The "Good For Its Time" Defense

[TomGuycott]

That analogy doesn't work because in most countries (except Europe), Super Mario 64 pre-dated Tomb Raider. Regardless, both games are contemporaries of each other, because they were released within the same year. Therefore, Tomb Raider is NOT good for it's time, because Super Mario 64 already existed, which is entirely subjective anyway because the analogy you wrote is based on the tank-like controls.

When I hear the phrase "it was good for it's time", it is usually regarding looking back on something that really WAS good for it's time, among the best that could be done. Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VI, these are games that I played as a child and I was dumbfounded to think that games could get any better, because when I was an even younger child, I had played Super Mario Bros, Zelda II and Final Fantasy. Flash forward to modern day where Super Mario games now include the Galaxy, New SMB, and 3D Land/World series, 64 is no longer AS good as these games in a graphical aspect and gameplay aspect (though both are entirely subjective, moreso than the gameplay than the graphics), but for it's time, when Super Mario 64 was the best that could be done, it sure as hell was good for it's time. That's what the phrase means.

This entire thread was created because you don't understand the phrase "it was good for it's time." Your main analogy is more of a situation of "it was good while I was ignorant."