How we judge old games in the present day
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Rustybolts Oct 31, 2010
How we judge old games in the present day

Topic split from screenshots thread...

Quoting: Hamish
Quoting: RustyboltsNice used to love Wolfenstein hasn't aged well though, no proper strafing Doom still plays very nicely still though.


Oh, I can do that too... with OpenGL rendering no less. ;)

[

Still, I can not help but think that considering how well games have aged is somewhat superfluous. They should all really be played and judged in respect to the time when they were released.


Personally I don't agree, what constituted for a great game back then, doesn't make a great game in the present. Just like films some films where great in the day, but not so great to watch now, and then you get something else the timeless classics that still capture your imagination each and every time you watch them. Age has a funny way of making your original flaws become more apparent.

Superfrog great game at the time got mega-game awards etc in magazines, today the controls are flawed and feel awkward.
Super Mario Bros (nes) Great game then still plays as beautifully today as it did in the day.
Body Blows (amiga again sorry amiga) Again got great reviews in magazines was a great game in the day but doesn't play as good in the present.
StreetFighter 2 Great game then and still plays sublimely today.
Hamish Oct 31, 2010
Re: Game Screenshots

Well, I think we can agree to disagree on this point, but personally I think a great game stays a great game, no matter what comes after it. Anything else I think kind of demeans the art of creation.
Rustybolts Nov 1, 2010
Re: Game Screenshots

Quoting: HamishWell, I think we can agree to disagree on this point, .

I don't disagree as such we just have differing viewpoints, your point is as true to your opinions as is my opinion to my viewpoint. After all beauty is in the eye of the beholder ;)
Quoting: Hamishbut personally I think a great game stays a great game, no matter what comes after it. Anything else I think kind of demeans the art of creation.

Just to clarify
The games I listed that have stood the test of time, were released before the games that had aged even though at the time Superfrog was labled the Mario/ Sonic beater and likewise Bodyblows (virtuafighter would of also made a good comparison to SF2) to Streetfighter.
Hamish Nov 1, 2010
Re: Game Screenshots

Quoting: RustyboltsThe games I listed that have stood the test of time, were released before the games that had aged even though at the time Superfrog was labled the Mario/ Sonic beater and likewise Bodyblows to Streetfighter.


That in of itself is a good point... and something of a deficiency in the game industry over other entertainment ones. To much effort is put into one-upping the last great title. I am not saying this does not exist elsewhere, but it does seem to be somewhat more prevalent in games. Trying to improve upon a formula is all fine and good, but after a certain point think of something new. ;)
Rustybolts Nov 1, 2010
Re: Game Screenshots

Aesthetics have large part to play in making a game at the time play better (or cloud judgement on its play).

QuoteAge has a funny way of making your original flaws become more apparent.
above quote holds true to this, when games are played in the present, aesthetics now have less of an impact than they once had.
Hamish Nov 1, 2010
Re: Game Screenshots

Me thinks if this is to continue we should have a new thread, as this is going a little off topic. :ugeek:
Liam Dawe Nov 1, 2010
Re: How we judge old games in the present day

Quoting: RustyboltsPersonally I don't agree, what constituted for a great game back then, doesn't make a great game in the present.


QFT - Exactly my viewpoints.

We have come to expect a lot from games nowadays from net integration to plain old life like graphics.

One of the main reasons i love open source though - so many old games get revived with new twists, new features etc to bring old loves back into our hearts.
tweakedenigma Nov 2, 2010
Re: How we judge old games in the present day

Personally, I think that games should always be judged on their game play and story. That being said I think most newer games lack a lot in both Game Play and Story(thats not to say all of them mind you). As an example: I would still take Final Fantasy 6 over any other in the series that came after it. For me it had great characters, an awesome story and the game play was just great. The newer ones seem bland, the characters uninteresting.
Rustybolts Nov 2, 2010
Re: How we judge old games in the present day

Quoting: tweakedenigmaPersonally, I think that games should always be judged on their game play and story. That being said I think most newer games lack a lot in both Game Play and Story(thats not to say all of them mind you). As an example: I would still take Final Fantasy 6 over any other in the series that came after it. For me it had great characters, an awesome story and the game play was just great. The newer ones seem bland, the characters uninteresting.

True but then age can effect how the game plays take for example Dune 2 great game played this all the time in the days of the Amiga. It was however superseded by Command and Conquer/ Red Alert which introduced selecting more than one unit, Assigning Team selection and recall, Building more than one unit at one time. Most modern RTS have taken on this formula and so has become the norm, Now to go back and play Dune 2 which does not have these features makes it difficult to enjoy again.

Btw Loved Final Fantasy (snes era) my fave was 4. Have you tried or bought Eschalon?
Quoting: liamdawe
Quoting: RustyboltsPersonally I don't agree, what constituted for a great game back then, doesn't make a great game in the present.


QFT - Exactly my viewpoints.

We have come to expect a lot from games nowadays from net integration to plain old life like graphics.

One of the main reasons i love open source though - so many old games get revived with new twists, new features etc to bring old loves back into our hearts.

Which leads nicely to the remake of Dune 2 on Linux Dune Legacy which has introduced these features making the game in my opinion playable and fun to play again.

On end note we shouldn't confuse nostalgia with the game still being fun to play.
Hamish Nov 2, 2010
Re: How we judge old games in the present day

Quoting: RustyboltsOn end note we shouldn't confuse nostalgia with the game still being fun to play.


I do not feel all that nostalgic about Wolfenstein 3D for example, and yet I still think it is fun to play. I have actually spent most of my life playing older games even though I do have the option of playing newer supposedly "better" offerings. As I showed in another thread I was playing Majesty recently, which was originally released in 2000, but I only started playing that a year ago. Considering this and the fact I am only sixteen I doubt it is nostalgia that is clouding my judgement on this point.

It is a fair argument, there is some crap I play just because I did when I was six (or something), but it does not change my stance on this.
Rustybolts Nov 2, 2010
Re: How we judge old games in the present day

The nostalgia thing wasn't aimed at you or your enjoyment of Wolfenstein3d it was more of a general statement to the topic as a whole to create the discussion, and more of a trap that I myself probably fall into.I play a quite a few games through nostalgia and probably on reflection I am not really enjoying the game and just re-living memories.
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