The indie revolution has kicked off a wave of new games that harken back to the best times in gaming, the age of 16-bit consoles like the Super NES. Gaming has matured since that glorious era, and our games have changed. Even so, there are still developers making 16-bit action games, like the folks at Crazy Viking Studios. If you’re thinking about making a 16-bit game, then take a look at these five tips from the Crazy Viking crew. Gamasutra has the story.
The essential thing is to get in the mindset of the game designers of ancient times. They didn’t have ten-thousand buttons to work with, so games had to be built around simple, quick controls. They didn’t have open worlds, so games had to be tight, precise affairs. There’s something to be said for doing more with less in game design.