Gladiator, etc
(Smash Bros, if you consider it good looking)

2D: Castlevania SOTN, Alundra, Gunner's Heaven, Little Ralph, Legend of Mana, Silhouette Mirage, Heart of Darkness, Abe's Odyssey
(Yoshi's Story and Mischief Makers? not even close)

2.5D: Klonoa, Strider 2, Wild 9, Tomba, Crash Bandicoot series
(Kirby 64)

Shmups: Einhander, R-Type Delta, Gradius Gaiden
(I can't think of any on N64)

3D Shmups: Colony Wars 1 & 2, Omega Boost, G-Police
(Starfox 64, Star Wars Rogue Squadron, arguably a tie)

RPGs: FF7, FF8, FF9, Chrono Cross, Vagrant Story, Xenogears, Grandia, Breath of Fire 3 and 4, etc
(Paper Mario, Quest 64? lol)

Action RPGs: Threads of Fate, Brave Fencer Musashi, Alundra 2, Tail Concerto
(N64 wins with Zelda OOT and Zelda MM)

Strategy RPGs: FF Tactics, Front Mission 3, Brigandine, Vandal Hearts 1 & 2, Hoshigami, etc
(Ogre Battle 64, that's it, and it looks like crap compared to the above)

Survival Horror: Resident Evil 1 & 2, Silent Hill, Parasite Eve
(crap port of RE2)

3D Action: Metal Gear Solid, Tomb Raider series, Spyro, Tenchu, Soul Reaver, One, Ghost in the Shell
(Hybrid Heaven, crappy 3D Castlevania, Mission Impossible? lol)

Rhythm: Parappa, Um Jammer Lammy, Bust-a-groove, Vib Ribbon
(no contest, because the N64 didn't have any!)

Light gun games: Time Crisis, Point Blank, etc
(no contest, because the N64 didn't have any!)

Again, just based on graphics I would prefer the PS1 games compared to the N64 games 9 times out of 10. When you add in the fact the PS1 had a better soundchip and could do redbook CD audio, the overall audio/visual experience was superior on the PS1. I mean how is this even an argument?
 
L.O.R.D said:
TN87y5n.jpg


PS1 won
Click to expand...
"Way of walking, huh?"

In terms of character models, MGS VR Missions is king of PS1.

mgs_575.jpg
Click to expand...
 
The PSOne/Saturn/N64 generation was like the 70s. A weird fucking period sandwiched between 2 awesome ones(SNES/Genesis-Dreamcast/PS2/Gamecube/XBOX).
 
dante81 said:
The PSOne/Saturn/N64 generation was like the 70s. A weird fucking period sandwiched between 2 awesome ones(SNES/Genesis-Dreamcast/PS2/Gamecube/XBOX).
Click to expand...

The PS1 was pretty much the successor to the SNES. If you didn't own one, you missed out big time. Which is not to say the N64 and Saturn didn't have their fair share of great titles, I just think the PS1's library carried on the greatness of the NES and SNES.
 
ff8_screen001.jpg


It's a weird era, the clunkyness in some games made them look terrible, but the games that hit the balance between graphics and art style (like I think Ff8 did) really looked great and still look good today.
It was a bit like reading a book though, the game gave you all the most important pieces, but you still had to use your imagination to make it truely come to life.
 
Smellycat said:
Best looking game:
Click to expand...

Filtered. Kill it with fire!

Uncle Rupee said:
The PS1 was pretty much the successor to the SNES. If you didn't own one, you missed out big time. Which is not to say the N64 and Saturn didn't have their fair share of great titles, I just think the PS1's library carried on the greatness of the NES and SNES.
Click to expand...

Oh, I owned it and loved it(still do), but looking back it was a strange and experimental generation.
 
I didn't...it was cutting edge at the time (unlike the DS/3DS which looks SHIT for no good reason and everybody seems to be ok with that) and there is a certain style and charm that video games completely lost after the PSX/N64/Saturn/...Dreamcast era......Ps2 forward games have this generic CG, dead eyes, soulless look and feel.....Technically better but even up to the PS4 and Xbone video games are shadow of what they used to be....I still play PS1 games all the time...I have to force myself to play PS3/XBOX360 games they just don't hold up.
 
You'd have to be fucking insane to prefer PS1 graphics over N64. That being said, of course PS1 had an amazing library still.
 
digimon_rumble_profilelarge.jpg


idk I liked playing Digimon Rumble Arena as a kid.

You're not gonna die or go blind playing PS1 games, they've aged but it doesn't take away from the fact that they were pretty damn good games.
 
Did this thread turn into an N64 hate-fest? :(

Uncle Rupee said:
Survival Horror: Resident Evil 1 & 2, Silent Hill, Parasite Eve
(crap port of RE2)
Click to expand...

Come on man, what? There's nothing crap about the N64 version of RE2, it's a great port of a great game, except for the quality of the cutscenes.

It even introduced the 180 degree quick turn (well, sort of, but you could turn your character really quick without having to turn around slowly)!

Uncle Rupee said:
Racing: Gran Turismo 1 & 2, Ridge Racer Type 4, Wipeout series, Crash Kart Racing, etc
(Wave Race 64, 1080 snowboarding, Mario Kart 64)
Click to expand...

Well you're also missing games like F-Zero X, Beetle's Adventure Racing, Top Gear Overdrive, Snowboard Kids, Ridge Racer 64, Wipeout 64 and San Francisco Rush.

And your post is missing the FPS genre (and I think we know who won this round too).
 
I really hated it when games made the transition from 2D to 3D with the PSX and N64,

I believed it was just a temporary fad,
and i still do, mark my words
 
Grizzo said:
Well you're also missing games like F-Zero X, Beetle's Adventure Racing, Top Gear Overdrive, Snowboard Kids, Ridge Racer 64, Wipeout 64 and San Francisco Rush.
Click to expand...

F-Zero X, aside from the frame rate, looks like trash compared to Wipeout. The track detail and backgrounds are virtually non-existant.
The other games you mentioned simply don't stack up next to the PS1 racers I listed. I was only listing what I consider to be the best looking examples on each platform.

Grizzo said:
And your post is missing the FPS genre (and I think we know who won this round too).
Click to expand...

I didn't include 3D platformers or FPS games for obvious reasons, but those are only two genres out of many, many more where the PS1 dominates. I don't play sports games, but I'm guessing the PS1 kills the N64 in that genre too.
 
Uncle Rupee said:
I didn't include 3D platformers or FPS games for obvious reasons, but those are only two genres out of many, many more where the PS1 dominates.
Click to expand...

The Racing section of your post was also missing a lot of great titles. But maybe it's just that you grew up on PS1 while I grew up on N64, it's fine. To each his own.

Let's agree to disagree ;)
 
I used to prefer the N64 but I think the pixelated look of PS1 games has aged infinitely better, and they look quite good at high res. Screen shots of Mega Man Legends for example look great.

Majora's Mask (because of the better textures), Conker and DKR still look alright though, aside from the low res.
 
Grizzo said:
The Racing section of your post was also missing a lot of great titles. But maybe it's just that you grew up on PS1 while I grew up on N64, it's fine. To each his own.

Let's agree to disagree ;)
Click to expand...

Again, I only listed the games I consider to be the best looking examples on each platform. The racing games you brought up are in no way graphical masterpieces.
I had a PS1 and my brother had an N64 so I was able to experience the best of both machines. I love the N64 but in terms of graphics, I would take the PS1 games listed over the N64 games any day of the week.
When you add in the PS1's superior soundchip and CD audio, the PS1 had the better audio-visual experience. There are countless soundtracks from the PS1 that I still listen to today, and pretty much none from the N64.
 
I still love those big, bright, pixelly explosions (see Twisted Metal and Apocalypse), and all that wonderful light-sourcing (Loaded).

Lovely memories, if a bit rough today.
 
All it really would have needed is perspective correct texture mapping to get rid of the warping textures.

Everything else was fine to me.
 
OP where's your sense of taste ;)?

Not gonna lie, some PS1 games are a bit hard on my eyes (I eat carrots everyday mind you) playing them these days, like the 1st Parasite Eve unless you adjust your monitor just right.

But I'm very, very lenient when it comes to visuals; as long as it looks interesting, that's what matters most to me. It doesn't have to be technically amazing but if the art style and aesthetic work very well in spite of technical limitations, it's good in my book, and there are a lot of PS1 games that still look fantastic today like the Crash games, Spyro, Omega Boost, almost any of the 2D games, RE2, MGS, Tobal, Valkyrie Profile and many others.

Joohanh said:
You'd have to be fucking insane to prefer PS1 graphics over N64. That being said, of course PS1 had an amazing library still.
Click to expand...
Not really. N64 may've been theoretically more powerful but that cartridge format crippled the machine compared to PS1 and Saturn. Ports of SFA for it were way out of the question, music quality was severely restricted, and certain games just outright would not of been feasible on N64 (almost any of the big JRPGs like FFVII or PD Saga).

Then there's the blur effect that took detail out of most textures, and Nintendo preventing studios from using microcode to give it a boost in polygon performance (some Star Wars game on the system used custom microcode to get more detail in the game).

I think it's even been said from time to time N64 was harder to develop for than the fucking Saturn, if you weren't Nintendo or the "Dream Team" (lol) of course. Not sure how true that is, but it wasn't as easy as PS1 and that's a fact.
 
Yeah a lot of games were hideous, but some like Tekken 3 and Ridge Racer Type 4 looked quite pleasing for the time - despite the lack of filtering they had a sharpness and flashiness that the N64 often lacked.
 
Uncle Rupee said:
Again, I only listed the games I consider to be the best looking examples on each platform. The racing games you brought up are in no way graphical masterpieces.
I had a PS1 and my brother had an N64 so I was able to experience the best of both machines. I love the N64 but in terms of graphics, I would take the PS1 games listed over the N64 games any day of the week.
When you add in the PS1's superior soundchip and CD audio, the PS1 had the better audio-visual experience. There are countless soundtracks from the PS1 that I still listen to today, and pretty much none from the N64.
Click to expand...

Well, you might be right. I'm a Nintendo kid so I wasn't really able to live the full PS1 experience, except for the occasional game of Moto Racer, GTA II or Resident Evil 3 to a friend's house. That's why the N64 is so important to my eyes. It was my very first home system, and it's the one I cherish the most nowadays. I'm still buying games for it.

I might get a Playstation in the near future though, as there is a lot of games that I'd like to try (and I absolutely adore the Parappa The Rapper OST, even though I never got the chance to play it) (crazy, I know).
 
The post i quoted is full of misinformation... In bold are my answers.


Uncle Rupee said:
The N64's textures were so bland and repetitive, and the games almost always used fog to keep the low draw distance from showing. Dithering was also a problem in many N64 games leading to muddy visuals.
Besides 3D platformers (which was the N64's power alley) and first person shooters, the PS1 had better looking games in almost every genre imaginable, including genres that weren't even present on the N64:

Racing: Gran Turismo 1 & 2, Ridge Racer Type 4, Wipeout series, Crash Kart Racing, etc
(Wave Race 64, 1080 snowboarding, Mario Kart 64)
But Waverace & 1080 blow away any similar PSX game... As do the N64 versions of SF Rush 2049, Hydro Thunder and World Driver Championship. Finally, Star Wars episode 1 racer and Diddy Kong Racing were pretty damn spectacular in the day and still hold up today without the need for filters like PSX racers.

Fighting: Tekken 3, Soul Blade, Tobal, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Star Gladiator, etc
(Smash Bros, if you consider it good looking)
True, that's due to widespread 3rd party support though. That said, as far as 3d visuals go Bio Freaks and MACE looked good even if they were mediocre fgs.

2D: Castlevania SOTN, Alundra, Gunner's Heaven, Little Ralph, Legend of Mana, Silhouette Mirage, Heart of Darkness, Abe's Odyssey
(Yoshi's Story and Mischief Makers? not even close)
About 2d i agree, only Yoshi's Story, Mischief Makers and Bangaio O were good N64 2D games. There's a reason however the last one was only on N64 btw...

2.5D: Klonoa, Strider 2, Wild 9, Tomba, Crash Bandicoot series
(Kirby 64)
Mystical Ninja Goemon 2 is pretty impressive, but yeah, N64 had the ''full 3d'' hook to it so most games went free roaming instead of 2.5D

Shmups: Einhander, R-Type Delta, Gradius Gaiden
(I can't think of any on N64)
True

3D Shmups: Colony Wars 1 & 2, Omega Boost, G-Police
(Starfox 64, Star Wars Rogue Squadron, arguably a tie)
A tie? What if you include Battle for Naboo? It has insane draw distance and superb graphics. Nothing on PSX can compare.

RPGs: FF7, FF8, FF9, Chrono Cross, Vagrant Story, Xenogears, Grandia, Breath of Fire 3 and 4, etc
(Paper Mario, Quest 64? lol)
Again, that's due to widespread 3rd party support and not strictly due to tech reasons.

Action RPGs: Threads of Fate, Brave Fencer Musashi, Alundra 2, Tail Concerto
(N64 wins with Zelda OOT and Zelda MM)
Of course

Strategy RPGs: FF Tactics, Front Mission 3, Brigandine, Vandal Hearts 1 & 2, Hoshigami, etc
(Ogre Battle 64, that's it, and it looks like crap compared to the above)
Again, that's due to widespread 3rd party support and not strictly due to tech reasons.

Survival Horror: Resident Evil 1 & 2, Silent Hill, Parasite Eve
(crap port of RE2)
RE2 N64 was not a 'bad port'. In fact ingame it supported 480i and surround sound, as well as true analog controls and had a a randomizer setting that gave replayability to the game. Granted the FMVs were not that great though. There was an interview of Angel Studios back in the day that it was a matter of a few MB more to have the FMVs not suffer like that.

3D Action: Metal Gear Solid, Tomb Raider series, Spyro, Tenchu, Soul Reaver, One, Ghost in the Shell
(Hybrid Heaven, crappy 3D Castlevania, Mission Impossible? lol)
Indiana Jones on N64 technically murders any PSX game


Rhythm: Parappa, Um Jammer Lammy, Bust-a-groove, Vib Ribbon
(no contest, because the N64 didn't have any!)
True, but what des this have to do with technology?

Light gun games: Time Crisis, Point Blank, etc
(no contest, because the N64 didn't have any!)
Again that is true, but what des this have to do with technology?

I mean how is this even an argument?
Click to expand...




It is typical of PSX fans to ommit a lot of N64 stuff and pass off other games like they were nothing.
FWIW, games like:
Perfect Dark
GoldenEye
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Conker's Bad Fur Day
World Driver Championship
Legend of Zelda OoT & MM
Battle for Naboo
even stuff like Jet Foce Gemini
would have suffered greatly if attempted at PSX.

P.S. I love BOTH machines for different reasons (and in whole, PSX library beats the N64 by far) but objectivity is needed when comparing the two....

P.S. 2: Funny i see Turok 1 mentioned... Why do you think it was never ported to PSX? Despite claims of ''1 million polygons'' for the PSX and that the game was underway for the system by PSM, it never came out. In the N64 manual, the game boasted that it used 300.000 polygons. It should have been no problem for PSX right? Hm... Turok 2 blowed the first away in visuals and sound but the framerate was all over the place.
 
StuBurns said:
That gentleman clearly has a dislocated shoulder, and isn't particularly concerned about it.
Click to expand...

Model deformation is something that was still being worked out at the time. In Tobal 1 the limbs were separate meshes from the body. In 2 it wasn't. Polys need to be distributed properly for the joints to deform properly.

And the PSX wasn't more capable than the N64 or the Saturn. It got more developer support and was easier to develop for. The other two systems were more powerful. And in the case of the Saturn it drew quads and not triangles and quads are just harder to work with.
 
My words exactly! said:
You ommit a lot of N64 stuff and pass off other games like they were nothing.
FWIW, games like:
Perfect Dark
GoldenEye
Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Conker's Bad Fur Day
World Driver Championship
Legend of Zelda OoT & MM
Battle for Naboo
even stuff like Jet Foce Gemini
would have suffered greatly if attempted at PSX.
Click to expand...

Half of those would have (or do) also suffered greatly on base N64 hardware as well. But you're probably right. Even without the expansion pack the N64 had more RAM.
 
Grizzo said:
(and I absolutely adore the Parappa The Rapper OST, even though I never got the chance to play it) (crazy, I know).
Click to expand...
It's quite an experience. UmJammer's the better game but you're better starting off w/ Parappa. UmJammer is pretty difficult if you're out of practice, even on the 1st song.
 
Dusk Golem said:
Also, before I forget, I love games that really try to make the most with limitations. For some reason this topic got me thinking of how amazing Alone in the Dark: New Nightmare looked on PS1.

AloneintheDarkTheNewNightmare-71520.jpg
providers4_664342_screenshot1.jpg
Click to expand...

Funny, at the time I told everyone those were the best graphics on PSX and didn't even know 90% of the console's library,

I was right.
 
Dusk Golem said:
Also, before I forget, I love games that really try to make the most with limitations. For some reason this topic got me thinking of how amazing Alone in the Dark: New Nightmare looked on PS1.

AloneintheDarkTheNewNightmare-71520.jpg
providers4_664342_screenshot1.jpg
Click to expand...

What's particularly cool about this game is the engine which allows the flashlight to illuminate and create shadows on the pre-rendered background.
 
46122.jpg


I played this game on Saturday mornings while my mom went out to work. I was about 8 years old then. Right before my mom returned from work, I'd always feel nauseated and have a headache which often caused me to throw up in the sink. It happened only when playing the game with its shitty color scheme and repeated tile textures that jittered like no ones business. But it was fun up to that point, and I didn't have many other games so I did what any other kid would do and play the shit out of their shitty games just to beat it.

Let's just say you learn to appreciate what you have, until you have better.

By the time I got the N64, Majora's Mask, Star Wars Episode 1: Racer, Rogue Squadron, etc. were out, and I much preferred the smooth solidity that the N64 had.
 
Eusis said:
There is a charm for it to me admittedly, though usually from Japanese games, but that was really just a painful period for 3D on consoles even within that period, and even PC doesn't really hold up too well either. It's why it's disappointing we saw 2D drop off the way it did, because even on the PS1 that could look crazy good.
Click to expand...

That's my only big regret w/ the era, too. The fact I started gaming on a Genesis when PS1/Saturn were just coming out (I didn't get a PS1 until '98, and an N64 until the following year...altho I think I remember playing B-K around when it came out so it may've been earlier) is probably a large reason why I appreciate sprites so much. Then there's drawing, which has further increased my appreciation for high-detail and high-quality 2D sprite work.

Games like Odin Sphere and Muramusa would be the rule and not the exception if 2D stayed dominant for a few more years :(
 
Slamtastic said:
So out of curiosity, what do you all who don't remember PS1 graphics fondly think of modern retro 3D/3D sprite type art?

Are your problems with PS1 graphics due to technical problems (draw distance, flickering, overall screen resolution, etc.) or simply the pixelation of the low res textures or the blockiness of the shapes of objects? Do you like/dislike Minecraft ('s graphics)?
Click to expand...

Like most things, it depends on the art direction.

Obviously being able to run such games at high, super-sampled resolutions improves things a lot.

ShowDog said:
I enjoyed the 32-bit era. I definitely preferred the PSX/Saturn approach to the N64 approach, if only because they could actually display somewhat detailed textures. Texture filtering was nice and all but only if you have something to filter in the first place.

I was just playing some N64 yesterday and tried a bit of Top Gear Rally. Man does this game look like ass today. Youtube compression hides just how blurry and plain the textures really are, it looks decent in this video. You can see the foundation from which modern 3D games came, with the perspective correction, good draw distance and texture filtering. Saturn/PSX look like a whole other deal in comparison.

N64: Top Gear Rally

PSX: Gran Turismo 2

Saturn: Sega Rally Championship
Click to expand...
Kind of unfair to compare Top Gear Rally with one of Sony's best developers, LOL. Games like Excitebike 64 and Beetle Adventure Racing are better representatives of the best N64 racing games had to offer visually.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

[Digital Foundry] Saros on PS5/Pro: Beautiful Visuals, Polished and Approchable
Analysis  2
59
888
Thick Thighs Save Lives replied
Silent Hill PS1 decomped PC Port you can try
8
408
Bartski replied
Big PlayStation Emulation News! VR is Coming for PS1
Retro VR Indie 
15
363
Jinzo Prime replied
MORE PS1 Games Coming to PC with a New "Recomp" Tool
Retro Trailer Indie 
32
218
MMaRsu replied
  • Locked
[Clickbait] Former GTA 6 developer warns trailer visuals won't match final gameplay
Clickbait  2
76
1K
Danjin44 replied
Top Bottom