Whether you know them from their original 1985 NES game Ice Climber, or simply as playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. series, the Ice Climbers are a very popular cult duo among Nintendo fans. Despite this, Nintendo has shown no sign of releasing a new Ice Climber game, so fans have started taking matters into their own hands.
The video below shows a fan-made project which is billed as a prototype for a reboot of the series. Taking inspiration from the original game, this prototype shows how a modern take on Ice Climber could look if it was created in Unreal Engine 4, with a charming cylindrical level design sitting in place of the usual 2D backdrop.
With the franchise being so quiet for such a long time, it's hard to imagine Nintendo giving Popo and Nana another shot, but this video makes us want to see a fresh take even more. If you're reading, Nintendo, we're eternally ready for more Ice Climber action.
Would you like to see Ice Climber make a comeback? How would you like a new Ice Climber game to play? Let us know down below.
[source youtu.be]
Comments (37)
I found the NES ice climber to be a flawed, barely fun game with awful jump physics. There's a reason they never got a sequel and when they were added to Smash nearly everyone asked: who?
Nowadays they're a cute novelty in Smash because there's two of them. Just keep in mind, those two chibis also club seals in the Japanese version. 🤔
Looks like a fun prototype, I played quite many of the rolling-tower type games back in the day.
And just to be my usual sour self:
Visually this looks like any other spare-time Unreal experiment; poorly lit, muddy colors, and with no discernible art direction.
I would give that game a try. I always enjoy going back and playing the original and I use the two characters in Smash on the Wii.
I would like to see more of the older series return but it doesn't seem like it would happen anytime soon.
...and if it does I hope it's better than this
@Alikan Yeah, Ice Climber had very faulty controls. However the idea itself was pretty compelling.
@Pod
Do you remember Nebulus on the C64? That was an amazing tower climber!
@Ooyah
Yes! Only I played the GameBoy version some years later Which wasn't as pretty, and it was renamed Castelian, and only had the tower levels, not the submarines. It was still a good time, and I should play some of the originals, as it now seems there are quite a few!
Why have fans and all recreated nintys games or made them look how they should when Ninty can't be bothered??? Lol I saw the Metroid prime in unreal 4 and I was thinking why this has not been done on Switch yet!
@EightBitMan You are right in some degree, Nintendo does need new series. However, why can't they coexist? Expand the markets. Doubt it will ever happen, especially since Nintendo themselves believes they make only kiddy games the hardest, but would be sweet. I do like the new crossover betweens the Warriors franchise, but thats teen at most.
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Ice climbers needs a remake in general, I dont care which engine.
Never understood the love for Ice Climbers. It was a pretty awful game IMO.
@NewAdvent Holy crap, I’d love a sequel to either Balloon Fight or Wrecking Crew. More so Wrecking Crew, actually.
@MH4 @NewAdvent They could even release some in a Game & Watch Gallery format. Don't forget that both Ice Climber and Balloon Fight have the added online multiplayer for Nintendo Online next month. Makes you wonder a bit if Ninty will be keeping track of how many players are trying these classics out.
To show the older, less explored franchises have appeal, I enjoyed the mess out of Splatterhouse on 360.
@EightBitMan So, sort of like how Microsoft has Halo, and Sony has Gran Turismo?
@HobbitGamer Didn’t they say that Vs. editions of Balloon Fight and Wrecking Crew (among others) were going to be available via Arcade Archives, eventually?
Given that Nintendo can make their characters jump a lot better now, I would try a new IC game. Mind you, it would hafta be 8 or 16 bit. The old one coulda been good if they jumped more like SMB. The original was far prettier then that up there. Still, it has awful jumping mechanics.
@HobbitGamer @NewAdvent I just looked up a list, these were the initially confirmed arcade ports (not including Donkey Kong or Sky Skipper):
Mario Bros.
Punch-Out!!
Vs. Super Mario Bros.
Vs. Balloon Fight
Vs. Ice Climber
Vs. Pinball
Vs. Clu Clu Land
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/09/mario_bros_to_kick_off_arcade_archives_range_on_nintendo_switch
I don’t know where I got Wrecking Crew from, lol.
@MH4 Ugh. I've tried Clu Clu Land on some overpriced PoS, knock-off plug n play. Terrible pac-man clone, with frustrating controls.
@Tempestryke I’ll try it if they release it with the online service.
I for one enjoyed Ice Climber as a kid. The jump mechanics were similar to the original Mario Bros. game and really took some getting used to.
But playing 2-player got rather ruthless and fun!
@EightBitMan You mention that they are not the same company yet you failed to find evidence to prove your point. Nintendo has been doing the same thing they were known to do since the NES days, maybe your time with them is over and you see a different perspective of them now because you change and they did not change with you cause securing Mature rated games they still do today (Madworld, Bayonetta, Fatal Frame, Shin Megami Tensei, No More Heroes, etc.), also supporting the same franchise year after year? Well if it helps them sell and make million then of course that's what they do, there's a reason they never revisit the Ice Climber and Star Tropics, one it could be that one is a shallow game and two it could be that the story for the other is already over and three it could be that the creator of those games move on to something else or retired entirely there's not much of continuing anything with them if Nintendo or the original creator doesn't see the potential in resurrecting them.
Looks as fun as the original.
That actually would be a good take on the franchise to update it. I would like something like this but keep it small and make it a Eshop exclusive game.
Do we, as a society, constantly need to rehash the past, reboot every minor, obscure comic, movie, or game franchise endlessly, just to satisfy this need to receive the same gratification experienced in childhood?
Nintendo and others have shown they are capable of doing something new with older properties like zelda and mario, but in 2018 do we really need an ice climbers? I know this is not happening, but the comments clamoring for old properties is slightly nauseating. This is why in 20 years we will get “x-men vs. darth vader” or “captain crunch: the movie” instead of the next Godard or Fellini. Because the unending appetitie of prolonged adolescence will be catered to by industries hungry for dollars, not innovation or culture. This sort of mentality is a roadblock to new experiences. We dont need to forever be awash in 80s and 90s nostalgia. Let it be.
@EightBitMan Yes NES and Super NES had more third party titles, it still doesn't take away from the fact that they also had inferior ports like the Switch. Games like Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, Doom, Metal Gear, Shinobi, Final Fight, etc., aren't any better than what their original version were. Yes it's true they never recover from the time when the PlayStation came out but still they didn't change themselves when the industry move forward, third parties change, not Nintendo. Their franchise, their console, and their audience remains the same with the only difference between generation being new innovation and experience that they introduced.
Unless you want Nintendo to be like PlayStation and offer nothing new but with only better graphics which is the only thing PlayStation does better nowadays. Also the Switch isn't lacking in third parties, believe it or not, indie devs are third parties, reason why most people don't want to count them as one is cause there's just too many of them nowadays, back them indie devs like WayForward and Shin'em were one of few but be glad there's more of them now cause then you get to experience something new or creative from each one. Also like NES and SNES days, shovelware and garbage license titles are also there as well, do not believe anything about the stupid Nintendo Seal of Quality thing, that thing means nothing then and it still means nothing now and it doesn't prevent crap titles from coming. It just means that whatever games got that seal means Nintendo approve that it will work on their system, nothing more.
This game would make for a good rogue like if they wanted to make one.Throw in some more enemies, powerups and you'd have an interesting rogue like.
Would be fun to play a new Ice Climbers! Personally not a fan of the look and feel. It lacks the charm that needs to be in a game like this. I don't mind the concept at all, and would welcome a new Ice Climbers game, it's just this is dull and it appears all the effort went into the lighting and environment and zero care was taken on the character models. Watch the high rez version and look at the model, it looks almost gritty and has zero of the appeal of Nana and Popo. https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/ssb/images/b/bd/Ice_Climbers_in_Me11e.png/revision/latest?cb=20160204011608 More work needed put there, because that characterization is exceptionally important. The logo design too, for that matter. (Which I realize is not super important in the grand scheme, like gameplay, but if you're doing a sizzle real or vertical slice it is extremely vital to get that right.)
I can't see me going way out of my way to play something like this. Maybe if they did a polygon HD update to their obscure games, threw them all on a cart, and market it that way would I probably have more interest. On a side note, I DEFINITELY would love to see StarTropics make a return... or stick Mike Jones in SSBU
@Ooyah
I remember playing Nebulus on my Amstrad CPC !
Absolutely awesome game for the time. Don't remember with precision when it was exactly but I suppose 1989/1990...
Great memories.
@EightBitMan yes, playstation has solid third party solid support. Without it they wouldn't survive. Even though Nintendo needs that third party support, they prove that they are capable of having the best first party of all three systems to sustain themselves.
Not bad. With online you could have a 2 or more players take a different path up the same tower in real time and maybe even open shortcuts if they're willing to co op their skills.
@EightBitMan It sounds like you want a system like a PlayStation, and the great thing is, that already exists (and it’s called a PlayStation!).
For those who aren’t into what PS and Xbox offer, we are lucky enough to have Nintendo. I’ve been gaming since the mid 70s, and then stopped completely after the Wii/Ps2/Xbox 360 - as I wasn’t really enjoying it. But the Switch has got me back into it, and I love it.
The concept is cool, but it looks too generic...
@MH4
Well at least you can say you'll have tried it.
@EightBitMan lol what a ridiculous comment.
"Just do it"
@EightBitMan
Don't know if you haven't looked at the numbers yet, but Nintendo is doing a pretty good job at succeeding (by not competing against Sony/Microsoft).
"Nintendo only focuses on the same damn franchises, year after year, generation after generation, catered to the same people"
Agreed
"Besides that, when was the last time Nintendo targeted a more mature audience outside of Metroid?"
Also agreed.
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