Tag: 2D

Iconoclasts looks awesome

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When I first saw the trailer for Iconoclasts I was immediately enthralled by the art style. Then the gameplay, then the music. So, by the end of the trailer I asked myself: “What is this game?”

Iconoclasts is a game by Joakim Sandberg (Konjak). It’s obviously a 2D action-platformer featuring various characters. But what else? The gameplay looks fast-paced with some cool looking puzzles and super stylized cinemas. I’m a big fan of the retro pixel art look and this game is hitting all the right notes with its graphics and gameplay.

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It’s worth mentioning that Sandberg has been working on this for a many years, since about 2009, basing the game on a project he created back in 2007 called Ivory Springs. So, it’s been a long road for him and the work looks like its been well manifested. This is the work of one man!

Iconoclasts will be available on January 23, 2018 for PlayStation 4, Vita and Steam.

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The Top 3 best NES games to play on Halloween

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Yes, this is missing a lot of horror games from the NES library like Maniac Mansion, Friday the 13th etc. but these are my favorite.

Monster Party

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This game might fly under the radar for many, but it should not be ignored. Like most games on the NES, it’s a 2D platformer. But where it differs is in style. Halfway through the first level, the visuals and music change from odd and bright to dark and foreboding. Aside from its weird translations, this is well worth your time. Don’t miss out on this!

Castlevania

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What is Halloween without vampires? Nothing needs to be said about this action side scrolling classic that hasn’t already been said. This game set the stage for many of its kind and is still a treat to play to this day.

 

Ghosts ‘n Goblins

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Another arcade classic! Everybody should know this painstakingly hard game. It can be cheap, but that’s how games were back then. And yeah… to the get the real ending, I hope you have patience and skill. Or you could just watch the ending like a normal person.

Ocarina of Time being remade in 2D

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The jump from 2D to 3D was a big thing in gaming technology. The industry really hasn’t that kind of graphical jump in a long time. Ever since the release of the Nintendo 64 and the PlayStation, 3D gaming environments have been a mainstay in console gaming. Remakes of games from the past are quite common these days, usually receiving a graphical upgrade. Though, with OoT 2D, a fan remake, the graphics are being reverted back into the second dimension. For its time, OoT was pretty groundbreaking, most Zelda games were. That being said, have a look at OoT 2D.

OoT 2D is a 2D remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that is styled like ALttP. It has been attempted many times and by many different authors, the first attempt of which was over a decade ago!

This embodiment of OoT 2D will use no already-existing engine and no utilities such as Game Maker. While building it from scratch is slow and old-fashioned, this method of programming will grant full control over everything, resulting in a high-quality product! We hope you all like it!

More information can be found at http://oot-2d.com/

The best hardware and technical innovations from past generations

DavidLeave a comment

These buttons are usually found on the top of the controller and typically have a secondary function in games. Though, in first person and third person shooters, they arguably function has the main buttons.  Over time, shoulder buttons have been further innovated upon with the creation of pressure triggers seen on the Dreamcast and a second row seen on the PlayStation home consoles.

  • Favorite usage: off-hand grenades in Halo

Mode 7 and true 3D environments

A flat, infinite and ever expanding plane probably gave the perfect illusion gamers needed for a pseudo 3D experience but, it wasn’t until CD based systems really started to take advantage of this. Two dimensions was pretty much the only aspect gamers knew and slowly, but surely that notion has reversed. Though, there are still very notable 2D based games around …

  • Favorite usages: Racing in F-Zero (SNES), navigating world maps in Square RPGs

Standard four controller ports

While this isn’t such a big thing now, but having four controller ports built into a system was an ingenious perk. Way before Nintendo implemented this on the N64, two ports were normally found on systems. Microsoft and Sega followed suite on this with their consoles, but Sony never did. Nowadays, USB ports and wireless signals are the standard for controller connections instead of a propriety connection shipped with a console.

  • Favorite usage: GoldenEye 007 multiplayer (N64)

Battery back up memory

Passwords were a great feature, but having to write them down all the time was a pain. Though passwords hung around while battery saves on the cart were being implemented, this function would later evolve into memory cards for CD based systems and hard disk drives further along into the future starting with the Xbox.

  • Favorite usage: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Dual analog joysticks

Looking back, first person shooters were awkward at first, GoldenEye being one of them! Holding down a shoulder button for precise aiming? Now that’s a thing of the past! Innovating controllers like the Dual Shock really paved the way for quicker and easier camera controls as well as a dedicated stick for looking/aiming.

  • Favorite usage: Xbox 360 controller