The 16-bit era seems like perhaps a golden age of console gaming. Enough memory and CPU to do quite massive games, but still not burdened by 3D graphics and movement.
> the SNES generation has yet to be topped [for those who prefer mechanics]
Starsiege Tribes. Tony Hawk. DotA/LoL/HotS/etc. Dark Souls. Portal. N/N+/N++.
I believe that all of those games emphasize intricate mechanics over cinematic gaming, though I admit that the majority of them are also hoping for cinematics (as were most games of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras). To my mind, on mechanics alone, the SNES generation has been topped. Of course, it's also nice when a game is also beautiful (Dark Souls) or also has engaging story (Portal).
This sub-thread is talking about modern games, all of them. My comment still stands. Games that make most of the market share, are burdened by graphics.
Ori is a good example that does that. It's an indie game with a major publisher and was profitable within the first week. Its graphics are turned up to 11.