What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
06-18-09, 02:21 PM
#1
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,107
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
I am curious if there are any video games that have stood the test of time from a graphically standpoint. Ten years ago, Unreal was the standard for eye candy. Now, the game looks blocky and low rez textures. Even the original Half Life looks like a turd.
One title that stands out for me is Mafia. This game still looks great with its detailed 1930s era cars and streets. Buildings are detailed as well. I recently finished Half Life 2, and that game just blew me away with the physics, explosions and graphics. The original Halo looks decent.
The only game I can think of from the 90s that still holds up is Heroes of Might and Magic 3. Still beautiful to look at, and very addictive to play. Civ4 still looks awesome as well.
On another note, sad to see that Mafia 2 has been pushed back to 2010. WTF!!!!
One title that stands out for me is Mafia. This game still looks great with its detailed 1930s era cars and streets. Buildings are detailed as well. I recently finished Half Life 2, and that game just blew me away with the physics, explosions and graphics. The original Halo looks decent.
The only game I can think of from the 90s that still holds up is Heroes of Might and Magic 3. Still beautiful to look at, and very addictive to play. Civ4 still looks awesome as well.
On another note, sad to see that Mafia 2 has been pushed back to 2010. WTF!!!!
06-18-09, 02:26 PM
#3
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
Most 2D games on the SNES still look great today. A lot of the hand drawn 2D fighters as well (Guilty Gear, Street Fighter Alpha, etc; )
That said, neither Half-Life 2 nor Civ 4 are "old".
That said, neither Half-Life 2 nor Civ 4 are "old".
06-18-09, 02:39 PM
#4
DVD Talk Special Edition
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,107
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
Just thought of another:
Out of this World way back in the early 90s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGn4F...rom=PL&index=6
The graphics just blew me away at the time. I remember staying on hold for 45 minutes to get ahold of someone at Nintendo Game Help hotline because we were so stuck in the game. lol The joys of pre internet gaming.
Out of this World way back in the early 90s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGn4F...rom=PL&index=6
The graphics just blew me away at the time. I remember staying on hold for 45 minutes to get ahold of someone at Nintendo Game Help hotline because we were so stuck in the game. lol The joys of pre internet gaming.
06-18-09, 03:08 PM
#5
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
I think lots of the RPGs for SNES still look good by today's standards... especially Super Mario RPG (which is actually faux-3D) and Zelda: A Link to the Past.
If you look as far as Dreamcast... Shenmue was waaay ahead of its' time in terms of graphics and detail (the sequel as well) along with Jet Grind Radio.
The trick is concentrating more on art style and design than squeezing every bit of graphical power out of these machines... Star Fox for the SNES and Virtua Racer for the Genesis both used technology that was FAR beyond anything at the time but if you look at them now, they look like a joke graphically.
If you look at the 3D Zelda games for the Nintendo 64 on the other hand, they hold up EXCEPTIONALLY well because of timeless art design. Majora's Mask in particular still looks beautiful.
If you look as far as Dreamcast... Shenmue was waaay ahead of its' time in terms of graphics and detail (the sequel as well) along with Jet Grind Radio.
The trick is concentrating more on art style and design than squeezing every bit of graphical power out of these machines... Star Fox for the SNES and Virtua Racer for the Genesis both used technology that was FAR beyond anything at the time but if you look at them now, they look like a joke graphically.
If you look at the 3D Zelda games for the Nintendo 64 on the other hand, they hold up EXCEPTIONALLY well because of timeless art design. Majora's Mask in particular still looks beautiful.
06-18-09, 03:17 PM
#6
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
Didn't we just have a similar discussion on graphics a couple months ago?
Most 2D games hold up well due to the nature of the design, as they're basically cartoons and ever since the 16 bit era most games still look good. Anything stylized usually looks good, whereas older games that aimed to be realistic but didn't have the graphics power and tech behind it ends up looking bad.
Most 2D games hold up well due to the nature of the design, as they're basically cartoons and ever since the 16 bit era most games still look good. Anything stylized usually looks good, whereas older games that aimed to be realistic but didn't have the graphics power and tech behind it ends up looking bad.
06-18-09, 04:47 PM
#7
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Osaka, Japan
Posts: 2,493
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
Chronotrigger is a stand out IMO. Streets of Rage 2 on the Megadrive/Genesis still looks colourful. Star Control 2 on the PC.
06-18-09, 06:35 PM
#9
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
I'll throw in....
Unreal Tournament PC
Half Life PC
Gran Prix II PC
Deus Ex PC (2000)
System Shock PC (1999)
Not sure if this is what you mean but they made their marks.
Unreal Tournament PC
Half Life PC
Gran Prix II PC
Deus Ex PC (2000)
System Shock PC (1999)
Not sure if this is what you mean but they made their marks.
06-18-09, 08:08 PM
#12
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
I think lots of the RPGs for SNES still look good by today's standards... especially Super Mario RPG (which is actually faux-3D) and Zelda: A Link to the Past.
If you look as far as Dreamcast... Shenmue was waaay ahead of its' time in terms of graphics and detail (the sequel as well) along with Jet Grind Radio.
If you look as far as Dreamcast... Shenmue was waaay ahead of its' time in terms of graphics and detail (the sequel as well) along with Jet Grind Radio.
06-18-09, 08:29 PM
#13
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
06-18-09, 10:04 PM
#14
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
Oh, come on. Nothing looked good on the Atari. Even the arcade ports looked horrible. I just played an Atari 2600 rom of Burgertime at my uncle's house and it looked HORRIBLE. I couldn't tell what the hell anything was (which actually made for one bazaar gaming experience).
Last edited by big e; 06-18-09 at 10:08 PM.
06-18-09, 11:15 PM
#15
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
Oh, come on. Nothing looked good on the Atari. Even the arcade ports looked horrible. I just played an Atari 2600 rom of Burgertime at my uncle's house and it looked HORRIBLE. I couldn't tell what the hell anything was (which actually made for one bazaar gaming experience).
06-18-09, 11:43 PM
#16
DVD Talk Special Edition
That reminded me of last week's episode of Reno: 911.
06-19-09, 09:18 AM
#17
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
I am curious if there are any video games that have stood the test of time from a graphically standpoint. Ten years ago, Unreal was the standard for eye candy. Now, the game looks blocky and low rez textures. Even the original Half Life looks like a turd.
One title that stands out for me is Mafia. This game still looks great with its detailed 1930s era cars and streets. Buildings are detailed as well. I recently finished Half Life 2, and that game just blew me away with the physics, explosions and graphics. The original Halo looks decent.
The only game I can think of from the 90s that still holds up is Heroes of Might and Magic 3. Still beautiful to look at, and very addictive to play. Civ4 still looks awesome as well.
On another note, sad to see that Mafia 2 has been pushed back to 2010. WTF!!!!
One title that stands out for me is Mafia. This game still looks great with its detailed 1930s era cars and streets. Buildings are detailed as well. I recently finished Half Life 2, and that game just blew me away with the physics, explosions and graphics. The original Halo looks decent.
The only game I can think of from the 90s that still holds up is Heroes of Might and Magic 3. Still beautiful to look at, and very addictive to play. Civ4 still looks awesome as well.
On another note, sad to see that Mafia 2 has been pushed back to 2010. WTF!!!!
06-19-09, 10:14 AM
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,598
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
06-19-09, 10:39 AM
#19
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
NEO GEO concole games were the ultimate at the time. Sure the carts cost $200 and up but you had actual arcade quality graphics at home for the first time.
06-19-09, 11:11 AM
#21
DVD Talk Legend
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: San Antonio
Posts: 20,804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
Anything cell-shaded seems to hold up well. I think you could look at a game like Wind Waker in 10 years and it will still look gorgeous...same for Jet Grind Radio.
Similarly, anything with hand drawn animation, will look good forever.
Similarly, anything with hand drawn animation, will look good forever.
06-19-09, 11:19 AM
#22
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,584
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
The old Infinity Engine games from the late 90s and early 2000s still look great. Like many old PC games, they don't support the high resolutions of today, but there is a mod out there that does add in support for high resolutions including widescreen.
Two pics spoilerized for size:
Two pics spoilerized for size:
Spoiler:
06-19-09, 12:28 PM
#24
DVD Talk Legend
Re: What Old Games still Look Good Graphically??
What's weird is that with some older systems the later games in the system's lifespan often look worse in retrospect than the earlier titles because they were straining to get more out of the system than it was capable of. For example, some of the NES games released in the 90s are just painful to look at today. While the earlier NES titles may be more simplistic graphically they don't look as harsh. Compare 1987's Mike Tyson's Punch Out to 1992's Power Punch II, for instance. PP2 looks downright garish today, while Punchout visually still has charm.
06-24-09, 02:23 PM
#25
Moderator
