[kefka]

When you can only go so far technology wise (think SNES through PS1), the resources go to improving the games go other ways. This usually involves making a very good story, solid game mechanics, and character development. After all, the blitzy super hi-Rez 3D scapes cannot be done.

[dvhh]

I really think that the platform limitations were one of the best point of the games from this era. Where game developpers had to be more inventive with the constrains to build a sufficiently immersive world and rely a lot on the player imagination to fill the jagged pixed. I do not deny that the technological advances had made game more beautiful, but they also seems to make the defects more visible, and force the designer vision on the player's imagination.

[mercurial]

> I really think that the platform limitations were one of the best point of the games from this era.

That's were roguelikes come in. Though they have self-imposed limits, they are often pretty innovative (eg, CDDA, or the huge breadth of available classes in TOME).

[alchemism]

And, for that matter, the majestic complexity of Dwarf Fortress.

[TeMPOraL]

I'd say that the advent of 3D graphics made games look worse. Just compare StarCraft to StarCraft 2 - I honestly feel that the original, pixel-drawn game looked better. It's hard to get 3D right, it takes much more work to produce something that the brain won't find weird-looking or uncanny. SC1 had a dark tone and looked like a serious game; SC2 feels much more lightweight and comical, and I'd argue the big part of it was moving from 2D to 3D, which made all units look kind of silly.

[erikb]

While I have the opposite opinion about SC1-SC2 in some regards I can agree. There are also these games with 2D or pixely graphics which is a kind of beautiful that you can't achieve with 3D. That's why there are still hundreds of games developed with these graphics settings.

[TeMPOraL]

Yes, pixel-graphics is a different artisfic medium and I'm happy that it's not forgotten, even though hard to find outside indie and casual sector.

RE SC2, I know that the source of majority of my issues with that game is a difference in vision. Creators stated explicitly in one of the interviews that to appeal to a wider audience they wanted the game to focus less on galactic politics and explore individual characters and relationships. Which is exactly the opposite of what I wanted or expected after living through the excellent story of the first game.