Have/Do Western or Eastern games age better iyo?

Just a random thought that crossed my mind as I was thinking which ones I would take if I could only have the memories and future of playing one side's games.

On the one hand, I love games that blend with new technology which Western games seem to be doing better. On the other, my memories of gaming, especially before the PS3/Wii/360 generation of games, are flooded with Japanese games like Super Mario 64.

Heck, out of these classics there are many games that have aged well and are perfectly playable today, including the first game I've ever owned, Frogger's Temple of the Frog. Another, Shadow of the Colossus, is my favorite game of all time.

So for me, I've gotta give it to Japan and the East for games that have aged better over time. I mean, hey, I love Deus Ex as much as anyone, but even its revolutionary style gives way to some harder-to-overcome ugly patches.

Neither age with grace. Both get upset if you put the same number of candles on their birthday cake to match their age.

Completely depends on the game. While some games age better than others. The place they come out of have no effect whether they age better or not.

I just tried to get into Shadow of the Colossus like a week ago and the game bored the piss out of me. I killed three of the monsters and turned the game off. So boring running a short distance to kill a monster to do a little more traveling to kill the next and all were super easy to kill. Then I tried Ico and that too bored me too. I got bored with that really fast though. Kept having a black ghost type monster grab the girl and she wouldn't climb the chain and I got tired of the back and forth with the ghost and the girl sat there looking stupid not following me. Not sure why those games got hyped and no longer care. They were free through PS+ anyways. Just deleted them to free up space.

and there goes me ever taking you seriously again

For the topic though it's not a western vs japanese thing it's a game by game thing

SotC is supremely overrated, especially on these boards. MGS3, GoW, and RE4 are clearly better games from the same era. SotC is more frustrating than rewarding.

Nintendo games age extremely well because they have fundamentally fun gameplay and timeless visual presentation. Based on this only I think the east wins this category.

WoW, LoL, DoTA , TF2 ect... I can see borderlands aging very well.

Depends on the system really. I can still play SNES games no problem but I cannot play PS1 or most N64

Rose-tinted glasses aren't clear man. Despite me quite liking MGS3, it's aged quite poorly in many parts.

I cannot name any western games quite as timeless as Super Metroid or LttP, but being on the Super Nintendo tends to have that effect.

I have no interest in any of the games you listed, I was just thinking of the games I like. When I compare Uncharted to Mario, Assassin's Creed to Zelda, or GT to Mario Kart I think the nintendo games will be more fun to play 10 years from now. I also do play some of the older Nintendo games every now and then and they are still loads of fun imo. Games like Deus Ex, Doom etc are unplayable to me.

Japan tends to focus more on gameplay, polish and artstyle. Which would age much better than the Wests focus on graphics and stories.

All of the old games i play are Japanese.

LOL At you for thinking I ever cared how people take me around here.

I don't know. There are literally thousands of games I've never played. Regardless, I'm sure most people here grew up with consoles from the era of Japanese dominance, so I reckon the poll will be skewed immensely.

Now that I think about it. I'm the same way. I'll play Super Mario World and Super Metroid and love it. But hand me a PS2 game and I'm like...nah

Depends. I still play a lot of Close Combat 2: A Bridge Too Far (1997):

I also still play Crusader: No Remorse, Dungeon Keepers 1 and 2, Curse of Monkey Island, Steel Panthers, and even the old Stratego. The only Japanese game I still play is Wave Race 64 via Wii Virtual Console.

I can't speak in absolute terms but I think Western games ages worse. Simply because evolution and innovation in western games happened alongside improvements in technology for the most part. That would mean many older games simply became redundant along with the technology that powered them (though conversely it means western games have evolved more as well).

It varies on the genre and game itself.

It should be pretty obvious since you have a porn whore in your siggy.

lol shes not even good looking

And she has sad eyes to boot. Not exactly an attractive feature.

2 has. I've played 3 within the past year, it holds up spectacularly. Subsistence of course.

Eastern games for me but that's just because I enjoyed them more when I was younger.

Yuck. While I won't deny 3 does a lot more things better than 2, as an overall game (especially on my Vita), I'm thinking I enjoyed 2 overall a little more.

Still not clearly better than SotC in today's day and age.

I dunno. Deus Ex is still great. RPGs like Baldur's Gate and Planescape Torment are still great. But then games like Super Metroid are still great. As long as the gameplay is good then it'll hold up.

I think all Isometris CRPGs, top down games, like Baldurs Gate, PS: Torment, Fallout 1-2, and so forth aged quite well, both visually and gameplay wise. SOTC, as brought up, I feel like hasn't age as well as people claim it to be. Just saying certian elements to the game feels a bit aged, not fully, visually I think its fine. And, typical Nintendo games aged quite well, at least a good deal of them.

@jun_aka_pekto said:

Depends. I still play a lot of Close Combat 2: A Bridge Too Far (1997):

I also still play Crusader: No Remorse, Dungeon Keepers 1 and 2, Curse of Monkey Island, Steel Panthers, and even the old Stratego. The only Japanese game I still play is Wave Race 64 via Wii Virtual Console.

Speaking of DK1 and DK2, what your thoughts on spiritual successor; War For Overworld?

Agreed although I'd add Okami and TP and switch MGS3 with MGS3: Subsistence.

Anyways it depends on the game, studio and genre. Fore example, certain FPS and WRPGs haven't aged well.

Games with great gameplay, and an entire game built around that gameplay beyond just the mechanics tend to age better.

Resident Evil 4 for all of its inability to allow you to move n shoot is still a fantastic action game because the pacing and encounter designs are absolutely sublime. Regardless I don't really think there is much of a difference in how many western/eastern games standing the test of time and all that jazz. There just seems to be a very basic common pattern. For all of Planescapes lameness in combat, it still has some amazing quest designs and structure. Games that were more novelty than execution; tend to feel like relics to me: Deus Ex, as oppose to games I feel actually execute their systems correctly: System Shock 2.

With all that qualifying out of the way, I'll go meh, and say probably the west. If only because of raw quantity of regions to work with, and this past gen being so much in their favor especially when you throw in indie games that will probably still be impressive years from now.

Gotta agree with you. Many games made by the Japs are classics that have lived long in my memory, so I gotta say the Eastern games have aged better.

This theory about supreme aging of Japanese games is full of shit as game as old as Sid Meier's Pirates from 1987 is still immensely replayable. And Space Hulk from 1993 or System Shock from 1994. And any top game from Amiga. But on the other hand, a lot of 1980s games as well.

So it varies on case by case basis regardless of country of origin.

doubt that one side made better lasting games, I have about the same amount of classical games I find olds up on both sides.

@ArisShadows: I'm going to miss the mistresses and bile demons.

I believe there isn't a difference. You can find great examples of timelessness in both sides.

A simple game will hold up more than an ambitious one,because of the work involved to play more complex games. If a game is extremely dated, AND is loaded with complexities or even seriousness. The tendency would just be to look at it and go "forget this". However if a game is simple and immediate, then you might stick with it a bit longer.

Don't really think it is anything particular about east vs west, just that Nintendo typically makes very simple (and unambitious) games. Yes, many of them are very fun too. I actually think they get far too much credit for this phenomenon of their games "aging" better. They really don't, they are just simpler.

2D ages better than 3D. That's all.

indeed, its fair enough to have different game tastes.

but nearly 100k people playing TF2 at peak and it still looks glorius to this day due to its timeless art style. many other examples can be found aswell.

the final fantasies have not aged well.

You are a moron. She doesn't do pron dumbass. You clearly are completely clueless to who she is. Please respond with more stupidity, I need something to laugh at.

Uh? yeah gamecube and up sure. Maybe late N64 for a couple games.

Now with this question it depends on by what devs and whether it's console PC, or other computers not PC.

Too many factors, although I am sure more people want to play robotron and Smash TV, and Klax then F-zero, Columns and Sonic 3D blast.

But that goes back to what I am saying. People will just bit horribly aged games to good aged games and make it look like one side is better than the other. Nostalgia also plays in bias for some people so this question is unanswerable by most on SW.

Region of origin has no bearing on ability to stave off aging.

Eastern confirmed... Obviously, their games age the same as their women.