Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Floyd Mayweather’s annihilation of Shane Mosley, what the hell happened to Rasheed Wallace, or your best wishes for Bret Michaels, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
Games get better all the time. Development techniques improve. Gameplay styles evolve. Consoles and PCs become more powerful, which allow them to be potentially more immersive. Despite all of these factors, there are things I miss about the good old days of gaming. Perhaps it’s the primitive charm of classic games or maybe I like how old games required me to imagine or maybe it’s simply nostalgia, but there are many things I miss about the classics.
The dying (perhaps dead?) gameplay convention I miss the most is turn-based combat in RPGs. I totally understand why RPGs have moved towards real-time combat — it’s more appealing to a broader audience. I get it…but I don’t like it. I loved the combat in Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy IV/V/VI. The epic turn-based battles in titles like Final Fantasy Tactics, Ogre Battle, and Disgaea are some of my fondest gaming memories of all time. Sadly, that gameplay style is on the endangered species list.
Today I wanted to ask you about aspects of classic gaming you miss the most. What conventions and gameplay styles get you teary eyed? Perhaps there’s a storytelling technique you miss. Leave a comment and let me know (please)!
I miss back in the N64 and PS2 days, where every other game had some form of Co-Op or splitscreen multiplayer. Co-Op is the main think I miss. Games like Fighting Force, Gauntlet Legends, and Champions. Living in the Suburbs I've got alot of friends living only like 2 or 3 minutes away. Its seems now its easier for us just to stay at separate houses to play, instead of just heading over to some ones house. The games that do offer Co-op either mostly offer it over online or a half ass version of it to play with.
The thing I miss the most about classic games are the load times! No no no what I remember from my childhood was that every game gave the option to name your character and I do miss that. Granted that most games have speech in them now and that makes it more than difficult, but, can't a brother just imagine…Big Blak Fisher in the latest Splinter Cell sounds pretty cool to me.
Nerd humor is dying in games. I miss the cheesy nerd references that used to be in most of our games. Now games are either trying to hard to be serious 24/7 or have lame pop culture humor. (Bad Co has the best humor this gen)
I miss Variety. Racing games are all real racing or combat racing. Wheres the top down view of sport nitro trucks wheres RcProAm? Upgrading without hours of customizing.
I agree with Arguello. I miss real Co-Op. Some Double Dragon action. Even a Co-Op FPS like Halo.
Also humor is way gone. Earthworm Jim used to crack me up. Leave him standing too long and he uses his body to jump rope. One boss fight was breaking a fish bowl. Also comedy in stuff like Toe Jam and Earl.
I started playing games because they were fun and very far from reality, but now days they are trying to make it more and more real, so then where is the ability to escape?
I miss the time I used to have for games when I was younger. Sometimes it is pretty hard for me to carve out some time.
I miss how games were more reliant on gameplay as opposed to eye candy or forced upon game mechanics because one particular title sold a boatload. (looking at you Co-op mode; RE5)
@Ray
Wasn't Earthworm Jim supposed to be out by Christmas 2009?? What happened to it? I hope it isn't canned.
Wow. I didn't really think that I did miss anything from older games until I read all of these posts. Now I'm sad because I miss all of those things, too!
Way to bum me out on my already craptacular Monday, guys.
-M
@smartguy Totally forgot about that one. I'll dig around.
I miss the secret button combinations to get infinite lives or continues.
@Iceman
The humor is still there in some games. Halo 3 has a section in one of the levels where the guys at Rooster Teeth made a couple of skits you can listen to. Also, I'm up for some co-op ODST. I need all of the co-op achievements.
@ Sandrock;
I just started playing last night.. er, early this morning actually. I played for about two hours and did the first two "levels". I also played it with the volume all the way down since my wife was sleeping and I didn't want to wake her, so I couldn't follow the story at all. I'll try to get on tonight or sometime this week after I get out of work. If you see me online, just hit me up. I'm usually down for anything. I started playing ODST for the Reach Beta, which I am really curious about. I want to see how a jetpack will change the multiplayer dynamics.
-M
@Everyone
Speaking of things we miss: Do they still make Mustard Flavored Pretzels? Not Honey mustard just plain old mustard. I haven't seen them in years. Honestly don't know why I thought of them though.
@Ray
Did you see the Blackberry Tablet rumor? Seems kinda fake but interesting to say the least.
http://www.bbleaks.com/2010/05/blackberry-tablet-…
@SlickyFats Yeah, I'm not sure about this one. The first thing RIM has to do is modernize its painfully outdated OS. Also, the company's bread and butter is enterprise. Tablets are a consumer product.
@Ray
Yeah I was thinking a complete revamp of the OS would be a necessity. I couldn't image any of the current OSs being useful or productive. I do however think that if anyone could push tablets into the enterprise market it would be RIM. I don't actually know how it would be useful but I am sure someone far more creative than me could market it as something.
@n8r
(when you get here)
awhile back you told me that if i ever got a chance to talk to mike bishop to tell him that he was a huge influence on you
tell him yourself dude
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=6199508…
SC2 RELEASE DATE CONFIRMED BY BLIZZARD!!!!
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/splash-sc2date.htm
What ever happened to letting you save your games manually. Auto save is nice, but prevents you from making backup saves. (Very important considering games can break/glitch and ruin your games experience because the glitch is now stuck in your save file with no way to load an older save file before the glitch. >_> Looking at you Fable 2)
@Sandrock
Oh yeah! that's a good one. I forgot all about that one.
Metal Gear: Peacewalker, might be available on PSN. I would get if it this is true. I don't have a PSP.
http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/215049/want-t…
@ Sandrock
I got stuck like that in Ninja Gaiden 2, I think it took me about 2 weeks to realize that I had to start over.
@Tokz
Yep its true. I got it last week…or at least I got the Demo. Its called Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker Demo Ops. I haven't had a chance to play it yet though. I'll fire it up at lunch and let ya know.
@slicky
oh i know the demo is out but i think GamePro is hinting that the full game may actually come to the PSN and the PSP, maybe not same day.
Hey i'm not sure who was asking for X-men on dvd's but i think i found them and according to the description of some of the episodes it is the Mid 90s cartoon.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Marvel+Comic+Book+Col…
Was reading Tokz's link and I just found out (from the comments section) that I can play Resistance: Retribution (PSP) with my PS3 controller. Also if I plug in my PSP and put in Resistance 2 I get new gameplay modes. I should really stay more on top of this stuff. But I feel like I just got new games now.
Addition to comment #22
when i mean it's coming to the PSN, i'm meaning so you can also play it on your PS3 as well not just PSP.
Is Ray ok? By the time he posts something we will have to call it Booze Talk.
AND Rasheed 17 points last night!!!
@Big Blak
I'm sure he's okay, he's probably at the doctor's or working on something.
@rpad
Geoff Johns will be signing GL: Rebirth in L.A. on saturday.
@Big Blak I'm fine. :P Worked late on another project last night. And it's still coffee time out here!
@ Ray
LMAO thats right time zones do exist!