Worst looking, best playing game?

[SRS]

Classic vintage games are a lot like classic golden era movies. They didn't have the technology and effects to dazzle you – they had to stand on the merits of their substance (the story for the movie or the gameplay for the game). Many of the simple basic vintage games were fundamentally fun to play. How basic they looked did not change the fact that the game itself was fun.

 

[Robotron Jon]

The graphics aren't exactly stellar...

You need to look again, sir.

 

[Adamdiz]

You need to look again, sir.

You first

 

[tobyocc]

I like Circus Charlie but I think most people would walk on by seeing the clown and basic look of the game.

 

[jow]

You need to look again, sir.

Ok...

Again, its nothing spectacular, right?

 

[gibbous]

Eh, there's a lot of color cycling you don't see in still shots. Plus the transition graphics between stages, the fragmenting of the enemies when you shoot them, the Progs' trailing graphics as they move towards you. I wouldn't call it a bad looking game at all.

 

[jeffsgames]

Space Invaders

 

[kencinder]

Flashy colors between stages etc are not what I would call "stellar graphics" within the gameplay.

The OP's citing of Zookeeper has more vibrant colors and more going on for it, and it's boring "looking".

What's the year have to do with things anyway? There were plenty of games out in 82 that had more going for them graphically...at least with artwork effort put into them.

Bagman
Burger Time
Dig Dug
DK Jr.
Jungle King/Jungle Hunt

Face it, from an artistic standpoint Robotron is nothing more than flashing color patterns between levels and on static objects. The gameplay is great though...which is kind of what this thread is about.

 

[kstillin]

Spectar and Targ

Pepper II in a way but it's more in-depth than Spectar.

 

[Robotron Jon]

Eh, there's a lot of color cycling you don't see in still shots. Plus the transition graphics between stages, the fragmenting of the enemies when you shoot them, the Progs' trailing graphics as they move towards you. I wouldn't call it a bad looking game at all.

At last, a voice of reason.

The graphics were great in Robotron. the tanks, quarks, spheroids, grunts and even the family and the hero of the game were all well done.

Others must stop this Robotron bashing now. This could signal the end of this hobby.

 

[jow]

Others must stop this Robotron bashing now. This could signal the end of this hobby.

This thread is about games with the BEST play. Robotron is loved according to everyone who posted about it.

 

[Robotron Jon]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say the graphics in Robotron looked bad in the 28 years since it was released. This is a new one. You've started an avalanche that threatens to bury us all.








.

 

[gibbous]

Meh, so far I like Berzerk best.

How about Venture?

 

[MikeyDee]

Cloak and Dagger had really basic / bad graphics.

I may be the only one who says that the game play was great, though

 

[snapJaw]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say the graphics in Robotron looked bad in the 28 years since it was released. This is a new one. You've started an avalanche that threatens to bury us all.








.

I never played Robotron back in the day. When I looked at it, I thought it looked brutally boring/bad. I never understood why people would play it.

Of course, after playing it, I thought it was awesome. But yeah, Robotron looks pretty terrible. I'd say it qualifies.

 

[stealthie]

Wow those graphics suck, fun game though.

 

[kjeffery]

Wizard of wor looked like ass but damn it's fun and has some kool ass sound effects

 

[jow]

How about Venture?

That game BLOWS.

 

[Robotron Jon]

I never played Robotron back in the day. When I looked at it, I thought it looked brutally boring/bad. I never understood why people would play it.

Of course, after playing it, I thought it was awesome. But yeah, Robotron looks pretty terrible. I'd say it qualifies.

If I could ban you, I would.

 

[FrizzleFried]

I think CRASH (or one of the variants) qualifies... very addicting.

...how about Stunt Cycle? The graphics sucked so bad on Stunt Cycle they had to use stickers on the monitor to represent some of them... but again... very addicting game.

EDIT:

As for the Robotron debate... I stand somewhere in the middle. The graphics don't WOW me by any stretch (nor did they back in the day)... though they are certainly far from "bad". They do their job with maximum efficiency (which is what this type of game needed with all the different things on screen at the same time). When looked at as a whole...with all the elements on screen and take in to account the type of game is you can say GOOD GRAPHICS... when breaking it down to individual elements... the graphics aren't nearly impressive. I think the quantity makes up for any lack of quality... not that the quality was bad either... just not "GREAT"...

I'm still very impressed with how Robotron deals with it's high score entry... and between stage effects. It's the little things that really make it a great package overall.