Sure, these days have almost every game sporting the newfangled 3D, but way back when, everyone had to live with plain old 2D. 2D, or two dimensions, limit the game to scrolling backgrounds, but some games even now make use of this basic concept.
2D, or two-dimensional, is the concept of everything being on one plane of existence. You would not be able to move from side to side, only horizontally and vertically. This was how video games were presented in their first decade or two, and until the late SNES era was a full 3D plane realized in a home console. Isometric style games (most commonly used in RPG games) are often confused with 2D games, but are not exactly the same. They're not 2D, yet not fully 3D. 2D games were used in the early years of video games for various reasons. One, and probably the most important reason, is that processing things in 3D took a lot of power in those days. It also would've taken a considerable amount of development time and development money to get it working well. It was completely unfeasible without having a unplayable game. It was so demanding it even took a special chip to get 3D graphics working in the SNES (and even then the games were made very basic polygons).
With the advent of 3D graphics at the end of the 90s, developers weren't releasing many 2D games, releasing for the new and innovative 3D way of doing things. Platformers had been revolutionized, first person shooters had been revolutionized, every genre had. There was no going back for many developers and 2D gaming was relegated to a stepping stone for indie designers to get into the big-time. But as of the past few years, 2D games have become more of a style than a way for low-budget games to get released without looking too crappy. Digital Distribution services like Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network and Wiiware lead by games like Braid, Castle Crashers and many other games just in 2008 have lead the way for new independent developers to make some money off of a fun hobby, that may just turn into a major job for them if they're successful enough.
2D games
Edit
|
|
Name |
Platforms |
Developer |
|
|
Rap Attack: 2pacalypse Now
|
PC
|
|
|
|
Cross Edge
|
PS3
|
Compile Heart, Inc.
|
|
|
Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt / World Class Track Meet
|
NES
|
Bandai Co., Ltd.
|
|
|
Owlboy
|
XBLM,
PC
|
|
|
|
Bob's Game
|
DS
|
|
|
|
Trine
|
PSN,
PC
|
Frozenbyte, Inc.
|
|
|
Dizzy Bee
|
IPOD,
IPHN
|
|
|
|
Elona - Eternal League of Nefia
|
PC
|
|
|
|
Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage
|
SNES
|
SunSoft
|
|
|
Dangerous High School Girls In Trouble!
|
PC
|
Mousechief
|
|
|
The King of Fighters XII
|
X360,
PS3,
ARC
|
SNK Playmore
|
|
|
PRINCESS and KNIGHT
|
DS
|
|
|
|
Fable
|
PC
|
Simbiosis Interactive
|
|
|
Don Doko Don
|
NES,
TG16,
ARC
|
Taito Corporation
|
|
|
Don Doko Don 2
|
NES
|
Taito Corporation
|
|
|
Flashgal
|
|
|
|
|
Destiny Links
|
DS
|
NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.
|
|
|
Furcadia
|
MAC,
PC
|
|
|
|
Alien Vs. Predator
|
SNES
|
Jorudan Co., Ltd.
|
|
|
R-Type Dimensions
|
XBLM
|
SouthEnd Interactive AB
|
|
|
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
|
WII
|
Vanillaware Ltd.
|
|
|
Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu
|
SNES
|
Bandai Games Inc.
|
|
|
The Seven Gates of Jambala
|
AMI,
AST,
CD32
|
Thalion Software
|
|
|
Ultimate Board Game Collection
|
PSP,
PS2,
WII
|
Mere Mortals
|
|
|
Downtown Special: Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki da yo - Zenin Shūgō!
|
GB,
NES
|
Technos Japan Corp.
|
|
|
Little Fighter
|
PC
|
Marti and Starsky Wong
|
|
|
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
|
GB,
GG,
GEN,
SNES
|
Banpresto Co., Ltd.,
Bandai Co., Ltd.,
Sims Co., Ltd.
|
|
|
Astro Boy (Famicom)
|
NES
|
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
|
|
|
Astro Boy (Super Famicom)
|
SNES
|
Banpresto Co., Ltd.
|
|
|
Cortex Command
|
MAC,
PC
|
|
|
|
Surf Ninjas
|
GG
|
NuFX, Inc.
|
|
|
Danger Mouse In Making Whoopee
|
|
|
|
|
Spartan X 2
|
NES
|
Tamtex
|
|
|
Spider-Man: The Video Game
|
ARC
|
Sega
|
|
|
Super Robot Wars Z
|
PS2
|
Banpresto Co., Ltd.
|
|
|
Super Robot Wars Impact
|
PS2
|
Banpresto Co., Ltd.
|
|
|
Dig Dug: Digging Strike
|
DS
|
|
|
|
Bebe's Kids
|
SNES
|
|
|
|
Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder
|
ARC
|
Sega
|
|
|
Vector Vaders
|
|
|
|
|
Mr. Nutz: Hoppin' Mad
|
AMI
|
NEON Software GmbH
|
|
|
GunForce
|
SNES
|
Irem Corp.
|
|
|
Jetpack Cat
|
PC
|
|
|
|
Asobo Rakugaki
|
PS1
|
|
|
|
Pac & Pal
|
|
|
|
|
Baby Pac-Man
|
PIN,
ARC
|
Bally Mfg. Corp.
|
|
|
Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds
|
MAC,
PC
|
Humongous Entertainment
|
|
|
Rhythm Heaven
|
DS
|
Nintendo R&D1
|
|
|
I Wanna Be The Guy
|
PC
|
|
|
|
Rocko's Modern Life: Spunky's Dangerous Day
|
|
|
|
|
Eduardo the Samurai Toaster
|
WSHP
|
|
|
|
Windy x Windam
|
DS
|
Success Corp.
|
|
|
Realmz
|
MAC,
PC
|
Fantasoft
|
|
|
Gotcha
|
ARC
|
Atari, Inc.,
Atari
|
|
|
Arcana Heart 2
|
PS2,
ARC
|
Examu
|
|
|
Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic
|
FDS
|
Nintendo EAD
|
|
|
Godzilla Kaiju Daikessen
|
SNES
|
Toho Company Ltd.
|
|
|
Asuka 120% Limited Burning Fest.
|
SAT
|
|
|
|
Powershot Pinball Constructor
|
DS
|
Oxygen Interactive Software Ltd.
|
|
|
Kickman
|
C64,
2600
|
Midway Games,
Commodore
|
|
|
Barbarian II
|
AMI,
CPC,
AST,
C64,
MSX,
SPEC
|
M.C. Lothlorien
|
|
|
Pac-Man Plus
|
ARC
|
Midway Games
|
|
|
Body Blows Galactic
|
AMI
|
|
|
|
Amidar
|
2600,
ARC
|
Konami Corporation
|
|
|
|
Rally-X
|
ARC
|
|
|
|
Immaterial and Missing Power
|
|
|
|
|
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! DS Flame Rumble Hyper - Moeyo Mirai
|
DS
|
|
|
|
Joy Mecha Fight
|
NES,
WSHP
|
Nintendo R&D1
|
|
|
Melty Blood
|
PC
|
Type-Moon,
French-Bread
|
|
|
Time Killers
|
GEN,
ARC
|
|
|
|
Tattoo Assassins
|
ARC
|
Data East Corporation
|
|
|
Pokémon Platinum
released on March 22, 2009
|
DS
|
Game Freak, Inc.
|
|
|
Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica
released on Jan. 20, 2009
|
PS2
|
GUST Co., Ltd.
|
|
|
Star Ocean: Second Evolution
released on Jan. 20, 2009
|
PSP
|
tri-Ace Inc.
|
|
|
Crash Commando
released on Dec. 17, 2008
|
PSN
|
EPOS Game Studios
|
|
|
Tales of Hearts
released on Dec. 11, 2008
|
DS
|
|
Guides
