As we all know, graphics really don't mean much. As long as the game itself is fine, graphics just need to be passable. And really, what matters about graphics is how they are utilized, not how technically good they are (for example, Yoshi's Island's visual style is more appealing than most PS2's mediocre realism).
... Having said that, what do you think are the most visually appealing games? :P
Here's a few of mine.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mobygames.com%2Fimages%2Fshots%2Fl%2F288495-super-mario-galaxy-wii-screenshot-title-screens.png&hash=5e1b82e6a6de93abf01fad512c13fb1f5f8d7a8b)
This moreso than it's sequel. I prefer it's more moody, deep-space look than SMG2's more typical Mario color palette.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.levelupvideogames.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F11%2FNi-no-Kuni-4.jpg&hash=f1fe8b50f716fd920c5a068de50fcad03b80e75c)
Ni No Kuni. This game's clearly made by Studio Ghibli. It's as appealing as you'd expect it to be.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fb%2Fb2%2FValkyria_Chronicles_battle.jpg&hash=b628195e34aeb2bb2979c601452adc0be9c18a8b)
This game, Valkyria Chronicles, is to me some of the best use of cel-shading.
Also, I haven't played it, and I can't find an image of it, but...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1uLmLumBL4&feature=player_embedded
I'm not a realistic graphic whore, but that Crysis mod simply looks mind blowing.
Valkyria Chronicles is fucking beautiful. Can't believe Sega moved that series to PSP. :-\
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi41.tinypic.com%2Fle7w1.jpg&hash=15c4c54651e7e425cf0a63ad3de5780793bb907a)
Alice: Madness Returns
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi43.tinypic.com%2F20v0kyv.jpg&hash=2d78c6a7a2fedea1cc177b54bf231b7327c99ff1)
MadWorld
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi41.tinypic.com%2F33uwe2x.jpg&hash=306cbd0c687786fa43df4d44784c529927cbdd13)
BlazBlue
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcache.kotaku.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2F9%2F2009%2F03%2Fblazblue_02.jpg&hash=a1a6a7fedd36fe216992ecaee29f07de32d2caf8)
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.neoseeker.com%2Fscreenshots%2FR2FtZXMvWGJveF8zNjAvQWN0aW9uL0ZpZ2h0aW5n%2Fnaruto_shippuden_ultimate_ninja_storm_2_image27.jpg&hash=807ec0833eca70a563d16597e7bb0f5109c7d056)
Sonic series
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcache.g4tv.com%2Fimages%2FImageDb3%2F267%2F608%2Fimage267608%2F267608_S.jpg&hash=d89f738e383ffb3562ea32b03635ac9edcbc9f36)
Super Smash Bros.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi2.listal.com%2Fimage%2F234547%2F936full-super-smash-bros.-brawl-screenshot.jpg&hash=c443e379154d9f37af16f4e1c364d8382419de6c)
And this is just counting the stuff I've played this gen.
I've said it one before I'll say it again, Muramasa.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbulk.destructoid.com%2Ful%2F149390-review-muramasa-the-demon-blade%2FMuramasa3-620x.jpg&hash=3e24de20b3819c8de4f8d7ad61d6266b6c53ead2)
Quote from: Rosalinas Spare Wand on April 14, 2012, 11:26:23 PM
I've said it one before I'll say it again, Muramasa.
Knew I was forgetting a game.
That Naruto game floors me every time. It looks EXACTLY like the show. That's EXACTLY what I wanted from game graphics as a kid.
So for me:
Consoles
Wario Land Shake It!
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi2.listal.com%2Fimage%2F335759%2F936full-wario-land%253A-shake-it%21-screenshot.jpg&hash=ef673151ef6f11873515850d125811ce92faf6a7)
Gorgeous hand-drawn animation and backgrounds. The game looks fantastic in motion, and really makes me wish the New Super Mario Bros. games looked anywhere near as good.
A Boy & His Blob
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnsider2.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F12%2Fa_boy_and_his_blob_image_8pmmroskayvefyy.jpg&hash=b9168513c5d1f3ae225e1d2e3b5431cb9f225a2f)
Again, I don't really have many fond memories of the original, but this is always how I imagined it would look and sound.
Klonoa
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.nintendolife.com%2Fscreenshots%2F15643%2Flarge.jpg&hash=f929043c20bd72ee4545b65ff3658026f2fa0c38)
This is one you have to see in motion to appreciate. The poster child game for art style > graphics.
Handhelds
Space Invaders Extreme 2
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdsmedia.ign.com%2Fds%2Fimage%2Farticle%2F981%2F981032%2Fspace-invaders-extreme-2-20090508102300184_640w.jpg&hash=4728438d5da1fc7f727eebe8333b8f37d94b1b1e)
When I picture Atari and Intellivision era games now, this is how they looked modernized. How I didn't get a seizure through all the pleasant craze, I don't know.
Henry Hatsworth In The Puzzling Adventure
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.avclub.com%2Fimages%2Fmedia%2Fgame%2F507%2Fhenry_hatsworth_jpg_627x325_crop_upscale_q85.jpg&hash=86e3ec21ffcca99314a050e9dc2112f6ae847816)
Again, when I think modernized 16-bit games, I think Henry Hatsworth.
Solatorobo: Red The Hunter
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.gamezone.com%2Fuploads%2Fimage%2Fdata%2F1074037%2Farticle_post_width_open-uri20120312-6979-1qe2msh&hash=60e9463a713e4e31b2f0d80fd4042b290df97158)
This is quite possibly the best looking 3D game on outdated 3D hardware there is. The great use of artstyle outshines any issues with the visuals. This is probably the best looking handheld action RPG there is.
Aliens Infestation
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.realmofgaming.com%2Fimages%2Freviews%2F721-1.jpg&hash=ce1c5e23c61cee1ba690be280a00d7d5c9d09dc9)
Metroid's inspiration gets its own Metroid game. And it's just as creepy.
Special mention
Batman: The Brave & The Bold
The show
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdailypop.files.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fbatman-and-robin.jpg&hash=ddc0016b2e1857271eb88a599a3abbf04090caff)
The game
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JTiySRzmzRI%2FTI5Ob269P2I%2FAAAAAAAADUc%2FM6N-tToOYeY%2Fs1600%2F1.JPG&hash=a1c3c503f77fa1d17bf8310d6bac784f27861ec3)
The show
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F_2kjisMm3M9Y%2FSmmnxk4G66I%2FAAAAAAAAJdg%2F7_jGuQpn_Do%2Fs400%2Fwallpaper-batman-brave-bold-musical-1.gif&hash=ef5b7cb14a3c9ae78c0aec08a5d25d061cab6255)
The game
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogcdn.com%2Fwww.comicsalliance.com%2Fmedia%2F2010%2F06%2Fbatmanthebraveandtheboldshot2.jpg&hash=e6e4e2a9a4b11e7e1ac8bc66ca3d319944884709)
The show
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftvmedia.ign.com%2Ftv%2Fimage%2Farticle%2F106%2F1069192%2Fbatman-brave-bold-divided_1266015576.jpg&hash=fba04d6775664a2a6fca3e445e41d7efcc75e331)
The game
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgamrfeed.vgchartz.com%2Fgalleries%2F2010-10-11%2Fbatman-brave-and-the-bold-wii%2Fbatman-brave-and-the-bold-wii_1286828919.jpg&hash=b75af7eb496ab86eb0600bcef408108b6420761a)
The show
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftoonbarn.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F11%2FBatman-and-Catwoman.jpg&hash=29c045df2cecbdaedab8d579629652114c063f51)
The game
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnsider2.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F06%2FBatman-the-Brave-and-the-Bold-Catwoman.jpg&hash=62ba049537cea28c39ec35317975cf2425d0e5c4)
The... uh...
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogcdn.com%2Fwww.comicsalliance.com%2Fmedia%2F2010%2F09%2Fbatman-wii-batmite.jpg&hash=ed5a6655de294e9088bbd13559a487897721dd22)
You get the point. It only loses points because of some bad art style uses at point (some 3D backgrounds are used, and that's a letdown), but it technically more than does a great job.