On Arty 2D Platformers

[GodKlown]

As part of the Nintendo generation, it is only in hindsight that I even think about how many games on the NES were platformers. Holy hell in a handbag there was a glut of those damned things. I sucked at most of them back then, and still suck at them now, only now we have FPP to worry about when back then all we had for that was Contra, and even that was a limited experience.

The retro movement in online and arcade games is a curious thing to me. Those of us who grew up with them as they developed have gotten used to the change in the landscape, and it is sometimes nice to have a return to the "old-school" format (damn I guess that DOES make me old) with different twists on old favorites. Injecting an artsy style into these familiar themes does seem a little snobbish, as if putting a new visual style is going to fool anyone from the fact that your game is just a different take on the Castlevania style. You can repaint a Ford Pinto, put Euro headlights and an underglow kit and air-brush a unicorn on the side, but it's still the same game we grew up with, only the games don't explode in a rear-end crash... or did they?

I don't get down with the arcade games much, but I do play my share of flash games based around the same old formula. I sometimes appreciate the 8-bit look, not so much the old midi music that used to go with it. Thank crap for the option to shut off the music, and too bad we didn't have that in the old days. I'm sure there have been plenty of remakes on the various Gameboys and DS incarnations through time, and I know it would take entirely too much time to actually review them all for this article, but I can appreciate the modern look Yahtzee has taken on these games. Good as always.

 

[Plauged1]

Another "childhood innocence lost" game that I can think of is Heart of Darkness, where you play a boy who is running through a world that is, quite literally, trying to kill him while he quests to save his dog (his only friend) from the darkness and its evil.

I remember that game. I think the whole loss of innocence portrayal in that one is the fact that its a mostly trial and error game, and youll most certainly have a horrific death from time to time. So horrific that it makes you hope a ten year old boy doesnt have to go through something like that. I saw a vid on youtube that was a whole minute long of grotesque deaths from heart of darkness, that brought back alot of memories....of frustration.

 

[Mangue Surfer]

Did he say platforming doesn't translate well to 3D movement? What about the team ICO games? Or Assassin's Creed?

I never played ICO but, in Assassin's Creed the platforming works like this: hold a button, press forward and the game does the rest for you. I don't know if the automation counts as a good translation.

I know there're good 3D platforming games like Prince of Persia but, even then, some times the prospect doesn't help.

 

[Unesh52]

Did he say platforming doesn't translate well to 3D movement? What about the team ICO games? Or Assassin's Creed?

I never played ICO but, in Assassin's Creed the platforming works like this: hold a button, press forward and the game does the rest for you. I don't know if the automation counts as a good translation.

I know there're good 3D platforming games like Prince of Persia but, even then, some times the prospect doesn't help.

I don't know, most 2D platformers are limited to 2 button controls. Jump and "interact." The latter may be interpreted many ways, from picking stuff up to talking to NPCs to operating a weapon, but I'd say it rarely contributes to the platforming itself except to "activate switch," with the occasional exception, like LBP's grab button (it's 2D enough! ). The simplicity of AC's control scheme doesn't disqualify it from being classified as a platformer. In fact, by the two button standard, it's very complex.

Also, I don't understand your last statement. What prospect doesn't help what?

However, I oppose the first thing you said, just as I opposed it when Yahtzee said (or I thought he said) it. Platforming works in 3D, even if it's different from it's 2D forefathers. I just wish there were more games like Prince of Persia around.

Well, this was more of a "mental shortcut" then a firm opinion. Sure, platforming can work in 3D - for example early Tomb Raiders had very platformy fill, almost like Prince of Persia. Speaking of which - Sands of Time. My point is that 3D platformers are very different beasts from 2D ones, to the point of being a virtually separate genre.

Alright, I can accept that.

 

[PurpleSky]

The article was good but it lacked a conclusion.

 

[Tinneh]

I cannot say I have ever really enjoyed 2 d platformers...mostly because I am just not that good at timing things out. I never owned a nintendo.

Now a 2d flightsim....j/k

Here you go. [http://store.steampowered.com/app/41300/]

I liked the article, Mr. Croshaw, but you should have taken a look at I Wanna Be the Guy!, sure it's not artsy, but it's fun!

 

[Katana314]

I played about halfway through Cave Story. Pretty quickly, the depressing nature of it got to me, especially when a few glances at an online guide revealed that I probably wasn't going to get the good ending. The reasoning? For all things, DECIDING TO TALK TO A CERTAIN NPC AS YOU PASS HIM BY.
It came to the point when so many characters had been killed off, I decided that "saving the world" was a failed task, and so I left the game. Killing the cared-about characters is a good way of giving emotional drive, but when there's not many positives left, there's not much drive left.

 

[NeoShinGundam]

I think "a battalion of gibbons going to war against the 80's synth-pop artists" would make a FANTASTIC music-video! Or at least an entertaining episode of Celebrity Death-match.

 

[beema]

good stuff

bobby's world

 

[Lord_Seth]

I can't believe Yahtzee didn't mention Eversion.

 

[SiskoBlue]

I remember playing Jax & Dexter? And that was definitely a 3D platformer, and not a bad one. Kept a lot of the same elements as 2D platformer. My all time favourite was FLASHBACK, not that was really like most platformers but I'm still really impressed how many ideas they managed to squeeze into that game. Shame the sequel FADE TO BLACK as a launch title for PS1 was so poor.

 

[carpathic]

I cannot say I have ever really enjoyed 2 d platformers...mostly because I am just not that good at timing things out. I never owned a nintendo.

Now a 2d flightsim....j/k

Here you go. [http://store.steampowered.com/app/41300/]

I liked the article, Mr. Croshaw, but you should have taken a look at I Wanna Be the Guy!, sure it's not artsy, but it's fun!

Thanks, that actually looks pretty awesome!

 

[Optimus Hagrid]

I can't believe Yahtzee didn't mention Eversion.

Yeah, I was expecting him to mention Eversion as well, it fits the 'arty 2D platformer' bill perfectly.

SCREE!

 

[Dhatz]

all cultures that evolve into civilisations based on leisure time activities and spending money are destined to failure, it happened to all but China(and it looks chinas's the next in less than century) and eventually no old empire can last. Euroamerican civilisation cannot sustain itself in the existing format for another century without either transfornig into some new society(I said this just cause I'm optimist) or vanishing like Roman empire.

 

[ImpostorZim]

Yep, there's definitely nothing more appealing than a fun 2D platformer. Doesn't matter how many years pass, I can still go back and play Super Mario World or Sonic.

 

[Mangue Surfer]

Did he say platforming doesn't translate well to 3D movement? What about the team ICO games? Or Assassin's Creed?

I never played ICO but, in Assassin's Creed the platforming works like this: hold a button, press forward and the game does the rest for you. I don't know if the automation counts as a good translation.

I know there're good 3D platforming games like Prince of Persia but, even then, some times the prospect doesn't help.

I don't know, most 2D platformers are limited to 2 button controls. Jump and "interact." The latter may be interpreted many ways, from picking stuff up to talking to NPCs to operating a weapon, but I'd say it rarely contributes to the platforming itself except to "activate switch," with the occasional exception, like LBP's grab button (it's 2D enough! ). The simplicity of AC's control scheme doesn't disqualify it from being classified as a platformer. In fact, by the two button standard, it's very complex.

Also, I don't understand your last statement. What prospect doesn't help what?

The sonic's game in the Genesis era had only one function. Still you have a lot of timing and precise jumps. I'm not saying a game needs it to be good. I just saying this is the "vision" many have of plataformers and the introtuction of the third dimension make part of this lost in translation. Even in the most successful 3D plataformers. What you call plataforming parts in Assassins Creed a lot of people prefer call, parkour parts. Basically because doesn't feel like the other games we used to call plataformers.

 

[ZetaAnime]

Ah the 2D platformer games will always be fun for anyone unless we gain knowledge on virtual reality. But most classics were platformers that the gamer generation grew up with like sonic or mario or metal slug. There fun, easy to make, and usually are long enough for you not to get bored after bea.ting it with in a hour. 2D platformer games will remain classic through time.
TIMBAP_AJR

 

[Reveras]

My first ever platformers ....hmm ....Dave, Prehistoric 2, those were the days! Pre 2 at least still infuriates me to this day for the obnoxious secret stashes which made u hammer the ground every 2 steps like you were a mentally challenged 5 year old with teritorial issues.