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Seize the day, in Latin, just in case you haven't seen the Simpsons, or Sister Sister, or don't learn Latin...or just don't know. Anyways, this topic is about why gaming is at a time greater than any other. Barely a day goes by when I don't hear or read someone, somewhere on the many places and sites I frequent, or magazines I leaf through, when people are talking about the golden age of gaming. The tears glistening in the eyes of twentysomethings recalling the Amiga and Commodore 64. The endless accounts of how Killer Instinct is the greatest fighting franchise ever made, and that we will never see another console battle like the SNES/Genesis showdown. Well I am taking a stand - I always make a point to stick up for modern gaming, and now I'm making my very own topic about it. Yes, Pong was a landmark game, as was Space Invaders. But would you truly slot your coins into them rather than grab ahold of a joypad and play Tennis 2K2, or Halo? Again and again, titles from the past few decades are remembered fondly. "Inventive", you cry. perhaps "simple", but always "brilliantly addictive". You're all tired of "cheap cash-ins", sequels to successful series' such as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater...they yearn for games more like Pong, and Space Invaders. But why?
The Game Boy Advance is an example of how many retro fans are out there, what with it being nothing more than a mini SNES ;-) I jest, of course, but there have been a number of very popular games either ported from older versions, or adapted. Thing F-Zero X. Doom. Mario Advance 2, regarded by many as the greatest game ever. A Sonic Smash Hits pack is on its way over, with games such as Sonic, and Ecco the Dolphin. Any 32-bit title worth its salt is getting its way into a GBA cartridge, and owners are lapping up every last bit of it. But with other great, original games such as Advance Wars and newer conversions such as V Rally 3, Tony Hawk's 3 and SSX Tricky, I sometimes wonder why so many people sl*g off the new games, instead running back to their ill-fated Jaguar to play some obscure flight sim where everything is the colour green and the framerate is choppy enough to make you seasick.
Zelda: A Link to the Past. Possibly the best RPG ever, according to most gamers, let alone one on the SNES (incidentally, on its way to the GBA)...but look back to a couple of years ago, on the Nintendo 64. Ocarina of Time, anyone? Majora's Mask? These were in the top 10 of everyone's N64 lists, maybe even in some all-time charts...but do they get the same treatment as the top-down, basic SNES game? Heck no. We have recently seen Final Fantasies never before seen on British soil unleashed on the PSOne, with graphics so blocky you could mistake it for a Lego set; and they've all hurtled to the top of the sales league. Why is it that there is so much demand for the ten-year-old titles, when Final Fantasy X with its stunning visuals, new side-quests and battle systems is rotting away on the shelves of GAME, and number XI is in the process of being converted to PAL?
Perhaps it's for the same reason our parents remember the best television and radio programmes from their youth, whilst rubbishing the current lot. Last night, my dad accused the BBC of dumbing down hideously, watching the new advert for Radio 1 Extra - but then he went off and watched the final of "I'm A Celebrity...". People say then enjoyed the way games were made in 'those days', that it was so much easier when you were just a fat plumber collecting coins, and didn't have to worry about squad commands, or ammo. Have they played Mario Sunshine? Sumptous 128-bit 3D visuals, with outstanding level design, tricky puzzles, hours of playtime and controls tighter than Ebernezer Scrooge?
I remember a debate (might have been an argument actually, I can't remember) with Edgy over which was better, Duck Shoot (or whatever it's called) or Time Crisis II. The former shifted a shedload of NESs, with it's slightly (well, not slighty so much as REALLY) weird looking gun and green pixels floating across the clouds for you to shoot at...but the later is quite possibly the best arcade game this side of whenever. A huge earner in the arcades with its cool looking guns with twin recoil, clever pedal system and slick anti-terrorist bang bang action. As soon as TC2 came out on the PS2 I grabbed it, and have spent many an evening grinning as I shoot Sub Zero's evil cousin in the groin, watching as he writhes with pain. My palms have sweated as I've been shot at, had knives thrown in my general direction and seen slow moving platforms come at me causing the word DANGER to flash up on the screen. Then I play on my neighbour's NES and aim a huge lump of ugliness at what could either be a duck, or possibly an alien mere seconds after pressing the eject button to escape from his doomed UFO. For me it's a no contest.
Sensible Soccer may have been 'fun', but Pro Evolution is 'fun', as well as 'realistic', 'good-looking', 'tricky' and, in my humble opinion, 'the best'. Wolfenstein 3D may have revolutionized the FPS genre, but Bungie perfected it. I appreciate the hard work that people went through when all there was to work with were 8, or 16, or 32 bits...I still play Mortal Kombat II, and enjoy the odd circuit of Mario Kart, but then I go into my room and see Tekken Tag Tournament and Gran Turismo 3. Both these games were again steps forward from the last great advance in their respective genres, and since then their successors have set about to surpass the standards since set.
What I'm really trying to get at is if you think the olden days were much better, go ahead and have your Spectrum. These days, we still have original games like Super Monkey Ball, and we have games that continue to move even closer to perfection in certain fields, like...well, Super Monkey Ball 2! games are better than they ever have been, with nicer graphics, smarter AI, better controls and more features. Don't live in the past - seize the gaming day!
Thanks for reading.
-swander87
The Game Boy Advance is an example of how many retro fans are out there, what with it being nothing more than a mini SNES ;-) I jest, of course, but there have been a number of very popular games either ported from older versions, or adapted. Thing F-Zero X. Doom. Mario Advance 2, regarded by many as the greatest game ever. A Sonic Smash Hits pack is on its way over, with games such as Sonic, and Ecco the Dolphin. Any 32-bit title worth its salt is getting its way into a GBA cartridge, and owners are lapping up every last bit of it. But with other great, original games such as Advance Wars and newer conversions such as V Rally 3, Tony Hawk's 3 and SSX Tricky, I sometimes wonder why so many people sl*g off the new games, instead running back to their ill-fated Jaguar to play some obscure flight sim where everything is the colour green and the framerate is choppy enough to make you seasick.
Zelda: A Link to the Past. Possibly the best RPG ever, according to most gamers, let alone one on the SNES (incidentally, on its way to the GBA)...but look back to a couple of years ago, on the Nintendo 64. Ocarina of Time, anyone? Majora's Mask? These were in the top 10 of everyone's N64 lists, maybe even in some all-time charts...but do they get the same treatment as the top-down, basic SNES game? Heck no. We have recently seen Final Fantasies never before seen on British soil unleashed on the PSOne, with graphics so blocky you could mistake it for a Lego set; and they've all hurtled to the top of the sales league. Why is it that there is so much demand for the ten-year-old titles, when Final Fantasy X with its stunning visuals, new side-quests and battle systems is rotting away on the shelves of GAME, and number XI is in the process of being converted to PAL?
Perhaps it's for the same reason our parents remember the best television and radio programmes from their youth, whilst rubbishing the current lot. Last night, my dad accused the BBC of dumbing down hideously, watching the new advert for Radio 1 Extra - but then he went off and watched the final of "I'm A Celebrity...". People say then enjoyed the way games were made in 'those days', that it was so much easier when you were just a fat plumber collecting coins, and didn't have to worry about squad commands, or ammo. Have they played Mario Sunshine? Sumptous 128-bit 3D visuals, with outstanding level design, tricky puzzles, hours of playtime and controls tighter than Ebernezer Scrooge?
I remember a debate (might have been an argument actually, I can't remember) with Edgy over which was better, Duck Shoot (or whatever it's called) or Time Crisis II. The former shifted a shedload of NESs, with it's slightly (well, not slighty so much as REALLY) weird looking gun and green pixels floating across the clouds for you to shoot at...but the later is quite possibly the best arcade game this side of whenever. A huge earner in the arcades with its cool looking guns with twin recoil, clever pedal system and slick anti-terrorist bang bang action. As soon as TC2 came out on the PS2 I grabbed it, and have spent many an evening grinning as I shoot Sub Zero's evil cousin in the groin, watching as he writhes with pain. My palms have sweated as I've been shot at, had knives thrown in my general direction and seen slow moving platforms come at me causing the word DANGER to flash up on the screen. Then I play on my neighbour's NES and aim a huge lump of ugliness at what could either be a duck, or possibly an alien mere seconds after pressing the eject button to escape from his doomed UFO. For me it's a no contest.
Sensible Soccer may have been 'fun', but Pro Evolution is 'fun', as well as 'realistic', 'good-looking', 'tricky' and, in my humble opinion, 'the best'. Wolfenstein 3D may have revolutionized the FPS genre, but Bungie perfected it. I appreciate the hard work that people went through when all there was to work with were 8, or 16, or 32 bits...I still play Mortal Kombat II, and enjoy the odd circuit of Mario Kart, but then I go into my room and see Tekken Tag Tournament and Gran Turismo 3. Both these games were again steps forward from the last great advance in their respective genres, and since then their successors have set about to surpass the standards since set.
What I'm really trying to get at is if you think the olden days were much better, go ahead and have your Spectrum. These days, we still have original games like Super Monkey Ball, and we have games that continue to move even closer to perfection in certain fields, like...well, Super Monkey Ball 2! games are better than they ever have been, with nicer graphics, smarter AI, better controls and more features. Don't live in the past - seize the gaming day!
Thanks for reading.
-swander87
Gah! Whatever.
isn't it Carpe Diem?
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero
Sieze the day, trust as little as possible in tomorrow
Maybe I'm wrong...
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero
Sieze the day, trust as little as possible in tomorrow
Maybe I'm wrong...
Seize the day, in Latin, just in case you haven't seen the Simpsons, or Sister Sister, or don't learn Latin...or just don't know. Anyways, this topic is about why gaming is at a time greater than any other. Barely a day goes by when I don't hear or read someone, somewhere on the many places and sites I frequent, or magazines I leaf through, when people are talking about the golden age of gaming. The tears glistening in the eyes of twentysomethings recalling the Amiga and Commodore 64. The endless accounts of how Killer Instinct is the greatest fighting franchise ever made, and that we will never see another console battle like the SNES/Genesis showdown. Well I am taking a stand - I always make a point to stick up for modern gaming, and now I'm making my very own topic about it. Yes, Pong was a landmark game, as was Space Invaders. But would you truly slot your coins into them rather than grab ahold of a joypad and play Tennis 2K2, or Halo? Again and again, titles from the past few decades are remembered fondly. "Inventive", you cry. perhaps "simple", but always "brilliantly addictive". You're all tired of "cheap cash-ins", sequels to successful series' such as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater...they yearn for games more like Pong, and Space Invaders. But why?
The Game Boy Advance is an example of how many retro fans are out there, what with it being nothing more than a mini SNES ;-) I jest, of course, but there have been a number of very popular games either ported from older versions, or adapted. Thing F-Zero X. Doom. Mario Advance 2, regarded by many as the greatest game ever. A Sonic Smash Hits pack is on its way over, with games such as Sonic, and Ecco the Dolphin. Any 32-bit title worth its salt is getting its way into a GBA cartridge, and owners are lapping up every last bit of it. But with other great, original games such as Advance Wars and newer conversions such as V Rally 3, Tony Hawk's 3 and SSX Tricky, I sometimes wonder why so many people sl*g off the new games, instead running back to their ill-fated Jaguar to play some obscure flight sim where everything is the colour green and the framerate is choppy enough to make you seasick.
Zelda: A Link to the Past. Possibly the best RPG ever, according to most gamers, let alone one on the SNES (incidentally, on its way to the GBA)...but look back to a couple of years ago, on the Nintendo 64. Ocarina of Time, anyone? Majora's Mask? These were in the top 10 of everyone's N64 lists, maybe even in some all-time charts...but do they get the same treatment as the top-down, basic SNES game? Heck no. We have recently seen Final Fantasies never before seen on British soil unleashed on the PSOne, with graphics so blocky you could mistake it for a Lego set; and they've all hurtled to the top of the sales league. Why is it that there is so much demand for the ten-year-old titles, when Final Fantasy X with its stunning visuals, new side-quests and battle systems is rotting away on the shelves of GAME, and number XI is in the process of being converted to PAL?
Perhaps it's for the same reason our parents remember the best television and radio programmes from their youth, whilst rubbishing the current lot. Last night, my dad accused the BBC of dumbing down hideously, watching the new advert for Radio 1 Extra - but then he went off and watched the final of "I'm A Celebrity...". People say then enjoyed the way games were made in 'those days', that it was so much easier when you were just a fat plumber collecting coins, and didn't have to worry about squad commands, or ammo. Have they played Mario Sunshine? Sumptous 128-bit 3D visuals, with outstanding level design, tricky puzzles, hours of playtime and controls tighter than Ebernezer Scrooge?
I remember a debate (might have been an argument actually, I can't remember) with Edgy over which was better, Duck Shoot (or whatever it's called) or Time Crisis II. The former shifted a shedload of NESs, with it's slightly (well, not slighty so much as REALLY) weird looking gun and green pixels floating across the clouds for you to shoot at...but the later is quite possibly the best arcade game this side of whenever. A huge earner in the arcades with its cool looking guns with twin recoil, clever pedal system and slick anti-terrorist bang bang action. As soon as TC2 came out on the PS2 I grabbed it, and have spent many an evening grinning as I shoot Sub Zero's evil cousin in the groin, watching as he writhes with pain. My palms have sweated as I've been shot at, had knives thrown in my general direction and seen slow moving platforms come at me causing the word DANGER to flash up on the screen. Then I play on my neighbour's NES and aim a huge lump of ugliness at what could either be a duck, or possibly an alien mere seconds after pressing the eject button to escape from his doomed UFO. For me it's a no contest.
Sensible Soccer may have been 'fun', but Pro Evolution is 'fun', as well as 'realistic', 'good-looking', 'tricky' and, in my humble opinion, 'the best'. Wolfenstein 3D may have revolutionized the FPS genre, but Bungie perfected it. I appreciate the hard work that people went through when all there was to work with were 8, or 16, or 32 bits...I still play Mortal Kombat II, and enjoy the odd circuit of Mario Kart, but then I go into my room and see Tekken Tag Tournament and Gran Turismo 3. Both these games were again steps forward from the last great advance in their respective genres, and since then their successors have set about to surpass the standards since set.
What I'm really trying to get at is if you think the olden days were much better, go ahead and have your Spectrum. These days, we still have original games like Super Monkey Ball, and we have games that continue to move even closer to perfection in certain fields, like...well, Super Monkey Ball 2! games are better than they ever have been, with nicer graphics, smarter AI, better controls and more features. Don't live in the past - seize the gaming day!
Thanks for reading.
-swander87
The Game Boy Advance is an example of how many retro fans are out there, what with it being nothing more than a mini SNES ;-) I jest, of course, but there have been a number of very popular games either ported from older versions, or adapted. Thing F-Zero X. Doom. Mario Advance 2, regarded by many as the greatest game ever. A Sonic Smash Hits pack is on its way over, with games such as Sonic, and Ecco the Dolphin. Any 32-bit title worth its salt is getting its way into a GBA cartridge, and owners are lapping up every last bit of it. But with other great, original games such as Advance Wars and newer conversions such as V Rally 3, Tony Hawk's 3 and SSX Tricky, I sometimes wonder why so many people sl*g off the new games, instead running back to their ill-fated Jaguar to play some obscure flight sim where everything is the colour green and the framerate is choppy enough to make you seasick.
Zelda: A Link to the Past. Possibly the best RPG ever, according to most gamers, let alone one on the SNES (incidentally, on its way to the GBA)...but look back to a couple of years ago, on the Nintendo 64. Ocarina of Time, anyone? Majora's Mask? These were in the top 10 of everyone's N64 lists, maybe even in some all-time charts...but do they get the same treatment as the top-down, basic SNES game? Heck no. We have recently seen Final Fantasies never before seen on British soil unleashed on the PSOne, with graphics so blocky you could mistake it for a Lego set; and they've all hurtled to the top of the sales league. Why is it that there is so much demand for the ten-year-old titles, when Final Fantasy X with its stunning visuals, new side-quests and battle systems is rotting away on the shelves of GAME, and number XI is in the process of being converted to PAL?
Perhaps it's for the same reason our parents remember the best television and radio programmes from their youth, whilst rubbishing the current lot. Last night, my dad accused the BBC of dumbing down hideously, watching the new advert for Radio 1 Extra - but then he went off and watched the final of "I'm A Celebrity...". People say then enjoyed the way games were made in 'those days', that it was so much easier when you were just a fat plumber collecting coins, and didn't have to worry about squad commands, or ammo. Have they played Mario Sunshine? Sumptous 128-bit 3D visuals, with outstanding level design, tricky puzzles, hours of playtime and controls tighter than Ebernezer Scrooge?
I remember a debate (might have been an argument actually, I can't remember) with Edgy over which was better, Duck Shoot (or whatever it's called) or Time Crisis II. The former shifted a shedload of NESs, with it's slightly (well, not slighty so much as REALLY) weird looking gun and green pixels floating across the clouds for you to shoot at...but the later is quite possibly the best arcade game this side of whenever. A huge earner in the arcades with its cool looking guns with twin recoil, clever pedal system and slick anti-terrorist bang bang action. As soon as TC2 came out on the PS2 I grabbed it, and have spent many an evening grinning as I shoot Sub Zero's evil cousin in the groin, watching as he writhes with pain. My palms have sweated as I've been shot at, had knives thrown in my general direction and seen slow moving platforms come at me causing the word DANGER to flash up on the screen. Then I play on my neighbour's NES and aim a huge lump of ugliness at what could either be a duck, or possibly an alien mere seconds after pressing the eject button to escape from his doomed UFO. For me it's a no contest.
Sensible Soccer may have been 'fun', but Pro Evolution is 'fun', as well as 'realistic', 'good-looking', 'tricky' and, in my humble opinion, 'the best'. Wolfenstein 3D may have revolutionized the FPS genre, but Bungie perfected it. I appreciate the hard work that people went through when all there was to work with were 8, or 16, or 32 bits...I still play Mortal Kombat II, and enjoy the odd circuit of Mario Kart, but then I go into my room and see Tekken Tag Tournament and Gran Turismo 3. Both these games were again steps forward from the last great advance in their respective genres, and since then their successors have set about to surpass the standards since set.
What I'm really trying to get at is if you think the olden days were much better, go ahead and have your Spectrum. These days, we still have original games like Super Monkey Ball, and we have games that continue to move even closer to perfection in certain fields, like...well, Super Monkey Ball 2! games are better than they ever have been, with nicer graphics, smarter AI, better controls and more features. Don't live in the past - seize the gaming day!
Thanks for reading.
-swander87