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davecom · Feb 21, 2006, 07:13 AM

Any out there? No, I don't want to play an RPG, and no I don't want to see blood everywhere or have anything to do with aliens or robots or any of the other stupid themes that all games seem to have everywhere. And no I don't want to play with fake guns. Just looking for a good 3d platformer or action-adventure game that doesn't take place on planet zoid, fantasy land with knights and witches, or take itself too seriously. Don't they make these? I buess Rayman is the closest I've seen. There's a reason people still buy consoles!

smoke-tetsu · 04:50 PM

While it's not EXACTLY like mario or zelda here is a game that pretty much fits your criteria.

http://www.digipen.edu/GameGallery/w...unt/index.html

Chuckit · Feb 21, 2006, 05:00 PM

Erm…Zelda takes place in a fantasy land with knights and witches.

davecom · Feb 21, 2006, 05:29 PM

True, point taken. Anyway so any others.

eevyl · Feb 22, 2006, 06:50 AM

I don't really get what you want, since Mario and Zelda are anything but similar types of games, but maybe you enjoy Ambrosia's Gooball.

P · Feb 22, 2006, 03:05 PM

There are emulators if you want the old style Nintendo games (they were much better anyway - Super Mario Bros 3 and A Link to the Past...), and if it's cutting edge you want, a Gamecube isn't exactly expensive and may be your best choice. Games for the Mac tend to be slightly more grownup than Mario and Zelda. Don't get me wrong, that's not necessarily good, but that's the way it is.

Millennium · Feb 22, 2006, 03:20 PM

It sounds like you'd like the Kingdom Hearts series of games, but alas, they're console-only.

Rumor · Feb 22, 2006, 03:24 PM

Kingdom Hearts is an RPG.

Chuckit · Feb 22, 2006, 03:40 PM

So is the Zelda series then. What do you want? Just platformers?

smoke-tetsu · Feb 22, 2006, 04:46 PM

Zelda is more of an adventure game than an RPG.

TimmyDee51 · Feb 24, 2006, 09:05 PM

Or Pillars of Garendall. It's pretty basic graphics wise, but I had a good time playing it.

davecom · Feb 25, 2006, 05:34 AM

Originally Posted by eevyl

I don't really get what you want, since Mario and Zelda are anything but similar types of games, but maybe you enjoy Ambrosia's Gooball.

Either, or. I can't find anything quite like either of them. Well that's not exactly true, I can find mediocre platformers for the PC, but I can't find anything like Zelda. I have a gamecube, but I'd like somehting I can take on the go. As for emulators, that's illegal, and I've played all the original Mario and Zelda games anyway. I'll try out Gooball though. It's funny though that it seems you guys suggested 2 RPGs when I specifically said I'm not interested in that. Don't get me wrong - thanks for the suggestions - but it just speaks volumes about the lack of these type of games.

Rev-O · Feb 25, 2006, 12:02 PM

Midnight Mansion is supposed to be a fun enough platformer, and Mac Joy has a couple of platformers that look good (Superstar Chefs and Gold Miner Joe). All three of these are fairly inexpensive and, better yet, all 3 have demos.

Dunno of anything Zelda like tho

davecom · Feb 25, 2006, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Rev-O

Midnight Mansion is supposed to be a fun enough platformer, and Mac Joy has a couple of platformers that look good (Superstar Chefs and Gold Miner Joe). All three of these are fairly inexpensive and, better yet, all 3 have demos.

Dunno of anything Zelda like tho

Thanks for the links. I tried out GooBall and while it seemed quite good, it wasn't quite what I was looking for. I tried ElBallo and it's pretty good, but I don't see why it was necessary to throw in the naked people. Midnight Mansion is pretty fun. Anything 3d out there besides Rayman?

CharlesS · Feb 25, 2006, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by smoke-tetsu

Zelda is more of an adventure game than an RPG.

Um, no it's not. Zelda has way more in common with RPGs than it does with something like Zork or Myst...

Thain Esh Kelch · Feb 25, 2006, 04:35 PM

Zelda is definately NOT a RPG. Its an adventure game!

CharlesS · Feb 25, 2006, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by Thain Esh Kelch

Zelda is definately NOT a RPG. Its an adventure game!

Okay... rather than asking you to take my word for it, here's Wikipedia's definition of an adventure game.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Adventure is a genre of video game typified by exploration, puzzle-solving, interaction with game characters, and a focus on narrative rather than reflex-based challenges. The vast majority of adventure games are computer games, though console-based adventure games are not unheard of. Unlike many other game genres, the adventure genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based art forms, such as literature and film. Adventure games encompass a wide variety of literary genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mystery, horror, and comedy. Notable adventure games include Zork, King's Quest, The Secret of Monkey Island, and Myst.
Adventure games are similar to computer role-playing games (CRPG's), except that the game play is more focused on problem-solving rather than combat and statistics. In general, games that involve the management of player attributes and statistics are considered to be CRPG's, while those that focus solely on puzzles and narrative are considered to be part of the Adventure category. It should be noted, however, that this distinction is an extremely loose one, and many games blur the line between the two categories. In particular, the status of what are sometimes called action-adventure games as members of the category is largely in doubt, with adventure gaming purists (And, to a lesser extent, action gaming purists) labeling action-adventure games as belonging to neither the action nor adventure genres rather than to both.
Most adventure games are designed for a single player, since the heavy emphasis on story and character makes multi-player design difficult.
The adventure genre was quite popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and many considered it to be among the most technically advanced genres. Indeed, adventure companies like Sierra pursued technologies for their games (such as hand-drawn backgrounds, rotoscoped animation, and in-game video) that were more advanced than most other genres at the time. However, the release of the Sony PlayStation marked the end of the adventure era; as 3D became the dominant graphics format, the mostly 2D adventure market began to shrink. Though a few developers continue to produce adventure games, the genre is now almost entirely confined to sub-genres such as survival horror.

Zelda is most definitely not an adventure game. The focus is definitely on running around and fighting, not on story or plot (heck, the original Zelda didn't have much of a plot at all - its dialogue basically boiled down to "Dodongo dislikes smoke!"). Also, it does occasionally have some puzzles in it, but they're not the main focus...

TheoCryst · Feb 25, 2006, 09:20 PM

Zelda is neither an adventure game nor an RPG... it's just Zelda.

(Okay, so maybe it's kinda an action-RPG, but still...)

davecom · Feb 25, 2006, 10:40 PM

Not that wikipedia is the end all be all word on all things but it defines Zelda as an action-adventure game if you check the action-adventure article.

CharlesS · Feb 26, 2006, 02:19 AM

Originally Posted by davecom

Not that wikipedia is the end all be all word on all things but it defines Zelda as an action-adventure game if you check the action-adventure article.

An action-adventure game is a very different thing than an adventure game. I think it is a poor name for the genre, since they are more similar to RPGs than adventure games. "Action RPG" is a better term, IMO. Zelda is clearly not an adventure game.

The Wikipedia article on action-adventure games that you referenced even points this out:

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

In action-adventure games, while reflex-based actions are required (often revolving around combat or the avoidance thereof), the gameplay still follows a number of adventure game genre tropes (gathering items, exploration of and interaction with one's environment, and puzzle-solving). This type of game is often quite similar to computer role-playing games; many consider the Legend of Zelda series to be hybridized role-playing games ("adventure-RPGs" or "action-RPGs").

davecom · Feb 26, 2006, 04:52 PM

But the more important thing is... who cares.

Arkham_c · Feb 26, 2006, 11:20 PM

What about Ferazel's Wand? It's old, but it's a "platform" game and was a lot of fun.

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/ferazel/

CharlesS · Feb 26, 2006, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by Arkham_c

What about Ferazel's Wand? It's old, but it's a "platform" game and was a lot of fun.

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/ferazel/

It runs in Classic, so if you're on an Intel Mac, it's not going to work...

(cue the Anti-Classic Squad crowing about how this is a great thing)