8 bit and 16 bit "de-makes"

[BoneSnapDeez]

almost look better than the modern 3d versions

I actually dislike "realistic" graphics like that. Give me sprite art or hand-drawn anime.

[kidfresh]

almost look better than the modern 3d versions

I actually dislike "realistic" graphics like that. Give me sprite art or hand-drawn anime.

There really is a beauty to pixel art. Especially when it was all game developers had to work with, they had to put heavy thought into how they were going to go from ideas in their heads, to paper, to pixel.

And you know what I can't understand? All these "retro-revival" companies (especially on mobile devices) are all cashing in on that big, fat pixel look. That's not as appealing to me. Give me highly detailed sprites and pixellated settings where obvious thought and artistic value was poured into the both of them. I want more games like that.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

I like 3D just fine. Maybe real-time anime will be the next big thing in the Japanese industry, though. That would be very exciting. Could our current technology support it?

As for the sprite art vs. 3D thing: yes, sprite art can be very pretty. Whenever anyone talks about it, though, we hear "old games turned out great because the developers had to achieve a lot with comparatively limited hardware, and they were very careful about doing the best they could."

Nothing has changed since then except the limit. Developers are still trying their best to push the limit on PC and they're still trying to stuff new games into the PS3's laughable 256MB of main RAM. There's no difference between the current approach and the old one. What's more, devs trying to make the most advanced games possible nearly all failed. It's been that way since Spacewar!, the first computer game. Compare Recca with most NES shmups for example.

Aesthetically, more can be achieved in a 3D world than ever in a flat one. We're impressed with the prettiest games possible on some old piece of hardware, as we well should be, but the level of craftsmanship required to make FFXIII is orders of magnitude higher than that of FFVI. If we haven't seen the prettiest possible low-res sprite game, we've gotten close. But 3D is more demanding; there are so many more possibilities to narrow down and carefully choose from that it seems more like games are being created from nothing and with no limitations. How many more of our greatest developers will fail in "doing the best within the limitations?" Why does it even matter? The achievement of the new, huge 3D art teams is undeniably greater.

[Fragems]

Reminds me of this.

[Damm64]

Yeah what about actually playable demakes?







This reminds me, i need to check soundless mountain.

Here's more!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncOn4tu9eRg

[isiolia]

I like 3D just fine. Maybe real-time anime will be the next big thing in the Japanese industry, though. That would be very exciting. Could our current technology support it?

I don't doubt it could support it. Some of the real-time tech demos shown have been quite impressive. The Dark Sorcerer PS4 one, or SE's own Agni's Philosophy demo for their Luminous engine.

I think the catch is more how much time and effort it'd take to create the assets needed for those kinds of productions, versus sending keyframes to some underpaid Koreans. If, perhaps, the assets are already there, then maybe it'd be more attractive. High end machinima if you will.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

Maybe squeenix could do it.

[Luke]

I'm still giggling at the "16-bit Mario Kart".

And the joke is already worn out, but imagine if someone made a MADDEN 1992?

[prfsnl_gmr]

And the joke is already worn out, but imagine if someone made a MADDEN 1992?

According to these sites, it would look like this:

We all know, however, that it would really have looked like this:

(Coincidentally, both of the games pictured here were released by the same company in February 1991 and 1992.)

[MrNash]

Those look pretty neat. I could see myself placing a 16-bit FFXIII. =)