Then & Now

[The-Great-One]

Hello Newgrounds Gamers. You know who I am... and don't give a shit, cool. Let's get down to it. When people talk about some of the most successful older games some people say that they're overrated while others say that they were good for their time. Does being good for the time though really bring it to the same level as games today?

Why don't we look back at some older games back then and look at some of these old games that were great for their time and see if they still hold up today.

Goldeneye 007
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Rare
System: Nintendo 64
Genre: First-Person Shooter (FPS)
Year: 1997

Then
Back in the year of 1997 when this game hit there were a good bit of skeptics for two reasons. One is that it was a movie licensed game on the N64, during the N64 and PS1 eras some movie licensed games did not work out entirely well, however this one came out two years after its movie release. The second reason was that it was a First-Person Shooter on a home console. Why was this a problem?

Well back in this time most FPS titles were on the PC and any console ports weren't as successful as they were on the PC. PC dominated the FPS games with titles such as Doom and Quake. However with Goldeneye 007 changed things.

It brought in certain parts of the body that could take more pain, introduced a nice lengthy campaign with different settings and ways to complete missions. One thing that it brought though was the multiplayer option of 4-Player split-screen gameplay which is what everybody remembers and loved about this game.

At this time the controls were fluent and tight, the weapons were abound, and racing for that body armor became a race for your life. It truly was an amazing game. Despite all of this though, the game still could not control as well as a PC First-Person Shooter such as Doom, but for doing al of this on a console it was impressive.

Now
Looking at this game nowadays it truly is amazing what it has given to us in terms of First-Person Shooters and it should be recognized for the stamp it made in gaming history of course. However we have to look at the gameplay as a whole.

Looking at it nowadays and comparing it to other titles such as Call of Duty and Halo, it certainly hasn't aged well and can't really stand up to the competition in terms of controls and graphics. The controls compared to future titles are now stiff in a way at the same time slippery. The graphics I understand were N64 times, but that's not really an excuse as to why they didn't age well when even games from the Super Nintendo have more than aged well in terms of graphics.

Those are it's only real flaws, it is still fun to play, the main campaign is still great and with the options it's campaign last longer than that of most modern FPS games (looking at you Modern Warfare 2) and overall can be a great one player game as well as a multiplayer game.

Conclusion
Well looking back at this game it still stands well as a FPS and quite possibly one of the best FPS games of all time. What I think some people get angry about is that this game is referred to as "the greatest FPS of all time" when it clearly isn't. Doom and Quake are far better contenders since their controls and graphics have certainly aged well over Goldeneye. Then again you can understand this since computers weren't a household item during the 90's. The computer didn't really become mainstream until around 2000-2003, so in a way you can understand why some gamers might think this, but it is certainly not so.

Final Score
Then: 9.0 / 10
Now: 8.0 / 10

Well that's what I think of Goldeneye 007 Then and Now. What do you think of this game then and now or better yet what game do you think has either gotten better with time, worse with time, or is still at the same level?

[Firefoxelite1]

Well, your review sounds about spot on. Although I would argue that Goldeneye is way better than Halo. Mainly because of the grappling hook :3.

It is definitely one of the FPS's of all time. It was indeed revolutionary to the FPS genre itself. It also stands the test of time, it still being a fantastic game. But it's not the game, is the problem. A main reason is because it didn't franchise (A reason why Call of Duty is as popular as it is.). Also, like you said, PC's dominated the FPS game franchise. Thirdly, many other FPS's came out a little later that decade, such as Half-Life, and Quakes 2 & 3 (I think?).

Otherwise, it's a great game. But that era has passed, and the new one has come.

[TheMajormel]

Final Fantasy VII is a game that hasn't aged well too....well, with the movement.

[FlaminSquirrel]

At 10/2/11 04:41 PM, The-Great-One wrote: Well that's what I think of Goldeneye 007 Then and Now. What do you think of this game then and now or better yet what game do you think has either gotten better with time, worse with time, or is still at the same level?

I never played GoldenEye that much, but I did play Perfect Dark. Needless to say I found Perfect Dark a GoldenEye times a million.

I think a game that has aged worse with time is Ocarina of Time, ironically. Ocarina of Time did help the franchise back then, transitioning into 3D and what-not. Newer Zelda titles tried to improve on Ocarina of Time's engine and gameplay mechanics. They succeeded. Playing Ocarina of Time now feels like a real dinosaur. It's stiff and not very fluid like the games that improved on it.

[The-Great-One]

Well looking at that past game was fun so let's do another one shall we? This time why don't we jump forward one year and see what is in store for us today?

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
System: Nintendo 64
Genre: Action-Adventure
Year: 1998

Then
I have a small confession to make. The first Zelda game I ever played was The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for the Super Nintendo and I loved every bit of it. I loved the minimal story, going from two different worlds, the dungeons (fuck the Ice Palace), the items, everything about this game is just perfect in every way. Then I heard the N64 was coming out and when I got my N64 I got Super Mario 64 with it. Mario transitioning to 3D was really cool, but when you got down to it, the game was mostly eye candy, yeah Mario had moves, but the enemies just did not pose the same threat as they used to in his 2D days, it was the stage that kept killing you for the most part. So when Link was said to take his steps into 3D I honestly thought it was going to suck.

Boy I was wrong. Not only was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time a great transition into 3D, but at the same time it introduced new elements as well as revolutionized the gaming world. Nintendo pretty much came in and told everybody "this is how you do 3D gaming" and it was wonderful.

Everything you came to love in "A Link to the Past" came back here, but in a different way with a different story, which I will not go into here because dear lord is that a long one. I will say that the story truly was remarkable, not anything on a huge grandeur level like Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI, but certainly something that didn't overstay its welcome and wasn't always on a serious note. The controls were amazing, moving Link and using each of his items were easy to use, but difficult to master.

The area was immaculate, all of this Hyrule to explore and see to believe, from Lake Hylia to Lon Lon Ranch to Kakariko Village and back again to Kokiri Forest. The dungeons were amazing (fuck you Water Temple) and I still don't believe I've seen everything that each dungeon has to offer. Overall the game is truly a gem.

Now
Well this game was perceived as "The Greatest Video Game of All Time" and when you get that title bestowed upon you, you are sure to be followed with criticisms and skeptics and for good reason especially since time is not kind to anyone or anything and will come down upon you to see if you still hold up.

Looking back at Ocarina of Time it is hard for nostalgia to get in the way it truly is. Some who did not grow up with this game can't seem to understand the effects it had on the gaming community when it later days you had titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess which depending on who you ask has certainly surpassed that of "Ocarina of Time". This makes looking at this game a bit difficult.

I have three common complaints though. Number one being the Iron Boots. Anybody who has played this game have played the Water Temple and it was either easy for them to get through or hard as hell to get through, but no matter what the difficulty of it was for you, the Iron Boots were always an annoyance for you. You pause the game, put on the Iron Boots, unpause, sink, get to where you need to go, pause, put on the Kokiri Boots, unpause, float, rinse and repeat. This became very tedious for quite sometime.

Also why could Link use his Hookshot underwater, but not his sword? Yeah there's an interesting question. Oh and don't give me that physics crap either, we're in a land where just wearing a blue shirt let's you breathe underwater. Besides the Iron Boots weren't really used to much of an extent so they were a bit worthless in that aspect.

Number two would have to be Hyrule Field. Yeah I know it is the area that connects everything together and other Zelda games have had it as well, but it serves no purpose. Yeah there are some hidden holes here and there and it is also where you have to kill the poes for that 4th Bottle (no that's not a spoiler), but other than that it is completely empty with nothing to it, just a giant waste of space. At least in "A Link to the Past", "Majora's Mask", and "Twilight Princess" had secrets hidden in their fields having you trying to figure out what to do or how to get into some of them.

Number three would have to be the areas themselves. Sure some areas have a lot of people to talk to, but for the most part these areas are either empty or serve simplistic RPG areas of people with nothing interesting to say to you. Sure they do have hints for you, but after your mission is complete they don't care anymore and will just mindlessly repeat the same crap again and again.

Other than those three complaints I don't have much else to say against the game. The graphics still stand up great today, the controls are still tight, the gameplay is still wonderful, and the story still works out well.

Conclusion
So in the end "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" is certainly not the best video game of all time and not the best Zelda game, is it a contender for both of those lists? Absolutely, but it is overrated to an extent, even I will admit this. This is a great game nobody can doubt this, whether they like it or not is entirely opinion. Has it aged well? I would say that it has aged well, but not as well as everybody thinks it has. Sure many people probably saw this as a 10/10 and even at point so did I, but given all the circumstances it is just a hair off from being perfect.

Final Score
Then: 10/10
Now: 9.0/10

Well that one was fun to do and probably one some people won't agree with. That's okay, shoot I want to hear your opinions as well on other games and where you think they stood then and where they stand now.

[Jackho]

At 10/2/11 06:35 PM, FlaminSquirrel wrote: Newer Zelda titles tried to improve on Ocarina of Time's engine and gameplay mechanics. They succeeded.

I disagree. I'm not a fan of OoT but at least it held my interest long enough to play through it, Twilight Princess and to a lesser extent Wind Waker bored me to death.

At 10/2/11 05:20 PM, majormelthesackboy wrote: Final Fantasy VII is a game that hasn't aged well too....well, with the movement.

Wait, what? I don't think it's physically possible to make the controls any simpler. The graphics are ass, but that's it.

[Atypop]

Personally I find that if a game was revolutionary for its time, I will find it a great game, despite having progressed with technology and having more advanced games out there, if it changed the way we look at gaming, chances are I'll enjoy it as much as some recent games.

[The-Great-One]

At 10/4/11 12:39 PM, Atypop wrote: Personally I find that if a game was revolutionary for its time, I will find it a great game, despite having progressed with technology and having more advanced games out there, if it changed the way we look at gaming, chances are I'll enjoy it as much as some recent games.

Yes you can still understand the game, but parts of the game won't always age as well as they did in the past. This you should certainly understand.

[II2none]

never got into Zelda long enough to form an opinion but as for golden eye I completely agree. I think each many old FPS's contributed to today's top FPS games. For example DOOM revolutionized the horror FPS genre and paved way for games like F.E.A.R.

[commandab]

goldeneye<warock

rareware = dkc

[commandab]

i dunt understand why evryones on rares dick for everygme ecxept dkc, 2

[SlipperyMooseCakes]

This is a pretty interesting thread, I like how it is set up too ;)

I know Game Informer use to do pretty much the same series in the back of each issue, they might sitll do it too. It's good to put nostalgia into perspective sometimes and realize that not all games from "back then" were as amazing as you think. And that not all games "now days" are trash and don't stand up to the classics.

[The-Great-One]

These are fun to do. Not sure why some of you aren't jumping on board and doing one or two. You're so opinionated from time to time it truly makes me wonder. So let's do another one. Let's give the good ole' PlayStation a whirl shall we?

Resident Evil
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
System: Sony PlayStation
Genre: Survival Horror
Year: 1996

Then
The game coined the term survival horror, yet other games outside of it and before it could probably get this recognition of being the first or earliest, but Resident Evil was the first one to truly coin said term. What is Resident Evil?

Well you are part of the Special Tactics And Rescue Squad S.T.A.R.S looking into the murders in the Arklay Mountains just outside of Raccoon City. A part of S.T.A.R.S, the Bravo Team were already sent in, but they lost communication, so the S.T.A.R.S Alpha Team was sent in. You can control either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, two members of Alpha Team who both have different weapons and different ways of telling the story and getting through the game.

The story isn't half bad when you can get past the voice acting, the files and journals left behind are certainly chilling. This is a scary game both in shock value and something coming out of nowhere to get you, but what is worse is when something is around the corner and you were too late to see it.

The controls are a bit tank like, but manageable, this was still early on in the 3D gaming world so there the groundwork had to be layered in and all developers had their own ways of doing this. I give credit to Capcom for this style because although it is a bit shaky to get used to it does work.

The gameplay of killing monsters and trying to survive certainly fits well here. Is it better to kill the monster and move on or should you try and conserve your ammo? Is it better to run or should you ignore warnings and go for the fight?

That's pretty much all I can say without spoiling anything in this game and that is one thing I'm trying SO hard not to do. Bottomline this was an awesome game.

Now
Looking back in time at this game is certainly something. With all the sequels, spin-offs, and spin-off sequels it seems harder to put this series in some sort of timeline than it is to put Zelda in a timeline. All these events and happening surely makes your head spin. However let's go back to the first game, where it all started, when you went into the mansion.

One thing that I have noticed about this game is that it has some similarities to "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" in a way with it's size. Yeah it's small place when you think about it, but when you take the time to look at it, there is just so much that is here. Every detail of the mansion can be looked at observed and appreciated (all except that fucking Dining Room clock) and to see it all connect together is amazing. Once you leave the mansion, you're a bit sad that you haven't gotten to go into some areas yet and you wonder if you will, but when you get that Helmet Key you're excited as all hell to go back into the mansion, but when you do you realize that some company has let themselves in.

This game does not shine in the voice acting department, we laughed back then at it and we're still laughing at it today. The overall story can seem somewhat campy in a way nowadays, but the files and journals still stand.

The controls although manageable back then, looking at them today they are horrible to what we have. I would complain about the loading time between doors, but it's not that long and it does add to the suspense of what is behind the next door at times, besides there are modern games out there that have ungodly loading times like from the Fable series.

The gameplay however is still just as gratifying and certainly has you coming back again and again to see if you can do it better each time and it even rewards you for doing a good job, with a key to alternate costumes, a Magnum with infinite ammo, or a Rocket Launcher with infinite ammo, so you can go to town on all of these bizarre creatures that inhabit the mansion.

Conclusion
To close things up with this one "Resident Evil" is certainly a gem in the gaming world for its history as well as giving us an interesting sub-genre. However the game hasn't aged as well as it would have hoped with it's controls, load times, and voice acting. I will admit that the groundwork was still being layed in and to even have voice acting at all was a feat even of itself. Comparing it to modern games and how it would hold up now it would only being average at best.

Final Score
Then: 8.5/10
Now:7/10

At 10/5/11 03:25 PM, SlipperyMooseCakes wrote: This is a pretty interesting thread, I like how it is set up too ;)

I know Game Informer use to do pretty much the same series in the back of each issue, they might sitll do it too. It's good to put nostalgia into perspective sometimes and realize that not all games from "back then" were as amazing as you think. And that not all games "now days" are trash and don't stand up to the classics.

Well I thank you SlipperyMooseCakes for liking this thread and I welcome you as well as others to participate in it as well. I wouldn't mind someone coming in here and taking a whack at a Sonic game. I intend on doing more since this is actually quite fun.

Game Informer used to do Retro Reviews, but they don't anymore. It is interesting to look back at games and see if they truly can stand the test of time and stand up to modern games. Not all the classics back then are as great as modern games and not all modern games are as good as the classics.

[naronic]

were gonna have some flamefests in this thread...

[The-Great-One]

At 10/5/11 09:07 PM, naronic wrote: were gonna have some flamefests in this thread...

They haven't appeared yet. People seem to be enjoying themselves. Besides if their opinions differ from mine then I gladly welcome them. I'm trying to decide which game to do next.

[II2none]

At 10/5/11 09:53 PM, The-Great-One wrote:

At 10/5/11 09:07 PM, naronic wrote: were gonna have some flamefests in this thread...

They haven't appeared yet. People seem to be enjoying themselves. Besides if their opinions differ from mine then I gladly welcome them. I'm trying to decide which game to do next.

Dibs on Sonic!!!!

[II2none]

I'm going to review this game as if I were reviewing an NG game, but somewhat mimic THE-GREAT-ONE's style for consistency, personally I hope the HTML gets redesigned similarly to Microsoft office faster methods, or you could just call me lazy. :P

Sonic The Hedgehog (1991)
Publisher:SEGA
Developer: Sonic Team
Game System: SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive
Genre:Plat-former,Adventure

Then
There's tons of cool shit that made the 90's so nostalgic, and Sonic The Hedgehog has earned his keep in our gaming hearts and minds. The second most popular video game character in the world living in the shadow of his long time rival Mario SEGA dropped the gauntlet in 1991 with an original new character who could run, spin dash and jump his way past enemies, lava pits, and abyss's. Where as Mario is about precise jumping sonic is about precise speed. Because of the games top notch physics mechanics and platforming the popularity of the game allowed the genesis to outsell the super Nintendo giving the Console the edge.

Story line:
Very basic like a classic Saturday morning cartoon. Find bad guy who wants to take over the world by using the chaos emeralds to turn animals into robotic minions and kick his ass, the end Although the ending can be different if you collect all the chaos emeralds.

I'm sure even a child of this generation could give a rats ass about the story from a console that doesn't even have a glowing power button.

Game-play:

You're Sonic the Hedgehog he runs fast whats your goal, you may ask? RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN! Along the way you collect rings each one collected is confirmed by an all too familiar jingle. This is pretty much your life, your health, your golden blood. As the game does it's best to place enemies and obstacles in the most "convenient" spots to ruin your fun especially the spikes. Fortunately there are many power ups and goodies along the way that make the game less frustrating. Jumping spin dashing and collecting rings are just a basic means of defense but in addition there are shields which give you temporary invulnerability unless yo fall in a pit, get crushed by a trap or drown underwater.

As well as Life up boxes, these are crucial "must-grabs", to even veteran Sonic The Hedgehog gamers. (you can also get an extra life from collecting 100 rings) Progress far enough into a level and your bound to come across checkpoints indicated by a lamp post with a bulb and a star. These objects save your progress until you complete the level or run out of lives make sure to not overlook them chances are you won't get very far.

At the end of act 2 of a level, you face off against one of egg mans deadly machines each with their own methods of destruction and some may require a change in strategy . the later half of bosses bosses give you an overwhelming feeling with projectiles and and all kinda of things trying to kill you the boss fights can get very intense and claustrophobic.

Sound: This could be my fan-dom talking but who doesn't love at least one or two tracks in this game? The themes are original and well produced for a 16-bit game.

In the end this game took the world by storm in the 90's. Every kid loved sonic, every kid wanted to be sonic and for a while Mario didn't stand a chance.

Now

It goes without saying that this day in age were along way from 16 bit graphics and synthesizer music. Although there are games being made to appeal retro style this day in age such as Scott pilgrim vs the world, and other arcade games you can find in your online console store. But can the fat and black games really match up with the new Lean and Green...?

Graphics:

Design is very primitive the background and foreground of the games are very pix-elated and perspective can be questionable some of the shading is in the wrong places and kinda disturb the realistic shading in some levels as if there's a tunnel going into a wall or something. Sonic himself is very pix-elated, having very rigid design when he gets his speed game goin his leg movements almost make no sense if you look at how his right leg is raised while pausing, nobody can run with their foot extended horizontally.

The graphics display enough to help indicate various objects and actions from Sonic and of course they're awesome for its time, but as compared to future 2d game installments such as sonic advance, it has no competition to a game 9 years ahead of its time.

Gameplay:

Pretty much trial and error, You have to go fast since your under the clock while at the same time avoiding and attacking obstacles that get in your way. But the difficulty sky rockets as more and more (unseen obstacles are placed through out each level) to make matters worse theirs a glitch in the ORIGINAL Sonic the hedgehog game where you can get "spike combo'ed" because the invincibility blink doesn't register after hitting the first spike this is an annoyance as new players aren't sure of the layout of spikes in each given level plus it breaks the rules of getting damaged n a game. (Were game testers lacking in the early 90's? If not how did this go amiss?)

The boss difficulty is even worse after the first two bosses, it goes hard core forcing you to quickly think of new strategies battling against the time as well for your own life. Casual players will need a lot of luck and PATIENCE. I find myself feeling overwhelmed at times with later bosses shooting every which way and occasionally booby traps increasing the difficulty even further. The levels do teach you somewhat on how your next boss fight might be but it's not to be expected particularly with young kids.

The difficulty just sky rockets too fast in both the levels and bosses and since the game lacks the technology to save your game unless your really into the franchise who the hell wants to put up with loosing and start all over again?

Sound: taking the nostalgia out of it the sound effects are appropriate when controlling sonic and destroying stuff. Nothing really to call out on this one except Egg man's exploding sounds like a train puffin smoke.

Overall: The game is truly meant for the 90's when games and exercise were more or less in sync as opposed to today thanks to memory cards/hard drives. On an after school day Sonic The Hedgehog's purpose was like most video games of the early 90's, to kill time and hope luck is on your side or develop enough memorization to reach the ending.

While it was an excellent game for its time the speed, story depth, graphics, characters, platforming, and sound can't hold up against Sonic Unleashed, Sonic COLORS, Or even the appalling Sonic The Hedgehog 06.

Assume retro gaming was as booming as the games of today if Sonic 06 and Sonic the hedgehog featured a trailer which would look more fun to you? And your lying to yourself if its the latter.

Then: 9/10

Now: 5/10

[Idocreating]

At 10/6/11 01:55 AM, roderickii wrote: Assume retro gaming was as booming as the games of today if Sonic 06 and Sonic the hedgehog featured a trailer which would look more fun to you? And your lying to yourself if its the latter.

Well I know your assuming too much. Sonic 06 is a glitchy mess whereas Sonic the Hedgehog is a classic gem that still holds up today on it's gameplay and aesthetic.

[Salnax]

Have any games become better over time?

[AnalPenguinFarming]

At 10/6/11 10:04 PM, Salnax wrote: Have any games become better over time?

Rise of Nations, Age of Empires II, and any game related to those older style games, in my opinion. Sometimes I play these newer age games and I'm blown away by the graphics, but they just don't seem to make the cut as the original games did with simplicity and are easy to pick up and play.

[II2none]

At 10/6/11 09:54 PM, Idocreating wrote:

At 10/6/11 01:55 AM, roderickii wrote: Assume retro gaming was as booming as the games of today if Sonic 06 and Sonic the hedgehog featured a trailer which would look more fun to you? And your lying to yourself if its the latter.

Well I know your assuming too much. Sonic 06 is a glitchy mess whereas Sonic the Hedgehog is a classic gem that still holds up today on it's gameplay and aesthetic.

I knew people like you would show up eventually, the point is if you put a trailer of these games side by side sonic 06 is obviously going too look like the better game THIS DAY in age.You wouldn't know about the glitches till you actually play the game.

[SblurX]

At 10/6/11 11:34 PM, roderickii wrote:

At 10/6/11 09:54 PM, Idocreating wrote:

At 10/6/11 01:55 AM, roderickii wrote: Assume retro gaming was as booming as the games of today if Sonic 06 and Sonic the hedgehog featured a trailer which would look more fun to you? And your lying to yourself if its the latter.

Well I know your assuming too much. Sonic 06 is a glitchy mess whereas Sonic the Hedgehog is a classic gem that still holds up today on it's gameplay and aesthetic.

I knew people like you would show up eventually, the point is if you put a trailer of these games side by side sonic 06 is obviously going too look like the better game THIS DAY in age.You wouldn't know about the glitches till you actually play the game.

Just because its in 3D doesn't mean it looks/plays better. Sure we wouldn't know it had the glitches in the trailers but those are trailers. They're supposed to make you wanna buy the game, not tell you that its a total mess that you don't wanna touch. What do they have to do with how a game actually plays?

[II2none]

At 10/7/11 02:31 AM, SblurX wrote:

At 10/6/11 11:34 PM, roderickii wrote:

At 10/6/11 09:54 PM, Idocreating wrote:

At 10/6/11 01:55 AM, roderickii wrote: Assume retro gaming was as booming as the games of today if Sonic 06 and Sonic the hedgehog featured a trailer which would look more fun to you? And your lying to yourself if its the latter.

Well I know your assuming too much. Sonic 06 is a glitchy mess whereas Sonic the Hedgehog is a classic gem that still holds up today on it's gameplay and aesthetic.

I knew people like you would show up eventually, the point is if you put a trailer of these games side by side sonic 06 is obviously going too look like the better game THIS DAY in age.You wouldn't know about the glitches till you actually play the game.

Just because its in 3D doesn't mean it looks/plays better. Sure we wouldn't know it had the glitches in the trailers but those are trailers. They're supposed to make you wanna buy the game, not tell you that its a total mess that you don't wanna touch. What do they have to do with how a game actually plays?

How??? How can sonic the hedgehog match up against sonic 06 from a technical standpoint?

That's why I said if the games were BRAND NEW THIS DAY IN AGE, meaning you would have NO RECURRING KNOWLEDGE OF sonic 06 or sonic the hedgehog. You'd most likely go for sonic 06

But to answer your question yes sonic the hedgehog is the better game game-play wise but from a technical standpoint it can't match up to the current titles that's the point of the thread, to remove nostalgia and judge it in comparison with games of today.

[ghdude85]

Lots of old games that may have been the techincal wonder for theire time is still very playable today even though the graphics and gameplay may be shit.

My first encounter with Final Fantasy VII: some months ago, and I would say it is one of the best FF games I have ever tried.

First time I played Earthbound (Mother) was 2-3 days ago and it is a God damn fun game!

Some weeks I ago I also completed the two original Legend of Zelda games.

If you says a game hasn't aged well... then you probably played it when it was new and grew tired of it. I am kinda tired from Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time, but I know that if people that hasn't played them before would try them now they would have a wonderful time.

[The-Great-One]

At 10/7/11 06:39 AM, ghdude85 wrote: If you says a game hasn't aged well... then you probably played it when it was new and grew tired of it. I am kinda tired from Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time, but I know that if people that hasn't played them before would try them now they would have a wonderful time.

Some parts of a game don't age well. This thread questions if they could still hold up today side-by-side with other games. There are movies that can do this, music, and television shows, but can video games do the same? I say yes.

[The-Great-One]

Alright I've been debating on which game to do next and you know what I have decided upon a Super Nintendo game. This one has been recognized by many gamers as a great game, but out of the other Super Nintendo library it gets shafted sadly.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
System: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Genre: Platformer
Year: 1995

Then
When it came to this game, I remember seeing a demo of it at Best Buy. I was just amazed by it. So I asked Santa Claus for it for Christmas and I got it. I would play this game for three years straight, that was until 1998 when I got The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but that's beside the point.

This game was something completely different and new. You see, a stork was flying with two baby brothers who would be Mario and Luigi to their parents. Kameek must have seen something in the future and thus went to retrieve both children. However she only got Luigi and Mario fell down to Yoshi's Island.

Yoshi would catch him and thus Yoshi and his friends all came up that they would relay Mario around until they got to Luigi. It doesn't really make much sense, but it's a Mario game during the 90's so story didn't really hit strong. However when you do analyze it you realize that this is a prequel.

The gameplay what can be said is awkward at first, but it's something that you do pick up and fast. This is not only the first game where you play as Yoshi, but his tactics are certainly made note here from his flutter jump, to throwing eggs, and eating and shooting watermelon seeds, spitting fire and ice. Even Baby Mario becomes of some use with a star.

Speaking of which if Yoshi get's hit he loses Baby Mario into a bubble, if Yoshi doesn't catch Baby Mario after a counter goes down then some Mechakoopas (cronies of Kameek) fly down and take Baby Mario causing Yoshi to lose a life. Other ways are through insta death spikes and lava. The only thing is when you lose Baby Mario he cries and it is ear shrieking, this would be a complaint, but I gotta be honest it actually helps you make sure you don't lose him. Because if you do he CRIES!

Not to mention in each level there are balloons you can hit to get Stars to extend the counter to a max of 30. There are 5 flowers in each level, by collecting them all you get a 1-UP, also there are 20 Red Coins as well in which some of them are hidden. Each Star and Red Coin are worth 1-Point. Each flower is worth 10 Points. 20 Red Coins + 30 Stars + 5 Flower (50 Points) = 100 Points. So there is something out there for those who go for the 100% deal, which isn't a bad idea since gettin 100% opens up Bonus Games as well as Hidden Levels.

Each level's design is unique in it's own way ESPECIALLY the castles and boss battles. Oh yeah and not to mention that last boss battle which I won't dare spoil for you. Overall this game is truly a gem of its time.

Now
Looking back at this game is interesting on two different aspects. One is the gameplay and another is the design and presentation. The thing here is the gameplay still holds up as a platformer goes and is even better than most of the platformers you can download on iPhone's and through different online stores, so the gameplay more than holds up.

Looking at the graphics, there is nothing wrong here and this still holds up to the modern standards of 2D platformers such as Braid. What really seems to help it are the idle animations of the different backgrounds, enemies, and of course Yoshi and Baby Mario. So all in all the graphics still hold up.

The controls I'll admit are still a bit awkward, but they're pretty easy to get used to. It is something you learn as you go and is certainly has a lot to offer. The 100% idea is still here and the hidden levels are not only challenging, but fun.

Conclusion
Going back into this time capsule, it seems that this game still has some shine to it and requires no real polish. The idea doesn't get stale and the replay value is here and thriving. You can spend hours upon hours playing this game trying to get better and better at it the next time you play. With each level offering it's own set of rules and challenges it makes you wonder what can I do and where can I go?

Final Score
Then: 10/10
Now: 10/10

[The-Great-One]

Damn this is just too much fun. Well let's do another Super Nintendo game then shall we? How about we jump back into Mario again.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Square
System: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Genre: Action Role-Playing Game
Year: 1996

Then
Oh boy. Did this game confuse kids including myself when this came out. I got this for a Christmas present from my grandparents when I was 6-years old. It was a wonderful present, but when I got it home it wasn't what I expected. What is this button for Attack? What do you mean HP? What is FP? What is any of this? You see this was the very first RPG I had ever played, so looking at it back then is a bit difficult for me to do.

Starting out I was already fighting Bowser and trying to rescue Princess Toadstool (yes that is what her name used to be). Which I succeeded in doing, however things did not go well. I end up going to the Mushroom Kingdom fighting bad guys along the way within this new gameplay I have not seen before, the Turn-Based RPG. What was timed hits? Why were enemies dying? Why couldn't I move and enemies got to hit me?

One thing that struck me instantly with this game was the pseudo 3D aspects of it. In other words an open world (in a way) to move around in and for seeing this on the Super Nintendo it blew my freaking mind. I mean damn did this game look good! It truly did impress.

The story was also quite engaging, from beginning to end and had me with it's memorable dialogue and characters, especially the boss battles. So overall this game was a wonderful game and an important part of my childhood.

Now
The last time I picked this game up was when it was released on the Virtual Console. I picked it up on there and looking back at it and judging it side-by-side with other video games I have to say this. The controls are still just as good as they were for exploring and fighting. Easy to pick up, difficult to master.

The story although just as memorable compared to the RPGs of today is nothing impressive and seems to have some holes in it here and there, thus making it very simplistic. Not that is a bad thing, it's just not well developed compared to what we have nowadays. The characters however are still just as memorable and their dialogues still just a funny, I could quote this game all day long.

The game is still challenging, but not to the point of you rage quitting. Overall there really is not much against this game. The graphics still hold up and so does the music and gameplay.

Conclusion
As much as I love this game I am going to have to say that seeing it on Best Games of All-Time Lists makes it a bit overrated. Is it a cool game? Yes. Is it one of the best Super Nintendo games? Yes. One of the best games of all time? It would either be low on the list or not there at all. I'm sorry, but this game is a bit overrated.

Final Score
Then: 9.0/10.0
Now: 8.0/10.0

[Auz]

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
System: Nintendo 64
Genre: Adventure
Year: 2000

Then
Naturally the expections for this game were sky high as it was THE sequel to what was considered to be the very best game of all time by many (of course I'm talking about Ocarina of Time). I think Nintendo took a pretty big risk by ditching the usual, low-risk "save the damsel in distress" concept they had set for Zelda games up until that point and by innovating towards a doomsday and time traveling concept. On the other hand it was good that they came up with something new, because a simple graphical update and smoothening of the gameplay wouldn't do.

Now for its time everything of Majora's Mask was top-notch. Graphicwise it was well above par, the combat was very smooth compared to most other games, the gameplay was good and the plot and concepts were worked out very well. Everyone who played it will definitely remember that iconic moon that constantly loomed over your head, that creepy masksman, the scary music at the final hours that really made you feel like the world was about to go to hell. And of course also those detailed sidequests where you had to be at places at certain hours to do stuff and get items in return. It was all well worked out and really made playing this game an extraordinary experience.

So the risky step they took turned out for the best and resulted in a game that could only be rivalled by Ocarina of Time within its genre. And while it came from the very same franchise it was yet so different in setting and atmosphere and managed to give a whole new experience for Zelda players.

Now
It is difficult to compare this game to more modern games because actually, there hasn't really been a game like Majora's Mask ever since it came out. It is still quite unique in its plot and concepts. Yes, doomsday scenarios are very common in video games, but there haven't been any notable games that got the apocalyptic atmosphere so right and got such a detailed time cycle as Majora's Mask had.

When it comes to the gameplay, the combat system is of course not so smooth anymore. It would even be fair to call it clunky. I also think the game won't prove much of a challenge anymore to the veteran gamer and definitely not to the seasoned Zelda player. At the time most players were rather new to its type of puzzles, but the Zelda franchise has reused a lot of them in later games and they never required great intellect anyway.

Nonetheless, the aging of the gameplay did not take away from the experience the game gives you. It is still a very nice game to play through and will definitely give you a feeling that you're playing something you have never played before. Something original and fresh.

Conclusion
All in all it remains an excellent game up to this day. You can forgive the game for having clunky combat and an average difficulty as the experience the game gives you more than makes up for it.

If there is ever going to be an official list of essential video games that every gamer must have played, this game would fully deserve a spot on that list.

Obviously this is all written in the opinion of me

[The-Great-One]

Well it's been a fuck long time. I say let's bring this thread back into existence with a game that I have recently picked up again.

Chrono Trigger
Publisher: Square
Developer: Square
System: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Genre: Role-Playing Game
Year: 1995

Then
First off, this game has a veritable dream team. Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of Final Fantasy. Yuji Horii, creator of Dragon Quest. Akira Toriyama, a manga artist known for his creation of Dragon Ball. With these three working together you have got a set-up that is guaranteed not to fail and it certainly didn't.

The story... I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that, because anything I tell you will certainly spoil it. I will say this though, the game revolves around time travel. You travel to different periods of time to help save the world from certain doom that has already been set into motion.

One thing I can certainly tell you is the gameplay is amazing. One thing, random battles are not as random as you would think, because you would have to bump into the enemies on screen to engage in battle. At times there are forced battles, but not always. The only way enemies can attack you at times is if they're close enough to you, so you have to move fast enough to attack and hopefully not have your partner killed or you yourself killed. That's not even the most creative part either.

When you learn a special attack, and one of your ally's learns a special attack. You can combine them together into something called a Dual Tech. Later on you'll be able to combine three attacks into one. This is not only amazing, but it opens up a lot of possibilities for attacking, but at the same time you have to plan your strategy and keep an eye on your MP as well.

The game has a lot to it with multiple endings and depending on some of your decisions means the game's outcome or how it's story plays out can be different as well. So the replay value is high. As far as RPGs goes this game is perfect, and is a high contender for best video game of all time.

Now
This game is certainly successful and has a grand following, being re-released multiple times on the PlayStation, PlayStation Network, Wii Virtual Console, and the Nintendo DS, and it still sells well. The question is though, is that nostalgia? Well no it's not. This game can still stand up with some of the more modern games.

The graphics are still amazing for its time, the gameplay is still easy to pickup and difficult to master, the music is still some of the best music out there, even better than many of the current games out there. The story still stands strong as one of the best written stories in video game history.

There is truly nothing wrong with this game.

Conclusion
This game still stands the test of time and has aged very well, mainly because it was ahead of its time. With each re-release it usually gets an update in one way or another. All in all it was perfect back then and over 15 years later it is still perfect.

Final Score
Then: 10/10
Now: 10/10

[Sense-Offender]

Majora's Mask was great and all, but it got really frustrating. It's a lot more aggravating than OoT was.

Goldeneye is still awesome, but I think Perfect Dark is significantly better.

And I disagree on the first Sonic game. Yeah, it didn't have the spin charging thing, but it's still a great game. I think Sonic 3 is still the best one, though.

A lot of 2d side scrolling games are just as good as they were when they were new. Metal Slug, Shinobi 3, the first 3 Sonic games, Sonic and Knuckles, Contra 3, Mario 3, Super Mario World, etc. Lots of top down perspective games are still just as good, also, like Total Carnage.