Looking at some of the responses here and thinking about it, I think the discussion and thought process could go either way. Since I've seen numerous generations since nearly the beginning of home consoles, I don't know if any single generation jump has really wowed me. If any, it was probably the SNES. NES was certainly above what systems before it but it was a slower increase of graphic capabilities. Earlier NES games didn't worlds ahead of what Atari 2600 did but later on, games like Contra, SMB 2&3 and many others were very noticeably ahead of the NES games just a couple years earlier.

As soon as the SNES came out, I was really impressed despite already have seen and played Genesis and TG-16. The first time I saw and played Super Mario World, F-Zero and Final Fight which were all launch games, I knew I wanted a SNES. And other generations since they have impressed me but not the way the SNES did over what else was out at the time.

What I'm getting at is that I am very impressed with the graphics of today when I think back to what there was years ago. However, maybe I'm not as impressed as a younger gamer since they these newer systems are the first or second generation they're seeing and just blown away but spoiled in the sense that it's all they know whereas an older gamer has seen the increase over time.

My girlfriend would be a good example. She saw me playing RE4 for the Wii and was really impressed despite there obviously being better graphics out there. The last system she played regularly was the SNES so she was impressed by RE4. So despite what I was thinking just earlier, it might be older gamers like myself who may not be as impressed with today's graphics because we have seen the generations increases.

So I guess it could be that older gamers like myself have more appreciation for today's graphics but aren't as blown away by it and younger gamers are impressed but don't neccessarily have the appreciation the old gamer has. That's not to say it's always the case for either type of gamer. Does this make sense?

Thanks for the advice, I'll definately stick with the Wii 

NO.

Just kidding, I think I see what you're getting at : we are less impressed by the graphics but we are more appreciative because we know all the evolution behind it.

Sorry but no sale. I have a PS3 set up on my HD TV and a Wii on my SD TV and I frequently go back to my Wii. It doesn't diminish my gameplay experience in anyway.

Yes some of them can (My gamercareer has begun with a Commodore 64)

Well I have never been one to follow graphics hugely. Sure walking in a store and seeing a game playing or stop at someones house and see them play for a few minutes ect. you see amazing graphics and are like wow that looks neat.

But when you play a game after a little while when you get into the game your mind will alter everything anyway. No matter how good the graphics are you mind will still make it seem better. Kind of like how when reading and a word has two letters moved around your mind atomatically changes them and you don't realize you did it.

Plus there is also the biggest fault in better graphics, and that is the more realistic the character looks the more you realize how shitty the animation or way the character moves. It looks so aqward and not realistic at all. THe better the graphics the easier it is to notice bugs in animation or anything, and these things, while you might not even notice in a lesser graphical game such as N64 or PS1 games look horrid on 360 or PS3

The greatest jumps for me were first by Sega Megadrive (Genesis), and the original Playstation. I have never owned a Nintendo system although I borrowed or played friends' systems. Genesis was years ahead of NES or Atari system, and PS1 was a 3D revolution. I can never forget seeing Tekken and Crash bandicoot! Before them, I didnt even like beat'em up games (like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat) or Platform games (such as Mario and Sonic).

What made me switch from Amiga to PC is "Doom" and "Quake" while what made me a console gamer is Genesis and Playstation!

My brother is 10 so that may be below your 16 but all I can say is that him and his friends are completely unimpressed by graphics. They were born when Nintendo 64 was released. To them, usual graphics are those from the PS2-GC era. There isn't that much a difference between the 360 and PS2 for them. I don't even think they notice the graphics are more realistic on the 360 than PS2.

i started gaming since NES and old PC MSDOS games and man more than graphics i can really recognize good games, i love to play my ps3 games and 360 games and enjoyed some wii games before i sold it, but i just cant never get enought of old games, i have never stopped playing starcraft, warcraft and a lot of old games i really fell old games are better than new one, maybe i am nostalgic but for me i remember old games more than new ones for example: i can go back to play super puzzle fighter and i will always find it a cool game and have lots of fun playing with my friends, but i dont think that on 5 more years i would come back for example to MGS4 or COD4 to play them, i dont think i will have that much fun as for example on a lan party playing ut (the original one) i dont know old games have something that keeps me going back to them, new games are cool but they dont have that special thing

Considering the fact that I started on the N64/Gameboy, I'd say that yes I can. Look at graphics on the Gameboy, then the PSP. Incredible. (I can't speak for the DS, having never played one myself.) From the N64 to the PS3/360? Stunning.

I'm 17, so I seem to fit your classification of a "yonger gamer."

No younger folks can't because they have only played one or possibly two generations before. They don't have any other real real old console to compare current systems to except for other current generation consoles. So (for Nintendo) many youngsters think its graphics suck because they are comparing to the PS3 and 360 but people in their 30s are comparing the current generation consoles to generations of consoles long past. They therefore think that regardless of the system the graphics are awesome and amazing.