The 8-bit Myth
Jeremy Goodwin
jgoodwin@mail.snu.eduFor a long time we've been hearing about the superiority of X-bit games on every front. Ever since the Genesis was released around 1989, we have heard that X-bit games were so much better. Honestly, I think that I'm as sick of it as some other people are of hearing about certain other things that I choose not to mention.
There is a large group of people out there who think that anything after Vectrex isn't worth bothering with. Let's be frank, since the advent of the Atari 2600 and its partners in crime, Colecovision et. al., there have been loads of games, many of them extremely crappy, flooding the market. It was this flood of crappy games that lead to the oft forgotten video game crash of the late seventies and early eighties. People only remember the 'Frogger's and 'Pac-Man's of the gaming world, they forget the loads of sub par games that accompany every system.
I could argue that the Sega Master System had only good games, and that every game on the system had superb control and replicated the arcade versions perfectly. This would be untrue. The Sega Master System had its share of good games and its share of crap. For every 'Phantasy Star' there was a less spectacular game such as 'Rastan' or 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego.'
The PC Engine/Turbo Duo had its share of great games and crappy ones as well. I loved 'Neutopia' and 'Dungeon Explorer,' but not too many people would consider 'Double Dungeons' 'Impossamole' or perhaps even the first 'Bonk' game to be up to the level of its best games.
I could go on and on about every system that has come onto the American market, and the situation is actually even worse in the Japanese market. For every game that you wish would be imported there are ten or more other games that are really crappy. The wonderful thing about living with a 'dying' console system is that it encourages people to turn to the global market and pick and choose the best of the bunch, rather than putting up with the loads of bad games that they can see all around them.
The first dying system that I bought was the Sega Master System, I bought one of the second generation consoles, the SMS II. It played some cool games, and I got a lot of them really cheap at Toys 'R Us. The second dead console I bought was the Turbo Grafx - 16, which I later exchanged for a Turbo Duo. I bought this one long after its supposed death. The PC Engine encouraged me to explore the online aftermarket for games, and to consider the possibilities of import games, such as Bomberman '94.
Now I own a Saturn. Needless to say, there are crap games for the Saturn, just as there are for the PSX and Nintendo 64 (why is it that fifty percent of all N64 games end in 64? Just a question...) But there are some good ones, and the online community helps me choose from the best of the released US games, and helps me to import the ones that will never make it. I own 'Dead or Alive' which, as anyone who has played it can testify, is one kicking game. I hear now that it will be released in the US, but that no longer matters to me. If Capcom decides that they won't release Dungeons and Dragons Collection in the US, then I'll be one of the first to import it, along with the Four Meg RAM Cart.
But I digress...
The issue is the myth that certain classes of games are inherently superior to others, simply by virtue of their having been released at an earlier date or on an earlier system. The fact is that *some* 8-bit games were really hot stuff, and continue to be fun to play even at this stage of the game. In fact, some 8-bit games still have a pretty high aftermarket demand going for them, such as 'Phantasy Star' and the final two Nintendo Entertainment System 'Dragon Warrior' games. At the same time, certain PC Engine, Megadrive, and Super Famicom games are in high demand, such as 'Dracula X' 'Bomberman '94' and various other games.
Only time will determine which few games from this era of gaming will be in high demand, but I think that we can make a quick list of some of the best Saturn games available, such as 'NiGHTS into Dreams,' 'Dead or Alive,' 'Silhouette Mirage,' 'Layer Section/Galactic Attack,' 'Guardian Heroes,' and many, many others.
Not all games from the current generation should be dismissed as crap before they are individually rated on their own merits. Don't expect every game that comes through the door of your local Electronics Boutique to have precise control, innovative gameplay, and spectacular graphics and sound. Admit the fact that previous generations of console games have experienced the same glut of crappy games, and get on with your life.