So I was hitchhiking around various video game blogs today catching up on all the news and happings around the world when it comes to video games. An interesting article picked my eye on GoNintendo (obviously sourced from somewhere else) which was from Ubisoft.
Of late various video game developers and publishers have been in the “news” siting piracy and the Wii as the devil. Interesting enough this article is moving away from the piracy side of things- but still sites some pretty stupid things.
But then again those stupid things are partly there own fault- considering most of the developers and publishers decided “casual” was the Wii.
But this article talks about well, video games based of licences. For example things like Harry Potter or Avatar. The video game world is full of them, big publishers cash in on the licences and produce video games with the latest trend/licence to shit on.
While most “casual” gamers won’t know the difference to a medicore game or even the difference of a DVD to a Bluray or even, well you get the picture there not that bright. But give them some credit, even they can notice that licensed games = crap.
While they try and blame it on Christmas sales, or sales in general, or even the Wii or DS as the “casual” market subsides or moves on. The basic reason here is that licensed games are generally- wait not generally are all the time generic FPS or RPG’s or what ever easily adaptable genre that can be slapped onto it and presented across the broadest amount of platforms in the hopes to achieve money.
They can’t say maybe releasing a game based of a licence only on one console or having a more detailed and imersive game would be risky and stupid, because quite frankly they havn’t even tried- even with there own IP’s.
While they try and blame it on Christmas sales, or sales in general, or even the Wii or DS as the “casual” market subsides or moves on. The basic reason here is that licensed games are generally- wait not generally are all the time generic FPS or RPG’s or what ever easily adaptable genre that can be slapped onto it and presented across the broadest amount of platforms in the hopes to achieve money. They can’t say maybe releasing a game based of a licence only on one console or having a more detailed and imersive game would be risky and stupid, because quite frankly they havn’t even tried- even with there own IP’s. I was going to write this article around a few select TV and Movie licences and talk about how a game should be made with that licence, for example a Dexter game would be a perfect game to have as a sandbox/stealth game with GTA elements galore, but then I realized, one that would take to long, and two the problem reaches further then that, and then three even if my suggestions are good? Well quite frankly most games would be more perfect, especially if they are licensed if they mix genres.
“lots of developers and publishers seem to think there are risks involved in making a good game…”
Lets keep talking about Dexter for a minute, and look at the machinics of how such a game should be performed. I am aware that there is a Dexter game in existence. The only problem I can see is its only for the iPhone (which a game like Dexter really shouldn’t be restricted to what the iPhone offers- plus the fanboy in me says the iPhone sucks and should only have horrible licences attached to it like Twilight), but wait I’m watching the trailer (as I havn’t played the game) and I’m seeing a problem which many developers like to chuck in…
Unwanted puzzles which seem to be so bloody obvious and stupid- essentially gimmicky gameplay promises. But lets go back to the problem that its for an iPhone, this is a problem because the iPhone really isn’t a gaming console no matter how much people want you to think, and the only real games people would play are quick and short mini games or “casual” games, or more simple dumbed down games. With that logic, this licence has already been distroyed because it would have been dumbed down. Then again, I think I wanted to argument this with a point. Which is that a Dexter game from my third person view experience (of watching videos and media!) seems to be riddled with gimmicky game play promises and horrible puzzles. A real Dexter game would be more like Hitman, and more freedom then Hitman towards things like GTA.
Dexter would obviously have a world which if the player wanted to could do anything, and could kill anyone- but if that happend his world would obviously fall appart, which if anyone knows my point by now, is a gameplay promise stronger then gimmicky ideas. Dexter would be able to kill anyone, and like in the show even though he has his rules which keep him alive he occasionally breaks them.
This means that Dexter would be able to lead his own way around the world, and if the player chooses to knock down X person with out proof hes a dangerous person, then he would go into anarchy like he does in the show (I don’t care if you havn’t watched it, really I’m tired and if I’m spoliering you from the 4th season, its your own fault). By killing an inocient life, he would have effects sciology which effects how the game reacts towards him, and how Dexter acts in game without player control.
Essentially my whacked out fan boy idea has lead me to the conclious that this could only be possible on the PC (maybe other consoles) but the point here is something as powerful as the PC when it comes to a game this big, and complex AI wise, would need something powerful, and would need a betiful world.
I’m rambling, and I’ve forgotten to check my spelling, but I think my point has been quickly reached? No? Okay.
Game of the Year
2009 was full of intresting games, and devices which anyone would say made the decade. But as more and more effort is lost from these items, choosing game of the year for 2009 was as easy as ever.
As a smaller gaming site, (in heart thats really what this site is) and personal blog, I decided a long time a go when I started game of the year here that the winner wont be some fancy title like Zelda or Mario- because its obvious that those titles will be good.
Instead the winner has always been from a smaller developer or a less known title or one which just plain didn’t get any recognition that year.
2009 was a year once again for just that, and the winner was no doubt Another Code R from Cing. A sequel to Another Code DS.
The year before in 2008, the winner wasn’t a game which was from a smaller developer as such, with the developer been picked up by Nintendo around the games launch. Disaster: Day of Crisis became the ionic game of 2008 which showed what a title on the Wii should be, with out being a high profile IP.
In 2007 however, in the first year, Renegade Kid showed us the light with Dementium: The Ward, the original title in the series (they are brining out a new Dementium this year ’10), an interesting FPS which was a solid enjoyable game it was a shame Moon (there next title) was a disappointment.
Just out of Focus
Titles which are skinning on just before the dawn of the decade seem to be some of my favorites. Which while some of them I can’t push to been Game of the Decade, I can talk about them in this article.
Shadow Gate Classic seemed to have been one of those titles which could go straight to been Game of the Decade, until I noticed it would be Game of LAST decade in America.
However it still demands to be put in this article as one of the highest regards I could give the game. With the information for me avaliable I can’t find if it came out in Europe or Australia in 2000 to be regarded as a 2000+ title, but I can prove its awesomeness.
The story essencialy is this, a long time ago MacVenture developed a bunch of games for the mac, evencailly all of them got ported to gaming consoles of the time (things like the NES etc.) the GBC saw a remake of the original in 1999 and the Nintendo 64 got a bunch of sequels to this title.
The game itself plays like this- evil guy, find the evil guy, kill the evil guy and win. Sounds like every other video game since the dawn of time. And really thats not what sets it apart. Shadow Gate Classic is one of those magical games which proves itself every step of the way with its gameplay. It punishes bad moves, and rewards the gamer with the path to continue. What we have here is a game which should be remade in the next decade, a magical game which you can read up on in my Retro Article on it.
Another favorite of mine on the game boy color would have to be Survival Kids, but it to came out in 1999, I was lost for what title really touched me, inspired me and was a good game all around in this decade.
Survival Kids 2, now thats a game which could be included. The Japanese only title, coming out in 2000 for the Game Boy Color, it too could be considered not on this list by many, but here I can put it on the running list for game of the decade.
What Survival Kids 2 managed to do, was to bring Survival Kids into a series, the sequel wasn’t boring or dull, it had more of a story and a dam well interesting one at that (shame its only in Japanese and pretty pictures are the only things which I could look at), but the world and graphics just seem to give off a more mature and interesting colorful vibe, there seemed more life in the sequel, and the game itself seemed dam well amazing.
Special Games this Decade
t wasn’t all doom and gloom in this decade, and Konami, the developers of Survival Kids had brought to the party something great, Time Hollow.
Time Hollow had everything with it, a great story, good graphics, interesting mechanics and other tasty treats. Heck even some easter eggs which changed the story to become something quite more- well werid.
But under all this Time Hollow presented one of the best “novel” games of this generation, Cing brought to the table the idea that they are perfect for the Nintendo DS, and then other developers followed suit with there own times of touch screen actioned, novel based stories with the idea of picking up things and poking things to do actions.
Time Hollow was a fresh new game to what was starting to become stale with heaps of crime dramas, love sims and other boring games flushed on the DS in the point and click world.
When talking about this game that is what comes to many players minds, the game was filled with ambition and characters which just didn’t seem to capture what could of been done completely. The game could of been more detailed and sandbox, when it comes to how far you can twist time. But above all this was a game which sent a message, and that message was DS gaming is serious business.
Another title which seemed to have sparked the world with hope and desire of what gaming was becoming, was The World Ends With You, the Square-Enix game proved they are not just a Final Fantasy Shitting Factory- and produced a game worth having there name attached to.
It might have been not the best action wise, but it did contain a solid sound track and graphic set. The sound track will be in your head forever and the graphics seem to fit well.
Action was simple, using “pins” as power ups, and a basic health bar, the rest was just slashing on the touch screen. What set this primitive yet interesting game play method apart, wasn’t the pins or the monsters, it was the top screen was your partner character which you had to control as well (or you can set it to auto fight), using buttons.
Cing Games
We dam well love them, Cing has produced this decade some remarkable titles, and most notably the Another Code Series (we gave GoTY to the new Wii title in the series) and Hotel Dusk Series.
While its possible at the end of this article I will turn around and go “yes Cing has developed the Game of this Decade” its also quite possible I might not.
What is Left
The Wii saw some sub par titles and some magical ones. Disaster: Day of Crisis, Little King Story and Lost in Blue Wii all high quality titles.
Similar story with the Nintendo DS, some good titles, some bad.
“The later half of this decade was filled with one simple reality, so many games to play, so little worth while…”
This generation was under some sort of spell, with the last two previous generations which this decade saw brought better quality titles. It seemed the later half of this decade was filled with one simple reality for gamers, that out of so many games they owned, they had so little worth while playing. While we saw games this generation which seemed to spark the worth while buzz, it seemed they where far and few.
One title which hasn’t been mentioned yet is Okami, besides it art style its gameplay seems to get repetitive and boring after awhile, what this game had was lost in the end.
Game of the Decade Winner
Another Code: 2 Memories
The game by Cing which started its path to fame is going to be obvious as one of our Game of the Decade winners. In 2003/2004 when it was first announced it was the title which I was inspired by enough to ditch Nintendo DS sites to go straight into a fansite- it was the birth of Another Code Labs, and it kept be going when it came to my web site hobby.
The game didn’t have my promise behind it, for many reasons, westerners didn’t know a single thing about the developer (Cing) and doing point and click games on the Nintendo DS seemed like everyone would flush to make one. While point and click wasn’t exactly pioneered by Cing for the Nintendo DS, they brought one of the first point and click games to the console which made sense. The game had a deep and interesting story line and because of that created a solid mythology which would lead into the sequel.
This game isn’t just here because I made a fansite for the title, in the end its here because of what it was when it came out, not what I wanted it to be as it was coming out.
It’s puzzles where interesting and nice, some where new to the console, others done before- but the package felt worth it, and thats hard to say that a game is “worth it” in this current generation.
Game of the Decade – Runner Up
Lost in Blue Series – Especially Lost in Blue Wii
The series started out on the Game Boy Color, Survival Kids came out world wide in 1999, but the sequel later in the year limited itself to Japan. While the sequel is no doubt the better and best game in the series- something had to remind me that it was a 1999 game not a 2000 game, so I couldn’t give it GoTD, but I could if I ran a site or did an article about last decades games.
Instead I looked along the series chain, there was a small gap up until this current generation we are in now, which nothing came about the series. Not even a port or release of the second Survival Kids game. But in this generation it got another chance.
The first time it was released again was on the Nintendo DS, Lost in Blue in the western world ditched the Survival Kids suffix and went on its own wild ride. It’s a shame that Konami had to learn all over again how to make the games, meaning that the first two Nintendo DS titles, felt rushed and unwanted, but in the end the 3rd installment on the Nintendo DS fixed most of the issues the original had and Konami was now ready to release the series onto the Wii.
What the Wii one does is basically the same as the past few Nintendo DS titles in the series. It hasn’t improved on much after the Lost in Blue 3, and the series seems to have little or nothing to do with the original series- its almost spun off with out spinning off. But what we see here in Lost in Blue Wii, is something which shines through from the original- and you see the direct descendants of what Survival Kids and Survival Kids 2 achieved, it might be a bit ugly, a bit boring, and maybe stretched to much from the original idea, but this is what it has become, and its become closer to the originals then the DS titles. Lost in Blue Wii is the first title in a long time in the series which has heart.