The Art of Video Games Smithsonian Exhibit

This poll seems quite limited, not to say absurd at some parts. Some games really don't deserve to have their place here, while some aren't included.
And it's brutal that you have to choose from Fallout and Command & Conquer.

 

Uh... you don't?

You choose 1 game per genre, not 1 game per platform.

 

Voted Minecraft over SC2 for the lulz. Also nice to see Okami and Shadow of the Collossus made it, these would probably be my #1 and 2 choices for best video game art, ever.

And Gears of Brown 2/Blando 3 better not beat Bioshock in the art department. I mean, seriously.

 

They also have the original PacMan game for the Atari VCS. I don't know if you've ever played it, but it's absolute trash. Especially considering how good Ms. Pac Man is, for the exact same system. I'm talking worlds of difference. If it was Ms. Pac Man I would have voted for it, as it is I'm voting for Haunted House. That game is great anyway.

EDIT: AWWW YEAH, B17 BAWMERUURRRR

EDITx2: Most of these are really crappy choices, though. About 1/3, at least, of the Atari VCS games are ripoffs of arcade titles, and many of the Intellivision games are ripoffs of Atari VCS games. It seems odd to choose those games over ones which, you know, have an original art direction.

And where the hell are all the Imagic games? Those games are clearly the most artistic, they are hella polished.

TRIPLE EDIT: Also, Carnival for the Colecovision? Really? Out of all the sophisticated titles for that system, they chose one which is just a straight port of an Atari VCS title? And it's a crap game anyway.

QUADRUPLE EDIT (Aka I am way too excited about computer games from this era): MARBLE MADNESS? AFTER BURNER!? Those are arcade titles! Come on, people. For Christ's sake! Just make an "arcade games" category! Stop trying to use the half-baked knockoffs for the home systems!

 

Wow, they included Life Force, I thought no one knows that game existed.

There are some interesting choices to say the least. Some interestingly bad choices.

 

I voted ET,

It's shittiness and unplayability means it has no purpose other than being art.

 

I mean, my problem with Carnival is that the Atari VCS is by far an inferior system to the Colecovision-- especially due to the graphics of the games. And Carnival was one of the crappiest titles for the VCS, even graphics-wise.

Basically, this is the comparison (graphics and processing-wise) between the Intellivision and VCS.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPB3H_a234s[/youtube]

Considering that the Colecovision is even better than the Intellivision in these respects, it makes no sense to put an Atari VCS game as one of the contenders for best Colecovision game.

 

Just ran through the poll the first time to see the games - didn't actually pay attention to how it is separated by genre, and not only consoles, so my bad. Didn't vote infact, except for Fallout and few other games.
And I'm glad - two of my favorite games got votes

 

Wow, this is going to be one shitty exhibit. Clearly the Smithsonian no longer cares about being taken seriously...

 

No hand held titles? At all? Oh dear.

 

Art through adversity!

 

Well, this too. FFTA is much more vibrant artistically than FFT and yet the latter gets included Also virtually no obscure/niche titles. But one could go on and on about the games that should have been on the list that aren't. Not a single Castlevania title? Oh boy.

 

well at least they didn't cram it with horrible Final Fantasy shit, just imagine the future generations being inspired to make characters with pants with a boot larger than the other, and a bunch of tape coming from nowhere coupled with emo haircuts.

 

Not ALL FF character design is horrible. A lot of it is actually quite good (FFIII/IX) or very original/exciting (FFTA/FFXII, love it). None of those are on the list though. I've never much liked their approach to sci-fi as well.

 

well IX and XXII were going for a more return to the clasic desing of the first 6 games.

 

I can't deal with Final Fantasy. All those roman numerals make my head spin.

 

FF sucks after 7, and seven isn't even as AWESOME SACUE!!!111oneone as most jrpg idolizers say, still good.
But you know what Jrpg art should be there (I have not checked the lists) some Kaneko (shin Megami Tensei).

 

IX yes, it's basically same design as III, but XII? Not so sure... In any case, they should do more fantasy settings and less sci-fi, they do fantasy a lot better. Last Remnant was great, too.

Lies, VIII, IX, FFTA2 are all great games.

What SHOULD be on the list from J-games is Ys series' art, since it's absolutely amazing. And also Chaos legion and ARC SYSTEM WORKS games.