/vr/ - Retro Games

[Anonymous No.9421554]

What's your honest opinion on Cinematic Platformers?
What's your favorite one

[Anonymous No.9421557]

Name 5

[Anonymous No.9421558]

[Anonymous No.9421559]

I play games that I like and don't think about their genre too much, I rarely if ever play a game because of its genre.

[Anonymous No.9421563]

>>9421557
Karateka
Prince of Persia
Blackthorne
Another World
Flashback

[Anonymous No.9421584]

this is my favorite one, and i think its the only one made by a japanese company.

[Anonymous No.9421586]

>>9421563
You missed literally the best one(s)

[Anonymous No.9421587]

Blackthorne.

[Anonymous No.9421589]

>>9421586
No, Blackthorne is on the list.

[Anonymous No.9421603]

>>9421584
It's fine, but a bit too focused on awkward movement-based combat, which is an objective bad choice for this kind of gameplay really.

Blackthorne pulls off action-oriented gameplay better with the firearm/cover system. That one seemed to be the previous /vr/ darling based on the working more obscure = more betterer logic of the board , but I guess it's too well known by now and Nosferatu is replacing it.

[Anonymous No.9421615]

>>9421554
theyre the kind of game i beat once, then never touch again

[Anonymous No.9421617]

>>9421563
>Prince of Persia
That's not a cinematic platormer, it's just slow and shit

[Anonymous No.9421625]

>>9421617
You don't understand the purpose of this thread. Either leave or lurk, but don't post.

[Anonymous No.9421626]

>>9421617
Prince of Persia has more to do with Blackthorne and Flashback on a gameplay level than Another World does. So, according to you, are those 3 NOT cinematic platformers, or they ARE and Another World isn't? Don't get me wrong, I do believe myself the label is stupid and misleading, but what's the point in making a subgenre with barely a handful of games even more "exclusive"?

Also F I L T E R E D obviously

[Anonymous No.9421636]

>>9421626
Because prince of Persia is the only game on that list that he's played (I bet he quit before he even got the sword) and he decided to shit on it. I dont know how else you'd single out prince of Persia for being "slow and shit"

[Anonymous No.9421640]

the only cinematic platformer I ever really likeed is not allowed to be discussed on this board.

[Anonymous No.9421659]

>>9421584
Played this recently for a bit and I think it soft-locked me into a room on the second or third level.

[Anonymous No.9421683]

>>9421554
Out this world blew my mind when It first came out

[Anonymous No.9421706]

I don't particularly enjoy the trial and error aspect and the "realistic" approach makes them a bit dull to play. But they have its charm.
My favorite is Bermuda Syndrome.

[Anonymous No.9421714]

>>9421626
>she could've secretly gotten ripped
>could've casually flipped the hourglass as many times as she wants
>could've given the prince as much time as he needs
>chose to be an anaemic wallflower instead
The girl from Karateka gives this one no chances.

[Anonymous No.9421809]

>>9421714
Wasnt that timer a countdown to her death? Flipping it would just make it so she didn't know how much time she had left.
If I'm remembering this game properly.

[Anonymous No.9421831]

>>9421809
If what I remember is right, it was the time the vizier has given her until she makes her decision. Regarding his proposal. Whether she chooses death if the prince fails I do not remember. I think it is so but not certain.

[Anonymous No.9421848]

I like Oddworld. Had it as a kid, felt like a puzzle platformer to me. I havent had much exposure to the genre though

[Anonymous No.9421853]

>>9421554
I like 'em. I still just call the genre Prince of Persia clones. Man deserves the credit, most of them don't deviate much from the initial formula. Nosferatu's my personal favorite. Great atmosphere. Feels good to beat the SHIT out of werewolfs and vampires, 1840s style. But you can still lose it all in a heartbeat so it doesn't detract from the horror feel.

[Anonymous No.9421856]

Here's a little piece of iconic video game history: The creator of Prince of Persia filming his little brother doing stunts on VHS to be digitized into the game. Magic.

[Anonymous No.9421861]

>>9421714
>she could've secretly gotten ripped
PRINCE OF PERSIA 2: TOO SWOLE TO CONTROL

[Anonymous No.9421862]

>>9421853
Compare this to other genres and its wild to think of how many of these PoP clones are good in their own right. Usually when devs play follow the leader, we end up with a lot of clones that don't quite understand what made the game good (See: SF2 clones and GTA3 clones), but for these games, the games that followed are almost all worth playing with their own distinct flavor.

[Anonymous No.9421871]

>>9421856
H-how did he film this one

[Anonymous No.9421878]

[Anonymous No.9421907]

>>9421871
He probably sat on a chair or something to get that awkward angle.

[Anonymous No.9422126]

>>9421554
you posted it

[Anonymous No.9422168]

>>9421861
kek

[Anonymous No.9422170]

>>9421871
He had more than one little brother.

[Anonymous No.9423025]

>>9421554
I remember constantly renting this game as a kid. It was just amazing

[Anonymous No.9423032]

I think they're cool, my favorite is Flashback. The combat is really satisfying, and it has some good music.

[Anonymous No.9423056]

>>9421584
Cool looking game marred by shitty controls. I like Prince of Persia (SNES) much better even with its shitty hell levels and annoying lag.

[Anonymous No.9423061]

Blackthorne had great atmosphere and music too. Where did that Blizzard go?

[Anonymous No.9423268]

>>9421856
Nice.

[Anonymous No.9423601]

>>9423061
>when you do it by mistake

[Anonymous No.9423617]

What's the name of the one for SNES (or Genesis) where you're a fugitive or a prisoner of some kind and you have to keep running because enemies keep spawning and chasing after you continuously.
The first level is in a jungle/forest of some sort and these enemies are immediately upon you and imho they even move faster than you.

It's the most anxious I've ever been playing a video game.

[Anonymous No.9423953]

>>9423617
out of this world

[Anonymous No.9423970]

>>9423953

No, not that one.

I found it. It's "No Escape"

https://youtu.be/FoScoSIfzm4?t=200

[Anonymous No.9424028]

>>9423617
>>9423970
Never heard of. Sounds pretty kino from your description.

[Anonymous No.9424065]

For me, it’s Demon’s Crest

[Anonymous No.9424183]

>>9423601
Accidentally wasting 3 prisoners because you're still learning the controls is the quintessential Blackthorne experience. It happened to me, and it happened to my friend when a a few of us were watching him play. As soon as the prisoner slumped over, we all joined him in death, due to our laughter.

[Anonymous No.9424498]

>>9423025
Very atmospheric, beautiful pixel art.
Fun game, varied and not too long.
I played SNES and PC versions.
I also love SNES prince of persia, great music adds to the atmosphere.

[Anonymous No.9424505]

>>9421856
based

[Anonymous No.9424556]

>>9421563
Going to qork is more fun than these games

Blackthorne was fun for maybe 2 hours

[Anonymous No.9424559]

>>9424556
Going to work is more fun than these games

Blackthorne was playable for maybe an hour

[Anonymous No.9424572]

>>9423617
they dont move faster than you, but you do have to keep running and look out for traps or theyre right on you.

[Anonymous No.9424868]

>>9423061
lookin-good.jpg

[Anonymous No.9425404]

>>9421554
Prince of Persia had so many terrifying moments. The mirror, the skeleton, and the the fat guy was pure nightmare fuel for my child self.

[Anonymous No.9425418]

>>9421683
Me too

[Anonymous No.9425424]

>>9421878
Yeah it’s so fucking good. How can people ever hate on this

[Anonymous No.9425428]

>>9423025
I did too. Out of all these this was my rental. Videotime was the store

[Anonymous No.9426406]

>>9424065
great game but it's a standard platformer.

[Anonymous No.9426420]

>>9421617
Um, lol

[Anonymous No.9426478]

I recently beat the 20th anniversary edition of Another World/Out of this World. Tried it once like two years ago, took a break. Finished it this week, then beat it in 20 minutes the day after. It’s cool that it doesn’t hold your hand, but there are a few areas that are just plain cryptic. In terms of the updated art style, some backgrounds looked really nice, while others looked like the soul was stripped away, and the characters looking like construction paper cutouts was an eyesore, so I stuck to classic graphics. The intro is kino, and escaping with your alien inmate is cool, but it seems that these sort of games lack any replayability whatsoever unless you’re a speedrunning troon. All in all, it’s trial and error with style.

[Anonymous No.9426481]

>>9421554
I really like it. I heard a youtube moron the other day call them laggy action games and I got pissed for a minutes. the fact that the characters dont immediately launch off the ground without bending their knees does not mean it is laggy. the cinematic platformers, as you call it, are more thoughtful platformers that tend to have a more fluid animation for their characters, a more interesting presentation, and force you to think more than regular platformers do.

[Anonymous No.9426502]

>>9426481
It's funny how many "reviewers" simply consider anything that deviates from their good-game checklist as a defect instead of even wondering if it's a conscious design choice that follows a purpose.

That said, I tend to agree that presenting realistic human animation isn't necessarily worth such a big impact to the gameplay, but honestly it's not even that hard to get accustomed to the "queued" nature of the input and it becomes second nature soon enough.

[Anonymous No.9426525]

>>9426481
Please. Charming though they were, they were clearly awkward gangly beasts to control. There's a reason animation-based action dropped completely off the face of the game gaming until technology was advanced enough to make it not ass.

[Anonymous No.9426532]

>>9426525
Please refrain from warpimg the well-documented evolution of the industry to cover for your lack of hand-eye coordination. The games played fine unless your body shut down under the existential threat of a game not handling like a garden-variety Mario.

Games with this playstyle came out consistently (in their deeply niche sort of way) throughout the 90s until they went away as the rest of 2D platformers did. Ultimately, 3D games replaced the "realistic" animation/cinematics selling point so they never made a real comeback.

[Anonymous No.9426543]

>>9421559
>I play games that I like and don't think about their genre too much, I rarely if ever play a game because of its genre.
So you are not capable to remember, but you wanted to share this instead? Is this some kind of retard self defense mechanism?

[Anonymous No.9426740]

>that one long jump in the first level of the second "planet" in Flashback

[Anonymous No.9426968]

>>9426502
For me the difficult part was parrying for some reason. I didn't bother learning to do it well until the skeleton.

[Anonymous No.9426979]

>>9421554
Oddworld Abe's Oddysee. Exoddus is technically the better game but it's a bit too long to enjoy casually

[Anonymous No.9426989]

Does it qualify?

[Anonymous No.9427105]

>>9426989
Why would it?

[Anonymous No.9427348]

>>9426968
The skeleton doesn't really require it, but though the game doesn't make a big deal out of it there's an unavoidable guard at the beginning of some mid-game level that always parries each and every first strike you launch. I guess that's a inconspicuous "wall" so the player is required to at least be aware of the parrying mechanic to continue.

[Anonymous No.9427369]

>>9426989
No is point and click game

[Anonymous No.9427374]

>>9421554
Yeah i miss these kinda of games

[Anonymous No.9427379]

>>9426525
Lel, they're now even more popular than before and resemble the exact same gameplay/style.

[Anonymous No.9427394]

>>9426979
I just consider Oddysee+Exoddus as a single game; after al the latter was a "bonus" title in the series made out of the overwhelmingly positive reaction the original got.

[Anonymous No.9427568]

any recommendations on gog or steam?

[Anonymous No.9428975]

>>9421554
How come these games never have good music?

[Anonymous No.9428981]

>>9426525
filtered

[Anonymous No.9429050]

i only played a few, it really depends on the type. i really like prince of persia for example, the game has levels that still play like a regular platformer (save for the unusual mechanics) but the game keeps throwing curveballs at you like the skeleton fight. i also really like the atmosphere the game achieves through minimalism. it looks fucking beautiful.
i played another world a long time ago, and that game in comparison felt like it had a specific list of instructions on what you need to do, which is probably the worst negative some of these games have. this thread made me want to get back into them again, ill check blackthorn and prince of persia 2.
>>9428975
to save space and add to the atmosphere i guess. another world and prince of persia had no music, and it worked for them
>>9425404
>fat guy and skeleton
fuck that shit, the closing jaws on every level are pure terror

[Anonymous No.9430221]

Would this genre ever work on modern games?

[Anonymous No.9430225]

>>9430221
Why would it not?

[Anonymous No.9430278]

>>9428981
>filtered
that's basically what it was. I remember now, the youtuber was gamesack guy, and he called 'out of this world' a laggy action game. really I think the point of every animation looking realistic and their timing to be very deliberate was because they wanted to make a platformer game within a different context than the standard arcadey types. the fact that he is a troll at times, but had nothing good to say about this whole sub-genre, tells me that people who didnt like cinematic platformers are people who missed the point of them. theyre supposed to be games you A. trial and error, and B. plan your next moves carefully for, because timing here is more nuanced.

[Anonymous No.9430310]

>>9430278
>because timing here is more nuanced
I wouldn't describe it like that, in fact the entire point is that timing is WAY more forgiving than in regular platforming games. Some anon above mentioned the input is "queued" instead of instantaneous, which I think is a very accurate phrasing.

People describing it as "lag" are factually wrong though (I myself remember the Gamesack guy using the term). It would be like stating that a polygonal game like Klonoa has "bad 3D controls".

[Anonymous No.9430319]

>>9429050
nosferatu on snes
it's a normal platformer and action game

[Anonymous No.9430321]

>>9430278
>gamesack
kek sounds like a youtube channel in idiocracy. videogame-bucket.

[Anonymous No.9430342]

>>9430321
Like any other YT channel, it's run by people who mix a lot of technical savvy in certain areas with comical ignorance about others.

[Anonymous No.9430343]

>>9421563
More?

[Anonymous No.9430351]

>>9430343
I can guarantee every worthwhile entry in the genre has been covered in this thread already. There's more stuff derivative of it, but not particularly good like picrel

I'd list my "essentials" as:
Prince of Persia
Flashback
Blackthorne
Oddworld
Heart of Darkness

[Anonymous No.9430356]

>>9421563
Karateka is the easiest game on earth.
It barely qualifies as a game. I'm pretty sure I could beat the DOS version blind-folded.

[Anonymous No.9430546]

Better than bing bing wahoo.

[Anonymous No.9430558]

>>9430546
High IQ post

[Anonymous No.9430571]

>Out of this World
please stop calling it like that

[Anonymous No.9430594]

>>9421554
SNES version of Prince of Persia is the best version, it has the atmosphere, the soundtrack, making it a more enjoyable experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydglTAvDcm0

[Anonymous No.9430640]

>>9430594
I love this version and it's a must-play but wouldn't call it the "best", the original being a perfect, minimalist masterpiece.
Also the doubled time limit kind of just makes that element irrelevant.

[Anonymous No.9430646]

>>9430640
Clearly they didn't figure out a proportional time increase based on the new content. They just said "fuck it" and doubled it.

[Anonymous No.9430661]

>>9430278
he's literally a retard who only has time for pure arcade action games. He called Rayman 1 a bad game, and recently shit on the Ooze, probably the most unique puzzle action game on Megadrive.

[Anonymous No.9430665]

>>9426478
>All in all, it’s trial and error with style.
Yeah, that sums up my biggest complaint about most cinematic platformers. I enjoyed stuff like Flashback and Blackthorne far more than Another World/Out of this World or Abe's Exodus/Oddysee. The ability to fight back and not have to deal with a lot of trial and error feels a lot more enjoyable to me. Can't really enjoy stuff like Prince of Persia or Nosferatu due to the trial and error nature of them and the time limits.

[Anonymous No.9430747]

>>9430665
The trial-and-error thing is a valid criticism of Another World, but it doesn't really apply to most of the rest. In AW you get very different "rules" for each section of the game, and often even the controls have different effects. In Prince of Persia or Oddworld, you get a consistent set of rules and when you die you always know what you did wrong: that's how most platformers in general work actually (besides a usually more forgiving damage system).

Another World is fun but it's just like a slightly more interactive Dragon's Lair: the difficulty stems from learning what to do and when more than it does from applying a core skillset in increasingly complex situations.

Heart of Darkness is probably a more natural successor to Another World than Flashback ever was, but it does a way better job to ground the range of action into something more natural and intuitive.

[Anonymous No.9430779]

Does "cinematic platformer" just mean better graphics and gameplay than Mario?

[Anonymous No.9430782]

>>9430779
Lurk moar.

[Anonymous No.9430787]

>>9430782
So, a solid yes? We have at least one Nintentarded jannie here, is it you?

[Anonymous No.9430791]

Is GBC Lara Croft any good?

[Anonymous No.9430875]

>>9421831
no she married the vizier and they had many kids, their progeny conquered Qin in the East and made an empire that spanned two continents. Her first son ruled more than 1 million people and is still reminded as a Great emperor. She died in her old age

[Anonymous No.9431042]

>>9430640
The SNES version is almost twice as long as the original so the doubled time limit is a good thing.

[Anonymous No.9432438]

>>9430571
Fuck you, Yuropoor.

[Anonymous No.9432543]

>>9430594
>>9430640
I only played and beat the original pc game. a shame I never had the snes version, as it looks great. how would you say the snes version compares to the prince of persia reboot on the pc?

[Anonymous No.9432718]

>>9430791
The first one is okay but overlong with samey environments, I definitely enjoyed the sequel much more

[Anonymous No.9433020]

Combining adventure game elements with action platforming is a great concept, but all of these games are savestate-only for me. Hate all of these on original hardware.

[Anonymous No.9433394]

>>9430661
Innsmouth look

[Anonymous No.9435489]

>>9421554
>"""""Cinematic Platformers"""""
what in the actual fuck am i reading

[Anonymous No.9435521]

>>9435489
Clearly not this thread. Lurk the fuck moar.

[Anonymous No.9435825]

>>9435489
Hi, zoomie.

[Anonymous No.9435842]

>>9435521
fuck off, retard piece of shit. reported.
>>9435825
get reported too, piece of shit.

[Anonymous No.9435848]

>>9430221
Ratuz did it pretty well.

[Anonymous No.9435856]

>>9435842
/vr/ really needs age verification to be able to post, zoomers are insufferable.

[Anonymous No.9435875]

>>9435856
what /vr/ really needs is reading comprehension because i'm pretty sure i told you to fuck off yet you're still going, ironic coming from someone calling others zoomers when you yourself can't let this go like a crybaby

[Anonymous No.9435890]

>>9421831
this are the kind of people calling these games """""Cinematic Platformers""""", they don't even know about the simplest of plots ever created yet they think they have any authority on the matter lmao

[Anonymous No.9435896]

>>9435521
you're the one not reading this thread when there are other people like >>9421853 >>9421862 who refuse to call it that """""Cinematic Platformers""""" retardation, so follow your own advice and read the damned thread

[Anonymous No.9435901]

>>9435890
Please learn the language you're using in order to communicate online, you retarded spic.

[Anonymous No.9435918]

>>9435896
So you know what people mean by the term and yet ask questions anyway? And you're calling me retarded because? Go argue over something as petty as terminology in a Metroidvania thread. We don't care here.

[Anonymous No.9435927]

>>9430640
>>9432543
>original pc game
the original was on the Apple II you fucking retards, the DOS port came later and it wasn't even by the same company.

[Anonymous No.9436279]

>>9423025
I did until I bought the Snes version. The Megadrive one ran better though.

[Anonymous No.9436390]

>>9435927
much like you, apple ii is forgotten and doesnt even count in the real world

[Anonymous No.9437654]

>>9421683
Same, it was so different to anything I had played. I was used to playing stuff like Commander Keen.

[Anonymous No.9438174]

>>9421559
fag

[Anonymous No.9439125]

>>9421584
Shitty controls my ass, moving around effciently and punching the shit out of monsters is great, and feels great to play when you actually get it. One of my favourite games ever.

[Anonymous No.9439260]

>>9421554
As far as the classics go, Out Of This World / Another World is by far my favorite. So fucking frustrating, but also such a weird trip to play as a little kid on the SNES. They're all good though.

Not actually retro, but since this subgenre is so limited and the only fans are retro fans, I can probably mention this. The Eternal Castle, which came out a year or two ago but is designed to be like a "lost" EGA cinematic platformer, is legitimately great. Try it if you like these kind of games.

[Anonymous No.9439282]

>>9439260
i know this is /vr/, but do you guys know any modern examples of this classic genre? im asking since there seem to be so few. the obvious mention for me is Rain World, Ratuz like >>9435848
mentioned, and The Eternal castle like you said. im not asking for discussion of these games, just some names, since i trust my /vr/bros more than any /v/fag

[Anonymous No.9439373]

>>9427394
Exoddus is an uneven level pack with a million mudokens to rescue and literal save states built into the game. Its fun but Oddysee is a pure experience.

[Anonymous No.9439393]

>>9439282
Honestly, a weird recommendation, but the vibe I got from Axiom Verge 2 was a lot closer to a cinematic platformer than a Metroid clone like the last one. Slower paced, way more focused on exploration and story discovery. It's really hard to put into words, because it's definitely a Metroidvania, but it also hits some of the same notes. You'll need to have played the first one to really appreciate the story though, but most people on /vr/ will probably love them both.

Of course, a true cinematic platformer is going to be rotoscoped and will really focus on the visual vibe as much as the story, which is why The Eternal Castle works so well.

It's just a genre that doesn't get a lot of imitators even today because it's hard to pull off, mainly because rotoscoping takes a long time to get right, and the only people who would develop 2D games today are indie studios.

[Anonymous No.9439401]

Actually, I can't believe I am remembering this game, but I rented SOS for SNES back once way back in the 90s. I actually got it by mistake where it was in the wrong box. I didn't like it at the time because of the time limit, but it definitely hits some cinematic platformer points (although not rotoscoped).

Basically, you're on a sinking ship like the titanic, and you're trying to escape and help the other survivors. The screen rotates and there's like an hour time limit before the ship sinks, but I think it's pretty "realistic" in the sense that there aren't monsters and extra lives and enemies, just environmental hazards and a really oppressive sense of time. If you get knocked out, you lose five minutes. I'm probably one of five people who ever played this, but it's probably worth trying.

[Anonymous No.9439507]

>>9421584
I'm still trying to figure out the damn controls on this one. It seems like a neat idea I just need to RTFM.
Love the art style and the atmosphere though. Pure kino.

[Anonymous No.9439626]

>>9439373
Exoddus' 300 Mudokons are less cumbersome and more interesting to take care of than Oddysee's 99 though. You can get the attention of any number of them instead of ferrying them one at a time, and they are more deeply involved in the puzzles since they have more than two states.

[Anonymous No.9439642]

>>9430343
Nosferatu
Star Trek Deep Space Nine on the SNES
Heart of the Alien
Zorro
S.O.S
Lester the Unlikely
Splinter Cell GBA games

[Anonymous No.9439726]

>>9421856
Kino.

[Anonymous No.9439780]

>>9423061
JFK splintered Blizzard into a thousand pieces and scattered it to the winds in the 1960s.

[Anonymous No.9439787]

>>9430661
This retard goes seething every time Doom is mentioned on sega-16 forums, because it killed golden era of videogames or something.

[Anonymous No.9439791]

>>9439401
It was on GCCX so it's probably well known by now

[Anonymous No.9439793]

>>9439780
You wouldn't believe the shockwaves that sent through the corridors of the gaming industry

[Anonymous No.9439794]

>>9423056
we're talking about Kino Ledgeclimbers. lag is built into the game because of the animation. OP's question boils down to "can you forgive poor control for impressive presentation?"

[Anonymous No.9441123]

Ok

[Anonymous No.9441138]

>>9421554
Does that SNES game where you have to escape the Titanic while it's sinking count? I haven't played it enough but that's such an ambitious idea for a 16 but game. Love how the environment will rotate randomly so you have to find a different route out every playthrough

[Anonymous No.9441142]

>>9441138
Ah didn't read the thread also forgot the game title. Cool game.
>>9439401

[Anonymous No.9441289]

>>9439401
>>9439791
>>9441142
Yeah I saw that game on GCCX, looked really cool. I like the branching story elements.

[Anonymous No.9442117]

Tomb raider is legitimately the best of them. No one else even dared a 3d attempt of the genre.

[Anonymous No.9442242]

>>9442117
They did, and failed. And later the approach was too obsolete because of much more accessible controls that still allowed for realistic animation.

Anyway, you may or may not be baiting but though I like Tomb Raider the gameplay is too different to 2D-plane games to actually be comparable