True. However back when these games were state of the art, you somehow were able to imagine the graphics to be better than what was actually on screen. At least that’s how it felt to me (played my first games in the early 90s).
Well, I grew up with my first games being in the early 90s, and I’d argue the majority of that era still stand up visually today. Look at Sonic 3, Secret of Mana, Outrun, Turtles in Time, etc. They all still look fantastic. Even many NES and Master System titles still hold up today like Super Mario Bros 3 and Kirby’s Adventure.
It was earlier, the Atari 2600 era to be exact, that needed an imagination…
Good examples. In general the earlier 3D games aged particularly poorly. Not only graphically but also when it comes to controls. I think around 2000 things get better, though.
Yeah, it’s why I run everything up to the N64 on real hardware or my MiSTer FPGA/analogue pocket, then everything N64 and above I prefer emulation for the sheer benefit of upscaling, 60fps mods and texture packs in addition to visual accuracy if needed (Mupen64 with the ParaLLeL video core in native resolution with a good shader is as good in my eyes as my old UltraHDMI modded Nintendo 64 was).
Of course, although in the 90s there were also some that stood out in terms of graphics and soundtrack 10 years ahead of the rest, like MDK, a real gem.
Now you can play it for free, right in your browser
I bought MDK two years after release for 10€ because the screenshots on the box looked pretty but I was super disappointed once I saw it in motion on my PC… Back in these days game graphics got better so quick, that a (originally super pretty) two year old game looked bad on my PC.
Most retro games
“Screenshots taken from various formats”
As a ZX Spectrum owner that phrase is still traumatising.
True. However back when these games were state of the art, you somehow were able to imagine the graphics to be better than what was actually on screen. At least that’s how it felt to me (played my first games in the early 90s).
Well, I grew up with my first games being in the early 90s, and I’d argue the majority of that era still stand up visually today. Look at Sonic 3, Secret of Mana, Outrun, Turtles in Time, etc. They all still look fantastic. Even many NES and Master System titles still hold up today like Super Mario Bros 3 and Kirby’s Adventure.
It was earlier, the Atari 2600 era to be exact, that needed an imagination…
Good examples. In general the earlier 3D games aged particularly poorly. Not only graphically but also when it comes to controls. I think around 2000 things get better, though.
Yeah, it’s why I run everything up to the N64 on real hardware or my MiSTer FPGA/analogue pocket, then everything N64 and above I prefer emulation for the sheer benefit of upscaling, 60fps mods and texture packs in addition to visual accuracy if needed (Mupen64 with the ParaLLeL video core in native resolution with a good shader is as good in my eyes as my old UltraHDMI modded Nintendo 64 was).
Of course, although in the 90s there were also some that stood out in terms of graphics and soundtrack 10 years ahead of the rest, like MDK, a real gem. Now you can play it for free, right in your browser
https://playclassic.games/games/action-dos-games-online/play-mdk-online/play ( it loads DOS Box)
or download it from GOG or Steam for Windows (€9.99)
https://www.gog.com/game/mdk
https://store.steampowered.com/app/38450/MDK/
I bought MDK two years after release for 10€ because the screenshots on the box looked pretty but I was super disappointed once I saw it in motion on my PC… Back in these days game graphics got better so quick, that a (originally super pretty) two year old game looked bad on my PC.