Retro games and emulation - Discuss retro shit in case you're stuck in the past or a hipster

[Sicko Hunter]

It's just kind of one of those things, either it clicks with you or it doesn't. A lot of its charm is dependent upon you thinking it's funny, and humor is fairly subjective.

For me the main sources of charm in Earthbound were the fantastic soundtrack and graphics. The humor was never something that really stuck with me. It has this cozy feeling to it especially in the little towns like Onett. I love how as the game goes on the world around you just gets more and more warped to point near the end where you are doesn't even look like earth. The soundtrack and setting made me genuinely emotionally invested and sucked into the game which very few nearly 30 year old games can. My first time playing it was one of my favorite gaming experiences.

The only game I can think of that captures the surreal feeling in the later stages is Yume Nikki which was heavily inspired by Mother.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole 2]

It's just kind of one of those things, either it clicks with you or it doesn't. A lot of its charm is dependent upon you thinking it's funny, and humor is fairly subjective.

That was reflected in the reviews I read when it was released. They swung back and forth between either "meh" and "don't let the simple graphics fool you!".

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

For me the main sources of charm in Earthbound were the fantastic soundtrack and graphics. The humor was never something that really stuck with me. It has this cozy feeling to it especially in the little towns like Onett. I love how as the game goes on the world around you just gets more and more warped to point near the end where you are doesn't even look like earth. The soundtrack and setting made me genuinely emotionally invested and sucked into the game which very few nearly 30 year old games can. My first time playing it was one of my favorite gaming experiences.
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The only game I can think of that captures the surreal feeling in the later stages is Yume Nikki which was heavily inspired by Mother.

There's a common criticism of Earthbound's graphics for some reason, that they are poor, but I agree with you, I think it looks good for the style it is going for. Cozy is a pretty good description. It also has some fairly creepy areas, the atmosphere is really well crafted.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole 2]

There's a common criticism of Earthbound's graphics for some reason

I can understand that, it was during the time when graphics were part of the score and Earthbound itself was released close to the launch of the PS1. Video games and vidya gamers were desperately trying to grow up and be cool so at the time Earthbound came off as looking childish and old. Mock the indie devs all you want but they've done a great thing by creating/popularizing ideas like "pixel art" and "low-fi" over the last two decades.

 

[Sicko Hunter]

Contemporary reviewers disliking Earthbounds graphics was really just a result of it coming out when it did. 1995 was a huge turning point in games when CD consoles were becoming a thing and the push towards 3D was very strong. Compared to every major title coming out that year including other ones from Nintendo it looked extremely basic like it could have come out a half decade earlier which make sense because they had worked on it since 1990.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole 2]

Contemporary reviewers disliking Earthbounds graphics was really just a result of it coming out when it did.

Consumers weren't innocent either. New copies Earthbound could be found for a pittance in clearance bins when they where clearing out stock. I'm no Earthbound-truther that played it at that time either, it actually looked kind of basic when released and it took many years until I came around to playing it (on an emulator, like most people have done I assume).

 

[Pissmaster]

Consumers weren't innocent either. New copies Earthbound could be found for a pittance in clearance bins when they where clearing out stock. I'm no Earthbound-truther that played it at that time either, it actually looked kind of basic when released and it took many years until I came around to playing it (on an emulator, like most people have done I assume).

That oversized box probably didn't make retailers very happy, since they had very particular shelf space behind glass designed for the shape of different game boxes.

There's a common criticism of Earthbound's graphics for some reason, that they are poor, but I agree with you, I think it looks good for the style it is going for. Cozy is a pretty good description. It also has some fairly creepy areas, the atmosphere is really well crafted.

I played it when it was brand new (as a kid) and I had no complaints about the graphics whatsoever. They were colorful and made sense.

Then came the PlayStation, that had games that looked like this:


and reviewers tried to say those were good graphics. Turns out, game journalists have never had any integrity, even back in the 90s.

 

[Mysterious Figure]

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and reviewers tried to say those were good graphics. Turns out, game journalists have never had any integrity, even back in the 90s.

Early 3D graphics were revolutionary back then.

 

[Sicko Hunter]

Then came the PlayStation, that had games that looked like this:


and reviewers tried to say those were good graphics. Turns out, game journalists have never had any integrity, even back in the 90s.

Those reviews are especially funny in hindsight knowing just how horribly mid 90s 3D has aged. Some of the ugliest looking games you will find.

 

[ZipDisk]

Early 3D graphics were revolutionary back then.

Not really, those Xtreme titles (1X,2X,3X) all look like Road Rash '96

 

[Cubanodun]

Suffering Wing Commander 1 and i hit the road in the Kurozawa route where you have to protect a carrier but it require super fast reflexes and luck to the point that even guides just tell you to lose so you can keep getting wins for the winning route

I dont know why it goes to shit in that part, maybe is going to be less ass in Super Wing Commander

 

[Calandrino]

Those reviews are especially funny in hindsight knowing just how horribly mid 90s 3D has aged. Some of the ugliest looking games you will find.View attachment 5395772

Clean unshaded polys look better than PS jaggies or N64 fog, but I think that screen is from the Genesis port which is more than a bit choppy and muddy

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

I played it when it was brand new (as a kid) and I had no complaints about the graphics whatsoever. They were colorful and made sense.

Then came the PlayStation, that had games that looked like this:
View attachment 5395620

and reviewers tried to say those were good graphics. Turns out, game journalists have never had any integrity, even back in the 90s.

That is one gross looking game, and I like early 3D lol. What the hell is that?

Those reviews are especially funny in hindsight knowing just how horribly mid 90s 3D has aged. Some of the ugliest looking games you will find.View attachment 5395772

That looks okay, the flat-shaded polygon type look is inoffensive. I think early 3D has aged better than people give it credit for, it just depends on the game. Some of them even look good thanks to having a strong art direction; Mega Man Legends 1/2, Chrono Cross, Paper Mario, and Threads of Fate in particular stand out.

 

[Pissmaster]

That is one gross looking game, and I like early 3D lol. What the hell is that?

2Xtreme, a pathetic game that capitalized on the extreme sports fad of the day.

Fun fact, the 2 is supposed to indicate it's a sequel, but it's a sequel to ESPN EXtreme Games


which later got a reissue, but they lost the license so they called it 1Xtreme


and then later 3Xtreme. They are all horrible. Here's some footage of 3Xtreme. Don't watch it in fullscreen mode, it'll give you a headache.

 

[Celebrate Nite]

Back in my day we played with blocky characters that had very exagerated facial expressions and could jump like they were on the moon, and we liked it

 

[Lone MacReady II]

For me the main sources of charm in Earthbound were the fantastic soundtrack and graphics. The humor was never something that really stuck with me. It has this cozy feeling to it especially in the little towns like Onett. I love how as the game goes on the world around you just gets more and more warped to point near the end where you are doesn't even look like earth. The soundtrack and setting made me genuinely emotionally invested and sucked into the game which very few nearly 30 year old games can. My first time playing it was one of my favorite gaming experiences.
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The only game I can think of that captures the surreal feeling in the later stages is Yume Nikki which was heavily inspired by Mother.

The fact that it's the Beach Boys...

When it comes to older games I'm struck by what could be done with so little, the lowered graphics forces you to flex your imaginative muscles. I feel like that boosts overall creativity. Playing through some older Zeldas, and Oracle of Ages forces that feeling. Everything is significantly smaller due to gameboy, but within 20 minutes of Gameplay I'm seeing crazy shit, way higher stakes and a blitzkrieg pace compared to the new collectathon Zeldas just released.

Within 20 minutes you see Twinrova and the true endgame teased (linked file run), you get to see a creator Goddess of Hyrule incarnated in Hylian form as the Oracle Nayru, the villain reveals herself and looks exactly like Midna from Twilight Princess as if she showed up 5 years early (thanks for the design Capcom), Nayru gets possessed by Veran and her body is hijacked 400 years into the past, which immediately fucks with the present world. You get access to Dark Souls-esque Rings. Upon traveling to the past you discover that evil Nayru has convinced the royal family to begin construction on a Tower of Babel which is reaching into the heavens... this is all within the first 20 minutes, no dungeons started... oh, and did I mention that Link gets married to a sentient Tree!? This game is bonkers.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole 2]

Those reviews are especially funny in hindsight knowing just how horribly mid 90s 3D has aged. Some of the ugliest looking games you will find.View attachment 5395772

Not nearly as beautiful as the original but it was still very impressive. The original graphics was *chefs kiss*.

Fun fact, the 2 is supposed to indicate it's a sequel, but it's a sequel to ESPN EXtreme Games

The original was still fun! Not great, maybe not good by current standards, but fun.

Back in my day we played with blocky characters that had very exagerated facial expressions and could jump like they were on the moon, and we liked it
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Arcade VF1 is such a beauty!

Some time before that we mocked my friends older brother for playing those choppy and blocky flight sims of the late 80s/early 90s. He said something that I still remember: If you knew what you were looking at you would agree that it looks great. A couple of years later I beat his best time in Virtua Racer on the Genesis and he got really mad. Before video game forums we just yelled at each other until a parent* stormed into the room.

*a parent was a moderator/admin of sorts, just so gen-z:ers understand what I'm talking about. Their pronouns were he or she depending on which one of them came stomping into the room. edit: misgendering someones mom was very bad! Some things never changes.

 

[Stasi]

*a parent was a moderator/admin of sorts, just so gen-z:ers understand what I'm talking about. Their pronouns were he or she depending on which one of them came stomping into the room

And just like jannies they do it for free.

Tfw you get in trouble and the parents ban you from playing vidya but you have one of those Gameboy light things and can secretly play Pokémon under the bedsheets while pretending to sleep

 

[Book Thief]

Those reviews are especially funny in hindsight knowing just how horribly mid 90s 3D has aged. Some of the ugliest looking games you will find.

Not nearly as beautiful as the original but it was still very impressive. The original graphics was *chefs kiss*.

Yeah, that screenshot appears to be from the MegaDrive/Genesis port. The original Arcade Version looks way better.

Here's the Genesis port for comparison. It looks like trash by today's standards, and is definitely a downgrade compared to the arcade, but when you consider that this is a console that was only meant to be delivering Altered Beast, it loops back around to being pretty impressive.

Personally, I'd go for the 32x port, which gives the game a stronger color palette, two more tracks, and two more cars to play with over the previous versions. Plus, that replay song is fucking killer

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole 2]

Personally, I'd go for the 32x port, which gives the game a stronger color palette, two more tracks, and two more cars to play with over the previous versions. Plus, that replay song is fucking killer

My dude, you should see the Sega Ages version for the PS2! It's the arcade version as you remember it.