Ben-DutkaIt's always an interesting debate. Can classic games, which have long since been eclipsed in terms of technology (and artistry, in some cases) still stand toe-to-toe with modern interactive entertainment?
Well, according to our poll, the vast majority say the classics are classics for a reason. Most say there are exceptions, of course, but for the most part, titles like Tetris , Sonic the Hedgehog , and Super Mario Bros. remain fun even to this day. Some will argue that our industry has lost the innocence and purity of the golden age; we at PSXE always like to claim that we've definitely lost the innocence, but purity endures in the hearts of hardcore gamers that just so happen to be developers. They want us to have fun at all costs, and that's where our purity lies, regardless of how advanced our preferred form of entertainment becomes.
This week, we want to know if you plan on getting Deus Ex: Human Revolution . It's a very big release for late summer and for fans of the franchise, they've been waiting quite some time for a new installment. We'll be giving you a review later on Monday, but have you already decided? Or are you waiting to hear what we – and other sources – have to say? For the record, I'm approaching 15 hours and I will keep playing. For the full analysis, stay tuned…
When it comes to classics I think it depends on when you were born. I have no problem picking up Faxanadu and getting immersed in the world but I doubt many younger gamers that started with the PS2 or even the PS1 can.
I'll be getting the newest Deus Ex down the road, too busy with other games.
Shush you, or I'll get that theme song stuck in my head.
LOL! I just youtube'd it, GOLD!
You see those geeks with the bulging eyeball whose arms go up and down when they walk? The way that motion looked caused my friends and I to name them "pants pullers". I'll never forget those perverts!
This guy does a real nice guitar rendition of "Overworld Theme" from Faxanadu…..
There are always exceptions, the problem is that even with a classic game that I love the damn thing gets old really quick. Games I used to play every day for months become tiresome inside a half hour. Games today spoil us. Most of the games I find unplayable this gen would have been the biggest most popularest greatest thing of all time if they released back then.
I'm tempted as hell to grab Deus Ex right away and just play like crazy for the next 2 weeks but I dunno if I should. I'm like on the edge of deciding. So frustrating.
The mind is a wonderful thing. It makes holiday meals long ago seem to taste better than the ones now. I say screw it, kill all the turkeys.
Your not gonna die if you choose to wait a while before getting it.
Ya gotta grab for all the gusto you can get Claire, we might not be here tomorrow.
Some stand the test of time, some don't. I played some Mortal Kombat 4 the other day, and god it was outdated. I loved that game but it was practically unplayable. But on the other hand, I just finished playing FFVII, and it was easy and comfortable to play, even if you can only play with the d-pad. So I think it depends on the genre. RPGs will always be playable, while shooters (Wolfenstein, Duke Nukem 3D, Doom) are barely playable these days (original versions, of course).
Think of it from a generational point of view.
I love Pac-man and Space Invaders, but apart from that, there wasn't a lot of games I really enjoyed from the Intellivision and Atari era. What makes you think 14 year olds whose first console was a PS2 is going to enjoy games that predate them? It's mostly 40-50 year olds who love the old Atari's and Intellivisions because they grew up playing those, so I don't expect kids these days to understand the wonders of the SNES and Mega Drive era.
My first console was a NES, so of course I'm a big Mario fan. Loved Duckhunt, The Flintstones, Battletoads (even if I couldn't get past the second level) and many other platformers that dominated in the day.
Mega Drive had me at Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Toy Story was a technical marvel for the Mega Drive, and The Lion King was nothing but joy to play with.
Then I got my first Playstation. Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Crash Bandicoot 3, Dino Crisis, Time Crisis, Driver, Gran Turismo, Tony Hawk Pro Skateboarding (back when it was revolutionary), the Playstation had it all!!
Since I grew up with all these games and these particular systems, nostalgia plays a big role in my love of these classics. But even the simplistic controls, incredible artwork and wonderful level design of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Super Mario World, Crash Bandicoot 3 and many other classics will continue to stand the test of time because they were just perfect!!
I guess it's why Call of Duty is so popular today because it follows several key components that made these classics so good. Simple controls, solid gameplay and physics, level design was great in CoD 4, but has dropped a little since. It's the simplicity to pick up and play that draws people in.
How long does it take to learn the controls and gameplay of Sonic the Hedgehog? About 10 seconds. About 30 seconds with Call of Duty.
Innovation yet simplicity is what makes a game a classic. Then again, there's Final Fantasy VII which broke the mould.
So yes, classics like Mario, Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy, Space Invaders, Pac-Man, all of them can definitely stand up to modern games, all because they continue to be a joy to pick up and play.
Last edited by Dancemachine55 on 8/21/2011 11:02:20 PM
This theory is subjective towards every individual's retinal abilities, their perception and reception. Whilst there are those that could withstand the outdated graphics for different yet excellent gameplay developed for it's timeline, I'm sure the experience of older titles wouldn't heighten to it's fullest potential nowadays due to the simple fact that the graphics and music, perhaps gameplay in a sense would be outdated. You may argue your point about graphics not defining a game [which can be true], but if you've been playing video-games within this generation, there's little chance you aren't going to be affected when trying to replay those classics. Then again, as I said: it all depends on you.
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Speaking of classics, the Deus Ex poll is looking quite ugly atm. Presuming a reason I will mention that boy, did you people miss out on a gem. If the majority bunch defend classics so badly yet can't give a crap about Human Revolution, I suggest you install Deus Ex on PC or play it on the PS2.
I know some others have said pretty much the same thing, but it all depends on what you played when you were 8. I look at hames like Uncharted, MGS4, and other gems from this current gen and I recognize that they're doing things from a technical and story standpoint that would have been impossible back in the 8-bit or 16-bit days. But for me, none of that matters, because I'll never have as much fun with those games as I did with Secret of Mana or Super Metroid or other games that I played when I was 8.
But if you were 8 when during the PS1 or PS2 eras, then I can't imagine how those games would have the same charm or would stand up against newer games without the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia.
Where's the line? Some might consider the original Tomb Raider a classic, but it's pretty well unplayable today with those controls and that camera.
I also think it's a difference between the generations i remember when i played zelda , mario ,psone final fantasy's and a lot of other psone games. I still enjoy playing the older games today even though games today have better graphics the classics are still fun to me
It kinda sucks on this new poll cause I plan on buying Deus Ex but just not till later. I don't care what the reviews say but there are other games I want more. So I guess that could be the last one "Nope, saving up for the crazy fall."
I'm glad I still have an old 'Other OS' PS3 to be able to play (via emulation) most older arcade games, Genesis, SNES, Master System/Game Gear, NES, GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, TurboGrafx-16, Atari 2600/5200/7800/Lynx, Neo Geo, C64, Amiga 500/1200, Atari 800/XL, Atari ST(e), ColecoVision, Apple II/IIgs, TRS-80 'CoCo,' and several others. Yeah, I could use a PC for that too, but it's nice having it set up on a standalone system in the living room using the SIXAXIS/DUALSHOCK controllers.
f*cking oath they can!
simply because, well, there a sh*t load more fun!
i was watching a new episode of the simpsons today, the episode where comic book guy creates everyman then gets made into a movie.
once it was finished i could not help but thinking man, nothing is as good as it use to be!
not only games, but movies, cartoons, hell even books!
games, well, i still play my ps1 collection everyday be it on my psp, or on my ps3, wherever.
ive finished crash bandicoot 1-5 probably 100 times now, no joke!
i still play my ps2 collection on my PC emulator from time to time.
ive finished all the ps2 R&C games at least 10 times by now!
hell, even look at the witcher 2.
god knows how many hours ive put into that, but definitely at least quadruple the time ive put into any ps3 game!
ps3 games, though, im bored of then within 2 or so playthroughs.
even the games that i enjoy the most like AC2 or the original infamous ive only played them maybe 6 times each.
in comparison to ps1 and ps2 games i would of played them heaps more!
games just are no where near as fun these days.
thats mainly down to developers are in this mindset that graphics are the only important thing.
games use to be made to be as fun and entertaining as possible.
now though there made to be as visually impressive as possible.
so much so in fact developers dont have enough time to properly design their games, which is why were suffering from so much of this cut and paste syndrome!
enemy types especially, thats one reason gears of war is so popular.
the devs dont focus on ZOMG the graphics its so petty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
no they focus on whats fun, IE really cool zany monsters (i mean come on where else would you find a giant man eating worm!?), massive bosses, really cool weapons.
the type of things that make you laugh and put a MASSIVE smile on your face!
not the type of game that puts a smile on your eyes, but the sets you to sleep!
enemy variety is another thing games dont do enough of.
KZ series for example.
you have so many enemy classes, but whats the point if they all play out the same?
take cover pop and shoot, how you take out each enemy is exactly the same!
only time that changes is when your fighting heavies or bosses, otherwise its the same old gameplay from hour 1 to hour 6!
gears though theres so many different enemy types.
from the tickers who scurry to you then explode keeping you from cover camping, to the shielded guys again stopping you from cover camping, to the grunts.
so many things in there throwing up the gameplay making you constantly change your tactic, and really helps stop the game from getting boring and repetitive.
thats one thing i was really surprised to see in bulletstorm.
all the enemys were practicably the same, even the bosses were pretty much the same, which is really weird for a game co developed by epic!
i was expecting some really cool zany boss battles like a giant man eating plant or something.
not a huge steroid heavily armoured chain gun guy!
or movies even, i was watching naked gun the other night for the billionth time, and that still cracks me up!
the part where they mistake a gun for a lighter, that was a classic!
or even revenge of the pink panther where the light bulb keeps popping out of the socket, then sticks his finger in there and ends up looking like big bird!
even action movies, the old lethal weapon movies, hell even the original bad boys kicks the royal sh*t out of bad boys 2!
the original tron was far better then last years crappy remake!
the original planet of the apes was a instant classic, but the remakes, well this is just getting sad!
milked more then bloody guitar hero!
horror even, movies from 20 years ago even to todays standards can scare me at the drop of a dime!
todays movies though, well, there not even horror!
its all about this stupid torture porn!
come on, saw, hostel, the hills have eyes.
thats not horror!
ONLY movie that i have seen within the past few years which even has a chance of holding a candle to the classics would have to be the LOTR series, they were truly brilliant!
and inception!
probably my most favourite movie of all time!
no matrix, the original again a oldie was a classic!
the other 2, well, i refuse to admit there existence thats how bad they were!
i still watch the old episodes of the simpsons, family guy, futurama, even after seeing them a million times they still have me pissing my pants in stitches!
todays episodes though are boring as bat sh*t, and as funny as watching the grass grow!
just about as entertaining too!
especially family guy, it use to be so funny and entertaining the first 3 seasons were brilliant!
when you wish upon a weinstein, thats gotta be the best episode of a cartoon ever made!
lock and load brides of christ!
or even books, stephen king was a genius!
NO ONE does horror novels as well as him!
i remember reading it in year 10, we were in a history class but our teacher was lazy as hell so we could do whatever we wanted.
spend the whole 1 hour lesson reading it, i was so caught up in the book i dident even hear the bell ring!
i remember reading a book about 10 years ago cant remember what it was called but it was about a angel that falls to earth and a human finds her, hides her from the tribe because theres a war going on.
ends up the angel gets taken to the camp where the wars being fought, and the human tries to save the angel.
best book ive ever read!
todays books though, only thing i would use them for is either toilet paper, or putting myself to sleep!
why though?
why does everything new have to be less enjoyable then everything old?
why cant newer things be just as funny, just as entertaining, just as interesting?
its simple, the creators of these things are in the mindset that we dont want creative, new, scary, thought provoking, interesting indepth stories.
no there convinced we would rather big flashy fast paced things.
there in the mindset that we would rather big mindless explosions over thought provoking interesting stories like inception.
well, i know which one id choose!
as for deus ex of course everyone should get it!
branching storylines where AI react to how you tackle things.
go in guns blazing and you will see friends and enemies react differently.
go in all stealthy ninja code and again you will see friends and enemies react differently.
what more could you ask for!?
this is the game alpha protocol should of been!
anyone who does not pick this up should be slapped silly!
Last edited by ___________ on 8/22/2011 3:33:12 AM
Anyone else get the impression this is Milton from Office Space. He's just hiding in the basement with nothing to do so he types away mindlessly.
right nothing else to do.
i got 3 assignments due on thursday, 2 tests to study for tomorrow, gotta finish alpha protocol and just cause 2 by friday, and so many appointments to go to i need a time machine to get to them!
that enough?
BTW dont you have a new episode of beaver watch to film?
better get to it!
hahaha!
3 assignments, 2 tests, MUST COMPLETE 2 FULL VIDEO GAMES, and some appointments. Excellent priorities, at least.
And don't you worry. I'm sure LV has LOTS of beavers on video to watch.
XD
Last edited by Underdog15 on 8/22/2011 9:48:45 AM
Two of my favourite games of all time are Space Crusade and Knights of the Sky. I just wish I could get them for my windows 7 pc.
Regarding Deus Ex I am baffled by the first reviews: 93/94% for 360/PC, and only 80% from PSMag ("only" in comparison). And the review is not online either, so I can't read why.
Anyone read it?
Last edited by Beamboom on 8/22/2011 8:11:12 AM
from what ive read probably the AI.
thats the main complaint from PSM3, the AI is really erratic.
sometimes you can detonate a atomic bomb right next to them and they wont hear you, but other times your crouching, take a single step and they instantly know where you are.
i had that problem so many times, for instance in a warehouse level i was on the catwalk crouched and just took 1 step to get a better line of sight, and the enemies below me instantly knew where i was and started firing.
also another time i switched from a piece of cover to another just to my right, there was only 1 enemy in the room, he had his back turned to me, i switched and he detected me and started shooting.
what hes hearing is that sensitive?
either that, or he has eyes behind his head!
they also complained about the consistency which ive said from the start.
some levels you could go in stealth and not touch a soul, and its so easy you could do it blindfolded!
other levels no matter what you do your going to get found, its just impossible to not be seen.
another complaint of theirs was the args take FOREVER to save up for.
again its the giving me 200 dollars to pay the weekly bills, do grocery shopping and spending money.
some of them like the strength args are really needed to play certain ways, and without them the games so much harder.
so it puts so much of a emphasis on strength args, so you end up wasting what little you have on things you dont want.
they need to make it easier, faster, to gain args the way it is it takes freaking forever!
its a great game i think 8s far to low, at least a 8.7, id give it a 9 because really all the problems with it are fairly minor.
its so nice to see such a different game, and they were really ambitious with this they deserve some room to move.
Definitely!! I really believe they hold their weight in today's gaming world. I am in the camp where gameplay out weighs graphics. I still get lost in Phantasy Star II's world.
I have already paid for Deus Ex HR and I am looking forward to getting lost in it!
Last edited by CrusaderForever on 8/22/2011 9:56:29 AM
I'm crying tears of pain right now! Deus Ex was a 100% will buy on D1 back in March!. Now I'm in college with no money and I might have to wait until christmas to get it! I only wanted 3 games this fall, Deus Ex, U3, and BF3! that's all! (sigh)
Classics can compete.
For me, I have as much fun playing a more simplized game like Stampede or pitfall, as I do with the more micro-managed games like Dues Ex.
So the whole game gens get my vote.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 8/22/2011 12:51:32 PM
Out of This World will always compete.
Intellivision w/ Intellivoice B17 Bomber…bought at a rummage and wore the thing out! (flak, flak, flak)
My wife and I spent HOURS and hours playing Red Dragon/Shanghai a Mahjong game on SNES…and Dr. Mario, can't remember which system that was. I think it was really SNES generation before I started becoming an addicted gamer even though I've played since pong came out in the mid 70s.
Spanky,
I had that game a long, long time ago, but I sold the system & games when I was young & dumb.
But I've smartened up since my early day & have re-bought both, the original Intellivision & the more squat Intellivision #2 to add back into my gaming collections earlier this year.
And I've also slowly been trying to to pick up all the games for it.
The games I've picked up so far are(the doubles I wound up picking up were included in multiple-lot package deals, so I'm looking to swap those out with someone for one's I don't have)….
Armor Battle
Astrosmash
Boxing
Burgertime (2 games)
Beauty & The Beast (2 games)
Demon Attack
Dragonfire
Frogger
Golf
Hockey
Ice Trek (2 games)
Las Vegas Poker & Blackjack(4 games)
Lock N Chase
Major League Baseball
NFL Football( w/complete playbooks)
Night Stalker
Pitfall
Sea Battle
Snafu
Stampede
Triple Action (2 games)
Tron Deadly Discs (2 games)
Utopia
Last edited by BikerSaint on 8/22/2011 11:05:19 PM
I believe the idea of classics competing with today's 'standards' are entirely up to the person at hand.
I'm using myself as an example here, just for the simple fact that I'm just 17 and my first console was a PS2.
However, I am still able to hook up my older brother's SNES, and have a lot of fun playing classics like Super Mario, F-Zero or Donkey Kong.
I remember my first time playing through FF VII…Yes, I knew the story inside and out by now having played most of the other games in the Compilation, and yet about reaching halfway I remember saying distinctly: "This is the most FUN I've had playing a video game in a while."
It didn't matter that the graphics were out-dated, or the fact that it was released 3 years after I was born lol!
Whereas my brother took one look at me playing FF VII on my PS3 and said:" Wow, the graphics are really s***! How can you play that?"
It's all down the gamer's point of view anyway. While I don't have the luxury of nostalgia playing a part, I can still appreciate the classics, even today ^^
Last edited by TheCanadianGuy on 10/17/2011 6:41:18 PM