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I never played this Indiana Jones game, or have much memory of other EGA games that I can think of, and to me, 90% of the VGA screenshots in this article look b

I never played this Indiana Jones game, or have much memory of other EGA games that I can think of, and to me, 90% of the VGA screenshots in this article look better than the EGA ones. To me, the limited color palette doesn't strike me as a differently meaningful sort of limitation than, say, the appearance of Mario 64 vs Mario Galaxy. The imagination always fills in the gap - I don't remember KOTOR looking worse than Mass Effect looking worse than Mass Effect Andromeda, say, but if I go back and look at them, they definitely were more limited - but if you don't have the memory of just how much your imagination originally filled in, I think it's harder to look past the actual pixels.

short_sells_poo 6y ago
I agree that some of the VGA art looks better, but here's the curse of the higher definition: if you look at the crypt scene, the VGA flavor has more detail, but now the crypt walls look as if made of modern concrete and the stalactites look as if made out of clay. This is not an issue with the EGA version because these details are left to the viewers imagination and it will tend to superimpose the details exactly according to the viewers expectations. In the VGA version, there is nothing left to the imagination, the brain is just confronted with the fact that the crypt walls are made in the style of brutalist architecture from poured concrete. This does not mesh at all with the setting of an ancient tomb! At least my subconscious has strong views on how ancient tombs are supposed to be :) There's a similar issue with the first scene inside the nazi fort, where the wall in the EGA version is made of rough hewn rocks and whether you imagine them to be slimy, moldy, smooth or rough is entirely up to you. There are only the broad strokes to guide your subconscious. The VGA version presents a done deal of what looks like modern masonry. Again it's jarring - we are supposed to be looking at the ancient foundations of the fort. In other cases, the artists did a better job with VGA so it's either OK or in rare cases better than the EGA version. Perhaps it also comes down to how vivid one's imagination is. Someone who has no preconceptions about the scenery or does not have a particularly strong visual imagination will just see a bunch of rough lines in the EGA flavor, and they won't mind the somewhat off putting lighting or details in the VGA screens - they'll just assume that's how it's supposed to be.
- the_af 6y ago
  Agreed with a lot of what you say -- it's what I mentioned as "closure", using the concept from "Understanding Comics". It's a powerful mental tool, and artists should be wary not to undermine it with the "wrong" details (i.e. details that contradict or undermine the story your brain is building for you). However, the article does show examples where the EGA screen is undeniably better, for example whenever there's a lightning effect. I can't understand why they weren't made for the VGA version, especially considering how easy they are to make with a simple palette rotation. The castle exterior looks so much better, more detailed and with more effects in the EGA version that it boggles the mind.
rightbyte 6y ago
I though C&C Red Alert was incredibly realistic. Or that rail shooter Star Wars game with "live action". Looking at them now makes a case for imagination being an important part.
the_af 6y ago
I'm sure it has to do with the games I grew up with, but I still think EGA Last Crusade is better than VGA, and I find beauty in EGA Monkey Island and even in blockier games like Kings of the Beach or Street Rod! And of course, I love the EGA graphics of my adored Space Quest I, II & III. Yes, this means I go back to those games now and I still find their graphics cool looking and evocative. > The imagination always fills in the gap Fully agreed! I think this is a quality that gets lost with games with more realistic graphics. > To me, the limited color palette doesn't strike me as a differently meaningful sort of limitation than, say, the appearance of Mario 64 vs Mario Galaxy. I believe it is a meaningful limitation. It's like working in a black & white drawing with a pencil, or with an early comic book illustration. It's not just fewer colors, you must re-think the illustration. An obvious example is the use of dithering, which when done right can be a beautiful art form. With VGA, you need way less dithering, if at all.

short_sells_poo 6y ago

I agree that some of the VGA art looks better, but here's the curse of the higher definition: if you look at the crypt scene, the VGA flavor has more detail, but now the crypt walls look as if made of modern concrete and the stalactites look as if made out of clay. This is not an issue with the EGA version because these details are left to the viewers imagination and it will tend to superimpose the details exactly according to the viewers expectations. In the VGA version, there is nothing left to the imagination, the brain is just confronted with the fact that the crypt walls are made in the style of brutalist architecture from poured concrete. This does not mesh at all with the setting of an ancient tomb! At least my subconscious has strong views on how ancient tombs are supposed to be :) There's a similar issue with the first scene inside the nazi fort, where the wall in the EGA version is made of rough hewn rocks and whether you imagine them to be slimy, moldy, smooth or rough is entirely up to you. There are only the broad strokes to guide your subconscious. The VGA version presents a done deal of what looks like modern masonry. Again it's jarring - we are supposed to be looking at the ancient foundations of the fort. In other cases, the artists did a better job with VGA so it's either OK or in rare cases better than the EGA version. Perhaps it also comes down to how vivid one's imagination is. Someone who has no preconceptions about the scenery or does not have a particularly strong visual imagination will just see a bunch of rough lines in the EGA flavor, and they won't mind the somewhat off putting lighting or details in the VGA screens - they'll just assume that's how it's supposed to be.

the_af 6y ago
Agreed with a lot of what you say -- it's what I mentioned as "closure", using the concept from "Understanding Comics". It's a powerful mental tool, and artists should be wary not to undermine it with the "wrong" details (i.e. details that contradict or undermine the story your brain is building for you). However, the article does show examples where the EGA screen is undeniably better, for example whenever there's a lightning effect. I can't understand why they weren't made for the VGA version, especially considering how easy they are to make with a simple palette rotation. The castle exterior looks so much better, more detailed and with more effects in the EGA version that it boggles the mind.

rightbyte 6y ago

I though C&C Red Alert was incredibly realistic. Or that rail shooter Star Wars game with "live action". Looking at them now makes a case for imagination being an important part.

the_af 6y ago

I'm sure it has to do with the games I grew up with, but I still think EGA Last Crusade is better than VGA, and I find beauty in EGA Monkey Island and even in blockier games like Kings of the Beach or Street Rod! And of course, I love the EGA graphics of my adored Space Quest I, II & III. Yes, this means I go back to those games now and I still find their graphics cool looking and evocative. > The imagination always fills in the gap Fully agreed! I think this is a quality that gets lost with games with more realistic graphics. > To me, the limited color palette doesn't strike me as a differently meaningful sort of limitation than, say, the appearance of Mario 64 vs Mario Galaxy. I believe it is a meaningful limitation. It's like working in a black & white drawing with a pencil, or with an early comic book illustration. It's not just fewer colors, you must re-think the illustration. An obvious example is the use of dithering, which when done right can be a beautiful art form. With VGA, you need way less dithering, if at all.