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They'd have to be dirt cheap for me to bother, and that's not something that Capcom OR Nintendo are good at providing.
I LOVE Gargoyle's Quest for the GameBoy, played it for hours on end and took it with me where ever I went. One of the all time classics in my eyes.
Considering I'm a walking conduit of nostalgia, I'll take low res monochrome graphics any day. But I can imagine others not being so satisfied.
if their meant to be like that, ill tolerate it.
Example: the All Stars version of SMB I fucking hate, but the classic version I love.
Example: the All Stars version of SMB I fucking hate, but the classic version I love.
I have no problem with black and white games. Hell, I'll put more hours into something like the Pokemon Red/Blue or Donkey Kong Land then I would any iPhone game.
Those games are before my time, the oldest game I remember playing being Sonic 2. Not sure if I could tolerate the black and white graphics. I think anything under 16-bit is hard for me to handle. (Not sure what that game up there is, though.)
I bought Donkey Kong for the GB virtual console solely on your and Dale's recommendation. I'd never played it (or any Mario vs. Donkey game for that matter) and I thought it was pretty damn great. Now I'm really looking forward to getting the GBA one from the ambassador program.
"How many people today think that black-and-white games are worth buying?" How many people today think that black-and-white films are worth buying?
@jawmuncher I'd give up my left testy for a new dino crisis game. Not my right one because he is special and named bob.
I've still got my copy of Gargoyle's Quest. Brilliant, underrated game.
"How many people today think that black-and-white games are worth buying?"
If b&w films can still get exposure, then I don't see why games can't. If the quality is there they can still be timeless - not to mention there's the 'retro'/'nostalgia' factor we gamers are often so fond of.
"How many people today think that black-and-white games are worth buying?"
If b&w films can still get exposure, then I don't see why games can't. If the quality is there they can still be timeless - not to mention there's the 'retro'/'nostalgia' factor we gamers are often so fond of.
@ Operative20- The game in the picture is the one the post is about. Gargoyle's Quest: Ghost 'n Goblins. i really like it!
@ Izanagi no Okami- Awesome! So glad to hear that you like the game. I've been planning on writing a feature about how great it is for a while, but it just never happens.
The GBA game is good too, but the levels aren't quite as great as the GB original.
@ Poopface Morty and LsTr Of SmG- A lot of people wont see a movie just because it's in black and white. Remember the "colorization" craze of the 80's? It eventually faded, but only because it sucked so bad. At the time, a lot people really were excited to never see another black and white movie again. As i'm sure you know, some folks will only watch a movie it's got "the best graphics possible", and that goes double for videogames.
Madworld 2 (eh... I mean, Anarchy Reigns) isn't in black and white for a reason.
@ Izanagi no Okami- Awesome! So glad to hear that you like the game. I've been planning on writing a feature about how great it is for a while, but it just never happens.
The GBA game is good too, but the levels aren't quite as great as the GB original.
@ Poopface Morty and LsTr Of SmG- A lot of people wont see a movie just because it's in black and white. Remember the "colorization" craze of the 80's? It eventually faded, but only because it sucked so bad. At the time, a lot people really were excited to never see another black and white movie again. As i'm sure you know, some folks will only watch a movie it's got "the best graphics possible", and that goes double for videogames.
Madworld 2 (eh... I mean, Anarchy Reigns) isn't in black and white for a reason.
if anyone searches second hand stores looking for old games then copies are still going to be a fiver upwards unboxed and unloved bring back these classics I say
Yeah, a lot of people wont buy it because its black and white, and as you point out Jonathan, a lot of people wont watch movies that are black and white or silent for that matter. But I think they miss a lot.
It's not that every b/w game or movie is good (and lets be honest, a lot of the games of the era were crap or didn't age well). But there are really good ones, and in the end only gameplay matters.
It's not that every b/w game or movie is good (and lets be honest, a lot of the games of the era were crap or didn't age well). But there are really good ones, and in the end only gameplay matters.
@ Jonathan Holmes,
That's a bit of a generalisation - what about Sin City for example? That's predominantly black and white. Heck, how about Schindler's List? Control? Good Night and Good Luck? Clerks?
If anything I think that these films prove that, so long as the product is good, people will buy and enjoy it.
'As i'm sure you know, some folks will only watch a movie it's got "the best graphics possible", and that goes double for videogames.'
I don't really know anyone like that, but then I'm quite insulated as I'm a film student. I can certainly see where you're coming from though. Don't get me wrong - I agree. For some people b&w will be too big a barrier for entry, but that doesn't mean there isn't a market for this sort of thing.
Heck, at the time of writing, 3 of the all time best sellers on the UK 3DS eshop are b&w Gameboy games - in positions 3, 4 and 5 - so people are evidently willing to buy them.
"Remember the "colorization" craze of the 80's? It eventually faded, but only because it sucked so bad."
Actually it wasn't just because it sucked, it was because many people criticised it for devaluing the films in question.
Take a read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_colorization
Pay particular attention to the part about the suggested colourisation of Citizen Kane. The whole 'fad' is actually quite an interesting thing to look into actually.
That's a bit of a generalisation - what about Sin City for example? That's predominantly black and white. Heck, how about Schindler's List? Control? Good Night and Good Luck? Clerks?
If anything I think that these films prove that, so long as the product is good, people will buy and enjoy it.
'As i'm sure you know, some folks will only watch a movie it's got "the best graphics possible", and that goes double for videogames.'
I don't really know anyone like that, but then I'm quite insulated as I'm a film student. I can certainly see where you're coming from though. Don't get me wrong - I agree. For some people b&w will be too big a barrier for entry, but that doesn't mean there isn't a market for this sort of thing.
Heck, at the time of writing, 3 of the all time best sellers on the UK 3DS eshop are b&w Gameboy games - in positions 3, 4 and 5 - so people are evidently willing to buy them.
"Remember the "colorization" craze of the 80's? It eventually faded, but only because it sucked so bad."
Actually it wasn't just because it sucked, it was because many people criticised it for devaluing the films in question.
Take a read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_colorization
Pay particular attention to the part about the suggested colourisation of Citizen Kane. The whole 'fad' is actually quite an interesting thing to look into actually.
I bought Donkey Kong on GB after Jeremy Parish recommended it so highly, and it's been pretty great.
...and hey, no dissing on MadWorld. That game had an awesome art style. Also, all the promotional material for Limbo was in black and white as well, and I'm under the impression that that game was a success.
...and hey, no dissing on MadWorld. That game had an awesome art style. Also, all the promotional material for Limbo was in black and white as well, and I'm under the impression that that game was a success.
@ LsTr Of SmG- It's true that a lot of people were against colorization because they thought that it impeded on the artistic integrity of the original black and white films. That's because the concensus amongst the mainstream is that films are a legitimate art form. Sadly, games aren't there yet. For a lot of people, it's not about artistic integrity when it comes to games, it's about the most colors, polygons, and textures per-inch. Can you imagine people getting upset about the "colorized" Link's Awakening DX?
As for the sales on the 3DS shop so far, I think that in general, games that people are nostalgic for will always get a pass when it comes to graphics. People will tolerate black and white graphics for a game they're already attached to, and people are really attached to Donkey Kong, Mario, Kirby, etc.
What I'm asking is, will people be able to form new attachments to Gameboy era games they've never played before? I hope they do, because Gargoyle's Quest is a great game that never found its full audience at it's initial release. Sadly, I'm not confident it's going to happen the second time around either.
@ LK404- I wasn't dissing MadWorld! I'm a huge fan of the game. That said, Sega was pretty clear on their feeling that it didn't sell as well as they expected, and I'm guessing they thing the visuals had a lot to do with that, hence the game's more conventional looking follow up.
As for Limbo, it sold pretty well for a downloadable title, but it also cost something like 4 million to produce, so I'm not sure that it made a ton of money.
Sadly, I think it would have sold a lot worse if it looked like an OG Gameboy game.
As for the sales on the 3DS shop so far, I think that in general, games that people are nostalgic for will always get a pass when it comes to graphics. People will tolerate black and white graphics for a game they're already attached to, and people are really attached to Donkey Kong, Mario, Kirby, etc.
What I'm asking is, will people be able to form new attachments to Gameboy era games they've never played before? I hope they do, because Gargoyle's Quest is a great game that never found its full audience at it's initial release. Sadly, I'm not confident it's going to happen the second time around either.
@ LK404- I wasn't dissing MadWorld! I'm a huge fan of the game. That said, Sega was pretty clear on their feeling that it didn't sell as well as they expected, and I'm guessing they thing the visuals had a lot to do with that, hence the game's more conventional looking follow up.
As for Limbo, it sold pretty well for a downloadable title, but it also cost something like 4 million to produce, so I'm not sure that it made a ton of money.
Sadly, I think it would have sold a lot worse if it looked like an OG Gameboy game.
@ Jonathan Holmes,
Oh no I totally agree with you I was mainly referrring to your comment about good looking films and using that as a counter point.
My main point re: videogames was that if the gameplay looks interesting there will be people that buy them. There's a seemingly massive subset of gamers that love sprite based games - colour or no.
"Can you imagine people getting upset about the "colorized" Link's Awakening DX?"
I see your point, and agree. However, while the argument about artistic integrity doesn't follow the same rules in games, there is the argument of cost to consider. Look at how some people were whining about the cost of Zelda OoT 3DS because "it's an old game with a fresh coat of paint". Thankfully they were in the minority, but again that's a separate subject.
The fact is that Gameboy classics are being released at a relatively low cost - lower than you could buy some of them second-hand - and it's because of this price that I feel those gamers interested in old games wont mind the lack of colour.
The colourisation of the games would add to the cost (except in cases where this was already completed), and also reduce the 'nostalgia' factor. Would the additional cost of colourisation be worth it? Would you pay an extra £1 for colour?
That's what it really boils down to - some people will, some people wont. What is really the issue is that Nintendo needs to better standardise it's pricing. That's what will put people off more than colour or non-colour graphics - let alone Nintendos wholly lacklustre promotion of more obscure titles. Considering the low output of new titles on the eShop you'd think they'd be able to promote the newer titles a little better - that's what's doing the most damage.
"What I'm asking is, will people be able to form new attachments to Gameboy era games they've never played before? I hope they do, because Gargoyle's Quest is a great game that never found its full audience at it's initial release. Sadly, I'm not confident it's going to happen the second time around either. "
They definitely will be able to form attachments to the games - quality stands the test of time. As you point out it's more a case of 'will they give them the chance' - and if Nintendo continues its indifferent promotion of titles then they maybe never will.
PS: Thank you for debating with me, it's one of the many reasons I love Destructoid. The editors/writers are all willing to have down to earth conversations!
Oh no I totally agree with you I was mainly referrring to your comment about good looking films and using that as a counter point.
My main point re: videogames was that if the gameplay looks interesting there will be people that buy them. There's a seemingly massive subset of gamers that love sprite based games - colour or no.
"Can you imagine people getting upset about the "colorized" Link's Awakening DX?"
I see your point, and agree. However, while the argument about artistic integrity doesn't follow the same rules in games, there is the argument of cost to consider. Look at how some people were whining about the cost of Zelda OoT 3DS because "it's an old game with a fresh coat of paint". Thankfully they were in the minority, but again that's a separate subject.
The fact is that Gameboy classics are being released at a relatively low cost - lower than you could buy some of them second-hand - and it's because of this price that I feel those gamers interested in old games wont mind the lack of colour.
The colourisation of the games would add to the cost (except in cases where this was already completed), and also reduce the 'nostalgia' factor. Would the additional cost of colourisation be worth it? Would you pay an extra £1 for colour?
That's what it really boils down to - some people will, some people wont. What is really the issue is that Nintendo needs to better standardise it's pricing. That's what will put people off more than colour or non-colour graphics - let alone Nintendos wholly lacklustre promotion of more obscure titles. Considering the low output of new titles on the eShop you'd think they'd be able to promote the newer titles a little better - that's what's doing the most damage.
"What I'm asking is, will people be able to form new attachments to Gameboy era games they've never played before? I hope they do, because Gargoyle's Quest is a great game that never found its full audience at it's initial release. Sadly, I'm not confident it's going to happen the second time around either. "
They definitely will be able to form attachments to the games - quality stands the test of time. As you point out it's more a case of 'will they give them the chance' - and if Nintendo continues its indifferent promotion of titles then they maybe never will.
PS: Thank you for debating with me, it's one of the many reasons I love Destructoid. The editors/writers are all willing to have down to earth conversations!
@ LsTr Of SmG- Absolutely! It's my pleasure. You make some really good points. Overall, I'm glad you're more optimistic than I am, and I hope you're right.
For the record I share Holmes' original worry. I have a cousin who still won't see Clerks despite enjoying Clerks 2. He just "doesn't do" black and white. Sadly, despite being a long time gamer, I don't see him getting excited over games like Gargoyle's Quest either...
I saw this, downloaded an emulator and this game... It's fucking great. It'd be hard to play without savestates, but i'm gonna buy it when it gets released on the the eshop.
There's something real impressive about such simple graphics being able to do so much, especially in regards to movement. Heck, after so much 2D Final Fantasy, playing Link's Awakening DX is like another dimension of player movement.
I'm concerned too , just as I see my friends ditching black and white movies I think the same thing will happen to games :P
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