Video Games: Old and New

[syzygy]

Is it just me...or have video-games declined in a certain sort of way. Pop in Super Mario World, then pop-in, say, Halo 3. Something's missing. Most games now days don't have it, save for Nintendo's first-person games and a few games that inspire a true sense of awe and wonder into hopping into some sort of fantasy realm. The same way players felt when they played Final Fantasy for the first time or The Legend of Zelda. To me, and maybe it's just me...but to me, it seems video-games have become too main-stream. Kind of like movies. Most movies now days rely on grand effects. I can't remember the last time I've seen a movie and felt that sense of awe and inspiration I felt when I watched Star Wars for the first time or hell, most any classic movie for example. Perhaps I'm being highly nostalgic here, though I don't think I can be that nostalgic, I'm only 21 after all, but to me, something's not right. Though, this is just one man's opinion. And to be fair, I am a retro-gamer.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I think it's partly due to the fact that we're becoming spoiled. I remember well that the first VGA games came out in colour and that everyone was like "wow, this is so fantastic" but after so many new developments we get a bit saturated and never feel as happy as we were back in the day.

 

[Flatfoot]

It's not just you. A big factor is that there's no real innovation anymore. It's become more about business and sales than making a great game. I remember years ago, in the early Nintendo days, when you'd anticipate a great game like a Mario sequel, and you'd see previews of it for about a year before it was released. Now, they churn games out in a matter of months like an assembly line, with first-person shooter after first-person shooter, gameplay that doesn't change, and basically "safe" development methods that work.

I have to admit, the Wii is one of the most innovative consoles in a long time, given that Nintendo tried to reach a larger demographic with something many found risky. I had my doubts, but they're pretty successful. With Sony and Xbox, it's more about the hardware capabilities, the flashing lights and pretty colors, and hardcore gaming. How many Halo clones do I need, though?

 

[Mephistopheles]

How many Halo clones do I need, though?

The FPS genre is indeed limited by the basic principles of those games (health, bullets and enemies) but if you look at RPG titles the past 10 years have great. Because of the hardware capacity nowadays it is finally possible to make such games much, much larger and more realistic (as far as realism applies to fanatasy RPGs) which is a great thing imo. I'm a huge fan of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion which is a much better game than it's predecessor, Morrowind. The have just been a few years in between the two games but the sheer size of todays RPGs have given us almost limitless possibilities for doing random stuff in those games. Instead of what it used to be on the NES (very limited characters in the games and NPCs used for filling the world just all said the same things) those worlds are becoming more natural with every large RPG that gets launched, resembling more and more normal life with people minding their own business and doing things normal people do (like going to a store and stuff) which you can usually give a big smack with your mace and kill. Lovely.

So it just depends on which games you play whether it has been a good development or just alot of the same shit in a new flashier form.

 

[Flatfoot]

Oh, I'll give you that! RPGs have come a LONG way, and benefit from flashy cinematics and 3-D gameplay. I can remember how frustrating a quest would be, because the only thing keeping your character from his next goal was a tree stump in the middle of an 8-bit path, and no jumping capability. Then there's all the aimlessly wandering NPCs who let you barge into their home and take whatever they have in their treasure chests for no other reason except that you need it. Those were the good old days!

 

[EcEu]

maybe i'm just seeing it in a far different day, but i think the games of today are as innovative as ever and it's only because the good games are surrounded by bad ones that keep a lot of people from seeing that.

I started with the gool ol atari before i moved up to the NES, GameBoy, PC, Snes, N64, Ps2, PSP, GameCube, Xbox, PS3, Wii, 360, respectively. I've gotten to experience the changes home gaming has gone through since practically the beginning.

There are a few games that have come out in the past decade that are perfect examples of gaming innovation.

Portal if you haven't played it started off as a small project in a university campus before it became one of the most innovative physics bending FPSs ever made.

Metal Gear Solid series redefined the conspiracy story driven stealth game play, and is completely immersive when you get into it.

A very recent amazing game would be The Sims 3, having an entire town running in real time completely within your control was a gigantic innovation, and you lose sense of time each time you play it.

As for movies, The Lord of the Rings? The Matrix? Star Trek? no sense of awe from those?

 

[syzygy]

I haven't said I never felt the sense of awe, I just can't remember the last time, figuratively of course. There are movies out there that do inspire a sense of awe and wonder, but, it's rare now-days. Most of em are just churned out for the media masses (aka today's youth) who want something, new, shiny, and fast. As for games, there is still some innovation left in the world, but most of it is once again just churned out to be new, shiny, and fast. That's not to say these games are bad, they're good, but, it just leaves me with something missing. Portal I will agree was pretty innovative and it filled that certain void. I will also agree with Metal Gear Solid, but once again that is a classic series, so I wouldn't expect anything less from it. As for the Sims 3, I agree once more, the game is a fantastic one and will be a classic. Though most games now days are missing the certain spark their cousins of 10-30 years ago had.

 

[BlackestLily]

I can't really say why, but I do agree with you. I feel like I'm supposed to be satiated now with stellar graphics and effects, but there's something about that addictive fun factor that's missing. No Mario game could ever beat Super Mario RPG in my heart, it's just how it is.

Same with the Zelda games. To me, nothing could ever beat The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

I could go on making Nintendo and Super Nintendo references, but nothing ever seems to stay in my mind quite like the oldies do.

 

[Flatfoot]

Yeah, Twilight Princess had some AWESOME gameplay innovations, such as fighting that demon skull boss on that spin-disc item (which I wish they incorporated a little more!). However, neither Twilight Princess nor Ocarina of Time satisfied me as much as Link to the Past or the original Legend of Zelda. Something about all the little 8-bit and 16-bit graphics and sound effects gives me pleasant feelings. I even had the sound of discovering a secret in the Legend of Zelda as a text message ringtone on an old cell.

 

[MrMacphisto]

In some ways, yes, in some ways, no.

Squaresoft's storylines for RPGs tend to suck now compared to the ones in old classics like Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana, but other companies seem to have gotten better with time.

Deus Ex 2 was even better than the first one. Bioshock was better than Deus Ex 2.

Fallout 3 was better than the first two.

Crysis is better than Halo.

On the other hand, Silent Hill 3 was way better than 4 or 5.

Resident Evil 2 and 3 are way better than 4, Zero, or 5.

So, it really depends on the company, the game, and the game genre.

 

[ShiningIce]

There will never be another Chrono trigger or FF7, FF2, and FF3. Those days are gone. Although KOTOR came close.

 

[BlackestLily]

Well...Oblivion is definitely an improvement.

 

[MrMacphisto]

Well...Oblivion is definitely an improvement.

Agreed. Bethesda rarely disappoints.

Oblivion outshined all the previous Elder Scrolls games, and the new one next year should be pretty good too.

The only complaint I have with them is that the PC versions of their games tend to be unstable. If they could work out more of the bugs, that would be good.

 

[BlackestLily]

Word on the street was they were redoing ff7 to give it better graphics. Any truth to this...?

 

[MrMacphisto]

Word on the street was they were redoing ff7 to give it better graphics. Any truth to this...?

I have no idea. I lost track of Final Fantasy after the really disappointing X-2.

I wouldn't be surprised though. 7 was basically Square's masterpiece.