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Retro-GAF unite!

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
Anyway, I'm fine with older 3D visuals, in a lot of cases. Excessive poly warping is problematic, though, and low frame rates kinda ruin a lot of games from that era. Like, I want to love stuff like Burning Rangers, but that shit is just unplayable to me because of the technical presentation.

Really, though, the older, low-poly visuals don't feel like a valid art style -- it feels like the result of devs trying to push underpowered tech too hard, and trying to make it resemble something more sophisticated. I mean, yeah, you can come up with some interesting ideas within those parameters, but by and large, I don't think there's much value to the aesthetic.
The same way that Atari graphics are bullshit.
 

BTails

Member
I don't know what it is, but does anyone not like retro 3D games as much as 2D sprites. I remember loving the N64 and PS1 but now, I really can only play a few games like Mario 64 and mostly 2D games on the PS1. For whatever reason I am not as bothered by the 3D Jrpgs of the generation but a lot of the action games just looks so bad in low poly. I feel like I could probably just play sprite based games and be fine. It might be more to do with poor frame rate than the so called ugly polygons.

I think there's a "readjustment" period going on, especially for most fully 3D games on PSX/N64/Saturn. 3d characters on 2d backgrounds, that kind of thing has aged quite well in my opinion, but a fully 3D environment can stand out.

One example would be Clock Tower on PSX. I just played it for the first time a few months back, and the graphics were really jarring in their simplicity, especially coming off of Clock Tower on the SNES, which is full 2d and still looks amazing. However, once I got into the game, I was fully immersed, and not thinking about the graphics anymore.

There are some notable outliers though. As developers pushed the hardware more and learned some tricks, 3d games started to look pretty great. Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Megaman Legends, the Crash Bandicoot games... I still think they look great and haven't aged poorly at all.

Really, though, the older, low-poly visuals don't feel like a valid art style -- it feels like the result of devs trying to push underpowered tech too hard, and trying to make it resemble something more sophisticated. I mean, yeah, you can come up with some interesting ideas within those parameters, but by and large, I don't think there's much value to the aesthetic.

Agreed. If you look at some of the best "Low-Poly" games, they had a great art style that played to the handicaps of the systems at the time. Megaman Legends is a great example of this: a clean, cartoony style that still looks great today. Add in some impressive texture work, especially the main characters' faces, and you've got a great looking game.
 
Cable is a lot shorter though.

I mean yeah but you should be buying extension cables for every system anyway.

I don't know what it is, but does anyone not like retro 3D games as much as 2D sprites. I remember loving the N64 and PS1 but now, I really can only play a few games like Mario 64 and mostly 2D games on the PS1. For whatever reason I am not as bothered by the 3D Jrpgs of the generation but a lot of the action games just looks so bad in low poly. I feel like I could probably just play sprite based games and be fine. It might be more to do with poor frame rate than the so called ugly polygons.

I don't think platformers play very well in 3D space which is probably why most of them turned into collect-em-ups in that era, but I really appreciate how experimental a lot of early 3D games were. You don't really see that kind of thing any more. The market was just so different.

What are you thinking in terms of action games? I think the Resident Evil games and Silent Hill on PS1 were and still are great, I still really like going back to Diddy Kong Racing and Crash Team Racing, Metal Gear Solid obviously, but even less obvious games like Looney Tunes Sheep Raider is just so unique and fun. On the N64 side Goldeneye is a lot of fun (really plays very differently from modern shooters), the collect-em-ups are good for what they are, Ocarina of Time is still fantastic...
 

Peltz

Member
Really, though, the older, low-poly visuals don't feel like a valid art style -- it feels like the result of devs trying to push underpowered tech too hard, and trying to make it resemble something more sophisticated.
ps1-tech-demo-ps1-edge5.jpg
 

Peltz

Member
Enough with the slander of that generation. Everyone knows those graphics were extremely life like. I bet you can't even point out which of these is a game and which of these is real life:

806bdbbada11b050532c8625bc89039c--tomb-raider-cosplay-lara-croft-cosplay.jpg
 

Kawika

Member
Framerate, poor camera controls and just clunkiness plague a lot of this gen.

A game like Tron Bon isn't ideal for the way it controls but you can figure it out and eventually enjoy it. MGS has a nice isometric view and only pops into fist person when crawling under things. I think this game aged incredibly well. Resident Evil series with their fixed camera really doesn't suffer either. Mario 64 has a funky camera but I can get through it because it really still is a joy to play. F-Zero 64 is so fast and so smooth (a lot of N64 racers are really great and that generation i played a ton).

But, Ocarina of time has poor frame rate and is a muddy mess. Actually, most n64 games are a muddy mess. I really prefer the jaggy warped polygons of the PS1. I think about the N64 and almost everything I love but Mario 64 and Rogue Squadron has a better port on some other platform. I really with that Mario 64 DS remake would have been a 3DS remake instead. It makes me so happy I can still enjoy Starfox, OoT, and MM on the 3DS.

I think the stand out polygonal games of the generation were definitely racers and fixed or isometric perspective 3D games. Anything that required a lot of camera work has really aged poorly. I do admit there are some stand outs like Mario and Megaman 3D games. My favorites are still 3D games that happen to play like 2D versions (Most JRPGs, shmups, and any other game that played on a 2D plane).
 
i like einhander, thunder force 5 and r-type delta. 2d like gameplay w/ 3d

psx resident evil 1 is my favorite, if it weren't for ps1 polygon 3d models, it wouldn't have happened.
 

D.Lo

Member
I still love the top 3D N64/PS1/Saturn games. Banjo, Mario, Indiana Jones, Metal Gear, Tekken 3, Silent Hill, Virtua Figter 2...

Like 8 bit, I appreciate what was done with the tech they had. Some really creative things were done within the limitations. Silent Hill 1 is so compelling and it's amazing it was done with the tech of the time. Banjo is incredibly solid, to create such a vivid world wit such rudimentary tools.
 

-KRS-

Member
While I generally agree with the sentiment that early 3D games have aged poorly, early 2D games like those on the Atari 2600 aren't very pleasing to look at either. And mechanically they often also haven't aged very well. Hell a lot of NES/SMS games have really poor controls and mechanics as well that takes some getting used to to appreciate. The SNES/MD gen is where they really got their shit together and started generally making games with graphics and mechanics that have stood the test of time much better.

You have to put a lot of retro games in perspective of their release dates to appreciate them fully. That means understanding what was common practice at the time, graphically and gameplay-wise. In doing that, one can more fully appreciate the innovations some games brought forward in their respective eras.

Some games are just crap though.
 

Morfeo

The Chuck Norris of Peace
You guys are dumb. 2D games look old, and I dunno why anybody would play that shit anymore. There's a reason why nobody releases 2D games at a full price point anymore, and that's because they look like shit.

SFNf9.gif


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Lbkaedebg.gif


ckoeL.gif


Kof96aofbg.gif


image.gif

Lol. What is the two first games here?

Anyways, i love 2d and play those games waaay more than 3d, but i still like the PS1/Saturn/N64-gen for the amazing creativity in that gen. And a lot of the early 3d-games while primitive looking still play great imo. RE, Mario 64, MGS, Ocarina and so on are among the best games ever - and they all originated in this era.
 
There are only two good N64 games: Majora's Mask and Mischief Makers. All Playstation games other than Monster Rancher are bad. Only the Saturn had good 32 bit era games.
 

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
There are only two good N64 games: Majora's Mask and Mischief Makers. All Playstation games other than Monster Rancher are bad. Only the Saturn had good 32 bit era games.

I really love Mischief Makers. I remember it getting middling reviews back in 'the day, but I always thought it was super fun. Which reminds me that I need to buy a copy of it. Only ever rented it back then :-/


Anyway, I'm super bored. FUCCCKKK. Can't think of anything to do.
 
Looking for a thread full of GAFers with fine taste! I just played Lunar Silver Stat Story Complete, and before I jump into Lunar Eterna Blue Complete, I thought I would try a brand new PS1 RPG I have never played. Right now I am leaning towards Breath of Fire IV or Suikoden I. Any thoughts, fine gents?
 
Looking for a thread full of GAFers with fine taste! I just played Lunar Silver Stat Story Complete, and before I jump into Lunar Eterna Blue Complete, I thought I would try a brand new PS1 RPG I have never played. Right now I am leaning towards Breath of Fire IV or Suikoden I. Any thoughts, fine gents?

Get a Saturn and play Shining the Holy Ark and Shining Force 3.
 
Looking for a thread full of GAFers with fine taste! I just played Lunar Silver Stat Story Complete, and before I jump into Lunar Eterna Blue Complete, I thought I would try a brand new PS1 RPG I have never played. Right now I am leaning towards Breath of Fire IV or Suikoden I. Any thoughts, fine gents?

I'm playing Parasite Eve right now, that's a good one.
 

BTails

Member
Looking for a thread full of GAFers with fine taste! I just played Lunar Silver Stat Story Complete, and before I jump into Lunar Eterna Blue Complete, I thought I would try a brand new PS1 RPG I have never played. Right now I am leaning towards Breath of Fire IV or Suikoden I. Any thoughts, fine gents?

Out of those two, I’d recommend Suikoden. I’d also recommend the first two Wild Arms games, if you haven’t played those before.
 

D.Lo

Member
does the Australian come with a power plug?

the junk on the left side of my box is a warning no plug included =/
Nope, the little red warning says that.

Anyway it's clearly designed to be powered by the TV, and the EU version allows a single SKU to be sold across europe without it. Australia gets EU products just with less shit on the box covers.
 
Nope, the little red warning says that.

Anyway it's clearly designed to be powered by the TV, and the EU version allows a single SKU to be sold across europe without it. Australia gets EU products just with less shit on the box covers.

the Australian region box does look much cleaner.
 

meppi

Member
my EU snes mini came in today

Sweet isn't it? :D

I accidentally forgot to cancel a spare preorder and ended with three of them...
I was planning on getting one to play Starfox as well as a spare one just in case.

Guess I have either an extra spare or a pretty sweet birthday present for a friend. ;)

Started scanning the first NOM issue as well yesterday and came across this guy that I somehow forgot about:

GZfvPxH.jpg


I wonder what it would take to convince Sakurai to put him into the next Smash Bros.
 

Peltz

Member
I don't know what it is, but does anyone not like retro 3D games as much as 2D sprites. I remember loving the N64 and PS1 but now, I really can only play a few games like Mario 64 and mostly 2D games on the PS1. For whatever reason I am not as bothered by the 3D Jrpgs of the generation but a lot of the action games just looks so bad in low poly. I feel like I could probably just play sprite based games and be fine. It might be more to do with poor frame rate than the so called ugly polygons.

I still dig 3D games from that era.
 

Anth0ny

Member
so I've started to collect cool variant packaging for consoles because I'm a crazy person

Just saw one of my holy grails pop up on ebay: The Sonic 3 Megadrive bundle, which only released in Europe and NEVER pops up on ebay:


Mother fucker sold for GBP 1,190.00 O_O
 
Sweet isn't it? :D

I accidentally forgot to cancel a spare preorder and ended with three of them...
I was planning on getting one to play Starfox as well as a spare one just in case.

Guess I have either an extra spare or a pretty sweet birthday present for a friend. ;)

Started scanning the first NOM issue as well yesterday and came across this guy that I somehow forgot about:

GZfvPxH.jpg


I wonder what it would take to convince Sakurai to put him into the next Smash Bros.
who is that guy on the seal of quality?

i had an extra UK mini order from amazon France that i cancelled once the amazon.uk one shipped. i kept it as backup in case i got screwed over since there seems to be a few who got their orders messed up.
and i have a us version coming in friday from thinkgeek (i want that snes poster), but i love the look of the super famicom and felt the EU version is superior in style plus
one of my biggest gripes with the snes controller were the button choices.
the x,y have concave indent shapes while the a,b are like the famicom buttons.

for games that require simultaneous presses between "y,b" or "a,x"
the shapes and different height between the buttons often gets in the way of performance.

Final Fight is a great example of this using Hagar's spinning clothesline. much harder to pull of using the US snes controller vs. super famicom/EU/Australia snes
 
It's not a guy, it's a seal. Get it? SEAL of quality!
hahaha a seal =P looks like a mutant battletoad

Definitely skimmed this one and with all the Forever 21 talk in here, thought there was a Final Fight line of clothes too. Was just thinking: "How do you make clothes based on a character who famously doesn't wear a shirt?"
he shirts up to talk privately on the phone
nKitqmJ.png


and goes bare chested in public
ZIRAdVn.gif
 

meppi

Member
who is that guy on the seal of quality?

i had an extra UK mini order from amazon France that i cancelled once the amazon.uk one shipped. i kept it as backup in case i got screwed over since there seems to be a few who got their orders messed up.
and i have a us version coming in friday from thinkgeek (i want that snes poster), but i love the look of the super famicom and felt the EU version is superior in style plus
one of my biggest gripes with the snes controller were the button choices.
the x,y have concave indent shapes while the a,b are like the famicom buttons.

for games that require simultaneous presses between "y,b" or "a,x"
the shapes and different height between the buttons often gets in the way of performance.

Final Fight is a great example of this using Hagar's spinning clothesline. much harder to pull of using the US snes controller vs. super famicom/EU/Australia snes

Hehe, yeah that's the actual Nintendo seal of quality. ;)
That's why I want him in the next Smash Bros. :p

The SNES Mini I forgot was actually from Amazon France as well. Cost 100€ as well, when the others I ordered locally only cost 75€. Oh well...

I only even used a US pad once or twice I think in an import shop back in the day.
Never liked the feel of the different buttons. The Pal/Japan layout just felt much more natural, but I didn't even think about how it might affect doing button combinations.

hahaha a seal =P looks like a mutant battletoad

Well that's just because you're not used to seeing seals upright and giving a thumbs up. ;)
 

BTails

Member
I listened to the Toe Jam and Earl soundtrack on the treadmill today at lunch. Those are some FUNKY ASS JAMS right there. I would absolutely love Data Discs to come out with a release of that soundtrack, it'd hardly ever leave my turntable.

So, to celebrate it's awesomeness, what are some of the other great bass lines in VGM? The early Final Fantasy games always had bass heavy battle themes. Nothing got me more pumped than that "DUM-DUM-DUM-DUM-DUM" as battle began.
 
I listened to the Toe Jam and Earl soundtrack on the treadmill today at lunch. Those are some FUNKY ASS JAMS right there. I would absolutely love Data Discs to come out with a release of that soundtrack, it'd hardly ever leave my turntable.

So, to celebrate it's awesomeness, what are some of the other great bass lines in VGM? The early Final Fantasy games always had bass heavy battle themes. Nothing got me more pumped than that "DUM-DUM-DUM-DUM-DUM" as battle began.

Thunder Blade bass is hot fire.

Fantasy Zone II goes hard, too.
 

-KRS-

Member
I listened to the Toe Jam and Earl soundtrack on the treadmill today at lunch. Those are some FUNKY ASS JAMS right there. I would absolutely love Data Discs to come out with a release of that soundtrack, it'd hardly ever leave my turntable.

So, to celebrate it's awesomeness, what are some of the other great bass lines in VGM? The early Final Fantasy games always had bass heavy battle themes. Nothing got me more pumped than that "DUM-DUM-DUM-DUM-DUM" as battle began.

I know this isn't a video game, but I always loved the music in William's White Water pinball. Has really funky FM music. Here's the high score music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okWdHDt51ZM

Edit: Ok to add something VGM related I'll have to rep this classic: Stage 3 of Journey to Silius. Great bassline in that song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrZ8UiU3ZfE
 

Vespa

Member
so I've started to collect cool variant packaging for consoles because I'm a crazy person

Just saw one of my holy grails pop up on ebay: The Sonic 3 Megadrive bundle, which only released in Europe and NEVER pops up on ebay:



Mother fucker sold for GBP 1,190.00 O_O

This is the new insanity. It is a nice box though.
 
so I've started to collect cool variant packaging for consoles because I'm a crazy person

Just saw one of my holy grails pop up on ebay: The Sonic 3 Megadrive bundle, which only released in Europe and NEVER pops up on ebay:



Mother fucker sold for GBP 1,190.00 O_O

That's pretty dope. Too bad it's PAL.
 
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