/vr/ - Retro Games

>>2084021
>parallax scrolling (something that the NES was supposedly incapable of)

It is incapable of parallax scrolling, at least 'true' scrolling. True parallax scrolling requires at least two background layers to work, while the NES only had one. How RotJ did it is by animating the background areas by looking as if they were moving, such as the clouds in the first stage. One other method other NES games often employed was by splitting the image horizontally and setting each portion to scroll at a slower speed than the other; this system here is pretty much how the trainer battles work in Pokemon, the opponent is one half of the background scrolling right, the player is the other half of the background (with sprites for part of his hat) scrolling left.

Sword Master and Metal Storm both showcase the "flipbook" method of 'parallax' scrolling, the method wherein the background is animated with new graphics to appear it is moving. Notice the repeating patterns of the mountains and trees.