The 3D revolution in 90s game development (From Pixels to Polygons)

[@dawnstar5294]

It isn’t lost on me the amount of CGI renders incorporated into this video (perhaps more than you even usually spoil us with), a true love letter to the art form 🥰

[@jensenraylight8011]

The big question is, despite today Big Budget massive CGI, nothing really touch your soul. there still something missing, PS1 to early 2000 era got that blend of Ambition and Passion, it's something that you feel, even today, working with high polygon model, and software kink is very slow, it's like you're constantly banging your head, the software sometimes become unresponsive. or a manual labor like tweaking Vertices one by one by hand to retopology the model, or placing hair plane one by one until everything is covered up can't imagine how those guy managed to pull all of that with weak hardware from 90s

[@verygoodfreelancer]

@@jensenraylight8011yeah today’s games have poor art direction. because of the technical limitations of past games, you needed some kind of real art direction to make everything cohesive. now everything from final fantasy to resident evil 4 remake is just “realism” with various noise and grain filters.

[@setimo8]

@@jensenraylight8011 I think that today producing a game costs a lot... so companies don't want to take any more risks... they prefer ready-made formulas that they already know will sell: remakes, remasters and open world games with online multiplayer... Whoever lived the magical era at the beginning of it all, lived!

[@nickparsons337]

I'm glad you included the brief snippet of "Sticker brush Symphony" for this video. While the obvious main draw for the original"Donkey Kong Country" series is the pre rendered graphics; without the incredible compositions from David Wise, they might not be as great as the culmination of all of these things working in tandem.

[@inendlesspain4724]

@@verygoodfreelancer -resident evil 4 -realism -poor art direction If we're talking about the remake I can see that, but OG RE4? Sorry, but that's a huge boomer take.

[@MRSAUltraviolet]

The GOAT of videogame documentary is back!!

[@joesaiditstrue]

He really is. His Castlevania series is something I go back and watch regularly

[@E180TEKNO]

we are agree clearly

[@big_ry82]

Go watch Ahoy.

[@SRC267]

I check the Streets of Rage series sosti​@@joesaiditstrue

[@setimo8]

This channel was a find, a true pearl that the algorithm recommended to me

[@AnthonyRosbottom]

Thanks for the great video. I spent these 2d to 3d years at Probe Entertainment as an artist and and then Art Manager. Was an exciting time. We were using the SGI machines for Alien Trilogy and Diehard Trilogy but over a period of a year or so we were transitioning over to 3Dstudio DOS and Lightwave for games like Forsaken and Re-Volt. I was lucky enough to beta test the first version of 3dsMAX. It was an exciting time as all the 2D pixel artists were staying late after work to teach themselves 3dsMAX. All the artists knew it was the future. Shout out to all the physical book authors that wrote unofficial manuals for all the new 3d software. They were crucial in the days before the internet.

[@jamesshipley9164]

Very cool to see comments like this from someone involved professionally at the time! My experience with Probe was mostly playing MK1 on Genesis as a kid but it was amazing to see all the rapid leaps in tech back then. Every year practically felt like skipping several new console gens by today's standard, especially in the arcades.

[@terriblecoughing4767]

This guy continues to set the standard for other youtube channels to live up to. Amazing as always.

[@andrewhickinbottom1051]

This was brilliant! I'm an experienced 3D character modeller, and this exact era was where i was becoming hugely inspired and taking my first steps into doing 3D as a job. Back then everything felt exciting and new. I always remember being blown away from segmented characters in games like Virtua Fighter and Tekken 1 became a single skinned seamless body, like in Tekken 3. Thank you for taking me back to that more optimistic time!

[@jarlwhiterun7478]

What a fucking era it was to grow up as gaming went from 2D to 3D. I'll never forget that Christmas when I got the first Donkey Kong Country and played it all day.

[@BIGW0RM]

The greatest advancements took place between 1995 and 2000

[@omg_wtf_not_now]

I remember too, wasn't it an amazing time 😊😊😊😊

[@omg_wtf_not_now]

​@@BIGW0RMBest time for games. 100%

[@sharkulashairstylist5505]

So you played 3d games 3 years after the introduction to home consoles? Nintrashdo failed, sad but true

[@gamesandplanes3984]

Donkey Kong Country wasn't a 3D game. Not even close.

[@dawnstar5294]

I say this on every video, but this really is some of the best produced content on KZbin, amazing work as always

[@Aeoncalcos91]

I was born in the early 90s so growing up, I saw CGI everywhere. From ReBoot, and Toy Story to Donkey Kong Country and Final Fantasy VII. It was a very interesting time seeing so much happen so quickly with computer animation. You captured it excellently here.

[@lemagreengreen]

The line about artists and having to quickly learn and master these tools is significant. I remember seeing a demonstration of Alias on an SGI machine at the time, while relatively primitive compared to contemporary software it still offered a lot and to suddenly have to learn something like that must have been overwhelming, a lot of artists did though. Next to no real thought had been given to usability with these old tools, baffling user interfaces were the norm and if you thought Blender looked impenetrable now imagine what this looked like in the early-mid 90s, the computer it was running on was worth $30k+ and the software assumed you to be a skilled. No real internet to help either, just experimentation and giant manuals.

[@natecw4164]

I'll never forget as a kid reading some magazine article about Toy Story while waiting at the dentist. They said it would have taken 27 years to render on the average desktop computer. That blew my mind 🤯.

[@manuelkfc7916]

What was the year you read this article? Just to reflect how far we've come since then.

[@natecw4164]

@@manuelkfc7916 It was around the time it came out on video. So what was that... Late 95, early 96? Iirc we had a 66mhz with 8MB ram at the time, that was slightly below average

[@manuelkfc7916]

@@natecw4164 wow, that's some microgram of specs compared to nowadays. Just look at people doing all sorts of things like Unreal Engine 5 on their own home PCs. How time flies.

[@3Storms]

It was the Tomb Raider series that really opened up fully 3-D worlds for me. CORE pretty much instantly figured out how to use it to full effect to produce levels that made the gamer think in three dimensions.

[@hieioni3354]

Yeah, the old TR series was awesome!

[@dirtyfrench2926]

The controls in the first 2 Tomb Raiders was rough, even for the time. No analog stick/s didn't leave them a lot of options though.

[@hieioni3354]

@@dirtyfrench2926 Nothing is perfect. Still preferable to the freaking reboot series.

[@fawkkyutuu8851]

@@dirtyfrench2926 That's a pro not a con , I liked more challenging controls , It added to the satisfaction of progress In the smallest ways.

[@ssppeeaarr]

but the real honor will forever belong to nintendo64... especially to super mario 64 and OOT. thank you shiggy!! 🤗

[@s81n]

I’m so glad you pronounced SoftImage correctly. Too many people understandably say “image” instead of “im-aj” (rhymes with mirage). I remember the jab back in the day being “You’re not a veteran 3D artist if you can’t pronounce SoftImage correctly”.

[@insanekoz]

Thanks for educating 🙂

[@JB52520]

Too bad we don't have a letter to represent that sound. We could have spelled it SoftImaж. No ambiguity. Edit: The 'a' is still wrong compared to what you'd expect, and the 'I' is ambiguous, as well as suggesting the wrong syllable emphasis. Soft-ihmahж. Much better.

[@Deliveredmean42]

I was wondering wwhy it was pronouncing that. Didn't know there was a correct way to pronounce it, I presume it was image given how it was written. Man English can be weird even when you are born using it!

[@elnoel1220]

The narrator pronounced some words (“advertisement”, “era”) in Americanised form, which I found strange for a (presumably) Scottish person.

[@kellymoses8566]

@@elnoel1220 He is trying to be easier to understand by more of his audience.

[@neatnateable]

A well-researched, enticingly-scripted, nostalgia-inducing, visually-stunning banger!!

[@amizany415]

amen to that

[@GroovyFlacko]

the music in this vid is stellar by the way love your vids and this one was a rush of nostalgia and knowledge. appreciate you

[@strafefox]

Thanks! This was an easy one in terms of music, not being restricted to one particular franchise. Adding the music is always one my favorite aspects of production, it really brings things to life.

[@GameplayandTalk]

Killer Instinct in the arcade was absolutely mind blowing to me when it was new. I really love that you touched on stuff like Silpheed as well!

[@strafefox]

Totally agree, KI was so amazing in the arcades. I played it almost at a daily basis for half a year. It's still one of my all-time favorite fighters.

[@gizaha]

​@@strafefox Perfect renders for the time, motion capture, tons of data cause of HDD, antialiasing, no crisp wobbling Playstation-like pixels, all lightings on. A fmv of KI have better shadows and lightning than shamefully magazine still renders of Sony and Sega that backtrack us to the age "close the ray tracing" for faster renders. 21:23 visible polygons in still render on Nina? Really?

[@MagisterHamid]

It’s still looks absolutely fantastic even today! It was so ahead of its time!

[@gamesandplanes3984]

Nah. It was always hacky feeling. Low framerate animated sprites.

[@danielbueno8474]

To this day I'm amazed by the visuals of arcade KI. The SNES port was good looking, but it doesn't do justice to the arcade experience.

[@corycourtney8923]

THE BEST CHANNEL ON KZbin. Glad to have Steven back narrating as well.

[@strafefox]

Thanks so much! Really awesome :)

[@Lord_Deimos]

The jump from 16 bits to 32 bits was something to behold if you were a kid in the 90's

[@MagisterHamid]

We will probably never experience that kind of leap again!

[@CerealKiller]

I remember it was insane jumping from silly 8/16Bit games to fully 3D ones, every game looked fantastic back then. Now looking back, most of them look Meh at best and I personally still find the few 2.5D ones to be the more charming ones, and also those who have aged more gracefully than fully 3D games.

[@MagisterHamid]

@@CerealKiller lol it’s true. The games that aged best from that era are not the ones which are fully 3D. There may be a few exceptions such as Wipeout 2097.

[@asnierkishcowboy]

But the most funny thing was to show your parents the screenshots in a magazine and they went "So? I see no difference." LOOOOL

[@mythicdale8757]

@@MagisterHamid Very likely true. I could only imagine an AGI with quantum computing leaping further in one fell swoop.

[@barneystinson2382]

I've been watching your channel for about 4 years now. Your channel is basically the kind of tv show I wish it existed back in the 90s and I thank you very much for making it real. Also, your recent focus on graphics (the 80s video, and this one) overlapped with my recent interest in art. Above all, one thing I realized in this video is that I love the aesthetic of the rendered graphics of the 90s. Many would call them outdated, but your video pointed out to me what an art style it is. And good art never gets old. Thank you, thank you so much for this.

[@tomorrowwestport2620]

Welcome home strafefox We’ve missed you

[@RamuneRabbit]

Whenever a new Splash Wave pops up, I stop what I'm doing and watch one of the best Game Documentaries on this website! While I was a kid who wasn't in a hurry for games to go all polygonal, the transformations were happening a lot sooner than I thought, and in the end, it was a natural progression. Pixels and Polys can co-exist, and our old 16-bit favorites showed us the way all along!

[@KLegyyn]

Once again, I'm in awe as I get lost in the history lesson of 3D art and animation. . That's what made the 90s special in video games, we get to see how much the technical capabilities of gaming evolve. . Something I believe we won't really see again. . But seriously, amazing work! . .

[@GozUnlimited]

I don't know how younger gamers view it these days but when I was younger, watching a PS1 games Intro movie was such a big part of the games experience. I loved it. It should be appreciated that only the generation before was completely 2D gaming. So to jump into a world of 3D gaming was a gigantic leap. But the pre rendered game intros showcased a graphical advancement that was nothing short of reaching far into the future. It was so exciting to watch those. And when games used multiple pre rendered videos sewed skillfully into their games, such as FF7.... it's hard to convey just how impressive that was at the time. But it's something that has always stayed with me. That time in gaming was revolutionary, more so then probably any other. For a gamer back then, games regularly took your breath away.

[@joshfacio9379]

The kids ive seen today just skip the cinematic, then 10 minutes in are donfused and dont understand the story or whats going on. Sadly i see alot of adults do the same now.

[@SP95]

Cutscenes were used as a reward when the actual realtime 3D looked like some kindergarten cubes but given the graphic quality we have today this is unnecessary

[@Dr.W.Krueger]

From someone working 40 years in the field of computer graphics R&D: very nice, I enjoyed this greatly. Keep it up. 👍

[@NeonIceyy]

It's crazy how much has changed within those few years of early 3D modelling. I will most likely always underestimate the 90s and everyone's commitment to the future. I really appreciated the deep dives on how most of these softwares worked and how difficult it was to adapt to them, again makes me appreciate the stories that much more. 27 minutes of pure visual entertainment and massive knowledge as per usual from this channel!

[@Vuusteri]

I just love those glossy old-school CGI models. Wish they would release Donkey Kong Country 1-2-3 using the original pre-rendered assets, but in HD and not shrunk down.

[@jamesshipley9164]

I love that a lot of the decompiled PC ports of N64 games have texture mods that aim for that original render look. Having Mario 64 actually looking like the manual and box art images is pretty much how it looked to me as a kid before the bar kept going up on 3D visuals

[@MagisterHamid]

Hah! I just wrote a comment here exactly like yours! I wonder if Rare still have those original assets stored somewhere?!

[@skullwolfsteam]

another splash wave during a heatwave what timing hell yeah!

[@ultimateman55]

It's truly a blessing to have a channel dedicated to documenting such compelling stories from the gaming industry. Growing up in the 90s, I read about so much of this in gaming magazines of the era. Seeing so much authentic imagery in this video from those days gives me the feels and helps me relive one of the most special times of my life. The additional insights no doubt enrich my experiences of these games, both my memories of them and the memories I've yet to make. Undoubtedly one of my favorite channels on KZbin!

[@Vulpas]

Another incredible video, and this time on the most exciting period in gaming ever, with perhaps the sole exceptioit's the first or second generation due to sheer novelty. There's certainly never going to be a time like this again.

[@sylehu7056]

I miss the atmosphere of the 90s 😢 it was a pleasure to be back there through your narration 😊

[@yuxiangzhao9599]

The most underrated channel I've seen on KZbin , it should have a million subscribers

[@wheelnsky]

Excellent work! You always find so many videos and images I haven't anywhere else. On top of that, your videos feel in depth without getting lost in the weeds. Awesome stuff!

[@frankjohnstone6102]

Truly the most exciting time in gaming. I feel so sorry for people that will never be able to experience how mind blowing these graphics were at the time.

[@yebii_]

8:55 "The 90's was still an era with a general positive anticipation for the future and rising technology" I will never stop looking forward with optimism

[@jjh01harmon38]

I've always wanted a video from you covering this topic. Can't wait to watch!

[@creativeed6788]

Just yesterday I checked if there was a new video, just to be surprised with one today :) My Strafefox clock is still finetuned 😁 Just started watching it and I already know I'll like it!

[@strafefox]

Ha :) I was actually one day late, so your clock works perfectly ;)

[@creativeed6788]

@@strafefox Oh wow! That's awesome haha 😆 Great video by the way, thank you so much!

[@Gooboy25]

The production value is just out of this world, good work!

[@AwRy108]

Masterfully done production! I was entranced by every minute of this documentary. Thank you!

[@goatbone]

So interesting. I always assumed that Sega developed their tools in house as they were behind the hardware too but this makes a lot of sense now.

[@Turbulation1]

Well they did make Digitizer still, and probably various other late 80s tools for in house video game development.

[@DontKnowDontCare6.9]

Yeah, making inhouse 3D tools gave convicted criminal Yuji Naka a chance to sabotage his own company and gain leverage from within.

[@CalvinTennessee]

Yes that opening is fabulous!

[@S1n3at3r]

What a journey to the past! I was lucky to be there when the 90s gaming era rised and evolved. Also I've played/seen almost all games showed in this video. Thanks!

[@pixhell]

Incredible level of quality in your videos and scripts, like always ! your channel is the best for me in term of video games history! thanks for all your works !

[@Chris.in.taiwan]

This channel is so criminally undertated. Thanks for this awesome documentary like video. Loved every second of it. Perfect combination of nostalgia, new information and entertainment.

[@Beastmode-hk3fj]

This is the first thing I've seen from you and wow, the quality of this documentary is insanely good. Subbed!

[@AaronMartinColby]

I do not understand why these videos don't get more views. It's genuinely puzzling.

[@matamarcianos7596]

The fucking youtube algorithm is blocking great videos like this and keeps recommending the same old names

[@tobiasblackmoar]

The production quality of this channel will never not amaze me. Surpasses every netflix gaming doc.

[@ferraroffelipe]

Welcome back!!! is a Masterpiece!!

[@ABMultimediaDesigner]

You have any idea how long I've been waiting for one of these epic videos from you again..... So good to see a new video again!

[@WillKeaton]

I know this is mostly about 3D in video games, but I want to give a shout out to Mainframe Studios, who were true pioneers in the field, creating the first all CGI show _Reboot,_ as the video mentions, and continuing to improve the craft as _Reboot_ became more sophisticated, and more shows like _Beast Wars_ and _Shadow Raiders_ continued to push the boundaries.

[@Cab895]

Proud to be an early Patreon supporter of this kickass channel !!!

[@elitegodz]

Amazing documentary. Top quality as usual! The CGI era was amazing. I love the way developers came up with solutions to fit their game assets into the cartridges.

[@dennj]

Another great video from a great channel 🔥❤️

[@purelaziness7095]

Can't watch this video till later but I gotta give it a like & comment so the algorithm gods take a hint! Love your channel and everything you come out with! I know it's an overused phrase, but you guys really are criminally underrated.

[@astrumespanol]

Awesome video as always!❤ I have players most of the game you mentioned. That makes me feel old...

[@mwahahaha]

I’m hitting like and it hasn’t even started yet - the best gaming documentary KZbinr returns 🙌

[@3DSage]

As a HUGE fan of early 3D, you nailed it! Very high quality video! :)

[@ChuckART]

I'm so glad you're still making videos- absolutely one of the best channels on KZbin!!

[@papitosanthiago6083]

Before i watch the video, i wanna say how much I'm excited to watch 🎉❤

[@Styrophoamicus]

Kudos for getting all of the footage of these old CGI programs. Can't imagine it was easy tracking it all down. Keep up the high quality work!

[@englishwithphil42]

Out of all retro gaming channels I watch, I feel that Strafefox is a real hidden gem

[@gizaha]

8:32 I love synth-based tracks. You can watch how it's driven, the first 2 bars use G and the third bar use F# and G at the same time, closing with G in forth bar. It also uses silent sfx and drums in background, serious stuff for an intro.

[@CarfDarko]

You are one of those creators that I would mark in the tv guide if this was still in the 80's just to be sure not to miss the episode, and of course also record it on vhs and rewatch it way to many times. Keep up the amazing work

[@strafefox]

Thanks so much! Really cool to read :)

[@BingBangPoe]

And it's funny now how we're slowly going back to pixel art. Not only for indie games but for AAA too. Octopath Traveler paved the way to gauge the interest to show studios that pixel art games still have their place. Also, the production value of your videos always blows my mind.

[@jess648]

not only that but CG that mimics the look of 90’s render is starting to become vogue again

[@JONNYSORENSEN_AU]

Fantastic video. I remember living and playing through this era, and following the games mags of the time always spruiking the latest tech that was just around the corner. It was an exciting time to be playing games. I remember DKC, Virtua Fighter, Virtua Racing were truly impressive games and the home port of Tekken was mind blowing for the time

[@SparkstarScope]

The presentation and selection of music in this channel never disappoints. I love the major production value these videos get.

[@erikm9768]

Oh my god, i just had to watch this before going to bed. I’m going to need to rewatch a few times, so much nostalgia. I remember vividly at least half of these games as well as messing around in 3d studio 😌 thank you so much for producing this world class piece of historic video game documentary, i enjoyed every second of it!

[@matamarcianos7596]

This video brings back so many memories. The 90s were amazing: videogames going 3d, internet, CDs, CGI intros and extros, cinematic games, memory cards... gaming changed every year for the better

[@masterxeon1001]

that video was just nuts. Such a presentation and also all the essential facts. This video is required viewing.

[@morbid1.]

I've been there... went from 8 bit and pseudo 3D to accelerators... 90s was a crazy time in PC gaming

[@BerndKampl]

Honestly, this is one of the most underrated youtube channels. Great work!

[@ChloeVFX]

I love your videos, mate. As a graphics nerd, the segments where you talk about graphics in your videos are always the most interesting to me. To have a video FULLY dedicated to graphics- I've never clicked on a recommendation so fast !! !!

[@axelprino]

This channel continues to make some of the most audio-visually pleasing documentaries I've ever seen, and this subject matter in particular seems like a match made in heaven for its style.

[@MrLeoZombie]

I feel so lucky that I get to watch your videos. It’s always so exciting when a new one releases. The quality is absolutely incredible. This video took me right back to that era and really captures the essence of the art form while educating us on the greater ecosystem that brought it to life.

[@MINI_91]

One of the few channels that are worthy of having notifications turned on.

[@Pytor007]

Great vid! Those were exciting times.

[@DDRaHolic]

You've made my day off! Thanks for another great video, as always!

[@walterjr9702]

Following this Channel since It had 30k subs....still top of the line!! Keep on going pal

[@pruett89]

The work and effort put into this video is evident from the first second. Amazing work and great story telling mixed with history. I absolutely loved this.

[@barracudaegg]

Other channels come and go ...but you still the best. Everytime! Sonic 2 used soft image...wow!

[@strafefox]

Thanks so much! Softimage was actually first used in the sonic series on Sonic 3. On Sonic 2 they used desktop tools.

[@basedfarmer]

this is a top tier channel. I love every one of the videos. Hats of to to Strafefox and Steve Kelly. Thank you for the great content.

[@VikingTeddy]

"Despite the gameplay lacking any punch" Ladies and gentlemen, the understatement of the decade! ROR really deserves a video of its own, it was quite the snafufest. Also, calling Strafefox awesome is also an understatement! The effort shows in the editing and writing, this is some high quality shit!

[@strafefox]

Ha :) Believe it or not but as a rental it still provided me enough fun for a couple of days :) I was really into the CGI hype at that point.

[@VikingTeddy]

@@strafefox Oh yeah, I waited for *days* to download all 8 disks for Amiga with my 14.400 baud 😁.

[@limhour]

Congratulations Stratefox ! You have 166K subscribers! 😉✌

[@strafefox]

Thanks! I never imagined I would pass 100k subs when I first started :) and thanks for sticking around for all these years Limhour! Much appreciated!

[@apocaloso]

After many years I still this is one of the stylish channel on KZbin. Thank you for your work, care and dedication

[@E180TEKNO]

one of best channel on the retrogaming i find personally i love this channel since the beginning

[@hassiebassie19]

Yes yes yes! I've been waiting for another episode! Let's grab some coffee and enjoy another video of Strafefox. Best channel on KZbin!

[@miltiadiskoutsokeras9189]

I lived during this transition and it was magical. By the way we kept playing pixel art games normally and of course realized that some of the 3D ones were bad. Still, seeing Virtua Racing, Ridge Racer or any 3D fighting game in the arcades was a mesmerizing experience.

[@jacquedegatineau9037]

Music choice is on point, as always.

[@HoistusMaximus]

Just awesome production value. Love this kind of content

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

This channel makes some of the best documentaries on games I've seen.

[@wonderingmonitor1996]

Awesome vid Jeroen, as always! The quality of your work never ceases to amaze me. Thank you!

[@PrimitiveOs]

yeah! a new video from you guys! I just going to like it before even watching. That´s how confident I´m in the strafefox videos

[@kitastro]

I love the nostalgic vibe you have with this video and the calming voice

[@Azuris190]

Thank you for your great Videos, they have so many Informations and Backgrounds, they are just the Gold Standard.

[@radwolf76]

Appreciate you breaking out your Killer Kuts CD for this.

[@manuelkfc7916]

Strafefox giving us another banger of a video, your visual presentations really know how to deliver the message in the most concise way possible. ✍🔥

[@Vectorman2X]

This dude needs a channel and a rich sponsor who love video games for funding him and have him making the history of video games episodes in this great art. Exceptional art i wish your talent to recognize from someone dude cause you deserve it.

[@fedzciulla]

Man, being born 1980, I’ve seen it all unfold before my own eyes. This is truly nostalgic, and masterfully done. Kudos once more to this awesome channel

[@anthonyfrench3169]

As soon as I saw the notification pop up that you had a new video out I immediately came over here. Absolutely love the content you have here. Thanks!

[@sonicsnake44]

I think this is my 1st time seeing a video from this channel. Holy Sh%t the production value of this is truly amazing.

[@SP95]

I have a big passion for the 90s/SGI/Softimage era so this video is spot on for me, big big big thanks as I have learned a lot an seen new stuff

[@Lageno]

Any day my favourite channel uploads a new video is a good day indeed. Thank you for the continued awesome work!