# Are we in the second video game golden age? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 2, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-second-video-game-golden-age/475275 "2008-12-02T01:19:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-second-video-game-golden-age/475275/101 "2008-12-08T05:44:49Z")
> [@PopeJewish](#): > > I believe Halo was the first game to use the regenerating health system (shields) as opposed to having to find health packs/med kits. Whether you consider this a good or a bad thing is up to you Starsiege Tribes did it years before Halo. ---
**Author:** ![PopeJewish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@PopeJewish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PopeJewish)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-second-video-game-golden-age/475275/102 "2008-12-08T05:45:32Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > **PopeJewish** : Playing like that will insure that you stay low-ranked. That’s no way to play any FPS. talkin single player mechanics here. Honestly I hate Halo multiplayer. Can’t really put my finger on it, I just don’t find it that fun. The original was ok, but really only if I was playing my friends. In all honesty, though, after the original Counter Strike I fell out of online FPSing. Gears tickled my fancy for awhile, though. ---
**Author:** ![PopeJewish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@PopeJewish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PopeJewish)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-second-video-game-golden-age/475275/103 "2008-12-08T05:46:34Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > Starsiege Tribes did it years before Halo. Oh right! Tribes was freakin awesome. I loved that game ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-second-video-game-golden-age/475275/104 "2008-12-08T05:47:38Z")
> [@PopeJewish](#): > > talkin single player mechanics here. Honestly I hate Halo multiplayer. Can’t really put my finger on it, I just don’t find it that fun. The original was ok, but really only if I was playing my friends. In all honesty, though, after the original Counter Strike I fell out of online FPSing. Gears tickled my fancy for awhile, though. See, I couldn’t stand Gears multiplayer. It was broken. The Lancer is the single most overrated weapon in all of FPS and the first button that anyone hit when they started the game was right on the directional pad to bring out the shotgun. Host shotgun was the single most powerful weapon in that game by far. Also, I’m with you on single-player. Halo’s single player campaign is solid, although I don’t really give a rat’s ass about the story. I just want he game to be fun and work. Halo (especially 2 and 3) are all about the multiplayer. That is the game now. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-second-video-game-golden-age/475275/105 "2008-12-12T16:06:28Z")
> [@Wolverine](#): > > As far as N64 vs Wii games, if we cross off similar titles, (Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart, etc.) look at what’s left: Sure, as long as in comparisons of the Xbox consoles and PC games we can scratch off Halo, GTA, the bajillion Tom Clancy games, Madden, Metal of Honor, Civ, Half-Life, Call of Duty… Christ, look at Zelda 2 and Windwaker, they are so the same games. Oh, and Mario Kart 64 and Double Dash? No, having two racers didn’t change anything at all. Oh, and Mario plays exactly the same in Super Smash Bros. as he does in Mario 64. I’m tired of people bashing Nintendo games saying they are all the same and then turning around and going ‘oooooh, Halo 4 dev news!’ ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-second-video-game-golden-age/475275/106 "2008-12-12T16:22:56Z")
Hm…really? Halo 4 dev news? ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-second-video-game-golden-age/475275/107 "2008-12-12T17:02:19Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > I’m tired of people bashing Nintendo games saying they are all the same and then turning around and going ‘oooooh, Halo 4 dev news!’ I was not trying to “bash” Nintendo since I’ve owned a N64, Gamecube, and Wii but not a PS2, PS3, Xbox, or Xbox360. I was trying to show that the big, popular games in the entirety of the N64’s life already have parallels in less than 2 years on the Wii. I was eliminating games that fill the same gameplay niche and focus on the unique titles. Just look at the reviews, many people compared Super Mario Galaxy to Super Mario 64 and Twilight Princess to Ocarina of Time. They have different gameplay experiences but only in small degrees. Nintendo made innovative games that provided a whole new epic experience with the N64, using the analog stick and 3-D worlds that worked well on consoles. Nintendo introduced an even more innovative control experience with the Wii Remote, but instead of making immersive games (hand-waving away Wii Sports again) that successfully use this, they have been remaking the old popular games starting with the N64 and trying to make them work with the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. When they look for innovation with the Wii, Nintendo releases a new peripheral (gun attachment, driving wheel, microphone) or controller (Wii Fit) instead of creating that “you can only experience this on the Wii!” for the _non-casual_ gamer. Nintendo makes great games and does a good job of keeping their series feeling fresh. The only way they are failing with the Wii (for me) is that they are not finding new enough ways to experience epic games. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-in-the-second-video-game-golden-age/475275.md?page=5)