Why are most super NES games in 256x224?

[Anarchist420]

That's kind of low compared to most genesis games being in 320x224. DOS games were somewhere in between at 320x200, which is ironically the same aspect ratio many PC games have today.

Due to the genesis having a higher res, text and very small details (like the round win indicators in MK2) often looked better on it. In addition, the resolution difference is obvious when comparing Final Fight on the Sega CD vs the Super NES (although the latter had much better color).

Was it because of RAM limitations or was it something else? I think the Super NES ultimately looked better because it had more on screen colors and a much larger color palette, but there were definitely some sacrifices made. It should've been somewhere between what it was and a Neo Geo.

 

[shortylickens]

Theres literally hundreds of pages on the internet talking about this.
Basic reason is the graphics chip Nintendo like could do the best work at that resolution. Same reason they went with 480p in their Wii, while everyone else was running HD.
They wanted to make a reasonably priced unit which was good enough.

 

[digiram]

Genesis had Blast Processing baby!!! Look at Sonic go, then look at how slow Mario Kart is...hahaha

 

[Rage187]

Genesis was all Green, Gray, Brown and Red.

 

[Schfifty Five]

That's kind of low compared to most genesis games being in 320x224. DOS games were somewhere in between at 320x200, which is ironically the same aspect ratio many PC games have today.

Due to the genesis having a higher res, text and very small details (like the round win indicators in MK2) often looked better on it. In addition, the resolution difference is obvious when comparing Final Fight on the Sega CD vs the Super NES (although the latter had much better color).

Was it because of RAM limitations or was it something else? I think the Super NES ultimately looked better because it had more on screen colors and a much larger color palette, but there were definitely some sacrifices made. It should've been somewhere between what it was and a Neo Geo.

SNES games still kicked any other console system games at the time.

 

[Anteaus]

People only started caring about resolution when the first HD televisions came out. I'd be willing to bet that 9 out of 10 non-pc users can't tell me the most common resolutions that were used for television and PCs in the years before widescreen gaming without looking it up. I'm also willing to bet that 9 out of 10 of those same users wouldn't have been able to tell the difference in resolution between the Sega Genesis and SNES in a side by side demo using a 20 year old interlaced color television. Nintendo still uses this strategy today, assuming that the average (non-hardcore) gamer wouldn't be swayed by resolution and they were right, considering the Wii was so popular.

 

[Sonikku]

It sure would be grand if the wii u had backwards compatibility to play those old low end wii games in native 1080p considering how much more powerful the system will be. Upscaling 480p to a 1080p display looks horrible. Sadly, I smell 1080p re-release cash in.

 

[dagamer34]

People only started caring about resolution when the first HD televisions came out. I'd be willing to bet that 9 out of 10 non-pc users can't tell me the most common resolutions that were used for television and PCs in the years before widescreen gaming without looking it up. I'm also willing to bet that 9 out of 10 of those same users wouldn't have been able to tell the difference in resolution between the Sega Genesis and SNES in a side by side demo using a 20 year old interlaced color television. Nintendo still uses this strategy today, assuming that the average (non-hardcore) gamer wouldn't be swayed by resolution and they were right, considering the Wii was so popular.

Back then I doubt it mattered, considering CRTs have no concept of "pixels" as we think of them in the LCD world of today.

The difference probably isn't as large as say playing a game in 720p vs 1080p on a 46" HDTV. Perhaps you could tell in a still frame if you were looking for it, but most people can't tell while playing.

 

[lamedude]

Its not hard to notice that the Genesis ports had more on the screen than the SNES if you put them side by side. 2nd level in Lion King is much harder on the SNES since you have barely enough time to jump once you see the obstacles with 64 less pixels of screen space as the other ports.

 

[BD2003]

It's a very small difference, more akin to the way some "720p" games are actually only 640. You can barely tell.

Either case, the SNES had way better graphics.

 

[Xenphor]

It's a very small difference, more akin to the way some "720p" games are actually only 640. You can barely tell.

Either case, the SNES had way better graphics.

uh no

Please don't bump old threads
-ViRGE

 

[Rakehellion]

uh no

Very articulate, well-written post, sir! You win a Pulitzer!

 

[smackababy]

Very articulate, well-written necro, sir! You win a Pulitzer!

FTFY