Final Feedback on "SNES Games That Pushed The Limits"

[racketboy]

After a few years of on-and-off development, I'm putting some finishing touches on an epic "SNES Games That Pushed The Limits of Graphics and Audio". Below, I'll list the games that are included and and approximate ranking. Of course, the ranking isn't exact, but if you think that some need to be significantly raised of lowered, let me know along with some reasoning.

Also, if you think I missed a good one completely, let me know what it is and a good reason why it should be included (the longer the explaination, the better)

So here it goes...


Featured Games:
Donkey Kong Country Series
Rendering Ranger R2
Star Fox / Starwing
Yoshi's Island
F-Zero
Super Mario Kart
Axelay
Secret of Mana
Seiken Densetsu 3 (Secret of Mana 2)
Mega Man X2 and Mega Man X3
Stunt Race FX
Super Castlevania IV
Actraiser
Castlevania: Dracula X
Drakkhen II / Super Drakkhen
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Street Fighter II (Series)
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Tales of Phantasia
Star Ocean
Tengai Makyo Zero (Far East of Eden Zero)
Contra 3: The Alien Wars / Super Probotector
DOOM


Honorable Mentions:
Out of this World / Another World
R-Type III: The Third Lightning
Super R-Type
Gradius III
Cybernator
Killer Instinct
Super Metroid
Jikkyo Oshaberi Parodius
Super Turrican
Kirby Super Star (Fun Pack)
Art of Fighting 2
Pilotwings
NCAA Basketball
Stanley Cup
Chrono Trigger
Wolfenstein 3D
Road Runner: Death Valley Rally
Alien 3
Realm
Terranigma
Yoshi’s Safari
Uniracers
Final Fantasy 3
Final Fantasy 6

I also need a little extra info about these Honorable Mentions -- can anyone share some of the technical details or what made them technically impressive?

Terranigma
Yoshi’s Safari
Uniracers
Final Fantasy 3
Final Fantasy 6

[Hobie-wan]

Maybe I'm just being cranky, maybe it's becasue I knew how 3D stuff was made at the time when most people didn't, maybe it's just because I don't care for platformers, but I'm always annoyed every time DKC is called a graphical orgasm that is the 'best evar in futuristic graphics'.

The SNES isn't rendering 3D stuff. It's all just sprites just like every other game. All of the hard work in creating the 3D images was done by other computers. Once those images were made into flat frames, they were used just like frames of every other sprite based 2D platformer. Maybe people like it because it's a really good platformer, but I think people mostly drool at the crappy plastic looking 3D just because it was one of the first widely available games to use them.

[racketboy]

Maybe I'm just being cranky, maybe it's becasue I knew how 3D stuff was made at the time when most people didn't, maybe it's just because I don't care for platformers, but I'm always annoyed every time DKC is called a graphical orgasm that is the 'best evar in futuristic graphics'.

The SNES isn't rendering 3D stuff. It's all just sprites just like every other game. All of the hard work in creating the 3D images was done by other computers. Once those images were made into flat frames, they were used just like frames of every other sprite based 2D platformer. Maybe people like it because it's a really good platformer, but I think people mostly drool at the crappy plastic looking 3D just because it was one of the first widely available games to use them.

Yeah, I realize that -- but some games like DCK took the developer's creativity to work around the hardware's limitations. This guide features a mix of all types of aspects -- programming creativity, special chipsets, and whatever else it takes to make something that goes beyond the norm. The write-ups will document what techniques are used so there isn't any confusion (or at least that's the goal)

[sevin0seven]

something tells me Doom Troopers, Dragon Ball Z Hyper Dimension and Earthworm Jim should be on that list. maybe under Honorable Mentions?

edit: also how about MKII? it pushed the SNES to have blood (on their graphics) and change their rating system...

[racketboy]

something tells me Doom Troopers, Dragon Ball Z Hyper Dimension and Earthworm Jim should be on that list. maybe under Honorable Mentions?

edit: also how about MKII? it pushed the SNES to have blood (on their graphics) and change their rating system...

I'm not familiar with Doom Troopers of DBZ Hyper Dimension... can you fill me in a bit?

And the MKII thing is more of a cultural thing -- sticking with technical stuff here

[sevin0seven]

something tells me Doom Troopers, Dragon Ball Z Hyper Dimension and Earthworm Jim should be on that list. maybe under Honorable Mentions?

edit: also how about MKII? it pushed the SNES to have blood (on their graphics) and change their rating system...

I'm not familiar with Doom Troopers of DBZ Hyper Dimension... can you fill me in a bit?

And the MKII thing is more of a cultural thing -- sticking with technical stuff here

heh. ok.

i believe DBZ Hyper Dimension also used a special chip on it's cart. let me find more info about it...

[Hobie-wan]

Yeah, I realize that -- but some games like DCK took the developer's creativity to work around the hardware's limitations. This guide features a mix of all types of aspects -- programming creativity, special chipsets, and whatever else it takes to make something that goes beyond the norm. The write-ups will document what techniques are used so there isn't any confusion (or at least that's the goal)

Fair enough. I didn't mean to rain on the parade. Just that since the 'ooh ah' factor it has didn't work on me and I'm not a platform connoisseur it just seems very average to me.

Now to be more helpful, how about Space Megaforce at least as an honorable mention? Being a relatively early title one should compare what Compile managed to do with all the layers and amount of action on the screen without any slowdown that plagued other shmups.

[sevin0seven]

DBZ Hyper Dimension use a SA-1 (65816) chip. It's the same chip that was used on Super Mario RPG and Kirby Dream land 3 (which should be on the list also).

[noiseredux]

MechWarrior?

[ZeroAX]

Maybe I'm just being cranky, maybe it's becasue I knew how 3D stuff was made at the time when most people didn't, maybe it's just because I don't care for platformers, but I'm always annoyed every time DKC is called a graphical orgasm that is the 'best evar in futuristic graphics'.

The SNES isn't rendering 3D stuff. It's all just sprites just like every other game. All of the hard work in creating the 3D images was done by other computers. Once those images were made into flat frames, they were used just like frames of every other sprite based 2D platformer. Maybe people like it because it's a really good platformer, but I think people mostly drool at the crappy plastic looking 3D just because it was one of the first widely available games to use them.

Since I loved the series, first on the GameBoy, I believe I'm objective enough to say, that they were indeed good platformers. Imo better than Super Mario World (but not as good as yoshi's island, or the sonic games)