Awesome graphics

You probably clicked the title thinking that I was going to go on some ignorant rant about bad graphics or something. Graphics have indeed evolved. I look at games like Heavy Rain and I am blown away. This isn't about 3D graphics though. This is about the evolution of 2D graphics. Why haven't they evolved? Don't get me wrong, they have evolved in titles like Odin Sphere, Muramasa: The Demon Blade,Blazblue, and King of Fighters XIII. But it's just a handful. Odin Sphere was released on a dying system in standard definition, Muramasa was pawned off to the lower resolutions of the Wii, BlazBlue will probably not reach a huge market for the fact that it is a poorly marketed new fighting game IP, and King of Fighters XIII will not be too successful because it's a KOF game.

Sadly big companies will look at this game as an example of 2D failing in the market.

Most of us grew up on 2D graphics. When the NES came out we were shocked by the quality it had over the games on the Atari-like systems. When the 16 bit era came in we had the same reaction. When the 32-bit era came in- well... it started to fade. That excitement for colorful sprites was being replaced by pixelated trashy looking 3D games. I am not really bashing those 3D games though. I understand it needed it's infancy just as much as the 2D era did with Atari. By the 64 and beyond though, 2D was dead. With only a few games carrying the torch. These games were unpopular new franchises though (Tomba anyone?). We needed the franchises that got us where we were at to continue carrying the 2D torch. They could have done this while ushering a new era of 3D. Mario has done this to an extent. It's Paper Mario games has stayed 2D and have obviously been successful. So then why don't more companies take this route? Take this route on more than the DS or PSP.


I think it's sad that the few games coming from Vanilla Ware (Odin Sphere, Muramasa) were released on a dying system, or with the Wii, a system with a crappy resolution and too much competition from crappier titles. They could be part of the evolution of 2D gaming. A lot of you will say,"HD doesn't matter, Odin Sphere looks great either way". I say to you: No, it does matter. Super Street Fighter II HD Remix has "HD" in the title for a reason.

Get an HD television.

This, but in HD.

You might say that it is too risky to test the market with such titles. They wont sell to the masses. No, it will. It will sell without a doubt. Here is an example of a game that I believe would sell over a million copies without fail:

Sonic the Hedgehog 4

This game would have nothing but hand drawn artwork and sprites. The game would run at the smoothest framerate possible and it would blow fucking minds. Even the casual "GRAPHICZORGOHOME!" crowd will understand that this game could only be done on today's hardware. You may say that it will fail because the Sonic fan-base has been betrayed time and time again. No, it will not fail. Take Mega Man 9 for example. While it isn't an new hand drawn HD Mega Man. People still forgot all of the shitty games between it and the older ones and bought the shit out of it. SSFIIHDR sold tons of copies as well. Make Sonic 4. It will sell. It will sell without a doubt.

This is what I am talking about. Even better though.

If big names like Sonic would do this, it would bring a new era of 2D gaming that the people would love. Imagine if Strider came out with a hand drawn sequel? Streets of Rage, Metal Slug, Final Fight, Battletoads, Castlevania, Metroid? Come on people. Make these games! I have been waiting since the SNES for graphics to improve! That is unacceptable.

I don't want 3D games to die. I want them to enhance tenfold. But why kill 2D in the process? You want to kill hand drawn art? For it to forever be reduced to the Gamestop pre-order concept art-book? I am not saying that 3-Dimensional graphics should replace 2-dimensional graphics.

I am just saying that the sculptor never replaced the painter.