Classic Games

[Delver]

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Love that game, every single bit of it, I remember playing it without understanding a single word.

ToeJam & Earl
My first ever contact with a rogue-like, I played that game to death, and still plays it on occasion, I even E-mailed one of the creators Greg Johnson to tell him how great a game it was, sadly there is no remake in the works.

Diablo
My second contact with rogue-likes, needless to say it was great.

Tomb Raider
This game doesn't get much love, actually it's seen as a over hyped mess of a game. But that never stopped me from enjoying it, the lost valley level is nothing less then the greatest level in gaming history (if you ask me)

Final Fantasy VII
For years I thought this to be the greatest RPG of all time (but then I played Chrono Trigger)

Shadow of The Colossus
there is not a single element in this game that's shallow - nothing, sip. A wonderful  journey, from start to finish.

Persona 4
Love the Art, the Music, the Style, Characters, Story, Gameplay, the works.

Spelunky
To me it's a classic - the first game I ever wanted to contribute to, and the game that convinced my that computer games was superior to Pen n' Paper RPGs, and that makes for quit a classic in my book

Other classics:
Super Mario 64
Chrono Trigger
Super Metriod (the first only)
Fallout (1-2 only)
Metroid Prime

     

[Kegluneq]

A few more indie classics:
Liero
Iji
The Trilby games

[marsgreekgod]

Liero? (goes off to google it)

I really want to play Shadow of The Colossus (and ico) and Persona 4... sigh..

[gummybears123]

Here ya go folks.  Hope y'all enjoy it! 

http://www.classicgamesarcade.com/

[marsgreekgod]

I don't think thats legal by the way.

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ -hardcore gaming because hard core is classic

[gummybears123]

How is that not legal?

[marsgreekgod]

well for one Nintendo owns and SELLS donkey kong

street fighter two is under copy write and megaman and final fight and frogger and Centipede and Super Mario World and Metal Slug...

heck EVERY game here is illegal so far...

[gummybears123]

So almost all game sites in the world are illegal?

[marsgreekgod]

If they have games with sprites from megaman or mario, yes.

(but some are the fault of the posters, say newgrounds, each poster that uses illegal things is breaking the law, but not newgrounds itself)

[Arucard]

I think a lot of it is considered covered under fair use. Not that Nintendo or others specifically approve of it, but no one's making money off of them. If you tried to make a Mario game in Game Maker or something, then sell it you would be in big trouble. But there are dozens (at least) of Mario fan games all around.

Delver mentioned one game I will definitely be covering later, Shadow of the Colossus. You have no idea the feeling that came over me when I saw a single page with one screenshot of this game, before it was even announced for the US. I worked in the mall at the time next to a Gamestop and went in pretty much every day to see if I could reserve it yet. Though I still can't finish half of the time trial and I really want to see that *spoiler* Queen's sword and the secret garden.

I need to organize a list, and I'll be back with some more stuff to add soon.

[q0099]

Arucard

I would like to agree with you, but I can't. And there is some reasons. The main reason, is what game-makers (em, actually, right-owners) constantly monitoring fan-made game community (yes, he still watching you, have no mistake). The only reason, why some fan-made games still alive, is because they are fan-made. Thats mean they using outdated game concepts, like old-style-Mario clones, or they not too popular among gamers, or they just sucks (lets be honest, most of them).

See Chrono Trigger: Resurrection, for example. It was fan-made and non-profit, but Square still strangled it. Why? Because this game was becoming popular. It used 3d engine instead of old-style 2d. Some really talented people was involved in game developing, like art and music creating. Square lurks a few months on their site, and then leash off the lawyers. So it goes.

I won't say Square acts unfair, Chrono Trigger universe is their property. I just want you to know what world we living-and-gaming in.

So, fan-made games exists only while they allowed to be existed.

And now some light music for your enjoyment

[marsgreekgod]

I think a lot of it is considered covered under fair use. Not that Nintendo or others specifically approve of it, but no one's making money off of them. If you tried to make a Mario game in Game Maker or something, then sell it you would be in big trouble. But there are dozens (at least) of Mario fan games all around.

You would think so, but mario is in no way under fair use, they are still selling his games in the VC, and a lot of this games are. The games are still owned by their owners, and these people are STEALING the game. I don't like that.

The only reason it hasn't been taken down yet is because no one group wants to bother.

[Arucard]

The only reason it hasn't been taken down yet is because no one group wants to bother.

This is basically what I meant, the makers consider it fair use, but bigger companies either can't be bothered to scour every little website out there looking for sprites ripped from their games, or just plain don't know about it. Nintendo in particular is pretty giving about their old games, with GBA re-releases, and Wii's virtual console. But like piracy their is no real way to stop ROM hacks, sprite ripping, fan-made flash games, etc.

But honestly, I think a lot of this is a little too harsh. I can understand trying to keep someone from releasing a game using art/music or whatever that you paid someone to make. But fan made games are just that, they are games which pay homage to something someone loved so much.

Obviously it's better to make something in a similar style, while still retaining it's individuality, but for some that isn't practical. Look at the Overclock Remix site, hundreds of songs remixed from early PC, to PS3 games. Technically those songs belong to their respective owners, but the remixers give credit to them, don't claim the music as their own creation, and give it out for free.

Anytime someone is using an image/sound or whatever owned by someone else without permission, it is technically plagiarism. Mars, you yourself have suggested Spriter's Resource haven't you? Your sig line is from another game (Boktai right?), as was your previous avatar as well as mine, Q0099's, Kegluneq's, Delver's, the list goes on. So what's the difference in using their images as your defining picture, and making a fan game.

I don't think anyone's entitled to use anyone else's work as their own, but to display it proudly and say "I love this game" isn't so bad. If any of them are noticed and contacted by the original owners, (as in the case of the Chrono Trigger game Q mentioned) then of course they are legally required to suspend it. But companies can't really make a distinction between someone making a fan game, and someone using their stuff in totally inappropriate ways. I can't blame them either for what they might do, it just makes me wish we were at a place where lawsuits and mistrust weren't so commonplace.

[q0099]

Ok, maybe I painted situation too dark. So, I must explain the basic rule:
you can do anything with content, until your actions stays in the way of right-owner profits. Like creating negative image for characters in mass-media, using them in commercial or just good-looking games, which would lure out customers.
For the Chrono Trigger: Resurrection - maybe Square has some plans to "reload" this game in the future. And existence of new-fashioned fan-made project could lure out customers and made profits grim.

[marsgreekgod]

\Hey my avatar before this was made by me!

But my point is that sight isn't saying "hey we like these games" they are saying "hey play them here don't pay for them"