Games played: Earthworm Jim 2 (0:00), Earthworm Jim (0:28), Sonic Adventure 2 (0:38), Sonic Mania (0:54), Super Metroid (1:10), Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1:20), Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (5:20), Castlevania: Bloodlines (5:45), Metroid Fusion (7:45), Metroid Prime (8:33), Mega Man 2 (9:13), Mega Man X4 (9:40)
Your channel truly inspired me to start a collection of my own and I can now proudly say I am the owner of at least twelve bread bag clips. Keep the hits coming, Bird!
This channel's quality to view count ratio is downright criminal. Someone needs to arrest everyone not watching Retro Bird and kindly force them to do so.
@cultivatedgamer well this channel is doing pretty well considering a lot of the more popular video topics here *very* similar to recent GameSack content topics
Zelda. I played Ocarina and loved it. Then a couple years later played Link to the Past. That’s when I realized what made the series so great, and made the SNES entry standout a little more
It was a fairly good game, too bad about all that backtracking though, and I still think it's not nearly as good as Mario 64. There are actually fan made ROM hacks of DK 64 which let you change characters instantly to significantly reduce the need for backtracking, which is very cool. You'll likely need a "flash cart" to play user made ROM hacks.
@@RetroBirdGaming DK64 is good in it's own way, being nostalgic, lengthy and content-packed. But when Donkey Kong Country Returns came out, it felt like a continuation of the SNES trilogy, going back to 2-d, and delivering that classic platforming action. DKCR was a treat! and i hear Tropical Freeze is just a good
Man, I have to say. I only found you about a month ago but you make the most enjoyable videos on TH-cam. I genuinely laugh out loud at your humor and delivery, and I look forward to new videos like my favorite show each week. Keep it up, and I'll keep watching.
The first 3 final fantasy games were before my time and rough looking. I was born in 88 and I feel ff6 style was the perfect style for a 2d ff game. I really enjoy the octopath travel games because of it.
@@Franco-64Yes but the newer games ARE 2D games. MK's 3D games were games after MK3 and before MK9. All the modern titles use polygon graphics but keep their gameplay strictly 2D.
Yea, every Street Fighter is technically a 2D fighter & the 3D MK games were Deadly Alliance, Deception, & Armageddon. Then when WB bought Midway, they went back to 2D fighting with MK9 & it's been that way ever since. Tekken & Soul Calibur are the only popular 3D fighters left.
My top 5 video game channels without any particular order: AVGN, Snes Drunk, Gaming Historian, Game Sack and now Retro Bird, which I discovered this year! Keep up the good work and greetings from Colombia. 😃I'm currently watching your old videos every time I can.
There's something about your casual, nonchalant sense of humor, your cutaways accompanying them, and your general tone of voice that really makes this channel feel like Scott the Woz's evil ginger twin... (and i'm saying this in the _best_ way possible)
It's always a fun time on this channel and definitely another great vid. Thinking of other games that are better in 2D, are Splatterhouse, Shinobi, Contra, and most fighting games (Street Fighter, Samurai Shodown, Fatal Fury and etc) come to mind.
I really wish for 2D Zelda to come back. As a big Zelda fan of course I picked up botw and totk, but I just can’t get the hang of it. Did enjoy the 3ds games though. Great video again!❤
Unfortunately BotW was too popular for them to return to any semblance of older titles. Which is really sad because I liked every Zelda game before it.
I'm a retro gamer who loves fighting games (seems to be a rarity nowadays) so I'll say that I'm glad that fighting games have, for the most part, stuck to their guns in terms of 2D vs 3D. Games that started as 2D franchises (Street Fighter, MK, Samurai Shodown, KoF, etc.) have stayed 2D fighters over the years while those who started as 3D fighters (VF, Tekken, DoA, etc.) have stayed 3D. The exception to this is MK which had some 3D games during its awkward phase. I think the evidence is pretty clear that sticking to what you're good at is the best choice for fighting games.
Oof... coming out swinging against my beloved Earthworm Jim 3D. It's bad, but it's like that stray dog you find under a dumpster. It's not for everyone but I can see the charm through the garbage😉
I appreciate the love given to Demon's Crest. Discovered it recently on your channel, tried it out on the Switch (loved it) and had to snag an SNES copy for myself. I can barely put it down when I start playing.
I just love all the 2D games over the 3D ones. They are more simplistic & you see everything on the screen as the camera follows you. Plus tighter & better controllers. Here are some I like over the 3D ones. Super Mario Bros Donkey Kong Country Sonic Mega man There's probably more that I am forgetting to list. I just like the 2D art style & gameplay better.
Metroid is the obvious one. Not only are you much more limited in 3D with the controls but the graphics as well. The 2D Metroid games have beautiful Alien inspired pixel art and it doesn't come across the same way in 3D. That said Metroid Prime is still a damn good game. Contra would be my other pick, although Neo Contra showed us that it can be done well. Now you need to do a Game Series That Were Best in 3D. :)
@@markula_4040 The video is not about 2D games that made horrible transitions to 3D. If it was then yeah, Contra would be one of them. It's about 2D games transitioning to 3D, which are still good or mediocre but the 2D games were better.
I didn't play Super Metroid until the SNES Mini came out. I did play the original when it came out in the 80s, but never got around to Super until all that time later so I went into it with zero nostalgia other than a little for the original. It's one of my favorite games ever made.
I didn't play super Metroid until about 2019 when it was on the free SNES games on switch. 😂 I cannot believe I never bothered to play it before, when I was like 8 my buddy was obsessed with super Metroid back in the mid 90s but I never saw it's appeal. It's a 10/10 2d game
@@randybobandy9828 I knew of it, but didn't own an SNES back then. I played it at friend's houses. It's fun to play but boring to just watch. I was camp Sega Genesis so in 94 I was all about stuff like Beyond Oasis, Earthworm Jim, and Castlevania Bloodlines so I was good on my end at the time. Then not long after that got a PS1 so I didn't really return to SNES until the Mini came out.
I’m pretty happy we are in a world where we can have both 2D and 3D. I honestly think you said it best at the end. It is better to make a new concept for 3D instead of trying to fit a 2D game into a 3D game. However I will always say that a top down game will almost always have a smoother transition than one from a side view. Action platformers like Mega Man and Castlevania have to almost always drop the platforming element for 3D games to create a better experience. But even with the side view moving to 3D, Mario, nailed it from the get-go, and both types of Mario games are some of the best games of all time
Doug TenNapel’s art style is underrated. People fondly remember Earthworm Jim and it’s withstood the test of time. EWJ, The Neverhood, Skullmonkeys, Armikrog, multiple comics with Image, self published comics, and Nickelodeon’s Catscratch. That’s a resume. I still buy his comic books when they do come out. These days they are few and far between since he’s doing political commentary daily over on Doug in Exile.
With castlevania I would certainly agree with the 3D aspect change, if not for lords of shadow. As a classic gamer I find that to be one of the most impressive 3D transitions. I was always a nes and super castlevania fanatic. I never would’ve thought a 3D castlevania would be my favorite
Update on my first playthrough with Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade as of 3-16-2024: I’m in Chapter 7 and I’m starting to understand the battle mechanics. First off, stupid me didn’t know how to switch between characters by pressing UP on the d-pad. No wonder I kept getting my ass kicked early in the game. But it started to get a tad easier once I had three characters in my party to use. Once Cloud, Tifa, and Barret got together, OG trio, it started to get easier. It’s true that by the time you’re 5-hours into the game or in Chapter 6: Light the Way, the battles mechanics starts to make more sense. I’m still annoyed by how hectic it can be. So much stuff going on screen. It’s like that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World movie where it’s made for people with extreme ADHD. And I’m not into all the slow motion stuff although it does give me some time to think while waiting for my ATB to fill up. I know all the other stuff like how to use Materia and weapon upgrades since I’ve beaten 8 FF games before. I do marvel FF7R’s graphics. Almost everything looks perfect. No ugly pop-in. Great distance draw. There are some stutters and slight hitches of lag, but it’s generally 95% smooth. And for character development, it’s definitely superior to the OG. Man, all these hot chicks (Jessie, Tifa) keeps shooting their shot with Cloud, this hot blonde guy, and he keeps shooting them down. WTF, Cloud? Jessie is so thirsty for Cloud’s mushroom 🍄 cloud. 😂 It’s amazing to think we can play video games with amazing graphics like that on a handheld and not spend over $400 for it, or for my case, only $250 or $100 cheaper than a new Switch OLED, $50 cheaper than a new Odin 2, and $50 more than a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro. Steam Deck is like manna falling from the sky for cheap ass gamers like me because Gabe Newell is our God. Going back to FF7R, I’m still not sure if I like it more than the OG. The OG was like the first AAA title game and it was the one that helped Sony win the console war in Gen 5. There’s still some issues I have with the Remake. I’m aware of the time ghosts that people have complained about. I did have to fight them with Tifa. I’m not completely engaged to the story. But perhaps once the FF7R Trilogy is complete by 2028 or so, it may end up my all-time favorite as this was the FF7 that was meant to be in 1997 only limited by our technical limitations during that time. Where’s Aeris in the beginning of FF7R? I thought Cloud would walk her back to her house? You see her in the intro and Cloud meets her briefly in Midgar, but you don’t see much of her from Chapter 1-6. It’s a lot more of Jessie, the former actress, who has the hots for Cloud and she wants him to Omnislash (or Omnismash) her in the bedroom. Roche, the dude on the motorcycle, annoys the shit outta me. I’m still f*cking amazed by the Steam Deck. This was the device that really brought me back into gaming. I have a modded PSP, modded Vita, Switch Lite, and I emulate games on my Android smartphones. I also have an iPhone SE 2022 to play popular indie games found on other platforms. But it’s the Steam Deck that really brought me back from my gaming hiatus that lasted for about 17 years. The last time I really gamed on a home console was when I beat Twilight Princess on my Wii and rented and beat Metal Gear Solid 3 and God of War on my PS2 way back in 2007. After that, my focus was more into smartphones after the iPhone was announced. I only became a casual gamer playing games like Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies and Cut the Rope on my launch day iPhone 4. Steam Deck is my GOAT! I’m aware it’s not the strongest PC handheld out there. ROG Ally Z1 Extreme and Legion Go are more powerful. But I don’t want to play every single game out there because I’m not the biggest fan of many AAA modern games from Gen 7-9. So I don’t really need all that power. As long as I can play FF7R and Uncharted 4 on the go and they’re buttery smooth for the most part, I’m happy. *Steam* *Games* *(10)* Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Batman: Arkham Asylum Batman: Arkham City Batman: Arkham Knight DuckTales: Remaster Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Shenmue III Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection The Witcher III: Wild Hunt Yakuza 0 Technically, 11 games since Uncharted is a two-fer. But I mainly bought it for The Thief’s End. I guess no God of War and Red Dead Redemption II for me. Then I got 10 games each for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Wii. May add another 10 for the Dreamcast since I’m considering putting those games back. Whatever console that I enjoyed owning that my Vita can’t emulate, I’ll put it in the Deck.
Hey man, I'm not feeling very well, but laying in bed & binging all your videos made me feel a little better, you're so funny and smart, thank you for your work!
You have your own style and it’s great! The shots of you actually playing the game in front of the screen make the gameplay footage more connected to the actual experience imo. And while I like the 3D Mario games (especially Sunshine), I grew up with the 8-bit NES games and then Super Mario World and while, yes, it’s probably nostalgia-driven, I appreciate the 2D games so much more and was glad they revived 2D Mario. Also I thought I was gonna like 3D Land/World so much more than I did. I found it more fun to watch other people play it 😂
My lack of Castlevania experience now explains why it's do dang hard to eat food properly. Good thing I've got a bunch sitting on my shelf for this coming autumn!
A good follow up to this video that goes along the same lines of, “games that got worse by following industry trends,” could be “games that did it better in closed rather than open world designs.”
Metroid Dread was a great addition to the Metroid series it has 3D elements to it but is primarily a 2D Metroid game. I hope they make more Metroid games like Dread it was well paced, fun, and appealed to both retro fans and newer Metroid fans. I also think Mario Wonder helped breathe some new life into 2D games by adding new ideas and venturing outside the norm for Mario games.
@@Blas4ublasphemy Absolutely agree. I finally got around to playing LOD a few months ago and was shocked by how much I disliked Cornell's campaign. No idea why so many people believe it to be the superior version.
I absolutely love the original Sonic Adventure. Those graphics blew me away and I would just sit there and take everything in. Like the downtown area and that big forest. Love the chill jungle music.
Castlevania really went hard in their 2D games. Overall I think many 2D games eventually or has made a wonderful transition from 2D to 3D. Cool video. ^_^
The Final Fight series as classic “go forth, chew bubble gum, and kick ass” and worked best for the beat ‘em up genre. Where as the GTA series grew leaps and bounds from its open world aspects.
Same! The Legends games are my favorite Mega Man subseries, by far. I really love the exploration in them, and the combat, although a bit clunky, is still really satisfying. The story is also very solid. Gotta admit, though, I'll forever be bitter about Legends 3 getting cancelled.
I believe it. People really love the Legends games. What's odd is that they got poor critic reviews but have a really high user review average score on many sites.
Props for listing Metroid. I'd argue that Prime 1 is the only truly great 3D entry in the series. It's just a much harder thing to get right, and even at their best, I don't think the tone of the 3D games has ever been as cool or captivating. I was so relieved when Dread was announced. I don't think there are many great 2D games that have no chance of becoming worthwhile 3D games, but there's plenty of examples of 3D sequels that weren't made very well. Street Fighter is a series that seems like it would be really difficult to replicate the appeal with full 3D gameplay, given the established movesets and the significance of straight line projectiles. A hadouken doesn't seem nearly as cool if the other guy can just sidestep it.
I agree with your thoughts about Sonic...almost. Not to make it over complicated, but I'd rank as Adventure Sonic > 2D Sonic > every other 3D Sonic. Also, PvZ is another series that was way better in 2D in my opinion.
@retrobird Just curious did you end up picking up the rocket knight adventure Limited Run physical release? would be cool to see you do an unboxing and review of it!
Sometimes when I go back playing the old 16 bit era games on an emulator I always like to put the original game case next to my monitor, the original box art just makes so much better to play while at the same time looking at it 😊.
Enjoyed the video and topic! Love the humor too! Rayman is another I think. Rayman 2 & 3 are fun from what I’ve played of them, but neither come close to the likes of Origins or Legends.
Contra was the biggest 3D fail outside of that awful PS2 Metal Slug 3D title imo. Some of gamings worse 2D to 3D updates happened in that Xbox/Cube/PS2 Generation, Shinobi series is another stinker in 3D. Ninja Gaiden however did it right in going 3D imo. Cool topic to talk about, 2D seems popular right now since Wonder.😎👍
For me, I'd probably say Zelda, sure I love pretty much all Zelda games (and the fan-remasters of the CDi games have kind of made even those games okay, too), there's just something about the 2D "adventure" that is most appealing than the 3D one.
Now I'm kind of intrigued by a video of yours discussing the opposite: Game Series That Were Best in 3D. Easy win I can think of is Duke Nukem. You could also make a strong case for Ninja Gaiden, on the strength of Ninja Gaiden Black alone. As great as the NES platformers are, they're also at least rougher around the edges.
I am not lying when I say that my favourite sonic games are the 2D ones but I'd still think differently about the 3D games than everyone else. I see this just like other series were they have to reinvent the gameplay in order to make it work well. I think SA1 and 2 did a pretty good job at doing that. Why people might ask? Because most of the replayability that I like about the 2D games are there but in a different form with the mission and ranking system, and that makes me play each level play differently similar to the 2D games with it's paths. Now people might bring up that these 2 first 3D games had flaws but you gotta give them a break, they are old. Later games in the series kinda get mixed though that's were I would agree but I still think there are some games sticking out from the ones that are kinda bad or mediocre. Sonic Unleashed and Sonic generations comes to mind. Most recently also not to bad Sonic frontiers despite a few tiny gripes I have with the game.
Earthworm Jim could be an excellent 3D platformer if you give the people from Sonic mania the ability to make a 3D earthworm Jim Penny's big breakaway style game with a gun game 😊
Growing up, the concept of 3d was to take a game in 2d and make it in 3d. Like playing atari 2600 in color or black in white: the game is basically the same but rendered differently.
1:35 I'm dyin'! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Admittedly I've never been more hyped for a game than Sonic Adventure 1, and at the time I loved it. But it hasn't aged too well lol.
Castlevania is one example. I still like them best on 2D. Even when still I have Castlevania Lament of Innocence & Curse of Darkness, which aren't bad games, but 2D is the way to go on Castlevania games. And Yes I agree with you about Metroid Games. While Metroid Prime series are excellent Games, IMPO I Still like better the 3 first Metroid Games.
Though I’ve never played mystical ninja starring goemon, I feel like that one should have an honorable mention. It’s interesting that they made the jump from 2D on the SNES, to 3d on the n64, but then jumped back to 2.5D on the N64 with goemons great adventure.
Although I haven't played a 2D GTA game, I am not really a fan of the controls of the 3D ones, and I have much more interest in the 2D ones for their perspectives. I have heard that those ones are kinda mid except for Chinatown Wars, but I think it should be mentioned when discussing 2D vs 3D.
I'm probably in the all 2D games are better group, as I can't off the top of my head think of any series I like the 3D version better. The closest is Legend of Zelda, but I still like the 2D games more. Even Legend of Zelda II. One game that I think is much better in 2D is Bionic Commando. The 3D version just isn't nearly as satisfying. And I'm not sure if ever could be.
I think Mario totally has the argument of 3D being better as well. Realistically the only masterpiece 2D Mario games are Mario 3 and Mario World imo, although I haven't played Wonder
I thank my lucky stars we never saw a would that included 3D 🚀 Knight Adventure. Believe you me, I looked in my crystal ball and saw a universe where a 3D Aero 🦇 was a thing. It made me cry.
Although I certainly agree with Castlevania being best in 2d, I'm starting to come around on the PS2 titles. The PS3 Castlevanias just don't feel like Castlevania at all.
when 2d side scrollers kept the gameplay but changed sprites to models and put in 3d multilayered background, it worked very well. R Type Delta, G-Darius, Contra Shattered Soldier, Zanac Neo, Raystorm off the top of my head
I think a big reason for that is that top down games seem to work better is because while having those in 2D have their advantages, they seem to be made with the idea that they were aiming to simulate the 3D, but couldn't due to hardware limitations. Not to say that developers are always like that, but you can tell there's a difference between top down and sidescroller when it comes to aspirations.
Great content! How about a video covering series that made the most graceful transition to 3D? The top 5 obvious ones to me are: Super Mario 64 LoZ Ocarinaof Time Final Fantasy VII Metal Gear Solid Metroid Prime
I actually have that GameCube stool, and though I think Metroid is best as 2D, I really loved Prime. Retro Studios did a fantastic job getting it to feel like Metroid. A few games that didn't fare so well, Donkey Kong 64 (not a fan!), but the three SNES DKC games are some of my favorites. Also, SNK tried to make Metal Slug into a 3D game for the PS2. It was a failed attempt. Have a great weekend! -Matt
My picks besides some in the Video: Contra, BoF and Pokemon are all better in 2D. Also a bit controversal but Donkey Kong is BEST in 2D hands down due to the 11/10 Game called *Donkey Kong Country 2!* 👍
I was about ready to schedule your execution when I heard that Metroid was gonna be on your list, but seeing as your opinion is that the prime series it is a 10 out of 10 series while the duty games are 11 out of 10 does make sense. The prime series is absolutely amazing and so are the to the games, but the duty games do tend to be slightly more solid than the prime games. So I guess we’ll hold off on your execution for now.
Great video as always, but I feel like it was missing showing the footage of some of the games you were talking about like Earthworm Jim 3D or the Castlevania 3D games. I imagine you don't own those games but even if it was emulated or just footage from a different channel I feel like it would add to the video to actually see that gameplay as comparison. But of course, this doesn't mean it wasn't an enjoyable video!
![PASULOL รามเกียรติ์ ตอนที่ 4 นนทกพบรัก [Ramakien Ep.4: Nonthok in love]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tMUQgmZzf_A/mqdefault.jpg)
Games played: Earthworm Jim 2 (0:00), Earthworm Jim (0:28), Sonic Adventure 2 (0:38), Sonic Mania (0:54), Super Metroid (1:10), Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1:20), Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (5:20), Castlevania: Bloodlines (5:45), Metroid Fusion (7:45), Metroid Prime (8:33), Mega Man 2 (9:13), Mega Man X4 (9:40)
U should do a game room tour
Them music is perfection. Retro bird oh yeah...
Your channel truly inspired me to start a collection of my own and I can now proudly say I am the owner of at least twelve bread bag clips. Keep the hits coming, Bird!
This channel's quality to view count ratio is downright criminal. Someone needs to arrest everyone not watching Retro Bird and kindly force them to do so.
Seriously!
No kidding. TH-cam only seems to promote crap like sssniperwolf!
@cultivatedgamer well this channel is doing pretty well considering a lot of the more popular video topics here *very* similar to recent GameSack content topics
I’m running for high office with this as my first decree. Let’s end this madness and get everyone on board OR ELSE!
In bright, banana yellow jumpsuits
Zelda. I played Ocarina and loved it. Then a couple years later played Link to the Past. That’s when I realized what made the series so great, and made the SNES entry standout a little more
Donkey Kong comes to mind as a series that made a triumphant return to form. Great video!
Most Nintendo should have stayed 2D, not saying the 3D was bad, just the 2D suited their gameplay better.
I love DK64 😠
It was a fairly good game, too bad about all that backtracking though, and I still think it's not nearly as good as Mario 64.
There are actually fan made ROM hacks of DK 64 which let you change characters instantly to significantly reduce the need for backtracking, which is very cool. You'll likely need a "flash cart" to play user made ROM hacks.
I like DK64 a lot more than most people do, but I'd still admit that I prefer the Super Nintendo entries. Either way, I love me some Donkey Kong!
@@RetroBirdGaming DK64 is good in it's own way, being nostalgic, lengthy and content-packed. But when Donkey Kong Country Returns came out, it felt like a continuation of the SNES trilogy, going back to 2-d, and delivering that classic platforming action. DKCR was a treat! and i hear Tropical Freeze is just a good
Bro it's 4am. That Alfalfa ear wiggle was too much. 😂
I didn't even know moving your ears that much was possible lol
Man, I have to say. I only found you about a month ago but you make the most enjoyable videos on TH-cam. I genuinely laugh out loud at your humor and delivery, and I look forward to new videos like my favorite show each week. Keep it up, and I'll keep watching.
Thank you! That's great to hear and I'm happy you found the channel :)
"Now even worse!" on Bubsy 3D made me laugh a bit too hard
Worms. That is definitely a game best kept to the 2d plane.
Worms 3D isn't terrible, but the 2D games are definitely better.
Final Fantasy and Zelda. There were some good 3-d titles, but the 2-d titles were consistently great with few exceptions.
The first 3 final fantasy games were before my time and rough looking. I was born in 88 and I feel ff6 style was the perfect style for a 2d ff game. I really enjoy the octopath travel games because of it.
Love your videos, dude. Your humor is genuine and always makes me smile.
Thank you for the kind words! Glad to hear it :)
I love the 2D Street Fighter & Mortal Kombat fighting games!
I agree with you about Street Fighter, but when it comes to Mortal Kombat I think the newer games are better.
@@Franco-64Yes but the newer games ARE 2D games. MK's 3D games were games after MK3 and before MK9. All the modern titles use polygon graphics but keep their gameplay strictly 2D.
Yea, every Street Fighter is technically a 2D fighter & the 3D MK games were Deadly Alliance, Deception, & Armageddon. Then when WB bought Midway, they went back to 2D fighting with MK9 & it's been that way ever since. Tekken & Soul Calibur are the only popular 3D fighters left.
My top 5 video game channels without any particular order: AVGN, Snes Drunk, Gaming Historian, Game Sack and now Retro Bird, which I discovered this year! Keep up the good work and greetings from Colombia. 😃I'm currently watching your old videos every time I can.
Glad you found the channel and I really appreciate that!
Hey, you like old games? Check out ucbvg u can beat video games!!!
I'd like to cash in on that free pager offer with Earthworm Jim.
I had a feeling somebody would comment on that :)
I saw that too. My how far we've come.
Contra seems like a strong contender for this. Granted even the newer 2D ones aren't too amazing, but... The 3D ones are especially strange!
Agreed...though I consider the 3D games a guilty pleasure for me, lol
Didn't even know there were 3D Contra games
There's something about your casual, nonchalant sense of humor, your cutaways accompanying them, and your general tone of voice that really makes this channel feel like Scott the Woz's evil ginger twin... (and i'm saying this in the _best_ way possible)
Pretty much agree across the board. Metroid is a tough one as prime was so good. But Earthworm, megaman, and castelvania are no contest best in 2d
It's always a fun time on this channel and definitely another great vid. Thinking of other games that are better in 2D, are Splatterhouse, Shinobi, Contra, and most fighting games (Street Fighter, Samurai Shodown, Fatal Fury and etc) come to mind.
I really wish for 2D Zelda to come back. As a big Zelda fan of course I picked up botw and totk, but I just can’t get the hang of it. Did enjoy the 3ds games though.
Great video again!❤
Did you enjoy Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons?
@@projectmayhem6898 Very much! Still have my original copies CIB😁
@@paulafaber8589 I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Unfortunately BotW was too popular for them to return to any semblance of older titles. Which is really sad because I liked every Zelda game before it.
I'm a retro gamer who loves fighting games (seems to be a rarity nowadays) so I'll say that I'm glad that fighting games have, for the most part, stuck to their guns in terms of 2D vs 3D. Games that started as 2D franchises (Street Fighter, MK, Samurai Shodown, KoF, etc.) have stayed 2D fighters over the years while those who started as 3D fighters (VF, Tekken, DoA, etc.) have stayed 3D. The exception to this is MK which had some 3D games during its awkward phase. I think the evidence is pretty clear that sticking to what you're good at is the best choice for fighting games.
I wish they would make a modern sprite based 2d fighting street fighter again but without the limitations of older consoles. Like street fight 3
Oof... coming out swinging against my beloved Earthworm Jim 3D. It's bad, but it's like that stray dog you find under a dumpster. It's not for everyone but I can see the charm through the garbage😉
I can respect that :)
@@RetroBirdGaming maybe you can add "dumpster dog" to your vocabulary. Not to be confused with "dirty dog" 😏
I appreciate the love given to Demon's Crest. Discovered it recently on your channel, tried it out on the Switch (loved it) and had to snag an SNES copy for myself. I can barely put it down when I start playing.
I was thinking of selling my copy as its quite a expensive game now. Never played it though. Is it worth keeping?
@@brendanroberts1310 if you've played Mega Man, keep it. I has some unique twists on platforming which I really enjoy.
I just love all the 2D games over the 3D ones. They are more simplistic & you see everything on the screen as the camera follows you. Plus tighter & better controllers. Here are some I like over the 3D ones.
Super Mario Bros
Donkey Kong Country
Sonic
Mega man
There's probably more that I am forgetting to list. I just like the 2D art style & gameplay better.
Mortal Kombat. It’s great that the series is basically a modern 2D again
Metroid is the obvious one. Not only are you much more limited in 3D with the controls but the graphics as well. The 2D Metroid games have beautiful Alien inspired pixel art and it doesn't come across the same way in 3D. That said Metroid Prime is still a damn good game. Contra would be my other pick, although Neo Contra showed us that it can be done well.
Now you need to do a Game Series That Were Best in 3D. :)
All your points make it the opposite of obvious. Obvious would be an awesome franchise that crapped the bed in 3D like Contra.
@@markula_4040yup 3D Contra 🤦♂️🤮
@@markula_4040 The video is not about 2D games that made horrible transitions to 3D. If it was then yeah, Contra would be one of them. It's about 2D games transitioning to 3D, which are still good or mediocre but the 2D games were better.
Did anyone here mention Bomberman and PhantasyStar?
Good choices IMO
I'll add
Paperboy
Blaster Master
Dragon's Lair
Road Rash
Shadowrun
Marvel vs Capcom
Metal Slug
Golden Axe....
I didn't play Super Metroid until the SNES Mini came out. I did play the original when it came out in the 80s, but never got around to Super until all that time later so I went into it with zero nostalgia other than a little for the original. It's one of my favorite games ever made.
I didn't play super Metroid until about 2019 when it was on the free SNES games on switch. 😂 I cannot believe I never bothered to play it before, when I was like 8 my buddy was obsessed with super Metroid back in the mid 90s but I never saw it's appeal. It's a 10/10 2d game
@@randybobandy9828 I knew of it, but didn't own an SNES back then. I played it at friend's houses. It's fun to play but boring to just watch. I was camp Sega Genesis so in 94 I was all about stuff like Beyond Oasis, Earthworm Jim, and Castlevania Bloodlines so I was good on my end at the time. Then not long after that got a PS1 so I didn't really return to SNES until the Mini came out.
I’m pretty happy we are in a world where we can have both 2D and 3D. I honestly think you said it best at the end. It is better to make a new concept for 3D instead of trying to fit a 2D game into a 3D game. However I will always say that a top down game will almost always have a smoother transition than one from a side view. Action platformers like Mega Man and Castlevania have to almost always drop the platforming element for 3D games to create a better experience. But even with the side view moving to 3D, Mario, nailed it from the get-go, and both types of Mario games are some of the best games of all time
It's definitely nice to have both :)
Thanks for putting a smile on my face this beautiful Saturday morning. I appreciate your videos, they're very enjoyable.
Observation: Your thumbs are well trimmed. I'm impressed.
Why thank you!
Doug TenNapel’s art style is underrated. People fondly remember Earthworm Jim and it’s withstood the test of time. EWJ, The Neverhood, Skullmonkeys, Armikrog, multiple comics with Image, self published comics, and Nickelodeon’s Catscratch. That’s a resume. I still buy his comic books when they do come out. These days they are few and far between since he’s doing political commentary daily over on Doug in Exile.
Mega Man Legends is love. Mega Man Legends is life.
With castlevania I would certainly agree with the 3D aspect change, if not for lords of shadow. As a classic gamer I find that to be one of the most impressive 3D transitions. I was always a nes and super castlevania fanatic. I never would’ve thought a 3D castlevania would be my favorite
Update on my first playthrough with Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade as of 3-16-2024: I’m in Chapter 7 and I’m starting to understand the battle mechanics. First off, stupid me didn’t know how to switch between characters by pressing UP on the d-pad. No wonder I kept getting my ass kicked early in the game. But it started to get a tad easier once I had three characters in my party to use. Once Cloud, Tifa, and Barret got together, OG trio, it started to get easier.
It’s true that by the time you’re 5-hours into the game or in Chapter 6: Light the Way, the battles mechanics starts to make more sense. I’m still annoyed by how hectic it can be. So much stuff going on screen. It’s like that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World movie where it’s made for people with extreme ADHD. And I’m not into all the slow motion stuff although it does give me some time to think while waiting for my ATB to fill up. I know all the other stuff like how to use Materia and weapon upgrades since I’ve beaten 8 FF games before.
I do marvel FF7R’s graphics. Almost everything looks perfect. No ugly pop-in. Great distance draw. There are some stutters and slight hitches of lag, but it’s generally 95% smooth. And for character development, it’s definitely superior to the OG. Man, all these hot chicks (Jessie, Tifa) keeps shooting their shot with Cloud, this hot blonde guy, and he keeps shooting them down. WTF, Cloud? Jessie is so thirsty for Cloud’s mushroom 🍄 cloud. 😂
It’s amazing to think we can play video games with amazing graphics like that on a handheld and not spend over $400 for it, or for my case, only $250 or $100 cheaper than a new Switch OLED, $50 cheaper than a new Odin 2, and $50 more than a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro. Steam Deck is like manna falling from the sky for cheap ass gamers like me because Gabe Newell is our God.
Going back to FF7R, I’m still not sure if I like it more than the OG. The OG was like the first AAA title game and it was the one that helped Sony win the console war in Gen 5. There’s still some issues I have with the Remake. I’m aware of the time ghosts that people have complained about. I did have to fight them with Tifa. I’m not completely engaged to the story. But perhaps once the FF7R Trilogy is complete by 2028 or so, it may end up my all-time favorite as this was the FF7 that was meant to be in 1997 only limited by our technical limitations during that time.
Where’s Aeris in the beginning of FF7R? I thought Cloud would walk her back to her house? You see her in the intro and Cloud meets her briefly in Midgar, but you don’t see much of her from Chapter 1-6. It’s a lot more of Jessie, the former actress, who has the hots for Cloud and she wants him to Omnislash (or Omnismash) her in the bedroom. Roche, the dude on the motorcycle, annoys the shit outta me.
I’m still f*cking amazed by the Steam Deck. This was the device that really brought me back into gaming. I have a modded PSP, modded Vita, Switch Lite, and I emulate games on my Android smartphones. I also have an iPhone SE 2022 to play popular indie games found on other platforms. But it’s the Steam Deck that really brought me back from my gaming hiatus that lasted for about 17 years.
The last time I really gamed on a home console was when I beat Twilight Princess on my Wii and rented and beat Metal Gear Solid 3 and God of War on my PS2 way back in 2007. After that, my focus was more into smartphones after the iPhone was announced. I only became a casual gamer playing games like Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies and Cut the Rope on my launch day iPhone 4.
Steam Deck is my GOAT! I’m aware it’s not the strongest PC handheld out there. ROG Ally Z1 Extreme and Legion Go are more powerful. But I don’t want to play every single game out there because I’m not the biggest fan of many AAA modern games from Gen 7-9. So I don’t really need all that power. As long as I can play FF7R and Uncharted 4 on the go and they’re buttery smooth for the most part, I’m happy.
*Steam* *Games* *(10)*
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham Knight
DuckTales: Remaster
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Shenmue III
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
Yakuza 0
Technically, 11 games since Uncharted is a two-fer. But I mainly bought it for The Thief’s End. I guess no God of War and Red Dead Redemption II for me. Then I got 10 games each for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Wii. May add another 10 for the Dreamcast since I’m considering putting those games back. Whatever console that I enjoyed owning that my Vita can’t emulate, I’ll put it in the Deck.
Hey man, I'm not feeling very well, but laying in bed & binging all your videos made me feel a little better, you're so funny and smart, thank you for your work!
You have your own style and it’s great! The shots of you actually playing the game in front of the screen make the gameplay footage more connected to the actual experience imo.
And while I like the 3D Mario games (especially Sunshine), I grew up with the 8-bit NES games and then Super Mario World and while, yes, it’s probably nostalgia-driven, I appreciate the 2D games so much more and was glad they revived 2D Mario. Also I thought I was gonna like 3D Land/World so much more than I did. I found it more fun to watch other people play it 😂
My lack of Castlevania experience now explains why it's do dang hard to eat food properly. Good thing I've got a bunch sitting on my shelf for this coming autumn!
A good follow up to this video that goes along the same lines of, “games that got worse by following industry trends,” could be “games that did it better in closed rather than open world designs.”
Not just series, full genres: 2d RPGs and 2d adventure games are way more enjoyable
Metroid Dread was a great addition to the Metroid series it has 3D elements to it but is primarily a 2D Metroid game.
I hope they make more Metroid games like Dread it was well paced, fun, and appealed to both retro fans and newer Metroid fans.
I also think Mario Wonder helped breathe some new life into 2D games by adding new ideas and venturing outside the norm for Mario games.
I will go to my grave defending Castlevania 64. Incredibly fun game that is seriously underappreciated.
Same, loved 64 at launch and recently played through and still found it great. Wish we got the canceled DC game as it looked similar. Also 64 > LOD
I respect your stance :)
@@Blas4ublasphemy Absolutely agree. I finally got around to playing LOD a few months ago and was shocked by how much I disliked Cornell's campaign. No idea why so many people believe it to be the superior version.
Light up the Banana Signal 🍌 It's Friday and that means the R. Bird is here to grace us with another a-peel-ing banger of a video!
I absolutely love the original Sonic Adventure. Those graphics blew me away and I would just sit there and take everything in. Like the downtown area and that big forest. Love the chill jungle music.
Castlevania really went hard in their 2D games. Overall I think many 2D games eventually or has made a wonderful transition from 2D to 3D. Cool video. ^_^
The Final Fight series as classic “go forth, chew bubble gum, and kick ass” and worked best for the beat ‘em up genre. Where as the GTA series grew leaps and bounds from its open world aspects.
I am not really a fan of the 3D GTA games, but the 2D ones look interesting.
I'm in the minority on MegaMan games... I actually got way more enjoyment from the MegaMan Legends games than any of the 2D ones.
Me too. Although i do have a soft spot for MegaMan 2 on the Gameboy and the ZX series on the DS
Same! The Legends games are my favorite Mega Man subseries, by far. I really love the exploration in them, and the combat, although a bit clunky, is still really satisfying. The story is also very solid. Gotta admit, though, I'll forever be bitter about Legends 3 getting cancelled.
I believe it. People really love the Legends games. What's odd is that they got poor critic reviews but have a really high user review average score on many sites.
I'd add pokemon to the list. Then again... The nintendo ds games were kind of 3dish and considered some of the best... But same game play.
Wow, I had forgotten that Earthworm Jim 3D even existed. Hopefully, I can get back to that state of existence.
Yeah definitely have to agree here. I still enjoy 3D games but more often go back to 2D ones
You got a great heart Bird
Props for listing Metroid. I'd argue that Prime 1 is the only truly great 3D entry in the series. It's just a much harder thing to get right, and even at their best, I don't think the tone of the 3D games has ever been as cool or captivating. I was so relieved when Dread was announced.
I don't think there are many great 2D games that have no chance of becoming worthwhile 3D games, but there's plenty of examples of 3D sequels that weren't made very well. Street Fighter is a series that seems like it would be really difficult to replicate the appeal with full 3D gameplay, given the established movesets and the significance of straight line projectiles. A hadouken doesn't seem nearly as cool if the other guy can just sidestep it.
Just wanna say youre one of the best channels on this site. You also may be the only person i know who loves bananas more than me 😂
Thanks! I appreciate it and am glad to have a fellow banana fan on the channel :)
I personally 3D Sonic over 2D Sonic, but I recognize that the classics reign supreme when it comes to quality control and baseline appeal.
say that to sonic superstars mid
I agree with your thoughts about Sonic...almost. Not to make it over complicated, but I'd rank as Adventure Sonic > 2D Sonic > every other 3D Sonic.
Also, PvZ is another series that was way better in 2D in my opinion.
@retrobird Just curious did you end up picking up the rocket knight adventure Limited Run physical release? would be cool to see you do an unboxing and review of it!
Sometimes when I go back playing the old 16 bit era games on an emulator I always like to put the original game case next to my monitor, the original box art just makes so much better to play while at the same time looking at it 😊.
Give him a thumbs up people!!!!👍
I would love to see some honorable mentions from this list. Either games that are a wash or with a very slight edge for 3d
Enjoyed the video and topic! Love the humor too!
Rayman is another I think. Rayman 2 & 3 are fun from what I’ve played of them, but neither come close to the likes of Origins or Legends.
Contra was the biggest 3D fail outside of that awful PS2 Metal Slug 3D title imo.
Some of gamings worse 2D to 3D updates happened in that Xbox/Cube/PS2 Generation, Shinobi series is another stinker in 3D. Ninja Gaiden however did it right in going 3D imo.
Cool topic to talk about, 2D seems popular right now since Wonder.😎👍
I agree that Ninja Gaiden is an excellent example!
For me, I'd probably say Zelda, sure I love pretty much all Zelda games (and the fan-remasters of the CDi games have kind of made even those games okay, too), there's just something about the 2D "adventure" that is most appealing than the 3D one.
Now I'm kind of intrigued by a video of yours discussing the opposite: Game Series That Were Best in 3D. Easy win I can think of is Duke Nukem. You could also make a strong case for Ninja Gaiden, on the strength of Ninja Gaiden Black alone. As great as the NES platformers are, they're also at least rougher around the edges.
I am not lying when I say that my favourite sonic games are the 2D ones but I'd still think differently about the 3D games than everyone else. I see this just like other series were they have to reinvent the gameplay in order to make it work well. I think SA1 and 2 did a pretty good job at doing that. Why people might ask? Because most of the replayability that I like about the 2D games are there but in a different form with the mission and ranking system, and that makes me play each level play differently similar to the 2D games with it's paths. Now people might bring up that these 2 first 3D games had flaws but you gotta give them a break, they are old. Later games in the series kinda get mixed though that's were I would agree but I still think there are some games sticking out from the ones that are kinda bad or mediocre. Sonic Unleashed and Sonic generations comes to mind. Most recently also not to bad Sonic frontiers despite a few tiny gripes I have with the game.
Earthworm Jim could be an excellent 3D platformer if you give the people from Sonic mania the ability to make a 3D earthworm Jim Penny's big breakaway style game with a gun game 😊
Earthworm Jim 3D offering a free 3d pager on its box is pretty funny to me lol
I'll be honest, I'd rather play Castlevania than Castlevania
Growing up, the concept of 3d was to take a game in 2d and make it in 3d. Like playing atari 2600 in color or black in white: the game is basically the same but rendered differently.
1:35 I'm dyin'! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Admittedly I've never been more hyped for a game than Sonic Adventure 1, and at the time I loved it. But it hasn't aged too well lol.
it has aged fine, except for the goofy cutscenes, but honestly i enjoyed them.
@@Safalmao for sure. I still prefer it over 2.
You should've showed gameplay of some of the 3D games to contrast the 2D ones
I hear ya. Problem is that I don't still own those games since I don't like them.
Castlevania Circle of the Moon and Metroid Fusion are 11/10 experiences -a 96' kid
Also Sonic was the first franchise I thought of
Circle of the Moon and Rebirth are way underrated IMO.
Circle of the moon is shit.
It's isn't braindead easy like SOTN....@@iced_cassowary8728
Worms is one of my standout picks that was vastly better in 2D
Castlevania is one example. I still like them best on 2D. Even when
still I have Castlevania Lament of Innocence & Curse of Darkness, which aren't bad games, but 2D is the way to go on Castlevania games. And Yes I agree with you about Metroid Games. While Metroid Prime series are excellent Games, IMPO I Still like better the 3 first Metroid Games.
sonic adventure 1,2,, generations and frontier are pretty good
That's def prob the best 3D sonic games. Maybe unleashed and colors but outside of those it gets pretty bad or mediocre lol
Nice ear trick 😂
Though I’ve never played mystical ninja starring goemon, I feel like that one should have an honorable mention. It’s interesting that they made the jump from 2D on the SNES, to 3d on the n64, but then jumped back to 2.5D on the N64 with goemons great adventure.
Whew! Just in time. I was just about to go to sleep.
After staring at your game collection for 30 minutes? 😅
@@divinecomedian2 GoTta Go FaSt...lol
Although I haven't played a 2D GTA game, I am not really a fan of the controls of the 3D ones, and I have much more interest in the 2D ones for their perspectives. I have heard that those ones are kinda mid except for Chinatown Wars, but I think it should be mentioned when discussing 2D vs 3D.
Just had to correct a small error i overlooked aaaaaaand, subscribed!
are you a professional comedian or writer or something? because your jokes are next level
I'm probably in the all 2D games are better group, as I can't off the top of my head think of any series I like the 3D version better. The closest is Legend of Zelda, but I still like the 2D games more. Even Legend of Zelda II.
One game that I think is much better in 2D is Bionic Commando. The 3D version just isn't nearly as satisfying. And I'm not sure if ever could be.
I think Mario totally has the argument of 3D being better as well. Realistically the only masterpiece 2D Mario games are Mario 3 and Mario World imo, although I haven't played Wonder
Shinobi.
Plus all other ninja franchises.
CHEERS mate and thanks
for the great video... : )
Honestly I don’t like 3d Metroid that much but love 2d Metroid
I thank my lucky stars we never saw a would that included 3D 🚀 Knight Adventure. Believe you me, I looked in my crystal ball and saw a universe where a 3D Aero 🦇 was a thing. It made me cry.
I've said it before and I'll say it again Mario is a perfect example of the transition of 2d to 3d and vice versa
Bug/Bug Too and the Gex series were 2D/2D.5 games at there best when the style was being abandoned. Same goes for Guardian Heroes on the Saturn...
At least the Gex series had some solid 3D entries though. Gex's adventures in 3D were definitely better than EWJ3D.
New video idea: how many number of each game system does a collector need
Although I certainly agree with Castlevania being best in 2d, I'm starting to come around on the PS2 titles. The PS3 Castlevanias just don't feel like Castlevania at all.
Now that I'm old and domesticated, your videos are a highlight of my Friday night. 🍌
oh hell yeah i hopped on at the right time
I think the top down/isometric view 2D games transitioned to 3D better than the side scrollers for the most part.
when 2d side scrollers kept the gameplay but changed sprites to models and put in 3d multilayered background, it worked very well. R Type Delta, G-Darius, Contra Shattered Soldier, Zanac Neo, Raystorm off the top of my head
I think a big reason for that is that top down games seem to work better is because while having those in 2D have their advantages, they seem to be made with the idea that they were aiming to simulate the 3D, but couldn't due to hardware limitations. Not to say that developers are always like that, but you can tell there's a difference between top down and sidescroller when it comes to aspirations.
8000 plus views give him 8,000 thumbs up for your entertainment!!!! Come on!
Hot take: I technically prefer 2D Zelda. However, I love BotW and TotK.
Great content! How about a video covering series that made the most graceful transition to 3D? The top 5 obvious ones to me are:
Super Mario 64
LoZ Ocarinaof Time
Final Fantasy VII
Metal Gear Solid
Metroid Prime
I actually have that GameCube stool, and though I think Metroid is best as 2D, I really loved Prime. Retro Studios did a fantastic job getting it to feel like Metroid. A few games that didn't fare so well, Donkey Kong 64 (not a fan!), but the three SNES DKC games are some of my favorites. Also, SNK tried to make Metal Slug into a 3D game for the PS2. It was a failed attempt. Have a great weekend! -Matt
All right! Pumped to hear you also own that stool :)
I think my favorite Castlevania was Rondo of Blood, it felt somewhere in the sweetspot between modern and the old school titles.
Ranking the games that made the transition and killed it would be interesting, as well.
My picks besides some in the Video:
Contra, BoF and Pokemon are all better in 2D.
Also a bit controversal but Donkey Kong is BEST in 2D hands down due to the 11/10 Game called
*Donkey Kong Country 2!* 👍
Moving Sonic, Mega Man, and Castlevania to 3D was like throwing freshwater fish into the Dead Sea.
I was about ready to schedule your execution when I heard that Metroid was gonna be on your list, but seeing as your opinion is that the prime series it is a 10 out of 10 series while the duty games are 11 out of 10 does make sense. The prime series is absolutely amazing and so are the to the games, but the duty games do tend to be slightly more solid than the prime games. So I guess we’ll hold off on your execution for now.
Great video as always, but I feel like it was missing showing the footage of some of the games you were talking about like Earthworm Jim 3D or the Castlevania 3D games.
I imagine you don't own those games but even if it was emulated or just footage from a different channel I feel like it would add to the video to actually see that gameplay as comparison.
But of course, this doesn't mean it wasn't an enjoyable video!