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[robot]

Name some games with graphics that you think still hold up to this day. The older, the better.

Final Fantasy 3

Metal Slug (series)

Soul Calibur 1 (the game that made me start this thread)

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

Ocarina of Time is often touted as "realistic Zelda", but I think it has its own unique art style that holds up to this day.

Also: props to FFVI!

 

[Lord Error]

Hmm, SC and Zelda:OOT really have no place on that list, IMO.

- Another World
- Yoshi's Island

 

[MaddenNFL64]

I think LOZ:LTTP still looks good .

 

[Biff Hardbody]

2-D just ages better then 3-D. I was playing my PS2 import of 3rd strike yesterday, and a friend came over. We both agreed how good the game looked, we didn't even mention the age.

 

[belgurdo]

Sonic games always seem to look pretty sharp

Or maybe I'm just looking through fanboy goggles, I dunno

And I wouldn't say that 2d ages better than 3d myself. Hell, take a look at, say, an Atai 2600 game or first gen third party NES game ("state of the art" at the time) compared to Third Strike or even a circa 1994 NES game

 

[Kuramu]

 

[Defensor]

Donkey Kong Country
Super Mario World

 

[ManDudeChild]

-Super Mario 3
-NiGHTS
-Guilty Gear
-Donkey Kong Country
-Super Mario World
-Jet Set Radio

Pity we'll never see a NiGHTS sequel

 

[Biff Hardbody]

Sonic games always seem to look pretty sharp

Or maybe I'm just looking through fanboy goggles, I dunno

And I wouldn't say that 2d ages better than 3d myself. Hell, take a look at, say, an Atai 2600 game or first gen third party NES game ("state of the art" at the time) compared to Third Strike or even a circa 1994 NES game

That's a good point. Its just in my experience, when I go back and look at 2-D fighters like SF2, SSII...I'm still pretty impressed. Earlier 3-D games don't really impress me much anymore.

 

[epmode]

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

Hmm, SC and Zelda:OOT really have no place on that list, IMO.

- Another World
- Yoshi's Island

If low-res 2d makes the cut then why not low-res 3d? Nostalgic bias?

 

[TheQueen'sOwn]

Wind Waker.

 

[Scott]

Captures aren't the best, but ah well:

SaGa Frontier II.

 

[MetatronM]

Ocarina of Time is often touted as "realistic Zelda", but I think it has its own unique art style that holds up to this day.

I disagree. It's already starting to age pretty harshly. In fact, I couldn't even bring myself to play past the Deku Tree on the Zelda Collector's Disc. A Link to the Past, on the other hand, looks as vivid and beautiful today as it did the day it came out.

I'll also give a nod to FF VI, but I have to add its partner in crime, Chrono Trigger.

For that matter, Chrono Cross will always look good too.

I also can't imagine F-Zero GX/AX ever looking bad.

I also contend that just about any Mario game holds up visually. SMB1 has a sort of antiquated charm to its visuals, sure, but you don't ever look at it and say "good lord that is one ugly friggin' game."

Regardless, as a general rule, I find that 16-bit and up 2D holds up better than just about anything else, especially 32-64-bit era 3D.

 

[MetatronM]

I thought about putting Rez and my list too. I support this choice.

 

[johnjohnson]

Shenmue 1 and Shenmue 2 still looks amazing, also many 2d games still look great such as Phantasy Star 4 or Street Fighter 2.

 

[Greekboy]

 

[Lord Error]

If low-res 2d makes the cut then why not low-res 3d? Nostalgic bias

Come on now. Those games have some of the best looking, most stylish 2D visuals ever made. PS1/N64 generation has some of the most attrocious and simplistic looking 3D graphics ever seen.

 

[Joe]

i was recently watching my friend re-play ocarina of time and i was literally amazed at how good the graphics still were.

 

[Blackace]

I have found the perfect woman! Someone call my father!!!

 

[gunstarhero]

Come on now. Those games have some of the best looking, most stylish 2D visuals ever made. PS1/N64 generation has some of the most attrocious and simplistic looking 3D graphics ever seen

I agree 100% - Most PS1 and N64 games look like complete ass - Zelda OoT included.

Here's one of my picks from the Genny days - Alien Soilder:

and from the TG16, Ninja Spirt:

 

[Kiriku]

ICO

 

[FnordChan]

I've always loved the look of vector graphics games, particularly color vector graphics. In a darkened room (preferably an arcade) the graphics are positively vivid and the effect is striking. These screenshots don't really do the games in question justice, but you'll get the idea:

Tempest

Star Wars

Black Widow

Space Duel

On a side note, I always loved the design of the Space Duel cabinet:

FnordChan

 

[Fifty]

My eyes!!!

Any game that isn't a PS1 3D RPG gets my vote.

 

[8bit]

Absolutely. Rez level 4 & 5 are the most enjoyable videogame experiences I've had for over 20 years. Rock is Sponge followed by FEAR is something I can't see being topped for ages.

 

[carpal]

Blah whatever NiGHTS looks like ass.

 

[Boogie9IGN]

FFVI
CT
LttP
OoT
SMB3

 

[sc0la]

I agree with Yoshi's Island

 

[bobbyconover]

I've always loved the look of vector graphics games, particularly color vector graphics. In a darkened room (preferably an arcade) the graphics are positively vivid and the effect is striking.

I couldn't agree more. I only own one vector game, Tempest, and occasionally people come over who have never played it (or any vector game - yes, sadly, these people exist). They're always struck by how vibrant and beautiful it is, and can't believe they missed vector the games the first time around.

It's possible to do some pretty awesome stuff on a traditional raster display, but these are some of the few games ever made (ahem.. Time Traveler :\) that actually used their own totally unique display method. You just can't beat the sight of an ultra-bright Asteroids bullet blazing across the screen, leaving a faint trail in its wake.

As for games that use standard monitors, I've always loved anything that uses flat-shaded polygons. From I Robot to Stun Runner all the way up to newish stuff like Internal Section, flat-shading always looks stylish and usually lends itself to a quick frame rate, both of which are crucial factors that help a game to hold up over time.

 

[Red Dolphin]

Donkey Kong Country is still gorgeous today

Screw the haters. DKC2 and 3 are pretty good too but I love DKC level themes the best.

 

[T-1000_Model3]

Somebody get some Jet Force Gemni shots up here. That game was one of the best looking games in the 32/64 bit era.

 

[doncale]

 

[kitchenmotors]

I have found the perfect woman! Someone call my father!!!

That's a man, baby, yeah!

 

[MaddenNFL64]

That's a man, baby, yeah!

:O

 

[teepo]

jet set radio future
rez
final fantasy tactics
chrono trigger
zeldaot
mgs
zelda wind waker
mario sunshine
etc etc etc

 

[Vgamer]

Streets of Rage 2!

 

[jenov4]

Secret of Mana
Legend of Mana

Generally the stuff Square does, and oh yeah ICO.

 

[jett]

Captures aren't the best, but ah well:

SaGa Frontier II.

EASILY the best looking game Square has made(and probably will ever make). Too bad the battle system is a broken, confusing piece of shit.

 

[Badabing]

QUAKE 1

COMMAND AND CONQUER: RED ALERT 2

DUKE NUKEM 3D

 

[Diomedeskun]

Saga Frontier 2 is so beautiful. It also had some clever gameplay ideas, even if it was poorly designed overall. Pity that Unlimited SaGa did not even have those graphics to redeem its atrocious gameplay.

Valkyrie Profile, Secret of Mana, and Seiken Densetsu 3 belong on here along with Yoshi's Island and Four Swords Adventure.

 

[Sinatar]

 

[Tabris]

Well there's a lot of bad games that don't look good now, but I'll talk about some of my favorites: (opposite of this thread)

I have problems with many N64 games. Not Goldeneye, that still works for me. Games like Zelda and Mario, which are fantastic games, are a bit harder on the eyes now.

Final Fantasy VII. Just the field models. So hard on the eyes. Oh, and a couple of the CG's had the "low-poly" characters.

 

[Diomedeskun]

I agree, Tabris. FF7 is the only game in the series that does not still look pleasing to my eyes.

 

[Tabris]

I agree, Tabris. FF7 is the only game in the series that does not still look pleasing to my eyes.

Well half the game still looks fantastic imo! The battle models are FFVIII quality, the backgrounds look fantastic, most of the cg's still look great. It's just those field models that absolutely kill the look for the game.

 

[Ferrio]

QUAKE 1

COMMAND AND CONQUER: RED ALERT 2

DUKE NUKEM 3D

You on crack? They look HORRIBLE nowadays.

 

[Infinitemadness]

The Original Super Mario Bros looks like a choice of art style rather than an old game. Mario's animations we're tops, the running, skidding, jumping etc.

 

[Littleberu]

I think Mario 64 is still holding up quite well.

 

[AstroLad]

 

[SpoonyBard]

Chrono Trigger
Chrono Cross
Final Fantasy 6, 8 and 9
Sonic The Hedgehog series on MegaDrive/Genesis.