90s to Early 2000s Namco stuffs were an aesthetic. You could argue that they crafted a hell of a vibe that's memorable to this day. It always reminds me how much I love Ridge Racer's aesthetics from 1-4, and a lot of other racing titles' OSTs

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I have to agree! They set a mood that’s hard to find in other racing titles. I had little to no experience with ridge racer before making this video, safe to say I’ll be a life long fan now 😌

@rollwaveroll

4 ай бұрын

Lookup “frutiger aero” if you like that type of aesthetic

@KahL1One

4 ай бұрын

AMEN TO THIS. Namco's aesthetic was god-like. I personally own every Ridge Racer OST, Soul Edge OSTs and so so many other pieces of music and art that they were stellar with back in those days. Namco made me a HUGE fanboy of their work for quite awhile. Even down to Klonoa and collecting every Namco Museum PSX disc. I miss who they were.

@SetsunaTheFandom

4 ай бұрын

@@KahL1One FUN FACT: I had difficulty in figuring out what some of my favorite RR tracks are until finding out that some are classic Drum n Bass. This is probably the first introduction towards the genre, and to this day the genre is filled with bangers.

@torenjohnson2585

4 ай бұрын

The opening from soul edge omg

Jin's Tekken 8 ending is a throwback to classic Namco aesthetic.

@charleskone1446

4 ай бұрын

I was thinking the same thing !!

@DR3ADER1

3 ай бұрын

I can even argue that Reina Mishima bares a striking resemblance to Ridge Racer's eternal mayor and race queen idol: Reiko Nagase.

@solid7442

Ай бұрын

​@@DR3ADER1 and Kei Nagase from Ace Combat

The late 90s/ early 00s aesthetic in video games was so awesome and unique. What an amazing time we experienced back then. And finally someone who gives Tekken 4 some well deserved love. This game is so underrated!

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Couldn't agree more! I hope we can get a little taste of these aesthetics for future games. It was so great!

i call it sega blue sky. It's this turbo charged feeling of nostalgia for ambient jungle music and that timeless n64-ps2 low poly aesthetic. If you gamed a lot during those days, you probably think about living in one of those worlds a lot.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

It’s definitely an atmosphere I’ve found myself craving more than usual lately, so blessed to have games like these to indulge in at least 🙌

@gajodealfama2280

4 ай бұрын

I think sega blue sky isa great description. I dunno if you mean what Im gonna say but its where games where just so charming and they where bright, goofy, energetic, blue skies with a summery setting games like outrun coast to coast, sonic adventure, crazy taxi, virtua fighter, the music was video-gamy and powerful, action was fast and arcady, menus where bright, usually had a crazy announcer hyping things up. I cannot explain the feeling but it just makes me very happy.

@Drstrange3000

4 ай бұрын

So this feeling isn't something only unique to me? This is exactly the sentiment I've been feeling to a T.

@DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWii

4 ай бұрын

Crank shaft berries in full moon, remember.

@segat-800

4 ай бұрын

I felt Namco was more sunset aesthetics while Sega was more sky blue

I was playing Tekken 8 the other day at a friends place, and i almost cried tears of joy at the sheer beauty of it. The stages, the character designs, the music - the overall aesthetic. You really have to hand it to the artistry of the Japanese people/culture. They just know how to hit the right notes when it comes to these types of things.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I have to agree! They really know how to give you an experience 😁

@nicks4802

4 ай бұрын

Then your friend kicked you out because it got awkward

"It's a place I would love to be in." I think that phrase perfectly sums up the way Namco's vistas make you feel. I've always wanted to visit RR7's Ridge State, especially Rave City. The little lore snippets in that game also make it feel alive.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely! They never cease to do an amazing job, when it comes to atmosphere and presentation. I personally would love to spend some time at Ocean Bay from Ridge racer type 4 😎🏝️

I remember playing so many Namco games in the arcades from Alpine Racer, Point Blank, and Time Crisis to Tekken, Soul Calibur, and even Mr. Driller. They were a staple of my early childhood. Then later I got a PS2 and realized just how many of their games I could reexperience. They made the transition to consoles without losing any of their arcade sensibilities. In the arcades it's all about style. Your attract modes, music, and cabinet art had to compete against dozens of other machines for the player's attention, so you always had to go all-out. They were a bastion of quality too. You always knew you were in for an insane experience when you played a Namco game. I often long for the days when the four horseman of great video games: Namco, Capcom, Konami, and Square were firing on all cylinders in the late 90s and early oughts.

@Vynsent

5 ай бұрын

I agree man! They really made so many timeless games. It’s sad that we don’t get these same types of releases in modern day, but at least we still have the classics to play 🕺🏻

@unbearifiedbear1885

4 ай бұрын

Point Blank/Point Blank 2 is the best lightgun game ever made and remains to this day, one of the best party games in the world

after all these years I still think Ridge racer type 4 have one of the coolest UI and menus

@Vynsent

5 ай бұрын

I have to agree! I absolutely love the Grand Prix welcome screen. Such a chill game!

@Abel-Alvarez

4 ай бұрын

Idk if you listen to Rap/Hip-Hop but there's a rapper named JPEGmagia who made a song called "BALD" (it samples a song from Ridge Racer type 4). Highly recommend.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

@@Abel-Alvarez I just recently listened to it actually! It's a banger 😁

Namco "suffered" the most the shift from 2000s to 2010s gaming with the merge with Bandai. Now it produces only identical high-profitable tie-ins on big anime franchises...

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

The definition of selling out unfortunately 😭 luckily they’re still doi by great things with the Tekken series tho!

@kirillnikolaev346

4 ай бұрын

Tekken and Ace Combat are still great

@gianniloscapolo

4 ай бұрын

@@kirillnikolaev346 I can't Say anything about Ace Combat as I never played one of its game, but Tekken has kept struggling after 5 DR, Tekken 7 had a strong but very low-profile start that was wasted after season 2 with a series of questionable to bad decisions, Tekken 8 had a good commercial launch but many think that is losing more and more of its identity

@Wheelio

4 ай бұрын

I was wondering why it felt like Namco were shitting out generic anime jrpgs left and right. Bandai.

@JM-vl3cy

4 ай бұрын

@@gianniloscapolonot doing the same thing over and over again is not losing identity. If T8 is not Tekken I don’t know what is.

I had a crush on Nagase Reiko from Ridge Racer Type 4 26 years ago 😅

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

She's still quite a looker in my book! xD

@WavelordFirst

4 ай бұрын

@@Vynsent So basically, she's the one for me?

@SadTown99

4 ай бұрын

I think I had a crush on Julie from Tekken lol… but it felt like I betrayed Sailor Moon 🫣😅

@learkenciel

3 ай бұрын

I'm 44 years old now and still got a crush with her.

Namco's aesthetic was such a vibe back then, made you feel like you were a part of it whenever you played their games. Such an escape! Rage Racer and R4 had a huge impact on me, on top of Tekken 1-4, Tekken Tag, Time Crisis 1 & 2, and even the first two Ridge Racer games. I still go back and listen to the R4 soundtrack from time to time, even imported the actual CD.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I couldn’t agree more my guy! Namco has truly blessed us with some classics!

I'll always love the sleekness of Ridge Racer and its smooth DnB/Jungle music. It's like... mind-freeing.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I have to agree! It’s very therapeutic 😁

The peak aesthetic theme was Tekken 4. It nailed a specific tone down

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Tekken 4 is one game that I would love to live in xD

@agipandi4482

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely. Too bad they changed all back to the playful and sometimes stupid stuff (paul and law just are jokers / comical relief victims from tekken 5 onwards)

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

@@agipandi4482 I agree 😅 I don’t totally hate it, but the tone of Tekken 4 was just so great!

The music in soul edge, ace combat series, and Klonoa earned a chef’s kiss. Namco’s composers were untouchable.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

The soundtracks were incredible! It really is amazing how well composed their tracks were 😁

So without further ado but before we get started 😂

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

tah-tah-today junior xD

Just replayed R4 again on PSN and bruh i felt 7 again!!!! I love that soundtrack so much

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I swear man, got me whippin around town in a Hyundai, just jamming the soundtrack lately 😂

@LooneyToonBeatz

4 ай бұрын

@Vynsent hell yea I have it saved on YT music so I'm always bumpin it especially on late night drives

I'm 30 so I literally grew up during this time and agree with everything you said. For me 2000-2010 was 7 to 17. So basically from the time my memory started forming I was immersed in this aesthetic and the sounds. I feel like today's gaming era doesn't even have a definitive sound or vibe or anything. This entire style of music(which everyone seems to still love including Gen Z) never gets put in games anymore. Acid jazz(ridge racer), jungle dnb(TEKKEN, Donkey Kong),, electric hip hop(The Bouncer), etc., dance and jazz(MvC2) It worked so well with gaming it felt like the blueprint to follow and then they just dropped it.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I have to agree! It made the games so much more interesting and immersive. 😄

@JM-vl3cy

4 ай бұрын

Yeah that’s called nostalgia dude. You feel this music defined gaming because that’s the music that you defined gaming with when you were young, because it was in the games you played and that influenced you. Games not having a definitive vibe (they never have btw, except in the very very early days of game music when everything was an 8bit remix of classical songs) just shows that it’culturally relevant and that people with very different artistic backgrounds are game developers now. It’s a good thing. You cannot just do the same thing over and over again. Also this vibe is still popular, especially on the independant market.

@JesusChrist2000BC

4 ай бұрын

@JM-vl3cy Nah it's not nostalgia when even younger people think this gaming music era was peak.

@JM-vl3cy

4 ай бұрын

​​​@@JesusChrist2000BCthat's a very vague and general statement you're making there. While I have no doubt that there's a community of enjoyers among the younger audience, I doubt that it's more than a niche. With the insane amount of modern entertainement available I doubt most young people have time and curiosity to dedicate to games much older than them. Maybe they're just intro electronic music since the style is still around.

GOATed video man, i absolutely love the way that Namco did with their game design and soundtracks. MotoGP 3, 4 and Ace Combat series are my personal favorites.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

They really know how to keep you coming back for more, that’s for sure! I’ve still yet to play any MotoGP games, but I have some very fond memories with the earlier ace combat titles. 😁Also, so glad you enjoyed the video, thank you for watching! 🙌😌

I was raised on Tekken, Soul Blade and Ridge Racer. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, especially as a musician. Thank you for covering this. It’s definitely something I wish I could share with others that weren’t there. Even though it’s something that made me an “outcast” in school, I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Aye you’re definitely family here my friend! Glad you enjoyed 😁🌹

I love how DrumnBass and Acid Fusion became "vaporwave" for modern gamers 😅

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

It’s really made a comeback with the new generation forsure!

@mcbill7352

4 ай бұрын

i love dnb and jungle so much and im sad that it isnt bigger. It has always been big in the uk but it is nice to see the sound succeed internationally with artists like pinkpantheress and newjeans

Wow what an excellent video. Really threw me back to the early 2000s. I agree with the tekken 4 ambiance and the airport stage; the intro music as well. Super nostalgic.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! That airport track is such a jam :)

It was always a rather soothing experience to play a Namco game. They had amazing aesthetics, and the soundtracks will go deep into your soul.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I have to agree! They really knew how to give their player base a unique experience no matter what game it was 😁

@phil_matic

4 ай бұрын

@@Vynsent I literally boot up Time Crisis 3 sometimes and leave it playing on the main menu for the music lol

Not sure why the algo put this in my feed but I enjoyed it. Subbed.

@Vynsent

5 ай бұрын

Looks like it was meant to be, my friend 😁 So glad you enjoyed tho, thank you!

@hitachicordoba

4 ай бұрын

also subbed for the chill Namco vibes... take me back to Y2K!

Great video! I recommend Namco's Xenosaga games too, they very much fit this aesthetic!

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I plan on giving them a go! I’ve yet to play any of them, but I think it’s time I dive in 😁 Thanks for watching!!

@Viper4ever05

4 ай бұрын

I’ve been searching for a Xenosaga clone since I played the first two. The sci-fi rpg setting was really unmatched. I’m agonizing over not getting to play the 3rd game, now it’s super expensive and rare.

Namco of that time meant: DnB, pretty people, and sleek designs. R4, AceCom 2, all that good good.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

The beauty of gaming, at it's best!

Thank you so much for this amazing video that perfectly captures how I feel about Namco's gorgeous aesthetic. It was thanks to the audio-visual excellence that influenced me so strongly that I started to create my own music and art, inspired by Namco's arcade era of the 90s-2000s. And as a huge fan of the RR series from beginning to end, I literally live for it and play anything from this series + other Namco titles very often. Thank you to the talented people from the Namco, for a wonderful childhood and titles that have not left me until now.❤✨

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

That means the world to me! I was hoping I could do such a wonderful subject justice, so I’m very glad to hear that you enjoyed 😁 Hopefully we see some more Ridge Racer in the future!

Namco during this time was just dripping in style. It just felt different playing their games. Ace Combat 4 & 5, R Racing Evolution, Tales of Legendia. Things just felt different. The worlds immersed you. Love the video man

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I have to agree! They built their games with an atmosphere that you could really lose yourself in. A lot of their games are quite therapeutic in my opinion! But I'm super glad you enjoyed, thank you for watching!

Namco is one of my favorite developers. Thanks for this video. This video really takes me back to happier times.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I'm glad that I could achieve that for you! Truly, thank you for watching :)

I still play the R4 soundtrack when I'm speeding on the interstate at night. It's one of the few soundtracks with variety but it's cohesive and complete all the way through. I highly recommend buying or downloading it.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I actually was looking into getting a physical copy, as I've been collecting Cd's as of recent 😁 But it's definitely getting it's fair share of play on my spotify haha. Drive safe!

This video brilliantly captures the evolution, innovation and nostalgia of a gaming pioneer!!! Well done!!

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

That means the world to me 🥹❤️ Thank you for watching!!

One case of Namco style leading me to a rabbit hole would be their Golgo 13 arcade game, a Silent Scope/Point Blank mix based off a very old yet internationally unknown manga. The cool way the game looked led me to not only try it out but also check out the manga and anime. There's also the Technic Drive and Gynotai games, fully original and obscure but absolutely made to be as Y2K as possible in the 90s

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Had to look that up, it sounded so interesting. I was a huge fan of Silent Scope in the arcades, so I appreciate you bringing that info my way! It looks like their catalogue of style goes much deeper than I could've ever imagined. Thanks for watching by the way!

So happy for you that this video is blowing up! loved your early y2k video

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Thanks a bunch! I couldn’t be more amazed with how well things are going. Thank you for watching!

What a great video. Absolutely adore the vibe and would love to see more in this direction

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching! I’m glad you enjoyed 😌 & it’s definitely looking like I’ll be doing more videos in this style for the future. Plenty of other incredible game studios I’d like to cover, so be on the lookout! 😄

Man, the art style of Xenosaga Episode I is one of my favorites if not my favorite. I mean as far as background art goes, Final Fantasies IX and VII are probably peak for me. Character art styles though, probably Xenosaga Episode I.

@Vynsent

5 ай бұрын

I was actually looking into including Xenosaga for this video! Unfortunately I didn't have enough experience to be able to thoroughly talk about it for the video . But I definitely have it on my list of games to play!

@WavelordFirst

4 ай бұрын

Open ether circuit! Spell Ray!

@felldoh9271

3 ай бұрын

@Heavynsent Oh nice! Lookin forward to your review or whatever you may do on the game and trilogy.

@felldoh9271

3 ай бұрын

@OhHowAbsurd that just brought me back lol ahhh man the turned based combat is so good. My favorite characters are Jr and chaos.

Great video! Lots of great info and you hit the right spot when you describe the vibe this kind of aesthetic has. It really does feel liminal at times. Also it's very cool that there are more ways to talk about aesthetics. Back in the day of Tekken 4 there were no such terms as "liminal", or at least it was not used in a way it's used now. But now you can say it and I can understand almost exactly what you mean. It's like there was always a sort of emotion but people just didn't have a name for it.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

It's incredible what emotion these kind of landscapes can invoke! Really something of beauty. Thanks for watching by the way!

A few years ago, I went down a long and euphoric rabbit hole of Namco arcade games from the 80s up to the early 2000s. I became obsessed with Namco games and still am to this day.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

They’re phenomenal! There were so many more games I could’ve talked about 😅

@hayz1313

4 ай бұрын

would love to see a follow up video @@Vynsent! Xenosaga is defintely something to check out. I'm off to play some Alpine Racer!

@EmoDKTsuchiya

4 ай бұрын

Namco has some of the best soundtracks ever

First time on this channel. You should definitely cover the Namco Museums. Vol 1 is my favorite with that absolute mood of a Museum music. And all the little fun facts, and things you can look at. So cool

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I just had this recommendation from a friend recently, I definitely will be checking it out! Thanks for watching by the way 😁❤️

I loved ridge racer 4. Wow this really brought me back to a great time

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I was hoping to do just that with this video, so I’m very glad to hear! Thank you for watching 😁❤️

Love this video & analysis - subbed for more!

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much, I’m glad you enjoyed 😁 Can’t wait to show you all what I have in store next!

I really love the still illustrations of characters in story mode in tekken 4 to 6 They’re so expressive and well styled

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I agree! A Tekken Manga or Comic series done in that style would be so incredible 🤤

Ridge racer on the ps1 was my first game on the system. I played it for months before we got a memory card

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

The good ole days, where we’d leave the console running while we slept 😂 I feel you!

Great video, great channel. Reminds me a bit of Thorhighheels when he was just starting out.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Thanks a bunch! It means a lot to me :) I've gotten that comparison before, it's an honor!

Great video lad definitely subscribing after this and I look forward to your future projects!

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Thanks a million, it means the world to me so thank you for watching! 😁

You know, I used to associate Namco with new hardware. They were there at the console launches. Ridge Racer showed off the PS1. Ridge Racer 5 was launched on the PS2. RR6 was on the 360 and 7 the PS3. Even some handhelds got in. Remember the "Riiiiidge Racer!" meme? The game was there, lookin great on the PSP's launch. But we haven't gotten any new Ridge Racers in a while. I think the last one to release was on the Vita and the game wasn't all that great. A shame because I really liked the Vita, it deserved better than what it got.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I have to agree! It was such an underrated piece of tech. I’m hoping Sony will give us another great handheld in the future

Not a huge fighting game fan but tekken 3 and 4 had unrivaled aesthetics and each one for very different reasons. Especially 4 had a vibe that many didnt really like but to me just the Ost alone is a 10/10. The Ps1 and Ps2 gave so much to gaming that even to this day, many trying to emulate/take ideas from. Imo those were the golden years in creativity in gaming. Nowadays there are still great games but not even close to the numbers that we had back then. If your childhood was around that time i'm sure it still resonates when you hear an old Ost or see a clip.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely! Those years were so inspiring to me, I had to make this KZread channel just so I could talk about them 😂

this review made me feel old as all hell...man we had some good games when i was a kid...used to see all these games on shelf in blockbuster on friday. Thought gaming would be this good forever .

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I know the feeling brother! Luckily, we still have the means to play some of these classics, as well as the memories!

Reiko Nagase was a beauty. They really need to bring her back.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I agree! She brought so much of that charm in the Ridge Racer series 😁

I played through japanese version of Ace Combat 3 gaining multiple endings not understanding a single word just for its aesthetics alone. Combination of design, music and gameplay created such synergy I could not find in any Ace Combat game since then.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I’ve had quite a few people tell me about the Japanese version, I really had no idea what I was missing out on until now 😅 Definitely gonna give it a play!

such a perfect video, thankyou so much, im in love with this aesthetic, in my channel i'm doing videos about albums ai covers and others stuffs, but the entire interface of the videos and everything i do on these new videos, is all in this aesthetic and atmospheric, i love a lot this type of aesthetic, gives me a lot of notalgia...

@Vynsent

3 ай бұрын

Love the aesthetics of those early 2000’s! Very glad you enjoyed 😁🌹

NAMCO is located in Yokohama, Japan, and it is said that it is the good scenery there that inspires the aesthetics of the staff. 23:23NAMCO rarely seems to abuse rock 'n' roll. 12:44Watching post-match replays in R4 has become almost a ritual.

Late 90s to mid 2000s was the pinnacle of the Namco style. Tekken, Ridge Racer, Soul Calibur, and, personal favorite, the first Dead to Rights, though to a lesser extent. Lots of shine, lots of style, lots of over the topness. There's also a sense of camp to it, but in a good way. Not "so bad, it's good", though that can be a factor, but so over the top, it's delightful. I mean, how many other video games can you play as a boxing kangaroo or giant panda?

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely love dead to rights! Would love to see them revisit the series in modern day, we need more Jack Slate!!

@BriGuyIL1980

4 ай бұрын

I've been praying for a compilation with the original (PS2/Gamecube version with the cheat codes), kill.switch, and Urban Reign. But I don't think that'll never happen.@@Vynsent

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

@@BriGuyIL1980 sadly I’m with you there 🥲 At least we have the blessing of emulation!

good shit and grats bro, great video. love to see it

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Thanks a ton brother, hope all is well with you. I’ve missed ya!

I absolutely love going to the arcade in the early 2000s. It was at that time when oversized arcade machines of Tekken or Soul Calibur were like the centerpiece of every arcade. I used to get nervous playing those games. Once you drop your coin into a Soul Calibur game, you hear that loud sword clashing sound and then people would crowd over you 😂

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Lmao! I had forgotten all about that feeling! I remember my local Tekken Cabinet was in a Pizza Shop. Me and a whole crowd of kids would have our greasy pizza fingers all over that joystick every Friday xD Arcade gaming was incredible at that time!

You hooked me with the year 2004 video but you truly got me with this one. Thanks for helping to identify so many of these aesthetics i love and truly truly miss.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

That means the world to hear 🥹 Thank you for watching, I’m glad you enjoyed!

As a Namco lifer this video was heartwarming! You explained my love for this company perfectly. Don't sleep on Ace Combat particularly The Japanese version of AC3.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I’m honored to have been able to do justice for this incredible company! So glad you enjoyed, and thank you for watching 😁 A lot of people in the comments have been recommending AC3, I’m definitely gonna give it a play!

The Ridge Racer spinoff "R: Racing Evolution" might deserve full highlight. Yeah it is similar to it's parent franchise but the atmosphere is impeccable which makes it stand out even more in my eyes.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I was actually planning on including it originally! Even got a couple of hours of gameplay footage 🥲

Here before a million. 🎉

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Let’s go my boi!!

when u talk abou tekken i screemed omg, tekken 4 is so nostalgic and perfect and will be forever on my heart i listen to the soundtracks even nowadays

Getting them views up! Keep the hard work up. Thanks for blessing us with content.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Always!

It is because of Namco that my father and I decided on getting a PlayStation for Christmas in 1995!!! You have to understand that nobody else that I knew, and nobody else that they knew, had a PlayStation, nor did any anybody know what it even was in my neck of the woods at the time of its release?! My father and I went to the beach earlier that summer, and in the arcade where my father spent like $1500 on playing games that weekend, two games took up most of our time: Ridge Racer & Tekken!!! Around that November, just around the time stores started sending everybody sales catalogs, a Toys “R” Us sales catalog came in the mail and within that sales catalog featured the Sega Saturn as well as the Sony PlayStation and with the Sega Saturn at a retail MSRP of $399.99 for just the console itself, and the PlayStation for $349.99 with your choice of either Tekken or Ridge racer, it was an obvious no-brainer, which one we decided on!!! The rest is history- (however, my 11-year-old imagination always wanted that Sega Saturn also… unfortunately never had one..)

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Those were the days man! It’s incredible how much excitement the PlayStation was capable of bringing us back then. It really was such a special time for gaming 😁

@turismofoegaming8806

4 ай бұрын

@@Vynsent absolutely 100%!! if I’m being honest, the PlayStation one era was my absolute favorite!? The PlayStation, one, the Nintendo, 64 and the Sega Saturn!! Even though I did not have a Sega Saturn, God I wanted one.. but I had a PlayStation and every single GOOD, BLK LABEL-game that was ever released on it and I would still have all of them today, but I left them at my buddy Sean’s girlfriend’s house back in the year that the PlayStation 2 slim first came out and somebody stole them… my whole official PlayStation CD wallet.. absolutely filled front to back with all black label copies to the best games! I’m still heartbroken about it to this day, but I get to play a lot of them on my vita now and I still have mint copies of GT and GT2.. and I just got a really good condition PSone slim, so things could be worse- Fantastic video by the way!! I’m gonna have to go back and play ridge racer type four on one of my three Vitas or my PS3 lol ?!?

"It's Ridge Racer! Riiiiiiiiiiiiidge Racer! Remember that one?" - Kazuo "Kaz" Hirai

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

What a legend!

@gdtyra

3 ай бұрын

That was especially funny to me because I was a Nintendo kid and I had no idea what he was talking about or why he was saying it that way.

i remember ace combat 3 having this relaxing feeling too. if you can try to play the japanese version

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I'm looking to delve into some Ace Combat games very soon, so I will definitely give it a play!

@RodrigoGoncalves-cx4zu

4 ай бұрын

ace combat 3 was my first game ever. i still remember to this day listening to the menus, the voice, the effects, the level start sounds… i just love it

@julian0451

4 ай бұрын

​@@Vynsent well in that case lemme drop this here emulation guide for both the PSX and PS2 trilogies of that series. docs.google.com/document/d/1PKzXTElL_UoSS-nZk7G0eyNhSOOSNDuiqdSb1aMNx0Q/edit

@zoolander6362

4 ай бұрын

Ace combat 2 had great music and atmosphere ​@@Vynsent

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

@@zoolander6362 I’ve been sleeping in the series for too long, it’s time I wake up 😅

Wow this took me back omg thank you for this i hope you do a video about the saturn and dreamcast

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Of course! Very glad you enjoyed 😁 And I have a little something in the works, that will be very Dreamcast heavy in the future. So stick around for that! 😎

Great video. Timely too as I've been watching both Tekken 8 videos and frutiger aero videos lately.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed! Thank you for watching 😁

Wow... everyone agrees and feels the SAME WAY I have been feeling about this particular aesthetic and era! I'm so glad. And this also confirms that this era really is substantial

@Vynsent

Ай бұрын

Really was a special time in gaming! It's always incredible when a style alone can influence so much emotion. That's what's special about a lot of older games!

Awesome video! 😎

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Thank you very much! I’m glad you enjoyed 😁

I’ve never played any of the Ridge Racer games, but about 2-3 years ago I randomly happened to find the ending credits song to RR6 and I still listen to it til this day. 😭💘🎶

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Emulation is your ticket to greatness my friend!

@professoremil

4 ай бұрын

Except I play console and don’t know anything about computers sadly, but I sure wish I did! It sucks all the classics are becoming lost to time.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

@@professoremil Ahh, I would definitely recommend a couple of tutorials you can find online for either pcsx2 or the PS3 emulator. They can be fairly easy to set up! But if you have a PS5, you can find both Ridge Racer Type-4 and ridge racer 2 available on there!

Ridge Racer Type 4 is _peak_ Namco I love *everything* about it - _such_ a fkn vibe

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely fantastic game 😙🤌🏼

@unbearifiedbear1885

4 ай бұрын

@@Vynsent Greatest era in gaming - so happy I was young when I was lol 🙏🏻❤🍻

In 2020 I finally decided to play through at least one campaign of R4 after having played it back in '99 and preferring Gran Turismo over it at the time because GT was different from the rest. I'm glad I did. I adore the OST so much, and the style it has stood out from GT's own sense of style, as well as R4's more arcade-y feel being something I realized that I do enjoy just as much as I like the Simulation/Simcade-types. Or rather, I rediscovered my appreciation for arcade racers through that once again. Also, the Tekken 4 Section is especially neat for me as I actually have a weird soft spot for it, weird and borked changes to the game mechanics and all that. Indeed, the Rooftop and Airport BGMs are amazing.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I have to agree! GT is absolutely the best in terms of simulation, but if you're just looking to drift around to some good music; Ridge Racer has got you covered 😁 Also thank you for watching, very glad you enjoyed!

LMFAO she put her thumb out and the car kept going XD

Nostalgic Vibes all over and over again... 2000 Era of games has a very special place in my heart and soul during my childhood days... Tekken 4 and 5 are my favourite Tekken games of the Franchise. ☯️ By the way Tekken 4 had the best story and atmosphere no doubt. Also my favourite Tekken Intros of the series are 4 and 5. Especially Tekken 4, developers did a lot of things incredibly right, most storylines were incredibly cool and the atmosphere and seriousness was just on a another level. I don't think most would disagree that Tekken 4 had a great"everything-except-the-fighting" to it. Great and Epic soundtracks, unique character designs, good individual stories, and an interesting main Mishima arc revival. The thing is that it's still a fighting game and no matter how great everything else is, if the fighting bit is flawed it'll overshadow the positives. Tekken 4 is sourly the most unique and underrated (mostly because of the choices that hindered the competitive scene) but it is my favorite Tekken to date, because of the very seriousness Vibes of the Story aspects perspective. The seriousness atmosphere of Tekken 4 it's on another level in my opinion.The soundtrack is what gets me the most next to the game's atmosphere. With soundtracks like: Fetus(Prologue), Authentic Sky, Unihabited(Mall Area) Didgerhythm(Jungle Area) Touch and Go(Airport Area) and Kitsch(Beach Area) and The Inner Shrine(Hon-Maru Temple) and others soundtracks, For me Tekken 4 remains even in these days the most Unique Tekken game of the series. 🤷🏻‍♂️☯️

@Vynsent

2 күн бұрын

I fully agree! No other tekken game could deliver the atmosphere and feel that 4 had. The fighting definitely wasn’t on par with its predecessors but it was still an amazing game to experience!

I hit the notification bell as your content is actually that good :D

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Means the world to me! Thank you for your support 😌❤️

@3runnerBL3X

4 ай бұрын

@@Vynsent ​ @Vynsent No problem. I get the feeling that alot of us are digging deep into that past of wanting to feel that tone of what Namco games provided as well as Jungle Beat music that originated in 1992 as well as BGM music. That stuff is a reminder that a formula exists that can make modern bland gaming cool again a saturate the land scape with mostly good games instead of just having the rare releases of good games as we've been have to suffer through in our current woke culture that wouldn't know cool if it slapped them in the face

I just discovered your channel and I’m obsessed with your content! Your work in your video essay is amazing! You gained a sub from me! 😊

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Welcome to the channel, and thank you for your support! It really means the world to me :)

Something that really helps the namco look is the tech. Some ps1 games feel like the wheels are about to fall off. But even on ridge racer one the game feels solid. It only gets better when it meets the namco house style.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

You're not lying! It was truly incredible what they were able to achieve, even with limited hardware!

I feel t4 and t6 was the peak of these styles. Another aesthetic i love is the lets go jungle island of spice look and feel.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Tekken really knows it’s way around some atmosphere, I gotta agree! 😁

Ace Combat 5 just gives me this relaxing nostalgic feeling. Ironic for a war game about the history and the past.

@Vynsent

3 ай бұрын

I’ve gotta get my hands on a copy! I’ve been hearing great things 😁

artistic direction were nuts on these

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

They really did their thing!

I remember an arcade game called Winning Run by Namco. That was awesome way back when.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I’m gonna have to check that out! I love how many obscure but great titles Namco has under their belt. You can really go down a rabbit hole with them 😁

Man, I’m so blessed to have been born in 92’ … Living through the 90s into the early 2000s as the world evolved was such an amazing experience, so sad nothing will be that special ever again.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

It was definitely an amazing time, but I still have faith that things can once again feel that special at some point. I think a lot of the world is realizing the direction that things are going in, and are reverting back to more simplistic lifestyles. I think that’s why retro gaming is becoming so popular again! Everyone is seeing how good we had it before 😅

Ridge Racer 7 main menu is my favorite hangout spot.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

They should open a Ridge Racer Coffee shop 😅 I would spend a lot of time there!

Namco games was my introduction to the medium. I was just a little toddler when I played Ridge Racer, then Tekken and Ace Combat. Proud to say I’ve enjoyed the ride growing up on those games. Ace Combat 7 was my favorite game of 2019, and eagerly awaiting the next entry, having so much fun with Tekken 8 right now, still wishing hoping for the return of Ridge Racer. I could also say I wish Namco would localize the Idolmaster series but that’ll probably never happen sadly despite it’s cult fandom here in the west.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

They raised you into a wonderful person of culture, I can tell you that much 😁 Here's to hoping they do more for Idolmaster in the future!

@MGSDude01

4 ай бұрын

⁠Yeah Makoto, Shijou, and Hibiki are my favorites of the 765 bunch, coincidentally share birthdays with Haruka-chan too. Guess the distribution of music albums on digital platforms is a step in the right direction, so maybe they could expand. I’m fairly skilled at Taiko no Tatsujin, so I’d like to try with Idolmaster someday.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: give me 80s, 90s and early 00s and I'm gravy. That's all I need. The best tri-period of creative entertainment. Don't @ me.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

No doubt about it! Those were the golden years!

Great video man. Would love to see something on Sega AM2, more specifically OutRun2 SP. Keep up the good work.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I’ll absolutely keep it in mind for you! I was actually looking into sega for a future video 😁

R Racing Evolution is my favorite Namco game. I still play it often. It needs an updated visuals re-release. I'm sure it'll be a new obsession for Gen Alpha.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

They really should. I loved the story cinematics, especially the intro!

I live and breathe the 90s& 00s aesthetic. It's been my happy place in these dark times. Heck, I got Hoodie Jin as my pfp need I say more 😅

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I feel you my friend! It's been a sweet relief from present day forsure 🤣

Absolutely enjoying playing Rage Racer & Ridge Racer Type 4 but more because of the soundtracks in each game: "Silver Stream" in Rage Racer & "Move Me" on Type 4. Would just pick a circuit - I remember this one circuit at Rage where there's a long straight & at the end of it, a sharp turn with the background of the sea to the left - play Silver Stream over & over. Didn't get a chance to play the Alpine Racer, but indeed Melina is hot...although Reiko Nagase is my top choice. Thank you for making this video. It was nice trip down on memory lane.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Ahhh, you know how to do it right my friend! And thank you very much, I did my best with what little experience I had with some of these titles, but it was a great experience to really take a look into Namco’s stylish universe 😁

Noooo I was going to do a video about this first. Nice vid

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

You still can! Everyone has their own unique take on it, feel free! 😁

For me Namco hit the spot with Ace Combat 3! Set in the future with a bright cyberpunk aesthetic mixed with something like frutiger aero in the UI, Airplane designs, cities. The music also matched the theme with electronic, techno and DnB! Ace combat 3 is pure 90’s and 00’s Namco!!!

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I’ve had so many people telling that I missed out on this game, there’s no way I’m going to pass it up any longer! Thanks for watching by the way 😁

you got a new subscriber just from the title card alone, small recommendation, look into having an animated y2k graphic border around your videos, similar to what Rebel Taxi does. Y2K is a very visual medium so it could give a really good flare to this style of video

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I will absolutely take that into account for my future thumbnails, I appreciate that tip my friend 😁 Also thank you for the sub, I’m glad you enjoyed!

thank you for the beautiful tekken 4 part

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Of course 😄 It was a must, I include it!!

The 90s and early 2000s had another mindset than today - technology was evolving so rapidly that it felt to wake up in a new world every morning and it was amazing. We had the feeling that tomorrow will be better than today, that it's actually worth keep going on. Nothing like today, where only a handful of people can afford basic things like housing, food, social live and don't have to have 5 jobs to pay the bills.

@Vynsent

3 ай бұрын

It definitely is a rough time we’re living in my friend, I believe that’s why so many people are starting to look back in the past much more!

Loved this video buddy

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Very glad you enjoyed! Thank you :)

I'm 20 minutes in and I yet have to hear the name of one of the artists that created what you descrive 10 thousands times as the charming aesthetic of Namco. I opened this video expecting to learn something about the artists, their inspirations, the workaround they compromised with on limited hardware, instead this is just a compilation of gameplay footage

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

Honestly, I really wish I would’ve thought to include those details, I’ll be sure to do so in future videos. Thank you for watching though!

Fun Fact about Alpine Racer 3: You can unlock Klonoa as a secret playable character by getting a 100% score on any slalom run. Oh yeah, and Klonoa 2 rocks any day of the week.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

That’s awesome, I had no idea 😁 Also I have to agree! I just recently started playing the PS4 release of Klonoa 2, it’s super fun.

I can’t explain the way Tekken 4 makes me feel. Every time I play/watch it makes me want to live in that universe. Peak y2k that’s honestly timeless

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I have to agree! I’ve even been using the Tekken 4 soundtrack while I play the newest Tekken. Such nostalgia 🥹

soulcalibur is namco lmao

Tekken 8 capture has recreated this magic once again ❤

Great video. T4 isn't particularly appreciated when it comes to competitive play, but I love to see it get the love it deserves for its visuals and atmosphere.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I'm very glad you enjoyed! I agree though, hopefully we'll have a new Ridge Racer experience coming soon!

I remember buying R4 near launch when I went to the US. I was about 14 and when I got it home I couldn’t stop playing it. To this day it sticks in my mind, the style, the flow of the drifting, the cool cars I’ll never be able to drive in real life and most of all the soundtrack. I slap on the soundtrack in my 300zx and it makes me feel like I’m there :p

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

That’s beautiful! It incredible how much of an impression these old games are able to leave 😁

@adamfrancombe4577

4 ай бұрын

@@Vynsentyeah man :) it was when I was at the perfect age to play games and not feel guilty so I remember a lot of them. Some modern games are incredible but I enjoy them in a different way…

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

@@adamfrancombe4577 I definitely feel you on that my friend! I think a lot of these older games allowed more room for imagination back then, which made the experience more unique! Games are great now, they can just be a little too detailed for my liking at this point 😅

@adamfrancombe4577

4 ай бұрын

@@Vynsent100%. The thing for me is that each game was usually built on it’s own engine so had more of a distinctive look and feel from other games. Some games had pre rendered backgrounds, others were fully 3D etc. and like you say games have gotten to the point where they are trying to look too much like reality, there’s little in the way of artistic variation and the technical limitations that probably spurred creativity in developers is becoming less of a problem. I remember playing FF7 and really connected with the characters just reading the dialog, when FFX came out and I heard Tidus’ voice I really didn’t like it 🤣 keep up the vids btw man they are great!

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

@@adamfrancombe4577 I feel you 🤣Sometimes less really is more! But your kind words mean the world to me, I'm gald to have you on the channel! Editing the next video as we speak 😎

Urban Reign by Namco on the PS2 is to this day the pinacle of 3D beat em ups.

@Vynsent

4 ай бұрын

I was wanting to include it in the video, unfortunately the emulation copy I had wasn’t working out too well for gameplay footage. I didn’t want to include it without having experience with it 😭 Maybe I can include it in a part 2 tho!