Most Annoying System Limitation In Gaming?

[TL]

I saw this on another forum so thought I would steal it and tweek it a bit as I think it makes for an interesting discussion.

So what is the system limitation that most spoils a game for you?

Is it bad sprite flicker like you get on the NES and Master System, poor sound like the Atari 7800 or 48k Spectrum, jerky scrolling like Amstrad or Atari ST, blocky graphics like the Commdore 64 and Atari 2600 or maybe the fogging seen in N64 games?

[TL]

The worst one for me is sprite flicker, I really hate it and it can make some games totally unplayable (Double Dragon on the Master System I am looking at you!)

[zapiy]

Jerky scrolling for me, just switch the game off if it suffers..

Simple

[Greyfox]

it has to be slow down..why write a game in the first place only to have it hampered by poxy slowdown??!?!, to me this is like it's been done intentionally , games that demand high amount of onscreen enemies should become a free for all when slowdown enters the fray..this can actually make or break a game to me..but these days it's doesn't happen as much..thank god!

[TL]

it has to be slow down..why write a game in the first place only to have it hampered by poxy slowdown??!?!, to me this is like it's been done intentionally , games that demand high amount of onscreen enemies should become a free for all when slowdown enters the fray..this can actually make or break a game to me..but these days it's doesn't happen as much..thank god!

How come you didn't actually vote then? 

[Greyfox]

yes..I just did..silly me..always playing around..voted..thank you for your notification on the matter 

[Vyothric]

For me it's a combination of slowdown and "other". PAL consoles being 50hz for example (slowdown of a different sort), or not having RGB output - that kind of thing. But I can sometimes fix these problems so maybe the others are more serious 

[TrekMD]

Poor sound would be the thing for me.  Terrible flicker would be another one (like Pac-Man on the 2600).

[Minerals]

Slow down is the worst for me, it completely messes up your timing and effects the control responsiveness

[Console Compulsive]

Without a doubt it has to be jerky scrolling, it irritates me beyond sanity.

[tomwaits]

Slowdown is the most annoying to me too. esp. in shmups or run and gun games where reaction time is critical.

But, I think that most of the issues on this list are caused by poor programming and aren't inherent system limitations. Even the systems that suffered from these issues had some games that played flawlessly. Look at Metal Slug 2 vs Metal Slug X. Same gameplay, many of the same levels, but they 'fixed' the slowdown.

[TL]

This is my greatest memory of jerky scrolling in a game, the Atari ST conversion of Final Fight:

(Skip to 5:07 and ignore the awful sound emulation)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXr7Zipy ... re=related


If I didn't love the game so much it might have ruined it for me.

[dcultrapro]

for me it was never a graphical problem as all graphics can be overlooked within reason... it was more a problem of no save ability in the older games such as Sonic, Comix Zone etc, having to sit through a playthrough in one go or start from scratch another time hindered much of my enjoyment because I knew unless I could beat it there and then I'd never finish it!! I need to sit down and do games like zillion in one playthrough but never got far enough to feel like I was improving, must be 10+ years since I did a proper playthrough on an old 8/16bit non saving game... the HORROR!!!

this is what I looked like whenever I ran out of my last life/continue:

[TL]

I suppose it is quite funny how people now take being able to save a game for granted

[dcultrapro]

hell yes they do lol, I hated playing games like Rampage and not being able to save etc... though I suppose the idea of most old games like that was to just play for a high score, not to actually finish it lol