The problem with the current generation you might say is that both Microsoft and Sony stuck with traditional high powered consoles. This may be true. But also true is there relentless attempts to copy trends in the industry such as motion instead of focusing on what they already had or creating their own trends.
To understand what needs to happen, we need to look at what already happened. This generation especially the line between Microsoft and Sony consoles blurred. Which means the games released for both where essentially the same- with the consoles offering the same “packages”. Only after motion control which Nintendo had used for their Nintendo Wii- became more than a fad- did the companies start to distinguish slightly, with Microsoft taking an approach which involved a webcam style system. While Sony decided to blatantly copy the “wand” idea.
With these enhancements the companies and the gamers expect the generation to be much longer then before. Giving the generation an extra few more years- rather then disappearing just as things started getting interesting. To be blunt, the latter would probably be for the better- with a refresh been what should be primary focus.
Gaming generations have always sadly been about been number one. With competitors ideas been replicated to try and gather the same success. Its basically repeating itself to the maximum. It’s a shame that Sony and Microsoft took away the wrong things from Nintendo this generation- they copied the motion idea, but they didn’t copy the break away idea. The break away idea wasn’t just about control been different, it was that tech and other ideas should be considered on different plans. The Nintendo 3DS provides gamers with 3D, a new step- and quite enjoyable at that- but its new and different- “alien” you might say- copying 3D and incorporating it into your own products isn’t going to work. What is needed is a new level of approach to distinguish your product from X or Y.
Remember that the problem this generation was the blur, while offering the traditional approach- its never really had a good easy pick up and play desire for casuals- which was the money target this generation. The thing is more verity would allow more people to buy multiple consoles and/or pick the one they most desire.
What I’m trying to say- and very badly at that I might add. Is that focus should be on more traditional styles and designs of entertainment consoles from the “other two” because we know dam well by now Nintendo does what ever they want. Which is what the rest should do- just not by copying.
For example, making a cheap main stream 2D console- on the level of something like a NES etc. but with updated technology in it for a few things to bring the ideas which where done then into the 21st Century.
1. Another Code R: A Journey into Lost Memories (Wii)
CiNG may be defunct now, but I’m pretty sure Nintendo owns the IPs such as Another Code and Hotel Dusk. Which means they should see more life in them- especially for their latest handheld the Nintendo 3DS. The Wii title in the series left us with many more questions, while fixing up a few- and while a spin off could also be possible with Mathew Crusoe one of the side characters in the title. A direct sequel to the title would be more enjoyable. The original had Ashley at 13, and Another Code R put her at 16, one where she is 19 aka three years older yet again surely isn’t out of the question I don’t think. Story wise there is much more that can be expanded on- and I would love to see Nintendo continue with CiNGs closet- and if they don’t own the IPs then they should splash some cash and get the remains of the developer.
2. Survival Kids 2 (GBC)
A less resent title in the Survival Kids/Lost in Blue franchise. Survival Kids 2 was unreleased in Japan and is arguably the last good title in the series. A relook at what made the game so great on the GBC before the more resent disasters on the current generation of consoles should be in order. Looking at Survival Kids 2 and creating a sort of sequel which reimagined Survival Kids 2, should put the series back on the maps. It’s something that also screams “remake me with the GBC sprites as a Retro Remix for the Download Service”- or at the same time trying to create a true sequel for the new platform to make use of the 3D etc.
3. Disaster: Day of Crisis (Wii)
The Nintendo Wii game Disaster: Day of Crisis had a few flaws, and was much more of a sleeper hit then I assume Nintendo would of wanted. The game would be easily suited to the 3DS to give a fresh breath of life into the franchise and could easily sell well around the systems first year.
4. Rabbids Go Home (Wii)
The Wii version of Rabbids Go Home was possibly the best in the series, and after the trilogy of sub-par but still enjoyable mini game compilations it was expected that it would be a new standard for the series. It was a disappointment that Journey in Time turned out to take nothing from Go Home and instead became another mini game waggle fest. Ubisoft should revisit the title for the 3DS- and with the systems processing power should be able to put out something which is a great enjoyable sequel to the title, rather then something disappointing and tacky like their other handheld attempts or the mini game titles. It’s a shame really, because the Rabbids are the best new IP of late, at least concept wise.
5. The World Ends With You (DS)
The World Ends With You was a pretty unique RPG for its time, it showed the DS how things where done. Even more so is the story was very- very- epic. Which means the game could easily do with a few sequels here and there- and lets start with the 3DS. Its got the dual screens still so the games central mechanic could still work, and overall the 3D could enhance the world and add another layer of intrigue to the game.
6. Super Smash Bros. Melee (GC)
The GameCube version of Smash Bros is highly regarded as one of the series leading titles. Which is why it is certainly a title which needs a sequel for the 3DS. It could be touched up only a little- maybe softer graphics, but nothing going all out crazy gritty like the Wii version. Something which plays well and isn’t too detailed is what the handheld cries out- most people don’t want a serious Smash Bros for the DS, but anticipate a level of quality and modes to essentially just brawl in.
7. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (DS)
It’s a bit late for the inevitable sequel to Dark Dawn to appear on the DS. Like the GBA titles in the series, the game seems to end on a set up for another- and fans just want a piece of that action on the 3DS. The DS version was a stepping stone in finally seeing the series again, with hopes that it will continue another day on another console- fans anticipate the story to continue. The DS version ended on the short note which just left gamers confused, and there where a lot of things with the title which gamers in general feel where missing- or feel the game needed improving on. A 3DS sequel would give gamers that game.
8. Little King Story (Wii)
Little King Story was an amazing game on the Wii. It’s sleeper hit status means not many people would think that way. But at the end of the day it defiantly needs another sequel, even the developers have raised the topic themselves. It is less the fact that its suited to the 3DS, but more the fact a handheld version of the game would be lovely. The game could accuracy work better on a handheld- I’m not to sure, but the 3D screen would defiantly enhance the games graphic style and give gamers one hell of an experience. Because of its sleeper hit status on the Wii, I believe if a sequel for this game got in early on the 3DS, gamers would pick it up who haven’t heard of the original and then end up buying the original if they enjoyed the 3DS version. The life span of games is much longer at launch, as competitor games lack on the field, and because of the sheer lack of numbers in titles- more games are noticed.
9. Rub Rabbits/Feel The Magic (DS)
The original Feel The Magic would be amazing with a 3DS sequel. SEGA needs to get on that right away! The original sequel to the game on the DS was lacking in verity and didn’t really advance much from the original game. However a 3DS version would be much more enjoyable with the new toys SEGA could play around with on the title, as well as introducing some just plan wacked out scenarios which we came to enjoy from the original back on the 3DS.
10. Four Swords Adventures (GC)
Four Swords is easily the most enjoyable Zelda game ever, to a degree- and Multiplayer wise is something Nintendo should start capitalising on. The 2D style is just a bonus. But the multiplayer is something Nintendo should rig up some online and offline for. It’s just one of those games which the levels where simple- enjoyable and predictable- but you could play them over and over with friends or family. Really an Online Four Swords- get going!
1. Rabbids meet Video Game Stars!
This one- I just think would suit the silliness of the Rabbids. Imagine this, Rabbids running around in a Little King Story style, and just causing havoc on Ubisofts more lazy characters. You could have like Little King Story- different types of Rabbids which just do different things. For example, Rabbids for Attacking, Rabbids for Stealing, Rabbids for Foraging, just plan random things like that. Each Rabbid comes with something random- like a sausage, or a frying pan, or a plunger hat. Something which suits there task- but at the same time- doesn’t. Just running around- relentless fun on some worlds Ubisoft has made- visiting say a Splinter Cell universe and stuffing up Sam’s missions, or becoming Red Steel Samurais. Essentially- making those posters of the original game to advertise it- well real.
2. Pokémon MMORPG
A massive online version of Pokémon would just be the bomb. A more mature Pokémon for more mature Pokémon players. Running around the world- hiding out in caves, been challenged by random people- challengers always changing to new people. Battling the Pokémon master- and then latterly becoming the Pokémon Master with people then going after you for the record etc. Ah Nintendo- why haven’t you done this?
3. Zelda Racing
Mario has Mario Kart, but why can’t Nintendo dish out gamers something more medieval, Zelda- horse back racing- we got Crossbow Training which was alright- but wasn’t the best thing in the world. A spin-off which makes the game a racing game, a crazy Zelda racing game with swords, magic and other weapons instead of power-ups while ridding horses around (and special levels with Boats or Trains OMFG!) would just be awesome!
4. Harvest Moon meets Lost in Blue
These are two games which should pair up- and be well- very good at it. Lost in Blue adds the extra level of survival to the mix, the potent animals running free which are not tamed, the fact food becomes a need not a want and much more. The Harvest Moon side would offer a small trading village, growing crops where ever on the island- and much more! It would be one hell of a ride and something which should happen in my book.
5. Pop with Popcorn!
Something about developer Nnooo’s game Pop screams it would be awesome with some sort of other element instead of water. Maybe bubble wrap- but I think something like popcorn would just be funky. Like they are cornels floating around and then you hover the hand over them to make them pop- and when they pop it works just like the original- how devilishly clever.
6. Bowser Tower Defence
Something about Mario trying to rescue Princess Peach after Bowser takes her to his evil castle lair screams something about a tower defence game. Think about fortifying your castles and putting out more Koopa Troopers or something around the map for Mario to be stopped in his tracks. Now that would be crazy.
7. Debora the Detective
A Spin Off to Dexter (to bad only released for the iPhone) which has his sister Debora going around solving mysteries and stuff. Think like Hotel Dusk but Dexterized. It would be ever so creepy- but at the same time awesome.
8. Grand Theft Auto: Crime Busting!
Think Grand Theft Auto- but your a cop with a crack team of police trying to bring down the protagonist from previous games. It would be awesome, all FBI like undercover- breaking laws to try and put the bad guys away- and then at the end of the day- becoming one yourself. Setting the game up for GTA Five.
9. Eledees but all dark and evil
If I remember correctly Eledees (or Elebits) has this kid who has a father who is like an electrition or something who has Eledee guns lying around or something. Anyway what if they made a spin off which was like a super dark FPS which involved the father capturing these Eledees and killing things.
10. Killing Floor
Some sort of Killing Floor Spin-off which involves killing the people instead of the zombies. It would be a blast!
There is one major thing wrong with Lego games today- and possibly for ever. It isn’t a simple idea to grasp- but at the same time it should be one already known and dealt with. Instead its getting more and more prominent. What is this issue you might ask? Well I shall tell you. The issue is quite simple really- Lego games just feel like skins. In the sense that if you have X game and wanted to make a Lego version of it- all you need to really do is make the graphics and sounds “Lego”, just like the most resent Lego titles. In reality they all feel the same- they all play the same, and its disgusting how they kept been pushed out.
The simple thing a Lego game needs to capture is this- the general essence of Lego in real life. Meaning a Lego game should feel and react to how Lego feels and reacts when you sit down and build something with the vast amounts of Lego you have. Basically- if I’m not straying from the path here- my point is that Lego has lost their imagination.
The latest Lego title is Lego Universe, a MMO title which captures everything a Lego game has been the past few years and tries to make it a massive online success. In reality its a shell which stands for nothing Lego is- and plays like crap as well.
Now its time for me to try and weave the point of Lego games been crap- with a solution I think would work. This time its simple, elegant, and quite possibly something I’m confused at why it hasn’t been done yet. Lets think about one of EAs latest titles- the game is called Spore- and while it came out a few years ago- and wasn’t at all what people hoped it to be (instead involving into a casual mess) the concept is there for this idea I’m preposing. Essentially- Lego Spore.
No not some tacky skin over Spore- in fact at the end of the day its really nothing like Spore. The point is more about the concepts and ideas which Spore has, not what it achieved. The concept simply put- is a massive world which your creations change the world, and change over time- living breathing creations running around in an ever changing world. Why can’t Lego do something like this- instead of trying quick rich schemes by attaching their name to what is essentially now shovel ware.
Picture this- you made an Aeroplane in Lego- now as a kid especially you would probably start to pretend with that creation. Make it seem real. You would probably pull out some random figurines and shove them in the plane. Giving them roles- a pilot- a attendant, and passengers. What seemed like a simple plane is now a complex creation- not in reality- but in the child’s mind. Its an ever growing creation and world- now look- they have added a runway- and built buildings around it- shoving in more characters etc. For some reason there’s a bank robbery in progress on the runway. Then suddenly you realise my point- the imagination- the ever changing world- the creations- these are something which could be adopted to a Spore like game- then you realise my point before- of Lego games been stale and repetitive- and then you realise- once again- Lego Spore. The name merging to concepts- yet before completely crazy and unimaginable- now you know what I mean 100%.
The idea isn’t about what Spore is- no its about what Spore should of been. An ever changing world revolving around the player. Different and unique to every player- a world which is essentially your imagination- and adding roles and characters, as well as objects to the world changes how it behaves- expands the flat waste land of your mind into something big- something amazing. A living breathing world- with your creations and ideas- essentially- Lego.
Over the life span of video games been part of the home, something has happened every so often to shatter the way the think when it comes to video games. Most of them are just trends which make developers push out one particular genre like there’s no tomorrow. While others are logical, in-depth and enhancing to already developed ideas.
We also the leap to a rhythm trend at the start of this generation. One which has since dispersed for the most part- becoming old and stagnant. As the last few games developed with the mindset get released, a new trend will emerge. For now its unknown what exactly this trend is- if its for the better or for the worse. But if you believe what I think is going to happen- then it will be as big as Sandbox gaming.
Previously we saw the birth of a video game called Minecraft. Minecraft at its core is primal survival instinct wrapped up into a mining game. This barbaric feeling of raw survival is the future of gaming I believe- just like open world sandbox gaming- I believe that survival instincts will ravage games more and more, making them feel like another world. A new extra depth of emotion and feeling into the video game.
The intoxicating ideals of jumping around- the raw human survival instinct is what would add a brand new layer to video games- make them feel more real. A new level which slowly gives gamers more and more senses while within the game- face it- in the future games will just be in a memory machine with desires and ideas projected into a world for the gamer to live in.
In this article I will be specifically talking about two series. Lost in Blue and The Legend of Zelda as my examples. There are no doubt more- in fact I have experienced more- but for the sake of the article I’ll keep elaboration to a minimum and talk just about these series.
Gaming feels more and more like the developers had made attempts which each game they have released for a console. Especially when the series receives a sequel in the coming years and it feels more of the same- even if core principles are changed. This seems more prominent on handhelds- the idea seems to be that if something is released on a handheld it wont be noticed as much. As well as the fact it seems to be expected, the principle ideas that the handheld version will always be weaker, or rushed just so they can lap up potential sales which overlap from the big releases on the consoles.
But I’ve found this generation there is one system which sticks out from the rest with this relentless attempt ideal. That system is no doubt the Nintendo DS- as you can gather from the articles title. The system is full of series which get one or two or even three releases on the console- the problem isn’t the number of the releases- heck in some cases they are great series and quite enjoyable despite their faults. The problem is each release seems like either of the following:
1. Gaging the audiences response to games in the series; This means the title is rushed- and quite often feels unfinished with many ideas which where from previous entries in the series missing from the games until most of the time the next release.
2. Attempts; I don’t know how it would be possible that after three games for example in the system it still feels like an attempt. Sometimes it could be because quite possibly it started out at the start of the system- but I doubt that is any logical excuse.
These attempts are on a range of series, and I’m going to talk today about them appearing in some of my favourite series; Lost in Blue and The Legend of Zelda. Two series which I enjoy which sadly on the Nintendo DS feel like their entries where horrible, horrible attempts at both gaging the audiences response to the series on the system and as well as just general nasty attempts at designing and interpreting the series for the specific hardware.
Lets talk about Survival Kids- yes Lost in Blue first. The series debuted on the Nintendo Game Boy Color. It had two entries on that system. Survival Kids, which saw a release in America and a release in Europe as well as its home country of Japan. Survival Kids was quite possibly one of the most distinct and interesting titles for the Game Boy Color. While only a sleeper-hit, it demonstrated the power of the system as well as giving players an involving adventure title.
The sequel, Survival Kids 2 only came out in Japan- and shook things up by introducing a deeply involved story from the get go. As well as giving the game some new ideas; it brought with it mainly the idea of disasters. With timed events in the game allowing players to access new areas or find new resources because of various disasters. The story primary was fixated on the idea you where kidnapped- and if you chose to be it you where frown into the kidnappers lair- while your companion is thrown out the window while hovering over the island. You could then escape the lair by solving puzzles and then once out the game plays like the original. So I guess my point here is the two titles while similar entries provided captivating and intriguing new opportunities for the players in the world as well as separating themselves with a daring new storyline and new survival mechanics.
But it seems that the Nintendo DS versions- the first three games in the series after the Game Boy Color entries seemed to lack the feeling of a solid enjoyable title. Yes they where a good start to an entry to the series much needed for fans- and did invoke old feelings of enjoyment of the classics- but somewhere along the line they feel short. Felt rushed and lets use that word again- an attempt. Like in school- an assignment- but what was handed in was something which just copied and pasted some of the information and what was included which wasn’t copied and pasted felt like scrambled garbage alongside previous work.
The general consensuses is the second one is the best on the DS. The reason is most people forgot to look at the 3rd entry, feeling it will be more of the same. Which is quite true- it was- but if you played them all you will agree the 3rd one was the best. It was the one which pushed the most new ideas into the title- while little and fair few- comparing it to the original on the DS it feels much more polished and more desirable. But at the same time it has its own problems. Think of it this way- two steps foward- one step back. An improvement- a better attempt but at the end of the day- still an attempt.
The Wii one even felt the same- just an attempt- yes it was more enjoyable- up there with the attempts of the second and third DS entries- but at the end of the day still an attempt. It might be why there wasn’t anymore for the platform- a simple- they gave up- it seems.
Moving on- lets talk about Zelda, it might more of a stretch to fit the two titles into the attempt category. And if you where to say that to me- you might be right- but at the end of the day it seems quite fitting to put them in these categories. Why? For the simple part they are more focused on trying to recopy what people at a certain time wanted. People wanted Wind Waker- for once they were not against the “kiddy” graphics or “relentless” sailing- they wanted it. Nintendo delivered. Phantom Hourglass more specifically used the sail boat idea once again. A direct sequel to Wind Waker- Zelda and Link, sailing off to find a new land- only to find a broken game. Not that its broken in the traditional sense of glitches and other perplexing design. It’s broken in the fact it takes that metaphor I used about the school student a few paragraphs back and well- just uses it. Keeping Wind Wakers back bone- the idea of sailing- the islands- and essentially dumbing it down to the Nintendo DS- trying out a new control system as well- all attempts no matter how you want to look at it.
The handheld Zelda games have a knack of just blurring together- feeling like the previous entry and the glue which makes the series magical disappeared. They are in no means bad games- they are just not the magical experiences we have come to expect from Nintendo and more specifically The Legend of Zelda.
Which is why- Spirit Tracks was no better, it changed a few things around yes- possibly even an improvement on some parts. But once again had the ideology of two steps forward and one backwards. Nintendo flung another attempt at us- a grizzly game which both tried to find the Zelda magic for the handheld as well as gaging the audiences desire- did they still want Wind Waker? The answer is no.