Topic: Does anyone else feel like this gaming generation isn't as good?

Maybe it's just nostalgia. Maybe it's just personal preference, or maybe I just buy too many games so I can't enjoy one at a time, but I feel like this generation games have gone downhill, even if only a little. They just don't give me the same feeling as games on the SNES, N64, or even Gamecube did when I was playing the crap out of it in my college dorms. I was looking through my game collection, and I realized that the Cube, while often criticized as Nintendo's worst console, is one of my favorites. It seems like, because of the wider audience of gamers today, games are just trying to appeal to more people, and developers are trying to show off, rather than just making a good game. I find myself only liking "niche" games; part of the reason I like the Wii is because it has a greater offering of these quirky games.

Opoona, for example, is one of the very few games this generation that gave me the same feeling as Windwaker when I first got my Gamecube, or Goldeneye when I first played the N64. Super Mario Galaxy just felt like a chore to me. Super Smash Bros. Brawl was like taking the greatness of Melee and throwing a bunch of other crap in, regardless of whether it was good or not. The "HD consoles" are even worse. Why do you think so many people buy a game, finish it, and resell it? The games are almost designed for that purpose. It's fun for a while, but it's shallow.

People are excited when developers like Capcom or Sega announce a game that returns the the 2D roots of the series, and for good reason. Much of it is nostalgia, but it's also because those games generate a feeling that the games of today seem to have lost. Not because they're in 3D, or because they're HD, but because developers are so caught up in immersing you in the most realistic worlds, that they forget they're making a game.

XBox360 represents everything I believe gaming should not be. I don't really have anything against the console itself, but the people who play it seem to only be concerned with graphics, HD, and online play. Graphics don't make a game good any more than new siding makes a house more stable.Are we really so shallow that, unless a game has photorealistic graphics, it's not worthy of our time? As if we're "too old for that sort of thing"? As if cartoons are for kids, as are cartoony games, unless they include a plethora of "adult" themes? If this is the extent of your thought process, you are far more childish than anyone playing the Wii.

Great graphics and the HD generation are not the end of the world. In fact, that's just another step forward. Gamers have always been obsessed with the best graphics, but, take this into account: During the days of Playstation vs. Nintendo 64, Playstation came out on top. Why? because it had better graphics? No, in fact the Playstation is a 32-bit console while the 64--well, that's obvious. No, it's because Playstation had a lineup of quality games, headed up by the exclusivity of the Final Fantasy series.

People today, more than ever, are clamoring for a chance to get to play the classic consoles, for reasons other than nostalgia; because those games give people a feeling that games today cannot garner. Not because it's not possible to achieve, but because we're so wrapped up in "the best HD experience" to ask for "the best gaming experience," and the two are not synonymous.

Paragraphs: it's what's for dinner.

This. Anywho, I think this generation is great for Nintendo, who needed to make a comeback after the Gamecube era.

The SNES and N64 generations were golden. But I think you overestimate the GameCube generation, maybe because of nostalgia. If anything, I think the Wii is a return to form for Nintendo and this generation is much better than the last.

Holy crap. I'm not even going to try to read that unless it's edited.

Last gen was the best, in my opinion. This gen is still awesome, though.

Come on folks, It's not that difficult to read! I've seen much much worse.

It's definitely not nostagia, because I remember loving everything about the Gamecube, even in 2005. I didn't start feeling this way until the Wii came out. And I don't know if you can count the Cube as nostalgic just yet, anyway, but that's up for debate.

Talkin' bout my generation

The only really really great games I remember were Super Monkey Ball, Smash Bros. Melee and Mario Kart Double Dash from the GameCube. Everything else was done so much better on the N64 or has been completely surpassed by their Wii predecessors.

Metroid Prime and F Zero GX? What about Wind Waker or Chibi Robo... or the two Pikmin games? They were all great games.

You mean "successors"? Predecessors come before
Anyway, that's where we differ. I didn't really like Double Dash as much as MK64, but the MKWii is better, imo. I'm talking about RE4, Eternal Darkness, Paper Mario: TTYD, Rogue Leader, Windwaker, and some of the non-exclusives of that generation, too (Yes, I know RE4 wasn't an exclusive, but it was for a time)

Strongly agree with that part. (and the question posed in the title)

This generation rocks. Speaking as a jaded, nostalgia-bound nerd of the past, it's impossible not to like this generation. Unlike the last generation, the classic style has made a return (WiiWare/various download services creating a price point that makes these feasible again) and the newer-style gamers have more to choose from than ever before.

Wii has the casual crowd more than covered and they do quite a good job with the die-hard generations-old fans too (when you know where to look.

PS3/360/PC are making game experiences possible that weren't even a thought years ago. Mass Effect 2!? Heavy Rain!?!? This generation rocks--don't be fooled into thinking otherwise.

I must agree with the Gamecube-rocks sentiment though...for all the crap that console took in its day, I have nothing but stellar games for it (and memories of it as a result.) I feel that it urinated all over the N64, then came back a few hours/bottles of water later and topped it off.

I love this generation of consoles! I have to agree with Swerd_Murd, I have access to a lot more classic-style games thanks to Wiiware and the Virtual Console. There's a type of game for every type of person on the Wii, and that's something that I've never really liked about the HD consoles. There's just not a lot of variety there. Even if they've nailed the FPS genre with a ton of gameplay improvements, I just don't see a lot of original content coming to HD consoles.

I agree with you. Although I consider last-gen to be the worst (I thought the only good home console last gen was the Playstation 2, although the Nintendo Gamecube was okay), you make an excellent arguement. I miss the old days. This is why I'm getting an Nintendo 64 before an Playstation 3, to relive memories of one of my favorite video game console of all-time and finally buy games that I missed out on as a child.

People try to put games d- d- down, just because they g- g- get around.

That pretty much sums it up.

While I miss the older generations, I know that a good chunk of that comes from simple nostalgia. This generation has been the most interesting since the 16 bit days.

The PS3 and 360 are a letdown...The Wii is the best thing since the SNES if you ask me. Motion controls were so needed, and thank god. The PS3 and 360 offer nothing new from a gameplay standpoint and just offer mor flash. I'm absolutely loving the Wii and all of the ReBirth retro titles like Mega Man 9 ect.

Personally I think last gen was much worse but this gen has been better and we have made a nice big leap from last gen.
I find it amazing that we can buy new levels for our games or new players in the games or hell games themselves. The online has gotten better and even on the PS3 it is great for a free service. The 360 is better online but the PS3 is pretty damn good for a free service. I'm gonna pay for the Premium PSN once it hits tho

Also i feel there are more shobby and ignorant faboys this gen.
Most of them have the same logical view that old games suck and new games rule.
That bugs me. It really does.
But this gen has been good for all consoles.