Limitation is the secret of interest in retro games

[AppleQueso]

I do not deny that "some" games on current generation consoles will meet such innovation but they are few and far between.

Here's the thing: retro games with such innovation were few and far between too.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Your examples of games like Halo and Call of Duty are of games that came out in a well-established genre. I think we often get nostalgic for the games that were the first games to popularize a genre- those games did not. I think people will be excited to come back and play certain modern games that did start a movement. For example, I could see people coming back to play a game like Plants VS Zombies or Minecraft, which both popularized their respective genres.

Another thing about your examples is that they are games with a major story component. There are very few movies or books that I ever want to repeat, largely because once I know the story, it's never as exciting the second time around. Games that are strictly gameplay focused (which most of the older games were) are easier to come back to play again in the future. Modern games like Street Fighter IV or Team Fortress II are gameplay focused, so they are more likely to be played repeatedly over time than say a story focused games like Uncharted or Bioshock. The only story-driven games that I can imagine wanting to play again in the future after I have already beaten them in the past are ones where the world is so fascinating and unique, that I simply want to go back to the game to revisit it.

I had a really long winded post in the works but this basically sums it up.

Just one thing to add, games are harder than ever to create. I find it absolutely disgusting that anybody could think that the majority of these people don't have a passion for their job.

[GameMasterGuy]

Not sure if it's been said already, but I feel that limitation isn't the reason why retro games are fun. Instead, I'd say it's cause of why they're fun. They don't directly make older games fun; rather, they forced developers to think outside the box. Can't use enough colors in a sprite? Make two sprites for it, one for the head and one for the body. 2D console? Go mode 7. Limited memory? Keep songs short and catchy. This may support the argument that it directly helps, but it can also hinder. It was the console's way of telling the dev "here's a challenge, overcome it", but they didn't necessarily have to overcome it. They could "cheat" by using a console add-on; when that happens, we get crap like Night Trap. They could ignore the limitations and face massive amounts of lag- one of the reasons the original Star Fox needs a remake. Worst of all, they could not try to overcome the limitations at all and make a forgettable, mediocre game. Other things could generate a great video game as well; inspired developers that love the game they're making, massive fan support, experienced pros, etc. Otherwise, no modern game would be any good.

tl;dr version it's not the only way to make a good game, and it can cause some bad crap as well

[Zing]

For a great example of how limitation affects game design, read the "making of" Crash Bandicoot. It is some of the more entertaining video game related reading I have ever had the pleasure to experience. It blew my mind how much effort they put into getting the game they wanted to work on the system at the time. Other devs accused Naughty Dog of having Sony give them inside access to the programming API, since the game was deemed impossible at the time.

http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/2011/0 ... ot-part-1/

[AppleQueso]

For a great example of how limitation affects game design, read the "making of" Crash Bandicoot. It is some of the more entertaining video game related reading I have ever had the pleasure to experience. It blew my mind how much effort they put into getting the game they wanted to work on the system at the time. Other devs accused Naughty Dog of having Sony give them inside access to the programming API, since the game was deemed impossible at the time.

http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/2011/0 ... ot-part-1/

Oh man I love this kind of stuff. Not through reading it yet, but it's really cool! I kinda miss the days when a modern game could be made with a 4 man team.

There's a great article about the making of the N64 port of Resident Evil 2 if you hunt around as well. Really great reads.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

For a great example of how limitation affects game design, read the "making of" Crash Bandicoot. It is some of the more entertaining video game related reading I have ever had the pleasure to experience. It blew my mind how much effort they put into getting the game they wanted to work on the system at the time. Other devs accused Naughty Dog of having Sony give them inside access to the programming API, since the game was deemed impossible at the time.

http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/2011/0 ... ot-part-1/

Oh man I love this kind of stuff. Not through reading it yet, but it's really cool! I kinda miss the days when a modern game could be made with a 4 man team.

There's a great article about the making of the N64 port of Resident Evil 2 if you hunt around as well. Really great reads.

It is a great read.

Also, 4 gigs of ram in the mid-late 90s.

[Flake]

Just one thing to add, games are harder than ever to create. I find it absolutely disgusting that anybody could think that the majority of these people don't have a passion for their job.

To the best of my knowledge, the passion is lost due to publishers and management. I have read some true horror stories about what a publisher will force a studio to do to get the game out at some specific time.

That is probably one 'limitation' that has never made a game better in the end.

[Zing]

Also, 4 gigs of ram in the mid-late 90s.

I paid $300 for an 8MB SIMM in 1995. I remember the price of a 1MB SIMM hitting $30 about a year later. 8GB? I don't even want to know how much that had to cost.

[Zing]

There's a great article about the making of the N64 port of Resident Evil 2 if you hunt around as well. Really great reads.

Is this it?
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3 ... hp?print=1

[AppleQueso]

There's a great article about the making of the N64 port of Resident Evil 2 if you hunt around as well. Really great reads.

Is this it?
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3 ... hp?print=1

Yes. Not the same website I originally found it on, but the same next nonetheless.