I think it'd depend in large part on what modern games the person in question enjoys. What's the particular kind of challenge or experience they tend to go for?
16-bit is going to be a sweet spot in general, I think, at least on the console side. That's the level of fidelity that still tends to pass muster on mobile platforms and handhelds. Still, it'd be a matter of lining up general interest, if possible.
Which games have aged the best for younger people?
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casterofdreams
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Re: Which games have aged the best for younger people?
If we are talking about RPGs for a younger audience that aged well then clearly this would be Paper Mario 64 and Paper Mario Thousand Year Door!
Re: Which games have aged the best for younger people?
I'd actually say a ton of JRPGs have aged pretty well. I've not encountered anything out there that's leagues beyond what came before. Heck, I'd argue most of them are a step back. I still hold up Chrono Trigger as the pinnacle of the genre. I'm also a huge Dragon Quest fan, and most of those have also held up nicely.
I know they're not as old, but the PS2-era RPGs were probably just as good as anything we've gotten since. I'd say that from the SNES through the PS2 might have been the best era ever for JRPGs. So many great games.
I agree that a lot of the 2D platforming greats have aged well, too. The thing is, with the retro aesthetic being so popular right now, some folks are going to go in with a little less of a closed mind if the graphics are "bad". I've been on an NES kick, and some of those games still play phenomenally well after all these years, and the fact that emulation allows save states makes them much more accessible than they were in the day, even if it robs them of the challenge.
Agreed that the Paper Mario games have aged really well. I was skeptical coming off of Super Mario RPG. I had little faith that Nintendo and Intelligent Systems could pull off something that good, but I was wrong! On the same Mario kick, Mario 3 through Yoshi's Island have aged fantastically, and most kids are still pretty familiar with hop-'n'-bop gameplay.
Also, yes, most of the Zelda games have aged well. I'd argue the 2D entries have aged the best, simply because despite their platforms, they don't feel hampered by the tech. I've always had that feeling from the N64 Zelda games... although they're clearly still quite good. I'd recommend playing the 3DS version of Ocarina, though, and waiting on the remake of Majora's Mask.
I know they're not as old, but the PS2-era RPGs were probably just as good as anything we've gotten since. I'd say that from the SNES through the PS2 might have been the best era ever for JRPGs. So many great games.
I agree that a lot of the 2D platforming greats have aged well, too. The thing is, with the retro aesthetic being so popular right now, some folks are going to go in with a little less of a closed mind if the graphics are "bad". I've been on an NES kick, and some of those games still play phenomenally well after all these years, and the fact that emulation allows save states makes them much more accessible than they were in the day, even if it robs them of the challenge.
Agreed that the Paper Mario games have aged really well. I was skeptical coming off of Super Mario RPG. I had little faith that Nintendo and Intelligent Systems could pull off something that good, but I was wrong! On the same Mario kick, Mario 3 through Yoshi's Island have aged fantastically, and most kids are still pretty familiar with hop-'n'-bop gameplay.
Also, yes, most of the Zelda games have aged well. I'd argue the 2D entries have aged the best, simply because despite their platforms, they don't feel hampered by the tech. I've always had that feeling from the N64 Zelda games... although they're clearly still quite good. I'd recommend playing the 3DS version of Ocarina, though, and waiting on the remake of Majora's Mask.
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Exhuminator
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Re: Which games have aged the best for younger people?
You're so not alone in that thought. Once again it has won NeoGAF's all time best RPG list at the top spot (2015 edition): http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=951760Sarge wrote:I still hold up Chrono Trigger as the pinnacle of the genre.
It's strange to me because when I beat Chrono Trigger I remember it being a good game, but it didn't blow my mind or anything. Granted that was in 1998, I may have forgotten some things about it. I need to give the DS version a go.
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3DSStrider
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Re: Which games have aged the best for younger people?
As a sixteen year old, I feel I'm fairly well qualified to answer this, based on what games my cousins and modern-gaming friends enjoyed.
If I have to name genres, puzzles, fighters, platformers, and racing games. Puzzle games usually have simple gameplay and the graphics are minimalist anyway, so it usually avoids looking ugly. As for fighting games, punching your friends in the face never gets old. Same with racing games, a good driving game is always fun.
Generally the games they enjoyed the most were Crazy Taxi, Sega Swirl, Fighter's Megamix, Super Monkey Ball, and Metal Slug.
If I have to name genres, puzzles, fighters, platformers, and racing games. Puzzle games usually have simple gameplay and the graphics are minimalist anyway, so it usually avoids looking ugly. As for fighting games, punching your friends in the face never gets old. Same with racing games, a good driving game is always fun.
Generally the games they enjoyed the most were Crazy Taxi, Sega Swirl, Fighter's Megamix, Super Monkey Ball, and Metal Slug.
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Re: Which games have aged the best for younger people?
There are some pretty decent "retro" game compilations that came out physically last gen as well as a boatload of digital titles. A lot of these games are still incredibly fun and the fact that they are still being ported goes to show that there is still an audience for them.
Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection(PS3/360)
Capcom Digital Collection(360)
Konami Classics Volume 1(360)
Konami Classics Volume 2(360)
Dreamcast Collection(360)
Midway Arcade Origins(PS3/360)
Namco Museum Virtual Arcade
There are quite a few more for the portables and wii, but those are what I could pull up from a quick search.
Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection(PS3/360)
Konami Classics Volume 2(360)
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Gunstar Green
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Re: Which games have aged the best for younger people?
This thread got me to thinking, I wonder how much "outdated" graphics effect kids.
They're already inundated with pixel-art via iOS and Android games, not to mention other retro-throwbacks on modern consoles. I don't know if people growing up today view it as "old" or just an art choice in the same way we would view somebody making a movie in black-and-white.
I also think the simple arcade games will always hold up since they're the archetypes of everything to follow, including and sometimes especially the types of games people play on their phones and tablets today.
The only stumbling point is the difficulty of older games, I think that's why a lot of 8-bit games are on shaky ground. Stuff like Super Mario is timeless however.
The 16-bit generation has aged wonderfully in my opinion. I think the least likely to appeal to younger gamers is the early 3D stuff, both in graphics and game-play, but that may just be my own preferences talking.
They're already inundated with pixel-art via iOS and Android games, not to mention other retro-throwbacks on modern consoles. I don't know if people growing up today view it as "old" or just an art choice in the same way we would view somebody making a movie in black-and-white.
I also think the simple arcade games will always hold up since they're the archetypes of everything to follow, including and sometimes especially the types of games people play on their phones and tablets today.
The only stumbling point is the difficulty of older games, I think that's why a lot of 8-bit games are on shaky ground. Stuff like Super Mario is timeless however.
The 16-bit generation has aged wonderfully in my opinion. I think the least likely to appeal to younger gamers is the early 3D stuff, both in graphics and game-play, but that may just be my own preferences talking.
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SonicGamer74
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Re: Which games have aged the best for younger people?
Most platformers from the 8/16-bit era were amazing. There were a few duds, granted, but from the platformers I have, I can honestly say the only ones I generally wasn't too fond of were the Genesis version of TaleSpin, and Bubsy II. Probably some more I can't think of, but these are what I came up with.
Nintendo 64 first party games also aged pretty well. Goldeneye 007 N64 is the only (minor) exception. Love the game, but the framerate mildly killed it for me.
The Dreamcast first party titles have aged quite well too. There's not a SEGA-Made DC game I've hated thus far.
Oh, and Rayman 2: The Great Escape. Absolutely love that game. Hasn't aged a bit, in my eyes.
Nintendo 64 first party games also aged pretty well. Goldeneye 007 N64 is the only (minor) exception. Love the game, but the framerate mildly killed it for me.
The Dreamcast first party titles have aged quite well too. There's not a SEGA-Made DC game I've hated thus far.
Oh, and Rayman 2: The Great Escape. Absolutely love that game. Hasn't aged a bit, in my eyes.
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SonicGamer74
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Re: Which games have aged the best for younger people?
Interesting thought. I think it mostly depends on the kid.Gunstar Green wrote:This thread got me to thinking, I wonder how much "outdated" graphics effect kids.
They're already inundated with pixel-art via iOS and Android games, not to mention other retro-throwbacks on modern consoles. I don't know if people growing up today view it as "old" or just an art choice in the same way we would view somebody making a movie in black-and-white.
Some kids may deem older graphics as, "Old and bland", but on the other hand, it probably depends on the kid. Some may have a love for older video game technology. Back when the N64/PS1/Saturn were fighting for the goal, I was still playing my NES, when I was about 5 years old. I thought the graphics looked fine, from my perspective.
Of course, this is my mindset. Someone may have different viewpoints on this.
This user really likes SEGA Saturn. Avoid at all costs.
Re: Which games have aged the best for younger people?
Well, in experience, the most "timeless" games are from the 8-16bit eras. The colorful top-down adventure and RPG games, the side-scrolling beat-em-ups, fighters, platformers, and shooters, and yes, puzzle games. These games have designs that scale well to new HD screens, have mechanics that are simple to learn and satisfying, and offer pick-up-and-play fun. Of course, there are good and bad examples of all of these, and some will age better than others, but for the most part, these types of games don't offer much less than they did on day one, for better or worse. Just look at the current movement to recreate these types of games (NSMB, the anticipation for Pier Solar, A Link Between Worlds) and how popular they are to see that people still feel these games are just as good as ever.
It's true that the majority are very difficult when looking at the general level of difficulty in games today, and there are two ways you could combat this. For most, emulation is the way to go. Save states and fast forward (for JRPGs, in my case), can have a huge impact on the experience. Yes, it does make the games easier to the point of changing them completely, but for me, this proved to be the only way to experience games like Ninja Gaiden and Super Ghouls n' Ghosts, which I would never of put the time into if I had to struggle through them traditionally. Some may say this cheapens the experience, but I know I enjoyed playing, and I think if it makes the difference between that and passing on games, I would encourage other young people to try it too.
For the purist, some games, like Super Mario World, can serve as a training ground for younger players. With careful selection, you can introduce a learning curve to an entire subset of gaming this way. When I was growing up, and before I fell to the allure of emulation, I made it through plenty of games this way.
Games that rely on archaic playstyles and particular hardware could be said to of aged poorly. I know many gamers today who have completely discounted the original Resident Evil and Silent Hill simply because of the controls and inventory system, but now with the recent HD update, are giving the former another chance. In the same vein, I'm a huge fan of Baldur's Gate I & II, but again, many can't get a grip on the HUD and menu systems. With games like Divinity and Wasteland 2 have shown us a good way to update these systems. Of course, old flight sims that require particular--and hard to find--peripherals are difficult for anyone to get into.
Many would say 5th generation games have aged the worst, and that's true for the most part. There are some that really hold up; Spyro and Crash are still some of the best 3D platformers, especially given the sorry output of the last generation. On the whole though, many of these titles--both console and PC--just don't stand up due to the graphics and awkward controls, which you can tell were indeed a product of developers pushing against the limits of the technology. Games that require online-only multiplayer are also begging to become obsolete.
It's true that the majority are very difficult when looking at the general level of difficulty in games today, and there are two ways you could combat this. For most, emulation is the way to go. Save states and fast forward (for JRPGs, in my case), can have a huge impact on the experience. Yes, it does make the games easier to the point of changing them completely, but for me, this proved to be the only way to experience games like Ninja Gaiden and Super Ghouls n' Ghosts, which I would never of put the time into if I had to struggle through them traditionally. Some may say this cheapens the experience, but I know I enjoyed playing, and I think if it makes the difference between that and passing on games, I would encourage other young people to try it too.
For the purist, some games, like Super Mario World, can serve as a training ground for younger players. With careful selection, you can introduce a learning curve to an entire subset of gaming this way. When I was growing up, and before I fell to the allure of emulation, I made it through plenty of games this way.
Games that rely on archaic playstyles and particular hardware could be said to of aged poorly. I know many gamers today who have completely discounted the original Resident Evil and Silent Hill simply because of the controls and inventory system, but now with the recent HD update, are giving the former another chance. In the same vein, I'm a huge fan of Baldur's Gate I & II, but again, many can't get a grip on the HUD and menu systems. With games like Divinity and Wasteland 2 have shown us a good way to update these systems. Of course, old flight sims that require particular--and hard to find--peripherals are difficult for anyone to get into.
Many would say 5th generation games have aged the worst, and that's true for the most part. There are some that really hold up; Spyro and Crash are still some of the best 3D platformers, especially given the sorry output of the last generation. On the whole though, many of these titles--both console and PC--just don't stand up due to the graphics and awkward controls, which you can tell were indeed a product of developers pushing against the limits of the technology. Games that require online-only multiplayer are also begging to become obsolete.