The following post originally appeared on attractmo.de, on May 21, 2014.
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There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of YouTube channels that offer playthroughs of 8/16-bit classics. But Atlas Videos does it like no one else, by presenting the action in ultra high definition (we’re talking 4k) and “an enhanced field of view.”
What does that last bit mean exactly? Well, imagine if the cameraperson in all your fave NES/SNES/Genesis stepped back a couple of yards. Doesn’t sound too crazy, but the results are kinda mesmerizing, like in the example above. Be sure to crank up the resolution and watch in full screen.
If one wasn’t aware of how gorgeously & brilliantly designed the levels in Super Mario Bros 3 are already, it’s pretty much impossible to miss here. Though it just makes watching someone else play more enjoyable, period, since it ups the nervous energy that comes with wondering how the player will tackle an obstacle, since you can what lies ahead well in advance.
Though Atlas Vid’s technique shines particularly strong in the following Comix Zone clip, by making you wonder how much stronger the original game would have been if it had pulled back the camera itself…
It also goes without saying that the turbo bike segment in Battletoads seems a billion times more playable with a far wider viewing angle as well…
Then there’s the following mash-up, which presents the SMB3 airships levels, all seven of them, layered on top of each other. Not much to say here, other than it’s very pretty…
