Why 2D will never die

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Flat gameplay shines on, even on next-gen machines

There aren't any full-price, fully 2D games on next-gen. No platformers, no shooters, no top-down RPGs - not even any 2D fighters. The third dimension has swallowed them all and banished TWAZA (Those Without A 'Z' Axis) to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network for evermore.

Or so you might think. Part the 3D bushes and you'll start to see two familiar lines. They're labelled X and Y. They may be hidden away very cleverly, but they're still a fundamental aspect of many 3D games. Their trademarks and characteristics will never die, no matter how fancy 3D worlds become. 2D is still a vital, integral part of gaming - and not only is it here to stay, but it's evident in many of the games you love the most.

Don't believe us? Click on through and we'll show you why even your PS3's got itsNES genes on display.

Justin Towell
Justin Towell

Justin was a GamesRadar staffer for 10 years but is now a freelancer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.