Details make the difference

General and high profile video game topics.
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VideoGameCritic
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Details make the difference

Postby VideoGameCritic » March 28th, 2014, 11:15 pm

Gameplay is king, but sometimes it's the little details that make video games interesting.

I remember the first time I played Street Fighter II and was marveling at the scenery and background animations in the stages.  A lot of times there are subtle details that a lot of gamers won't even notice, but I am grateful to the video game programmers/artists that took the time to incorporate them anyway.  

The other day I was playing the Incredible Wizard with my friend Brent (wanted to show him the best title for the Astrocade) and we noticed that when your guy shot his gun there is a little "kick-back" animation.  The graphics are low-resolution, but we thought this little detail was very cool.

What do you think?  Have you ever noticed stuff like this?

darkrage61
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Details make the difference

Postby darkrage61 » March 29th, 2014, 3:07 am

It is nice to notice the small details paid attention in games, it does certainly make a difference, though I can't think of any specific examples at the moment. 

 


Sut1
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Details make the difference

Postby Sut1 » March 29th, 2014, 6:13 am

Absolutely agree one good example was Sonic and how he taps his feet when you leave him and how he balances on ledges if your to close to the edge. It just showed the love an attention that went into the game.
I think little touches like this show games are well developed and the creators are in love with their project.

Segatarious1
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Details make the difference

Postby Segatarious1 » March 29th, 2014, 9:01 am

Oh yes.

In the Zelda game on  Nintendoland - the game reminds you you are in a theme park, in the way the levels are deigned to 'walk through' different parts to get to other parts. And when you enter inside of the mountain cavern, suddenly the music changes, there are different acoustics in the caves, so it sounds like music being piped in. Subtle details add a lot.

LoganRuckman1
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Details make the difference

Postby LoganRuckman1 » March 29th, 2014, 2:18 pm

[QUOTE=Segatarious]Oh yes.

In the Zelda game on  Nintendoland - the game reminds you you are in a theme park, in the way the levels are deigned to 'walk through' different parts to get to other parts. And when you enter inside of the mountain cavern, suddenly the music changes, there are different acoustics in the caves, so it sounds like music being piped in. Subtle details add a lot.[/QUOTE]

http://dmrozek.websitetoolbox.com/post/overproduced-games-plaguing-the-industry-6819504

Really?



Paul1231
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Details make the difference

Postby Paul1231 » March 29th, 2014, 2:48 pm

I was always annoyed that game developers wouldn't add a few more frames of animation to the movements of the game's main character when it's the thing the player sees the most, especially in the 8-bit Era. Like on Castlevania, there are only 3 frames to the walking animation. They did the best they could with those frames, but why not add an extra few? This is yet another thing I loved about Blaster Master as a kid. In most games, when your character changes directions, it simply shows an instant mirror image of the frame you were looking at. The turning around of the tank in Blaster Master adds an extra frame, not of the halfway point of the turn, but about the 2/3 position, which completely smoothes out the motion. I used to pause the game as I turned so I could see the frame, but it's really tough because the frame is so quick. It's so quick and almost unnoticeable, but they still found it necessary to put it in there. I love that.

Verm1
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Details make the difference

Postby Verm1 » March 29th, 2014, 3:25 pm

In most (all?) fighting games, when a character is floored, they just lay flat, forever staring upward at the sky.

But in Toshinden Subaru (a.k.a Toshinden 4), characters will sit up slightly and look around.

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Details make the difference

Postby VideoGameCritic » March 29th, 2014, 11:02 pm

In the beginning of Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, you can see Donkey Kong's home island (frozen over) in the distance.  This portends future stages, just like old games (like Ghouls and Ghosts) used to do.  That's cool.

Segatarious1
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Details make the difference

Postby Segatarious1 » March 30th, 2014, 8:17 am

[QUOTE=LoganRuckman][QUOTE=Segatarious]Oh yes.

In the Zelda game on  Nintendoland - the game reminds you you are in a theme park, in the way the levels are deigned to 'walk through' different parts to get to other parts. And when you enter inside of the mountain cavern, suddenly the music changes, there are different acoustics in the caves, so it sounds like music being piped in. Subtle details add a lot.[/QUOTE]

http://dmrozek.websitetoolbox.com/post/overproduced-games-plaguing-the-industry-6819504

Really?


[/QUOTE]
Yes, really. It is a fun detail that does not detract from the game play.

When you hit a switchin Mario, they are ALWAYS instantaneous - the game world is never broken. FLip switch, game world changes, in real time.However, play Zelda Skyward Sword, especially the beginning. The game is so over scripted, you have to to talk to person A, to trigger event B, and then talk to person B, to trigger event C - over and over, linear past the edge of boredom. The game does not let you short cut. The game is constantly interrupted by long winded cut scenes., of poor quality.

Both Mario and Skyward Sword have great, compelling gameplay - the difference is, Mario never cheapens it, or fights its own game. Correctly produced games still have and should have, great attention to detail.

The Zelda game in Nintendoland, in this respect, is built as an arcade game, just as Mario games are always designed, and Zelda games USED to be made. Zelda 1, Zelda 2, NOT over produced. Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess - many examples of over production. Links Crossbow training - arcade game.

All of the games listed have great attention to detail.

Tron1
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Details make the difference

Postby Tron1 » March 30th, 2014, 12:11 pm

NBA Live 06 has in-game injuries. It's a minor thing really, but in later games they removed them and it bothered me. I want to see the players limp off the court during a game.


I also recall that the Critic mentioned that he likes to see half-time shows in a couple of his reviews. Personally I think half-time shows are a little thing that I don't care about, but I guess he does.

Oooooh I just thought of a good one. Monopoly! NES, SNES & Genesis allows up to 8 players. N64, Gamecube, GBA, Wii & Xbox 360 only allow up to 4. Only allowing up to 4 players totally sucks!     


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