2D, How We Miss Ya…
STONE HERE, and I wrote an article about how I couldn’t be a Retro Gamer. You can read it HERE. In the article, I mentioned my friend who is a DS junkie and he thought I misrepresented him. Truth is, he’s a GameBoy junkie. He always has one with him. But more than that, he is a huge fan of 2D games and it got us to talking. Is there room for 2D games in today’s Next-Gen world?
If you read my State Of Gaming article HERE, that the world of gaming is evolving at a rapid state. What was once considered the norm – 2D – just doesn’t seem to have the ability to keep up with the world of immersive 3D worlds that the games offer these days. Or does it? Is there a way to combine the two, keeping the 2D feel with the 3D graphics like in Street Fighter?
This is the old school 2D Street Fighter. Now compare it with the amazing hybrid Street Fighter 4.
Seems to me that it is a perfect way to keep old school 2D games alive and relevant. If other games did this I am sure that 2D could survive. But is it enough of a draw? Do we want to step back and play a simpler game? I don’t know. Me? I would if it was right. Like a hybrid Darkstalkers. But Paper Mario on the Wii is just weird, when you switch from one 2D mode to the weird 3D mode that’s also 2D. It was just kinda weird.
Another thing to think about is what do these games sell for? If Street Fighter didn’t have the Street Fighter franchise behind it, would it have gone over really well? Would it have had all the hoopla? I would like to point out a game that took 2D into the 3D world with great results –
That was an excellent transition that proved that the 3D world made Ghosts N Goblins a much better game. What other games could benefit from this transition. I know PacMan did when it went into that fun 3D PacMan where you could jump over those f-ing ghosts and stuff. Then again, some games might not work as well. I just do not think there is much of a market for 2D anymore. Our tastes have grown, our expectations have risen, and we enjoy what the games offer these days. I personally don’t think a 2D game will hold my interest as long as Mass Effect does. I enjoy the classics, like Bomberman, in short bursts. I enjoy my Live Arcade titles, but even some of those are getting the ‘hybrid’ treatment. (TMNT Re-Shelled In Time) I think that is where the world of 2D is going to stay, in virtual arcades and GameBoy games. The time for big scale 2D games are long gone. They just can’t compete.
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PewPew goes MegaMan and his little gun. Pew Pew.
yeah no one gives a shit if you’re a retro gamer or not seriously die in a fire
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Its funny I find this now after reading an article about a new 2-D game being made for the Wii, Muramasa, the Demon Blade. To be honest, after reading about it and seeing some videos, I really wanted to play this game (its worth noting I was born in the beginning of the 3-D era of gaming though I have played some of my uncles’ NES games). I think, if done right, 2-D games still have some time left, though, they will probably die out eventually.
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Of course, there’s enough room for 2D-games in today’s rapidly changing world. Epic’s making Shadow Complex for the 360 and you did just point out how awesome Street Fighter 4 was. We had BlazBlue release recently, and we still have King of Fighters 12 to look forward too. Then there’s Muramasa coming out for the Wii as well as a plethora of other games already on the handhelds. Overall, I’d say it’s a good year for the genre.
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2D isn’t main stream but its still alive and kicking. Blazblue, the recently released 2d finghter for the 360 and ps3, proves that good old 2D style can still live in today’s 3d gaming world.
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I don’t really know if fighting games should count as an actual story telling game. it’s more of a short burst multiplayer thing. But BlazBlue was awesome.
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I miss the good old days as well, because most of the games for the NES, and SNES didn’t have mind blowing stories, nor did they need one. I also miss that spark of innocence that most games had back then, because they’re just so much, “This game takes place in a dark future, and you have no hope, except your GUNS”. Where did games like Final Fantasy 9, Jak and Daxter: the precursor legacy, Legend of Mana, and Ape Escape go?
This doesn’t mea I won’t play a gritty game, as long as it’s good…I just miss that innocence. *sniff*
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currently ‘splosion man is a pretty fun 2d arcade game on xbox live arcade
play it now :>
castle crashers was awesome too btw
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2D games are still going strong I think. I could say that every xbla game I’ve downladed except BF:1943 and dash of destruction (latter was free). Have been 2D.
Braid, Castle Crashers and most recently Splosion Man, to name but a few.
Though they may not be fully priced $60 games, they still have large enough audiences to warrant the new games arriving and the marketing pushes they’re getting.
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The good old days i can still remember playing megaman2 on the nintendo. Actually i don’t think the 2d world stands even a little chance against next-gen video games today most people don’t even care about the story only the graphics. They don’t understand that good games don’t need fantastic graphics as long as they have a good story line.
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And old school 2d games had great story lines?
I think for the most part games today have better story lines than the older gen games.
Just look at the story and script in games like GTA4 or silent hill, i mean, they are far from perfect but there is more depth in the story in those games than for say megaman or mario.
I also think its an over generalization to say most people today care more about graphic than storyline.
Most of us want good story, good gameplay and good graphics but out of those 3 things probably have good graphics at the bottom of the list.
Though saying what i just have about old school games not being strong on story i have to admit some of my favourite games of all time at old lucas arts point and clicks which were all about the story and i would be more than happy to spend 15 bucks on a new monkey island game that looked like monkey island 1 or 2 rather than the 3d monkey island games that just came out and i get the feeling alot of people feel this way.
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i think the story issue is because they can be free of the 2d limitations. that said some 2d games had great stories, but they were mostly rpg’s.
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