Games that haven't aged well.

[marurun]

“Is it worth playing,” is a whole different question. I would argue there are some historically important games it is worth it to play at least once if you can, even though they might not be much fun or a good experience. I think everyone should try 2600 E.T., for example.

Is playing the game still a fun/rewarding experience for a general audience is a more appropriate question to be asking for whether a game holds up. If a game is graphically ugly but is still fun to play despite that, I would argue it still holds up. Same for sound or music. In fact, even some games with clunky controls or janky on-screen action may still be very fun or rewarding.

[prfsnl_gmr]

ET for the Atari 2600is a perfectly fine game if you take the time to learn how to play it. It’s lack of quality is drastically overrated.

I ageee with the assertion that both Altered Beast and Banjo Kazooie have not aged well at all. I disagree with the assertion that most 2600 games and Rare FPS games have not aged well.

This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think that FFVII, FFVIII, or FFIX have aged well at all from either a graphical or gameplay perspective. Likewise, I don’t think that the Donkey Kong Country games have aged well either...

This is probably less unpopular, but I don’t think Mortal Kombat or Mortal Kombat 3 have aged well. Mortal Kombat II is still pretty great for some reason, though. Finally, both Killer Instinct and Killer Instinct II have aged poorly, along with a lot of early 3D fighting games (which, IMO, did not really get good until Tekken 3).

[Gunstar Green]

Likewise, I don’t think that the Donkey Kong Country games have aged well either...

For the first time ever I am not alone on this.

[Exhuminator]

What could ever go wrong with a thread like this?

-

Game design sells me, not pretty pictures. That perspective does make one less susceptible to being prejudiced against old graphics. As long as a game's design is still entertaining, I can deal with low res pixel art, or wobbly clippy 3D graphics, no problem.

On the other hand, I'm struggling to think of any game's design I enjoyed long ago, which I don't today. Literally the only experience that comes to mind for me right now, is when I went back to replay Secret of Mana two years ago. The cute graphics and glorious OST still held up, but the sloppy "feel" of the combat, and the unintuitive pacing-progression did not. That's why I'm looking forward its coming remake, personally.

[Xeogred]

On the other hand, I'm struggling to think of any game's design I enjoyed long ago, which I don't today. Literally the only experience that comes to mind for me right now, is when I went back to replay Secret of Mana two years ago. The cute graphics and glorious OST still held up, but the sloppy "feel" of the combat, and the unintuitive pacing-progression did not. That's why I'm looking forward its coming remake, personally.

GODDAMN, you guys are killing me.

Don't see much point in this topic, since we have the Unpopular Opinion thread and we've discussed this in depth all over the place. And the OP has two posts.

[Sarge]

Actually, here's another: Dragon Warrior. A fine, if limited game by the time we got it, ridiculously important to JRPGs, but not a game I'll play now outside of nostalgia.

[Kuruwin]

In my eyes a lot of PS1 and PS2 JRPG's have aged really badly because of how slow the battles can be. I'm not even kidding when i say that some of them making me feel ill.

This is why i wish that every old JRPG that get's a port would have fast forwarding like the FF games have.

[PartridgeSenpai]

In my eyes a lot of PS1 and PS2 JRPG's have aged really badly because of how slow the battles can be. I'm not even kidding when i say that some of them making me feel ill.

This is why i wish that every old JRPG that get's a port would have fast forwarding like the FF games have.

I think RPG's are probably the easiest genre to apply the "dated" argument towards, and it's one that I'd agree with. The glacial pacing and eternal grinding that SO many RPG's did (and still do) have is just something I cannot tolerate any longer.

I'm with Exhuminator that graphics don't really mean much to me. If a game is good, it doesn't matter how polygon-y the graphics look. I think the bigger issue with graphics is how many games that were using cutting edge graphics to hide mediocre or bad gameplay come to light once their graphics are no longer so sparkly and new.

In regards to Donkey Kong Country, I would say the first one hasn't aged well, but I'm also of the camp who says it was dated as soon as DKC2 came out. The sequels improve SO much on the accessibility and pacing of the earlier titles (more save points, mostly) that I just can't play the first game anymore like I used to.

I'll also throw my hat into the "FF's 7 and 9 really aren't that great in retrospect"-camp (I haven't played 8, so I shall not comment). I'm not sure if it's just because they're so long past their original luster, or because Square's writing tropes, perhaps even just Japanese anime writing tropes, have solidified so much harder in the Western eye in the past 20 years, but not that much about them feels terribly exceptional to me from a storytelling perspective.

[Exhuminator]

I think the bigger issue with graphics is how many games that were using cutting edge graphics to hide mediocre or bad gameplay come to light once their graphics are no longer so sparkly and new.

Naughty Dog and Quantic Dream would never do a thing like this.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Atari games have aged beautifully.

As far as things that haven't aged well, some early CD RPGs come to mind. Take something like Lunar on the Sega CD. Chop out the "CD" aspects (video, voice-acting) and you're left with a slog of a game.