Let’s face it, when it comes to video games everyone loves the classics. But nowadays playing them on a small TV isn’t enough for some, with that in mind we take a look at some of our favourite titles to be enjoyed on the big screen…
I’ll level with you, I’ve been gaming for as long as I can remember with the earliest console I owned being a Sega Megadrive back in the very early 90’s. Since then games have obviously evolved from the 2D pixelated graphics and have become more fluid and interactive. 60 frames per second (fps) has become the norm as has moaning about lag, insulting someone over a microphone and generally rage quitting when someone pulls off an impossible move on you.
But I miss the old days of 16-32bit graphics and hopping about a 2D world, and I’m not alone. Hoards of people are now buying older consoles for retro gaming, with big tournaments in theatres becoming seriously contested (just look at the picture above).
OK I’m not talking exclusively about theatre screens per-se but how can you make something like… Final Fantasy 7 from the original Playstation look anywhere near as good on a big TV screen despite its age?
Firstly I recommend a really good amplifier with an upscaler built in. Something that will do 1080P is fine but if you go 4K bear in mind there will be a LOT of upscaling to do, especially when most of these consoles will require a SCART input or component cables – if you do find yourself tethered to one of these inputs there are a few boxes out there that can convert them to HDMI but be cautious as some of the cheap ones will just ruin the experience.
The second tip is get a good screen. Something with a generous motion processor and a good input lag (under 20ms is best) so you aren’t struggling to keep up with the faster moving images and of course make sure you have a good internet connection if you are going online. Now how about those classic titles…
‘Final Fantasy VII’ was released on Playstation in 1997.
‘Final Fantasy (7,8,9,10)’ – Square Enix
Without meaning to sound too sad, I’ve probably spent the best part of a solid 6 months playing all of these games to the death, in fact they became a stable diet in most RPG fantasists library. The graphics were always well ahead of their time and especially with ‘Final Fantasy X’ on PS2. Even at a lower resolution this looks pretty good on a 4K TV and the cut scene quality is impressive. If you have a next gen console look forward to some of these getting an HD revamp in the near future with ‘Final Fantasy VII‘ coming along on PS4 very soon. Bring me back Cloud and the Knights of the Realm!
One of the most visually engaging games to be released on the Dreamcast – ‘Rez’
Rez/Rez HD – United Game Artists / Sega
I’m betting a few of you out there have probably never heard of this before and I don’t blame you. It was a game I played on Xbox 360 a few years ago, but it was originally released on PS2 and Sega’s ill-fated Dreamcast. Basically it’s a musical shoot-em up game that takes you inside the workings of a computer battling to overcome a virus. Yes it’s seriously weird, but so addictive! The beautifully colourful graphics and awesome soundtrack are a true plus-point too.
Battle of the fighting classics, ‘Tekken’ Vs ‘Street Fighter’.
‘Tekken’ – Namco or ‘Street Fighter’ – Capcom
I just couldn’t choose between the two so included them both, if you want a good beat ‘em up, look no further. How much money did you spend playing these classic fighting games in the arcade only to watch in misery as your mate came along and knew all the combos and super moves?
While the earliest incarnation of either of them is from 1987, the good news is that they have both had many face-lifts over the years. I played ‘Tekken 3‘ on a Panasonic plasma TV only a month ago and couldn’t help but wonder why I left it alone. 3 hit wonder combo from Yoshimitsu please!
“Mario Kart’ remains a party favourite ever since its initial release in 1992.
It never ages, it never stops being fun and it never ceases to pull you into a never ending cycle of rinse and repeat. Mario has become a massively iconic figure in our everyday lives. He is the face of Nintendo and has more titles out under his name than … well I’m pretty sure than any other franchise in gaming history. The platform versions are still as classic today as they were 20 years ago and it enjoyed a huge upsurge in popularity when it was released on the Wii. It still looks good and still causes so much grief when the blue shell of doom is released!
Originally released on Sega consoles in 1991, the trilogy reached a new fan-base of Playstation gamers.
Another awesome classic from the days of the Megadrive, then later the Playstation and Nintendo 64. Race against other bikers and if you needed to get past them or win, just beat them up using a variety of chains, whips, police batons and of course, your fists. The graphics are undeniably dated now but back in the day their bright colours and supremely flowing nature were a godsend amongst gamers and even to this day when using a PC emulator I still find them manageable on a 42” plasma tv.
One of the most iconic video game characters was created and first released in 1991.
Where Nintendo have Mario, Sega had Sonic; the fastest most awesome cool blue dude in the world, saving it from the constant attack of Doctor Robotnik. Another left to right game based more around speed and how many rings you could grab than in Mario. Sonic is a real classic for me and one that I doubt will ever age. The massive cartridges that you plugged into each other to get different characters during earlier games was a piece of genius and again this is a platform that has been revamped over and over again.
Nowadays Sonic is taking time off from saving the world to go racing and even competes in Winter Sports days against Mario and his mates on the Wii, again these are truly entertaining party games and definitely worth a recommendation.
So there you have it. A few gems from what could be a pretty extensive list of classic games to bring to life on your new big-screen TV – or personal IMAX theatre if you’ve got a spare £1million! Dust off the old consoles, bring out the converters or emulators and play to your heart’s content, and if you think I’ve missed any please feel free to share your choices in the comments section.
Author: Andrew, Weybridge Store
