How do you feel about 2.5D platformers?

[pepharytheworm]

2D or 2.5D are perfectly fine with me. I love platformers~

My gripe is the definition. Last time I checked, 2.5D is a 3D platformer on rails, like Klonoa or Nights; not like NSMB. NSMB is a 2D game with a ton of parallax scrolling to give depth.

Nope, 2.5D also means a game with 3d graphics but 2D gameplay.

graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional (3D) when in fact they are not, or
gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is restricted to a two-dimensional plane

[Gamerforlife]

2D or 2.5D are perfectly fine with me. I love platformers~

My gripe is the definition. Last time I checked, 2.5D is a 3D platformer on rails, like Klonoa or Nights; not like NSMB. NSMB is a 2D game with a ton of parallax scrolling to give depth.

Nope, 2.5D also means a game with 3d graphics but 2D gameplay.

graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional (3D) when in fact they are not, or
gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is restricted to a two-dimensional plane

It's sort of the same thing really

[slowslow325]

The transition from 2D to 3D has got to be tough, but if a respectable game developer can't make the transition from 2D to 2.5D, they've got some problems.

2.5D just describes the graphical style, as long as they don't try any 3D gimmicks in the gameplay, there's no reason you shouldn't change to 2.5D other than nostalgia (Mega Man 9, for example). There's no reason for the controls not to be as good, or the gameplay to be worse if you transist to 2.5D, so everything should.

[D.D.D.]

2D or 2.5D are perfectly fine with me. I love platformers~

My gripe is the definition. Last time I checked, 2.5D is a 3D platformer on rails, like Klonoa or Nights; not like NSMB. NSMB is a 2D game with a ton of parallax scrolling to give depth.

Nope, 2.5D also means a game with 3d graphics but 2D gameplay.

graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional (3D) when in fact they are not, or
gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is restricted to a two-dimensional plane

A game with 3D graphics but 2D gameplay is still 2D; it's the camera movement that should define the genres.
2D: Sonic
2.5D: Klonoa
3D: Super Mario Galaxy
Based on camera style for 2.5D games, there really are very few that should actually fit into the genre.
Because if any 2D game with any "graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional (3D) when in fact they are not", then why don't we call the majority of SNES/GEN/TG16 games 2.5D? A lot of those games used tons of tricks to make depth or a 3D-ish look to them but how are they defined... 2D.

[slowslow325]

2D or 2.5D are perfectly fine with me. I love platformers~

My gripe is the definition. Last time I checked, 2.5D is a 3D platformer on rails, like Klonoa or Nights; not like NSMB. NSMB is a 2D game with a ton of parallax scrolling to give depth.

Nope, 2.5D also means a game with 3d graphics but 2D gameplay.

graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional (3D) when in fact they are not, or
gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is restricted to a two-dimensional plane

A game with 3D graphics but 2D gameplay is still 2D; it's the camera movement that should define the genres.
2D: Sonic
2.5D: Klonoa
3D: Super Mario Galaxy
Based on camera style for 2.5D games, there really are very few that should actually fit into the genre.
Because if any 2D game with any "graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional (3D) when in fact they are not", then why don't we call the majority of SNES/GEN/TG16 games 2.5D? A lot of those games used tons of tricks to make depth or a 3D-ish look to them but how are they defined... 2D.

2.5D was a term made to describe games like NSMB. So, technical definitions can't be applied. 2.5D platformers are platformers with 3D graphics and 2D gameplay.

[D.D.D.]

2.5D was a term made to describe games like NSMB. So, technical definitions can't be applied. 2.5D platformers are platformers with 3D graphics and 2D gameplay.

The term 2.5D was around about a decade before NSMB...

[pepharytheworm]

2D or 2.5D are perfectly fine with me. I love platformers~

My gripe is the definition. Last time I checked, 2.5D is a 3D platformer on rails, like Klonoa or Nights; not like NSMB. NSMB is a 2D game with a ton of parallax scrolling to give depth.

Nope, 2.5D also means a game with 3d graphics but 2D gameplay.

graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional (3D) when in fact they are not, or
gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is restricted to a two-dimensional plane

A game with 3D graphics but 2D gameplay is still 2D; it's the camera movement that should define the genres.
2D: Sonic
2.5D: Klonoa
3D: Super Mario Galaxy
Based on camera style for 2.5D games, there really are very few that should actually fit into the genre.
Because if any 2D game with any "graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional (3D) when in fact they are not", then why don't we call the majority of SNES/GEN/TG16 games 2.5D? A lot of those games used tons of tricks to make depth or a 3D-ish look to them but how are they defined... 2D.

Hey, I didn't make the definition, but the first part was refering to games with an isometric view point. Think of it like this: if I personally set a straight line to walk on and you see me from the side moving with me, am I suddenly not 3D? Saying 2.5D is just away to say its not completly one way or another it play or looks, its inbetween. 3D gameplay but 2D looks is 2.5, 3D looks but 2D gameplay is 2.5. Sonic 3D, Nights Into Dreams, Doom and NSMB are all considered 2.5D games you can also call them pseudo-3D and 3/4 perspective games.

[slowslow325]

2.5D was a term made to describe games like NSMB. So, technical definitions can't be applied. 2.5D platformers are platformers with 3D graphics and 2D gameplay.

The term 2.5D was around about a decade before NSMB...

To describe games LIKE NSMB. Not just NSMB.

But anyway, 2.5D is just a term for describing a game with 2D gameplay and 3D graphics. No technical definitions, or real world analogies. If we go with those, 2.5D doesn't even exist, so just stop.

You see, graphics can be 3D, but they can also be 2D. Gameplay can be 2D, but it can also be 3D. What happens when you combine them? 2.5D is born. Also, Pseudo 3D is born. Rad Racer = Pseudo 3D. NSMB = 2.5D.

[D.D.D.]

But anyway, 2.5D is just a term for describing a game with 2D gameplay and 3D graphics. No technical definitions, or real world analogies. If we go with those, 2.5D doesn't even exist, so just stop.

2.5D doesn't exist anyways. So by you trying to say that any game with 3D visuals but plays 2D equals 2.5D, you're basically trying to rewrite the majority of SNES/GEN/TG16 2D games into 2.5D games when they just aren't so. So whatever~

[Gamerforlife]

I kind of agree that there's no such thing as 2.5D. I think if my character moves from left to right than it's a 2D game. However, the 2.5D thing has caught on much in the same way stuff like Metroidvania has caught on for post-Symphony of the Night Castlevania games or Survival Action/Action Horror for recent Resident Evil games. So I just go with it. Arguments over labels and genres just kind of go on forever without anyone ever coming to an agreement anyway