The Growing Pains of the Early 2000s (PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube) | GEEK CRITIQUE

In AD 2001, war was beginning. Sega left the hardware business, but the failure of the Dreamcast was about more than just Sega. It was the failure of the design philosophy that had, until this point, defined console gaming. Nintendo suffered under this new paradigm, while Microsoft rose up, and the PlayStation 2 thrived, becoming the hottest console the world has ever seen.
The industry would never be the same, and to find the silver lining in what it became instead would take a long time and a lot of growing up...
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[@cordsmith3186]

Hi, this is Cord Smith. I admire the passion and professionalism fueling this video. I'm not here to defend the quote you used, but I am happy to make time for a chat if you'd like to get more context behind what was happening at SEGA at the time I was working on Vectorman. Or discuss retro games I've personally directed like A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV. From one passionate gamer to another, keep up the great work!

[@GeekCritique]

Man... the one time I even make a joke of dunking on someone in the industry, and he actually sees it. xD I'm pretty embarrassed to be honest with you, but I appreciate you being so understanding! Given where the industry was at the time, how fast it was growing, and WHY it was growing so fast, you said exactly what you should've said, and it made for a perfect illustrative example *of* that context for this video. And speaking of, I'd love to have that chat. :) Thank you for the kind words, and again, for being so considerate where I wasn't.

[@the_most_ever_company]

wow, it'd be really interesting to hear the inside scoop of SEGA circa 2001, and how that environment drove this quote -- that would really add some great insight into a major dev's cultural take on the market trends of that era, and maybe shed even more light on the concepts covered in this video !

[@aortaplatinum]

@@GeekCritique It’s always a bit of a shock when someone you see as a big important person actually replies to your jabs, it's definitely made me a lot nicer and a lot more humble after being so used to not getting any sort of reply at all when I would be a dick to internet personalities for selling out or bowing to the mysterious, all encompassing youtube algorithm. Speaking of which, what is your source for Nintendo "making a push to stop delaying games" during the GameCube generation? I can't find it anywhere...

[@AUBCodeII]

@@GeekCritique The walls have ears

[@themindfulmoron3790]

@@GeekCritique Crazy how in the Dreamcast episode you mentioned Spidey out of hand and he just so happened to see the video, and here in the follow-up... history rhymes, sometimes.

[@CapsUnlocked]

So lemme get this straight. You're a SEGA FANBOY. You had a GAMECUBE. You love games about SKILL MASTERY. You love games that are BRUTALLY DIFFICULT. AND YOU DIDN'T MENTION MONKEY BALL 1 AND 2??!?!?!?!

[@k2cjm]

i love how teenagers in the early 2000s thought that colorfully cartoony games were seen as “immature & childish” and games with blood, violence & edginess was seen as “cool & trendy”. but teenagers now a days see colorful cartoony games are now seen as “cool & trendy” and games with blood, violence & edginess are seen as “immature & childish”.

[@themindfulmoron3790]

Can confirm as someone who only just very recently stopped being a teenager, my generation often points and laughs at "edgy" games just for taking themselves too seriously. I mean, we grew up with the active internet and around more diverse crowds than our parents did. A lot of us grew up knowing that a lot of the adults in our lives were just flat out lying to us about our futures. And for the first time ever, even with unpopular opinions, we can actually TALK to eachother. Before, you'd have to find local, like-minded people you enjoyed spending time with, and even then there were just some opinions you kept to yourself. But now, no matter how unpopular your opinion is, it's basically a guarantee that there's a sizable group of people out there on the internet who not only agree, they've even given themselves a specific name. There are just too many diverse perspectives all around us to get offended at any one of them now, and personally, I think it's been a mostly good thing for us.

[@mattia1026]

The words you're looking for are trends and gregarious people. Most people can't think of their own and blindly follow what's aligned with the kind of image they want to project, which for a teen is to be "cool" and popular.

[@vulcanraven9701]

Nailed it. In the 2000s, there was a big obsession with being seen as "tough". Bloody games, gangsta rap, etc. In the 2020s people value cartoons/aesthetics more and are less swayed by peer pressure to try "acting tough'".

[@jmlchaosdragon]

I feel like the greatest lie of the 7th generation that kinda started in the 6th was some genre are dying and nobody want to play them anymore be it because they are for kid or they are antiquated. Some victim of this heinous crime was the platformer, survival horror and arcade genre only to name a few. I never understood why limit the possibility and limit the diversity of game available. It took the rise of indie gaming to bring back some of those front and center again. It madden me so much back then when people where calling platformer like donkey kong and mario kid game. Which is one of the reason why I love your channel so much you talk about some of the game I love with such passion and respect.

[@uknownada]

The turn-based RPG was another victim. I remember when Bravely Default came out and was a big hit, Square Enix was like "apparently people still like turn-based RPG's??? who would've saw that coming!" everyone who isn't a cynical game exec telling us what we want!

[@jmlchaosdragon]

@@uknownada you are totally right about j-rpg being in the same category, back during the 7th generation most company abandon the j-rpg genre and where completely focus on making them more action oriented saying that people did not like the slow pace of the traditional j-rpg, spawning game like FFXII and FFXIII. But since bravely default they did restart making more turn based and other company also restarted but I don't think we will ever get AAA j-rpg anymore. Which I'm kinda okay with I think the AAA market is too mainstream and is losing the soul of what make those old genre amazing and fun to play. Trying to appease to the notion that more is always better with empty open world and boring repetitive gameplay.

[@unseenphantomamvsytp2186]

Which makes me wonder even more why the hell microsoft baught Rare if they were one of the people to believe this stupid lie.

[@groidcel]

The worst trend from that generation was a push for cinematic games which propelled itself in the 7th gen.

[@BlueFlagAlpha]

There are lots of games with new ideas that were dropped due to developers focusing on dark and edgy games

[@girl_socks]

Josh, As someone 15 years younger, everything before the 6th gen has always felt so... distant, like a prologue, or a forward at the start of a book (or 16-bit video game collection). For me, growing up with games like Lego Batman, sonic generations, donkey Kong country returns, someone who never knew a world where the Xbox didn't exist, hell the death of the Dreamcast predates my birth, it's fascinating seeing someone recount this pivotal moment in the industry. My father was a video game journalist, and he was a massive, chronically online, Sega fan. Growing up, I was taught that Mario sucked, PlayStation was evil, and learned to appreciate arcade like, fun games like crazy taxi or super monkey ball. In middle school I decided to go through my dad's game collection, to play more than just the handful of Wii u and 3ds games I owned. I discovered that pre 2001 world of games. Playing the super Nintendo, N64, the Dreamcast, it was so different from the games I had grown accustomed to. To this day, star fox 64 and sonic adventure rank among my all time favorites. It feels strange, to have grown up in an era where every new game is so different from what I was taught to value. My awkward teen years, the 8th gen, I remember feeling betrayed by gaming, similar to what you recall. Gaming was now... corporate. Micro transactions, the Wii u, Xbox one, and the state of the sonic series all culminated in my embarrassment of liking "kiddy" platformers such as sonic. Nintendo still provided a breath of fresh air with the breath of the wild (pun intended). The switch as a whole allowed me to almost start over, to re evaluate what I loved about games. I played "kiddy" games like Mario, Splatoon, even Minecraft, however these were done in secret, they were games to be ashamed of. In 2019, I played sonic mania. Sonic mania led me to really give the whole sonic series a shot, to ignore my peers who would mock me for playing sonic instead of "a real game" like Fortnite or call of duty. I wouldent be where I am today without SEGA, sonic, or even nintendo. Flash forward to the present, and coming up on my 20th birthday, I'm developing a very much Dreamcast inspired action game, something that would have never happened if it wasn't for growing up in a "SEGA" household In a sense, gaming never changed from the 6th gen, but really just evolved. Honestly this comment got wayyy longer than I ever thought it would get, and I don't even know if you'll see this comment, but I hope this was somewhat readable.

[@HollowRick]

Wow that's crazy to me haha as I not only remember a world before Xbox being born in 1992 but I was kid when Xbox was first introduced to the Market

[@GoldDragon20]

I lived in a household wheee all three lived equally in our entertainment centers. The 360 eventually went down because of the ring, and we never went back, and we didn’t hit Sony’s chords as hard. Then I found out about ROM hacks. And with a combination of PC and Switch, I’ve never went back.

[@KaiserMattTygore927]

As someone who grew up on n64 , DC and ps1 games its weird to hear about the death of tbe dreamcast as somebody's prehistory

[@izzyj.1079]

So I was born in 99, and became a gamer as a toddler on my okder brother's N64. My family was on the poorer end, so we didn't have the newest system. Donkey Kong 64 was my first game, Banjo was my favorite. For me, that was the default, the ground state. I remember being introduced to my friend's Gamecube in Kindergarten, and it absolutely blew my mind- that was the coolest thing on earth. I can only imagine I viewed the N64 and everything prior in a similar light to how 80s kids viewed Atari. My dad got us a PS2, with a collection of old arcade racing games and Tak 3. I was just as impressed with that, though I wound up never getting as many games for it. My older brother eventually got a Gamecube of our own, I recall receiving Luigi's Mansion for xmas. My friends had one too, so we grew up on those. In many ways, I DO view that system to the N64 as the SNES was to the NES. As a teenager, we finally got up to date. My parents had divorced by this time. On my dad's end, we received an Xbox 360. One of all three or so OG models that didn't Red Ring at the time. On my moms, we got the Wii. Motion controls were cool for a lot more than the two weeks they lasted everyone older than I was. Slowly, we grew a collection on that. Around this time, I also got into the history of the medium, thinking one day I'd open up a console maker of my own. I got into a few youtube channels: ReviewtechUSA, Archimedes123, Classic Game Room, ect. I gradually learned what became of the developer that defined my childhood- Rare; and Banjo Threeie became my white whale. At this point, the 360 and PS3 had become the big console war at school (for yall older folks, this was our SNES v Genesis), and here I was as the Wii's lone defender. I'll admit I fell behind my peers socially about this time. I remember a history class in eighth grade, my teacher liked to start every day with a timeline, and made the kids present them if they turned out to be knowledgeable. Low and behold, he did one on video games, and I was. So I gave the presentation as objectively as I could. When I reached the then-current 7th gen, I shared a little factoid about the Wii outselling its peers by miles, and another kid immediately shot back how that was because of families on the motion control trend. (WIP

[@MerelyAFan]

I think this whole look really underscores why the emergence of the indie scene was so critical to the health of the industry (and rather selfishly to my personal tastes) After a near decade of mainstream gaming becoming focused on increasingly narrow genres (and even narrower aesthetic), indie titles not only provided a respite with what they offered, they did the critical task of demonstrating that the older style games still had room to grow. The 2D/3D platformer, the Metroidvania, the rougelike; so many have had their renaissance in the past dozen years, and even more unorthodox genres have emerged alongside them. They've not just been revisited, they've matured in depth alongside the rest of gaming. Moreover, that landscape has been a release valve for a lot of potential bitterness that otherwise would have manifested because so many various franchises that have fallen by the wayside, have now had successors to carry on their legacy. The Castlevania and Paper Mario that I adored may be gone, but the current market is filled with small developers that are filling the void because they loved such series themselves. For someone who once lamented that 2D action platformers would likely be a rare happenstance in the future, it's been a great comfort to be proven so wrong.

[@GeekCritique]

Hah, funny you should say that, my first writing session on this script literally ended with, "Thank god for indies!" The return of smaller, more focused (and more 2D) games in the late 2000s through platforms like Steam and XBLA was a huge boon for my interest in games. And you're right, they've demonstrated how much more potential and viability those genres that were once derided as being "outdated" actually still had. That's one thing I hope I get across: In terms of game design potential, 2D and 3D each have aspects they excel at and things they struggle with, and which one someone prefers largely comes down to what they want out of a game. In the 5th and 6th gens, 2D was often thought of as being old-fashioned, but I was very happy to see that once 3D lost its new sheen, the industry became more accepting that they BOTH have their place.

[@MerelyAFan]

@@GeekCritique I'm always reminded of something a comic book fan once told me that applies to 2D gaming; that black and white illustration is not a limitation, it's an artistic choice. And especially in an era now where games are examined by content creators/hobbyists with such a creative eye, the advantages of two dimensions (such as an imaginative world building implied by foreground/background art design) are in a far better position to be appreciated than they were in the aughts or even in its golden age decades ago.

[@chronossage]

@@MerelyAFan you know with the indie scene gaming kind of went full circle. For a long time game development was lots of creativity but kind of accidentally forced due to people trying to implement ideas around hardware limitations. Alot of creativity went to trying to figure out what you could do with what you had. Like the 2600 days were just people trying to figure out what a game could be. The nes and snes days were them trying to make games bigger and more interesting inside hardware limits. The ps1 and 2 days were a whole new dimension and trying to figure out what you could do with it. Then the HD era happened and you could basically do everyone the old hardware could but shinier. There wasn't more you could do from a design standpoint just graphicly. So creativity slowed down. Since the HD era big developers stated to try and figure out have to make graphics better around limits then making a game better around limits. The indie scene is gamers coming together to use creativity to make games again because as a nifty side effect to game systems being able to do whatever we want now it got relatively easier to make games too. Although since the end of the ps4 days it seems like creativity might be coming back due to graphics not really selling much anymore and the indie scene showing what people want more.

[@WayOutGaming]

The indie scene also injected the most important part of game design back into the industry: creativity! Mainstream gaming became really "safe" and uncreative during the 360/PS3 era

[@alvallac2171]

*roguelike "Rogue" and "rouge" mean two different things and are pronounced differently. "Rouge" is a reddish-colored makeup and rhymes with "scrooge."

[@benvanasdale6273]

I've always loved the GameCube. I still remember, my mom worked at Target when it launched. I got to go in an hour earlier than everyone else under the guise of her having to find me a ride to school (she called me out that day lol), walked out with the system (black), memory card, rogue leader, Tony Hawk 3 and an extra controller. As soon as I took it home and started rogue leader, saw the visuals and how smooth the gameplay was, I knew the system was something special. I took it over to all my friends houses just to show them the graphics. Even my buddy who was a hardcore PlayStation guy was jealous of how quickly the GameCube version of Tony hawk 3 loaded versus the PS2 version lol. I ended up getting all three systems that generation but the GameCube was always my favorite.

[@Fenderfeller]

Cool story, your mom is the best!

[@DammitJeff]

Very rarely do I come across a channel with such _passion_ coming through the whole video. It's like you were reaching through and going through my thoughts as a kid feeling exactly the same way about games. I even had a giant stack of printed cheat codes in my room too! This vid made me feel like if I was 7 years old again, hopping between my xbox and my PS2. thank you. :)

[@therealfanmaster7097]

Honestly, in a way, with my teenage years, being a Nintendo loyalist through the Wii U era, I thought the Switch era would make me feel over the moon. And while I have certainly had a ton of fun with games like Super Mario Odyssey, Breath of the Wild, Smash Bros. Ultimate, ARMS, Link's Awakening, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, I honestly feel a bit cynical about the hyper success Nintendo is experiencing. Watching the final years of High School everyone playing Switch at lunch, I honestly couldn't help but think when nobody was using their 3DS at that time, and wonder, what changed? And now Nintendo has done so many things I could have never imagined under Iwata. Paying for online? Games releasing and finishing later? All the talk about contractors being continually screwed over? Not to mention Nintendo continuing to make games that have dissappointed me, and I keep going back to a quote I heard saying "Nintendo is slowing becoming Apple." and I worry that might be true. And I don't want Nintendo to be Apple. As I felt Switch Sports was a slap in the face to the Wii Sports nostalgia I faced (I probably will always think it sucks but you never know.) I saw this video come up and I realized, this was exactly the same feeling you and millions of other gamers have had across time. The feeling that gaming was dying, that companies were forgetting what made games games, the reverance for the past of gaming, this isn't new, this is in fact whats been happening for generations. Watching this honestly gave me an odd sense of ease. Like I wasn't going to suddenly hate games, like my memories weren't going to be forever tainted, like my nostalgia was going to dissappear into the air. I feel free, and I'm ready for the future. There are still MANY things that I feel need to change but now I know that I will look back on this era with reverence and that I'll never get the Wii/3DS/Wii U experience again, and it's OK that I won't. I was a kid who hadn't played games before then. I'm an adult now. So Josh, thank you. Thank you for giving me confidence and helping me come to terms with my disappointment. It honestly is odd to be doing this in a time where Nintendo is doing better than ever, but I needed this, and you gave it to me. EDIT: YOU HEARTED IT?!?!?!?! Look I know you're already on the next thing and trust me, I want the next thing, but thank you for doing this. Really. This is the type of creator people should strive to look up to.

[@militarykobold]

This is the worst way possible to learn that editing a comment removes creator likes. My condolences bro

[@wile123456]

Fanboyism is a cancer and we need to make sure we cure kids of it so they don't get stuck in a platform mindset. Games are varied and it doesn't matter what platform you enjoy them on

[@jaydenc367]

@@militarykobold he hearted it again though :)

[@dapperfan44]

@@militarykobold yeah that happened to me once before, KZbin should warn you about that.

[@Covarr]

That feeling when the glorious 16 bit era was the only one to have Kiddy Kong

[@GeekCritique]

NOW LISTEN HERE-

[@dr6559]

Josh I personally think this is your best video. I admire how you acknowledge the role nostalgia plays in why we think games were better when we were kids and how you found a new way to love games. I wonder if you’d ever do a video about what the 7th generation was like for you.

[@SquirtleEx]

Hey Josh, I just wanted to say how great of a video this was, and how funny it is that I feel like I had a near identical experience but with the GameCube as my starting point. I got the GameCube when I was six in 2005 and it became my life. Melee, Kirby Air Ride, WarioWare, DK JungleBeat, Wario World, Double Dash, Mario Baseball, Mario Sunshine, Monkey Ball, Pikmin, Wind Waker, Gale of Darkness, Chibi-Robo and the Mario Parties. It felt like an endless treasure trove of games. Suddenly the Wii was out, and everything used motion controls. I just refused to move on. I was so confused. Why is everyone playing Galaxy, Mario Kart Wii, and Brawl when the OBVIOUSLY superior games were right there. And as I grew up, I too learned different didn't mean worse, and the reason why those games didn't mean as much to me is because they weren't my first. But it's so funny how each generation will have to repeatedly learn this same lesson time and time again. Thanks again for the video, I always love your content and perspective.

[@danielisbell]

To be fair, while different doesn't mean worse, Wii motion controls were objectively worse for traditional 2D/3D platformers. I love Mario Galaxy, but shaking a controller to do what should have been a button press was only ever frustrating. There were games that benefited from motion controls, but they forced it into tons of games that didn't.

[@VexAcer]

@@danielisbell At the same time I'd say some games benefited from them even if it was still possible to adapt them to button inputs. Like with Excitetruck/Excitebots. The tracks are designed around the motion steering and I'd say the motion inputs you have to do during races in Excitebots adds to the craziness that game already has. I think stuff like Mario Party also benefits well from it.

[@mariokart8715]

GameCube games work on the Wii.

[@jefftakesdscakes30]

Brawl ain't mo co don't dis Brawl for favoritism

[@davinchristino]

Y'know, accepting the new generation is part of growing up.

[@ShadwSonic]

A quote from C.S. Lewis comes to mind: "Growing up means putting away childish things, including the overwhelming urge to be so grown up". Sounds like the industry itself had exactly that growth pattern, leading to the now where both "serious" AND "carefree" games get respect and admiration. I may hold games from all post-Crash generations dearly, but they were always "Nintendo-ish". Sonic counted, Crash and Spyro counted, all three of the big Sony developers had PS2 series that counted... but the games brought up as emblematic of the time most certainly did NOT. Still, the indie revolution was such a breath of fresh air when it hit and I still feel like I'm riding that wave!

[@vulcanraven9701]

Can Confirm. The early 2000s was a weird time. Suddenly games like Pokemon were seen as too childish and the butt of jokes. And then dark grainy games took over. And now its returned to balance

[@SonicManEXE]

I am that generation that grew up with the GameCube like you grew up with the Genesis and Super Nintendo. When you were 13, I was 3. I played all those colorful games you mentioned and I had a great time doing it with with no backhanded comments from game store employees because my parents were buying the games and I barely understood adults (or I guess teenagers. When I was little I couldn't tell a 16 year old from a 24 year old). It is so interesting to hear your perspective on the 6th generation of gaming. I haven't heard a lot of people your age talk about their experiences with this generation. I've either heard the experiences of late Gen X/early Millenials (like the OG ScrewAttack people or the AVGN) or the experiences of those who are my age, but not so much from people who grew up in the middle. I suppose I knew that the GameCube was the point where the general gaming population was calling out Nintendo as being kiddy and for babies, but I was literally one of the children they were talking about so I never heard those insults while they were happening. And man, maybe us Zillenials aren't ruling internet pop culture anymore, but as you mentioned, we sure are driving prices of 6th generation consoles and games. Most of the games in my collection are more expensive now than when I bought them. My CIB copy of Kirby Air Ride has a $19.99 sticker on it from GameStop. You used to be able to get GameCubes on eBay and Craigslist for $20. Heck, you can't even find cheap CRT TVs anymore (although that's definitely a multi-generational thing)! I appreciate the generation I grew up in because of so many of the reasons you listed. It's when nostalgia started to take over, so I got games like Sonic Mega Collection and Mega Man Anniversary Collection. I had fantastic games on the go with the GBA. The experimental games were hit-or-miss, sure, but so many of them are still fun (and experimental features like connecting the GBA to the GC is still one of the coolest things. My friends and I had a blast sharing between two GBAs and playing Crystal Chronicles). I remember buying cheat code books at school book fairs and Barnes & Noble. Those wouldn't exist anymore, even without the internet, because games aren't made like that anymore. Thank you for highlighting your experiences during this era. It was a blast to watch and listen to, and I appreciate everything you do.

[@HollowRick]

When you were 3 I was 9 lol But I didn't grow up with the GameCube I grew up briefly with the PlayStation 1 and Nintendo 64 from around the age of 5 then later the PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox when I was 10

[@papersonic9941]

I think this era always felt like the awkward middle-ground between classic, dare-I-say "retro" gaming, and what we define properly as "modern" gaming, which I'd definitely qualify the 7th gen as. If during the 5th gen companies were struggling to bring their games to 3D, the early 2000s were them struggling to adapt their games with Arcade origins into a more mainstream, casual-friendly audience. Look at Star Fox as an example: 64's arcadey progression system has not been tried since, and later games got criticized for being too short. In truth, 64 was short as well, but it was built with that arcade mentality in mind. If you lost all your lives, Game Over, and even if you COULD make it to the end, you still wanted to replay to get high scores. Games, some even as late as the N64, were built around the idea of players playing them over and over again, sometimes starting all the way from the beginning, but likely without ever actually beating them. Hence why Classic Sonic games had multiple routes and Mario had Warp Zones. By the 2000s, that all changed. Saving was not only standard, they were no longer based on batteries (even if memory cards were stupid af, but still). Because of this, plus a bigger focus on story, I feel at some point devs started trying to make it so everybody could finish their games, whether by making the game easier, or by allowing difficulty options. Modern games will even have modes where you don't even have to try to win, turning games into movies, basically. Even our language has changed: we say we've finished games more than saying we've beaten them. I'm reminded of your vid on Classic Sonic design, about people not appreciating those games, and I think that Arcadey approach to game design just doesn't resonate with those who grew up with 6th gen consoles and onwards. To many, the idea of getting a Game Over and starting from level 1 is unthinkable; and while ports update that, the underlying game design remains, which can produce its own issues (Example: someone playing a modern port of Sonic 1 would constantly game over in Scrap Brain, because they load their file and start there, instead of getting sent back to Green Hill to get more lives and improve their play as the original devs intended). I'm aware I'm kinda rambling and not making sense, but this is why I struggle calling the Gamecube, PS2 and Xbox "retro", despite being pretty old. The games from that era started being designed with the sensibilities I associate with modern gaming.

[@MajoraZ]

I mention this in my own comment, but I think Halo itself, despite being seen as a hallmark of modern dudebro shooters, is very much a mix of retro/arcadey and modern/cinematic sensibilities: On one hand it is intensely colorful, has surrealist environments, isn't afraid to be silly and with goofy modifiers and cheats; and it's mutliplayer has very arena shooter platforming heavy maps and on map pickups. On the other hand, it has regenerating shields/health, a weapon limit, cinematic storytelling, etc.

[@XSniper74184]

A modern game that I feel does difficulty very well is Dusk. Its difficulties go all the way from "babby's first FPS" up to "you die in one hit." And as the difficulty goes up it's not just damage you take that changes, it's also the projectile speed because yes, there are 0 hitscan enemies. Even the soldiers with assault rifles shoot fast projectiles. Because no one attack is undodgeable changing how fast they move and how much damage they deal is all the game needs to do. On the easiest difficulty energy balls and bullets are slow and deal 1 damage, melee enemies don't move quickly and their wind-up is lengthy. This increases up to the highest non-one-shot difficulty where shots are faster than you so you've got to circle-strafe enemies to keep them from hitting you because you can only take 8 or so hits without healing before you die. Melee enemies are also faster than you, they wind up quickly, and take off like half your health in one swing. Well I partially lied, nothing is actually faster than you, sure they might be faster than your normal running speed on the ground but you're an old-school shooter hero, you can strafe-jump to reach ridiculous speeds! The one-shot difficulty DUSKMARE is just that but everything kills you in 1 hit. So yeah, Dusk can be played as someone's first videogame or by veteran players and be totally enjoyable and engaging for both. It can be accessible to newcomers and challenging to long time FPS fans just by having a careful approach to difficulty.

[@KingSigy]

The sixth-generation will likely remain my favorite, but you're not wrong. A lot of what we take for granted nowadays started there, but what really gives me fond memories is how publishers were more willing to experiment. If something didn't work, they went in a different direction and would throw funding at wack-ass ideas in the hope that things would pay off. In the modern industry, you have the few same genres for big-budget titles and they all feel incredibly similar.

[@mariowalker9048]

It depends on age and what you consider modern gaming. For people my age the 6th generation is definitely retro since it was the last generation before online gaming was tooken for granted and memory cards were still a thing, a far cry from gaming technology we have today. For those who grew up in the 8 and 16 bit era it feels more modern since it was when 3d gaming was fully in-style. I'm 25 turning 26 in a few weeks so I grew up in the 6th generation, and gaming felt completely different from the 6th gen by mid way into the 7th generation.

[@jefftakesdscakes30]

But arcade was a way to make money its still a practice today

[@WhyYouWahYoo]

I love your videos because you effortlessly blend review with real-time retrospective. And not just personal retrospective, but community-wide retrospective. Your vids like this, where you discuss not only your thoughts on games but the overall direction of games and the gaming community, are just plain heartwarming and fun to hear, especially for a 2000s kid who grew up with in the late Wii and Wii U era. I knew a lot about gaming history before I found your videos, but I didn’t know the general perception and direction of those historic moments until I found TGC. This video pretty much encapsulates that exact sentiment. Nice video.

[@Encyclopedia_Brown97]

I’m almost exactly 10 years younger than you, so my formative years were during the later Gamecube-early Wii and DS years. And I relate so much with the points that you’re making. I turned 13 right as the 2010s rolled around, and the situation you found yourself in 2001 seems pretty close to my own struggles to find where I “fit” in gaming. Nintendo, my company of choice, looked like it was dying and lacked energy. Triple A games were increasingly drab, bloated, and focused on prestige instead of being fun. I found a lot more joy and energy from retro and indie games, but the first retro boom was really coming to an end by that point. Escalating demands of school and extracurriculars meant that I had less time to play games that increasingly demanded more of my focus in order to complete them or “git gud”. And to top it all off, the rise of Gamergate made internet gaming discourse so toxic that even reading about games just wasn’t fun anymore. I really disassociated a bit between 2013-2017 - still watched some of my old KZbinrs, still played some of my old favorites and a few Nintendo first party games, but gaming really felt like it had left me behind.

[@tuchenciotuch3976]

I have the same expirience. 2017 brought me back to gaming with the Switch, and then I changed from mac to a pc, and the world of emulation and steam is keeping me a gamer.

[@pinstripecool34]

Same

[@DuoStuff]

I'm gonna preface my comment with this: while it wasn't the first console I ever played, the GameCube is undoubtedly one I'm nostalgic for. While I had played games before it, the GC was the thing that made me fall in love with gaming, and it's what helped form my very particular tastes. This console felt like a wonderful middle-ground between what came before and what would come after. The world, the story, the characters, they could all be much more in-depth. Games could have stories that I didn't feel like I had to "overlook the graphics" for. But by the same token, gameplay was still at the forefront as well. You could still have snappy, unique gameplay that didn't feel like it played itself, all with a trademark charm/weirdness that would never really reappear. Super Mario Sunshine wasn't just an incredibly fun 3D platformer, it was one with WILD ideas and worldbuilding that has never been matched in the series since. More than just playing it, I wanted to BE in that world. Luigi's Mansion not only played like nothing else, but it was this eerie, atmospheric experience that still feels out of place in the series... In a good way. Metroid Prime prioritized a calm atmosphere and relaxed exploration over its shooty-shooty bang bang friends, and then 2 came out and completely turned everything on its head, more focused on eerie horror-like elements and much more difficult combat. While it was my first introduction to the franchise, Sonic Adventure freaking blew me away with its diverse gameplay and its larger story (and the Chao Garden), and I know my love for it is more than just nostalgia, because despite not playing it until 2019, I loved Sonic Adventure 2 even more, and for a lot of the same reasons. And most importantly to me personally was Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door, the game that cemented my love for the medium, and a game with a story that meant so much to me by the end (and I never admitted this to anyone before this point) that I actually cried when it was over. Now I don't think I had the same "disillusionment" as you did with later generations. I loved the consoles I grew up with, but I still loved what came after. Sure, Mario felt like it was getting way less goofy and way more sterile during the 3DS/Wii U era, but I still liked it (most of the time), and I found new things to love as well. It's the generation where I finally gave that "weird" Zelda series a try, and ironically just as one Intelligent System series felt like it was shitting the bed (Paper Mario), mere months later I picked up this little game called Fire Emblem Awakening, and I didn't shut up about it for the next couple years. And while the more "movie over gameplay" stuff we've seen lately doesn't really resonate with me much, I still have Nintendo, who always manages to make something I'm into. Still, I'll always have an appreciation for the unique generation I grew up in, and while it took a while, it was nice to finally see some of the stuff I grew up with vindicated after years of hearing how "bad they were compared to the REAL games in the 90s." It's nice to live in a world where people remember, and actually love the console I loved as well. And every console will get its time, as will my favorites fade from the lime-light. I can already feel it happening: my beloved GameCube is slowly but surely exiting the limelight to make way for later consoles, and my DS and Wii will be next. But you know what? I'm alright with it. I'm glad I got my time in the sun, and I think everyone deserves to see their childhood be vindicated the same way. When it happens, I'll be just as glad to bask in the glory of nostalgia for the 3DS and Wii U, and later the Switch all the same.

[@DuoStuff]

@@metl6929 Well PM64 is alright, but it's a little basic, both in structure and storytelling. It feels like it never leaves the "Mario Box." It's why TTYD always resonated with me more. It's just more willing to do things that feel out-there for Mario.

[@BlueFlagAlpha]

@@metl6929you should try it, it's really fun

[@viewing_content4879]

beautifully said! i feel the same in many ways.

[@pizzaw0lf489]

I predict the Switch generation will have a HUGE nostalgia boom in the later decades. After all, many Nintendo IPs really exploded (and best selling) in popularity on this system and for many it will be their first time playing Smash bros and Animal crossing and the like. I know the Switch has some misses in terms of first party games but the games that hit are INCREDIBLE. The Switch's popularity has finally made people see some of the franchises they missed out on and give them a chance this time. The Underdog games are finally being more noticed and cared about. Metroid dread is a great example.

[@Arkouchie]

That imagery of sonic 06 literally overshadowing the classic trilogy was *perfection*.

[@JustAndre92]

I didn't catch it, do you have the timestamp for that?

[@Arkouchie]

@@JustAndre92 Starting at 18:16

[@JustAndre92]

@@Arkouchie Okay, yeah, wow, you were totally right to highlight that shot. Thank you!

[@ShadowThe771]

I’m confused. What was the imagery of 06 overshadowing the genesis trilogy supposed to mean?

[@Arkouchie]

@@ShadowThe771 go back about 20 seconds from that time stamp, he talks about it. Sonic chasing the "dark mature realistic trend" and losing itself in the process, and that becoming what people thought sonic *was* now

[@mrbrocephus3849]

This was my bread and butter of video games. You made so many great points. You are a few years older then me. You opened my mind more to video games.. Thy way you saw the dream cast. I saw in the gamecube. It was there for me. I grew up poor. Single parent handy downs. I got all my close at goodwill and yard sells. 2005 everything changed. My mom got me the gamecube. Later in 2007. I got ps2 and the 360. I was already amazed buy the Gameboy color in 2000. But when you see commercials advertisements billboards posters at GameStop at Toys “R” Us at target Walmart. EB games game crazy. The sixth generation did that for me. I grew up on the PS1 also. The only time I did play though. It was when I was at my babysitter‘s houses but barely saw commercials for the N64 and ps1. I remembering seeing more commercials for the game boy color. Which is wired. I’ve been collecting for the six generation for over five years now I love it

[@kirbonicpikmin8809]

Only halfway through the video so far, but something from the video that's been making me be thrown for a loop is the take that a lot of first party GameCube era games felt "soulless/corporate" when nowadays, esspecially among the social circles I'm within, the GameCube era is seen as one of, if not, Nintendo's most soulful, experimental, and interesting eras for their franchises. It's making me wonder if it's just a generational gap thing or not. As a lot of my social circles started with gaming anywhere from the N64-Wii eras, and nowadays in hindsight after our disappointments from the Wii U/Switch (as well as PS4/PS5) eras, we've come to appreciate and love the GameCube era even more.

[@GeekCritique]

Well sure, it's always a generational thing. The whole time I've been on the internet, I've always noticed that whatever seems to be the most nostalgic, most beloved console, series, era, whatever, has always been whatever college-age kids were growing up with about 15-20 years ago. In the early-mid 2000s, the NES was widely regarded as that most soulful, interesting, incomparable console, with the N64 and GameCube comprising Nintendo's downfall, and the upcoming Revolution hyped up as their possible redemption. By the early 2010s, the NES wasn't talked about quite as much, while the SNES was considered a near-perfect system, and the N64 was the MOST common console students were bringing from home at US colleges. (Actually, my first real episode in 2014 was the N64 retrospective, and I borrowed the controller I used to make it from a buddy who lived in a dorm at my school. They had a *lot* of extras from so many people bringing them!) While the GameCube was still often seen as a dark age, it wasn't nearly *as* hated as it had been in its heyday. So yeah, the GameCube might be thought of VERY highly now, and I'm sure it'll never be outright scorned again, but the next generation isn't going to have the same experiences, and might not "get" it the way you do. Maybe in 10 years, the Wii U will be considered peak Nintendo! If you can imagine what that'd be like, that's kind of how I feel when I hear the GameCube spoken of in such reverent terms, haha. It just would've seemed so far outside the realm of possibility not all that long ago. But this is just how it goes. I know I used to have NES games talked up as these defining masterpieces, and I'd get hyped about them and finally play them for myself and be like... that's it? And I see younger folks sometimes have that same experience with GameCube-era titles, so yeah... the wheel is always turning, and that's what's beautiful about it!

[@kirbonicpikmin8809]

​@@GeekCritique Yeah, it's been very interesting watching said wheel turn. When I was growing up, all the videos I'd run into online were people praising the NES, SNES, and N64 era lavishly, but with a lot of mixed thoughts/feelings on the GameCube/Wii era. I often didn't understand or even agree with a lot of the issues they had with the era I was so familiar with, so it was a strange thing for me to adjust to. Though seeing so many people be so positive to the console generations before me resulted in me having a more soft view of those games, so I was always interested in giving them a shot someday. While I bounced off of most of the NES library I tried, I ended up loving a lot of the SNES library I played. Mixed feelings on N64 games though. But seeing how things affect the newer generation is equally crazy. Just the other day I was playing Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (the New Play Controls version specifically because I didn't want to buy a 50 dollar pair of bongos and god knows how much for an original GC copy) and my little sister, who's only about 7 years younger than me, walked into my room, took a quick glance at the TV and what I was playing, and said "Why are you playing such an *old* game?", and that was like a big smack across the head for me of the "Wow the stuff that was coming out when I was young is now seen as weird and old and retro now." She's been playing Fortnite and Roblox mainly the past handful of years, occasionally dipping into whatever the big Nintendo game at the moment is (Animal Crossing, MK8D, Smash, etc), so her seeing me play DKJB was odd, nevermind the look she gave me when she saw me playing Super Punch-Out a couple weeks before it. My Mother's confusion at a lot of the traits/evolutions games took ever since when she played (she was an NES kid who only really dabbled in PC gaming afterwards, stuff like Zuma and Luxor, the simple puzzlers) helps paint how strange my era, and ESPECIALLY the era my sister grew up in must seem to people of her age, especially if they disconnected from gaming after long enough. Massive multiplayer games are the craze among kids my sister's age currently, and it took her a little bit to fully understand the fun of playing online with a group of people. Now whenever she sees me playing a game she asks me "Are you playing online with others?" It's very interesting (and a little funny) how a simple generational gap can make all the difference in how people view specific things. As people grow older though, they grow more receptive of certain things and their opinions of eras change. You'll always have a strong fondness for where you started, though.

[@captain3186]

As a Ridiculed Owner of the Gamecube when it was current I still think the love for it today has a lot to do with the Switch's success and Nintendo currently being in a favorable light/thing to talk about and the Click Bait KZbinrs trying to make a buck on a video by "Pretending" they love the Gamecube. (ie: Hipsters) lol. I still sit here to this day and think to myself.... "where the Hell was all this Gamecube Love when it was current?" yeah It wasn't there. It also makes me laugh when people call it a failure and the XBOX a success when both consoles sold almost the same number of units but MS lost TONS of money on the XBOX.

[@bugmom3879]

@@captain3186 I cant give you proof in bulk, but I can give you a small anecdote as the effeminates loser kid in my little cul-de-sac. Me and the coolest kid on that street where playing the n64 in his house. We had just spent hours clawing hands and teeth through the end of mario 64. This is a kid who bullied me growing up and yet was still within my general age group. After that game, he made a comment that we should probably play something more manly (paraphrasing, its been way too long to remember the wording). I dont remember if resident evil or golden eye or something followed, but it always stuck with me, because unlike him I didn't feel any shame in enjoying these things. While I don't doubt that there are some posers, there are probably a lot of kids who still really liked those cartoony fun games of their childhood. for every geek who stuck with them, there were probably 1-2 more who left those games behind but regretted it.

[@vulcanraven9701]

People remember the good games from each console. The PS2 had more than 4300 videogames. The bad games were forgotten

[@03chrisv]

My absolute favorite generation. We finally had home console graphics that rivaled and even surpassed arcade games of the era, truly cutting edge stuff. There was also zero DLC, micro transactions, system updates, etc, you just put the disc in and played... It was a great gaming era to be alive and experience first hand. I owned all 6th gen consoles and loved each of them.

[@lifeonleo1074]

If there is one thing I have learnt is that life moves in circles. What was once cool becomes uncool and then cool again. Just love what you love and be happy.

[@Elise7]

The beauty of this generation for me is that dev budgets hadn't yet ballooned to such an unreasonable degree that there were a ton of games that while not "AAA" could stand alongside them just fine. For every franchise that went in a direction I didn't like, there was always a new favorite for me to discover, a lot of the times even from the same company. I didn't like how Sonic was moving away from momentum based gameplay? Well now I have Super Monkey Ball. I wanted a tough as nails old school action game? Here's Maximo! I could go on, but I'm sure you get the idea. Even those these games weren't blatant expies or spiritual successors, they still scratched the same itch. The 360/PS3 generation is when I was at peak disillusionment with gaming. So many series I liked were either getting canned for not being profitable or changing to be more mainstream due to rising dev costs, and those same costs were keeping games I did enjoy from being made. Sure the odd throwback game being made for digital services was nice, but it wasn't much. Thankfully we started to see more variety coming on the tail end of the generation, and the next generation saw indies make a huge breakthrough in the console market.

[@CaptJackAubreyOfTheRoyalNavy]

The video game industry is so unique because it's right at the center of the intersection of entertainment, art, and most significantly, technological progress. The early 3D era of the late 90s to early 2000s was utterly defined by this, particularly the technology aspect which was advancing at a breakneck pace. Our entire standard for what qualified as "modern" game design and graphics was radically changing every few years.

[@RichardBlaziken]

Man... this one felt personal. It seems we had a pretty similar sixth generation, in that I chose to stick with Nintendo to the exclusion of everything else. I'm a little younger than you (not by much, '91 here), so it was mostly out of my hands what I got, but I loved Nintendo and wanted to keep playing their games. But those same feelings were there, of the 64 just being the better, more fun system and the Gamecube letting me down pretty often. Hearing other kids talk about gaming as if it spontaneously came to exist in the sixth generation on two consoles that I didn't own, it was all just... a rough time. I'm glad I can similarly look back on it more fondly now, and this video resurfaced feelings and emotions from that time that I haven't felt or thought about in decades. I genuinely don't say this lightly, having watched every video on your channel: this might be your best video ever, at least for me. I relate to it just that much, and I'm really glad you shared this piece of your history with us. Thanks Josh. :)

[@MainMemory]

I've felt similarly to a lot of the things you've talked about here, although I always enjoyed Nintendo's offerings, and it took until 2010 for Sonic to really disappoint me (I did miss out on 06 though, so maybe it could've been four years earlier). It's great that you've been able to get past your own biases and see things from different perspectives, you really have grown as a person, even in the time I've been watching you. Excellent music choice at the end there, it got to me a little bit.

[@simtek3475]

What part of 2010? Sonic 4 or (hopefully not) Sonic Colors?

[@edmanbosch7443]

@@simtek3475 What do you mean "hopefully not" Sonic Colors. It's lot like the OP would be the only person who isn't a big fan of the game, there are many other people who feel that way.

[@simtek3475]

@@edmanbosch7443 That I hope the 2010 game that disappointed them isn’t Sonic Colors. That’s all I was saying.

[@MainMemory]

@@simtek3475 Sonic 4 absolutely.

[@edmanbosch7443]

@@simtek3475 Yes, that is what you're saying, but *why* are you saying that? Why would you hope that one doesn't dislike Sonic Colors.

[@dude-zr8gi]

I owned the 3 surviving consoles of the 6th generation and I think its the best generation in gaming. It had the most diversity in genres and exclusives offerings while all were great in their own right. This was also the first generation I owned this many current consoles at the time they were relevant, as I had only a SNES in the 4th and N64 + PS1 in the 5th. We'll never get back the greatness of this generation until empty open worlds and bare bones live services stop being the norm.

[@captain3186]

"It had the most diversity in genres and exclusives offerings" I'd argue that would be the 5th Gen. The 3DO, Saturn, PSX and N64 were the Wild West. You just never knew what you were getting into lol. Those consoles especially the CD based consoles had Unique crazy off the wall experiences in spades. The 6th Gen is where the lines were really starting to blur. Multiplats were becoming almost identical and this is the reason Nintendo created the Wii.

[@clayzulah]

I actually loved the Gamecube, despite being a fellow SNES/Genesis kid. I remember the stigmatization online and in the press, how disappointing Sunshine and Rare's output felt, etc. but there were so many instant classics - Melee, Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime, Wind Waker, Paper Mario TTYD - that it still felt like I was being rewarded for sticking with Nintendo. (I did go through the exact range of feelings you’re describing during the Wii/360/PS3 era though!)

[@vulcanraven9701]

The TTYD is my fav RPG ever tbh. I wish Nintendo stuck with the formula

[@SpinyAlex]

This might seem weird and borderline parasocial, but your videos are always a bit of an event for me. They feel special, insightful and just excellently put together. The way you eloquently talk about your experiences adds perspective to a time I wasn't born in or was too young to remember. Honestly, this is what I love about video games, that personal connection we all have to the medium and with each other by association. Again, I don't want to come off as creepy or disrespectful of boundaries (which is sadly common in the age of stans and fandoms), but your videos are something special to me and I love them everytime. Keep up the amazing work!!

[@lisbon1492]

I've watched many of your videos and many gaming history videos, but this is the best video that you've ever done. In fact, this is one of the best gaming history videos that I've ever seen. You didn't just discuss the technical and business history of the sixth generation, but you discussed your own personal journey during this time. You are several years younger than me, but I can so relate to your sentiments about this generation. This video had a lot of heart, and the sixth generation has a special place in my heart too. Thank you, Geek Critique!

[@pinkheartgamers5007]

This feeling of discontent and overall self refectve period that this video perfectly captures is what I'm currently going through now just switch the generation perspective from from 16 bit to the GameCube era. Today's games are heading towards a direction where putting less content in games only to be sold in microtransactions, NFTs and having a bigger open world becoming the standard with the dark souls genera of games being the talk of the town on the internet while I have no interest with that game design. This video shows me that this growing pains are much more common and doesn't mean that I will fall out of video games just within a slightly older perspective. Thank you GeekCrtique for showing that this is a healthy expression of passion and not a sign of loosing hope on what your passions are. Keep on critiquing everyone 👍🎮❤️

[@alchemistofsteel8099]

Like I feel like I feel like everything is to obsessed with looking ground breaking and realistic. Look at the good and evil remake and FF7 Remake

[@BlueFlagAlpha]

@@alchemistofsteel8099 realism really ruins the fun of a game

[@cliffturbo2146]

Truthfully, I am getting tired of open world. You get the feeling that the more you see it, the less special it becomes? That's how I feel .

[@KruelAidMan]

Good news! The NFT scam is basically already over. @@cliffturbo2146 well it seems like the open world "fad" is burning out

[@ReikuYin]

The blue skies thing hit me hard. I do miss that. I'm so SO tired of games kinda trying to depress me, or creep me out suddenly. I miss fun. Just fun for fun. And then it happend. I still think that games try to hard to be serious or creepy or depression. But the fun is back.

[@danielisbell]

I'm happy that modern gaming has space for both. I love colorful, fun loving games, but NieR Gestalt/Replicant is probably my all time favorite. It doesn't get much more depressing than that. I love both experiences, and I'm glad the market finally supports both.

[@ReikuYin]

@@danielisbell Agreed. Was no reason it shouldn't have years ago, but just seemed like it was tonscared to be just 'for kids' so they made a to sharp course correction. Now my problem is games hide IF it's gonna swing into creepy or violent. XD

[@Nyzer_]

My experiences with the 6th generation, specifically the Gamecube, were drastically different than yours! All throughout my teenage years, the Gamecube got a lot of use. My friends and I played a wide variety of games: Melee, Double Dash, Sonic Adventure 2, Tales of Symphonia, Wind Waker, Pokemon Colosseum, Phantasy Star Online, Metroid Prime - and those are just what I can remember off the top of my head. And it wasn't restricted to just us: I took my Gamecube all over the place, and I had classmates, relatives, and kids I'd babysit spending a ton of time on the system. I'd actually bring it with me to the Boys and Girls Club after school and we'd set it up on the main TV with a signup list of players to rotate through - and at one point, the staff showed up to tell us to bring it to the teens only room because we "were only letting the teens play" for that round, in spite of my protests, the younger kids' protests, and the signup sheet itself showing the queue of players. My friends and I definitely played the other consoles as well. Halo, GTA, Kingdom Hearts, and DBZ: Budokai were series that ate a lot of our time. (We tried MGS a fair bit later.) But there was never this big divide between the consoles in my town. Sure, the Gamecube had the more kid-friendly games, but who didn't love a good round or ten of Smash Bros.? And the kid-friendly games meant the teens could play something openly on a big living room TV - and maybe even let the kids get involved on the spare controllers - without any parents going "OH MY GOD ARE YOU KILLING HOOKERS IN FRONT OF YOUR LITTLE SIBLING?!" It's wild to me to hear just how differently a different gaming community treated that little purple lunchbox. Everyone I knew could at least find some enjoyment in it, even if their preferences lay elsewhere.

[@firerath]

As someone that was born the same year your wrote that forward, this hits me hard. I was too young to ever see the same upheaval of the industry that you did, but I feel I know what you mean. I grew up with nothing but the DS and Wii up until 2017 when I got the switch, and through those years when my friends were getting the newest and coolest games, I was looking through stores and eBay for old wii and GameCube games that could give me something to enjoy. The 3DS allowed me to try out some new games, but I was always looking over to what other people were playing and with a sort of envy. But looking back on it, those were the years that I really became someone that plays video games. I had to find games that I thought would hold my interest, and since my choices were limited I would play them through to the end. I was able to find what I love about video games in that time. And thinking back on it, I sort of miss it. Nowadays I don’t always finish the games I get, and I miss that determination younger me had to get the most out of everything. In the end, I’m just happy that I went down the path I did. I wouldn’t change that at all.

[@dagossYT]

What I really like about this series is how it contextualizes these releases with your own experiences. A lot of retrospectives treat these games and systems like they existed in a vacuum, forgetting that the game needs a player to actually exist, and that player comes with their own experience and baggage.

[@leeartlee915]

It’s funny how big a difference a few years can make. I was 18 when the Dreamcast died and it meet me with kind of a shrug. I had lived through Sega making so many mistakes, it was actually a shocker to me that they were still in the game at all. The maturing of gaming felt necessary to me by the late 90s. But I never got over the more playful games, hence my continued love of Nintendo. If Nintendo ever exits the industry, I will cry then.

[@tommythesparta4912]

I'm really sorry if this comment is poorly written or is too much rambling, but I felt compelled to type this after watching this video, little nervous posting such a gargantuan comment but here it goes This video is a really captivating look at the generation that I was born into, it was really interesting to see such a different perspective of this generation of gaming, And I actually feel some parallels with how you felt with the 2000's for gaming as I did with the 2010's with the franchise I grew up with, one of the very one's you mentioned being a industry wide influence like Sonic was the decade before it Halo having it's own growing pains and kinda forming it's own version of a "Sonic Cycle", and going as far as to change itself to appeal to the quickly spreading trend of military shooters with twitchy and frantic gameplay, it hurts a little part of me to look back with a more developed perspective and seeing how much it strayed away from what made it so great in it's original trilogy Rewatching you're whole retrospective series on Sonic recently, I started seeing some huge parallels between Halo's and Sonic's rollercoasters with the industry (Obviously the amount of games and the quality of said games don't always mirror one another but I still feel the similarities) [Chapter 1] The original trilogy being seen as industry defining back in their hayday (Halo's 1-3 and Sonic's 1-3&k) even as far as Halo 2 having to get split into 2 games and it's second half becoming Halo 3, like how Sonic 3 had to get cut in half with Sonic & Knuckles making up it's second half (the comparison isn't exactly one to one but the fact it's even this close is kinda fascinating to me) [Chapter 2] Some spin-offs that while not as great as those trilogies were still fun games that would become cult classics (Halo Wars and Halo 3 ODST, and Sonic Spinball and Knuckles Chaotix) with Halo Wars and Spinball being these wild experiments to try putting the franchises into other genres, and ODST and Knuckles Chaotix being games that stay true to the franchises main genre but having you not play as it's main character [Chapter 3] The game('s) where it first tries to reinvent itself for trends and a new era (Halo Reach and Sonic Adventure 1-2) Halo Reach being Halo's first step into the trend around 2010 of being more militaristic and gritty with it's visuals and story, and gameplay becoming more complex, but with armor abilities and premade loadouts for some modes instead of create a class and Sonic Adventure's 1-2 being Sonic's first jump's into the trend of the late 90's with 3D and actually focusing more on story instead of pure gameplay [Chapter 4] The games that made a huge tonal shift (Halo 4 and Shadow the Hedgehog) Halo 4's shift being a really somber and kinda depressing one with the grit of the visuals being cranked to the extreme (also enemy AI got dumbed down alot -_-) Shadow the Hedgehog being the shift for games that feel more mature than the games that came before both games having their bright spots but in the end just kinda being meh overall [Chapter 5] The absolute disaster that truly made the franchise a laughing stock that their still trying to fully recover from (Halo's games being Halo 5 Guardians and Halo: The Master Chief Collection "at launch", and Sonic's being Sonic 06) Halo MCC "at launch" and Sonic 06's similarity being their majorly ambitious scope that got squandered thanks to time constraints and development hell MCC's ambition being a collection of games where you wouldn't have to select the whole games separately in a menu (an example being that you could choose what game mode you wanted to play in multiplayer and the game would choose one of the games on top of just what map, and boot up that specific games engine for that match) and Sonic 06's ambition being to reboot sonic and to push the power of the at the time new hardware with both games becoming bug infested and at times unplayable when they were released and relying on brand recognition to sell copies thankfully both games sorta have a happy ending; with Sonic 06 having the fanmade PC port that fixed tons of the games problems; and Halo MCC's being the dev studio going back to fix everything years later and forming it into what is easily the definitive way to play those old games now (at least in my opinion) Halo 5's similarities to Sonic 06 being deceptively good marketing and both easily having the worst stories and their respective franchises (there's no way a games story can become as much of an abomination as Sonic 06's, but trust me when I say that for Halo's standards, Halo 5's story was REALLY BAD) [Chapter 6] The spin-off game that ignited a spark of hope (Halo Wars 2 and Sonic Rush) Halo Wars 2 being where Halo was starting to look and feel like itself again in terms of art style, music style, and the story's tone and Sonic Rush being a game that finally stuck the landing with tone and gameplay after the scar that was 06 (as the thumbnail for your episode put it "The light in the darkness") [Chapter 7] the game that pulled the franchise back on it's feet (Halo Infinite and Sonic Unleashed) Sonic Unleashed for just how damn near perfect the daytime stages and gameplay feel, and even though the nighttime stages were ripped into back in the day, after playing them for myself for the first time about 4 years ago, do have their moments of fun and felt nowhere near as awful as most people have told me (though the lack of a drop shadow really did make eggman land more difficult than it needed to be) and Halo Infinite being the game that truly feels like Halo again, with a story that finally leans back towards the more heroic and uplifting stories of the original trilogy, on top of a campaign that's kinda open world (like the batman arkham games) with a linear story that you progress though , and a multiplayer that admittedly did stumble out the gate but at the core is extremely fun and is getting better with updates (thanks modern gaming XD, though I wish it's monetization was better) For Halo, I was there since childhood and will always be fond of it no matter what For Sonic, I never really had much of an opinion or view of it other than random little things I would see in youtube videos talking about old games and stuff, but then I started trying Sonic games for the first time around 2016 when I entered my late teens and grew a fondness for it to where I can say I'm a fan, and after seeing your retrospective series years ago, I've gained a new perspective and knowledge of it all as of now, I consider both franchises to be 2 of my 3 all time favorites in gaming, with an Indie game called Oneshot taking that third spot of the trinity as one final thing to just say in the end, thank you for giving me a whole new understanding and perspective to gaming I would never have had otherwsie, and I hope the future is bright for whatever you do next ^w^

[@MACZ2021]

This has to be the most relatable video you've done to date, at least for me personally. I'm 30 years old and I've been gaming since I was 2, with my first console being a Sega Genesis. I've always felt that, despite growing up with Nintendo the most, if I hadn't been a Sega kid first and foremost I would've ended up as one of those annoying fanboys. Honestly not sure how many other people out there and even among my own friends have the same perspective on gaming as a whole as I do, and while I never really got made fun of or bullied for being more into Nintendo stuff than Sony/Microsoft stuff, I did see first-hand how other people had to put up with it whether it was at school or online in forums and such once I started using the internet regularly around 2005. One thing that always kept me around and having video games be my main hobby for all these years is that regardless of the actual quality of a game or the system it was released on, as long as I was having fun or enjoying whatever I played, that's what mattered most to me. And another thing is that even though I was primarily into Nintendo games back in the day as far as what I actually owned was concerned, if I had the chance to play other systems and games at a friend's house then I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to do so cause I just wanted to consume whatever games I could get my hands on. Granted, I did feel a slight sense of regret in choosing the GameCube over the PS2 and I didn't fully come to appreciate the original Xbox until years later when I got a 360 in February 2011, but I don't fully have any regrets in the fact I went for the GameCube when I did back in 2001, especially when later on I did end up getting my own PS2 and my aforementioned Xbox 360. My absolute favorite thing about being a gamer for the majority of my life is that I've gotten to witness just how much the industry and gaming as a whole have advanced in the last 20+ years. Also seeing how we used to have gaming related magazines and then as the internet became more commonplace seeing video game related websites come and go, not to mention video game related content on KZbin, like AVGN and Zero Punctuation to lets plays and streaming games to longform essay videos about different games or retrospectives on a series or a console or developer and so on, it's just been so interesting and neat to see just how far everything has come over the years and I'm always gonna be excited to see what comes in the next several decades. And to touch further upon the thing I mentioned about retrospectives and the like, sometimes other people on KZbin are able to better convey what I think about certain topics or give me better insight and/or appreciation for stuff that I may have already been a fan of or stuff that I wasn't into before, and when I end up showing friends those videos and they finally get what points I've been trying to get across, it's just a great feeling imo. Anyways, I think the most relatable part of the video for me was the part where Josh talks about how the industry was trying to become more serious at the time and I definitely felt the same. Back then, I want to say I didn't fully understand the appeal of more realistic games and why the industry moved in the direction it did. But nowadays, I'm glad that things did eventually come around and what people thought wasn't cool anymore was cool once again. Just getting to see people change their minds on stuff and actually give certain games and consoles a chance when they wouldn't have years prior was so wonderful, not in a sense of getting to say "I told you so" but just something along the lines of other gamers finally seeing what I saw in the first place. Thank you so much for making this video, it's something that I've always thought about but never knew how to word it in the past.

[@Cloud8504]

I'm just a bit older than you Josh, somewhere like 2-3 years, but my experience was certainly different. I think it's because of where I wound up in the 90's first. I started with an NES and Mario, and other 2D side scrollers, as was the style at the time. When I finally played on a Genesis a bit later, Sonic blew me away by how fast it was. I definitely don't look back at the older Sonic games with as much reverence as you do, but I still played the hell out of Sonic 2, and was as excited for Sonic 3 as I was DKC. Then I played a little game called Final Fantasy II (IV), and suddenly I needed to play ALL of the JRPGs, and every time I tried to find a comparable experience on the Genesis, it just wasn't the same. It had almost instantaneously become my favorite genre of game. I was engrossed in the storytelling, and the strategy and slower pace of the turn based battle systems, even though I was too young to even know how to change my equipment at the time. I know Phantasy Star was a thing, but I discovered it much too late. Well after the time 3D games were starting to hit big.. I was also decidedly a Nintendo fanboy up to this point, but I respected Sega for trying with the Saturn, and eventually the success and failure of the Dreamcast. Once Final Fantasy went to PlayStation though, I jumped ship. Yeah I loved Mario 64 and Zelda, but neither held a candle to FF7 for me, with its CGI cutscenes and 3 whole darn discs of seemingly endless content (at the time), so by the time the 6th generation got rolling, I was absolutely swallowed by the PS2 hype. I had to know what FFX was going to be, and I wound up loving it too. GameCube sounded lame, though I did eventually get one and had a lot of fun with some great games. I remember people shitting on Wind Waker at the time, but I was willing to give it a shot, and I'm glad I did because it might be my favorite GameCube game to this day. I think I felt the same way about Xbox as you did the PS2. I had a couple friends that were fortunate enough to have PCs at the time, and all I ever heard was how much better it was. So I was actually mad that Microsoft was coming into the console space, and I honestly thought they would fail. I think without Halo, they might have, but I had to gain respect when they learned from their mistakes with the 360. That had its own set of issues of course, but it was undeniably a big hit at the time. Fortunately, while there certainly are some gems on the Xbox, I didn't feel like I had missed anything crazy as you had with MGS2, so I ultimately skipped it. By the time the next generation was gearing up, I was starting my 20's, and still being stubbornly in Sony's corner, even though the PS3 absolutely sucked and was too expensive at first. Before we knew that FFXIII wasn't going to be all that great. As much as I detested PC gaming in the 90's, I wound up fully converting in the late aughts, and I haven't looked back since. I don't think the 8th or 9th gen consoles are bad at all, but more and more games were getting released on everything, and I felt like I could have the best experience every time on the PC platform. Plus I was never any good at FPS games until I tried them with a mouse and keyboard, so I didn't truly appreciate Halo for YEARS until the MCC came out. Also Half-Life 2 was just fucking amazing tbh. I enjoyed this video a lot, good work man. It was fun remembering how things were back then. I thought gaming would never get better than that, and in some ways I still feel that way. All this DLC and shoving unfinished games out the door. Day One patches and being stuck downloading huge updates and the like. I didn't think this would get so long, so thank you for even reading it.

[@GeekCritique]

Yeah, I think my experience was pretty different, which was definitely partly down to a difference in tastes and preferences, but partly just down to 2-3 years making a *big* difference at that age. I was too young in the 16-bit days to get into something like Final Fantasy (even Link's Awakening, which was the pack-in with my Game Boy, was *way* too far ahead of my comprehension level), and when I look back at the 5th gen, I can retroactively see a pattern. It's probably best summed up by the fact that I played Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time when they were new. I *loved* Mario, and it remains one of my favorites to this day. But I only *liked* Ocarina, and tellingly, it was one of relatively few big N64 games I never owned. I never even finished it until the 3DS remake! But I think Ocarina was the more-revered game in the long term, and in the even longer term, the more influential. I'm pulled in most often by interesting, skill-driven gameplay systems, and while I can appreciate storytelling, worldbuilding, or character depth, that stuff is rarely gonna have a chance to do anything for me unless the "game" part of the game can hook me first. That said, Final Fantasy VII was so damn impressive that it *absolutely* pulled me in, and remains one of my favorites to this day. I just never got into any of the others, haha. I got into PC gaming right at about the same time you did (those middle Wii years were THIN), and like you, discovered I actually *did* like FPSes after all... I just liked them on a mouse & keyboard. :D Thank you for the awesome comment!

[@Cloud8504]

Oh wow, I totally didn't expect a response, and certainly not so soon. Thank you again for taking the time to even read it, let alone respond~! You remind me of one my buddies from back then, and we would have friendly debates about Sega and Nintendo all the time. Sonic 3 and Knuckles was his favorite game, and he could never get into JRPGs like I had. I tried though, and he eventually did come to respect FFVI and VII when we got a little older. I also had a slight lapse in finishing OoT, though not quite as long. I actually finished it on the GameCube with that bonus disc that you got for pre-ordering Wind Waker. Good times all around.

[@DarkWingSpartan]

You're telling me there's an alternate universe out there where Josh might've been an Xbox guy and we could be getting a Halo season? Must invent time travel! For real though, wonderful video. It is interesting how this industry keeps going in circles. The things that prove popular and successful for a few years are suddenly tossed aside not long after, both bringing in a whole new generation of people who never would have been interested in the medium (or recapturing the interests of long-time gamers who had been disillusioned by those recent trends), while also alienating those who *liked* those recent trends. I don't even think it's *just* a nostalgia thing, either (okay, maybe it is, but hear me out). As the technology improves, devs are encouraged to try new things and push new boundaries. That inevitably leads to one or two fresh, new ideas catching on, and before long, everyone is doing the same "new" thing. The people who have gotten sick of the "same old, same old" will latch onto the new hotness, while the people who aren't get left behind. That's not "nostalgia bias," that's just taste. I had kind of a similar disconnect from the medium in the middle of the eighth gen (this isn't a perfect comparison, but hear me out) where it felt like everything was either a bland, samey open-world thing, an online-only shooter, or a remaster of something from only a few years back, and it felt like there was no end in sight (those were genres I had mostly *liked,* but I had gotten so sick of it). It was only when I started branching out and paying more attention to non-AAA stuff (a lot of which I liked a lot more) that I realized "Nah, I'm not outgrowing anything, a lot of the big AAA stuff just isn't for me." It works both ways. There's my long-winded ramblings. Who knows, it might've actually made sense to someone :p.

[@LukeLynch12T19]

Um, we got a Metroid season even though he didn't get into the series until well into his adolescence, IIRC. Halo season might still be on the table.

[@JustAndre92]

Not only did it make sense, it was a delight! Thanks for taking the time to write all this!

[@agentoosnake5490]

It does make sense

[@Furluge]

1:00 OMG. I know it's a bad habit of mine to comment before watching the video all the way through but, gah, I just have to say how much seeing that code book of yours gets me right in the nostalgias. It makes me think about things I used to do as a kid. Drawing up Mario pipe mazes, drawing robot masters, writing Mega Man passwords in a spiral notebook one at a time, making VHS recordings of games.

[@Dustin_VG]

Excellent video! Enjoyed it quite a lot and it did quite a good job at capturing the weirdness of this era. My only complaint is that, yes, you don’t love the GameCube _quite_ enough for my tastes, so please stare at the coherent world design of Sunshine until you find an appreciation for it, thank you

[@deanprowell7947]

Instructions unclear, stared at Sunshine's Physics until I hated it more

[@halo37253]

I've personally found sunshine to have been the worst mario game by far. I personally think the direction for the game just went in the wrong path, and the ideas behind the game were bad from the start. That Galaxy Series that came after were by FAR! better games. Coming from Mario 64 to sunshine felt like a downgrade. Sunshine also aged horribly.

[@Nay089]

As a guy only like a year younger than Josh, this video hit me hard. I remember being teased on the bus for bringing my GameCube on the last day of school. I’m so happy to see it gets the recognition it deserves today. This gen really felt like the bridge between the “classic” era and the modern one.

[@tanookiplayer]

I was one of those people who had a Gamecube & in school during my teen years I was usually mocked for owning a Gamecube playing Mario Sunshine & Zelda. I was pretty sad when the Dreamcast ended in 2001. It felt weird seeing the likes of Sonic & Crazy Taxi on a console that wasn't Sega. Great video. ^_^

[@GeekCritique]

Ooh, I know what you mean. Seeing Sonic, Crazy Taxi, Chu Chu Rocket under the banners of what I still thought of as Sega's competition... it *still* seems a little uncanny!

[@tanookiplayer]

I still find it bizarre that some people got into Sega games like Sonic on non-Sega consoles.

[@BlueEyedVibeChecker]

@@tanookiplayer I feel bad for the ones who only got the inferior buggy ports of Sonic Adventure DX over the original especially. The game gets a bad rep for issues that aren't even in the original yet plague the ports.

[@BlueEyedVibeChecker]

Which is why I refer to things such as the GTA Defective Trilogy as the "DX treatment". Remasters are supposed to be better, not worse.

[@smashmaster521]

I'm feeling attacked right now.

[@doomslayer1991]

I know the feeling especially when it comes to gaming now the developers cater to the lowest common denominator the games of today feel like movies not games.

[@nurk_barry]

Josh, I grew up during the shift in the industry that you describe here, and for the exact same reasons you had for distancing yourself from the industry, I basically left the hobby entirely for many years. I grew up with NES, Game Gear, Game Boy, Genesis, Snes, and most importantly N64. Although I ended up owning every console except for the OG Xbox, I never really connected with anything after the late 90s and early 00s for a long time. Today the industry had matured even more and has re-connected and rediscovered with the types of games that we grew up with, although the market is so huge now that it’s able to cater to both camps now. Still, modern titles and the cash-hungry nature of the beast in 2022 is off-putting as ever, and I primarily play the classics and am perfectly content to stay there. That’s what makes me happy, and nostalgia is one hell of a drug. Great episode by the way, of all the game-focused channels yours is my favorite because I really connect with your experience. We would have hung out and played Mario Kart if you’d lived in my neighborhood.

[@Callumbuddy]

A new episode! Oh joyous day!

[@MorbidVoid]

I haven't been watching your channel lately (still a patron though) you actually got me into long form analysis videos. I've been binging your stuff this week and man not only ate you still great but your structure, focus, and elaboration holds you with the best of the medium.

[@JustAndre92]

There is NO better way to kick off a retrospective on the early- to mid-2000s than setting a montage to the _Zero Wing_ /"All Your Base Are Belong to Us" music (3:01) and capping off the section with the sound of Strong Bad getting up from his chair (4:22).

[@GeekCritique]

I can't think of 2001 without thinking of the All Your Base meme, it was EVERYWHERE. And I'm so glad you caught that sound effect, you're the first one who's said anything about it!

[@DusKnight7th]

Not many videos have left me speechless, searching for words to phrase thoughts of awe and praise masterful eloquence. This, however, left me at a loss for words. Your passion was not lost as it emanates through awesome eloquence. Perfect speech, masterpiece in light humor and metaphores. I may not have lived (as a "gamer") throughout the fifth and sixth generation, even though your sentiments in regards to the Gamecube and Playstation 2 ressonate well within me, but in their successor's generation. Thank you for reminding us of the beauty of videogames and wonders of aging, after all, that which is beautiful is because it does not last forever and growth is, indeed, painful. Honored to welcome you to my subscription list. Edit: Grammar.

[@Jakstalgia]

Wow, this video was done beautifully! Love how informative yet personal your writing style is, lends itself really well to topics like this. Your videos continue to be some of the best on this platform, Josh. Keep up the amazing work. :)

[@wiiseeyou]

This video feelt like a mix of poetry and personal essay. The pains of growing up, and the nostalgia of a different time, it filled me with both sadness and hope. Thank you for putting into words a reason to love games and helping in expanding my thoughts on video-games.

[@MajoraZ]

I love how much you excell (and this video more then ever) at conveying, out of the full tapestry of human experiences, your unique perspectives and tastes. Obviously all reviews do that to an extent, but there's a difference between giving opinion, vs conveying a PERSPECTIVE: the holistic sum of one's preferences and insights. Anyways I'm around half a decade younger then you, and my FIRST home console was an n64 (my first game was JP tresspasser!) but I never saw 2d games as oudated even as a kid: I had tons of fun with my Game Boy (and then GBA) and I readily saw both formats as having strengths and weaknesses, and in fact found the more arcadey, level based design of those games or the 3d titles that kept it like SA2 (and Halo, of all things, but I'll get back to that) easier to come back to and enjoy. I absolutely agree that it was trendy at the time for the journalists, executives, and many players to look down on more colorful, kiddy, or games with more 90's game design, but I wonder people who were first STARTING to play games during that transition like me maybe were less impacted by that bias then people who were already playing games to see 3d and "mature" titles as the future? Part of it might just be that people your age were entering or in your teens and of course teens don't want to seem like kids, but I wonder if part of it is also just that people in my age group didn't have expectations for what games were or would become and saw both 2d, arcadey, etc titles, AND 3d, cinematic, etc ones as informing our opinion of what a game is. I also must say (even if I've said it a few times on this channel), I've always seen and loved the Halo games for the same sort of reasons you seem to love games, even if your perspective on the Halo series is the opposite of that: To me, the series feels much more evocative of arena shooters of the 90s in both design (at least in the multiplayer) and in visuals, with very video gamey, vertical, plaforming heavy arenas, on map pickups, and a super colorful, vibrant set of both weapons, enemies, and environments. The campaigns, too, had levels I would replay over and over to get better times or scores (though scoring was only added to CE and 2 in re-releases); and perhaps more then anything else, I love the series for it's atmosphere and environmental storytelling (much of what you've said about Metroid Prime or even the DKC games is how I talk about Halo). The series also has wacky modifiers, cheats, and a ton of silly humor... on the flip sidre, it would be dishonest to claim that Halo WASN'T the hypermarketed, mature hardcore shooter dudebros the world over were playing nonstop in the early to mid-late 2000's: It very much was, but I think that reputation, that crowd, and indeed Halo's place in the industry sort of moved on as CoD took over that niche instead: I think if you were to speak to people who play Halo now (which is mostly core fans of the series, not general FPS players), most of them would say Halo is special to them for the reasons I stated. Honestly, I think Halo's place in the industry is sort of both a more arcadey, 90's style experience, AND a more modern (or what was modern) one: I'm focusing a lot on the ways it's similar to more arcadey titles, but in full honesty, it's emphasis on worldbuilding, cinematic storytelling, etc is more modern, and even it's gameplay I think represents the transitionary stage between those two eras: It's got pickups and arena style maps, but also regenerating shields and limited weapon slots like modern shooters.... (I'll also say that if you do ever wanna give the Halo games a try again, maybe try Halo 2 instead of CE: I think it's a lot faster paced, more arcadey, and it's got WAAAAAY more environmental storytelling and worldbuilding in line with the Metroid Prime games then CE did. Since you brought it up, I also know of MULTIPLE video essays comparing Halo 2 and MGS2 in some respects as well for reasons I shouldn't clarify on.... then again, Halo 2's opening levels also go hard on the grey and brown and it only returns to surreal vibrant alien worlds midway through, so maybe it might be a turn off? Not sure!) Halo and my opinions on arcadey vs modern games aside, I have to admit the one thing I don't relate to at all here is your opinion on Sunshine: In the past you've said you don't really feel the need to cover SM64 and Sunshine, but i'm quite interested in hearing your opinion in more depth: Speaking personally, Sm64 was one of my first console games (alongside Majora's Mask and Mario Kart 64) and while I enjoyed it, I never LOVED it. Sunshine on the other hand I got super into right away: fundamentally I think the design is quite similar, but Sunshine's atmosphere and environments were so much more appealing and compelling to me, and wheras in sm64, I felt Mario was relatively unresponsive (people say the mechs in SA2 are slow, but they turn and accelrate faster then Mario in 64 does!) in Sunshine he felt tight and snappy.... ...though, looking across my whole comment, maybe I am just a giant sucker for interesting environment design and atmosphere in games: I did also spend dozens of hours in Majora's Mask not even progressing the game but just experiencing the tone of the 3 day cycle over and over. (I'm also curious, did you ever give City Trial in Kirby Air Ride another chance?)

[@MajoraZ]

Also, to add onto what I was saying about Sunshine (and obviously this is just my opinon, though as I said i'd love to hear what you think), I feel like the game does a much better job at taking advantage of it's "Sandbox" style level design: If you compare Bomb-Omb Battlefield to Bianco hills, both have a winding path through the stage that spirals up a vertical structure, but wheras Sm64 really doesn't have much to do (not in terms of content, per say, but like meaningful level geometry) outside of the path, Bianco has a whole little village on one side of the wall, a park path with trees on the other, then a lake with tightropes, and you can platform and jump on and across all those areas all without even touching the ground. This is true of Riccio Harbor, Pinata Village, Pinna Park, and Delfino plaza too (even Gelato beach to an extent). I feel like Sm64's stages are a lot more linear in a way that's sort of at odds with it's ostensibly 3d gameplay. Likewise in Odyssey, while it's the "better" game compared to Sunshine, the only kingdom I felt was as fun to navigate and mess around in as a lot of Sunshine's levels was New Donk City, which has a similar vertical, freeform sort of design with dense geometry.

[@XSniper74184]

I totally agree with you on Halo having a lot more classic arena shooter in it than most people would think and I feel like how Civvie11 will often point out how people "took the wrong lessons from Half Life" I feel a similar thing could be said about Halo. For example regenerating health, Halo 1 just had shields regen but later game would also have health regen and all of them feature AI and enemy design that keep you away from the infamous "stop and pop" a lot of modern shooters have. Because of how enemies would try and approach or flank you combined with grenades, time to kill, and enemy variety there's almost never just a "stay here and click on enemies, ducking when the game beeps at me," of a firefight. The game will often force you out of cover and even when it doesn't it still makes you think about your target priority. Do you kill the elite so the grunts start to panic or do you pop off the grunts because they die fast and their weapons are still deadly in the volume they possess? Then what about Jackals? Their shields make them harder to take out and when they have long range weapons they're pretty deadly. Not to mention that killing the elite I mentioned before can take multiple seconds, not just a quick click on the head. Having regenerating health was just one part of Halo's combat and so many games fail to copy everything else that actually made that health system work. However I have to almost completely disagree with you on Mario. I did like Sunshine better than 64 just because it's world design was so much cooler. The levels seemed like actual places rather than just levels floating in a void. Like do you know how many levels in SM64 can be accurately described as "a big hill surrounded by bottomless pit?" More than 2! But Sunshine was dramatically held back by requiring players to beat 7 shines in every level rather than just gating progress by number of shines. Once you know that it makes all the cool other shines seem a bit pointless, just there for completion sake. Plus the controls can be a bit janky due to their age. But Odyssey? Not only did it's level feel like actual places in a world (a very strange one albeit) but it has moons hidden in every corner! Very few are specifically required and the ones that are aren't capping off necessity but starting your treasure hunt through the level! You can get as many as you want and only require a certain number of them rather than needing specific ones to continue! And the controls? Oh so smooth and responsive. It continues to have a good drop-shadow which is oh so important in 3D platformers and the hat dive turns what was just one button with the hover nozzle into a flexible and skillful traversal tool. I will always love Sunshine but credit has to be given where it's due, there is so much more to interact with and even see the game reward you for doing in Odyssey.

[@SS2GohanisBomb1]

Now I'd be interested in hearing your commentary on the Wii/PS3/360 era.

[@phoenixdowner]

I’ve never had a problem with your production values, but your production values on this video have amplified. Good work.

[@satelliteprime]

"Nintendo would start a revolution" Aaaaaaaah, I see what you did there. A++

[@joshua9832]

This video, even for a 16 year old now, still was relatable. If I was you back then I would’ve loved the GameCube, because of how much fun the colorfully rich games were, and I would’ve disliked the Wii. But because I grew up with the Wii, it’s now my favorite console. Nothing beats the Wii to me. It’s really just the time period that these games came out in. And I feel like having an experience like this where you start losing faith in games is kinda happening now. The only console I like now that is modern is the switch, because the other ones don’t “feel” like consoles. They feel like streaming boxes. I like the feeling of owning games, and the next generation, besides Nintendo isn’t embracing that. Not that they are bad, they just don’t appeal to me

[@mathisblair2798]

Nintendo is falling off majorly. The steamdeck was like a lance to the face for nintendo especially as it's powerful enough to play Nintendo. Nintendo was always greedy as heck they get what they deserve. Plua they were never smart enough to offer retro playablity and sell their older games at a cheap price to us. New consoles constantly force us to trowour old ones in alandfill. Finally got smart and switched to pc gaming and emulation for older stuff. Microsoft, sony, nintendo can all get bent as they are all so damned greedy and restrictive. Linux gaming/steamdeck for the win.

[@joshua9832]

@@mathisblair2798 if anyone can read this, I would like a full translation. I don’t want to be mean. But I’m referring to the games on the platform. I don’t care about the company itself in this example. Steam deck can play Nintendo games, and as long as you don’t pirate switch titles, I’m fine with it. I think that is a good companion piece. But it has numerous hardware issues.

[@Limit02]

@@mathisblair2798 the switch is already one of the top 5 best selling game consoles ever this comment reads like something some delusional pc master race nut job would’ve said during 7th gen

[@Limit02]

@@joshua9832 I read their comment lmao, hilarious they think anyone cares about the steamdeck yet, that thing has a ways to go if it ever wants to compete with any consoles

[@joshua9832]

@@Limit02 I feel like it’s a neat concept but the emulation scene needs a little bit of work.

[@evilmidget]

The early 00s was THE BEST time to be a "retro gamer". After a while, the luster of the Game Cube wore off for me and I THRIVED as a retro gamer thanks to a hand-me-down SNES and the fact that funcoland was still around in it's original incarnation, not to mention getting to catch up on N64 games I missed out on thanks to the RAPIDLY falling price of N64 games due to the new generation of consoles. I still have some of those Funcoland purchases to this day, including Super Mario RPG. I didn't start getting into the PS2 until about 2007 and NEVER got into anything on any of the X Box consoles

[@fluffy_tail4365]

Oh wow, this video hit different. I am also one of those aging gamers like you and went through similar phases. I am glad that nowdays, thanks to the internet and indies we have so much choice on our hands and the industry truly matured like we did at the end. +IDK what else to add, all the video was really heartfelt. Thanks for shering :)

[@ZaffreRevolution]

what a beautiful retrospective. your videos have always been so good but these last few episodes have been some next level stuff! i really admire your work, creativity, and constant self-improvement. keep it up

[@dannykazari2875]

I grew up with a second hand SNES, N64, and Gamecube in the early 2000s, so I'm lucky I got to experience a wide variety of games from different generations. This video felt very genuine and heartfelt.

[@YoungAverageJoe]

This is easily my new favorite video of yours! Even as someone who grew up with games in the following generation, I can definitely relate to feeling out of touch with the industry. For reference, My first video game was New Super Mario Bros. on the DS and the only home console I had growing up was a Wii. As a kid I grew up with more or less the same game franchises as you did (hell, I even themed my pfp based around one of em!). Now, taking into consideration that the industry was advancing further in the direction it was going in with Generation 6, every other game on every other console was still just incredibly alien to me. Even as someone who grew up in an era where more mature and "adult" oriented games were all the rage, I'd still look at a game like GTA 4 or Resident Evil 5 and shiver a bit inside lol. It really goes to show you that those feelings still occur with each passing generation, and it will never not be awkward to be that one Nintendo nerd in an ocean of people that play exclusively on Xbox, lol. Again, fantastic video!

[@satelliteprime]

Wow, I was just finishing another rewatch of your Sonic and Metroid retrospectives, wondering when you would resume posting. Welcome back GC!

[@kargaroc386]

I'm really gonna hate when the micro transaction kids start growing up and dominating the internet. You can have your own tastes, but when those tastes are outright abusive, that's when the line gets drawn.

[@themanwithsauce]

VIEWTIFUL JOOOOOEEEEEE!!!!! Yeah I remember how hard it got bashed by reviews for "not being 3D". ...I hate review bias so damn much. But it was probably one of the best action experiences of the 6th gen. I adored everything about it.

[@creeper5051]

Really? Bashed for not being 3D? Cause I remember Viewtiful Joe being mutually praised by pretty much every media outlet available at the time. Even went on to be EGM's and USA Today's Game of the Year (2003 Gamecube Edition).

[@clementnelson8193]

I don't know how you keep getting such excellent, thought-provoking videos out! Every time you upload is a genuine treat. I'm so glad I clicked on that Metroid Prime 2 video, one about a game nor series I had given thought to prior to then.

[@TheRavenArchon]

My older sibling had a a dreamcast, and the family had an N64. When the Gamecube came out it was an absolute no brainer for me to pick one up - Melee, Metroid Prime, Rogue Squadron, and Wind Waker owned my life for a long time. Metroid Prime especially was the killer app I had to have. Super Metroid was my favorite game of all time, and seeing Prime left me foaming at the mouth. I eventually got a PS2 and Xbox and love both for various reasons (Halo is my jam), but the Gamecube will always be king of the 6th gen for me, even if it sold the least of all of them.

[@shannonbateswillis5022]

Dude! Your parents have a barn?! Cool! Also, I thought It’s cool that you have a code book you made yourself! I’m also with you regarding schoolwork! I couldn’t remember, let alone stay organized with it to save my life! I used to draw crystalline fractals during Algebra, and I still see them In my dreams sometime!

[@GeekCritique]

I had a math class once where literally half our grade was to keep track of our assignments and homework in a binder with color-coded divisions. I did well on the tests and understood the concepts, but failed anyway. I remember the teacher being flabbergasted with me, like, "This was supposed to be the easy part!"

[@TKDBoy1889]

This was a really intriguing video to watch, given that we seem to be around the same age. It's interesting to look at how our perspectives at that time were different. I admittedly was one of the ones embracing the "maturity and sophistication" that games seemed to be leaning towards. I never looked down upon the old way, but as I went through adolescence I found myself wanting the darker style. It wasn't until some time in the late 7th gen that I found missing missing the "kiddie" focus of fun and enjoyment over maturity, cinematics, and violence. I think you nailed the head on the three games that drew the line in the sand between retro/old-school design philosophy and modern design philosophy. Looking back, if I knew what was going to happened I wouldn't have embraced it quite as much. Those three games were the pioneers of what the mainstream, or popular gaming scene, homogenized into. Nowadays being an FPS, having and open world, and having a lot of cinematic cutscenes are not just the standard- they seem REQUIRED. AAA games feel like they always have to tick at least two of those boxes, at the very minimum one, to come to fruition. Tightly designed gameplay becomes secondary as long as you meet those criteria first. Early on the extended playtime of open worlds seemed great, and made me look at arcade-style games as lacking value. However, looking back, I've noticed that I will spend more time with a 5-10 linear game by replaying it, than a 50+ hour open world game where I am often one and done, or sometimes don't even finish. It feels like open world became content for content sakes, just throwing in a bunch of bog standard side activities to "justify" 100 hours of playtime. Cutscenes really helped with immersive storytelling, but now it's to the point some games feel more like movies than games. Some games literally have more cutscenes than gameplay. Sometimes a game has lost me because of how little agency I seem to have in the experience, with numerous games literally prompting you with one to do at all times. Press X here, press A here, mash Y 50 times here. I feel like a toddler with my hand being held. Even the gameplay segments have become more cinematic, taking control for extended periods of time as soon as you press a button and sometimes even going on autopilot. That's not to say that cinematics and open-world design do not have their place. When done right, they create wonderful experiences. However, during the 6th gen and first half of the 7th gen, big companies were still willing to experiment, take risks, and focus on enjoyment. A lot of whacky, wild, and crazy fun games came about. Now all the big players play it safe, to the point that the mainstream games all feel too similar. It is why I now really look into the indie scene, where passion and creativity are still relevant.

[@certainlycity4906]

Pretty new to the channel and this was the first video of yours I got to watch day one that it was released. I think the untangling of history and nostalgia that you grapple with on this channel is super fascinating. We must be around the same age but we had different console choices basically all along the way, so hearing your thoughts are a peek into another side of my favorite years gaming. Keep up the great work!

[@SpectreOfTheWired]

Great video, as usual. This'll probably start a new binge of all your content again. Also you're looking good, been working out? Wishing you all the best, Josh, thanks for doing what you do!

[@kargaroc386]

I just started thinking, about the montage you showed of advancing game tech. Yeah its nuts how fast things progressed. And I started thinking, you know a lot of that was because tech that was on the backburner for years, sometimes decades, finally got cheap enough to put into game consoles. And that's what mattered. You saw amazing 3D graphics a whole lot sooner than you saw it in your console, but there's no way it would ever work before, and even the N64 was crazy. So given that, I started wondering, if given all the smartest people in the world with an unlimited budget and no directive other than "make this happen with the tech available no matter the cost", what's the first time period where they could make such and such game, or even just a single frame? Here are my thoughts. The Atari game looks pretty primitive, and you could probably render (very slowly to film) a frame like it with 1940s tech. As for being playable, there were computers by the late 50s that you could run the logic on, and you could probably make a "GPU" that would output to a television (which would look like a room with many many racks of discrete transistors/etc) The early SNES game could probably be rendered in the early 60s - maybe with a IBM 7030 (2MB memory, 1961) with a system that would render slowly to film. A playable version on the other hand would likely need to wait for the 70s. The late SNES game could probably be rendered by the same computer. As for being playable, I'm not sure, but probably a bit more into the 70s than the other one. Probably the mid 70s. The N64 game could probably be rendered in the early 70s - they were already making flat-shaded 3D renders by then, and if they were told what to do, they could likely get textures to work. As for being playable, probably the early/mid 80s if they worked really hard at it. Note that this isn't "can you play it at home?", its "is it theoretically possible to render this at all?" and "is it theoretically possible to make a playable version?"

[@nytronochrome]

The sound design in your videos is top-notch

[@raxxtv1998]

Fantastic review. I’ve been watching you ever since the Kongversation introduced me to your channel, like what? 7 years ago at this point? It’s crazy how time flies. I just want to thank you for all that you’ve done, and all that you’re still doing. You have such a beautiful way of conveying emotion. Gaming is an inherently emotional experience, especially when it comes to the games we grew up with, and you’re the best at describing it. I frequently tear up at your videos, and I love you for it. Oh, and don’t even get me started on your mentioning of Rare and “what could have been”, haha.

[@quantumbewear205]

Hey Josh, late in finally watching this video so IDK if you’ll even read this but just want to say you have to be THE most underrated creator on this site. You have so much passion it’s inspiring honestly and this video really got to me. Plus you were instrumental in getting me into Metroid which I’ll always be thankful for. I was born in 2001, grew up with a Wii and DS and for better for worse the Wii U was what really made me a gamer. I’ve always had been and will continue to be a Nintendo fanboy, but something about the early 2000’s and the GameCube era fascinates me to no end. I’ve always wanted to know what it was like to really live in that time, play games like Wind Waker and Metroid Prime when they were new and defend Nintendo then like it did a lot when I was a kid. Something about this era feels so special and when you make videos like this, or about the Dreamcast or SA2 it really helps me finally scratch that itch and for a moment few like I knew what it was like. You’ll always be one of my favorite KZbinrs and I’ll always look forward to your next video!

[@phantomstrider]

1:12 Dang.. Young Josh might've been onto something.

[@FletcherReedsRandomness]

I feel like the sixth generation was the big turning point for Nintendo. Reading forums from the time (I wasn’t there, so I have no personal experience), so many people became disillusioned with the company for many of the reasons you listed. But that generation had a big boom of children who grew up with the GameCube, and now those kids are grown up and dominating the internet.

[@GeekCritique]

I dunno, I feel like the Wii kids are louder at this point. ;) And in any case, I believe the Wii was *the real* turning point, but the GameCube can definitely be seen to have one foot in each era: The Yamauchi era Nintendo that developed and launched it, and the Iwata era Nintendo that oversaw the majority of its life. It was still *trying* to be a direct competitor in terms of its tech and early 3rd party support, but after a year or two on the market, they knew they'd have to come up with a new strategy to remain viable.

[@chrismdb5686]

I'd argue it was the N64 that really sealed their fate. It was the first time they had truly been overtaken by the competition (yeah Sega did go back and forth with Nintendo previously, but that was more of them wrestling than truly knocking each other out), and it's all because the Sony deal fell through and launched the PlayStation brand into the driver's seat for the industry. The GameCube and Wii really just diverged farther along the path that the N64 had set the company on. They no longer had the clear, cutting-edge they had been known for, so now they needed to be different instead, with very mixed results.

[@geoffreyhogueison5551]

This may be my favorite video of yours yet. It encompasses how I feel about this era in gaming, and similar struggles I felt a decade later in my teenage years. I had a gamecube and had played on the other consoles as a kid, but while all my other friends were going more toward the more mature games on sony and xbox, i stayed on the wii u. The main difference is nobody called me kid-ish or anything because we all played the same games still, just not on console. PC's had evolved to the point where we could still play games together without having to have the same system. Plus, since I had the wii u, all the good party games were on it and of course, I had them all. Plus, as you mentioned, the industry was changing. But i definitely did and still do similar things to you as a kid when it came to games, i still have a binder full of printouts for games

[@YugiSyta]

I don't think I gave this video my full attention when you first released it. This is such a lovely, well thought out script, and it gave me a full on blast of nostalgia (the music choices helped). I am only a few years younger than you, old enough that my first consoles were the 8 bit and 16 bit era, but the ps2 was a huge part of my childhood, and very possibly my favorite console. Thanks for keeping the nostalgia train alive, but with a sense of purpose and always with an attempt at some subjective thought.

[@buckchuckgaming597]

Our generation really grew up with gaming more so than any other (I was born in 87). We got to spend our youth on late NES/Genesis/SNES, tween and early teen years on the Saturn, PS1, N64, and DC, and teenage years on the 6th gen. We got to see so many leaps in tech and, like you, I was really missing 2D. I was actually using my GameCube as more of a GBA player than a GameCube. I hated Xbox at the start and was a GC fanboy (my brother had a PS2 so I still got to enjoy that), but ended up putting a lot more hours into Halo 2 with buddies in late HS and college than anything on GC. Some of my favorite gaming memories are linked to the Xbox and Halo 2. It’s a little crazy to me all the nostalgia and love for the GC from the generation just after ours. I’m actually the least nostalgic for the GC and it’s my least favorite console of the sixth gen, but I think it’s really cool that the GC is getting love now because it sure didn’t when we were in high school. I was a bit of a gaming snob back then too and thought I was too cool to play a lot of the AAA releases like Halo and GTA but thankfully I’ve wised up since then. I used to play a lot of cult classics and niche games, which are still great, but so are a lot of AAA titles. It’s the same reason I won’t look down on anyone enjoying Fortnite now. I can respect what it does and see it’s a quality title, it’s just not for me and that’s okay.

[@mariowalker9048]

The 80s babies are the gaming generation

[@thebodybeatdownDiTi]

How did your generation grow up with gaming more than mine? I've been gaming since arcades and pong consoles on b&w tvs.lol..

[@jefftakesdscakes30]

@@mariowalker9048 what does that mean

[@mariowalker9048]

@@jefftakesdscakes30 They were growing up during gaming's golden years. They got see gaming go from 2d to 3d in their youth and some were old enough to play Atari.

[@Justagamerl]

That binder is beautiful. Even for my video game habit I could not force myself to create such art. Really slaps me with the reason my life is in the state it is now.

[@jonnyelpoiss7]

Must says, if we forget about number and marketing, Dreamcast was the one truly innovating and changing the industry. Mainly with online, but also with game that truly changed the industry. And one game that truly defined what was coming was def Phantasy star Online. A lot may not realise today, but this game made the industry what it is today with its internet feature. And sony did not understood that until years laters after the ps2 was release. Ho, Subscribed btw, great video!

[@PhyreI3ird]

It's so interesting. The title of this immediately caught my attention and felt really relatable, but for totally different reasons than you elaborated on in the video. Super Nintendo, Dreamcast and GameCube were my favorite systems growing up, and the rampant, unending greed and abuse of talent leading to the decay of enormous swathes of modern gaming all made me feel detached and so deprived of any joy in gaming in general until over the past couple years I started casually collecting 6th gen (and Dreamcast) stuff. The situations couldn't be more different but its kinda funny how similar some of the experiences are. Also I luckily didn't deal too much with the derision of the GameCube. Most of my peers at the time didn't care enough about games to have a superiority complex, and I always kept to tiny social groups anyway. Plus I was a MASSIVE edgelord from the ages of 8 to like 14 so I think luckily I hit all the demographics to not have to deal with that shit xD Still even with all these differences in our experiences, this was an awesome video dude! I really love thoughtful, reflective stuff like this. Earnestly looking back at the things that shaped us and how we've grown since X time or event. Awesome stuff

[@RetroRampage]

Man, the way I hear you talk and reminisce about your childhood and teenage years is so captivating, it reminds me of when I was young too. I wasn't lucky enough to see Sega's best years first hand, I was born just a few years before the dreamcast came out, so the GBA and Gamecube were my first systems. I do remember a lot of what you described back then, though. Everyone saying the Gamecube was stupid and the games I loved were for babies. But all the way up to around 2007-2008, that system was my best friend. As an autistic individual, I got very attached to the gamecube, and ESPECIALLY Sonic the Hedgehog. While I remember kids in my class talking about Halo and GTA, all I wanted to do was boot up Sonic Adventure 2 Battle and raise my chao. Back when everyone was getting hyped about the next generation of consoles, Xbox 360 and PS3, I preordered a game for the first time with my own money. What game was it? Sonic Riders on Gamecube. I have a lot of fond memories of those days, not knowing the difference between good and bad games, and just genuinely enjoying everything I played. Before I even got my first next-gen console, the Xbox 360, I went BACK and experienced many of the retro games that came out before I was born, or before I was able to play video games. I remember when I got the dreamcast for the first time it felt like this mysterious machine with endless possibilities. I didn't even notice that the graphics were worse, I was too busy being absolutely blown away by the Memory Cards having screens on them, or the fact that it could go ONLINE. My god when I got Phantasy Star Online, that was it. I spent hundreds of hours in that game. Over time I learned to go outside my comfort zone more as I got the 360. Originally I only wanted it so I could play Sonic 06 and Unleashed, but I did eventually try the more mature games and enjoyed them. I do feel some of that magic has been lost after that generation, but that's mostly just the nostalgia talking.

[@Ingels1991]

My sentiment on the GameCube is similar to yours. I was always a Nintendo kid growing up, and the GameCube released just as I was starting Junior High. I remember trying so desperately to explain to my peers why I would ever choose the "kiddy console" over the PS2 or Xbox. "Where else am I supposed to play Donkey Kong and Pokémon?" was usually my go-to response. Maybe it sounds dramatic to say, but my memories tied to the GameCube are bittersweet, between the ridicule I'd recieve for playing "Baby Games" and, as you touched upon, not feeling the same sort of magic I felt with the N64 or Snes. I felt like I was walking on eggshells and for a brief period it made me almost resentful of PS2 owners. I didn't want to play GTA3, I wanted to play Starfox Adventures. Not just because I wasn't allowed to play M rated games at the time, but because Starfox was Nintendo and Nintendo was my home. But why was I not having fun?? I did end up getting a PS2 in late 2006, and boy... I really did get a feel for what I had been missing. My feelings of resentment toward PS2 fans faded immediately. I finally got to check out stuff even my friends had been BEGGING me to try. I finally experienced the bizarre magic of Kingdom Hearts! I found Silent Hill 2 at a garage sale for two dollars and now it's a game I play annually! Spent a Spring Break playing through Snake Eater for the first time! I COULD WATCH DVDS ON IT! Looking back the 6th Gen really was an adventurous time, both within the industry and for us gamers, even if sometimes it felt like half of it was colored primarily with washed-out browns and bloom effects. I just had to open my mind a little bit, and understand that something unfamiliar or different wasn't necessarily bad. Keep up the great work 👍

[@atlys258]

I think this is the video I needed to watch to make me realize that I haven't fallen out of love with gaming, I'm just not in love with anything current anymore and I haven't been for years. I found my love of gaming from the 4th gen when I was a just a small child only a few years old, to the 7th generation as I exited my teenage years, and that's where my heart still lies. I'm going to start work on collecting my old consoles and games from then, sure it'll probably cost me more than buying into and keeping up with the current generation and onward, but I'll be able to share those experiences with my niece and nephews, and I think I'll be happier with that.

[@thewarrens7620]

Thanks dude, your videos brought me back to my childhood and your'e passion for video games is truly something special.

[@waywardlaser]

I got a GameCube for my 9th birthday and all my childhood friends had one so it felt important at least among my peers. I thought the first party outings were all excellent follow-ups to the previous generations and ended up having a similar response to the Wii as you did to the GC. Sunshine, Wind Waker, Thousand Year Door, Double Dash, Melee, Luigi's Mansion, Animal Crossing....these are all still some of my favourite games of all time. Not to mention it was my introduction to the Sonic series at large and I very quickly became obsessed with the Adventure games and Mega Collection.

[@WayOutGaming]

I'll be honest with ya TGC, I was having a bit of an issue understanding what you were getting at in this particular episode. But after thinking about it, and reading some of the coments here, I think I get what you're saying, and honestly, I think I'm sort of at that point now. I grew up during the late N64 through to the Wii era, and honestly what you were saying in the video about games you loved being part of bygone era is sorta how I feel now. It's not that I don't play newer games, because I do, but most of my gaming comes from 4th and 5th gen consoles, like the SNES, Genesis, N64, PS1, etc. I always thought it was because I just had a weird psuedo-obsession with anything from the 90's and early 2000's (which I do), but I think it's because those systems just have games that I want to play. It's sorta like you said about the 6th gen in the video. It's not that you hated new games, it's that there was a massive genre shift that sort of alienated you because what you liked about games was no longer apart of the mainstream, and when it's not part of the mainstream, it's not going to be produced to the same degree. I think that's why most of my game purchases have either been from Indie devs or have been retro game purchases. There's still some new games I absolutely enjoy (like Planet Zoo, Cities Skylines, etc.), but the older games just have a playstyle and charm to them that most modern games lack. Am I on point?

[@GeekCritique]

Absolutely, you are! One reason it was relatively easy for me to articulate what my teenage self felt is because a lot of it was just a (much) less-nuanced version of what I feel *now*. There's a certain approach to game design that resonates with me, which basically *defined* what video games were in the 80s and 90s, but became less prevalent and influential as the industry grew. That's the "something" that can be found in spades in older games, but there's no shortage of newer titles that give me that feeling, too. But it's mostly in smaller/indie titles, it's very rare that I can find it in most big-budget contemporary AAA games.

[@WayOutGaming]

@@GeekCritique Hm. Not sure how I didn't pick up on that. Might have to give this episode a rewatch! But that said, it's interesting how your own hobby can "outgrow" you isn't it? I guess that's what happens when the hobby is based on trends. I know I find modern AAA gaming way too corporate and trendy for my tastes much of the time. There's exceptions of course, but I definitely feel that newer stuff is too, idk, safe? Or perhaps repetitive is the word. I know from reading The Ultimate History of Video Games series that once the 6th gen comes around, there's a major tonal shift towards gritty realism (which I believe you also mentioned in the video), and corporate think tank produced games, neither of which really ever cared for. Darn it, now I am definitely going to watch this again, because the more I chew on this the more I think you encapsulated in video form what I've felt about the gaming industry for the last 10-15 years!

[@AniGaAG]

Hot damn. What a smart, informative, analytical video - in such a unique way. An industry analysis opinion piece, really. Was a joy to watch, man! Thanks a bunch for making this, and the effort put into it (that's some stylish editing and pacing here).

[@ms046]

Just like the rest of your videos, this one was absolutely fantastic! It was pretty interesting to hear about this generation from someone who was there to actually experience it. While I wasn't there to see the sixth generation of consoles while it was happening, I still grew up with the GameCube and PS2 (even if the latter was mostly for PS1 games my mom owned), which were both incredible. Super Monkey Ball, Sonic Mega Collection+ and Gems Collection, Pikmin, Mario Sunshine, SA2 Battle and so many more were games I adored from that era. Even still, a lot of my childhood nostalgia mainly came from the Wii, including the big first-party games and the many Virtual Console titles, which definitely helped me fall in love with retro games especially. I didn't even experience a lot of what the GameCube had to offer until 2020, when I finally tried out so many of it's classics. Melee, Mario Party 4, Super Monkey Ball 2, Kirby Air Ride and many more were some of my all-time favourites for the system, and definitely helped to make it one of my favourite Nintendo consoles. I also really related to your talks about Nintendo systems being seen as "uncool", which is prevalent for me with the Wii and especially the Wii U. So yeah, that's all I wanted to say! Fantastic video as always, had a brilliant time watching it!

[@GeekCritique]

Yeah, I think that sort of thing always happens. I remember getting bullied as early as 2nd grade because I was into Mario, DKC, and Sonic instead of "real" games like Mortal Kombat. And I've heard from kids who remember getting bullied in 2nd grade for having a Wii U instead of being into CoD. Same as it ever was!

[@wingbeltcreations5455]

This video is really good, for so many reasons. The story of your personal cheat book is so similar to my own tradition I started back in 2020. I have a notebook where I write every game I start and the day I start and finish it. There's a little over 40 in that list today, and it just increased by 1 last night (I beat Rayman 2). But it's interesting to say that I AM one of those kids who grew up with the Gamecube, but in a much different way. I was born in 2003, but I still played the Gamecube between the ages of 4 and 12. How? Because we didn't have the money for a Wii, and it was my older brother's system. He even sold his old PS1 and N64 to get the Gamecube, and we had a modest collection of 10 games in our house. Those 10 games defined so much of what I loved about the system and was my proper introduction to games as a whole. Technically, I had played the GBA first and the N64 second, but the Gamecube is what defined years I otherwise barely remember. When I was 12, my older brother took the Gamecube to the Dominican Republic for vacation, and lost the AV cables, so we couldn't play it anymore. By then I had my DSi and was only 2 years away from an Xbox One, but it was agonizing seeing that Gamecube on the shelf and not being able to pop it back on the TV and hear that startup jingle. To not see that memory card screen where I had to delete files constantly with my 123 block card. To not use my tiny MadCatz controller on Super Mario Sunshine. A few years later, my brother had moved out, I had fallen in love with Minecraft and plenty of other games, and that same Gamecube was on that same shelf, dusted and ready to go, and when he came home with brand-new AV cables, I couldn't wait to play it. It was everything I remembered and more. I had read the instruction manuals on all of those games, and knew tricks even my brother didn't know. 15 minutes into Sunshine, we already had a glitch, and we didn't care. We were so happy, and thinking about it more, the soul the Gamecube has is in the memories I shared with my brother. Every time I boot it up, he's right there with me, playing on his bigger controller saving me from The Goopy Inferno. In fact, his memories are even more insane. He got to borrow Pokemon XD, Pikmin, and so many other games from his friends, and form memories with the system I can't even imagine. But now, I can experience them myself. I got a Wii last year, got the Homebrew channel, and have been playing so many Gamecube games, I finished Pokemon XD, I'm about to start Pikmin, and can't wait to keep going. I even have my own original Xbox, and can't wait to play Jet Set Radio Future and Blinx 2. KZbin has given me the information I need to find classics I'd never know and love as much as I do, and to hear the stories of others is incredible. Thank you for doing all that you do in these videos.

[@GeekCritique]

Thanks again to Khimyra for sponsoring this episode, they make some stellar stuff! Use "GEEK" to save 10% on your order at www.khimyra.com.

[@alanlee67]

I just realized your logo is already setup for pride month.

[@trevorromein14]

Patiently waiting for that Critique of Metroid Dread XD

[@awesomeking9915]

Me too feel wii and Xbox 360 kinect and ps3 playstation move me no love casual gamers

[@Carsonj13]

Not trying to be rude, but I just don't understand why you resented Sony for Sega's demise. You even blamed them for the Saturn being rushed? If not for Sony touting PlayStation specs, the Saturn would have been MORE anemic (more hardware was added to make it more powerful in the 11 months leading up to its release in 94). They were gonna release it in 93 with a weaker VDP chip and a single CPU (the underpowered NEC V60 they were using in their arcade boards)! Sony forced Sega's hand, causing them to make a more competitive console by hyping up PlayStation. I understand you've already changed, but if it's any consolation, Sega's wounds were self-inflicted. They had competitive hardware with the Saturn (as much as people insist it wasn't a capable 3D system, it was more in line with the PS1 than the Genesis was with the SNES), and they still screwed it up with sloppy management and poor decisions. And no, I'm NOT JUST talking about that disastrous surprise launch. Ideally, Sega would have made wiser decisions, not least of which would involve not hiring Bernard Stolar after Sony fired his dumb-ass, apologize to the retailers they pissed off and bribe them so the Saturn could have been stocked at ALL stores that sold videogames across America and Europe, or just not pull some surprise launch stunt in the first place... This all would have helped SEGA to survive as a console manufacturer, they could have been a viable competitor to Sony and ESPECIALLY Nintendo.

[@faidou9954]

Are you still resentful of Sony to this day or have you decided to let go of that baggage?

[@chubbyninja975]

I really enjoyed the lighting effects of the game cases that you did especially when they literally shadowed the sonic trilogy. Very thematic. Also that picture of all you guys in video game club is sick as hell, hope you cherish those memories and remember them very fondly!

[@azrael_III]

it just feels good seeing you made a video in 2001 and be able to see it now. I really feel I missed the opportunity since I was playing and collecting without caring about making videos.

[@oscarzxn4067]

Your experience with the Gamecube over the years reminds me how I felt with the Wii in a way, since I always really liked the console and it was my main console that generation despite it's flaws that I accepted, but I remember how in one hand the real hardcore gamers hated the console, saying it was for babies and casuals or said how it had like 5 good games, and on the other hand even older Nintendo fans said it was bad and it was mostly getting used to play GC games since the new entries from Nintendo series like Brawl, MKWii, Skyward Sword, Prime 3/ Other M, Party 8 were worse for them than the ones on the GC for them, ignoring in the process the ones that were new experiences. But now half of the internet love the Wii and say it's amazing and value their games without comparing them with the ones from before, at the point that it gets so much love that I feel maybe it's too much since the console it's still a little flawed and some people ingore that when comparing it to the Switch and saying how much better Nintendo was back then.

[@godstriker8]

While I technically started gaming in the 5th gen, these 6th gen consoles are what I spent a lot of my formative years playing and is one of the renaissance periods in gaming imo. Glad to see you eventually turned around on the gen. Ironically, I think the PS2 may have appealed more to you if you chose it as a teen, because the PS2 platformer mascot trio seems to be right up teen Josh's alley.

[@lucasrodriguez8957]

There is so much passion put into this video! I got emotional at the end of it. Amazing work!

[@Mitsuraga]

A little sad Panzer Dragoon Orta didn't come up. Living through the transformation of public opinion on the GameCube from negative to glowingly positive was wild.