Virtual Console for Game Level Evolution

Faithless · Wendy's Hole Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Location: World 1-1

I've been involved enough with the emulator scene to know that the VC isn't new. What is new for me and my empty wallet is the chance to play classics on my Television with a Controller, a feature that my poor ol' computer simply can't manage without disgusting refresh rates. I haven't forgotten about Super Mario Bros. or Sonic; they look pixel-fantastic on my monitor via ZSnes or GENS or whatever it is that makes Sonic happen -- you know, the blast processor emulator, err, whatever.

BUT, regardless of how many games I've emulated on my PC, there's no game-familiarity when playing them on my Dell CRT. I need a couch and a good controller to feel like I'm really doing some good video-gaming. I'm not satisfied by the Wii VC output, but it feels like I'm actually playing the games, as opposed to emulating the roms. I know, it's in my head. But that's the deal.

Anyway, the Wii has exposed me to a new type of gaming. It's like YouTubing the titles -- I play one level for each VC game I've purchased, until I've cycled through all of them, and then I shut down my Wii.

Suddenly, I'm really aware of how weird the N64 made the game experience. Playing NES Super Mario, there's a Beginning, Middle, End of each chapter. Same with Sonic, Gunstar Heroes, etc. But when I drop in Mario64, everything gets loose and ugly. The game may have been a revolution at the time, but I'm beginning to loathe the point where it comes up in my VC shuffle. SMB has a progression, a goal, a clear cut path that you follow, and thus is satisfying, one level at a time. Mario64 is not satisfying, if you play Star by Star.

Is that why Minigames are taking off? Perhaps the classic game is a set of minigames -- each level is a complete experience, whereas modern gaming is open-ended even when it's not a sandbox title?
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Faithless · Wendy's Hole Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Location: World 1-1

Faithless · Wendy's Hole Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Location: World 1-1

I think I should clarify, I guess, that the games I'm playing are platformers -- although I guess Gunstar is more of an "action" game, whatever that means. Zelda is open-ended -- so is a game like Sim City. But that's not what I'm tackling on the VC every day.

Firenze, you're definitely not missing my point... I guess I'm just having difficulty articulating what my point is, beyond "SMB is more casual than SM64."
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Faithless · Wendy's Hole Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Location: World 1-1