I don't know what is happening to me!

[zektor]

As most of you good folks know, I have started collecting the N64. Now, I bought the machine when it first came out (I pre-ordered it with Toys R US) and initially bought Mario 64, Waverace, and Pilot Wings. Mario 64 of course got all my attention, Waverace a close second, and I really never got into Pilot Wings. Soon after, I bought the Z64 backup unit and started pirating (I know..I am evil) roms and playing them through the unit and N64. But the thing is, I didn't REALLY play them. I would kind of test them, play them for a few minutes, and go ahead and try another rom. Well, time has passed, and I long sold the Z64 and my original N64 and games. I started thinking about the system about a month or so ago and went ahead and purchased one with 5 games on ebay. Then I found some great deals at a few blockbusters for some rentals. Now I am basically discovering the games that I never played. But what is so much more amazing is this. I have never been a fan of 3D gaming. All of my gaming from childhood up to now has been 2D. I don't know what it was that made me not want 3D. A ton of thoughts. But, now after playing quite a few N64 games (I'm up to 32 now) I am realizing just playing the games that they come so natural to me! I have no problems at all with the majority of them. Control wise most of the titles I am playing are right there, and I really feel "into" the game. I will always love my classic 2D games, but after experiencing some of these great 3d titles I will never knock 3D again :)

[NvrMore]

*slap* Yes you will, you're on a retro-gaming message board damnit, you must hate the third dimension.. tis' eeeevil

*ahem* seriously though, there's nothing wrong with 3D per say, indeed if it's done right 3D games can be incredible. The problems with 3D games generally come about as a result of other gaming aspects and inventiveness/originality being sacrificed for the sake of making the game 3D, or in the worse cases games being made and sold simply on the premise of their being 3D and the 3D based aspects about them with little regard for gameplay and actual fun.

Glad you're finally getting real use of the N64 though, have fun.

[Eternal Champion]

I think the 3-D phobia tends to go a bit far...I think the reverse also applies: 2-D = automatic quality? I think it's fair to say NO IT DOES NOT. Of course 3-D is the norm now, because it's marketed as sleek and modern. But, when 16-bit started, it wasn't that much different. Just because something's 16-bit as opposed to 8-bit doesn't make it a better game, just prettier graphics.
In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that the MAJORITY of games on any of the classic systems (I'm think of NES, SNES, Genesis, because they were around for so long and had gobs and gobs of games) were CRAP. The gems were few and far between. So I don't see 2-D gaming as somehow synonymous with "good". I think it's fair to say that game designers today still can make a good game, regardless of dimensions--and the N64 had a high ratio of good games, seeing as how small the library is.
I will say that I never got into Playstation because everything I saw/played was DULL and had grainy, wanna-be 3D graphics. N64 got it right. (Disclaimer: I'm a 2-D gamer--I don't have anything past SNES!)

[bargora]

I am amused, though, Eternal Champion, that your avatar (superdeformed Felicia) comes straight out of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo -- FOR THE PLAYSTATION (or saturn) !!!

Well, hell. I was a 2-D gamer (Atari 2600 and 8-bit), but then I kind of fell out of videogames, and it was 3-D computer games (Mechwarrior, X-Wing, Doom II) that really got me hooked on videogames again, and Colony Wars that made me believe in consoles again. But those were great games, and those styles of games just can't be done in 2-D. Well, they could be, but then you're playing Combat and Ikari Warriors and Galactic Attack.

Anyway, I think that the Playstation's chunky polygons and crummy textures can still make a fun game, even if they look godawful. This would be my only disagreement, if it's a disagreement at all, with what Eternal Champion is saying. And Nvrmore is right too. What he said.

I'm liking the N64 as well, having recently started playing Rogue Squadron and Doom 64 (who turned out the lights?). Good stuff.

[Eternal Champion]

OK, point taken. (I've actually never played Puzzle Fighter, I came across the sprite recently on the web, I loved Felicia years ago, thought this was cute, so there you go).

I DO think Playstation did 2-D exceptionally well--not a surprise, with its hardware, it had better be able to. It's just a shame game companies pushed 3-D as the next big thing and ignored this fact. In fact, I think Playstation was BETTER suited for 2-D--finally, we could get arcade-quality graphics and animation at home! But alas, it was not meant to be, save 2-D fighters. Mega Man and Castlevania: SotN showed how awesome 2-D games could look and play on Playstation, but what happened?

I shouldn't generalize so much...I haven't really played many Playstation games over the years. I'm just responding to its popularity and people having hysterical fits over the supposed incredible 3-D graphics...ba. I played Banjo Cablooey or whatever the fuck and I thought, compared to Mario 64, it was as dull as butter knife.

[bargora]

Actually, Mango Wahoobey came out for N64. You must be thinking about Plash Handyroot. LOL

I'm not really much for 3-D platformers, but I'm giving Conker a chance.