GameStop-owned Game Informer magazine did a feature called "The Big Debate" in their July 2010 issue (207). In this feature, the editors attempt to choose games that "represent games as an art form" in response to a blog post made by film critic Roger Ebert. It starts out like a good idea in theory, but quickly degrades into a thinly-veiled modern games buyer guide (with only one of the eight titles reaching back before the 128-bit era). The feature is bogged-down with technicalities that address art in every aspect but the most obvious: visual appeal. None of the titles they chose truly showcase art for what it is. Little Big Planet comes the closest to the subject matter, but even then we're looking at something that is a game because it is playable, but still more of a creation tool than a playable piece of art itself. Sure, it's possible that "good art...knocks us off our heels, and makes us look at some part of the world from a different angle" as they say, but what about art at face value? The article ultimately fails to address that important first impression we get when we see art.

When the average person thinks of art, things like paint brushes, markers, pencils, and sketchpads come to mind. The average person doesn't correlate art with life-changing experiences (let alone the average game player). This is not about some emo shit from the movie American Beauty. This article isn't about grabbing at straws as to why games are art. It's about looking at games as art at face value. No psychological mumbo-jumbo, just visuals. There are a plethora of titles from each era that could have made it, but didn't. Too bad the titles on their list didn't really deserve it. There were so many other options from over the years, and their list could have attempted to encompass titles with more relevance to art. There's a reason why my friend keeps this magazine near the toilet.

The Present (Spatter And Blinding Light)
Out of all the titles they could have possibly chosen from the current generation, they chose the least relevant. How is Mass Effect 2 so artistic? Does Heavy Rain have anything to do with art, at all? They chose these over Street Fighter IV, Super Street Fighter II - Turbo: HD Remix, Tatsunoko VS Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, Commando 3, King Of Fighters XII, Muramasa, Punch-Out!!, TMNT: Turtles In Time - Re-Shelled, Double Dragon, Metal Slug XX, MegaMan 9, MegaMan ZX, and/or BlazBlue. The closest thing on their list is Braid, which is just disappointing to see. Not that I hate the game, but it just doesn't compare to the titles that deserved it more. 2-D is made differently now than it used to be, but 3-D games like Street Fighter IV and TMNT: Turtles In Time - Re-Shelled emulate the 2-D style well because their production is deeply rooted in sketches and illustrations (which are actually viewable on the original SFIV disc). Some say that even in all their hand-drawn glory, titles like Super Street Fighter II - Turbo: HD Remix and King Of Fighters XII aren't "really" 2-D because of recent production techniques, but they still emulate it well-enough to keep it alive.

Many would say that Nintendo's most recent Mario titles belong on the list just as much as (if not more than) the original 8-bit Mario does. While I'm not the biggest fan of these titles, there is no doubt that Mr. Miyamoto's artistic craft is rivaled by few, and arguably more perfected than any of the other titles on their list. Some fans regard Super Mario Galaxy 2 as a masterpiece that even surpasses the original Super Mario Bros. Still, though, there are fans that consider Super Mario 64 to be not only the best entry in the series, but the definitive game of the genre. Either way, it cannot be denied that Mr. Miyamoto's charm is present in all of them, and the world he's built with it all over time speaks for itself (which is something the titles on Game Informer's list don't do). But with such an extensive portfolio that goes back so far, where do you really start with his work? Is the first game the best just simpy because it's old? Evidently, the genuises at Game Informer think so. Remember, the only retro that's cool by default is 8-bit Nintendo (forget about TG-16, Genesis, SNES, or anything else that came after it), and I'm sure if you forget they'll remind you with mandatory retro-sprite T-shirts.

Street Fighter IV, however, best represents games as an art form for the present generation. It didn't just "revitalize the genre," it revitalized game design across the board, and proved (at last) that 3-D could look as good as 2-D. Ono and crew showed that even in an age where all of the "good ideas" seemed to be taken, there was still artistic innovation to be done. The game may be a nightmare in balance and combo timing, but its uniquely beautiful design was fresh and brilliant. It's literally a playable piece of art. Technically, the traditional inkblot style was introduced in Okami, but in Street Fighter IV they combined it with superb modern design to make it artistic perfection. These effects were then, in turn, applied to the masterfully-crafted cel-chaded characters during select sequences, making SFIV arguably the most visually-inspired, polished, and refined game of this generation. While there may be other games that look really good, nothing really comes close to the artistic expression in SFIV. It's downright insulting to see that such art was nowhere to be seen on Game Informer's list of games as art. And it's just as disappointing to see that it also wasn't mentioned in the college presentation that started all of this. Maybe if the art and film community saw something as stunning as SFIV, they'd finally consider games to be an art form.

The 128-bit Era (Cel-Shading VS Realism)
Game Informer's list included Shadow Of The Colossus from this era because of the sacrifices the game demanded from the player. Again, completely void of any true relevance to art, they put this one in just on emotion alone. Sure, to some the towering Earthen monsters may be good design, but that's really all that's in the game. The environments have even been criticized for being plain, and I don't think the monsters are really any different. Soul Calibur III came out about the same time, and got far less attention just because mass media guys love it. Apparently nothing has changed since then, or else Soul Calibur III would have been on that list, instead; the characters, environments, and bosses are all more visually appealing than all the mud in Shadow Of The Colossus. MegaMan X8, Devil Kings - Heroes, Devil Kings X (Cross), Okami, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, The Red Star, Auto Modellista, Cho Aniki - Legend of the Protein, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Contra: Shattered Soldier, and Maximo: Ghosts to Glory could have made it on that list, too; any one of them has more character than Shadow Of The Colossus does. The incredible artwork for these titles speaks for itself by showing just how much was put into them; Devil Kings - Heroes painted hyper-stylized portraits of prominent feudal Japanese warriors and icons, the incredibly-talented Michiru Yamane depicted the usual suspects of the night with unparalled fashion in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, illustrator Susumu Matsushita was enlisted to do the big-titty honors for Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, and Konami looked to the West to make Contra: Shattered Soldier consistent with its namesake.

Midway hit their stride with Mortal Kombat: Armageddon; not just in visceral, blazing gameplay, but in refined, sleek design. In a change of tradition, Midway pushed the game more in a sort-of comic-book style direction than the realistic visuals the series became known for. Character design, especially, is refined and polished to the point where you can't imagine them looking any other way; thanks to the technology of modern hardware, ninjas Smoke, Reptile, Khameleon, and Rain all probably look the way they've wanted to make them for years. Even Stryker looks cool! Long-time players will also notice that their list is void of any import titles, which is disappointing; modern artistic renditions of key historical figures in games like Devil Kings - Heroes and Dynasty Warriors 6 have had considerable impact worldwide. These games aren't just exposing the new generation to history, they are making it appealing through distinct artistic styles (each with their own version of the same historical figures). Then we have the Korean-developed Magna Carta with BBW-inspired illustrations that suddenly made it ten times more appealing than any other boring RPG out there. Fans of BBW will gaze with lust-filled eyes into the curves of this game's full-figured illustrations.

And that's just the PS2 stuff; GameCube titles like Viewtiful Joe, Capcom VS SNK 2 EO, Gotcha Force, F-Zero GX, and the Zeldas are some great examples (not to mention Advance Player add-on titles like Super Street Fighter II - Turbo: Revival, Metal Slug Advance, and Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance). Viewtiful Joe, its sequel, or the Zeldas are the most obvious candidates here, simply because of their unorthodox, yet appealing approach to game design. Viewtiful Joe's design is simply tacky, but there's beauty in its simplicity because Capcom pulled it off so well. Nintendo did the same when they made Zelda: The Wind Waker, and it was an incredible risk in design, but fans loved it (even though they probably loved Zelda: Twilight Princess more). Some would say that any Zelda belongs on the list just based alone on the fact that it is a product of Mr. Miyamoto's imagination. Let's no forget the GameBoy Player/GameBoy Advance, while we're at it; the GameCube's cost-effective, easy-to-develop-for 2-D alternative. A 2-D alternative where 2-D flourished in a time when many had thought it had been all but dead. It was during that time series like Mega Man, The King Of Fighters, Double Dragon, and Castlevania were portrayed in a whole new light by a younger, new generation of artists. All were established series, but were revived by new blood. The artwork for the Mega Man Zero series is intricately detailed, yet simple and stylistic. All I can do is marvel at the simplicity beneath its complexity every time I see it. Like the Mega Man X series prior, it was a new, exciting re-birth of Zero (and Mega Man), in a whole new, mysterious world. Likewise, Castlevania even saw a touch of modernity for what could be considered the first time in the series (also spearheaded by new talent). The question was (and still is) if these artists will become as known and established as Akiman and Shinkiro.

Psychonauts on the Xbox also comes to mind from this era, and while I'm not particularly a fan of it, trusted voices in the scene have great things to say about it. Not just in gameplay innovation, but in its abstract design, which is why they'd probably put it somewhere on the list. But, it probably didn't have a big-enough development budget to get on the list with all those billion-dollar titles. Then there's Jet-Grind Radio - Future, but most Xbox owners have no idea what it even is, so Ninja Gaiden might be an alternative to some. But none of these Xbox titles come close to Doom 3; it took a genre made stale by Halo back to its roots, and it did it with style. This is American game design perfected. The re-imagined enemies and environments were still distinctly dark and menacing; a characteristic Carmack and Co. have become known for. We're not huge FPS fans, but Doom 3 beats the piss out of Halo, and id Software deserves to be praised accordingly. They re-worked a timeless series that hadn't been touched for years, and the artistic direction looked exactly as it should have; horrific, hellish, and visceral. They would follow suit with the equally-brutal Quake 4; part of another series that is easily one of the most innovative designs to ever come from the West. Even in their realism, both series were a great display of innovative design.

Let's also not forget about all the great 2-D titles on Sammy's AtomisWave hardware during this era, too; Samurai Shodown: Master Swordsman Under the Moon, King of Fighters XI, King of Fighters - NeoWave, Guilty Gear - Isuka, Fist of the North Star, The Rumble Fish, Metal Slug 6, Dolphin Blue, and the list goes on. A lot of the games on this hardware were 2-D animated goodness, yet none of them were probably even a thought for the list. Even if fans may be divided on these titles, their obvious artistic relevance cannot be denied. With all the hand-drawn animation being pushed, it's obvious that like the DreamCast, the hardware was developed with the artist in mind. The DreamCast (which games are still being made for, by the way) features great examples of artistry all across the board. It had Capcom and SNK bringing traditional 2-D quality (Street Fighter III and King of Fighters series), Sammy introducing their own brand of "high-res" 2-D (Guilty Gear X), and Sega themselves using it to pioneer cel-shading design (with Jet-Grind Radio). It may not have been as much of a commercial success as it was an artistic success; if anything, though, Jet-Grind Radio could have gotten a spot on the list for pioneering a design style that quickly became commonplace in recent games. The DreamCast marks much more than just Sega's exit from the consumer game industry (but don't try explaining that at a mass-media reviewer frat party).

Sleeper shooting hitmaker Cave is a good example in this era (and even into the 128-bit era), too, with titles like ESP Galuda, Muchimuchi Pork, Ibara, DoDonPachi DaiOuJou, and Ketsui. These highly-stylized shooters are rooted with traditional 2-D sprites and backgrounds, but the real beauty in their craft lies in the kaleidiscopic formations created by enemy fire. When enemies blow their load(s), the bullet formations explode into brilliant formations like a 4th of July fireworks display. It is truly mezmerizing. The artistic expression in these games lies not only in its cartoon characters and backgrounds, but ultimately from the behavior of enemy fire; a unique form of art in itself, and still visually relevant. The high-quality DreamCast works of Takumi (Giga Wing 2), Taito (Castle Shikigami II, Psyvariar 2), and Treasure (Ikaruga) are well-worth mentioning, as well (even though they're 3-D). Most players who truly respect art own an original, legal copy of at least one of these.

The 64-bit Era (Widely Overlooked)
Surprisingly, this uncrowded era actually had some very good artistic expression, but it wasn't only in the games that defined it. Sure, there were two Zeldas (Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask), the critically-acclaimed Super Mario 64, and a few other titles like GoldenEye 007, but the real artistry from this era came from titles like Sin & Punishment, Killer Instinct Gold, Mace: The Dark Age, Mischief Makers, and Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness. Sin & Punishment and Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness are the most visually-impressive titles on the N64 hardware, yet two of the least known. The graphics are all completely 3-D, but the sprawling environments, refined characters, crazy enemies, and splashy effects were all influenced (and to some extent molded from) 16-bit classics like Contra III: The Alien Wars and Castlevania: Dracula X. These titles offered a variety in great futuristic and gothic designs that few other titles had. Then there's the monster that is Killer Instinct Gold, which is the perfect example of a non-Japanese game with flawless design. Mortal Kombat 4 was good, but lacked in design for some of the new characters. Killer Instinct Gold, on the other hand, was an updated version of Killer Instinct 2, which was everything a fan could want in a sequel; even more cool characters, flashier effects, and even better design. The game even gave Japanese fighters like Tekken 3 a run for their money!

Though the 64-bit era is characterized by the Nintendo 64 (and to some very minor extent the Atari Jaguar and 3DO M2), SNK's little-known Hyper Neo-Geo 64 had an awesome Samurai Shodown 64 sequel an incredibly-refined and polished fuedal-Japanese theme laced with the supernatural. This rare game is not only one of the coolest-looking entries in the series, but of the era. It was still Samurai Shodown, but something about the artistic direction was different than the rest of the series. Something about it was immediately appealing. There's an apocalyptic feel to it, with grim depictions of barren, war-torn lanscapes and hollowed-out structures. The bloodshed isn't quite as thick as then-popular Mortal Kombat 4, but it is certainly magnified and contrasted by the dark backgrounds. And it doesn't just stop there; the animation is varied, the effects are great, and even the font and lifebars look cool! The game sports a unique form of traditional, dirty calligraphy that really compliments the game's theme.

The 32-bit Era (2-D VS 3-D)
The 32-bit era is considered by many to be the pinnacle of hand-drawn 2-D video game animation, but any titles from this era were strangely absent from their list. That's highly questionable, considering anyone who knows anything about games knows that some of the most memorable artistic expressions in video games were during the 16 and 32-bit periods. You could make a full article on just examples from this era alone. Funny how they were able to make room for an 8-bit Mario title, but couldn't do the same for a 16 or 32-bit title that deserved it more. Come on; there is no way BioShock or Heavy Rain could be more artistic than the original Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. I'm sorry, but they just don't. End of story. But what can we expect from a bunch of guys who probably weren't around when some of the best examples of game art were being produced? As is the case with so many of these rockstar wannabe game magazine editors, they were probably out doing "better things" while games were at their peak as an art form.

This era was best recognized by 2-D fighters like Street Fighter Alpha 2, Samurai Shodown IV, DarkStalkers, Mortal Kombat 3, and Real Bout Fatal Fury. Memorable characters from these titles are still popular even today, from "ripped" animated gifs to dumb homebrew shit like Mugen. Look further, and there's tons of fan-art that the titles from this era have inspired; Chun-Li, Cammy, Morrigan, Felicia, and Mai, especially. Some of the fan-art isn't very pleasing to the eye, but then you got some that are really, really good. And it's not just for 2-D fighters; Fighting Vipers, Virtua Fighter, and Dead Or Alive get just as much attention. Though they were 3-D, they showed that appealing characters could be created just as well as 2-D. So many memorable characters came from this era, which is why some refer to it as "The Golden Era." During this time, companies like Capcom and Konami were making games based off of American IPs like Dungeons & Dragons and Bucky 'O Hare, but with Japanese style design. The combination of Western character variation and unique Eastern techniques made them instant classics, and prime examples of what can be accomplished through collaboration.

This era had its fair share of action, adventure, and shooting games, too. MegaMan 8, MegaMan X4, MegaMan X5, MegaMan X6, Strider 2, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Metal Slug, Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug X, Metal Slug 3, and the list goes on. These action/adventure titles were incredibly solid at the time, and still are now. It's no secret that BADCP loves Strider 2, especially, for its sleek design and theme. Inexperienced critics can say what they will, but with such inspired visuals backing it, it cannot be denied that the game is the perfect meld of classic and modern design. Its designers got everything that made Strider Hiryuu cool (the scarf, the exotic weapons, the crazy hair) and made it modern. The result was a crazier, cooler Strider Hiryuu that was the baddest hero of the era. Few heroes even came close to his incredible design. To some, Alucard from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a good rival, and for good reason; Konami went above and beyond what was expected of them when they put this one out. The game is like a visual encyclopedia of monsters and the supernatural. The artwork for this game is great, too (especially if you like big titties), and if I'm not mistaken, was done by a female. Still, though, some of my favorite artwork for this era was in the MegaMan X titles; in his various forms, X never looked more sleek, inspired, or defined.

There were also a good amount of artistic shooters from this era, as well. ProGear, Dimahoo, Armed Police Batrider, Gunbird 2, SoukyuuGurentai, RayCrisis, RayStorm, G. Darius, Thunder Force V, Gradius Gaiden, Salamander 2, and any others I may have forgotten. The art in Dimahoo stands as some of my favorite ever for a shooter, Gunbird 2 has one of the coolest antagonists ever, and ProGear is a nostalgic sight to behold; Capcom was smart to have their hands in these titles. RayCrisis and Thunder Force V have some of the most sleek, futuristic ship designs ever seen in a shooting game, and G. Darius would, too, if it wasn't for the bionic sea creatures. Some would also consider Einhander to be on this list, too (probably one of the better Squeenix titles, but still overrated). By now, rabid "hardcore gaymerz" are flailing their arms in the air, demanding Radiant Silvergun be included. Why, I'm not sure. There's nothing particularly sleek or cool about the design of the game. The cutscenes can be considered art, but the game comes off more of a technical marvel than an artistic one. Not to say it has nothing at all, it just doesn't seem as inspired as Treasure's other outings. A lot of people think this game is perfection, and defines what is "hardcore" and what is not. To them, it may be, but I feel that the only thing that's more disappointing than the game itself is its overinflated price.

Then we have SNK's "32-but-16-bit" Neo Geo CD, which was an absolute gold mine. The Samurai Shodown series is perhaps the best expression of artistry on the hardware, and it got better with every new entry. By the time Samurai Shodown IV had dropped, SNK had reached absolute perfection in design. Characters and backgrounds could be lush and brilliant, yet dark and sinister; at the time it was a contrast only matched by Capcom's DarkStalkers series. The Samurai Shodown series had a more traditional cast of characters, but the eclectic character casts of the ADK-branded World Heroes and Savage Reign really made SNK stand out. Still, though, when ADK's released the almighty Ninja Master's [sic], it featured quite possibly one of the best character casts of all-time, ever in a fighting game. A fighting game based entirely on ninjas already makes it gold. Cutscenes and cinematics were also particularly vibrant and clear, thanks again to SNK's excellent sprite quality, and demonstrated best by titles like Fatal Fury 3. SNK also has to be credited for its uniquely animated portrayals of war with Nam 1975, The Super Spy, Crossed Swords, and Crossed Swords 2. Looking further, even the first-person approach to the action genre was unique in the latter three titles. The hardware might not have "caught-on" when compared to everything else in the consumer market, but its titles overlapped on other consoles, and even in the present we see Neo-Geo re-releases regularly. Many refer to them as timeless classics, and with their continued relevance in the age of HD, it's easy to see why.

The 16-bit Era (Mega, Super, And Everything In Between)
This era comes in at a close second with the 32-bit era. There were a ton of beautifully artistic games in this era that continue to inspire developers today. Moreover, a lot of the developers who made these games have decided to re-release them digitally on the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. This era served as somewhat of a launchpad for the 32-bit era, with a plethora of inspired 16-bit titles that continued on into 32-bit classics. Street Fighter II, MegaMan X, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Turtles In Time, Super Castlevania IV, and Gradius III are some of the most iconic Super Nintendo Entertainment System titles of the era, but what about everything in between? Everything else? Castlevania - Dracula X (X), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Tournament Fighters, Sunset Riders, Contra III: The Alien Wars, SuperNova, Mortal Kombat II, Final Fight (Guy), Final Fight 3, MegaMan X2, Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Demon's Crest, Knights Of The Round, King Of Dragons, Captain Commando, U.N. Squadron, BattleToads - BattleManiacs, Fatal Fury, King Of The Monsters, King Of The Monsters 2, Sengoku, World Heroes, Super Mario All-Stars, and Wild Guns. Then, you have my SNES favorites; Street Fighter II - Turbo: Hyper Fighting, Final Fight 2, Saturday Night Slammasters, MegaMan X3, Fatal Fury 2, World Heroes 2, AeroFighters, Axelay, Super Double Dragon, and Super Ninja Warriors. All of these titles, however, are so memorable because they had personality (which Game Informer's listed titles all lack).

Still, Sega Genesis games did their part, and did it well. Sega had strong artistic first-party support with Sonic & Knuckles, Shinobi III, Ristar, and the much-heralded Comix Zone, with solid, artistic third-party backing in titles like Forgotten Worlds, Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Castlevania - Bloodlines, Air Raid, Thunder Force II, Thunder Force III, Double Dragon, Double Dragon III, and Wings Of Wor. Inspired design made Mercs, The Punisher, Teenage Mutant Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist, Double Dragon II, Midnight Resistance, and Lightening Force [sic] all memorable titles. Lightening Force [sic], even to this day, stands out as one of the best horizontal shooting games ever made, and a fatal combination of intricate detail and twisted, demented enemy design make Wings Of Wor downright appaling, and "darker" than BioShock or any of these other recent shock-value titles. The difference here is that back then, the object was to make a good game with a chosen theme; the object now is the theme first and foremost, and it's usually contrived and controversial. And who can forget the forgotten Sega CD?! Due to the glut of FMV titles on the SCD, there really weren't many artistic titles other than Final Fight CD, and Robo Aleste, and having Final Fight CD is reason alone to own a SCD (SolSadGuy insists that Corpse Killers is the other).

NEC's Turbo-Grafx 16 (CD) wasn't a contender for very long in America, but in Japan it was alive and "kickin' like Van Damme" with equally solid backing from heavy-hitters like Capcom and (especially) Konami with Street Fighter, Street Fighter II - Champion Edition, Side-Arms, Gradius II; Ambition Of The Gofer, Gradius, Salamander, and Twin-Bee. Perhaps the most known example here is Castlevania - Dracula X: Rondo Of Blood. Whether it is a masterpiece or not will always be a topic of debate, but the game is certainly a piece of art. 1941, however, is a masterpiece, and Capcom used the SuperGrafx hardware add-on for it (which would sadly turn out to be its only consumer release). It's sad, though, how even now with these "classics collections," Capcom fails to give us an alternate way to play 1941. The TG-16 (CD, SGFX) double-dipped, however, with SG, SNES, and NG titles like Fatal Fury 2, Ghouls 'N Ghosts, and Forgotten Worlds (to name a few).

The 8-Bit Era (Monopoly Wasn't Just A Board Game, Anymore)
Tecmo didn't do much during the 16-bit era, but they cranked-out distinctly artistic titles during the 8-bit era; Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden II, Ninja Gaiden III, and Tecmo Super Bowl. What do they all have in common? Not ninjas. Not pigskin. Cutscenes; they all have cutscenes. Yes, even the football game. The amazing thing is that these games probably had the first cutscenes ever featured in a video game, and they looked like they were lifted straight from a Japanese cartoon! For the time, the cutscenes were done incredibly well, and still look good even today. It's funny how these games were released over twenty years ago, yet still manage to impress more than anything on their list of games that are supposed to be art. Dumb shit like BioShock is nowhere near as inventive as these titles, despite their age. This is not including the overrated Super Mario Bros.

Come to think of it, I'm actually surprised Mega Man 2 wasn't on that list; it was a real surprise, considering how you have to like it more than the other Mega Mans to be "hardcore." Also, however, because of the sheer ingenuity of the series. Air man? Cut man? Shade man? Yamato man? Centaur man? Proto man? In an age where mutants ruled, the series really stood out for its host of robot "men," and it was far more imaginative than Super Mario Bros. Some had elemental abilities, while others relied on weapons, or even light. Before this, robots were uninspired and clunky (except RoboCop). Mega Man wasn't the only title that put Capcom on the map, though; Gun.Smoke was incredibly unique for its time, mixing ninjas into a Western theme to make it unlike any cowboy game in the past, present, or future. The completely overrated Bionic Commando was also unique (for reasons every other site has beaten to death since its HD rebirths). These titles (among others) would lay the foundation for timeless classics in the 16-bit era. Like Capcom, Konami also made a ton of high-quality, inspired titles that included Castlevania, Metal Gear, Contra, with some Hollywood material like Bayou Billy and Top Gun thrown-in for good measure. Most of their original IPs still get sequels, even today. Why? Because their solid artistic direction built an undeniably strong foundation for generations to come.

As an afterthought, I was born into the 8-bit Nintendo era of videogames, and even though I had played Atari 2600, I didn't really care much for it or any of the games on it. Granted, I haven't played all of the games on it, but you don't have to get hit by a car to know it sucks, right? Then there was Intellivision and all these other retro machines that I discovered later on in life, but I quickly realized that even if I had access to them back then, I still wouldn't have given a shit. Why? Because the NES was noticeably better; stuff like dots shooting dots from dots at dots just didn't compare. I actually agree with the absence of anything below the NES era on Game Informer's list; there's a reason, and it's because there really is nothing worth mentioning. While it is true that there were pioneers from that time, just like in anything else, the first to do something isn't always the best. Fans of abstract art may extend the list of artistic titles back past the NES, and consider a random dot on the screen art, but I do not.

The Gift Of Free Thought
So, there are all the options that could have easily been on their list, but even the most obvious examples (like Okami and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) weren't. Strangely, in their place were all new titles (except for the 8-bit Super Mario Bros.); new titles their owner (EBGameStop) still wants to make money with. With all the examples from different eras in the history of videogames, the legitimacy of the article becomes questionable. Was the article really written about the subject matter, or was it written to further encourage readers to purchase titles EBGameStop can still make money with? Every title on the list is still profitable for them (whether by physical or digital purchase). What was the true intent of the feature? Surely, if it was really about art, it would have encompassed more than just two eras (without skipping everything in between). The art world is all-encompassing throughout time. It embraces different styles and techniques, with priority always paid to visuals first and foremost. Whether in games or not, art isn't always psychological. It sometimes can be, but art is ultimately visual.