• 15Dec 12

  Retroactive game reviews

  How many times have you played a new game you thought was awesome only to see that websites gave it a low score or users gave it a low score? I've personally seen this a lot but it doesn't usually bother me unless its a huge spread (exp: I give something a 9.0 and others give it a 4.0); this difference could be different expectations for the game, not liking the genre, believing the graphics to be subpar, etc. Then theres games that most of the general gaming public will view as near perfect such as FF7, The Legend of Zelda, GoldenEye, Super Mario Brothers, Mario 64, etc. This last group of games is the group I found that the issue of retroactive game reviews really appeared, where a few are using todays standards to review a game of the past.  I have seen people who just played these games and they complain about how horribly they are:  "The graphics are horrible, how could people like it", "the storyline is predictable", "the game is repetitive".  Thats true about all those facts but if you played a game like Super Mario Brothers 1,2 or 3 when it was new you didn't know storylines could be much more involved, or that graphics could be better.

  I don't think its fair to use todays standards on a game of yesteryear because almost none would qualify as a good game; it'd be like judging some of the greatest muscle cars of the 60/70's as being poor cars because the mpg was low, there was no AC in many, no stereo or some only had am/fm, no power steering. View from nowadays standpoints, they would seem dated but viewed from then, they were amazing.  This brings up my annoyance when I see a rating of 6.0 for games that you knew were awesome years ago but someone just tried it and hated it because that 'insert any console' game has horrible blocky graphics by todays standards.  I don't think there's any way to fix this issue but it does both me and I almost wish there was a rating section for "I just tried this game 10+yrs after release date" and their ratings don't affect the games overall user rating. Would you rate Citizen Kane a 1 star because you knew the ending, the resolution sucks, its in black and white the technical effects are old and its not innovative (from todays standpoints, it was then)?  No.  Hopefully you would put those into perspective when watching and rating and it should be done with videogames too.

  • Posted Dec 15, 2012 2:32 pm GMT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 8Jul 12

  The way of the future?

  I just had the opportunity to play a couple of 3d games. I wasn't expecting the awesomeness of seeing Captain EO in the early 90's but I was hoping for something more than ?oh that was neat, next?. After a friend, a family member, and I all donned the old Ray Bans, I mean 3d glasses, I turned a game on and was ready to see it meant to be a 3d game.

  

  *thats what the 3d glasses look like an our expressions when it worked.

  I did noticed that things didn't come out of the screen as much as they went into the screen. I was hoping things would jump out at me like empty shell casings, rain or debris but maybe that will happen in time but I did notice everything felt more real: chains hanging from ceiling felt real and swung when I bumped them; objects in my hand felt like they had actual length/width; it felt like you were aiming at enemies far away and not just the game giving you the false idea of distance like every FPS before; lastly, as I rounded a corner or got behind something I actually felt hidden by an object with depth/mass and not just polygons which has given me the same safety feeling as hiding behind a refrigerator box when someone's shooting at me.

  When another friend walked in the room and saw the engagement between the 3 of us and the game, it was different than other games which was usually just 3 people who barely moved while playing. He laughed as my friend's character stood and looked (while being shot at) at waves and an ocean in shear amazement (area was pretty in 2d but felt hollow); he laughed as me, who has acrophobia started breathing as if I was going into labor (think Bill Cosby skit on breathing) as I had to walk near a cliff; and laughed again as the other person was trying to dodge flying shell casings while firing a gun.

  The 3d element may seem like just a gimmick to some and though I may not agree, I can understand that. To me it has the same impact of going from just a single tv speaker or at best 2 front speakers to 5.1 (maybe more) surround sound; yes 2 speakers work and sound good but 5.1 makes you feel in the game. Not adding 3d to games now since I've played it is the same as not adding online play, motion control, 1080i HD or surround sound. I still play FF7, Red Alert, SMB1 and many other older games every now and then so a lack of 3d won't keep me from playing them nor will the lack of the other elements listed above but if I see 2 games I want and they are equal in everything but 3d capability, then even if it cost a ?little? more, thats the one I want.

  I have this saying about technology improvements that ?once you had __, you can't go back to __?; once I got cable internet I couldn't go back to dial up; once I got a dvd player I couldn't go back to VHS; once I ate a burger at In N Out its difficult to eat other burgers. I just hope that adding the capability doesn't prevent companies from making games or make it too pricy for companies to make a game.

  • Posted Jul 8, 2012 12:27 am GMT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 23Apr 10

  I hate this time of year

  It really sucks. School usually is kicking in high gear so theres a lot of us that can't come to the site much to check what games will be coming out or what opinions friends have. Other people I know also are taking advantage of the warmth that has finally made it way over here on the west coast so I don't see them online either. Lucky, everything will calm down and the buisiness will subside right before E3 for most of us.

  • Posted Apr 23, 2010 10:44 am GMT
  • Category: Opinion
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