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What Ever Happened To . . . . . . . . . . . .
If, in a few years time, I were to tell a ten-year-old child, that there was a time, without gorgeous 3-D rendering, what do you think he/she would say?
Possibly, “You all right dad?”
Or maybe, “(Laughs uncontrollably)”
Well, I’m a firm believer in all that 2-D nonsense, and I think that its unbelievably tight on all the under double figures out there. 3-Dness has invariably seen off quite a few genres, and I’m here today, to commiserate all those golden games. Let us begin.
1. The 2-D platformer
Ahh, possibly the game type, of game types, the big cheese, and, the gherkin in the MacDonald’s cheeseburger. Home to such games as the Sonic and Mario lot, the platformer genre was a beautiful change from the normal array of text adventures and no-name genres. (e.g. pong) Born on the Spectrum/Commodore 64/Arari ST, it was lapped up by game developers and customers alike, for apart to be stunningly easy (usually) to play, it was also fun. Or at least, most of them. Yes, its difficult to understand how the genre that spawned Donkey Kong Country the loveable monkey, could also spew up games like Busby, the annoying slippy slidey cat that lost all his lives by the end of the first world. Grr.
2. The Scrolling Shooter
Scrolling shooters were the games like Thunderhawk and R-Type, and usually involved a really nice looking space craft, shooting an array of really nice looking bullets and weapons, at a bunch of baddies, mostly represented by even more really nice looking space crafts. Their also tended to be a really nasty looking boss at the end of each level, which incidently, was for the most part exactly the same as each of the bosses before it. The gaming action could either occur horizontally or vertically (although it did tend to be a horizontal affair) and was mighty good fun. The one thing that tended to get on my nerves though, were the plots, I mean, If you can’t think of a good story, don’t have one in at all, just the good, pure, fun.
3. The Scrolling Beat-Em-Up
Okay, the scrolling beat-em-up, not a favourite of mine, but still. These were the games like Streets of rage, or (snigger) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. You usually walked along various backdrops, fighting the same bad guys (but with different coloured hair or something) all the while trying not to get mutilated by the end of level boss, and it was quite fun for a while. But all the different games in this genre, tended to all suffer from the same symptom. After a couple of times playing them, they became so horrifically boring, that it was usually necessary to chew off your own ear to keep yourself sane. Shame. Still, a good thing about most of them was the option to have 2-Player modes, whence you could share the load of baddies to kill, in relative fun. Squaresoft have recently tried to re-invent the genre, with the release of Bouncers. But, and lets be honest here, twos poo.
4. The Text Adventure
The very first text adventure was Colossal Cave Adventure, but it was really The Hobbit on the Spectrum, that really got this genre onto it’s own two feet. The text adventure’s name tells it all, it’s a adventure, where you travel around and play the game, by typing in text. (e.g. South, Pick up Banana) The problem with so many of the early text-aventures, was the lack of words that the computer would know. Many frustrating hours can be had here, for example, “You look around, you see a round chest, mabey it would be wise to open the chest” You type “Open chest” the computer responds “I do not know the word ‘chest’” And another problem, its so so easy to die with these games, probbibly due to the fact that if it were too easy, you’d skimp threw the game and nether play it again. So, you have to resort to memorising all the places you die, and try to avoid them. After 3 text “adventures” all your hair will fall out and you will die a sad, freindless being.
5. The Not Really Got A Name Genre
The NRGANG were the classics like Pong, Breakout, Pacman, Defender, infact all the games that are about 20 years of age. They were all great, fun, playable over and over again, something that modern games sometimes lack. They were all origionally made for fun, but I don’t think anyone would have guessed at how big they’d become in most peoples lives, in fact, Space Invaders led to the famous incident were Japan ran out of ten-yen pieces. These games did’nt need fancy graphics or amazing sound to be fun, they needed a few lines and beeps here and there. They did’nt need amazing true colour modes, they had about 2 different colours, 3 at most. These were the games that spawned all of the above. Worship them.
Well, that was it, and just remember, next time you buy a game, have a think where it would be without these early types. Or mabey not.
Thanks for reading
If, in a few years time, I were to tell a ten-year-old child, that there was a time, without gorgeous 3-D rendering, what do you think he/she would say?
Possibly, “You all right dad?”
Or maybe, “(Laughs uncontrollably)”
Well, I’m a firm believer in all that 2-D nonsense, and I think that its unbelievably tight on all the under double figures out there. 3-Dness has invariably seen off quite a few genres, and I’m here today, to commiserate all those golden games. Let us begin.
1. The 2-D platformer
Ahh, possibly the game type, of game types, the big cheese, and, the gherkin in the MacDonald’s cheeseburger. Home to such games as the Sonic and Mario lot, the platformer genre was a beautiful change from the normal array of text adventures and no-name genres. (e.g. pong) Born on the Spectrum/Commodore 64/Arari ST, it was lapped up by game developers and customers alike, for apart to be stunningly easy (usually) to play, it was also fun. Or at least, most of them. Yes, its difficult to understand how the genre that spawned Donkey Kong Country the loveable monkey, could also spew up games like Busby, the annoying slippy slidey cat that lost all his lives by the end of the first world. Grr.
2. The Scrolling Shooter
Scrolling shooters were the games like Thunderhawk and R-Type, and usually involved a really nice looking space craft, shooting an array of really nice looking bullets and weapons, at a bunch of baddies, mostly represented by even more really nice looking space crafts. Their also tended to be a really nasty looking boss at the end of each level, which incidently, was for the most part exactly the same as each of the bosses before it. The gaming action could either occur horizontally or vertically (although it did tend to be a horizontal affair) and was mighty good fun. The one thing that tended to get on my nerves though, were the plots, I mean, If you can’t think of a good story, don’t have one in at all, just the good, pure, fun.
3. The Scrolling Beat-Em-Up
Okay, the scrolling beat-em-up, not a favourite of mine, but still. These were the games like Streets of rage, or (snigger) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. You usually walked along various backdrops, fighting the same bad guys (but with different coloured hair or something) all the while trying not to get mutilated by the end of level boss, and it was quite fun for a while. But all the different games in this genre, tended to all suffer from the same symptom. After a couple of times playing them, they became so horrifically boring, that it was usually necessary to chew off your own ear to keep yourself sane. Shame. Still, a good thing about most of them was the option to have 2-Player modes, whence you could share the load of baddies to kill, in relative fun. Squaresoft have recently tried to re-invent the genre, with the release of Bouncers. But, and lets be honest here, twos poo.
4. The Text Adventure
The very first text adventure was Colossal Cave Adventure, but it was really The Hobbit on the Spectrum, that really got this genre onto it’s own two feet. The text adventure’s name tells it all, it’s a adventure, where you travel around and play the game, by typing in text. (e.g. South, Pick up Banana) The problem with so many of the early text-aventures, was the lack of words that the computer would know. Many frustrating hours can be had here, for example, “You look around, you see a round chest, mabey it would be wise to open the chest” You type “Open chest” the computer responds “I do not know the word ‘chest’” And another problem, its so so easy to die with these games, probbibly due to the fact that if it were too easy, you’d skimp threw the game and nether play it again. So, you have to resort to memorising all the places you die, and try to avoid them. After 3 text “adventures” all your hair will fall out and you will die a sad, freindless being.
5. The Not Really Got A Name Genre
The NRGANG were the classics like Pong, Breakout, Pacman, Defender, infact all the games that are about 20 years of age. They were all great, fun, playable over and over again, something that modern games sometimes lack. They were all origionally made for fun, but I don’t think anyone would have guessed at how big they’d become in most peoples lives, in fact, Space Invaders led to the famous incident were Japan ran out of ten-yen pieces. These games did’nt need fancy graphics or amazing sound to be fun, they needed a few lines and beeps here and there. They did’nt need amazing true colour modes, they had about 2 different colours, 3 at most. These were the games that spawned all of the above. Worship them.
Well, that was it, and just remember, next time you buy a game, have a think where it would be without these early types. Or mabey not.
Thanks for reading
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FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> i like a bit a 2D-ness.
it's cool and fun.
and you can stil have good
> graphics like loads of things happening in the background.
i also like
> cell-shading a lot.
like in Klonoa 2 and Jet Set Radio.
it's kinda 2D but at
> the same time 3D, weird!
I wonder if you call it 2and a half-D
> i like a bit a 2D-ness.
it's cool and fun.
and you can stil have good
> graphics like loads of things happening in the background.
i also like
> cell-shading a lot.
like in Klonoa 2 and Jet Set Radio.
it's kinda 2D but at
> the same time 3D, weird!
I wonder if you call it 2and a half-D
I wish more companies had the guts to make mixed syles of games
Neo-Genetic wrote:
> Wrambo wrote:
> Yeah, a nice mix of 2-D and 3-D is, and would be,
> nice
Kirby 64 and Paper Mario are 2D mixed with 3D.
And ar'nt they good for it too
> Wrambo wrote:
> Yeah, a nice mix of 2-D and 3-D is, and would be,
> nice
Kirby 64 and Paper Mario are 2D mixed with 3D.
And ar'nt they good for it too
FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> but then you get everyone complaining.
"Ooh! It's not 3D! how utterly
> crap!"
what a load of t*****s.
I agree, most people today just can't see a graphically challenged game being fun..Why? I know not.
> but then you get everyone complaining.
"Ooh! It's not 3D! how utterly
> crap!"
what a load of t*****s.
I agree, most people today just can't see a graphically challenged game being fun..Why? I know not.
but then you get everyone complaining.
"Ooh! It's not 3D! how utterly crap!"
"Ooh! It's not 3D! how utterly crap!"
Yeah, a nice mix of 2-D and 3-D is, and would be, nice
i like a bit a 2D-ness.
it's cool and fun.
and you can stil have good graphics like loads of things happening in the background.
i also like cell-shading a lot.
like in Klonoa 2 and Jet Set Radio.
it's kinda 2D but at the same time 3D, weird!
it's cool and fun.
and you can stil have good graphics like loads of things happening in the background.
i also like cell-shading a lot.
like in Klonoa 2 and Jet Set Radio.
it's kinda 2D but at the same time 3D, weird!
has no-one annything interesting to say about this subject (pb excluded)
Anyone?
Anyone?
I've just thought of another genre that has just dissapered... theone where you use lines intead of graphics...you know the one I mean.
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