History Main / PreRenderedGraphics

In the early days of the VideoGame3DLeap, UsefulNotes/{{Game Engine}}s were not capable of rendering 3D models with the level of detail that they can today in real-time, and developers had no choice but to use extremely low-polygon models that only vaguely resembled the shapes of characters and objects in the game's world, in order for the games to still perform well.

** The UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 version of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' used pre-rendered backgrounds to depict some locations, such as Hyrule Castle Town and building interiors. The UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS remake would replace them with real-time 3D, but kept the fixed camera angles.

* ''VideoGame/Stinkoman20X6'' has a fully-animated {{Animesque}} intro, presented in extremely low resolution to mimic the kind of cutscenes consoles like the UsefulNotes/SegaCD could render.

* The ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' is known for having anime cutscenes, including an anime intro with an AnimeThemeSong, since the first Platform/PlayStation installment. However, the original UsefulNotes/NintendoDS release of ''VideoGame/TalesOfHearts'' came in [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo two versions]], where one had the standard anime cutscenes, the other version had 3D pre-rendered CG cutscenes. Needless to day, the version with the 3D CG cutscenes wasn't a big seller, and thus it remains the only release in the franchise to feature that style.

* ''VideoGame/IronHelix'': Every frame is pre-rendered, as you can only move forward and backward one screen at a time, and turn left or right 90-degrees at a time, so only a handful of screens and animations were necessary. The arm of the probe that the player can raise to interact with certain elements is pre-rendered, too, with only a handful of sprites for every possible position it can take on the screen. Cutscenes are [[MediumBlending a mixture of live-action and pre-rendered graphics]], with the UsefulNotes/SegaCD version featuring a couple of exclusive cutscenes, one of which is entirely pre-rendered, the other is solely live-action.

** ''VideoGame/SonicBlast'': A rare 8-bit example of a game with prerendered graphics. It helps that the ''UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem'' could output more colors other consoles of its generation.

* The ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' is known for having anime cutscenes, including an anime intro with an AnimeThemeSong, since the first UsefulNotes/PlayStation installment. However, the original UsefulNotes/NintendoDS release of ''VideoGame/TalesOfHearts'' came in [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo two versions]], where one had the standard anime cutscenes, the other version had 3D pre-rendered CG cutscenes. Needless to day, the version with the 3D CG cutscenes wasn't a big seller, and thus it remains the only release in the franchise to feature that style.

* Beginning with ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series became famous for its high quality pre-rendered cutscenes that integrated flawlessly with the pre-rendered backgrounds. The high production values and visual spectacle of these cutscenes were crucial to popularizing Japanese [=RPGs=] with western audiences, who found previous games' 2D sprites unappealing for conveying complex plots and characters.

** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'': The opening cutscene at the start of the game, the flashback of the Solaris Experiment, the ending cutscenes of each campaign, and half the cutscenes in the Last Story are pre-rendered.

* ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'' uses anime cutscenes.

** The original version of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' used pre-rendered backgrounds to depict some locations, such as Hyrule Castle Town and building interiors.

As [[TechnologyMarchesOn game engines got more powerful]], pre-rendering saw a significant decline in use, though it is by no means gone entirely. Announcement trailers for new games are still often pre-rendered and feature no in-game footage at all, and some games still use pre-rendering for budget or presentation reasons. For technical reasons as well, playing a video is easy to process and doesn't take up much storage bandwidth, allowing for [=FMVs=] to mask or ease loading sequences. This is similar to the fancy loader screens on computers that used tapes to load programs from.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' used pre-rendered backgrounds to depict some locations, such as Hyrule Castle Town and building interiors.