10 things today’s gamers wouldn’t understand - gamebasin.com

8/11/2019 10 Things Todays Gamers Wouldnt Understand - GameBasin.com

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10 Things Todays Gamers

Wouldnt Understand

http://www.gamebasin.com/news/10-things-todays-gamers-wouldnt-

understand

Asan increasinglyold and,as somewouldhave it,bitterman, Ive recentlybegun to castmy

resentfulmindbackonthemanytrialsthatafflictedthe90sgamerwhichtodaysyouthwould

doubtlessfailtograsp.Imnottalkingabouttheobvioushere:graphicshavegottenfarbetterand

wedidnthavetouchscreensonourSegaMegaDrives.Insteadthe listbelowgatherstogether

some odd things even thosewho lived at the timemay have relegated to the limits of their

subconsciousandoneyoumayneverhaveheardof (though Imcertain Ihaventmade itup).

Quirks,practicesandtechnologicallimitationsthatyourgrandchildren,dearreader,willscarcely

be able tobelieve afflicted you: the greatest generation. I couldhavementioneddemodiscs,

cheats,thesizeoftheoriginalGameBoy(above)orthefactthatweusedtopay60forgames

whichnowliveonphones.YetthetenitemsbelowaretheonesthatIthinkbestsummarisemy

experienceas

agamer

in

1990s.

10 When Fog Was Unintentional


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IffogclosedinonyounowinsomeslickUnrealEnginepoweredAAAtitle,youdnaturallyassume

itwas intentionalpartoftheatmosphereandperhapsdesignedto increasethedifficultyofa

section.However,rewindto1997toatimewhenAcclaimwasagamesindustrypublishinggiant

and youll find yourself wrapped in everpresent mist. The mist of graphical sh*ttyness. A

hallmarkofearlyN64titles,fogasbesttypifiedbyuninspired,muddytextured launchtitle

Turok:DinosaurHunter(above)wasthecolloquialtermforatechnicallimitationofthedaythat

sawsomegamessufferfromanincrediblyshortdrawdistance.Theupshotofwhichbeingthatyou

oftencouldntseetoofaraheadofwhereyouweregoing.Itshardtorememberwithanyclarity

now (much like Turoksmore recent sequels), butwe really didwander around gameworlds

endlesslygettinglost,unabletoseethenextenemyuntilhewasinyour,bynow,horriblytearful

face,withChristmaswellandtrulyruined.ThereleaseofaRAMexpansionpackfortheconsolein

1998improvedmattersforTurok2:SeedsofEvilandevenmoresofortheoutstandingStarWars:

RogueSquadronbutthefogwouldntbebanishedentirelyforseveralconsolegenerations.

9 When We All Talked In Bit

Icouldntputanexactdateonwhenthispracticestopped,butwhenIwerealaddiscussionsof

videogamegraphicswererestrictedtotalkingaboutBit.Atleastinschoolplaygrounds.Ifyou

werestuckwithaMasterSystem,thentoobadbuddy,itmaywellhaveAlexKiddbuiltin(youknow


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what Imtalkingabout),but itwassadlyan8Bitconsoleandeveryoneelsehada16BitSuper

Nintendo.Theywould thensalivateover thepromiseof the32BitSaturn (italwayshad tobe

doubled,forreasonsmoretechliteratepeoplecanprobablyexplain)untilSonycamealongand

ruined everything.After theN64 all theBit stuff seemed to stop.No one spoke of a 128Bit

Dreamcastora256BitXBox360.Andtheworldwaspoorerforit.Iforonecantwaitforthe1024

BitPlaystation4.

8 When Disney Games Were Good

Disneydonthaveacluethesedayswhenitcomestovideogames.Presentlytheyareclosinggood

consolegamedeveloperslikeBlackRock(Split/Second,Pure)andrefocusingonsocialgamesand

smartphones.YettheentirelastdecadeorsohasntyieldedtoomanygemsfromtheMouseHouse

(IlikedWarrenSpectorsEpicMickey,butitfellwellshortofexpectations).Filmcashingamesare

woefulingeneralthesedaysandDisneyhaveprovidedfewexceptionstothatrule.Butithasnt

alwaysbeenthisway,asyoullknowifyouhadaSegaMegaDriveintheearly90s.Backinthose

halycondays,someofverybestgamesweremadebyDisney.Admitedly,sayingDisneythemselves

usedtomakegoodgames ismisleadingafterallthe likesofCastleof IllusionStarringMickey

Mouse,itssequelWorldofIllusion(twoplayercoopwithDonaldDuck!),Quackshot(above)and

decentfilmtieinslikeAladdinandTheLionKingwereoftenmadeinhousebySega(orinthecase

oftheSNESAladdin,byCapcom).Theyweresomeofthebestplatformersofthedayandremain

amongthe

best

uses

of

Disney

licensing

period.

7 When Sonic And Mario Were Enemies


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ThesedaystheyaremorelikelytobepallingaroundattheOlympicGamesthancomingtoblows,

buttherewasatimewhenMariowouldhavebecomephysicallysickifyoumentionedSonicthe

Hedgehoginhispresence,sogreatwastheirmutualdisgust.Mascotsoftwogamingempiresand

nobodycrossedtheboarders.YouwereSegaoryouwereNintendooratleastthatshowitwas

forkidsintheearly90s.Thesedaystheyareforcedtosittogetherawkwardlyandposeforphotos,

likeAlexFergusonandArseneWengeratanLMAdinner.Ok,theymayneverhavebeenenemies,

butyoutrytellingthattoasixyearoldSegafanin1991!Backthenyouknewwhereyoustood.

YoudarenotlookattheNintendosectionoftheArgoscatalogueforfearthatShinobiwouldkick

youintonextweek.ThesedaysIflitterbetweenMicrosoft,SonyandNintendolikeacheapwhore,

goingwherever the latestdecentgamemightbe.Portal2 ismarginallybetteronPS3, so360

achievementsbedamned.AnewMariogameiscomingout?TimetofindmyWii(seriously,Idont

knowwhereitis).Likeanysensibleadult,Ihavenoblindbrandloyalties.Thoughthistribalrage

stillexistsbetweenfansofthedifferentconsoles,butalsobetweenfansofdifferenttypesofgames

(orevendifferentgamesinthesameseries).ButIcanttakepartanymorebecausemyteamwent

downvaliantlywithRyoHazukiandtheNaomiArcadeBoardcountedamongthecasualties.

6 When Rare Were Beyond Awesome

TodayBritishvideogamestudioRareareasubsidiaryofMicrosoftandareconsignedtomaking

XBLA avatar content and Kinect titles. This makes me weep openly. For Rare, makers of the


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ignoredGrabbed by the Goulies, irksome Ocarina of Timeclone Star Fox Adventuresand the

anticipatedbynooneKinectSports:SeasonTwo,usedtomakesomeofthefinestvideogames

planetEarth.TheyarebestrememberedfortheirdaysworkingforNintendo,notablyintheN64

erawheretheybashedoutMario64cloneBanjoKazooie,underratedMarioKart64cloneDiddy

KongRacingandBlastCorps,aswellasfilmtieinGoldenEye007formanyofmygeneration,THE

game(thoughIsuspectitsagedterribly).Butevenbeforethen,RaremadetheawesomeTeenage

MutantNinjaTurtlesripoffBattletoads,StreetFight/MortalKombatamalgamKiller Instinctand

theseminalDonkeyKongCountrytitlesthatdefinedtheSNES.EventhoughVivaPinataistheonly

gamemygirlfriendhaseverbeenobsessedby(creatinganelaborateseriesoffoldersandcharts

tohelpmonitorhergardens),itissafetosaythatRaretodayexistsinnameonlyscarcelyevena

shadowoftheirformerglory.ButdonthatethemforPerfectDarkZero,gentlereader,sharein

theirsorrow.Ifyouaredrinkingwhilstyoureadthis(andwhywouldntyoube?),pleasejoinmein

atoasttoourgoodfriendRare.

5 When You Had To Visit The Arcade To See

Amazing Graphics

Yeskids,theaboveusedtocountasamazinggraphics.Thatcowboyhatwouldmovearoundthe

dashboardandthattornadowow.Youdsinkpoundcoinafterpoundcoinintocr*plikeEighteen

WheelerPro

Trucker

just

for

the

chance

to

stare.

And

to

dream.

It

was

only

really

with

Segas

fondly

rememberedDreamcast,itselfmodelledontheNaomiarcadeboard,thatarcadequalitygraphics

gameintothehomewithperfectconversionsofHouseoftheDeadIIandCrazyTaxi.WhenIgot

anarcadeperfectcopyofEighteenWheelerontheillfatedconsoleandfoundthatitwasactually

total rubbish if you spent more than 60 seconds playing it, I knew the arcades days were

numbered.Butbeforethen,eventhoughtheMegaDrivelaidclaimtoarcadequalitygraphicsand

sound,thelikesofAlteredBeastandGoldenAxewerepoorcousinstotheircoinopcounterparts.

Itsallchangednowthough.VisitmostarcadesinBritainandyoullfindthesame,creakyunitsthat

weretheretenyearsago.Andeveniftheydohaveamorerecentgame,itwontlookatgoodas

Crysiswillit?Indeed,todayyoucouldwalkintoanarcadewithaperfectportofSEGARallyrunning

onyouriPadandlaughatthemanwhoworksthereashetriestosellyoutokens,perhapspointing

atyourtouchscreenanddoinga littledance.Andyouddothat,wouldntyou?Youdespicable


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person.

4 When Mum Would Knock The Controller Lead

Wellitdidntstrictlyhavetobeyourmumitjustmostoftenhappenedtobeinmyexperience

but, until recent times, peoplewould oftenwalk in front of video game players and into the

outstretchedleadofacontroller,eithera)yankingsaidcontrollerfromthegamersunsuspecting

handsorb)sendingtheconsoleflyingofftheshelf(thiswasworse).TheoriginalXboxof2002tried

tosolvethisproblempriortotheinventionofwirelesscontrollers, byingeniouslymakingitsothat

thefirstthingtogiveintheeventofahuman/controllercablecollisionwastheleaditself,which

woulddetachintotwopieceslikeafrightenedsalamandertothereliefofallconcerned.Myhazy

memoryleadsmetorecollectthat,atthispoint,thegameyouwereplayingwouldautomatically

pause.ThoughImaybemakingthisup.Trytellingthattothekidstodaywiththeirwirelessmotion

controllersandhandsfree,bluetoothenabled,smartpads(orwhatever).Theyllneverknowwhat

itwaslike!Honestly,itsenoughtomakeyouwanttoattackyourowneyeballswitharustyspoon.

3 When Blowing The Cartridge Was The

Solution


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thosedaystherewasanincrediblyhighchancethatanyPCgameyouboughtwouldnotwork.And

youd often haveno ideawhy. I remember,when installing the aforementioned LBA,messing

aroundinsettingsforhourstotryandfindouthowIcouldgetthesoundtowork.Itwasworthit

though,asmanyofthegamesIvementionedrankamongthebestIveeverplayed.

1 When Um I Dont Know How To Describe

This

Unliketheabove,thisonehasprobablynevereffectedyoupersonally.Butitstheweirdest1990s

gamingmemoryIhaveanditinspiredmetowritethislistinthefirstplace,soImgoingtoputit

hereregardless.BeforeItellyouaboutthisitrequiressomebackground:inthelate90splayinga

fourplayergame,forexampleGoldenEye007,haditsdrawbacks.Withalltheactiondividedinto

foursectionsononetelly,eachplayerwasabletoseewhateverybodyelseonthescreenwas

doing.TheupshotofthisbeingthatyoucouldntverywellplantProximityMines intheFacility

withouttheotherthreeplayersseeingexactlywhatyouwereplanning.Itwasaninherentflawin

thewayweplayedgamesbackthenwhichtodayseemsanachronistic,howevermuchweallretain

fondmemoriesofplayingwithmatesinthesameroom.Now,Icantfindanyimages,videosor

articlestosupportwhatImabouttowrite,butI100%remembervariousN64magazines(yes,we

allusedtobuymagazinesbackthen)runningstoriesaboutpeoplewhowentthroughalotofhassle

toplay

four

player

split

screen

games

split

over

four

separate

TVs

so

each

player

could

plot

bloody

murder inprivate.Now, thesedays thatsounds likenothing todayyoud setupaLAN ifyou

wanted tobeold fashionedabout it,ormore likelyyoudjustscrap thecablesandplayonline

together.Butthe1997solutionforthehardcorewasmad.Somebizarresectionofsocietyactually

didthefollowing(IpromiseImnotmakingthisup):youhadtofirstpurchaseafourwaysplitter

cablethatallowedyoutoplugtheN64intofourTVs.Thenyouhadtousetapeandcardboardto

blackouttheotherthreescreensoneachTV.Hardlysoundsworthitdoesit?Andbesides,youd

stillbeabletoheareverythingeveryonedid,even ifyouwenttothefurthertroubleofputting

eachTVinaseparateroom.Butthereyougo,thatsprobablythemostridiculous90sgamingstory

thekidstodaywontappreciate.


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EAGamesCDKeyhttp://www.gamebasin.com/publisher/ea.html

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AdventureGamesCDKeyhttp://www.gamebasin.com/pcgames/avggame.html

RacingGamesCDKeyhttp://www.gamebasin.com/pcgames/racgame.html

SportGamesCDKeyhttp://www.gamebasin.com/pcgames/sptgame.html

FTGGamesCDKeyhttp://www.gamebasin.com/pcgames/ftggame.html

RTSGamesCDKeyhttp://www.gamebasin.com/pcgames/rtsgame.html

SLGGamesCDKeyhttp://www.gamebasin.com/pcgames/slggame.html

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