Game site Old-Wizard wants two-dimensional gameplay to replace the realistic and overly complex three-dimensional design of typical products.
If GameBoys had one major success it’s that the handhelds brought millions of young gamers the simple joys of 2D puzzle-solving and platforming games at a time when Crash Bandicoot was still hot and manufacturers were switching to CDs.
Now the staff of Old-Wizard, gamers from an age long-gone, is taking a step back to recognize why software like Super Mario Bros. struck a chord with gamers in ways newer releases don’t.
Their list of “Top Ten Reasons All Video Games Should Be 2D” includes:
- Simpler games meant every game was for “casual” fans, unlike today’s game show games and Nintendo’s elderly Wii army.
- The limited space in two-dimensional games forced designers to become more creative with their tools and game space.
- The technology wars that started in the early 1990s as hardware manufacturers began billing systems as stronger than competitors created an era focused on graphics, unlike the days when people spent less attention to graphics and more on quarters for machines.
- They also say people don’t want to play in the same dimensions you live in. They’re right; I’m still waiting for that first truly time-traveling title where I can really ride a horse and shoot cowboys better than TimeSplitters.
Despite the Fallout 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV love, there is sure to be someone who still appreciates a classic Castlevania experience. If you’re that person, share the rest of your reasons why you still game in the age of arcades.
