Graphics Don’t Get Worse With Time

I was reading a review for NBA Live 14 back when it launched where the writer described what he considered to be a poorly rendered crowd of fans. His descriptor for this poor representation was “[t]he crowd looks PS3-ish”. It was a pretty odd choice of words, considering that PS4 and Xbox One were barley out of their boxes. at that point. Clearly, by comparison there are some notably big differences between last-gen’s systems and today’s current boxes, but when I look at my PS3 and 360 games, I still see some beautiful, intricate graphics. I also feel the same way about GameCube, PSOne, Nintendo 64, SNES, Genesis, NES, and every other system’s graphics that has ever come out. What was good will always be good, so long as a person knows how to appreciate what’s on the screen in front of them.

The easiest way to think about this is remembering that when any system is in its prime, there are good looking games, and bad looking ones. No console has uniformly spectacular graphics across the spectrum of its titles. Twilight Princess on Wii looked a thousand times better than M&Ms Racing, for example. Particular titles represent the pinnacle of what can be achieved graphically on a console. Yet, the vast majority of video game journalists and critics are quick to dismiss what came before because of how shiny and new the graphics look on the latest generation of consoles. To say that game A doesn’t look good anymore because game B came along on the new system is a ridiculous oversimplification.

Video games suffer from this mindset in particular because of the industry’s ties to technology. Tech moves forward, always, with the idea to make the next new device far more advanced and better than the old. This leads people to categorize what’s old as inferior or lacking, which is totally unfair. Other mediums of art and entertainment embrace what came before. No one is slamming cave paintings or Jane Eyre in their respective communities, yet with video games there’s always some upstart ready to come along and say how a particular classic game isn’t all it’s made out to be.

Ocarina of Time is still every bit as nuanced and visually fascinating as it was in 1998. The vivid pinks of the sky as it transitioned to night, the serenity of the Forest Temple, the frightful depths of the Bottom of the Well, and a hundred other locations and experiences are timeless examples of what Nintendo 64 was capable of. The reason being that within the confines of the limitations of that hardware, Ocarina remains a work of brilliance. There were a hundred Superman 64s, but Ocarina was in a class of its own. Saying Ocarina is ugly now demonstrates a complete and utter lack of appreciation for what made the game so beloved to begin with.

Classic games shouldn’t only be playable if they’ve been upscaled to HD or completely remade. These games resonated with players for a reason when they first launched, and there’s no reason someone shouldn’t be just as absorbed playing them today. So go and bask in the waters of Wave Race 64, feel the rush of air as you swoop through the skies in Ratchet & Clank, and feel the chill of the snow in Metal Gear Solid. The good games will always be beautiful, because art never goes bad.

Retro(spective) 17- Final Fantasy VII

For all five of you out there, it’s been a while since I’ve posted a Retro(spective), but for a good reason; I had to make this 17th installment about Final Fantasy VII. Too much good synergy was going on with the multiple sevens, and it’s also been 17 years since the game bowed here in the states. This is one of the legendary games of the industry, so I wanted to go all out fact-finding for FF VII. A big part of this blog is back in action, and I couldn’t be happier. Without further ado… Retro(spective) 17-FF VII!

The very early stages of FF VII development began in 1994 for SNES before being sent to the back burner by Chrono Trigger. This momentum shift pushed FF VII further out and ultimately onto Nintendo 64. Final Fantasy series mastermind Hironobu Sakaguchi had been less involved with development of Final Fantasy VI, but that would change with VII. Sakaguchi knew the future of gaming was 3D, and that for Final Fantasy to remain relevant, it would have to be at the forefront of the transition under his guidance.

The first glimpse of what would become FF VII was seen at the SiGGRAPH computer graphics convention in LA. This SG1 demo, as it’s often called, featured characters from FF VI rendered with 3D polygons and fighting a golem. The demo was a showcase for what Sakaguchi was hoping to achieve with VII and filled people with excitement. Cinematically and technologically potent, SG1 was the seed from which everything would grow.

Most people, including the developers at Square, were anticipating FF VII as an N64 release. The entire series had been Nintendo-exclusive from the beginning, and with N64’s robust tech capabilities, VII seemed destined to continue that tradition. It would have happened, too, if not for one major problem; N64 wasn’t going to be CD-ROM based. Sakaguchi had been banking on Nintendo adopting the burgeoning format, as VII was going to be a data-intensive game that would need all the additional storage space CDs offered. Cartridges simply couldn’t contain as much data and were too expensive to produce. Nintendo was standing firm with its decision, though, and with no other choice, Square broke ties with the company.

While the split alone was a blow to Nintendo, it was worsened by Square’s choice of successor; Sony and its new PlayStation. The CD-enabled 32-bit system was already making life difficult, but to willingly add a bonafide Final Fantasy installment to its roster was going too far, in Nintendo’s opinion. Company president Hiroshi Yamauchi declared that a Final Fantasy game would never again appear on a Nintendo console and promptly sold off his company’s shares of Square’s stock. Square followed suit, and the two companies would remain in a cold war for years to come. It was a sad ending, but one that would ultimately benefit the development of VII.

Free of storage constraints, Sakaguchi was able to move forward with his project unhindered. Game director Yoshinori Kitase and co-writer Kazushige Nojima would prove indispensable during development, helping to focus and perfect Sakaguchi’s vision. Originally, VII was going to center around a group of young resisters being pursued by “Detective Joe”. Kitase quickly dumped Joe and shifted the focus of the story on AVALANCHE and Shinra, which in turn brought Cloud and Sephiroth to the forefront.

With the basics of battles cemented (including the return of Active Time Battles), actual rendering and creation of the world of FF VII became the biggest challenge. Most of Square’s staff had little to no experience working with new animation software like PowerAnimator and Softimage, which necessitated an injection of new blood. The influx of additional workers sent the number of staffers on VII skyrocketing, along with its budget, which easily exceeded its $40 million dollar allotment (along with Sony’s own $80 million dollar marketing push, VII became the most expensive game ever made, at the time). Though rookies with the software, Square’s staffers quickly took to it and began producing at a very high level.

The result of all this hard work was one of the most visually stunning games of that generation. Lush pre-rendered backgrounds conveyed the grandeur of sprawling Midgar, which had a riveting steampunk aesthetic. The characters were portrayed as very realistic during battle scenes, while in the overworld they appeared as super deformed and almost chibi-like. The odd mixture was surprisingly effective and suited VII well.

Sakaguchi hit a bit of a snag when it came time to enlist the aid of longtime Final Fantasy character designer Yoshitaka Amano. Amano was busy establishing art exhibitions and workshops in Paris and New York, which massively inhibited his ability to contribute to the project. While Amano would go on to design VII‘s signature meteor logo and assist with character sketches, the lion’s share of design work would be done by Tetsuya Nomura. The artist had only handled minor character and monster designs for FF VI, but was more than prepared to hit the ground running.

Nomura’s character designs for VII were a big departure from anything the series had seen. Cloud was an immediate hit with his giant sword and spiky hair, but he didn’t quite start out that way. Initially, Cloud had black slicked-back hair to contrast Sephiroth’s silver locks, but the designer thought he didn’t look heroic enough and added in the blond spikes fans know and love. (Interestingly, Cloud’s rejected design sounds an awful lot like what Zach Faire would go on to look like!). Barret once sported two hands and a bow-shaped gun, while Vincent went through an entire series of careers before settling on undead gunslinger. Nomura became so invaluable to the development of FF VII, that he was eventually given story input (more on that in a bit).

The narrative of VII was yet another departure for the series. Sakaguchi wanted to touch on a variety of high concepts that hadn’t ever been fully explored in a video game, such as the symbiotic relationship between man and nature, death and loss, and more. Kitase and company were integral to finding a way to express these ideas in a way that was clear and interactive within a video game. Beyond Sakaguchi’s own philosophical musings, there were practical matters to attend to, as well.

One such challenge was straying from the then-common conventions of the RPG genre. A typical omnipotent warlord or wizard wouldn’t do as the villain for VII; Sakaguchi had grown tired of that worn trope and wanted something different. The result was the evil mega corporation Shinra, the evolution of a traditional power threat in a modern setting. Primary antagonist Sephiroth was a different challenge, as he was already unique from a visual and background perspective, but was tough to tackle from a narrative standpoint. Rather than bombard the player with his presence, Sephiroth was instead shown sparingly throughout the course of VII in order to build him up in the player’s mind (Kitase compared this technique to what Spielberg did with the shark in his film Jaws). The theme of Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel, became the centerpiece of composer Nobuo Uematsu’s stirring score.

As the cast of VII grew, the team wanted to provide the player with a wide variety of characters to choose from, but felt that there needed to be more deviations from RPG traditions. One element that Sakaguchi was especially weary of was the hero sacrificing his life for his lady love, only to be resurrected later. After all, death without permanence held no meaning, and VII was a game of purpose. On a Sunday night during a collaborative phone call, Nomura suggested something that would hit Final Fantasy fans like a ton of bricks; kill heroine Aerith and establish Tifa as the true female lead. Sakaguchi loved the idea, and one of the most shocking moments in video game history was decided upon.

The impact of the death of Aerith can’t be emphasized enough. People literally went into a frenzy when Sephiroth impaled her. In the world of 1997, devoid of the internet as we know it today, desperate gamers reset, turned off, and in some cases, unplugged their PlayStations, convinced that there was no way Aerith was supposed to die. Players devoted hours to replaying the game, trying to find some way to prevent the tragic events, only to eventually realize that, yes, she was truly gone.

That Aerith could spark such a fervor of dismay is a testament to the advances in storytelling that FF VII brought to the industry. Players became wholly invested in the plight of Cloud and his companions during the game’s lengthy quest, picking and latching on to characters as one would those in a novel or film. The cinematic flourishes of VII would go on to become industry standards, and the intricate narrative inspired an entire generation of players and game designers.

VII isn’t without its detractors, as there are many who like to cite the game’s suspect Western translation and hefty number of returns, but there’s no denying the millions of copies sold and huge legacy left in VII‘s wake. What Sakaguchi, Kitase, Nojima, and Nomura accomplished redefined RPGs in Japan and cultivated legions of fans in the West who had never appreciated the genre in the past. While many of VII‘s themes and design choices have become overly replicated in the years since, it remains a highpoint of the industry and a true classic.

Released 1997. Developed by Squaresoft. Published by Sony.

Final Fantasy VII is available on PlayStation, PC and Steam. It is also available for download via PSN for PS3, PSP, and PS Vita.

How the PS4 Changed the Game

With the bevy of Sony news for both the PS4 and Vita in recent months, it’s hard to deny that the PlayStation brand is experiencing a bit of a renaissance. Things quickly unraveled for Sony after the launch of the PS3, with the overpriced system succumbing to the much more consumer friendly XBox 360. Sony spent the better part of the first half of the PS3’s lifespan trying to maintain a facade of control, when in reality their overbearing attitude had driven away the very fanbase they’d so masterfully cultivated with the PlayStation and PS2. The universe does have a way of eventually balancing things out, however, and it finally did in the form of the XBox One. In a twist of fate, the same mistakes Sony made years ago are being repeated by Microsoft, leaving Sony with the chance to reclaim the top of the heap once more.

Let’s face it, before and after the PS3 launch, Sony looked awfully big-headed. An obnoxious E3 presentation combined with a hefty price left consumers scratching their heads and wondering where PS2 Sony had wandered off to. Fun and games had given way to “computers” and statistics. As more of Sony’s share of the pie got eaten up by Nintendo and the upstart 360, the PlayStation brand’s place in the industry had become suspect. Flash forward a few years, though, and something amazing happened; Sony became humble.

The XBox One was lambasted following its reveal, with gamers incensed over the need for a constant internet connection, used game restrictions, and an over-emphasis on non-gaming features. Suddenly, Microsoft were the oblivious corporate stooges, leaving Sony with a choice; follow suit and share the hate, or do something completely unprecedented. In a move that shocked everyone, Sony decided to embrace the very fans they shunned back in 2006 by taking their side. Instead of shooting for bushels of extra cash and multimedia dominance, the PS4 burst through the gates as the very thing the PS3 pretended to not be; a gaming console.

Sure, the PS4 has a bevy of multimedia features, but Sony made sure fans knew right off the bat that the games were the focus of this new console. In another stunning maneuver, Sony outright slapped Microsoft in the face by declaring that the PS4 would neither have restrictive used game policies or the need for a constant internet connection. Putting this in perspective, Sony’s leadership essentially decided (in terms of the used games policy) to turn down a revenue stream in order to woo fans back into their fold. Wow. In a world driven by profits, it was quite the revelation to see a company be so forward thinking as to forego quick cash in favor of good will.

Clearly, there’s a whole slew of business tactics and so forth that went into Sony’s PS4 plans, but there’s no mistaking humility when it’s obviously on display. Sony screwed up with the PS3 and are finally admitting it with the PS4. Putting the focus back on games, acknowledging the needs of players both here and abroad, and frankly taking the strut out of their stride have put the ball back into Sony’s court. Factor in the potential revitalization of the Vita, which itself suffered from “PS3 syndrome”, and PlayStation has a real shot at returning to dominance.

Touching on the Vita for a moment, if anyone needs further proof of Sony’s attitude change, the recent price drops for the system and memory cards is a perfect example. The PS4 isn’t even out yet, but the positive reaction from loyal and lapsed fans around the world was so powerful that Sony decided to acknowledge the whole spectrum of complaints levied against them. It’s unheard of that a videogame company would take its fans concerns so seriously and that can only be a good thing for Sony in the long run. The Vita is a wholly competent handheld that shouldn’t be struggling as badly as it has been; if it can pick up the pace, it will only serve to reconfirm that Sony is on the right track with this new self-image.

Time is the ultimate arbiter of all, so it’s going to be a stretch before we find out if the PS4 wins out against the One (and the Wii U!). Regardless of the outcome, I find it truly heartening that Sony has at least made the effort to satisfy fans and bring some luster back to their name. Making the PS4 more accessible can only be a good thing for gamers, as there are already enough hurdles keeping more people from embracing videogames. Microsoft might have reversed the controversial policies that Sony capitalized upon, but the very sour taste they left in everyone’s mouths are going to take a long time to go away. As a result, Sony is in the best place its been in years and I’m excited to see what happens.

Retro(spective) 9-Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile didn’t start out as a Klonoa game. When series creator Hideo Yoshizawa of Namco began work on this quirky PlayStation title, it was intended to have a licensed character as the lead. In a twist of fate similar to Nintendo’s Donkey Kong arcade game, the departure of the licensed properties and characters yielded a more enjoyable title than what might have been. Klonoa may not have the pedigree of Sonic or Super Mario, but it’s a solid franchise that continues to yield fun, though niche, adventures.

Yoshizawa’s marching orders from the brass at Namco were simple; they wanted a new action game. In the world post-Super Mario 64, developers had become 3D obsessed, foregoing traditional 2D games nearly en masse following Nintendo’s revolution. Yoshizawa was happy to oblige his bosses, but had no intentions of conforming to the trend of the day. 3D games were too complicated to him, as they made attacking enemies and navigating the game world more difficult than in a 2D game. Yoshizawa did want to make a game that incorporated 3D, but in a different way, a sort of “2.5D” that would mix elements of both perspectives. Thus was born the concept of Klonoa’s gameplay, a title that would allow for 2D movement in a 3D world.

Klonoa himself has an interesting origin, as he’s the result of multiple bids around the office to design the lead for Yoshizawa’s new game. While I suppose that’s not totally uncommon, it is worth noting that a passing comment about Klonoa’s appearance from a member of the sales team nearly upended the game’s development. They suggested that because Klonoa has big, floppy ears, he should be able to fly. Yoshizawa immediately dismissed the notion, as the game would go from being about “action” and instead become about “flying”; he’d have to change the entire structure of the game! Still, the notion wouldn’t release itself from his mind, as he felt if the sales team member thought Klonoa should fly because of the way his ears looked, everyone would start expecting it. In a self-imposed state of paranoia, Yoshizawa decided that rather than fly, Klonoa would be able to flutter and cover small distances. This happy medium meant expectations would be met without breaking level designs. Talk about being detail oriented!

The game itself is stuffed with charisma, as Klonoa has a cute cast and a fairly emotional story. I will say that the cinema scenes and characters do border on being overly cutesy, which might turn off some of you out there. Klonoa does offer you the chance to skip through cutscenes, which is nice because it would be a real shame to miss out on all the excellent gameplay just because you hate Huepow. Passing on the cinema scenes might leave you with gaps in the story, but you can take in the game all the same without it (you cold, evil person). Regardless, I recommend you sit back and enjoy the drama, because it pays off in the end! (Seriously, you might tear up-members of the development team did).

Klonoa is reminiscent of Crash Bandicoot in that it doesn’t offer traditional 3D gameplay. You navigate the world from left to right on a 2D plane, but the world is rendered in 3D and thus allows you to also move into the screen by scrolling the environment in differentdirections. Essentially, you maneuver Klonoa along twisting pathways that will shift your perspective and create some very interesting tests of direction. Klonoa‘s other gameplay hook comes in the form of how you interact with enemies. Yoshizawa wanted to make a title where the player captured enemies and used them to his advantage. To achieve this, Klonoa is able to snag enemies using his special ring and then either fling them for offense or use them to initiate a double-jump. The mechanics are immensely satisfying and result in some very clever puzzles that require you to determine the best way to utilize the baddies you encounter. Klonoa can fling enemies into the sky, the ground, left, right, and even into or out of the screen! This range of motion made for some interesting exploration, as certain secrets would float inconspicuously in front of your face if you weren’t paying attention.Klonoa’s unique controls are both intuitive and fun, and demonstrated that there was still plenty to mine from 2D action games.

Klonoa was actually remade for the Wii quite faithfully back in 2009. The graphics have been substantially upscaled and reworked on the Wii, and subtle tweaks to Klonoa’s movements make the game a relatively smoother experience. I recommend giving it a try if you don’t feel like tracking down the original or downloading it from the PSN. Klonoa is the result of Namco letting Yoshizawa follow his gut and make a game that innovated rather than conform. It’s as engaging today as it was back in 1998, so be sure to give this overlooked series a shot!

Released 1998. Developed and published by Namco.

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is available on the PlayStation. It is also available via download on the PSN. A remake of the game was released on the Wii in 2009 and is simply titled Klonoa.

Retro(spective) 7-Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Anyone who’s played a Game Boy Advance or DS Castlevania game would find themselves at home with the 1997 PlayStation classic Symphony of the Night. Ever hear the term “Metroidvania”? You can thank Konami producer Koji Igarashi for helping co-create the concept for SotN. Up until its PlayStation debut, the series was known for intense, linear 2D platforming. SotN maintained the core combat and setting of Castlevania, but threw linearity out the window in favor of a sprawling, open world. Inspired by Nintendo’s Metroid games, the abilities you unlock as you progress through the game allow you to explore parts of the environment that were previously inaccessible. Like peanut butter and jelly, the marriage of Metroid and Castelvania was a match made in heaven and would forever alter the series.

Merging types of gameplay wasn’t the only trick up Igarashi and company’s sleeves. SotN gets a lot of praise for embracing Samus’s style of exploration, but what it also did was take ques from the very first Castlevania sequel, Simon’s Quest. The RPG elements from Castlevania II were (fittingly) resurrected in SotN, including buying items and the use of EXP to level up your character. Alucard can be equipped with an array of weapons and items to maximize his abilities. Combat is further tweaked with the inclusion of spells and familiars, elements that follow your character and assist during battles. You might be thinking this all sounds like overkill, but Igarashi and his team did an exceptional job of implementing these changes without cluttering the gameplay. SotN gradually introduces each facet of its gameplay and never leaves the player floundering.

If you just want to analyze SotN as a pure Castlevania game, there’s a lot to love. The music by composer Michiru Yamane spans multiple genres and is simply awesome. This game also introduced fans to the beautiful art of Ayami Kojima, whose design work perfectly transitioned the series into the 32-bit era and beyond. Let’s not forget about the main hero, Alucard. While Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse was Alucard’s first appearance, this game really thrust him into the spotlight and made him a beloved part of Castlevania lore. Graphically, Konami pumped out some great sprites using the PlayStation’s hardware. Enemies and environments are large, detailed, varied, and among some of the best in the series. In an era where most game series were transitioning into 3D (Castlevania included!), SotN clung to its 2D roots and delivered some breathtaking visuals.

SotN sadly didn’t muster the sales it deserved, but its legacy has inspired a number of sequels and re-releases. The three Game Boy Advance and three DS Castlevania titles are all formed from the mold of SotN (some might argue a couple of those games give SotN a run for its money) and are all the better for it. The PSP game Castelvania: The Dracula X Chronicles includes SotN as an unlockable (yes, that’s a heck of an unlockable, haha) and it also saw re-release on PSN and XBLA. You really can’t go wrong with any of the versions out there, but I’d say play the PSN download for the most authentic experience. SotN is a great game and well worth your time. If you enjoyed games like Order of Ecclesia or Circle of the Moon, you’re going to love Symphony of the Night.

Released 1997. Developed by Konami, published by Sony.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is available on PlayStation, PSN, XBLA, and PSP.