What were these visual effects on the PS1?

[Ikagura]

I've noticed how on the 32-bits (Saturn included) there were some effects that you wouldn't see ever afterwards (not even on the Dreamcast or PS2) so I wanted to know if it had a proper name or a method to replicate it for indie game.

First is that one effect you see when you enter a battle in FF7 or that boss in Klonoa when you get teleported:

Then you have that fade to black that is uneven most of the time:

 

[DunkeyKong]

Basically it's a transition effect like a warp or fade

Video feedback effect I think

 

[Moloch]

These transition effects were popular back in the day. They are still available, but out of fashion.

 

[Skeetos]

Just really fancy lookin transitions. I like the Time Twister cutscenes in Crash Bandicoot 3 for this.

Post automatically merged: Jan 11, 2025

Just really fancy lookin transitions. I like the Time Twister cutscenes in Crash Bandicoot 3 for this.

Ah, just realized the video doesnt show it. When it goes away it twists into black

 

[Ikagura]

Just really fancy lookin transitions. I like the Time Twister cutscenes in Crash Bandicoot 3 for this.

Post automatically merged: Jan 11, 2025

Ah, just realized the video doesnt show it. When it goes away it twists into black

I see that it shows there when you get into a level

(at 3:48).

These transition effects were popular back in the day. They are still available, but out of fashion.

So basically when it was new they loved to do it (like water in the early 6th gen or bloom in the 7th gen).

 

[Azuris]

As People said, Transitions, they were often used to hide the Loading, so they are fancy Loading Screens ;)
You don't see them any more because Consoles got more RAM and also the Programmers better in doing the Streaming of the Data.

 

[Ikagura]

As People said, Transitions, they were often used to hide the Loading, so they are fancy Loading Screens ;)
You don't see them any more because Consoles got more RAM and also the Programmers better in doing the Streaming of the Data.

To be honest I legit excuse that more than the infamous elevators in Mass Effect.

 

[kanesha]

Chaos Legion on PS2 has that twisty warp transition effect, I always thought it to be totally random, but now that you've mentioned it, it's likely to be masking some loading.

 

[moonbits]

You can call it the seizure inducing spiral.

 

[Ikagura]

Chaos Legion on PS2 has that twisty warp transition effect, I always thought it to be totally random, but now that you've mentioned it, it's likely to be masking some loading.

I'm probably weird but I do miss this effect.

Even the door loading from RE was adding more tension about what could be seen behind.

Sometimes technical limitations can become aesthetic choices.

You can call it the seizure inducing spiral.

Roflmao, you're right.

 

[miguk]

Most old games did something to distract us from load times. Show a VS screen before a fight in a fighting game. Show a splash screen about the level you are entering in a platformer. Show your character slowly walking into a cave in an RPG. Even cartridge games did these because load times were always there even when they were "fast". And when they didn't, you could notice things taking a little too long for some reason, even if the fact that it was loading didn't register with you.

 

[Tonberry]

I've noticed how on the 32-bits (Saturn included) there were some effects that you wouldn't see ever afterwards (not even on the Dreamcast or PS2) so I wanted to know if it had a proper name or a method to replicate it for indie game.

First is that one effect you see when you enter a battle in FF7 or that boss in Klonoa when you get teleported:

View attachment 10936

Then you have that fade to black that is uneven most of the time:

View attachment 10937

There are various opinions floating around online regarding the fade effect. On modern machines it’s called gamma correction, but apparently the PSX wasn’t capable of that even though it looks the same. So it’s likely that it’s using some sort of overlay while simultaneously subtracting from each pixel, which makes brighter pixels take longer to turn completely black.

I’m no expert though, but there are thread online about it that are interesting to read.