what was the more important thing in 8/16-bit era gaming?

Tatsujin · 05/04/2007, 11:38 AM

i would go with music, since i listen to those tunez for hours daily over years until now and also will do till the end of my days

Seldane · 05/04/2007, 11:40 AM

Gameplay. Don't really care about graphics/music as long as the game's fun to play.

This does only apply to the 8/16 bit era. I will not play new games that look like crap.

termis · 05/04/2007, 01:25 PM

Availability of time. I could play a game for more than couple hours and have zero guilt about it.

Not so true these days.

Nazi NecroPhile · 05/04/2007, 01:37 PM

Gameplay, gameplay, gameplay, and oh yeah, gameplay. Who the hell wants to play something that's boring, controls like shit, and has poor hit detection? But, but, but - it's pretty and sounds nice. So fucking what.

Kitsunexus · 05/04/2007, 02:36 PM

I say the music, there's a lot of sucky games that I would never play, but their music is on my MP3 player because it's just so damn catchy!

Keranu · 05/04/2007, 04:30 PM

Crap I wish I could change my vote from gameplay to "nothing of them above, but.." because I just realized it's the console names that make them so fun! Sega MASTER System, TURBO GRAFX 16, Sega GENESIS, etc...

Digi.k · 05/04/2007, 05:25 PM

music and graphics!!

Nazi NecroPhile · 05/04/2007, 05:33 PM

Damn It Keranu! Now I want to change my vote too. We all know that the most important thing is what the packaging materials taste like. Ummmm.... expanded polystyrene and cardboard.

Keranu · 05/04/2007, 05:57 PM

Ok I just edited the poll with my mighty powers so you can change your vote, I hope tatsujin doesn't mind

. You make a good point, Necro.

kenomac78 · 05/04/2007, 07:14 PM

i dont care what anybody says, graphics were the ONLY thing that mattered in those days.

maybe looking back we all start to spout off this 'game play over graphics' like looking back at the NES like a normal rockell painting or something. but its not true.

EVERY kid in school only talked about grpahics. 'hey man did you see zelda 2? yea it had awesome graphics!" or "you play atari? that sucks because it doesnt have good graphics, nintendo has good graphics" also this can account for why 75% of NES games were garbage, but sold well, because of the 12 year old's mantr of 'good graphics',

and look to the 16 bit era, the game system we all adore is called turbo GRAFX! i dont think theres a bigger sign.

look to the SNES vs genesis ads. it was never why one or the others games were more fun, it was mode 7 vs blast processing. culminating with sega CD being the 'first' to bring real life 'cd graphics' the greatest graphics of all time(sic) 'like they gotta be 64 or 128 bit man!!'

its a battle that will always go on forever, until in some theoretical futire theres only one game system, like its a vcr or dvd player.

but at least now, some of the gamers out there realize the quality of individual games rather that the 'got good graphics' brainwash crap. but most of them just troll endlessly on fanboy boards.

Seldane · 05/04/2007, 07:35 PM

Actually, I was reluctant to getting a SNES because I thought the graphics were "too good". I thought that they spent all the time working on the graphics, not caring about the actual gameplay. I was happy playing my old NES games with crap graphics. Then I got a SNES and it proved just how wrong I was.

I've come to realize that the games with the awesome graphics are mostly great, whereas games with bad graphics are mostly crap. This applies to all the video game generations.

OldRover · 05/04/2007, 08:35 PM

Gameplay is king. Was back then, is still today, and always will be. Of course, the fanboys always looked for the graphics.

Kitsunexus · 05/04/2007, 09:24 PM

Quote from: Seldane on 05/04/2007, 07:35 PMThis applies to all the video game generations.

Not so sure about that, you all know about this generation, and remember those four little words:

Rise Of The Robots...

Seldane · 05/04/2007, 09:28 PM

I've never played the game myself, and honestly I never found that graphics in that game very good. Low-color cg graphics (actually, any cg graphics from the 90's or earlier, for that matter) makes me sick. Yuck.

Except the DKC games. Doesn't look like cg to me.

Kitsunexus · 05/04/2007, 09:30 PM

What about Killer Instinct? That was a TERRIBLE PORT.

Seldane · 05/04/2007, 09:33 PM

Never played (or seen) that either. I'm not exactly interested in fighting games.

Kitsunexus · 05/04/2007, 09:47 PM

I find that fighting games are a lot better for letting out agression than an FPS. FPS's have never been nothing more to me than time-killers.

Seldane · 05/04/2007, 09:51 PM

I haven't played many fps games, but I have liked most of the ones I've played. I don't use games to let out frustration. I use message boards (very very sorry, I really mean it! It's going to stop, I promise).

Kitsunexus · 05/04/2007, 10:03 PM

Quote from: Seldane on 05/04/2007, 09:51 PMI use message boards (very very sorry, I really mean it! It's going to stop, I promise).

You're preaching to the choir here.

When I was still green when it came to the net, I was getting banned from like 20 forums per month. I think my grand total is like 800 forums I'm banned from. I've had so many names I can't count...

Eventually I figured out that being a jackass isn't really that cool, and that being a nice guy and being myself was the net's "new black".

So, I've tried to not be as much of an ass anymore. Unfortunately it happens.

I was the one who made Emureactor into the paranoid wreck it is today (Personal drama (I was just TOO GOOD OF A MOD) which got me removed from super-mod status and IP/HD banned, after which I alerted their ISP three times, Nintendo two times, all attempts successful (the man I talked to at Nintendo was writing the email as we spoke, and their different ISPs took them down all three times.) I lost all friends but one I had there, who saw the same thing I saw, and couldn't give a flying fuck about them anymore. I stalked the admin and his wife, stalked their friends, basically made their lives a living hell. You don;t fuck with a Kitsune, especially one who is a social-engineering genius (if I can be so bold as to brag ^_^)).

TR0N · 05/04/2007, 10:49 PM

Quote from: Kitsunexus on 05/04/2007, 09:30 PMWhat about Killer Instinct? That was a TERRIBLE PORT.

Realy these guys seem to like it.
http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=18804&type=wmv
Still i guess back then you like you much of a choice in it.

GUTS · 05/05/2007, 02:50 AM

Quote from: Kitsunexus on 05/04/2007, 10:03 PM
Quote from: Seldane on 05/04/2007, 09:51 PMI use message boards (very very sorry, I really mean it! It's going to stop, I promise).
You're preaching to the choir here. When I was still green when it came to the net, I was getting banned from like 20 forums per month. I think my grand total is like 800 forums I'm banned from. I've had so many names I can't count...

Eventually I figured out that being a jackass isn't really that cool, and that being a nice guy and being myself was the net's "new black".

So, I've tried to not be as much of an ass anymore. Unfortunately it happens.

I was the one who made Emureactor into the paranoid wreck it is today (Personal drama (I was just TOO GOOD OF A MOD) which got me removed from super-mod status and IP/HD banned, after which I alerted their ISP three times, Nintendo two times, all attempts successful (the man I talked to at Nintendo was writing the email as we spoke, and their different ISPs took them down all three times.) I lost all friends but one I had there, who saw the same thing I saw, and couldn't give a flying fuck about them anymore. I stalked the admin and his wife, stalked their friends, basically made their lives a living hell. You don;t fuck with a Kitsune, especially one who is a social-engineering genius (if I can be so bold as to brag ^_^)).

Why in the hell would you admit all that?

MrFulci · 05/05/2007, 08:36 AM

Kit,

Keep in mind, for the future, that little social engineering pranks may not get you into trouble, such as snitching on an emulator site. Nothing illegal about that. If you do something besides a prank, something that involves property, or fuck with someone who watches certain details concerning themselves in deep detail, and you can get in some deep shit. "Fraud" comes to mind.

When it comes to companies, places record phonecalls. They also save A LOT of the paper that comes into them. Very difficult not to leave a trail of some sort.

Stalking... hahaha, I'm familiar with that as I have at least a half-dozen of those. I even had some manage to get into my e-mail account, though they weren't discreet. They're my fan club. As long as they don't try something bold, all is well.

So, what made you bother these folks so much, Kit?

Kitsunexus · 05/05/2007, 09:07 AM

They banned me because I was too good of a moderator.

And man, it's too late to warn me about that stuff, you should have warned me before I joined PLA/TOTSE!

Seldane · 05/05/2007, 09:23 AM

What's that?

MrFulci · 05/05/2007, 01:06 PM

Kit,

I'm not going to derail this thread much further, however I just have to adda bit more...

First, If you don't want anyone to find out about something. Don't speak of it, ahaha. Pretty much what GUTS said.

Also, I have been almost a victim of some thieving fuck. Thing is, people pay more attention to the BS thieves try to pull than they think. There are clueless people out there, however some folks will string you along so you can be arrested.

Without giving too much detail as to what happened with me, or what information this person had, was going to get, what they were doing, had done, etc.... It involved some people waiting to detain a certain person (or persons) to leave their house and reach a certain destination. Once that person (or persons) reached that detination, and did a certain act, they would be breaking the law. Exciting!

MrFulci · 05/05/2007, 01:30 PM

I chose the, "nothing" option in the poll.

Though, my "like" most closely relates to gameplay. Most of the time, I prefer 2D games.

I've played 3D stuff that I've liked, such as Magic Carpet, howeve much of this is on the PC. Though, if you consider STUN Runner 3D, youc an count that too, hahah.

There is a bit of a grey area with the 2D and 3D stuff.

I also like games I can pickup a play for a few moments when I have the time, and not have to be concerned about my progress in the game. Atari is good for that.

I still do enjoy a few time consuming RPG type games now and again, and every once in a while I get the itch to play a particular game through to completion.

16 bit and prior games had a lot of stuff that was easy to pickup and play, and learn fast. I've had folks learn how to play bomberman faster than I can memorize all the controsl for the few times I've played Halo, 13, etc on an X-box (Those controls are awful, really needs a keyboard and mouse!)

My interest in games started to fizzle out in the mid-late 90's. I stopped with the 16-bit systems, as I did not find anything too interesting with the 3D games that were being heavily pushed at that time on the Playstation and such.

I owned a Jaguar for a period of time when the system and the games were on clearance. It was decent, had some good 2D games. Though, after a while Tempest 2000 became the only game I'd play on the machine, hahaha. Eventually, I sold it.

I recently picked up a GameBoy Player, which required a Gamecube. I forget who said it on this forum, however it really does seem to be as though it, "picks up where the Super Nintendo left off".

I haven't explored the GBA library too heavily yet, though there are some interesting games out there for it such as the updated Link, Advance Wars, etc.

The GB player has kinda messed with how I could be able to say I have not purchased a game system since the 90's... So far the past 5 systems I've purcahsed have been Turbo Duo, Jaguar (gone), Virtual Boy (gone), Gameboy player + Gamecube = GameboyCube.

My interest in video games comes and goes. Sometimes I end up boxing much of it up for a while, so I can come back to it later. Either way, given my history, I can pretty much count on having the itch for video games. Even if I don't play some games for a while, I still keep the stuff around for when the itch needs scratching.

A bit of a ramble there, however it gives my feelings towards what I find important when I choose to spend time with video games!

Seldane · 05/05/2007, 01:34 PM

Play Gamecube games instead. There are many "pick up and play" games on that system.

MrFulci · 05/05/2007, 01:44 PM

Seldane,

I like how you throw the word, "instead" in there, hahaha.

Right now I'm busy with other games and systems. The last game I played was yesterday, it was the World Heroes 2 port for the PC Engine. Pretty decent port, not as nice as the Neo Geo, but it does the trick and brought back memories of the game in the arcade.

I haven't totally discounted purachsing at least one Gamecube game since I now have that system attached to the top of the GBP. Right now, all the GC does is power the GBP, hahaa. It's pretty funny.

CrackTiger · 05/05/2007, 04:09 PM

It was the gameplay. Gameplay peeked in this period and was pretty limited in comparison on consoles beforehand.

2D games to this day still use the same gameplay we had in the 8-bit generation.

As good as 3D control gets, the gameplay is still limited in comparison to 2D.

Quote from: kenomac78 on 05/04/2007, 07:14 PMi dont care what anybody says, graphics were the ONLY thing that mattered in those days.

maybe looking back we all start to spout off this 'game play over graphics' like looking back at the NES like a normal rockell painting or something. but its not true.

EVERY kid in school only talked about grpahics. 'hey man did you see zelda 2? yea it had awesome graphics!" or "you play atari? that sucks because it doesnt have good graphics, nintendo has good graphics" also this can account for why 75% of NES games were garbage, but sold well, because of the 12 year old's mantr of 'good graphics',

and look to the 16 bit era, the game system we all adore is called turbo GRAFX! i dont think theres a bigger sign.

look to the SNES vs genesis ads. it was never why one or the others games were more fun, it was mode 7 vs blast processing. culminating with sega CD being the 'first' to bring real life 'cd graphics' the greatest graphics of all time(sic) 'like they gotta be 64 or 128 bit man!!'

but at least now, some of the gamers out there realize the quality of individual games rather that the 'got good graphics' brainwash crap. but most of them just troll endlessly on fanboy boards.

Do you think that the cool kids at school would be bragging about 256 color Pac Man and Burger Time while the losers were stuck with Super Mario Bros 3 and Mega Man 2? If it was all about the graphics, no kid back in the day would've been caught dead touching an NES, they'd all be playing the Sega Master System.

The reason that graphics were used as a marketing feature during the 16-bit era is that both the SNES and Genesis(and even that other HyperGraphiks-12 thing) had great gameplay.

Not only that, but they knew that the NES also had gameplay as good as 16-bit games, so they had to use graphics to convince you to blow money on new consoles.

Seldane · 05/05/2007, 05:03 PM

I dunno, most Master System games weren't exactly graphically impressive compared to NES games. Sure, it could display more colors on screen, but honestly, I never ever heard anyone say "hey, look at the amount of colors on screen!!". The Master System didn't have cool graphics, like Mega Man, etc. It had lame graphics, like Psycho Fox. And at least where I live, people always said the Master System was weaker than the NES graphically, even those that had a Master System!

termis · 05/05/2007, 05:42 PM

I thought the SMS definitely had better graphics, but it just wasn't a mind-blowing difference. Better looking NES games could definitely match the average SMS games, but the best looking SMS games clearly looks better than what most NES games had to offer. (R-type, PS I-esp. the maze scene, Sonic, etc.)

If you compare games that were released on both platforms -- Double Dragon, After Burner, Renegade, etc -- It wasn't too difficult to see that SMS versions looked better.

Seldane · 05/05/2007, 06:02 PM

Yeah, but nobody liked those multi platform games anyway.

Kitsunexus · 05/05/2007, 06:32 PM

Quote from: Seldane on 05/05/2007, 01:34 PMPlay Gamecube games instead. There are many "pick up and play" games on that system.

And that is the only reason I own the system.

Seldane · 05/05/2007, 06:44 PM

I got a Gamecube for Zelda The Wind Waker... which was a massive disappointment. I'm glad I kept it (in the closet - I didn't use it) though, because Twilight Princess, on the other hand, was insanely good. So good I cannot possibly describe it with words. I'm really enjoying Four Swords Adventures now too, even though it is a 2d game (I prefer my Zelda games in 3d).

Kitsunexus · 05/05/2007, 07:23 PM

I was under the impressions that Four Swords was just LttP with four characters...

Seldane · 05/05/2007, 07:56 PM

Definitely not. Four Swords is a "pick up and play" game. It has stages, like a Mario game, and you get no permanent items/upgrades/equipment (you get those things, but they disappear when you finish the stage you got them in). It features Zelda 3-esque graphics, and many similiarly designed areas, but is a completely different game.

Kitsunexus · 05/05/2007, 08:04 PM

Nice. Sounds like I need to pick that up sometime...

Joe Redifer · 05/05/2007, 08:23 PM

Quote from: SeldaneYeah, but nobody liked those multi platform games anyway.

VERY TRUE! I remember when Double Dragon came out, it sold maybe 3 or 4 copies on the NES. People hated that game. I remember large crowds of kids throwing their NES's away because they didn't want a system with Double Dragon on it. Instead of videogamers, they grew up to be accountants and country music superstars. Same thing happened with After Burner. People were setting their Master Systems on fire left and right because such a hated game was on the console. Many people died in large house fires, but it was deemed "worth it".

Kitsunexus · 05/05/2007, 08:38 PM

The same with Battletoads...can we stop pretending that game is good now?

kenomac78 · 05/05/2007, 08:39 PM

Quote from: guest on 05/05/2007, 04:09 PMDo you think that the cool kids at school would be bragging about 256 color Pac Man and Burger Time while the losers were stuck with Super Mario Bros 3 and Mega Man 2? If it was all about the graphics, no kid back in the day would've been caught dead touching an NES, they'd all be playing the Sega Master System.

Not only that, but they knew that the NES also had gameplay as good as 16-bit games, so they had to use graphics to convince you to blow money on new consoles.

I stand by my original statement! the knee-jerk reaction of "blah-blah good graphics" from every 7-13 year old kid from that time period drove me insane!

because there were more games which handled great and didnt look so great compared to those like megaman and mario 3.but there were piles of junk which tried to look good and fell short on gameplay. yet every stupid brainwashed nintendo kid stood by saying 'got good graphics' it made you feel like complete 'mo if you didnt agree and get on the graphics bandwagon. of course anymore about that and i will spiral into my rants about nintendo's attempts to rewrite history in their own image.

perhaps from a developers standpoint the whole game is what mattered. but from a sales standpoint, and in the opinions of 95% of all kids from that time, graphics are the only thing that ever mattered!

it is a bit contradictory when these same kids have now grown up, and are espousing the new nintendo philosophy 'gameplay over graphics'

Seldane · 05/05/2007, 08:50 PM

Yeah. It's always been "graphics are the most important part of a game", until Nintendo's press conference when they announced the Wii and some games and their philosophy.

Now, when you say "the graphics in that Wii/DS game are really bad" (which anybody would've said two years ago) you get bashed til no end ("MORON, GRAPHICS ARE COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT, YOU GRAPHICS-WHORE"). Aah, I love those guys... what did you call them? Snerds. That's it. They rock. They really do.

Always funny though, when a new anticipated Wii game finally gets announced with some screenshots, and even the most hardcore snerds say: "but... why are the graphics so unbelievably bad...?".

Kitsunexus · 05/05/2007, 08:58 PM

Quote from: Seldane on 05/05/2007, 08:50 PMYeah. It's always been "graphics are the most important part of a game", until Nintendo's press conference when they announced the Wii and some games and their philosophy.

Now, when you say "the graphics in that Wii/DS game are really bad" (which anybody would've said two years ago) you get bashed til no end ("MORON, GRAPHICS ARE COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT, YOU GRAPHICS-WHORE"). Aah, I love those guys... what did you call them? Snerds. That's it. They rock. They really do.

Always funny though, when a new anticipated Wii game finally gets announced with some screenshots, and even the most hardcore snerds say: "but... why are the graphics so unbelievably bad...?".

I guess I'm a Snerd, but I KNEW that Nintendo's graphics have sucked since the N64, and I hate them for it. I want my games to look as good as they play. Nintendo seems to be incapable of doing this, so PC/360 it is.

CrackTiger · 05/05/2007, 09:48 PM

Quote from: Seldane on 05/05/2007, 05:03 PMI dunno, most Master System games weren't exactly graphically impressive compared to NES games. Sure, it could display more colors on screen, but honestly, I never ever heard anyone say "hey, look at the amount of colors on screen!!". The Master System didn't have cool graphics, like Mega Man, etc. It had lame graphics, like Psycho Fox. And at least where I live, people always said the Master System was weaker than the NES graphically, even those that had a Master System!

We've been through this before. Just because you're not overly familiar with the SMS, it doesn't mean that it kicks any less ass than it really does.

There's a bigger difference in graphics between the SMS & NES than there has been between competing consoles ever since.

Kitsunexus · 05/05/2007, 10:05 PM

But you didn't show any NES games, why are we to believe you?

For the record, both systems had shit graphics. End of discussion.

CrackTiger · 05/05/2007, 10:10 PM

Quote from: Kitsunexus on 05/05/2007, 10:05 PMBut you didn't show any NES games, why are we to believe you?

For the record, both systems had shit graphics. End of discussion.

I guess you think that the TG-16 has shitty graphics too huh?

Kitsunexus · 05/05/2007, 10:35 PM

What if I did?

Joe Redifer · 05/05/2007, 11:58 PM

The SMS could do something that the NES couldn't... the color yellow!

Nazi NecroPhile · 05/06/2007, 02:13 AM

It seems that some people are confused by the question. The poll is asking 'what element made gaming really fun?' It doesn't concern anything about what sold systems and games. Of course marketing would tout the awesome graphics, but what the fuck did you expect them to do? Put out adds that didn't show any gameplay? Maybe they should have shown little Timmy and Suzy with big shit eating grins and a voice over asking "Don't they look like they're having fun? You could too, if you'd just buy a Genesis." For some reason that wouldn't have been very effective. If gameplay takes a back seat to graphics, then the GameBoy must have been a failure. Maybe I'm wrong, but four shades of creamed spinach do not equal quality graphics.

To anybody that thinks that good graphics makes a game fun - you must really enjoy those nutty Hawaii bikini 'games'. There's plenty of good looking trim on 'em.

Kitsunexus · 05/06/2007, 10:27 AM

Quote from: guest on 05/06/2007, 02:13 AMTo anybody that thinks that good graphics makes a game fun - you must really enjoy those nutty Hawaii bikini 'games'. There's plenty of good looking trim on 'em.

Hentai games are better with good graphics.

PCEngineHell · 05/06/2007, 01:28 PM

Quote from: Kitsunexus on 05/06/2007, 10:27 AM
Quote from: guest on 05/06/2007, 02:13 AMTo anybody that thinks that good graphics makes a game fun - you must really enjoy those nutty Hawaii bikini 'games'. There's plenty of good looking trim on 'em.
Hentai games are better with good graphics.

I like the Comad New Fantasia games,along with the Gals Panic ones. Very well made Qix clones. I also like Sexy Pachinko Reaction.
If you want to try them run them on Mame.

what was the more important thing in 8/16-bit era gaming?

which element made gaming really fun at that time?