Do any 8 bit or 16 bit game graphics still impress you?

[flux=rad]

On Genesis, I really like the graphics and style in Gunstar Heroes and most of the Sonic games. There's a ton of stuff on SNES that I think still looks great, most notably Yoshi's Island. I really dislike the pre-rendered, claymation style games on the SNES, though. I don't think the graphics on Donkey Kong Country or Killer Instinct have aged well.

[Wilykat]

Short answer: Yes.

I still like the look of 80s arcade games.

I still like the look of NES games. SMS games. SNES games. Genesis games. PC Engine games. Neo-Geo games. Et cetera.

I can still find and enjoy an old 8-bit or 16-bit game today that I hadn't played before, and come off impressed. For example, I only played Yoshi's Island for the first time last year, and the game absolutely floored me. Even in 2001, it was one of the most impressive 2D games I'd ever seen, not to mention how well-crafted the game itself was. For me, many games of that era are a natural part of my gaming diet, and I enjoy finding new ones.

I'm expecting to get an SMS in the mail today, so I'll finally get to see what the system has to offer, and see it outside of an emulator window for a change.

[Werewolf]

Creation of Heaven and Earth / Terranigma, Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean where all ahead of thier time graphically and I still think they are nice looking today

[Ranji]

I think there's a difference between being impressed by technological calibur and being impressed by aesthetic presentation. It's rather like the distinction between good art and technically realistic art. The two may but are not necessarily the same. The PSX Centipede was pretty hideous compared to the original, even if it was a greater technical achievement. Simplicity of form and a good eye for color can often be more pleasing than blazing fast polygons. I was playing Rayman 2 again recently, and although it's a pretty game, it's decidely inferior visually to it's predecessor which was practically a moving painting.

[galvatron]

Originally posted by Click_Stick
MS3... MotW, anyone?

Ditto...I'd also give Art of Fighting 3's animation a nod for smoothest in a 16-bit game(looks like flash interpolation). The game's art, was crappy though. I find that when it comes to 2-D, 16-bit can keep up with most of what we see coming out today (with fewer sprites, of course).

[johnk_]

Plok still impresses me with its crisp, colorful visuals, and of course, MS3 is amazing..

[GameZector]

I find the 3D dungeons in Phantasy Star to be impressive. Simple technique they used to simulate 3D, but it was impressive looking on the hardware. Battletoads and Prince of Persia also come to mind.

[Shine]

Far East of Eden: Zero for SNES had Impressive cutscenes as did Yuu Yuu Hakusho, and Yuu Yuu Hakusho: Tokubehuten

[gameoverDude]

Yes. Some 16 bit games that impress me graphically still are:

Alien Syndrome (arcade & X68000)- Very detailed and gruesome boss aliens that splat nicely when killed, good animation, and detailed backgrounds. It is hard to believe that this is an '87 game from just watching it.

Power Drift (runs on Sega arcade hardware with three 68000's)- You've got to see the game in motion. No picture does it justice. For a game with 2D scaling sprites, it sure feels 3D.

Space Harrier (Sega, dual 68000)- The artwork is outstanding and the sprites look good even up close.

MUSHA - Insane amounts of parallax in some stages. The one part where the floor's tiles fall out from below you is a jaw dropper. Great enemy designs.

Streets of Rage 2 - Gives Final Fight CD a run for its money in this department.

Space Megaforce - There's the mode 7 effects (Stage 2 uses them heavily), the "liquified" backgrounds, and the cool way the first boss fades in. The artwork is your usual good Compile stuff.

Axelay - Good artwork coupled with some nice SFX. If it were released as an arcade game at the time, it would not really have looked out of place there.

Pretty much all the Capcom CPS/CPSII games still look great, especially 19XX, Giga Wing, Forgotten Worlds, and Alien vs. Predator. A vs. P has some cinemas that leave your jaw on the floor, and the ingame graphics are no slouch either.

There are too many Neo-Geo games to name here, but I think even NAM-1975 and more than a few earlier titles still look great.

[Mr_Furious]

8 bit? No. 16 bit? Yes.