More "retro" themed game goodness coming...

[nectarsis]

http://www.siliconera.com/2009/11/27/nippon-ichi-going-retro-with-classic-dungeon/

http://www.siliconera.com/2009/12/01/classic-dungeon-has-an-innovative-partner-system/

http://www.siliconera.com/2009/12/03/classic-dungeon-trailer-has-classic-console-music/

Music switchable between "8bit", and modern versions.  Looks like it may be a sweet game.

[Dark Fact]

Classic 8-bit gaming for the new generation for the motherf*cking win!

And the fact that you can pick your final boss is a random, yet very cool option!

[BlackandBlue]

Boo!  No US release date.

[nectarsis]

Considering it's months away from release in japan..there's still hope.

[Joe Redifer]

I wish the world had more of a fascination with the "16-bit" generation rather than the 8-bit generation.  8-bit was cool and all, but 16-bit was just sooooo much better in every conceivable way.

[esteban]

I wish the world had more of a fascination with the "16-bit" generation rather than the 8-bit generation.  8-bit was cool and all, but 16-bit was just sooooo much better in every conceivable way.

Both generations are on equal ground, IMHO.

That said, I totally agree that we need "16-bit retro" to become "trendier"... it can only be good thing...

[BlackandBlue]

I wish the world had more of a fascination with the "16-bit" generation rather than the 8-bit generation.  8-bit was cool and all, but 16-bit was just sooooo much better in every conceivable way.

I disagree, but here's why (feel free to bash my comments)....

8-bit: Simplistic design.  Games were sold on the basis that they were fun, not because they were pretty.  Designers had to come up with new ways to keep people coming back for more.

16-bit: Start of the decline.  Why?  Because programmers fell in love with polygons.  Starfox, Virtua racing, anything with an "FX" on the end...  This is the start of the "we can make the game look cool and people will buy it" trend.  Every damn game was a bunch of triangles.

32-bit: One word; FMV.  Yay!  We can put a crap looking 1/4 screen video and make it the ENTIRE game.  This was also dabbled in with the 16-bit games (like any game on SegaCD).

I think after the 32-bit era things started to get better.  At least for me, games started to become fun again.  Only reason I mention 32-bit is because I despise FMV (atleast when it is the whole game).  If I wanted to watch a movie, I would have rented one.

Now not all games are subject to the above.  Some stuck to their roots (Gradius was fun on all systems, the FF series has always been great....).   But as a whole, I didnt see any gimmicks used with 8-bit games. 

[nectarsis]

 

Poly's on 16-bit systems was hardly the "norm" and was more dabbled in than used regularly.

FMV on the 32-bit systems was the same (of the Sewer Shark variety, etc, you seem to be alluding towards).

Saying that 8-bit games relied on "the basis of fun vs pretty"...game companies have always been using "pretty" as a selling point since home consoles started.  Compare 1st wave of NES (or any system) games vs. late releases.  If all companies relied on was "fun", graphics would never have improved.

[BlackandBlue]

Poly's on 16-bit systems was hardly the "norm" and was more dabbled in than used regularly.

FMV on the 32-bit systems was the same (of the Sewer Shark variety, etc, you seem to be alluding towards).

Saying that 8-bit games relied on "the basis of fun vs pretty"...game companies have always been using "pretty" as a selling point since home consoles started.  Compare 1st wave of NES (or any system) games vs. late releases.  If all companies relied on was "fun", graphics would never have improved.

I said not all games were subject to the above, I was just mentioning trends of the times/gimmicks they tried to use to push games.  Of course games were going to get better looking once programmers learned their way around the processor and became more efficient in coding.  The Wii tries to rely on fun and doesnt mind looking horrible. 

[TheClash603]

I agree that the 16 bit era needs a comeback, but the best games of that time were all in the arcades.

The worst era of gaming was early 3D, they are the only games I can't go back to. Characters made up of 39 polygons?  No thanks!  That's why the 2D Saturn killed the 3D PSX in my opinion.  Mario 64 is so good, I make that the early 3D exception.

I am happy to keep seeing homebrew NES games released on cartridge, I buy all of them!

[nectarsis]

Poly's on 16-bit systems was hardly the "norm" and was more dabbled in than used regularly.

FMV on the 32-bit systems was the same (of the Sewer Shark variety, etc, you seem to be alluding towards).

Saying that 8-bit games relied on "the basis of fun vs pretty"...game companies have always been using "pretty" as a selling point since home consoles started.  Compare 1st wave of NES (or any system) games vs. late releases.  If all companies relied on was "fun", graphics would never have improved.

I said not all games were subject to the above, I was just mentioning trends of the times/gimmicks they tried to use to push games.  Of course games were going to get better looking once programmers learned their way around the processor and became more efficient in coding.  The Wii tries to rely on fun and doesnt mind looking horrible. 

I realize you said not all...but the instances you used were still by and large the minority..and usually towards the end of the systems life cycle (trying to extend the systems life+ "gimmick").  Funny you bring up the Wii..sthe system that soooo many feel is overly gimicky .

I do like this mix of new/8-bit that is going on, but I agree a true "16-bit revival would be even better

[Necromancer]

I do like this mix of new/8-bit that is going on, but I agree a true "16-bit revival would be even better

I don't know about that, considering that quite a few of these 'retro' games (Classic Dungeon included) look and sound way more like 16-bit games than 8-bit games anyway.  They may call it 8-bit to sound more retro (i.e. - more cool), but I don't recall any SMS/NES/7800 games that looked anywhere near as pretty or sounded as nice.

[Joe Redifer]

BlackandBlue, I will happily accept your invitation to bash your comments!

-There weren't many polygons on 16-bit systems, yet you say "Every damn game was a bunch of triangles."  I do not understand this.  There were probably less than 2 dozen console games for all three systems combined that used polygons over the course of the entire generation.  And suffice it to say, those weren't the most popular games.  There might be a few more if you count the 32X.

-8-bit games were sold on pretty graphics, too.  There is no doubt about it.  If you want simplistic "built on fun gameplay ONLY" then you need to go back to the Atari 2600/Intellivision/Coleco era which nobody wants to recreate.

-FMV came with the advent of the Sega CD.  That's where most FMV games lived.  There were a few for the 32-bit generation, but it was not nearly as saturated a genre as it was on the Sega CD.

All in all, I think you have your generations mixed up.

[esteban]

All in all, I think you have your generations mixed up.

True dat. True dat.

Anyway, I would love to see a new hack-n-slash action rpg  (lite on the rpg! just the basics!) that is "retro 16-bit" but with tons of variety in enemies, enemy A.I., "linear" stage design with lots of branching paths (variety for replay value/challenge), a parrot/ferret sidekick (user-selectable, the sidekick remains perched on player's shoulder when not in use), etc. etc.

 

[Necromancer]

Anyway, I would love to see a new hack-n-slash action rpg  (lite on the rpg! just the basics!) that is "retro 16-bit" but with tons of variety in enemies, enemy A.I., "linear" stage design with lots of branching paths (variety for replay value/challenge), a parrot/ferret sidekick (user-selectable, the sidekick remains perched on player's shoulder when not in use), etc. etc.

Cadash Zwei or Exile Drei?  Sign me up, but only the parrot should hang out on your shoulder; ferrets belong in your pants.