Slashdot Mirror
Half-Life As A 2D Side-Scroller?
Allen Varney writes "Why wait for Half-Life 2 when you can wait instead for Half-Life 2D? 'Codename: Gordon' is a free, fan-produced jump'n'run side-scroller adapted from the original Half-Life. It'll be done in a month, but for now there's screenshots and a two-minute gameplay video."
I really haven't ever been a fan of the 2D games converted to 3D (basically, all of the sequels that came out for N64). We still play Bomberman 2 (SNES) and its clone at LAN parties. I don't think that 3D ports themselves sucked, but their gameplay was so much different than the originals that they lost their following. Bomberman 64, Zelda 64 (whichever ones), and Mario 64 are great, but they still aren't as fun as their SNES prequels.
A 2D version of a 3D game:.....I guess I haven't seen that before. With the slashdot effect, I guess I never will.
To counter the slashdot effect...we should seriously get some coders together and do a google cache kind of thing to prevent the slashdot effect. It wouldn't have to be mandatory. It could just be for sites that can't handle the traffic.
More than enough BS
Moving from 2D to 3D games was more then just a change in graphics... it was the dump of a whole genera. The playstyle in any 3d game is much different then the 3d, if not just for the fact that in 3d you have to fight with the camera.
:)
Done well, a 3d game is a lot of fun and can look great. But games that handle the 3d camera properly are few and far between. But you miss stuff in a 3d game. I recal watching my friend play half life, missing out on some great scripted sequences because he was looking the wrong way.
2D is just great with no camera hastles, not missing any content, and the gameplay can be just all around fun. Like was mentioned above, the snes zelda was the best. Zelda was awesome for that top down view, moved to n64, and gc, it was ho hum.
Really, they should make more games ala donkey kong, creating the world in 3d, then generating the sprites from the renders. I really enjoy that look to a game.
Anyway, this reminds me of the old duke nukem games which I loved, this should be fun
It's HL inspired, but I see a lot of Bionic Commando in there too... Don't you guys think?
Not to take anything at all away from the people working on this, because it certainly looks pretty cool, but when I read the headline I was thinking someone had made a side-scroller using Half-Life itself (like Pandemonium, for example). A modern 3D game provides a lot of stuff that is useful for making 2D games too. Maybe when Half-Life 2 comes out someone will make a killer side-scroller using all the animation and lighting and physics systems of the core game?
Graham
All modern first person shooters are 3D, and more than that, it's the fps viewpoint from that 2D Doom that is the basis for how most 3D games are organized today.
I had the opposite feeling about Mario 64 that you did. I thought the extra dimensions took quite a bit away from the game. I bought it right when it came out, and I recall that a lot of people at the time agreed with me.
Your last argument is a straw man. All I said was that the 2D game style has a lot more room for innovation than the 3D. Adding that extra dimension means a lot of design compromises because of the extra freedom that you are allowing the gamer. The only game that I can think of which has overcome it well and created a feeling that harkens back to the old button smashers is Serious Sam. There are others, surely, but not too many.
I guess a lot of it boils down to 'aim and click' style versus 'manuver' style. There are certainly games that can overcome this, but it's hard.
ah, like Duke Nukem Manhatten Project. THe game came with my new grafx card and appears to be the quake 3 engine made into a sidescroller... but with all duke's badassery. i wish more games like this would come out. thje only other one that comes to mind is Super Smash Bros.
I want 2D games back.
As for your last comment, how you move a character within the game has little to do with the dimensions of the game. You can 'aim and click' and have your character move in either 3D or 2D. You can also "manuver" your character in either 3D or 2D. Although at this point, your statements have been a bit ambiguous.
I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
How long before Vivendi gets word of this and sues these guys for IP infringement?