Why Did 90s Games Look Like That?

[@adamsfusion]

When you said "Why did they look like that?" I distinctly thought of how more mature games (generally) had darker, more striking visuals and limited draw distances, while more family-oriented titles tended to have much more vibrant colors with decluttered areas and smooth surfaces. Of course the answer is performance (gouraud and vertex shading are hallmarks of the 90's 3D scene), but more mature games tried very hard to texture map everything. The performance limitations of even basic stuff we take for granted today, and how developers chose to use that resource budget, drives a lot of nostalgia for me.

[@23-oszkup]

cool

[@StyleshStorm]

90s baby here that grew up with most of these but i mostly recall all their early 2000s iterations more than anything else.

[@DuskusCB]

Ah yes, the “infected scrotum” era of mascot designs

[@mullaoslo]

Exactly why we keep saying 80s babies are the true 90s kids.. We remember the entire decade 😂.

[@therealseanw.stewart2071]

The 90s will always have some of my favorite aesthetics. The era's influence still shows to this day. Good times!

[@XxSanderMLGamerXx]

This was definitely the golden era of marketing. Companies stopped being so brave!

[@23-oszkup]

might cool

[@Styrophoamicus]

What scared me most about the Bottom of the Well is that it was hidden in the middle of this idyllic village and no one knew what kind of monsters were lurking right beneath their feet.

[@iChannelz88]

One thing that i think made corporate grunge really appealing during this era was that it made games during this look so much better because the darker aesthetic made it easier to cover up the low poly/res jank. I really miss the edgy style of games that we used to have

[@dubberkoala]

I really liked the 90s to 2003 video game print ads

[@MacUser2-il2cx]

Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask had the best art styles for the Zelda series. With Pokemon it was the first two generations. If I had to pick one for Sonic, it'd be the style from the Sonic OVA.

[@SlyHikari03]

Majora's Mask! The whole game is practically art!😊

[@Anamonator]

The 90s was much better than today. I wish I was alive back then

[@cameronpritchett8300]

No you don't. Because you'd be dealing with random knee and back pain. Videogames are suddenly too hard. If you didn't need glasses to game in the 90s, you do now, especially to read all the tiny text in the menu of games. Yeah. Living in the 90s was wild. Everything was EXTREME. It was great. But. Aging hasn't been.

[@PixeIPrez]

@@cameronpritchett8300 Knee and back pain? I was born in 91 and I don't have either of those problems.

[@blendragon28]

@PixeIPrez Not yet

[@FireBlast07]

Always funny to see someone glaze the 90's or any decade so hard, and then end with "I wish I was alive to see it"

[@Anamonator]

@ it’s much better than skibidi toilet

[@salvatorevilletta4460]

10:00 it's so funny to me how young people nowadays keep considering N64 games creepy, it was revolutionary for my generation (born in 89) the Jump from 2d to 3d was so mindblowing to us

[@Iamsososorry]

always a good day when new extramint drops

[@danskretteburg]

As a kid playing the PS1 and N64, I never thought about how empty they were. As an adult seeing current games with all the atmosphere and things going on, I just looked at it like technology can just handle a lot more. The "emptiness" of the N64 never occured to me until ppl started talking about it on KZbin 😂 PS... My first tatto was Gex, and eventually I'll be adding Sonic and Jersey Devil

[@cloudbloom]

One might go so far as to call this type of marketing "radical". Bodacious, even.

[@Jazm-nj2de]

even some might say "tenacious"

[@netanelaker4437]

Xtrime, even

[@shaun8062]

Yea it was pretty tubular toward the beginning of the era and improved even more as things became TIGHT and then all of a sudden PHAT quickly after. Those two existing so close in time together were a bit of a confusion at first, but hey.. It was the 90s man, get N or get out!

[@belstar1128]

Its usually because of the technical limitations you can often tell what system a game was running on from certain quirks. but there were some culture related things too like in the 90s they always wanted to have the most realistic graphics possible even if that meant some compromises. that is why you had a lot of digitized graphics fmv psudo3d pre rendered 3d sprites and backgrounds .modern games avoid these things even those that try to look retro. they ofcourse too at lot inspiration from pop culture from that time like movies .but i don't think the 90s were very edgy compared to the 2000s but if a 90s game was edgy they went very far .

[@Aloofasf]

Yeah companies were brave for doing the grunge and edgy marketing at the time but beyond just the shock value I also just find comfort in the style. Maybe I'm just weird but the grunge aesthetic always felt cozy to me. Even the filters in 2000s games everyone seems to hate

[@thestarseeker8196]

I’m gonna be that guy and I know it will get slated as rose-tinted nostalgia. We need to get back to the thinking behind these (not ALL of course). Think about other things the 90’s produced. Liquid Television. Alpha Project (Nike). So much felt naive and exciting.

[@Ishitonyou666]

I remember liquid television, then I think it was later called “Oddities” , something like that… I love all that type of stuff. Remember MTV’s first film “Joe’s Apartment”? . I could on 😅

[@Iamsuperkaimi]

This video got me bricked up

[@DarkestVoid]

Commercials and marketing were simply better in the 90’s and early 2000’s. That’s not opinion that’s a fact.

[@queenbeeader]

Mario 64 did have a fixed camera angle system, but it was dynamically utilized sparsely so the cumbersome nature of it was mostly mitigated by the well-routed fly cam navigation, follow cam and user-controlled camera snapping.

[@Personarose]

This makes me wish that a renaissance of video game mascots would emerge again.

[@DuskusCB]

The indie scene has ya covered by a long shot

[@Personarose]

@ What kind of games would you recommend?

[@kennethearl9926]

I'm a little late this time! But thankfully the freshest content creator isn't. Excellent video and perfect runtime!

[@ExtraMintyy]

Thanks legend 💯

[@1gnore_me.]

"we covered edging a little bit in the 2000s video" uh excuse me sir

[@CalvinTennessee]

Looking back at the gaming industry in the 90’s is so difficult. Look at games in 1990 and then look at what we were playing in 1999. The industry was so alive and truly talented people kept the industry moving forward. Now look at the last 5 years. The difference we get excited about today is FPS and 4k. It’s depressing as hell. The video game industry has peaked.

[@MexiMelt1988]

Meta’s AI Profiles Are Already Polluting Instagram and Facebook With Slop

[@BlackSailPass_GuitarCovers]

15:55 I love this haha.

[@ExtraMintyy]

It’s an absolute classic

[@ldarm]

I feckin love this channel 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@Master_Miller_140.38]

Tomb Raider's camera wasn't that bad, It was up to the player to determine if Lara could make a certain jump.

[@quokkapi.]

I love this channel bro, the question is where are your well deserved views and subs 🤬🤬🤬

[@tmartin95]

I've had recurring dreams where I'm playing Ocarina of Time and getting scared by redeads since I was little Overcoming the scary parts helps make it feel all the more personal a journey, though

[@shaun8062]

I don't find N64 graphics to have any creepy feel at all whatsoever. In fact, it is my most endearing and favorite retro video game aesthetic. The only thing I can think of and would agree on, is that there did seem to be a lot more liminal spaces that didn't seem to serve a specific function and with less going on. Liminal spaces can be a little unsettling for some people, especially if they associate them with things like the back rooms and jump scares, but for me, I've always found liminal spaces to be comforting and cozy, kind of lonely spaces, sure, but I guess that kind of makes me feel at home when I feel antisocial or lonely myself. I still play N64 more than any other console.

[@FatNorthernBigot]

90s 2D games reached perfection and were, frankly, ruined by the novelty of polygon games. In the same way 80s analog audio was ruined by the early adoption of digital.

[@thatradiogeek]

Because it was what they could do at the time with the technology they had.

[@TrialzGTAS]

A world where advertising grabbed your attention, made you think, risqué and non AI generated. Miss it.

[@Most_Jeffinitely]

I wasn't born in the 90s but I have fond memories of playing super smash bros 64 at my uncle's place 90s ads would've been super fun to experience I think tho

[@judsongaiden9878]

11:46 Left-handed Link! Yeah! 18:15 Kinda like Marble Madness. Do you kids even remember Marble Madness? Christ, I'm old!

[@RsSooke]

It’s a funny thing, while it was happening everything just seemed so normal about it. Born in 1993 here. Experienced playing everything from the NES/SNES to the GAMEBOY/PS/Xbox iterations to the Wii all by the age of 13. You never really notice what defines a decade until at least another few years has gone by into the next one. Graphics and game complexity developed so fast it almost felt like a blink of the eye. Mind you, PS2 came out in 2000 and had games that looked more sophisticated than the Wii in 2006. I imagine it must have been really different to see that rapid game appearance evolution if you started playing games in the 70s and 80s.

[@PrettyboyAshtun]

back when everything was edgy and creative take me back..

[@MrMartellSincere]

I love the 90's

[@ranshell713]

Best part chun li and mario not look 90ish in thumbnail lol

[@FlufflesMcFloof]

because the 90s were dope, pixelations hardware limitations lack of interenet were all killer no filler.

[@Germania9]

Will you do a "Why Did 90s COMICS Look Like That?"

[@ExtraMintyy]

Great idea

[@pedrodiegorebellocorreareb5074]

However, despite being released in the same year as Super Mario 64, Sonic 3D Blast is not considered as a mainline Sonic title, but more as a side game. Because, first for a game to be classified as mainline, it needs to be a game with full direct involvement from, or being entirely made by Sonic Team (at the time led by Yuji Naka). And 3D Blast on the other hand was made by a UK-based third-party developer named Traveller's Tales.

[@pedrodiegorebellocorreareb5074]

So i consider Dreamcast's 1998 Sonic Adventure, the true perfect transition to real-time 3D polygonal graphics for our dear blue hedgehog, since the game was developed by Sonic Team, SEGA's in-house japanese developer staff.

[@LegendStormcrow]

The Safari was a bit more exciting outside of Australia

[@redstarling5171]

The 90's was playing a 4 player split screen on a box tv 12 inches wide on ps1 or 2 and thinking the graphics were amazing.

[@skojuzija]

Comparing 90s advertistement to todays, could we maybe say that 90s had brain rot style adverstising?😅😅 I mean everything was super eye catching, there were weird and crazy situations, everyone talked fast. For example that Crash bandicoot commerical at the beginng of the video. Why is he riding a motocycle and jumping on a ramp? Xd

[@SuperGoomba6464]

Why did the 90s look like that? "Cocaine". Lots of cocaine"

[@GamingSpirit79]

No Spyro, no Crash!

[@soled_out]

Earthworm Jim was awesome. Also toejam and earl

[@ilducaeringio3701]

What the hell are those eyes in the background at 16:32 ??

[@superiornoeb7732]

Scared the life out of me 😂😂

[@quantum5661]

the hell are you two on about, the XYZ measurement grid?

[@superiornoeb7732]

@@quantum5661it’s at 16:30

[@quantum5661]

@@superiornoeb7732 oh, no wonder i didnt see it. yeah thats weird.

[@pokemondude222]

So who is on board to bring back corporate grunge? And old looking graphics like this?

[@Nothaedyn]

#Extramint2025😤

[@ExtraMintyy]

Frutigooners rise up it’s our year 😛😛

[@Aki-kh2qe-StreetKidZZZ]

15:10 sure, that's why the sales show the otherwise from modern gaming

[@marcarthur100]

1982 baby but gr up manly in the 90s

[@skojuzija]

Bruh so Night Trap is og version of FNAF

[@ShyArt85]

I never found N64 games creepy back then or even now. 🤷‍♀️

[@J4cob_Gibson]

13:31 Spyro the dragon

[@capncmonkey3261]

Everyone from this era is now in unc status, you’re no longer young 🤨

[@bloodshotred6334]

I'm only 28 bro leave me alone 😂

[@reptilemark7346]

I don't know why people glorify being young and naive but ok

[@bloodshotred6334]

@@reptilemark7346 shut up unc

[@Ishitonyou666]

10:00 N64 creepy? I mean the graphics are bad looking at it now but back then it was amazing, then the “Super Mario 64 had a dreamlike feeling to it?” Umm could it be the music ? 🤔 Mascot madness , Crash was PlayStation’s mascot and those commercials were funny.

[@Krex06_]

Pyro inflation moment

[@Python085]

YEAH! You know the GOOD DECADE! lol HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

[@Maxwellmcawesome]

IN ADDITION TO X AND Y THERES ALSO ZURR???

[@skahtt]

slushynoobz mentioned

[@ExtraMintyy]

Those who know:

[@skahtt]

the slush virus is spreading

[@Fujiberri9800]

Megaman X!!!

[@Attard73]

Ur amazing

[@ExtraMintyy]

No Corey. You are.

[@Attard73]

:blushing:

[@Mikewee777]

I am also annoyed with the excessive marketing references to celebrating extremism until the 2001 terrorism attacks finally woke everybody back up . They dwelled on the excitement of stunts without the boring grind and hazards leading up to it . Isometric voxel art was always more aesthetically pleasing than blocky 3d vector art characters. I hated Mario64 .

[@Fellipe2k5]

Today gaming is so gay

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Today, gaming is at least playing too safe. Nuthin good about that?

[@stickyt4bz241]

I don’t mind characters being gay, or romance in general, i just wish that it wasn’t so forced, i would love for all angles, horror, romance, drama, to be explored with the tech we have today! Like the other guy said, gaming is too safe 💔