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[Saturn Dragon]

I think this was the first time I actually realized and deeply understood the greatness of japanese developers.

Japan:

West:

1992? Sega Megadrive desperately needed its own Street Fighter 2 port, while Nintendo already had the exclusivity of the arcade hit on Snes because they also had Capcom by the balls (or ass, because Capcom was Nintendo's bitch)

Thus, Sega had to wait almost a year to get Street Fighter 2 on its 16 bit cartridge console, during that period lots of things happened like an all Sega team devs made conversion of SF2, which was scrapped because Capcom was doing its own thing and probably more weird stuff that nobody remembers (check hidden palace article for a good read about it)

But Sega of America was doing something else, a brand new game. The ULTIMATE STREET FIGHTER 2 KILLER.

ETERNAL CHAMPIONS.

All magazines and press (both US and EU) were hyping it up like the second coming of Christ or like Mark Cerny babbling about the PSSR with the PS5PRO or some kind of shit like it that nobody cares but it still gonna change gaming.

Images looked cool. Graphics were colorful and stylish. It had some very very cool and complex art, like it was taken from the pages of some colorful Stan Lee comic book. Imho, only Comix Zone (similar dev team designers probably) was the game that could replicate the style of Eternal Champions a bunch of years later.

Anyway, game released, magazines kept hyping up and reviewing like the best fighter ever...

But something was off.
I remember renting it and not feeling it.

Amazing animations, big huge ass characters, top presentation and a lot of text explaining each character's background. Lots of options and new modes.

Thing is, playing against the CPU sucked and with friends sucked even more because they kept yelling at you "turn this shit off and let's go play some ball or ride our boards outside, it's the 90s for fucks sake".

Gameplay was broken, hitboxes were weird and input was non existent you just couldn't throw the equivalent of a hadoken even if you tried 100 times.

I appreciate the effort done in the art design aspect, I really think Eternal Champions looked and still looks very cool. But the gameplay sucked so much ass...

Street Fighter 2? What can I say. That game probably changed my life.

It wasn't just graphics, nor even the super tight gameplay. Or its super catchy masterfully composed music...

It's the whole package. It was the culmination of the 90s arcade era (Along with a bunch of Sega Model classics)

And you know what? After Street Fighter 2, arcades basically died. Capcom and Snk kept releasing more and more fighters, but they were all chasing the Street Fighter 2 craze.

Namco and Sega did their thing but that's another story.

Japan. It's always Japan.

And it seems the american eternal champions weren't winning anything, and were forgotten quickly.

 

[ReBurn]

I've yet to realize it. I've played some great western games. I've also played some pretty sucky Japanese games. The nationality of the developer really doesn't play into how good the game is.

 

[Hrk69]

GOAT this GOAT that

 

[Sooner]

I've preferred Japanese games pretty much ever since Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda.

 

[Hotel Security]

I miss the days when the goat meant you were the one who f***ed up the game and lost it for everyone. Now it's used for the exact opposite meaning. Stupid internet...

On topic, I would have agreed with you in the days of the SNES and PS1...but then it felt the entire country just kept putting out cookie-cutter RPGs that all felt too similar to each other with the same plots, characters and tropes. The fact that there was a "Grand List of RPG Cliches" kind of emphasizes this.

Since then I feel Western devs have done just as good. But both sides can produce good and bad games.

 

[Varteras]

 

[Robb]

 

[laynelane]

It was around 25 years ago. I rented a little-known title called "Silent Hill" from a local store. Around the same time, a friend was talking up Final Fantasy 7 so I ended up giving it a go. Then came Chrono Cross, Kingdom Hearts, and other titles I played to death and loved. I wasn't really aware of a distinction at the time between Japanese and Western devs, though. Just played what appealed to me.

 

[Hotel Security]

Then came Chrono Cross,

I'm still baffled anyone could like this repetitive crap. Recycled dungeons, a stupid leveling system, a ton of recruits you couldn't even use because of said leveling system, a cumbersome magic system, a tacked-on final boss, a laughably obscure method to get the good ending, and a nonsensical plot that requires pages and pages to describe the events before the game even begins. It's like they made everything a pain in the a** to do. Just a horrible game and a worse sequel.

 

[Gambit2483]

Was when I realized Japan was superior at storytelling and character development in videogames.

 

[LectureMaster]

Both the west and Japan had highs and lows. Currently I vastly prefer Japanese devs as the Western AAA studios seem stuck in stagnancy.

Also, new GOATs are gonna rise from Korean and China.

 

[laynelane]

I'm still baffled anyone could like this repetitive crap. Recycled dungeons, a stupid leveling system, a ton of recruits you couldn't even use because of said leveling system, a cumbersome magic system, a tacked-on final boss, a laughably obscure method to get the good ending, and a nonsensical plot that requires pages and pages to describe the events before the game even begins. It's like they made everything a pain in the a** to do. Just a horrible game and a worse sequel.

You find it baffling that people don't share your taste and opinions?

 

[killatopak]

 

[Fatmanp]

I didn’t really jive with Japanese games until th first few months of 2017 when Resident Evil 7, Yakuza 0, Nioh, Breath of the Wild, Nier Automata and Persona 5 dropped in consecutive months.

 

[Hotel Security]

You find it baffling that people don't share your taste and opinions?

I supposed that was poorly worded but I don't think those are opinions. The Battle system is seriously flawed. Was a step down from Chrono Trigger in every way possible. There are far better Japanese games in that era to get behind.

 

[Parazels]

For me Japanese console manufacturers and game developers always were the best by default.

 

[yogaflame]

Because of these three: Super Mario brothers, FF7 and MGS1.

 

[laynelane]

I supposed that was poorly worded but I don't think those are opinions. The Battle system is seriously flawed. Was a step down from Chrono Trigger in every way possible.

I didn't have any issue with the battle system. Mind you, I haven't played Chrono Trigger so I didn't go into it with any expectations. I enjoyed the music, setting, characters, and story. The protagonist switch mid-way was really cool too.

 

[Thebonehead]

Right after I watched this...

 

[Zacfoldor]

I've always known. It was Fallout 3 before I thought any US devs were worth a shit. Honestly to me gaming is a Japanese sport, we will always be on the outside looking in.

I'm gonna say the Mario/Duck Hunt, Mike Tyson's Punchout, and The Legend of Zelda.

 

[SolidQ]

Since FF7 original, before played mario, but didn't realize that from japan devs.

 

[delfrickintree]

I think its fine to enjoy a few japan based games but those who obsess about it, and often they pop up in threads with the usual "muh eastern games > western games" trope is embarrassing and cringe. Weebs and/or japanophiles, whatever the term.. I wouldn't want to be in the same room as them. Ive seen comic con and the smaller offshoot jfax at the convention center, lets say the odor was very unpleasant.

 

[Mr. PlayStation]

Excitebike, Sunsoft's Batman, Sunsoft's Super Spy Hunter

 

[begotten]

 

[ap_puff]

Super mario 3 and final fantasy I

Goated

 

[rodrigolfp]

 

[Mister Wolf]

 

[yogaflame]

Let me add , after I saw and played arcade: After Burner, Space Harrier, and Operation Wolf.

 

[adamsapple]

When booting up a game from

 

[TwiztidElf]

You pretty much nailed it OP.
1990 - Super Mario World
1991 - Street Fighter 2

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

GOAT this GOAT that

They were always GOAT

 

[MujkicHaris]

The first time I tried Duck Hunt with the light gun. The technology felt so alien and super responsive. I expected a janky gimmick but it worked so well.

Also, Okami and Dragon Quest VIII on PS2 were mind-blowing in terms of stylized visuals while offering big environments to play in.

And Dragon Quest IX on NDS. Again, just like with DQ VIII on PS2, it's a technical miracle to have that many polygons and textures all over the place considering what was offered in their contemporaries. Blue Dragon (NDS) was similar too.

 

[Gambit2483]

When booting up a game from

Capcom cementing it's superiority in Cinematic Survival Horror (1998).

 

[darrylgorn]

Sure, if you want to play the same mechanics from the Gamecube era with better graphics.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

Sure, if you want to play the same mechanics from the Gamecube era with better graphics.

Sounds like Western AAA games lately.

Game mechanics don't really need improvement as long as it is fun. Western AAA is prettier but getting boring.

 

[Gamerfan81]

I played Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and Hogan's Alley at a friend's house in the late 80s and had a blast. Funnily enough, I got a hand me down Atari 2600 and hated video games because I thought the games were so crappy and boring. But that experience of playing Nintendo at a friend's house got me into gaming and started a lifelong hobby.

 

[darrylgorn]

Sounds like Western AAA games lately.

Is Silent Hill 2 a AAA western game?

I mean, don't get me wrong, I also enjoyed Monster Hunter the first fifteen times.

 

[Vyse]

Every RPG I played as a kid.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

Is Silent Hill 2 a AAA western game?

I mean, don't get me wrong, I also enjoyed Monster Hunter the first fifteen times.

Remakes are for people who didn't get to play it the first time. The rest of us old people are of secondary concern.

 

[ResilientBanana]

Japanese developers are good, but not all of their games appeal to me. A lot of the stories are shit.

 

[chromatic9]

The 80s arcades and NES slam that home for you and it's still true today.

I often marvel at just how this one country of around 120m can get gaming so well for so long from the beginning and appeal to their own population as well as tap into western media/culture like a duck to water.

Ghosts and Goblins, R-Type, Wonderboy, Pac Man. Outrun, Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble, Donkey Kong.

 

[Codes 208]

My guy, I grew up playing nintendo games, I’ve considered japanese devs goated since the 90’s

 

[Danjin44]

When I young I always gravitate towards Japanese games even without knowing it was Japanese game.

Their style how they design their games, character designs and its story, they are just more to my taste compare to western games.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

 

[f~N_CH_1:3:3:3_SushiBoat]

I always thought japanese devs were top tier; from excite bike to ff7 to ico, metal gear (though hot take i think kojima is overrated) etc. As others have stated, i too always leaned towards eastern games

Though i have yet to be educated on whether or not they can FPS properly..

 

[twilo99]

The best video games ever are made in the U.S.A

*with the exception of Tetris of course.

 

[Azelover]

Zelda ALTTP., and then Chrono Trigger.

 

[Crayon]

When I realized video games were japanese.

 

[ReyBrujo]

So proud of your reply to a thread that you decided to give it its own thread?

 

[Holammer]

If you ever played any arcades in the mid 80's it was painfully obvious the Japanese games had a leg up in terms of art and gameplay and the distance just widened over the years. There's a reason why Mortal Kombat used digitized video, they could never do art on Capcom's level. It would take until the early 2000's before western developers caught up and eventually surpassed them.

Yes, surpassed them. I did not stutter.