Genesis games with campy characters

[Jeckidy]

Did anyone else notice (and I'm sure they did) how the Genesis, especially the early titles, had so many campy and ugly designs? What is ironic is that these games were the ones that more often than not took advantage of the system's high-res capabilities so we can see the campiness in all its ugly glory. Fighting Masters for instance is like the poster child of Genesis campy monster games. Valis and some of the WolfTeam/Renovation games, while being entertaining, had some really cheesy monster and ship designs. It's like something out of a bad 80's cartoon or anime, which I assume influenced much of those designs.

[TheFace]

I think that when you're talking late 80s and early 90s, you're talking abou a LOT of campiness. It was a weird time in that way.

[NeoVamp]

I wouldn't say it was weird, it was just the reigning style at the time.

I mean, in 20 years they are going to look back on the 2000's and ask "what was with all the uninspired cookie cutter fps games?

Back in the late 80's/early 90's nobody noticed, because what we now feel is campy was the norm back then.

[sheath]

I really miss the days when a new game character design could come out every month and could be based on *anything*. Bronze age barbarians and dwarves? Sure, futuristic super soldier, yup. Urban themed thug, you betcha. Bad ass ninjas, oh yeah. Teenage anime chick, yessir. It goes on and on, I could play as any kind of abstract warrior I wanted.

Ah the days before the mandatory WWII/Modern warrior/Urban Anti-hero.

[fatboy]

I really miss the days when a new game character design could come out every month and could be based on *anything*. Bronze age barbarians and dwarves? Sure, futuristic super soldier, yup. Urban themed thug, you betcha. Bad ass ninjas, oh yeah. Teenage anime chick, yessir. It goes on and on, I could play as any kind of abstract warrior I wanted.

Ah the days before the mandatory WWII/Modern warrior/Urban Anti-hero.

Amen to that! I loved how off the wall, but not completely stupid, the character designs were back then. Look at Valis: You take a blue-haired schoolgirl, stick Her in an outfit no schoolgirl should be wearing, give Her a sword, and stick Her in a magical fantasy world full of gooy monsters. Pure. Fucking. Gold.
Of course, there are still some neat designs in modern games. Take Touch Detective on the Nintendo DS, Very cool, Very cartoony, but by no means dumb looking.

[Nightwolf]

or when every company, dies to have a mascot.....

[Why-Disciple]

I think it had a lot to do with the fact that games weren't taken as seriously back then (games were all about fun, less about plot like Metal Gear or Resident Evil), and that they were trying to make characters to impress the kids. I thought Clayfighter was so cool and interesting back in the day, now it just seems silly. Eternal Champions has some really dumbass looking characters as well, but I'm sure the green fishman was something that 11 year olds thought was original. Then again, maybe it's just that characters like these didn't get a chance to develop because of the console restrictions and all the series not continuing onto 5th gen consoles.

[kool kitty89]

Did anyone else notice (and I'm sure they did) how the Genesis, especially the early titles, had so many campy and ugly designs? What is ironic is that these games were the ones that more often than not took advantage of the system's high-res capabilities so we can see the campiness in all its ugly glory. Fighting Masters for instance is like the poster child of Genesis campy monster games. Valis and some of the WolfTeam/Renovation games, while being entertaining, had some really cheesy monster and ship designs. It's like something out of a bad 80's cartoon or anime, which I assume influenced much of those designs.

High-res? The majority of MD games ran in H40 (320 wide) mode though a fair number did use the lower res H32 (256 wide), so that's not really saying much at all.

I really miss the days when a new game character design could come out every month and could be based on *anything*. Bronze age barbarians and dwarves? Sure, futuristic super soldier, yup. Urban themed thug, you betcha. Bad ass ninjas, oh yeah. Teenage anime chick, yessir. It goes on and on, I could play as any kind of abstract warrior I wanted.

Ah the days before the mandatory WWII/Modern warrior/Urban Anti-hero.

IDK, there's a lot fo that other stuff in more recent games too, just not the norm. (ie not in the majority, but still a significant portion of the overall market, especially including download only and handheld stuff) Hell, who would have thought Giana Sisters would ever make a commercial comeback... on a Nintendo platform no less.

Granted it was certainly more common to have such open-ended character/game themes/designs back in the 70s though the 90s (and a fair amount in the early 2000s even). Hell, fi some were dubious about the marketability of a hedgehog mascot, how about a bandicoot?

[NeoVamp]

Metal Gear is from back then!

Yeah funny how he mentioned Metal Gear, aka Kyle Reese from Terminator who's mission is to defeat Sean Connery Big Boss.
if only it wasn't for that damn Tom Berenger Gray Fox getting in his way all the time, luckily Kyle's Snake's radio contact is Colonel Trautman Colonel Campbell.

Metal Gear was the 80's Personified, It was pretty much Escape from New York with 80's actors.

[OldSchool]

I wouldn't say it was weird, it was just the reigning style at the time.

I mean, in 20 years they are going to look back on the 2000's and ask "what was with all the uninspired cookie cutter fps games?

Back in the late 80's/early 90's nobody noticed, because what we now feel is campy was the norm back then.

Nail Meet Head

I think it had a lot to do with the fact that games weren't taken as seriously back then (games were all about fun, less about plot like Metal Gear or Resident Evil), and that they were trying to make characters to impress the kids. I thought Clayfighter was so cool and interesting back in the day, now it just seems silly. Eternal Champions has some really dumbass looking characters as well, but I'm sure the green fishman was something that 11 year olds thought was original. Then again, maybe it's just that characters like these didn't get a chance to develop because of the console restrictions and all the series not continuing onto 5th gen consoles.

2nded ^



In response to the thread... I guess simply put... 'times are different'.



things change

[QuickSciFi]

Some of these titles did start-out much earlier on in 80s computers, like Valis. I personally love the cheesiness of Valis (the entire series). Even on the Genny it stands out to me as those average-to-good series ports that never lived-up to their originals (except Valis III), but still were really enjoyable.

I personally lean towards that style of platforming and/or sidescrolling gameplay; cheesy, average-to-good, yet rather enjoyable games like:

1. the Valis series
2. Jewel Master
3. Atomic Runner
4. Two Crude Dudes
5. The Revenge of Shinobi
6. Shadow Blasters
7. Technocop
8. James Bond 007: The Duel
9. Ghouls 'N Ghosts (Although this one, by far, constitutes one of the best gameplays on the Genny).
10. Mystic Defender
11. Strider (Sames as Ghouls 'N Ghosts, but campy nonetheless; though in a gorgeous kind of way).
12. Altered Beast
13. Last Battle
14. Beware the Ultimate Evil of Warlock
15. Jurassic Park (Surprisingly enough, not to be considered an early Genny title ).
16. Flashback
17. Out of this World
18. Forgotten Worlds
19. Cyborg Justice
20. Golden Axe Series (Also tremendously awesome gameplay)
21. Greendog: The Beached Surfer Dude
22. Robocop Vs. The Terminator (The awesomeness of this title is too great to divulge in just once sentence ).
23. Rolling Thunder 2 (A must-have classic)
24. the Shadow of the Beast series
25. etc...

also including titles beyond the side-scrolling genre:

1. Space Harrier II
2. Sword of Vermilion
3. Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun
4. The Faery Tale Adventure
5. etc...

P.S.> In other words, these are, to me, what usually constitute a "HIDDEN GEM". There are always exceptions on either end of the spectrum, of course (like Golden Axe, The Revenge of Shinobi, Strider and Ghouls 'N Ghosts, for instance, on the more mainstream and acceptable end; and others like Robocop Vs. The Terminator, Two Crude Dudes, Greendog, Atomic Runner, Shadow Blasters and Mystic Defender rising up as the truly under-represented underdogs of their respective genres ).

[sheath]

Some of these titles did start-out much earlier on in 80s computers, like Valis. I personally love the cheesiness of Valis (the entire series). Even on the Genny it stands out to me as those average-to-good series ports that never lived-up to their originals (except Valis III), but still were really enjoyable.

I personally lean towards that style of platforming and/or sidescrolling gameplay; cheesy, average-to-good, yet rather enjoyable games like:

I would actually include all of the NES, SNES, PCE-CD, Computer, and Genesis Castlevania games in this list. Valis III plays way too similarly to Castlevania III.