Good perspective on the resurrection of 2D

[elph]

I liked this article, and thought some of you might enjoy it.

http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/0 ... eople-too/

[RemyC]

Then the writer makes another valid point:
http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/0 ... elaborate/

As fun as the original mega man titles were....was going FULL-OUT retro entirely necessary?

[MrPopo]

I think because they scaled back the gameplay down to jumping, shooting, and special weapons, it might have been jarring to have Mega Man 8 style graphics. Plus, having the retro graphics makes it much easier to do the pixel perfect platform physics.

I know for myself that I am much less concerned about graphics than I am about gameplay. Take the original NES run of the Dragion Quest games. Very primitive graphics, but still very good games. I loved Mega Man 2 and 4 when I was a kid, and I loved them when I picked up the anniversary collection. So I was tickled pink when Capcom announced Mega Man 9. That being said, I think the biggest win from this game is it gives developers the option. Overall it gets the public more into 2D games, but specifically it allows developers to do this retro style. At the same time, you can still make a beautiful game like Odin Sphere or Shake It.

[elph]

gameplay > graphics

That being said, if I have to choose between two games with identical/similar gameplay, graphics will likely win the battle.

[Hatta]

I've always found the graphics done in 256 color VGA mode 13 to be particularly attractive. Limitations of the hardware enforce a certain style, designers have to be more clever to make their games look good. But technology progresses, and those limitations are lifted. This opens up new possibilities, but we lose something at the same time. Look at a game like Loom for instance, it's low res by todays standards, but gorgeous by any measure.

[RemyC]

I choose gameplay over graphics any day myself. However, as stated in the article, it has become very easy for developers and designers to animate games of the 8bit, and 16bit era. So if it is so easy, why not upscale? do the pixel thing, but give it some spit shine. Little bit of eye candy...put some kinda effort behind the project.
I really believe Capcom took the 2D revolution a step too far with this one. Seems more like they were mocking the retro community, than putting out a new mega man.

[lordofduct]

What I don't get is the "rose tinted glasses" comments I hear a lot about retro gamers. As if because its graphics are of a nostalgia medium, then our hearts clamp on to it.

But in the same remark any retro gamer will tell you they don't love ALL that is retro. Just because E.T. has a retro look, we all agree it's still a shitty game!

I still stand by my reason for liking old school games. And a lot of modern games. I like to see a designer get stuck with limitations, and then use those limitations to their advantage. May it be the limitations set by themselves or by the hardware they are working with.

It's like in any other art. A painter at one time was limited to small palettes, 1000 years ago getting a hold of bright purples and reds were much harder then browns and greens. You can witness this limitation in their paintings, and see what they did to make due with their limitations.

But a modern artist today doesn't have these limitations... are they not as skilled because they can't exploit any of those limitations? No, they can make the conscious choice to put those limitations on themselves. There are oil painters out their who utilize the amazing look of oils, but contract the limitations of oil. You can't easily blend oils, you have to paint in a specific order... you put a light yellow on top of a dark brown in oil and you still see brown. Latex paints and the sort don't have these limitations. And these limitations show the talent an artist has.

Now in no way am I saying that MegaMan9 should be compared to Picasso. I'm just saying a contracted limitation such as emulating the visual look of the original MegaMans is a worth while endeavor, and any retro gamers love for it does not have to mean they are wearing "rose tinted glasses". If it were rose tinted, then does this mean any Baroque music lover is wearing these same glasses!? Or classic rock music lover? Is just because its old make it all nostalgia?

I watch old movies. I read literature from the post modern era. Not because of nostalgia... I wasn't even alive. Maybe I read this stuff because... I enjoy it?

::walks away and listens to some Peter Gabriel::