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One of the games that it turned out my dad loved, but that I randomly stumbled on here on HN first is Star Control II, or in this case the open source remake of

One of the games that it turned out my dad loved, but that I randomly stumbled on here on HN first is Star Control II, or in this case the open source remake of it. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37925538 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37925538 Was absolutely surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I think the late 80s and 90s are a particularly timeless period given how much strength there often was in the artistic direction. To me a lot of stuff from the early 2000s actually holds up less well.

sumtechguy 2y ago
That game was bonkers when it came out. Reminds me I should give it another run. It is also one of the few games that used the pc speaker in a way that was not just random beeps. When I heard that I had to spend a few days figuring out the timer chip to make it so I could do something similar.
nwellinghoff 2y ago
StarCon II adventure mode remains one of the best games I have ever played. Really took you in. My friends and I would all sit around the computer and play it for hours. Some good old Melee action was always great as well. BTW the O.G. creators are getting together and finally making a sequel! https://pistolshrimpgames.com/2024/04/kickstarter-launch-incoming/ https://pistolshrimpgames.com/2024/04/kickstarter-launch-inc...
- aidenn0 2y ago
  How did I miss that! Thanks for the heads-up.
currymj 2y ago
2D games were a relatively mature medium by the 90s, so the games people were making by then were just good. It took a long time before people developed a set of conventions after the general switch to 3D games. So a lot of the games from the late 90s - early 2000s period might have been really innovative and sold well, but often aren't very fun to play today unless you are a connoisseur of weird old games. it's almost like the slow shift away from silent film -- studios invested in it hugely and there were blockbuster talking pictures, but it took a while before people really figured out how to handle it artistically.

sumtechguy 2y ago

That game was bonkers when it came out. Reminds me I should give it another run. It is also one of the few games that used the pc speaker in a way that was not just random beeps. When I heard that I had to spend a few days figuring out the timer chip to make it so I could do something similar.

nwellinghoff 2y ago

StarCon II adventure mode remains one of the best games I have ever played. Really took you in. My friends and I would all sit around the computer and play it for hours. Some good old Melee action was always great as well. BTW the O.G. creators are getting together and finally making a sequel! https://pistolshrimpgames.com/2024/04/kickstarter-launch-incoming/ https://pistolshrimpgames.com/2024/04/kickstarter-launch-inc...

aidenn0 2y ago
How did I miss that! Thanks for the heads-up.

currymj 2y ago

2D games were a relatively mature medium by the 90s, so the games people were making by then were just good. It took a long time before people developed a set of conventions after the general switch to 3D games. So a lot of the games from the late 90s - early 2000s period might have been really innovative and sold well, but often aren't very fun to play today unless you are a connoisseur of weird old games. it's almost like the slow shift away from silent film -- studios invested in it hugely and there were blockbuster talking pictures, but it took a while before people really figured out how to handle it artistically.