@Chocobo_Shepherd Epic Mickey might've gone a little farther than it should've with morality, but I strongly disagree with the assertion that Mickey should "just be a good guy." Mickey is fun, impetuous, petty, and spiteful. He's kind at heart, but does a lot of harm without much care.
@PosterBoy Nothing is iconic without being popular. Tarkovsky is some of the most popular, and hence iconic, of Soviet cinema. Very few talk about The Cranes are Flying on the same level as Stalker, partially because more people just know what Stalker is.
I'm not saying they're the same thing. You're the one that brought the word 'popular' into the equation, actually. But if you agree iconic things are often popular, you're essentially agreeing with me. Hell, 'iconic' is defined as 'a representative of something.' How can something represent something else without being well-known? And what is being well-known besides being popular?
I don't really know what you're trying to imply. That Master Chief might be popular, but he's not iconic? Why? Because his design is generic? What's that have to do with anything? Halo 'represented' console FPSs for a good decade.
@PosterBoy Master Chief is the face of an entire console brand — what do you mean he's not iconic? Easily more iconic than all PlayStation IP, and more iconic than most of Nintendo. Yes, that includes Samus. Only a fraction of gamers know Samus; Master Chief is widely recognized by anyone mildly cognizant of pop culture in the late 2000s.
Master Chief, the Halo series, and even the Xbox brand as a whole are definitely on the decline when it comes to mass recognition. But THE Master Chief, John-117 is an icon nonetheless. Bigger than Samus. Bigger than Doom Guy. I think there's a strong case to make that he's bigger than Pac-Man — currently, at least. Maybe half as big as Mario.
What I would love is an 'add on' of sorts. I had a pet concept that I called the NXD ("D" for dock). It's a standalone console that can link up with a Switch and combo to become a Wii U successor (and be used as a dock... Because, you know). Unlike the Wii U Gamepad, the Switch would have a local wireless AND online link to the NXD, so you can stream from the NXD from most anywhere. Or still play Switch compatible games otherwise. And we can have dual screen gaming come back... Because I love dual screen gaming. The Switch can still be it's own console, and the NXD will be a non-hybrid, high-end alternative. They work fine separately, but, together, become something more.
I would say 2022 was a bit of a dub for all of gaming. There was a lot of stuff this year. And a lot of good stuff, at that. But there were no trailblazers. No amazeballs releases. No innovators. Just a very conservative year.
Sony kept up their valued, if vapid, AAA push. Nintendo released a bunch of good stuff, a lot of it quite niche, though. Microsoft had...Obsidian release since cool stuff. And indies and 3rd-parties alike had a consistent release schedule. Yet nothing really stood out to me. Not even Elden Ring. Which, while admittedly the most sensible contender for GotY, just...wasn't really that great, in my opinion.
I ended my year playing some older stuff, and it was remarkable just got much better, funner, and more engaging I found it. I'm still playing through the original Jak and Daxter and Legend of Doom (a Doom mod that effectively is just authentic NES LoZ in first person), and have been enjoying both leagues above everything from 2022.
I'm late as heck to this, but the Wii U is currently the ultimate Zelda machine.
With the Netflixing of classic Nintendo on Switch, the Wii U defaults to being the best place for the OGs. LoZ, Z2:AoL, LoZ:LA, and the 64 duology are musts. Even just to have them, and the rest, all together.
Obviously, get Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD. Even if they were ported to the Switch, the dual-screens will always mean the Wii U has the best version of these games.
Doesn't end there: Outside of emulation, the Wii U is the only resource for the DS titles. There may never be another decent, Nintendo-endorsed method to play Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. Add the GBA's Minish Cap in there too.
These last two don't really matter, but if the ULTIMATE ZELDA MACHINE is the goal, Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild would be needed for completion's sake. But instead of those, you should just get any of the other games still locked on the console.
Comments 8
Re: Epic Mickey Switch Remake Translates "Motion Controls To Analog Sticks" And Enhances Camera
@Chocobo_Shepherd Epic Mickey might've gone a little farther than it should've with morality, but I strongly disagree with the assertion that Mickey should "just be a good guy." Mickey is fun, impetuous, petty, and spiteful. He's kind at heart, but does a lot of harm without much care.
Mischievous Mickey is real Mickey.
Re: Random: BAFTA's 'Iconic Game Characters' Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads
@PosterBoy Nothing is iconic without being popular. Tarkovsky is some of the most popular, and hence iconic, of Soviet cinema. Very few talk about The Cranes are Flying on the same level as Stalker, partially because more people just know what Stalker is.
I'm not saying they're the same thing. You're the one that brought the word 'popular' into the equation, actually. But if you agree iconic things are often popular, you're essentially agreeing with me. Hell, 'iconic' is defined as 'a representative of something.' How can something represent something else without being well-known? And what is being well-known besides being popular?
I don't really know what you're trying to imply. That Master Chief might be popular, but he's not iconic? Why? Because his design is generic? What's that have to do with anything? Halo 'represented' console FPSs for a good decade.
Re: Random: BAFTA's 'Iconic Game Characters' Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads
@Blackjay Samus and Doom Guy are immensely influential and well-known within the industry.
It's like comparing John Wick to IP Man: Wick is an absolute icon, but any connoisseur knows of, and likely more highly regards, IP.
Re: Random: BAFTA's 'Iconic Game Characters' Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads
@PosterBoy Popularity is half of what being an icon is... No one becomes an icon without a cultural footprint.
That's why celebrities are iconic, but unknowns who contributed more to society aren't.
Re: Random: BAFTA's 'Iconic Game Characters' Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads
@PosterBoy Master Chief is the face of an entire console brand — what do you mean he's not iconic? Easily more iconic than all PlayStation IP, and more iconic than most of Nintendo. Yes, that includes Samus. Only a fraction of gamers know Samus; Master Chief is widely recognized by anyone mildly cognizant of pop culture in the late 2000s.
Master Chief, the Halo series, and even the Xbox brand as a whole are definitely on the decline when it comes to mass recognition. But THE Master Chief, John-117 is an icon nonetheless. Bigger than Samus. Bigger than Doom Guy. I think there's a strong case to make that he's bigger than Pac-Man — currently, at least. Maybe half as big as Mario.
Re: Talking Point: Does Nintendo's Next Console Have To Be 'Another' Switch?
What I would love is an 'add on' of sorts. I had a pet concept that I called the NXD ("D" for dock). It's a standalone console that can link up with a Switch and combo to become a Wii U successor (and be used as a dock... Because, you know). Unlike the Wii U Gamepad, the Switch would have a local wireless AND online link to the NXD, so you can stream from the NXD from most anywhere. Or still play Switch compatible games otherwise. And we can have dual screen gaming come back... Because I love dual screen gaming. The Switch can still be it's own console, and the NXD will be a non-hybrid, high-end alternative. They work fine separately, but, together, become something more.
Re: Soapbox: If You Thought Last Year Was "Sad" For Switch, 2023 Might Be Hard To Handle
I would say 2022 was a bit of a dub for all of gaming. There was a lot of stuff this year. And a lot of good stuff, at that. But there were no trailblazers. No amazeballs releases. No innovators. Just a very conservative year.
Sony kept up their valued, if vapid, AAA push. Nintendo released a bunch of good stuff, a lot of it quite niche, though. Microsoft had...Obsidian release since cool stuff. And indies and 3rd-parties alike had a consistent release schedule. Yet nothing really stood out to me. Not even Elden Ring. Which, while admittedly the most sensible contender for GotY, just...wasn't really that great, in my opinion.
I ended my year playing some older stuff, and it was remarkable just got much better, funner, and more engaging I found it. I'm still playing through the original Jak and Daxter and Legend of Doom (a Doom mod that effectively is just authentic NES LoZ in first person), and have been enjoying both leagues above everything from 2022.
Re: Soapbox: After 10 Years I'm Finally Getting A Wii U, But Where Should I Start?
I'm late as heck to this, but the Wii U is currently the ultimate Zelda machine.
With the Netflixing of classic Nintendo on Switch, the Wii U defaults to being the best place for the OGs. LoZ, Z2:AoL, LoZ:LA, and the 64 duology are musts. Even just to have them, and the rest, all together.
Obviously, get Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD. Even if they were ported to the Switch, the dual-screens will always mean the Wii U has the best version of these games.
Doesn't end there: Outside of emulation, the Wii U is the only resource for the DS titles. There may never be another decent, Nintendo-endorsed method to play Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. Add the GBA's Minish Cap in there too.
These last two don't really matter, but if the ULTIMATE ZELDA MACHINE is the goal, Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild would be needed for completion's sake. But instead of those, you should just get any of the other games still locked on the console.