Games you liked as a kid that hasn't aged well

[Ayen]

What are some games you really enjoyed as a kid but after growing up found that they haven't aged well at all?

As some of you know I played Spider-Man 2 Enter: Electro this past week, and it was nowhere near as good a game as I remember it to be. The voice acting and dialog at times were cringe worthy (Spidey was all right, of course), the controls were largely unresponsive, Spider-Man was poorly designed to be slow as all hell making boss fights unfairly difficult, and the game was filled with glitches. I don't even think some of the levels were spawning the enemies.

Discuss.

[Dat Matt]

FFVII. Shots fired.

Off the top of my head, there were a lot of Sega Saturn games I used to love but ended up being pretty crap when I replayed them. Examples of these are Sonic Jam's Sonic World and Sonic R. It was an odd time where they opted to go for new 3D environment. They were clunky, had awful cameras and controlled awfully. I spent a large amount of time just exploring in these games though. I can only look back on them with fond nostalgia, as they are really really bad games. Both of which can be finished in <30 minutes if you know what you're doing.

[Fynn]

FFX. I can't stress this hard enough

[Forsaken Lover]

Hm.... In terms of graphics, all of them have aged badly. Squall's face appears to be melting - or he has no face at all - when I get the closeup in the bedroom. I don't remember that when I was a kid.

I would say though, in terms of graphics and gameplay and everything ever, none have aged worse than Mission Impossible for the N64. I remember that game being awesome and different.

It's total garbage.

[Slothy]

I would say though, in terms of graphics and gameplay and everything ever, none have aged worse than Mission Impossible for the N64. I remember that game being awesome and different.

It's total garbage.

I came in here to say this one actually, but here's the thing: it was bad even when it came out. But it was good in the "it's so bad it's good," kind of way. There was so much wrong with it, but it also had some cool ideas and managed to be entertaining in spite of itself. I still love the game to death, but I will concede that as bad as it was when it was released, it has gotten so much worse with age.

[Wolf Kanno]

Of games I actually really loved, I would say Metal Gear Solid is the one for me. The story, music, hell even the visuals are not too bad but good god has the gameplay not aged as well as I had hoped. It was really jarring going from more recent entries and going back to it and thinking "I am so happy it doesn't play like this anymore". I have a sneaking suspicion that if I tried to play Brave Fencer Musashi again, I would get a similar reaction which is why I keep putting it off...

Ocarina of Time would be the other choice but I didn't feel it played that great back in 98 either so whatever.

[black orb]

>>> When I was a kid.. lets see..

The old fighting games I guess, like Fatal Fury and World Heroes...

FFX. I can't stress this hard enough

>>> How old are you??..

[Pete for President]

Of games I actually really loved, I would say Metal Gear Solid is the one for me. The story, music, hell even the visuals are not too bad but good god has the gameplay not aged as well as I had hoped. It was really jarring going from more recent entries and going back to it and thinking "I am so happy it doesn't play like this anymore".

Oh man I am completely on the opposite side on this one I'd say the gameplay remains the smoothest in the series and I think a lot of tiny detail elements are still more progressive than modern day gimmicks, even though I don't like to use that term in MGS regard.

In my opinion MGS gameplay aged well cause: no hand holding unless dialling codec, gameplay is about the sneak and not about the shoot (unlike later MGS games) thanks to auto-aim and handy camerawork, breaking the 4th wall with Meryl's code and Mantis' shenanigans, diversity and intensity of events in the second half of the game. Lest not forget watching the prison guard run with his hands on his butt as he runs to the toilet. What game does that?! Only MGS1! Never gets old.

The only mechanics I find not to have aged well are the clunky sniper rifle (though diazepam is cool) and crawling through vents.

[Wolf Kanno]

Combat is a chore in this game which does make the sneak more important but there are two problems with this: One you still have to fight the bosses and Ocelot and Mantis are mostly obnoxious because I have to deal with the crappy auto-aim. Two, the enemy A.I. is pretty ditzy in this game and so getting pass guards is pretty easy compared to later games where you have to be more careful even with the tranq gun I dislike.

Most of the game has aged gracefully as I stated in my original post but playing through it is just not as fulfilling from a gameplay standpoint as MGS2 and 3 were.

[Pike]

Probably Goldeneye 007. It's still one of the all-time greats as far as gameplay (IMO) but... those graphics...

Also agreed with black orb, anyone saying FFX (or anything from that era) is knee-high to a grasshopper as far as age is concerned.

[Slothy]

Maybe it's the fact that I've beaten MGS many times and have beaten VR Missions, but the auto-aim isn't crappy. It's actually extremely consistent and works quite well.

And the AI may have been a lot simpler, but that's part of the reason the game was a much tighter and smoother playing experience. Not to say the later games are worse because of the AI or anything because they're not, but MGS very much plays like a game that knows what it's about and does it extremely well, while the later games have much more breadth to them as far as what you can do which is also cool, but leads to a bit more of a balancing act from designer and player. A balancing act which hasn't always worked so well (tranquilizer gun in MGS2, the stealth and action dichotomy in MGS4).

[Bubba]

The majority of games from PS1/N64 era haven't aged well due to the jump to 3D. There are still some cracking games though that are still highly playable today. MGS being one that still stands up.

Quite a lot of N64 games though look terrible when you play them back. That console was a bit fuzzy even then. Still some incredible games for it though!

[Ayen]

FFVII. Shots fired.

Man down! Man down! We need someone to clear a path!

FFX. I can't stress this hard enough

Metal Gear Solid

Ocarina of Time

No, you two. I can't ask you to throw your lives away!

Fine! Be a hero! See if I care!

*escapes with Mr. Shauna*

[Fynn]

>>> When I was a kid.. lets see..

The old fighting games I guess, like Fatal Fury and World Heroes...

FFX. I can't stress this hard enough

>>> How old are you??..

I am 24, thank you very much. Also, I am an academic. I know my trout.

Also, I agree with Wolf Kanno on Ocarina of Time. It was a good game, yes, but later Zeldas (and ALttP) are just better.

And FFX is just incredibly shallow. I'm sorry. I used to love it and then I replayed all the games in the series later on and felt stupid for ever liking it so much. Now, I'll be sitting here eating my popcorn and playing the vastly superior and more sublime FFXII while I watch the troutstorm I have brewed

[Wolf Kanno]

Maybe it's the fact that I've beaten MGS many times and have beaten VR Missions, but the auto-aim isn't crappy. It's actually extremely consistent and works quite well.

It never felt natural and I don't believe for a second it worked well. Maybe for the limitations of the PS1 but I feel later games have improved this to some varying degree. The movement with it it is very clunky and I find it gets in the way more that I would like.

And the AI may have been a lot simpler, but that's part of the reason the game was a much tighter and smoother playing experience. Not to say the later games are worse because of the AI or anything because they're not, but MGS very much plays like a game that knows what it's about and does it extremely well, while the later games have much more breadth to them as far as what you can do which is also cool, but leads to a bit more of a balancing act from designer and player. A balancing act which hasn't always worked so well (tranquilizer gun in MGS2, the stealth and action dichotomy in MGS4).

The A.I. works for the time but not anymore. Seriously go through MGS2 or 3 and then back to MGS1 and you will understand what I mean about the A.I. not being nearly as good as I would like it to be. The issue here is that technology has marched on and unlike RPGs which have remained pretty static when you look at the "engine" action/stealth/platform games are the ones that really show the power of a new system. MGS1 is a masterpiece of it's time but it doesn't hold up as well as it's predecessors from a gameplay standpoint, hell I even feel that Metal Gear 2 has held up better.