Do you get thrown off when the animations are terrible in a game?

It drives me pretty crazy. In pretty much every nintendo game, the cutscenes always have terrible animations. The timing is never perfect, things always happen too spontaneously, or the movements just aren't realistic enough. I know this shouldn't really matter, but it bugs me when I have to sit through a long cutscene.

Personally I prefer a game without pre-rendered cutscenes. GoW 3 and Half Life showed us that game graphics can be used for cutscenes in a effective way.Also, video games shouldn't be realistic, unless you want people hitting 'Uncanny Valley'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley

Replying to #2

Isn't that why video game characters also have emotions?Also take the intro for Super Mario 64 DS for example. Things happen too abruptly and they way the different animations transition makes me cringe. One moment their running at top speed and the next moment they just stop.

Replying to #3

Having emotions is not the same thing as being as realistic as a human being is.

Replying to #4

What I'm trying to say is, don't the developers want you to be attached to the characters?

Replying to #5

Yes they do... but not with visuals :PSee what Pimping up Lara Croft did to a generation of gamers (including you apparently :P), they've got you drooling over her jugs more than drooling on her games' excellent game play & plot.Games are supposed to be about game play, with stunning visuals only a bonus.Also it's not the visuals per se that attaches you to a character's "personality", it's how their "personality" was conceived & presented to us by the game's developers that helps us "connect/relate" with them.Take for example Kirby, the fact that he's kinda like Pac-man in terms of gluttony was enough reason for me to love him. Then came that shit awful anime of him & how he was "visualized" as an innocent & naive kid with two annoying brats taking center stage instead of him ruined his character for me.

Replying to #6

I know that, but I expect to see something that put a lot of time into if they're going to make us watch a long cut scene.I always dreaded this part of the game when I started a new file.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXVH_GPute4&feature=PlayList&p=6D192194E23701E9&playnext=1&index=16See how mario and the gang just stare blankly into space? It's quite bothersome for me. I mean, all he does is stand there looking at nothing for a few seconds. And then there was no transition from running to not running.I don't really know much about how they do these things, but are they using pre-rendered animation, or was that happening in real time?

Doesn't bother me at all.I like how they use game graphics instead of prettied up cut scenes that make the rest of the game look like crap. :P

Replying to #8

I'm fine with that as long as it doesn't take over a minute.

awesomebros · #7I know that, but I expect to see something that put a lot of time into if they're going to make us watch a long cut scene.

So I take it you enjoyed Metal Gear Sons of Liberty's many wonderfully made cutscenes then?That game had so much cutscenes that it felt like I was watching an inter-active movie instead of playing a videogame.Same with Xeno Saga.

awesomebros · #7I always dreaded this part of the game when I started a new file.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXVH_GPute4&feature=PlayList&p=6D192194E23701E9&playnext=1&index=16See how mario and the gang just stare blankly into space? It's quite bothersome for me. I mean, all he does is stand there looking at nothing for a few seconds. And then there was no transition from running to not running.

You are either just too finicky or a computer graphics student as you are over emphasizing everything.Plus Mario is primarily aimed at kids (below seven years old) as he IS a mascot. Also, it's a pretty stated fact amongst Mario fans &/or haters that almost everything he does is nonsensical. Just think of it, a plumber who eats hallucinogenic mushrooms & goes off saving the Princess instead of working on clogged toilets & pipes, where's the sense in that? But it works!What I did hate about Mario64 that was continued throughout Mario's next odd-ventures was that stupid Italian Mickey Mouse voice they gave him :PI would have loved it better if they kept that voice that was on the cartoon, because it fits in with Mario's Bio being from Brooklyn & all:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6Ssa22El20

A more realistic and understandable voice would be nice. I still can't figure out what mario says at the end of each level in New Super Mario Bros.Back on topic. I'm completely fine if the graphics are terrible but what I hate is terrible animation. I always focus on the limbs that move awkwardly instead of the expressions their trying to make. It annoys me.But they have nailed down Luigi's scuttling perfectly in all of the games though.See how in this video the expressions are displayed better?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6fJ8XgNbZ4The movements are more fluid and the characters interact with each other more.

Replying to #11

First of all, Mister Excellent ear here knows mario says "That's-a so nice!"
http://forum.romulation.net/index.php?topic=45341.0#quickreply
Also, Luigi in luigi's mansion looks good.The BEST cartoony expressions I've seen in a game so far is crash twinsanity for XBOX/PS2. Take a look at the IN GAME animations.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxbu2gCz1h0&feature=related (start at about 3:58) The game is full of these, and cortex looking wily all the time is awesome.I'd say real time grafx started getting good with conker's bad fur day, and picked up A LOT in the last-gen,12X-bit era.

I have Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath or Cortex,I don't really recall any many cutscenes, but that video was pretty awesome.

I don't remember a lot of bad animations. Heck, nowadays people are so engrossed with graphics they put all their efforts into making cutscenes amazingly beautiful but usually at the expense of the game being shitty. What does tick me off not only in games but in animes as well are not just bad, but horrendous voice acting -.- they just make you lose interest in the game/anime instantly.

Graphics aren't really a game breaker for me but I agree that Nintendo has been riding too much on the gaming experience and that may have swayed many casual gamers. My 2 Australian cents.

Replying to #15

I think the gaming experience is one of the main parts of a game... If the game is going to be all visuals with no substance, you might as well just watch a movie or something

Play FFXIII if you like good cutscenes, if you like good, fun, enjoyable gaming though avoid it like the plague.
Too much emphasis on cutscenes ruins games, if your spending more time watching them than playing the game it shouldn't be called a game.
Give me snes style games anyday

Replying to #17

This right here is a TRUE gamer!

msg2009 · #17Play FFXIII if you like good cutscenes, if you like good, fun, enjoyable gaming though avoid it like the plague.
Too much emphasis on cutscenes ruins games, if your spending more time watching them than playing the game it shouldn't be called a game.
Give me snes style games anyday

I'm not sure if you guys understand what I'm trying to say. I'm saying, if they're going to throw in a few cutscenes, at least make them watchable.I'm not sure why I don't like stupid animations. But I'm pretty sure that it's because I had to deal with the pivot community.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwPfNk4bx64&feature=PlayList&p=9B1A45435BBADF40&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN1b5eu_H2M&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOXztcoEajU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7DCBKbb6MY&feature=related
Videos like those make me sick. >:(

that famous mickey mouse Italian voice on Super Mario 64, is easily by the far the easiest to mimmick of all voices in that game and yes i can even do, bowser, and peach, luigi, walluigi.