Crack Pipe - The Thrill is Gone
The crack pipe has finally left the building, and the truth is I'm glad to see it go. My brief experience "owning" a PlayStation 2 was an interesting one, but I'm not at all eager to run out and replace it with my own chunk of plastic and silicon.
There were, quite simply, only so many cars I could steal (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City) before the giddiness ran dry, and I found myself running around aimlessly on the television screen while the clock on the wall ticked louder, and louder; reminding me all too well how much time was slowly sucking out of my day.
Later I was shown how to pick up a hooker, partake in her services in a grass field, and kill her to get my money back. An odd silence filled the room. The thrill, to say the least, was definitely gone.
But I decided to give it a second chance. Sensing I was probably missing out on some really great games, my wife and I checked out the PlayStation 2 rental section at Blockbuster. This will be an obvious observation for some, but to me it was a revelation of sorts - all the games were set in 3D space with carbon copy plot lines. Either you were racing a car, running around with protruding gun, or watching life-like recreations of football players spiking a ball.
Everything was so cinematic, so detailed, so complicated, so aspiring to be a virtual experience that they left me...cold.
My wife wandered over and began perusing the games herself. After turning multiple cases over and viewing the screenshots, she asked, "Don't they have anything in 2D? Something simple? I don't feel like killing anyone or racing cars." After much perusing, we finally gave up.
In reflection, there is something to be said for the immediate experience of the old-school way of gaming, which often times consisted of just a joystick, a couple of buttons, and an immediately recognizable field of play. No cheat codes, cinematic interludes with wooden wire frame characters, or overly-complex plot lines. Games that were clever, abstract, and most importantly fun - not an xtreme shot of testosterone, or a unimaginative carbon copy of reality. Which, sadly, it seems many game developers are stuck in.
Of course this viewpoint is mostly derived from reading game descriptions, viewing screenshots, and briefly assuming the role of a consumer (instead of a game developer responsible for coming up with this stuff), but I don't believe my observation is out of bounds.
And before you ask, yes, I am an old fart. So there.
Comments
nothing like good old mario on the Nintendo Entertainment System. robot-frog.com has a retro-tastic space ship shooting game. the pixelly graphics are great. you're not an old fart, you're just... um.... mature. yeah, that's it, you're mature. intellectually above all those video game things.
Posted by: robert at January 25, 2003 2:04 PM
Posted by: jeremy at January 25, 2003 2:10 PM
I don't know if you are my tiwn brother yet older. But the same thing happens to me. It is just like a crack pipe... i swear. My favorite game is Parappa the Rappa 2. You can't go wrong with that one.
Posted by: noel at January 25, 2003 2:56 PM
it's not about "old school" vs. "new kids in the block". it's simply about good games vs. bad ones.
"rez" for dreamcast and PS2 (http://www.u-ga.com/rez/) is so far my prefered game. some sort of "music-shooter" with a TRON-look-a-like graphic.
i was just playing this afternoon "pikmin" for the gamecube. another masterpiece from shigeru "super mario" miyamoto. it's 3D (-buzzzzzz-), it's a real-time-strategy-game (-buzzzzzzzz-), but it's incredible cute with a relaxing theme and very intuitive controls.
there are good games out there. but you have to search for them. like for good websites, good movies, good music etc...
Posted by: dogfood at January 25, 2003 3:00 PM
Perhaps its my perception, or historical bias, but there seems to be a lot more interesting, creative titles for the GameCube than XBox or PlayStation 2.
Posted by: Todd Dominey at January 25, 2003 3:04 PM
You said it. Old fart indeed. But still. I see your point.
Next time on the crack pipe, be sure to check out ico. Truly original, a great story, amazing graphics and the fact that there is no life bar or anything similar in sight makes it the most compelling game experience I've had since Zelda 64. A cinematic and detailed virtual experience to be sure, but in all the good ways. There is still hope.
Review here:
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/164/164833p1.html
Posted by: Jesper at January 25, 2003 4:14 PM
There are definately more interesting titles for Gamecube, but there is nothing like playing multiplayer Halo with four Xbox consoles linked and twelve people trying to capture the flag.
Posted by: Greg Storey at January 25, 2003 5:03 PM
I'd second ico, it really is fabulous, quite an emotional experience.
Posted by: jamie at January 25, 2003 5:27 PM
One of my favorite games of tha tlast ten years was LucasArts' Grim Fandango. It was nice to watch the game unfold since it was so rich and full of interesting cahracters, sub-plots, and the graphics are pretty good too.
I wish they'd make a sequel of that one.
Posted by: Grubi at January 25, 2003 5:36 PM
vice city rocks!
Posted by: scott at January 25, 2003 5:47 PM
pikmin. i bought it shortly after it came out, and at first glance, wrote it off as a game for my wife.
after about a week, i picked it up to give it the obligatory second chance. and i was hooked.
pikmin is so deceptively simple in its controls and storyline, but builds on itself so that it appeals to young and old alike. it's not ultra-competitive, it's not a stress-filled headache (though watching the little pikmin writhe while they drown can be stressful.)
it's just a Good Game. and it's what miyamoto does so well. can't wait to see the new zelda...
Posted by: Braz at January 25, 2003 9:34 PM
I'm an old fart, too ;-) and I actually _own_ a PlayStation 2. Besides watching DVD's on it, I also _play_ on the thing, and I love it! I can't wait to get my hands on Lara Croft ;-) The Angel of Darkness. I have just played Medal of Honor: Frontline. Whoa! Extremely like being there, in WW2, and this sad music accompanying the meaningless slaughter... think Saving Private Ryan.
My twelve year old son has just bought Red Faction 2, but is much more interested in skating on the internet with Tony Hawk Proskater 4. :-)
So - well, you didn't go all the way. Next time, let a twelve year old guide you through the store. :-)
Have a nice day
- David from Denmark
Posted by: David Blangstrup at January 26, 2003 11:09 AM
Oh, I've just looked at your picture. Seems like age has nothing to do with being an old fart. How old are you? I'm fifty :-D
- David from Denmark
Posted by: David Blangstrup at January 26, 2003 11:14 AM
Well I bought an Xbox for the Sega games. Try playing Jet Set Radio Future or Panzer Dragoon Orta. Sega GT and Gunvalkyrie are good too. I also like SSX Tricky, probably a little TOO much... And of course many good times with Halo.
Posted by: brian at January 26, 2003 12:55 PM
As others have said, it's all about the Gamecube for interesting and innovative games. Animal Crossing, for example. Impossible to explain, but seems to me to fit what you're looking for.
Posted by: Jon at January 26, 2003 1:03 PM
I've always been a big fan of humongous role playing games like the Final Fantasy series and more recently the Baldur's Gate games for the PC. I just wish that more of these types of games were released with truly great storylines, because what it ultimately comes down to is the storyline.
Posted by: kerruptedone at January 26, 2003 5:02 PM
if you ever happen to have a ps2 to play around with again, rent ico. your faith will be renewed. i wrote a little review here:
http://www.shacknews.com/reviews/review.x?p=ps2&r=1&gid=124&id=522&game_name=ICO
Posted by: pup at January 26, 2003 5:51 PM
Old school? Hell yeah! I started on the Atari 2600, was wowed by Caleco Vision, moved on to the Nintendo.... From the newer stuff I've seen the majority try to get you to buy simply on the WOW factor of graphics and how the detailed blood squirts out. However the games get boring fast. So far the best thing i've found with my GameCube is Super Monkey Ball. Ahhhh, no blood and addictive as hell.
Posted by: Chris at January 26, 2003 8:31 PM
I have to heartily put in a 4th recommendation for Ico and 2nd on Rez. And if you like Saturday morning cartoons, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus will rock your world while being relatively non-violent at the same time. I spent most of last year playing the original Dark Cloud (100 hrs game time) which you can pick up cheap nowadays, and having tried the demo that came with Official PlayStation Magazine this month, I'm definitely picking up Dark Cloud 2. The new cel-shaded graphics are, in a word, stunning. I kinda like the idea of the exact-copy-of-central-London in The Getaway but I'm not that interested in the violence...why can't they take that same London city and, um, make you a paparazzo for the Sun or something, charged with snapping celebs around town??
Posted by: AJ Kandy at January 27, 2003 9:45 AM
I agree with you that most PS2/Xbox games are a little drab. When the Xbox first came out, I was all about it, since its specs were so kick ass and the screen shots I'd seen looked amazing! When my lil' brotha got himself one, I was... disapointed, to say the least. I wanted something to 'get my mind off work' so I ended up picking up a platinum GameCube in December and I love it! I can play Mario Sunshine and ~just have fun~. And Eternal Darkness scares the poop outta me! ... Oh, and Metroid Prime... *drools*
Posted by: Dan Sauvé at January 27, 2003 10:39 AM
Like finding a good book or a good movie, you have to sift through the formula products to find the gems.
Posted by: Boz at January 27, 2003 10:41 AM
I have to also suggest you try ICO. It will restore you faith in game design as art. The graphics are beautiful....like a watercolor more than the harsh polygons of most games. No interface, no health bar, no power-ups. Just you and the story. A very emotional game.
Excellent.
Posted by: JZ at January 27, 2003 1:57 PM
"morons think grapics are what make a game fun."
Posted by: Dot at January 28, 2003 1:07 PM
All I have to say is Scorched Earth is the mother of all games.
Posted by: Rich at April 4, 2003 4:16 PM
