Poor graphics, great gameplay? Reccomendations *here*

[chimp_spanner]

Okay so, am I the only person who's a little tired of bump mapped motion blurred lens flaired tech demos pretending to be games? 2D (or otherwise visually underwhelming) gaming is still alive and well, and some of it packs some fantastic gameplay. So how about we (re)discover some oldies, and newies, that laugh in the face of superior next gen power, and are just good fun?! I'll get the ball rolling with one I found only the other day.

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/

Escape Velocity: Nova. IMO, a superb top-down-ish space based RPG in the spirit of Elite, that sees you starting as a small time interplanetary trader working your way up to intergalactic gazillionairre, tyrant, dictator, maybe even a pirate! It's already stolen a good day or so of my life.

Any platform, any era, any genre. Go!



Sorry if this is a shít idea for a thread lol I rarely start them.

[bwbw]

The Commander Keen series was absolutely class. My favourates were number 4 and 5.

http://www.classicdosgames.com/platform.html

Also on that website are Duke Nukem and Crystal Caves(I), both quality games.

Two others that deserve a mention are Captain Comic and also Grand Prix Circuit, the original racing game.

[chimp_spanner]

Good call on the Duke :) Multiplayer on the Stadium sure was alot of fun. Haven't tried Crystal Cave though, will check it out.

[bwbw]

Was actually talking about the original Duke - the 2D version! 3D graphics has no place in this thread! :lol:

[Kif]

Lemmings is probably one of the most addicting, frustrating and graphically inept games I've played. It's just a perfect example of how to make a puzzle game.

[unComfortablyNumb]

Mega Man series

[Peg Dizzler]

I think I actually prefer 2d games over 3d. Some of my favorites were Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (SNES, Genesis, PC--side scroller with awesome gameplay, great animation to boot), Shining Force I and II (Genesis--RPG with strategy elements in battles, pretty much what FF Tactics ripped off), and Beyond Oasis (Genesis--almost just like the old Zeldas, but shi, it was addicting).

[EinzingerIsGod]

I grew up on Commander Keen 4, Cosmo, and Duke (ep. 3?).

As well as Doom of course.

[Pastorius]

What was that weird game where you had to save your fellow slaves? Your mouth was sewn shut.

Abe something or something like that. It was absolutely brilliant.

EDIT: Abe's Exodus and Abe's Oddysee! That was it.

[Let's Chop Cats!]

Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure
Shaddow Warrior
Wolfenstein
Hocus Pocus

Basically any game by id or 3dRealms back in the 90s.

[PutsTheFunInFuneral]

What about the Monkey Island series? They were my favorite back in the day. Also check out the game Street Rod for a great (dos) racing game.

[run don't walk]

The originall Doom games had poor graphics, but they were fun.

[Who's the Boss?]

derrrr poor graphics = poor game

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to playing Doom 3 which is very fun and not repetitive and boring at all

[Amit]

Hey cool! A beautifully rendered and perfectly shadowed dark hallway which looks nothing like all the other beautifully rendered and perfectly shadowed dark hallways!

[+3kk!]

fallout 1,2
baldurs gate 1,2
star wars jedi knight (one of the best fps ever, yet seriously underrated)

[burning star IV]

Earthbound ftw.

[AmericanWeiner]

dude mario

[BurningSky]

Chrono Trigger is still one of the best games ever made...

[mightygod]

Pong

[DanD]

Mario series
Chrono Trigger
Earthbound
Rock n Roll Racers \m/

[Who's the Boss?]

:thumb: Hey cool! A beautifully rendered and perfectly shadowed dark hallway which looks nothing like all the other beautifully rendered and perfectly shadowed dark hallways!

This man understands what a game is all about. Beautifully rendered hallways. :thumb:

Blood was a sweet game, I wish they'd remake it with beautifully rendered, perfectly shaded hallways so I could enjoy it again.

My general rule of gaming is that if a game doesn't require me to buy a new video card, it's not worth my time.

[+3kk!]

system shock 1,2
c&c, c&c : red alert
war craft 2
tetris

[See you auntie!]

Contra 3 is all you'll ever need.

[E sharp]

Homeworld 1/2

The second game might be abit demanding but its worth it

[chimp_spanner]

I still play HW2 :) The graphics aren't really that bad though. If anything I'd say the gameplay is a little shallow at times. Granted, it's one of the few Space based RTS games I know of to fully embrace the dynamics of a 3D battlefield, and there's still a semi-active mod community. But I'm still after a really in depth space RTS with a big range of squad comands, power controls for ships, yadayada.

Like Nexus.

But good.

Joke.......kinda.

[Puppet Lizards_Frontman]

What's everyone's problems with graphics? I don't know about anyone else, but I found that on the PS2, my current console of choice, all of the best games on it also have the best graphics. Jak and Daxter, God of War, Devil May Cry, Gran Turismo 4 and dozens more...now I'm not saying that I value graphics over gameplay, but in my experience when a develloper puts enough effort into their game they also put massive amounts of effort into the graphics as well just to give it that extra charm. And all these old games that people are mentionning, in their time, they had amazing graphics too, and got praised for it just the same as devellopers get praised today.

[Master Arkam Kannon]

None of the games listed have bad graphics, they just came out a while ago. That's like saying is pink floyd good even though they dont use computers to clean their music up a bit.

[Incognito]

Rock n Roll Racers \m/

YES, I love that game!...cept it's called "Rock n' roll racing"

[bradc1988]

Anyone ever play Zoombinis or something? I remember playing it in primary school with Lemmings and I think I liked it...I can't remember. I'll have to download it one time.

[Jon]

Skistunt Simulator

[Kif]

Galaga deserves a mention up there as well. I love that game.

Oh and Alleyway for the original Game Boy

[Mr. Ron]

Xenogears. You will not be disappointed.

[team_racket]

fallout 1,2
baldurs gate 1,2
star wars jedi knight (one of the best fps ever, yet seriously underrated)


good call on the jedi knight series. i used to love mysteries of the sith and dark forces 2.

for 2d fun also try wario ware and astroboy/gunstar heroes (anything by treasure basically) annnndd super probotector.

[chimp_spanner]

Wasn't Dark Forces like...one of the first games to allow you to look up and down? And also had rooms above rooms? I can't remember exactly but it seemed so much more complex than other shooters out at the same time.

Wario Ware is awesome. Friend of mine got it on the DS. Between that, and Advance Wars: Dual Strike, I can happily kiss a whole day goodbye!

[(*The Noonward Race*)]

Governments lie.

[team_racket]

Wasn't Dark Forces like...one of the first games to allow you to look up and down? And also had rooms above rooms? I can't remember exactly but it seemed so much more complex than other shooters out at the same time.

Wario Ware is awesome. Friend of mine got it on the DS. Between that, and Advance Wars: Dual Strike, I can happily kiss a whole day goodbye!

dark forces was impressive for the time, but i bought it a few years after release. first shooter i ever played on my first pc. happy days.

imo ds is probably best console available with 2d gems like advance wars and warioware. classics :thumb:

[Who's the Boss?]

None of the games listed have bad graphics, they just came out a while ago. That's like saying is pink floyd good even though they dont use computers to clean their music up a bit.

no.

[HazMan]

It depends how you define poor graphics.

To me the fact that graphics are 8 bit and old school doesn't mean they are bad. There is a certain charm to pixel art that is lacking in 3D. Graphics are bad simply if they look horrible and affect the gameplay through lack of clarity and ****ty camera angles.

Zelda - A Link To The Past on the Super NES is one of the most addictive games i have ever played despite the lack of latest technologies.