Are there any modern indie games that actually have the limits of old 16 Bit games though? Every time I see one it is clearly doing all sorts of stuff not possible just with a pixel artstyle.
Are some still great looking old games, but they don't compare to these limit breakers.
I'm not sure that's true. The credits lists seem like they are usually longer for modern indie games. The difference is probably more in the 16-bit games having higher budgets on average.Probably because Indie pixel art games have far smaller teams compared to 16-bit games that were made back in the day.
Isn't Lufia 2's final dungeon somewhat broken?
I guess it could be fixed in a patch
Yeah, Lufia 2 is an odd choice for "polished" since it's possibly the buggiest SNES RPG ever. Awesome game even with the bugs though.
I don't know if it could take that title when Maka Maka and Hourai High exist.
Actually, I'd argue that very few indie titles utilizing pixel art today manage to look as polished as most of the best 16-bit games from the SNES/Genesis era, not the other way around.
On the other hand, the microcomputer games back then were made by teams of 1-3 people, even at major publishers and their art quality is often below what you see in indie games today.Probably because Indie pixel art games have far smaller teams compared to 16-bit games that were made back in the day.
Zombies Ate My Neighbors, easily.
Also, as mentioned, Rocket Knight Adventures.
First game that came to mind.Super Metroid, one of the most perfect games that was ever made.
Actually, I'd argue that very few indie titles utilizing pixel art today manage to look as polished as most of the best 16-bit games from the SNES/Genesis era, not the other way around.
I hope you mean Bare Knuckle 3. The US version, like Contra Hard C.O.R.P.S., had its difficulty overblown and killed its reputation.- Streets of Rage 3 (best one, if you played it you know it's true).
Yep, BK is the real deal. SEGA america butchered it :(I hope you mean Bare Knuckle 3. The US version, like Contra Hard C.O.R.P.S., had its difficulty overblown and killed its reputation.
I took the premise more as a "What games aged like fine wine?" type of thingBoy this is a weird premise for a thread. You're asking for games that were so high quality back in the day that they could pass as modern titles? That's an insult to the craftsmanship of developers back then and heavily implies that you think modern retro-inspired games are on the whole superior to those that came before them. Which is a fine opinion I suppose, but it comes off sort of poorly here.
There's a reason those games inspired some of us to take up the craft. Many of them hold up today just as well as they did back then.
Sorry, I don't agree with the central premise here at all.
I wish most pixel-art indies did look at least close to how polished the best 16-bits games looked. There is really no comparison, those games had the biggest budgets and the best talent involved, so modern indies don't even come close. There are exceptions, with something like Owlboy, but for the most part they're still playing catch-up.
played it for the first time recently and overall it's so ahead of its time. Does have issues though
Not 16-bit but Wario Land deffo has that mid-90s super polished quality and great gameplay. It's like a 16-bit game on Game Boy, and it's really sweet.
I don't work on games at all, so forgive me if I sound ignorant or ungrateful or anything, but I do think it's fair to acknowledge that QOL improvements, standard feature sets etc. are better on average now than they were back in the 80s-90s when these games were coming out. To me, that was the point of the thread, games that just nailed it and aren't wanting for any obvious upgrades that would make them easier to jump into.Boy this is a weird premise for a thread. You're asking for games that were so high quality back in the day that they could pass as modern titles? That's an insult to the craftsmanship of developers back then and heavily implies that you think modern retro-inspired games are on the whole superior to those that came before them. Which is a fine opinion I suppose, but it comes off sort of poorly here.
There's a reason those games inspired some of us to take up the craft. Many of them hold up today just as well as they did back then.
Sorry, I don't agree with the central premise here at all.
This game truly is perfection.Super Metroid, one of the most perfect games that was ever made.
I took the premise more as a "What games aged like fine wine?" type of thing
Yeah, sorry, I was being very convoluted because sleep deprived mostly. The premise was exactly that : "What are some 16 bits era games that are holding up so well one could 100% believe they've been made today with the 90s in mind" (maybe the indie word was too much)I don't work on games at all, so forgive me if I sound ignorant or ungrateful or anything, but I do think it's fair to acknowledge that QOL improvements, standard feature sets etc. are better on average now than they were back in the 80s-90s when these games were coming out. To me, that was the point of the thread, games that just nailed it and aren't wanting for any obvious upgrades that would make them easier to jump into.
i mean considering that by 1995 some people working in the industry making the pixel art for the best in class games were experienced people who had multiple high quality high budget titles it's not a surprise.Actually, I'd argue that very few indie titles utilizing pixel art today manage to look as polished as most of the best 16-bit games from the SNES/Genesis era, not the other way around.
More like it used to be an essential skill if you wanted to produce computer graphics. Those skills have been rotted out as newer techniques have completely supplanted them and today the art is basically kept alive by hobbyists.Probably because Indie pixel art games have far smaller teams compared to 16-bit games that were made back in the day.