Every once in a while I’ll get to write about something different. Retro gaming stations, retro characters and now 3dSen. A retro gaming-inspired product that gives a new modern flair to old NES games. All thanks to the fantastic Geod Studio.
Indeed we have 2 very interesting products from Geod Studio on sale here at IndieGala. 3DSen PC and 3dSen VR. As previously mentioned, both of them are currently on sale, but that sale expires very soon. So, make sure to get it while it’s hot. But what’s so special about then you might ask? Well…
3dSen: What’s it all about?
3dSen is not a game per se. I know that I usually write about games, but this is not a game. It’s an unique game emulator that converts your favorite NES games. Both classic and modern home-brew games into full 3D finished product. Not to mention it allows you to play them in real-time. However, the features that come with this emulator are incredible as well. Firstly, there’s an ever-growing list of supported games. Secondly, there’s a very responsive input. Next, it allows you to play your NES games in full 3D. It also has dynamic Skyboxes and finally, an intricate and very helpful save state.
Just check out some of the Steam reviews that are left by the games who’ve already tried it out.
“This is the way to play Super Mario Bros. 3” – Blue Television Games
“This is one of the most Awesome emulators I’ve ever seen! You need to try it out for yourself“. –ETA PRIME
3dSen: From Super-Mario to Dark Souls, Death Stranding and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
I suppose that’s the best way to sum up my gaming experience. Back when I was a child I vividly remember having an old, beat up Nintendo console. Actually, it was a hand me down from my older cousins (they got bored by it fairly quickly) and I loved it. Up until then, I wasted my pocked money on arcades, so this was a great way to make my mom happy.
A great opportunity not to waste money on daily arcade trips, and a chance for her to keep a closer eye on me at home. However, I swapped my gaming passion with film soon after that and it took me a while to come back to it. Certainly, it took a global pandemic as well, but that’s a topic for a different post altogether. However, I vividly remember playing the good old NES games (back in the 90’s), while now (in 2020) I play 3D games on my PS4. So I figured that it’s best to elaborate the good and the bad in both computer graphic formats of course.
Don’t Knock 2D Games After All
Although, now I prefer 3D games, there are a lot of fun things about 2D games too. Not gonna lie. Indeed 2D games are linear and slightly boring. Especially to the younger generations, who didn’t have to suffer through the game-play of Super Mario Bros or The Legend Of Zelda as I did. The characters may move in different directions within the screen, but ultimately it’s a forward motion. It has a start point and an endpoint. From left to right. Simple and easy to follow. With very little (if any) strategy. And although it doesn’t sound too fancy as an open-world exploration it does have some charming allure. A very nostalgic charming allure filled with simplicity and ease of use, let’s just put it like that.
Unlike the 3D games, the 2D games do not focus on the landscape all that much. However, the controls in 2D games are simpler and easy to figure out than with the 3D games. Even to a rookie gamer as myself. The movement in 3D games is unrestricted, but the controls (especially the camera movement) is still a problem for me. I suppose that happens when my hands are still stuck in the world of Super Mario games, but hey. I am learning as I go.
Let’s Talk About The Real Benefits Of 3D
While the 2D games are all about simplicity, they are also (in my opinion) all about the visual presentation. Oh and diversity, but I’ll get to that in a minute. But in a nutshell, the 3D is a lot more complicated (and let’s be honest) expensive to develop. However, the 3D games give you extreme realism, topped with a higher reality of pretty much everything.
The characters are more defined and dare I say life-like. Their movements as well. The surroundings are made with better attention to the tiny details. That realism is exclusive for the 3D games and it’s incredible. No wonder that companies like Geod Studio are developing a NES emulator to transform any 2D game into 3D gems. The realism that the hard-core games crave in 3D games offers a better immersive experience, and that experience is nowhere to be found in any 2D game. The immersion is out of this world in 3D games (sometimes quite literally).
But speaking of the graphics, I now understand why hardcore gamers spend hours just exploring the nuances of the world. For instance, the fictional city of Saint-Denis in Red Dead Redemption 2 is truly a work of art. It’s beautiful with a capital B. I spent hours just strolling through the city, and marveling at the beauty before me. Seriously the rendering was incredible, and all I could say is hats off to the designers. I almost feel bad that it’s not real because I desperately want to move there. It’s that gorgeous. The depths that the 3D offers in the exploring are fantastic, and so is the diversity as well.
Diversity and 3D go hand in hand
3D is good for creating games of different genres. From the sandbox to stealth and survival games. For instance, I just found out that my 14-year-old nephew (hi Philip) has an Instagram account in which he details his daily Minecraft progression, which is impressive in my book. Compared to 2D games, the 3D games have a lot more options, in general, to create games from different genres. The sky is the limit here, all thanks to the 3D. And although they’re time consuming and harder to make, they’re rewarding as well. However, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D is awesome, but the 2D version is bloody good as well. I still have a soft spot for that one, not gonna lie.
3dSen and your take on the benefits of 3D
What’s your take on the two very different graphics? And of course on the benefits of 3D? Are you a fan of the good old 2D NES games or the most contemporary 3D games? Tell us in the comment section. We’d love to know all about it.
