I can't remember, it was probably Race Drivin' on Genesis? I thought it looked like crap but I loved the gameplay. It wasn't until years later when I found Hard Drivin' arcade machines and played the same game at a high framerate with a clutch pedal and everything. That blew my f'in MIND. Race Drivin'/Hard Drivin' are such great games.
Star Fox (SNES), I didn't get to play it at launch but I wasn't playing the latest and greatest console in the late 90s either. SNES is all I had and Star Fox was one of the games I had, still one of my all-time favorite SNES games.
Star Fox and Stunt Race FX were both 3D polygonal graphics.
No objective reasoning other than my own personal agenda. When I played Star Fox I didn't really feel like 3D gaming was on the brink. While it is "first" in a literal sense, the game I listed was the first game I genuinely thought 3D was here.
I played a ton of Bethesda's Terminator in 90-92 on our 486. It's a sort of prototypical GTA sand box game where you hunt down Sarah Connor. It was amazing at the time though very simple graphically.
Do vector graphics count? Then I'd go with Tempest and Star Wars arcade mid to late 80s. Both aged very well! Still some of my favorites but haven't seen a machine for either in years. Love the transitions between stages in Tempest!
Starfox on SNES. Enjoyed it then, and still enjoy it now. It never really seemed 'dated' to me, as I always felt the flatshaded graphics were simply part of its personality.
How many polygons per second did StarFox/Super FX do? Jeff Rovin of How to Win at Nintendo Games said it had "interesting graphics" but that those who already experienced 32/64-bit flight sim/games (I'm guessing there were some on PC or arcades at the time) may be a tad spoiled!
I genuinely can't remember the first 3D game I played/owned, it may have been a PC game, however I do vividly remember going over to my friends house when I was about 13-14 and he just got a PS2 and was playing Gran Turismo 3 and my mind was absolutely blown away by how realistic it looked.
It was probably some wireframe/vector arcade machine or that futuristic version of Atari Race Drivin' ("Tunnel Runner" or something). Lots of 2D games still had polygonal elements, like the crystals and triforce in A Link to the Past.
Do vector graphics count? Then I'd go with Tempest and Star Wars arcade mid to late 80s. Both aged very well! Still some of my favorites but haven't seen a machine for either in years. Love the transitions between stages in Tempest!
The fun thing about Star Wars arcade (the 80's version) is that you can sort of pretend that you're flying "on instruments" and the game is basically showing you the targeting computer from the Death Star trench run.
Hard to say. The first that I saw was Star Wars Masters of Teras Kasi in an old magazine at my friend's house. I don't think I played it for another year though.
The first was likely POD: Planet of Death for PC (it's a racing game). It came bundled with the Compaq computer we bought in 97, along with Magic Carpet and one of the EA Golf games. I didn't play that much though, so I'm going to say Star Wars Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight, which was one of my most played games as a kid. First 3D console game was Star Wars Episode I Racer, since that was the game that came with my N64 when I bought it.
EDIT: Or Sonic 3D Blast for the Genesis is that counts, even though it isn't truly "3D".
The title of the thread says "polygon", so if I stick to that qualifier as "game rendered in 3-D polygonal graphics", the first is probably either Hard Drivin' or Virtua Racing in the arcade. My memory isn't all that clear on which I actually played first.
If we're gonna count games with vector graphics, it would be the Star Wars arcade game.
As far as the first game presented in 3-D graphic style that "blew my mind", it was definitely DOOM. I still have a very vivid memory of the first time I saw it and even remember which part of which stage I was watching being played. Still one of my favorite games of all time to this day and one of the games that has left the biggest impression on me.
I'm a bit of an old fart, so, like some others, it depends on where you draw the line at 3D. The very first would probably be the Star Wars arcade game, via vector graphics. Next would be the classic but little known and overlooked 3-Demon for PC, kind of a 3D Pac Man clone from the dark ages of PC saturation. After that would be the first "true" 3D polygon game I can recall, S.T.U.N. Runner. After that I finally saw Tempest (don't know how I managed to practically grow up in arcades but never see or play that one).
Fast forward a couple of years and I was exposed to Wolfenstein 3D. A year later and I was hit in fast succession by X-Wing and then DOOM. A few months later, TIE Fighter released and made me happy all over again.
For the most part, I was really impressed with each game as they came out and I experienced them (except Tempest who, to this day, I still kind of shrug at). In regard to the Star Wars games (arcade and then the flight sims), I honestly think that they still hold up for what they are, even today. No, they're not going to burn anybody's eyes when compared to the newest, best and brightest, but I've never shown anyone those games and had them begging to have their eyes put out, either.
Die Hard Trilogy ps1. Loved the movies and I finally had a game to celebrate that love besides the nes one, that had me tearing thru polygon New York pedestrians in a cab and cleaning the blood with the windshield whippers. I wasen't aiming for those people... Well maybe that mime. It was a simpler time indeed.
Comments
Blown away? Super Mario 64
F-15 Strike Eagle II
Blown away? Super Mario 64
Don't know why it didn't occur to me when I first looked at the topic, but even the original Mechwarrior on the PC was 3D polygon-based.
(as opposed to the SNES version that opted for sprites)
Blown Away was probably Call of Duty!
I don't really count Star Fox.
Why would you not count Star Fox for this topic?
Star Fox and Stunt Race FX were both 3D polygonal graphics.
No objective reasoning other than my own personal agenda. When I played Star Fox I didn't really feel like 3D gaming was on the brink. While it is "first" in a literal sense, the game I listed was the first game I genuinely thought 3D was here.
First was definitely Doom!
While it has a 3D perspective, Doom isn't polygon based, it's stretched flat sprites.
First was definitely Doom!
While it has a 3D perspective, Doom isn't polygon based, it's stretched flat sprites.
I know it is in technical way, but generally it is considered 3D.
I remember being at my cousins house for a family event, and watching them play N64 for the first time. It blew my mind!!
Do vector graphics count? Then I'd go with Tempest and Star Wars arcade mid to late 80s. Both aged very well! Still some of my favorites but haven't seen a machine for either in years. Love the transitions between stages in Tempest!
Although I would have said Mario 64 as a true (more open world) 3D game.
Originally posted by: JamesRobot
Do vector graphics count? Then I'd go with Tempest and Star Wars arcade mid to late 80s. Both aged very well! Still some of my favorites but haven't seen a machine for either in years. Love the transitions between stages in Tempest!
The fun thing about Star Wars arcade (the 80's version) is that you can sort of pretend that you're flying "on instruments" and the game is basically showing you the targeting computer from the Death Star trench run.
But polygon game was probably something on the first PlayStation. Not sure which game.
The first was likely POD: Planet of Death for PC (it's a racing game). It came bundled with the Compaq computer we bought in 97, along with Magic Carpet and one of the EA Golf games. I didn't play that much though, so I'm going to say Star Wars Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight, which was one of my most played games as a kid. First 3D console game was Star Wars Episode I Racer, since that was the game that came with my N64 when I bought it.
EDIT: Or Sonic 3D Blast for the Genesis is that counts, even though it isn't truly "3D".
Stunts
I played the hell out of this.
If we're gonna count games with vector graphics, it would be the Star Wars arcade game.
As far as the first game presented in 3-D graphic style that "blew my mind", it was definitely DOOM. I still have a very vivid memory of the first time I saw it and even remember which part of which stage I was watching being played. Still one of my favorite games of all time to this day and one of the games that has left the biggest impression on me.
Fast forward a couple of years and I was exposed to Wolfenstein 3D. A year later and I was hit in fast succession by X-Wing and then DOOM. A few months later, TIE Fighter released and made me happy all over again.
For the most part, I was really impressed with each game as they came out and I experienced them (except Tempest who, to this day, I still kind of shrug at). In regard to the Star Wars games (arcade and then the flight sims), I honestly think that they still hold up for what they are, even today. No, they're not going to burn anybody's eyes when compared to the newest, best and brightest, but I've never shown anyone those games and had them begging to have their eyes put out, either.
I remember watching my neghbor play golden eye when i was around 5. I remember my dad freakint out telling me it was too realistic XD
I actually had superman as my first nintendo 64 game. Ive never played too much pokemon stadium. I remember my cousins really liked it.
I am so sorry lol
I remember watching my neghbor play golden eye when i was around 5. I remember my dad freakint out telling me it was too realistic XD
I actually had superman as my first nintendo 64 game. Ive never played too much pokemon stadium. I remember my cousins really liked it.
I am so sorry lol
Come on, man. Superman 64 literally runs rings around other N64 games.
I remember watching my neghbor play golden eye when i was around 5. I remember my dad freakint out telling me it was too realistic XD
I actually had superman as my first nintendo 64 game. Ive never played too much pokemon stadium. I remember my cousins really liked it.
I am so sorry lol
Come on, man. Superman 64 literally runs rings around other N64 games.
That's not funny man. That game was so bad that..that... OH MY GOD NOT THE FLASHBACKS!!! NOOO!!!