EDIT: the title should've been "Retro graphics - do you like them, & how old are you?" Oh well. I'm an "old" guy (43!) and really enjoy retro graphics. For example, Hook Champ looks awesome to me, and gives me the warm and fuzzies because it's almost like an 8bit/16bit game using modern tech and new gameplay/control ideas. It's a weird combination of nostalgia and novelty, and just sits really well for me. I wonder how some younger gamers here feel about games like Hook Champ, that intentionally employ retro graphics. If you like them, why is that? Maybe you were introduced to old school videogames by relatives, or via emulation? Or do you just not care about fancy 3D and such? I also wonder if there are some older gamers (i.e. 20's, 30's and up) who actually dislike retro graphics, even though they grew up with old school games. If so, how come? Maybe it feels like going backwards to you? Discuss!
Watching things like AVGN and The Nostalgia Critic really turned me into a retro guy, I may sound kind of odd but I would much prefer a Genesis over a PS3 (not by much though, and if that did happen I'd probably regret it afterwards but still). I'm not sure why I like all these old stuff, I just do. I'm 13 by the way.
spidey, very interesting! 13 and you like retro, even prefer it. Very cool my young friend. I suppose it's similar to young film buffs who might still prefer vintage black and white films over modern big budget films. Artistic merit vs. technical skills. Etc.
Congrats, your opinion is null and void. I guess I view them as more of a novelty now as anything else. I'll appreciate people that take them time to make good-looking games that utilize pixel art (which most of the time looks better and has more character than a lot of the flash games out there), but I don't think it's an excuse to downgrade the entire graphic-portion of a game, kinda how the "doodle" motif is being treated. That being said, I'd like most of my games to look modern. I wouldn't mind a N64, Sega Genesis, or SNES, but I'd like to stick with the looks and power of current-gen consoles if I had to make the choice.
Eh I'm not really the Black and White type of guy but old B-Movies are pretty cool. And ya, I'm using the money I COULD be using towards some DS games but instead buying a Gamegear and all his games from my friend (already got Mortal Kombat from him ).
That was really unnecessary. I appreciate your opinion, and you should respect his as well. His opinion is totally valid, and not everyone is the same. And you forgot to say your age, or at least your age group. Are you an older gamer who prefers to see technical progress, or a younger (i.e. teens) gamer who prefers the new stuff?
Used properly I like retro graphics, but if you're trying to make a brand new, full priced FPS these days with Doom style graphics, it's not the same. I still love Doom and all its mods, but if you're charging full price for a game with those graphics/gameplay, it'd better be the best game ever. I'm actually a bigger fan of games that don't give a crap about graphics and just make an awesome game instead of wasting all their budget on looks. Sure it's nice, but that's only temporary, as the gameplay is the lasting effect. 20 years from now those graphics will be obsolete, while the gameplay won't. For example, those really awesome SNES/PS1/N64 games. Today, no one plays them for graphics anymore, we just play them because they were insanely fun and just overall had good gameplay, as opposed to those crappy FPS games these days that are popular because they had good graphics. And I'm in high school. Idk why, but I'm not a huge fan of giving my age away, but just know I'm in high school right now so you can have something to base it on.
It's my writing style. I'm just naturally sarcastic and cynical, but I never mean anything serious about it, I'm just joking around. I wasn't denouncing his opinion specifically, just pointing out that he said he would much rather want a retro-console, even though not by much, which is contradictory. No need to turn this into a 7th grade classroom. I'm 15, started out with a Gameboy color, and look forward to everything the new consoles have to offer as long as they retain what made the old consoles fun.
I'm 24 and the first system I played was my dad's Commodore Vic-20. Played my fair share of Apple IIgs games as well. Those are definitely retro, but as far as retro graphics go, I prefer SNES-style graphics more than anything. The best examples in my mind are the graphics from games like Seiken Densetsu 3, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, etc. (mostly RPGs) have really nice attention to detail that does a lot for me. Actual NES graphics for the most part are kind of ugly IMO, there's a few games that aren't too bad like Kirby's Adventure, but 8-bit inspired games like Hook Champ are cool too. Rocketcat Games' next game will be 16-bit inspired, so I'm really looking forward to how they decide to do their artwork. I'm also a big fan of vector graphics type games, those can be pretty cool when done well. Edit: Oooh also, original Game Boy graphics, grayscale. Some very cool stuff can be done there too, Wario Land II is excellent for detail, and one of the best games on the platform to boot!
I am 14 and I prefer some games with retro graphics. Mainly in RPGs. For some reason I really can't get used to retro graphics in action games such as hook champ. However, since I am only 14, I didn't grow up with retro graphics. Maybe if I would have grew up in that time, I would enjoy it more.
Let me also add that I didn't grow up with "retro" graphics. The most was on my GBC, which I had one old GB game for (Wario Land, which I still play), but I mostly stuck with my N64. I actually didn't get into old games until I got my new computer and started playing the Monkey Island series, so I was about 13/14 then.
Ya, the thing is I'm all talk and no action though. I'm saying now I would prefer it but if I had the choice I probably wouldn't. If I DID pick the Genesis over the PS3 I'd probably kick myslef over it afterwards and use the damn thing as a paperweight.
When given a choice, I'd rather play Super Mario Galaxy or Elder Scrolls 4 over the original Super Mario or Final Fantasy. I don't mind "retro." geoDefense Swarm and Sonic The Hedgehog are a lot of fun. But, when given a choice, I'd rather play good games with modern graphics over good games with 20 year old graphics. I'm almost 30.
I'm younger than you (by 3 whole years!) and I like *good* graphics, well-drawn visuals that suit the gameplay style, whether old or new. Art design is ultimately more important than technical specs. It's possible to have ugly wireframe vector graphics, just as it's possible to have awkward or poorly drawn photorealistic, shaded texturemapped 3D graphics. Given the choice, I'll usually take stylized neon over realistic brown graphics every time. JetCar Stunts is easier on my eyes than Speed Forge Extreme, for example. Hook Champ is a work of art, but the soundtrack and physics engine have as much to do with that as the NES-style graphics. I'm a total sucker for the neon vector style with lots of particle explosions, as seen in GeoDefense. I can't get enough of that style. I wish someone would make a Vectrex emulator for iPhone.
