Random Gaming Thoughts

[RCBH928]

Shenmue because it looked so real.
Also almost everything Dreamcast blew me away that first year.

When the 3DS first came out, I couldn't believe what I was seeing was real. I'd seen 3D movies and stuff, but to have legit 3D without the need for glasses was a completely surreal feeling for me. I remember when Resident Evil: Revelations came out thinking "I have literally never felt so immersed in a game." It felt like I was looking in a window at a real, other world.
.

Good call on Shenmue and 3DS.

-Shenmue must have been mind shattering. I wasn't into video games back then so it has no nostalgia or impressive effect on me but I can totally see it. People were playing Shenmue on the Dreamcast while waiting for Conker Bad Fur Day on the N64. Shenmue does not even feel like it belonged to the PS2's generation. It felt something closer to the 360's GTA 4. A complete living world. Also I believe this was the first attempt to create a full free roaming living 3D city/world.

-The 3DS is really impressive. No glasses needed to see 3D on a handheld? Thats amazing. More amazing is that you can switch between 3D and 2D on the fly! The problem is that I heard people felt nausea playing in that mode and actually preferred 2D. I can be wrong.

1. Halo 4's cutscene absolutely blew my mind when that game came out. No joke, when I first played it, I was halfway through the first cutscene before I realized that it wasn't live action. I was like "How the hell can the 360 do this?!?".

Maybe I am missing something, but whats impressive about the cutscenes? Aren't they pre-rendered HD videos?

That being said, 360+ps3 must be given big credits for the most lasting consoles ever. I am still impressed with the graphics. Either that or computer graphics jumps have stagnated big time.

I think this is where I plug Horizon: Zero Dawn. Seriously, the PS4 is pushing some amazing visuals, even on the stock unit.

There are a lot of modern games that will make me stop and just look at the scenery. The amount of artistic effort going into them is astounding.

Of course, latest graphics are most impressive graphics. But I tend to compare the tech to the era. When a 10 year old console like PS3 can put out a game like The Last of Us, Horizon: Zero Dawn doesn't feel so impressive. But I do applaud the art direction which I would guess would have appealed to us even if it was on ps3 or ps2.

[Anayo]

I ended up with a Dreamcast brand new for $15 in 2003. I'd been a Gamecube owner for a year at that point. I had already seen Dreamcast commercials on TV and display units in stores, but as a kid I never really "got" why I should want one. The visuals looked pretty similar to Nintendo 64 to me. That sounds stupid but all I ever saw were quick glimpses of games, like shopping with Mom and briefly seeing Sonic Adventure from a distance while we were briskly moving to the next store. Getting my hands on a Dreamcast made me realize how wrong I was. I remember thinking, "I could have gotten a Dreamcast instead of a Gamecube and I'd have been just as satisfied."

I haven't played Shenmue since 2004, and I suspect it has aged like milk, but it was jaw dropping when it came out. I think of it like a prehistoric ancestor to today's open world games such as GTA.

[Sarge]

I wish it hadn't been so easy to get burned games for the system, I'd likely have bought quite a few more games otherwise. Stuff like Record of Lodoss War and Bangai-O in particular.

I mean, my collection isn't bad, but it's definitely got some gaps.

[ElkinFencer10]

The cutscenes in Halo 4 definitely are pre-rendered, but I had never seen cut scenes that look that photorealistic before, especially given that it's a console that came out before I was in high school.

As for the 3DS nausea, only the weak got nausea or headaches from the 3DS; the Chosen Ones were immune to such foolish effects.

[Segata]

As for the 3DS nausea, only the weak got nausea or headaches from the 3DS; the Chosen Ones were immune to such foolish effects.

Headache because 3D in 240P.

Rather Vita's pretty OLED screen.

[Sarge]

No issues with the 3DS and nausea, only a mild headache if I'm tired. I have the same problem with 3D films, so it's not related to resolution, at any rate.

I do wish the resolution were a bit higher, though. The 3DS has decent enough screens, but even the second-tier Vita screen is really pretty, and the Switch is even better. Haven't had the chance to sample an OLED Vita, though.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Azure Striker Gunvolt is on Steam???

Yo... what other GBA/DS/handheld stuff is on Steam?

Running through the "platformer" tag right now and finding some goods.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/43413 ... _and_Hero/
http://store.steampowered.com/app/42077 ... ark_Witch/
http://store.steampowered.com/app/55558 ... k_Witch_2/

[MrPopo]

Also:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/31275 ... ANTASY_IV/

Though I can't recommend this version; they really messed up the balance. Stick with sprites.

[ElkinFencer10]

No issues with the 3DS and nausea, only a mild headache if I'm tired. I have the same problem with 3D films, so it's not related to resolution, at any rate.

I do wish the resolution were a bit higher, though. The 3DS has decent enough screens, but even the second-tier Vita screen is really pretty, and the Switch is even better. Haven't had the chance to sample an OLED Vita, though.

OLED Vita is a thing of beauty.

[Sarge]

If they didn't change anything from the DS version, then I'd really enjoy the PC version of the game. I think I prefer it to the SNES version. It's longer, though, due to battles being a bit slower and tougher, but I had a blast with it.

If you need to stick to sprites, though, the most comprehensive version is supposedly the PSP remake that comes bundled with The After Years. And it is pretty good, from the small amount of time I've put into it.