Pre-Rendered Backgrounds - Yay or Nay?

[Dr.K]

Are you a fan of pre-rendered backgrounds? Or do you prefer your in-game graphics to be a little more organic? If there's a method of shading or graphical type that you like, please specify it.
I like pre-rendered backgrounds. While they can sometimes actually destroy the atmosphere of a game, if applied in the right context they really do add so much to the playing experience.

[omnitarian]

I like pre-rendered backgrounds. Polygonal graphics can often become jagged and pixel-y, but pre-rendered backgrounds are always pretty.

[XxSephirothxX]

Pre-rendered backgrounds can be absolutely beautiful. Final Fantasy IX's pre-rendered scenes were gorgeous, and I've heard amazing things about Baten Kaitos.

[Lindy]

Baten Kaitos is the most beautiful game in existance.

Ever.

You all know how good Chrono Cross' pre-rendered backgrounds were? Take them, boost it to a 128 console and add in a dash of pastel colours and clouds and you have Baten Kaitos.

Beautiful.

[Dr.K]

I'd second that without hesitation. There's amazing, and then there's Baten Kaitos.

[Zifnab]

I'm not a fan. Oh, they looked fine on the Playstation, when realism was hard to immitate, but on the consoles of today I can really feel the stationary feeling to it. During Shadow Hearts I really noticed it. I much prefer fully functional backdrops where the camera is free to zoom in and swerve around the action.

[Lindy]

You need to see Baten Kaitos, you NEED to see it.

The backgrounds are pre-rendered but there's just so much...life to it.

Like there's a city in the clouds, and the clouds become large parts of the background, they flow and move and look like they're active while still remaining the quality of pre-rendered wonder.

It's perfect, though honestly I doubt any other game could do it as well.