Old School vs New

[Ezekiel]

This topic pertains to a lot of game series, so it be best if you listed which old school ones you prefer, and which new ones you prefer. A good example is the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The first ones were pretty simple. The basic idea was to hold in right and jump (in the simplest of ways) It was 2D, and all you had to do was hop on a monster to kill them, or use the spin dash. Then Sonic went 3D. Fast forward to Sonic and the Secret rings, or "Sonic the Hedgehog" for 360. Completely different gameplay. An actual storyline was put into it, with a bunch of characters, plot twists, etc. (Not to say old school had no plot, but it was as basic as can be) So, what is better in your opinion?

Old School - More simple and generic. Very nostalgic, nothing too flashy

New Age - Complex and focused on plots. More depth, but not nostalgic?



So, if you had to choose, which would it be?

or does it depend on the series for you?
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[Username]

It usally does depend on the series but I usally like the Older games but don't hate the new games and embrace them as I would the older games becasue the age of the game really doesn't matter if you are having fun.
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[Ikano]

I'd say it definitely depends on the individual games. Like for example, I for one really liked Contra 3: Alien Wars (for the SNES) but if the game was ever remade into say a Kingdom Hearts fighting sytem or something similar I would not like it as much. On the other hand It's not to say I do not like Kingdom Hearts and other games "newness."

In the end I think games have evolved for the better but some aspects just don't carry over to the advanced age as well as others and old school sometimes is still better in those aspects.
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[Overdose]

It is like the Sonic the Hedgehog games, I remember on the SoSZ forum a topic was started about whether the old or new sonic games were better. Its just the fact that the old sonic games were top of the class in the platform market while the new games are seen as very average.

It stands by Nadistu's oppinion of how certain aspects of old school don't carry over to the advanced age. It being simpler with less character in the end made it a better game.
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[Luceit]

It's very dependent on the series for me. I'd say that I like a higher amount of old school RPGs than I like new school RPGs, but the my rating of new school RPGs tends to be a lot higher.
I like old school RPGs because they have a simple charm that is difficult to replicate. For instance, although the Lunar series had a basic 'save the world from evil' plot which I would normally dislike, the characters had good chemistry and the story had a lot of funny scenes that tickle my bone to this day. Likewise, I had also enjoyed the itty bitty graphics that represented the characters because they were cute and nice to see.
On the other hand, new school RPGs are interesting to me because they require me to think about the story and not just nod my head blindly. I cannot play it just to enjoy, I must savor it like a book and think constantly about the actions I make. Besides that, the music also tends to be made from real instruments, so it's more pleasant to hear.

I guess that the disadvantages of each school of RPG to me would be as follows:

Old school: The plot tends to be too simple, so once you've played one, it feels like you're doing the same thing over and over. Some also don't have a lot of replay value.

New school: Some stories are overcomplicated, some focus too much on graphics. I'd say that some just simply don't interest me for a strange reason as well.
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[HarmonianHiccup]

I find myself preferring the games that kind of cross that line—Phantom Brave, Disgaia, the hand held Fire Emblems, etc. I like the old school feel with the new control schemes and focus on plot.
I am not a "graphics" gamer. SUre, if it looks nice that's great, but what about the gameplay, the music and the story? I'm not going to launch into my tirade here--some of you have heard it often enough already.

However, I do have to say that putting the blanket statement down tat old games didn't focus on plot as much is untrue--take a look at Final Fantasy IV and VI—they're some of the most plot intensive games I've played. In fact, I might argue that old school RPGs HAVE to focus on plot more than anything because they can't really impress in other ways...
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[Luceit]

I actually found them to be interesting, but the old school RPGs I played were more likely to have a generic plot than not. Some examples I can think of are games like the Lunar series (I like it, but I admit that it's rather straightforward) and perhaps the first Wild Arms game. Even so, games like Final Fantasy Tactics have a remarkably complex story, which I think people are picking apart until this very day. :) Perhaps it's just because I supplemented my RPG gaming with lots of fantasy books, so most plots get boring for me fast.
For the record, I'm embarassed to say that I never got to play Final Fantasy IV and VI, but I know that they have complex plots. I didn't say that they are all generic; I just said that the old school RPGs I played tended to lean towards that direction. The thing I like about old school RPGs is that they are easy to get into and you don't need to be an expert at them, but at the same time, new school RPGs keep me thinking for a long time, so I get to mess with them for a longer time.

I can enjoy both schools, but I'm not going to say that they're neccessarily alike. I'd say that I like complex plots more than simple ones, so games like Tales of the Abyss greatly appeal to me with numerous intricrate plots interwoven into it, but at the same time, I can also enjoy a game like Atelier Iris even though it's far easier to understand. It's rather hard to explain how this can be, but I'd chalk it up to character chemistry. I find the character cast in Atelier Iris very entertaining, and as such, it tends to make me forget that it's a 'save the world' plot all over again.

In truth, I couldn't really care much whether a game is old school or new school since both of them still need to have good stories in order to succeed. As long as I enjoy them and whatever characteristics they have is well-done, it's still going to be a good RPG.
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[Elc]

For me, it's not all black and white. I'm a huge fan of "old school" RPGs and even prefer the simpler graphics over the 3D explosion. I certainly don't dislike the newer games with advanced graphics, though I often find it disconcerting when people moan about the graphics or use outdated graphics as an excuse not to play older games.

I actually knew somebody who couldn't play past Zelda games after a new installment was released because they didn't have cutting edge graphics. While I will admit that the graphical presentation to Wind Waker didn't appeal to me at all, I did try out the demo... for several minutes, before deciding it wasn't for me. But while graphics can make a game look pretty, it doesn't help much if the gameplay itself isn't any good.

Following graphics in the eyes of the gamers of today is a spoken script. Yikes, if any aspect of a game can be potentially volatile, it's the inclusion of voice acting. Today's games essentially demand it and then they bitch when it is not done to their satisfaction. I mean, heaven forbid that we must actually *gasp* read text, we should have it all dictated to us, dammit!

Eh, sorry 'bout that. I just get so tired of people whining because they don't like the voice they gave this character or that one... and people want a Tenkai who talks? You do realize that's opening up a huge can of worms, particularly when people generally don't like the voices and/or the acting of the characters who have voices.

Sometimes, however, people actually bring up valid points, such as with SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 the commentary is flat out wrong on a disturbingly frequent basis. Or, with certain options, a male ring announcer will be in the ring with the introductions done by the female ring announcer. When you consider these particular screw ups weren't present in the previous edition, those raising their voices about it have a valid point. But whenever I see people complaining about x-character's voice or how they're disappointed in the dubbing in general, all I can hear in my mind is Chris Jericho's "Will you please, shut the hell up!" Since I don't actually say, don't take it personally if you're of the type that likes to complain about dub jobs in general.

My biggest gripe about the "new school" games is how, if you're Square-Enix for the most part, you end up watching thirty to forty percent of the game instead of actually playing it. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the future of Square-Enix games essentially became CGI point and click interactive movies.

The problem I find with CGI cut scenes, particularly from Square-Enix, is they don't even make an attempt to blend with with the in-game graphics. Take Final Fantasy VII, for example, the in-game graphics featured blocky super-deformed sprites whereas the battle and cut scenes featured more detailed sprites. Now, take Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The cut scenes flow with the in-game models and even reflect whatever equipment you have equipped at the time. You won't get Link wearing a blue tunic in the gameplay mode suddenly being replaced by Link wearing a green tunic in the cut scene. It's all about the presentation. Square-Enix's policed cut scenes certainly look nice, but they would be so much better if they blended with the game rather than point out the limitations of the in-game graphic engine.

Oh snap, I've gone off on a tangent. I think I'll just shut up now.

[Starslasher]

I'm going to have to sit on the fence for this one. They both have their good and bad points. It is ultimately about the series itself, for my tastes.

Old School - There are games like Final fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger, those games were just so enjoyable. And they will continue to remain so, i think, until the end of my days. Then there are the fighting games, which i don't think i would enjoy much, like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. But i wouldl like to try out the Fatal Fury series, and the old King of Fighters games, which i must admit, i didn't get the hang of before. However, most of the games from before were platformers, but not all of them were bad, Sonic being a prime example. I did want to play the old Metal Gear games though.

New - Some have focused a but too much on graphics, or were just ripped from TV shows of movies. And then there are some that revamp the old games. Like Tetris. It's not that bad, but you can't beat the classic, IMO. Everything has become more 3D, which adds a tad more complexity to the gameplay. But i enjoys complex games, sometimes. I do like the 2D fighting games that are coming out, like KOF, Samurai Shodown, etc. Sure, it's very flashy and showy, but it sure if fun when you pull out super special moves and Ultra special moves and such. And it's become a bit more faster than the old games. And on a different note, more and more game developmers try to add more realism to each game, which isn't a bad thing.
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[Sir Kan of Grassland]

New School all the way.

[Geddoe-9]

I think graphics has played a big role in the evolution of games.

[Rakuna]

As far as old school goes: I like the older games like Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy I, II, and VI, the original Sonic the Hedgehog games, Bomberman, and the first Pokemon games for Gameboy.

New school: Games like Final Fantasy XII, Xeno Saga, and the more recent Suikoden games.

Games I consider 'in between': Suikoden I and II, Legend of Mana, Echo the Dolphin, Final Fantasy VIII and IX, Secret of Evermore, and Xeno Gears.