[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/vr/ - Retro Games

View post   
File: 499 KB, 1169x1600, Castlevania_II_-_Simon's_Quest_(gamebox).jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4293648 No.4293648 [Reply] [Original]

Were old games made obscure on purpose to get you to buy magazines with walkthroughs, call tiplines, etc...?

>> No.4293662

>>4293648
Maybe but all it got me to do was be social and ask around. Love that game.

>> No.4293685
File: 180 KB, 408x398, 1501208541113.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4293685

Kind of? NES games have really small memory space, so the games would be very short if they were easy. If a game was too easy/short people may feel they weren't getting their money's worth, and the sales might tank. I'm fairly sure that Konami especially didn't like the whole 'renting games' thing, and as result Castlevania is harder in America, so you can't beat it in 2 days, without needing to want to buy it.

>> No.4294187

>>4293648
No. Old games were made "obscure" so they could be at all entertaining and challenging to children of the time.

>> No.4294712

>>4293648
Yes. One of the GCCX segments had Arino interview some dev who flat out said if they put cryptic shit in their games it would be featured in magazines and get more promotion. Also would generate more word of mouth on school yards too and get kids wanting it.

>> No.4295217

>>4293648
No, they were obscure to last longer.
Average full price modern game lasts anywhere between 6-10 hours, more for RPGs and open world games.

If you know exactly what to do and you're good at it, you can easily beat average retro game in 2-3 hours, not even speedrunning.

That's why Megaman has hidden boss weaknesses, that's why Zelda hides secrets behind trees and walls, that's why Metroid has bombable walls and SMB1 has hidden warp zones.
That's also why e.g. Doom and Wolfenstein 3D feature a lot of level exploration and backtracking.

To make games last longer for people who play them, while still allowing you to beat them quick if you know what you're doing.

>> No.4295604

>>4293685
>I'm fairly sure that Konami especially didn't like the whole 'renting games' thing, and as result Castlevania is harder in America, so you can't beat it in 2 days, without needing to want to buy it.
CV1 not having a save function was because they were too cheap to put in a save battery. CV2 and 3 have passwords because that was more standard by their release.

>> No.4295607

>>4295217
>and SMB1 has hidden warp zones.
No, warp zones exist so skilled players can skip the fucking boring introductory levels and get to the hard parts where they're stuck

>> No.4297632

>>4295607
You're right. Still, a similar principle, it rewards better players with speed.

>> No.4297842

>>4293662
This was definitely the intention as far as I can tell. They weren't conceiving of total shut ins when they made these old games. They were made difficult or hard to figure out to spur conversation.

>> No.4297914

>>4293648
No, but they were made with the idea you would read the manual before playing, which often included hints and tips that made getting into the game much easier. People who play roms blindly without reading the manual first are doing themselves a disservice.

>> No.4298080

>>4295604
Cv1 NES is perfect it dosen t need a save feature

>> No.4299328

>>4298080
You realize the save feature was removed for the NES release, right?

>> No.4299338

>>4293648
No that's just a meme. They were made like that as an easy means to inflate playtime.

>> No.4299340

>>4299328
It doesn't need one, it's a short game.

>> No.4299343

>>4299340
You don't need one, it's a short life.

*unsheathes katana*