I've never played this game, but I'm very interested in doing so.
Link's Awakening DX is one of my favourite Zelda games, and if it is anything like it, then I'll surely like it; also, this game seems to have that kind of charm classic Game Boy games have. So a remake in the style of the one Link's Awakening got in 2019 (Perhaps using some of its assets, kind of a reverse process of how this game influenced the original Link's Awakening), or a revival like Kid Icarus: Uprising, or maybe even just a (properly) localised release of the original game would be great.
The Famicom Tantei Club remakes recently released showed that old games can make surprising comebacks, so perhaps there is a chance for Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru to do so? At least there seems to be a bit of an audience for it...
Heh, Dread will be released two months from now, that'll be the best way of celebrating the anniversary (and Metroid in general) - a bit late, but I think it'll be worth it.
Happy 35th, Metroid. Hope the following years are full of great games.
Seems like the Chozo, or at least some Chozo, are going to have an antagonistic role from now on, which is an interesting twist to the series' storyline.
By the way, the original Metroid was first released in Japan 35 years ago today. Happy Birthday, Samus!
@Inc
The Metroid vaccine saved her from the X Parasite infection and made her immune to the X, meaning she can absorb them harmlessly - in fact, it can be beneficial for her, restoring health or missiles or even recovering lost abilities.
When Phaaze was destroyed at the end of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption all the Phazon in the universe ceased existing, including what was inside Samus' body, so Phazon's pretty much a non-issue after that.
The main change for her is that she can be considered a Metroid starting with Fusion (Even etymologically, "ultimate warrior" and all that). But the Chozo had already biologically altered her before any of the games had taken place, so she stopped being a regular human long ago.
@marandahir
Nah, I don't think it's some kind of ambush by the Federation - they do want to get their hands on the X, but that's it. They're shown to be more or less OK during the entire series, only Fusion and Other M had the "Fed's going bad" theme (In part, because the series needed new antagonists now that the Space Pirates had been dealt with in Super Metroid).
Samus had previously given them the last Metroid, and they had discovered the way to use its powers for good. Fusion has them deciding that the X have potential, while Samus considers that the X is a threat to the universe. There's also the secret Metroid breeding programme, which Adam guarantees is "for peaceful application only"; a somewhat dubious claim, but hey, as said before, Samus herself had given them the last Metroid to research it (Also, the vaccine that saved Samus' life and gave her X-neutralising powers was developed from cells of that same last Metroid, so they managed to do some good).
In Other M, there's the conspiracy to use Metroids and Space Pirates as weapons, giving the impression that the Federation is becoming just like the Space Pirates, but there's the feeling that it's more a faction inside the Federation than the Federation as a whole.
So when it comes down to it, it's not that the Federation wants Samus dead (As stated before, they saved her life with the Metroid vaccine); it's that they want to capture the X and Samus opposes that. I think that the antagonist in Dread won't be the Federation, it'll perhaps be the Chozo that seemed to appear in the trailer.
tl;dr: Galactic Federation not so bad, just very misguided.
And regarding how Nintendo handles the series... eh. Samus Returns may not have had much attention, but at least it worked as a training ground for MercurySteam before moving on to an all-new game (Also, the fact that we're getting Dread makes me guess that they must've deemed the sales acceptable). Metroid Prime 4 being restarted means that the game is important enough to spend extra time and money on it. Nintendo may not be perfect, but I feel that right now they're doing things well regarding Metroid. I think the upcoming years will be good for Samus.
I seriously hope this doesn't mean the eShop is going to close down or that Nintendo Network is being terminated, for any of the consoles. It's still too early, dammit!
@Jmjfrank
While I wouldn't use the word "fault", I'd say that the main creative force behind Other M was, indeed, Yoshio Sakamoto (Producer, Director, and Story). He's also the main creative force behind Metroid in general. Already in Metroid Fusion, Samus had some monologues not unlike the ones in Other M. So, yeah, Other M would've probably turned out not very different from what we got even if Intelligent Systems developed it, at least storywise (As a sidenote, he also wrote the recently remade Famicom Tantei Club games).
This is one of my arguments to say that Other M is a main Metroid instalment; Yoshio Sakamoto was fully involved with it, unlike the Prime games, which are produced by Kensuke Tanabe (Though Sakamoto is credited as "Special Thanks" or "Special Advisor" in them).
Even within these divisions, DK3 is very different to the arcade DK and DK Jr., that are very similar; it's arguably got more in common with Galaga than the two other games. Retro's DKC games are somewhat different from Rare's (Silhouette and Rocket Barrel levels, overall more action-focused gameplay). And it's worth noting that Jungle Beat does seem to owe a bit of inspiration to the first Country, which was a very rhythmic game (DKC2 and DKC3 were more adventure-focused, something of a prologue to the N64 Banjo games and DK64).
No mention of Diddy Kong Racing? It's got loose ties to the rest of DK games and much more similarities with Mario Kart, but it's still DK-related, and a good game...
@ahappymedium
This is right. Current DK (first appeared in DKC1) is Cranky's (the original, arcade DK) grandson and Junior's son. At least that's the general Kongsensus (sorry).
@Dr_Corndog
Yes, they've avoided mentioning Other M so much, it has become noticeable. I assume it's because of the backlash it got; Nintendo did heavily promote it up until release, and Sakamoto was fully involved with it. I seriously hope they don't go on ignoring it; I mean, yeah, it was contentious, but I don't think erasing it from the series' history is a good move.
By the way, will Nintendo keep working with MercurySteam now that Metroid seems to be heading for actual popularity? I mean, the series will need a developer for future entries if Dread is successful, right? It would be kind of a waste if the series stagnates after it gets back in the spotlight. Also, Retro... right now, working on Prime 4 is what they must do (and I'm hyped for that game, I seriously am), but I hope they make a third Donkey Kong Country game not too far into the future (two Country games feels too little, dammit).
"They need to recapture such a market" there isn't much to recapture, it seems. Focusing on Retro's efforts only, Donkey Kong Country Returns alone sold better than their three Metroid Prime games. Having said that, Samus herself seems to enjoy some popularity; but the public isn't very aware of the games themselves: gameplay, story lore, secondary characters, etc.
The 2000s, not very long ago, were the series' heyday: Fusion, Zero Mission, Retro's Prime games, Prime Hunters, even Prime Pinball. And despite all those releases, it is still somewhat obscure compared to Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Pokémon, or even Splatoon.
What's true is that Nintendo never gave up on Metroid. There have been releases with more or less frequency over the past two decades - the only long period without Metroid was the late 90s, because they weren't sure about how to make the jump to 3D.
"One day, the Galactic Federation received video footage from an unknown source indicating that the X still lived. The Federation dispatched a special unit consisting of seven E.M.M.I. robots to the remote planet ZDR, believed to be the source of the transmission.
Soon after arriving on ZDR, the whole unit mysteriously vanished."
Well... I don't know if many younger players would be much interested in the NES/SNES minis, they seemed more aimed at the crowd nostalgic for older games. Samus Returns was released in the 3DS, and handhelds tend to have a younger demographic. That and the NSO/Virtual Console games would definitely help popularize the series.
No. The Federation wants to control the X. They sent the E.M.M.I. to the planet Dread takes place in because an unknown party informed them that there are X parasites in the planet.
@Dr_Corndog
They say "2D Metroid"; Other M is not technically a 2D game, because it switches between side-scrolling action and first-person action. Having said that, I'm getting the impression that they're trying to sweep the game under the rug.
@Euler @Tandy255
I don't know if "very few", but sometimes I get the feeling that people who either bash or praise the series haven't actually played these games.
@Zeldafan79
Yes, I can count too. If it was up to me, we'd get new DK games every single year. But there's this little thing called "reality" that doesn't always give us what we want, be it DK-related or not.
@ophone
Nintendo didn't have a problem using Super Mario's 35th anniversary as a marketing ploy to sell products. If this is going to turn into some kind of childish bickering of "Mum and Dad love you more! It should be me! It's not fair!", then count me out, because it's a particulary stupid attitude.
I'm pretty sure Nintendo is well aware of the meaning of this date, as I said before, they created the game. Using it to complain that you aren't getting what you want sounds rather selfish.
Bah, don't know why there should be some kind of celebration just because it's this day. That Nintendo doesn't care? They cared enough to create the damn thing. I'd much rather take proper games any day, any year, above a perfunctory pat on the back on a particular date.
Moreover, it's the 40th anniversary of the arcade Donkey Kong, not Donkey Kong Country. Diddy, minecarts, DK's present design, the Kremlings, etc. weren't in the original. Those all debuted in 1994. If anything, it should be Cranky Kong ranting at the youngsters how much better the original game was.
Today is the anniversary of a game made by Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto. While Rare did excellent games, and DK certainly wouldn't be the same without them, it is inaccurate to celebrate those games today.
Now, don't take me wrong - I love Rare, I love Donkey Kong Country, and I'd love a third DKC from Retro; but sometimes I read opinions that are so self-righteous they make me want to say "get over yourself".
By the way, it is, by extension, the anniversary of the first appearance of Mario (and Pauline, too). They aren't celebrating that either.
What I hope is that Sakurai gets to do something other than Smash once Ultimate's DLC is over. The man will have to go back to develop the next Smash game for the next Nintendo console sooner or later (the series is the too big to miss a generation), but sometimes I feel like he's wasting his talents just making Smash (even though it's evident that he puts lots of care when making each installment). Then again I don't know how he will feel about it... perhaps it'll be best to hope that he gets to do what he wants.
The kind of hype that surrounds Smash is sometimes annoying, but everyone fosters it - we always want some new character (even if it is only as a means to get new games for that character), and Nintendo also pulls spectacular new character reveals (and they also use Smash appearances as a promotional tool, most notably with Fire Emblem characters). It's more complicated than just "fans ask too much" or "Nintendo pushes this kind of stuff".
I'd be perfectly OK if the next Smash has no third-party characters, but that's complicated too; it'd probably generate less hype, be seen as something of a step back, and, as mentioned before, Smash is a bit of an advertising tool, and from the beginning it was marketed as a meeting of popular game characters - it's like it's in its nature to expand to include non-Nintendo characters.
So, Smash. Sometimes it feels like it has grown into something ugly, but, well, if it would disapear overnight, we'd probably miss it...
@TheFrenchiestFry #18 Yeah, Devil May Cry redefined 3D hack-and-slash games, just like Resident Evil 4 redefined 3D third-person shooters - and, as you said, they inspired games like God of War or Gears of War, which were successful and influential on their own right. In other words, the development of RE4 produced two of the most important 3D action games of all time.
Perhaps Capcom already having two representatives played against his inclusion? I don't know if that kind of thing has any repercussion...
@Nameless_Shame Heh, well, considering that Snake, Cloud, Sephiroth and now Kazuya are in, it is something of a reunion of late 90s PlayStation stars...
Perhaps the final fighter will be revealed at this year's The Game Awards show (that still hasn't got a date, BTW), just like Joker and Sephiroth were in past years - it would be a proper place for a final, spectacular showcase (I do think that it will be someone big).
@Duffman92
I think the merit of Super Mario 64 is that it had to basically rewrite core Super Mario gameplay, mostly on two things: health bar, and power-ups now being crucial to get stars. Super Mario 64 has a more "strategic", puzzle-solving gameplay compared to the "hop 'n' bop" obstacle courses that 2D Super Mario games are made of, where power-ups give an optional advantage to beat the levels. On the other hand, the open-world level design could be seen as a natural extesion of SMB3 and SMW's overworld maps: instead of worlds with different levels, it has courses with different stars, and a hub world hosting those courses - it's an already existing idea taken one step further.
That necessity to reinvent the game from scratch is what I think makes it the console's greatest achievement. I mean, it's not the first 3D game, but it sure has influenced 3D gaming through the years.
@AlexHarford
Perfect Dark, while pushing the machine to its limits, stands upon the shoulders of Goldeneye - it didn't have to break as much new ground as Goldeneye did, and therefore is inferior IMO, but it's still a great game, easily within the Top 10 for the console.
The Nintendo 64 was my first Nintendo home console, and Super Mario 64 is the console's best IMO.
Side-scrollers have a particularly difficult time adapting to 3D - leaders in that field of gaming like Castlevania, Mega Man, or Sonic, either shied away from 3D or had trouble adjusting. Nintendo's own Kirby, Yoshi and Metroid avoided 3D too (the fact that they couldn't do a proper Metroid 64 is the reason the series languished between 1994 and 2002). Mario tackled the issue head-on (how could he not? He was Nintendo's main mascot, and in the mid-90s, 3D was no longer the future, it was the present), and he succeded, reinventing platforming in the process.
In comparison, Ocarina of Time is a straightforward translation into 3D of A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening (top-down games generally have it easier compared to side-scrollers, Metal Gear Solid also borrowed a lot from the 2D Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake), and had the advantage that games like SM64 and Star Fox 64 had already broken ground for Nintendo in 3D gaming; its real achievement is that it integrates a lot of things (first-person shooting, target locking, context-sensitive buttons, etc.) into one neat package. Not that it isn't a monumental game, but, personally, I think SM64 accomplished something more difficult.
Goldeneye 007 is an excellent game too, evolving first-person shooters from "kill everything on sight, get out of the maze", to something closer to action-adventure games, focused on completing different tasks in each level. Rare's greatest achievement in the N64, IMO.
That's my Top 3: Super Mario 64 first, Ocarina of Time second, and Goldeneye 007 third. All three giants of gaming, among several other great games (both Banjos, Star Fox 64, Diddy Kong Racing, etc.). So happy anniversary to the Nintendo 64, home to such gaming masterpieces. And happy anniversary to Super Mario 64, one of the most important games in Nintendo's entire history, up there with the likes of Super Mario Bros 1 and 3, the first Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past, and the arcade Donkey Kong.
Metroid Prime 4 was announced four years ago; then, in early 2019, Nintendo said that development had restarted with Retro Studios. It's still in development, and hasn't appeared in this year's E3.
This game was in production much earlier, back in the mid-late 2000s, but it didn't reach completion and nothing was certain about its status until now.
Metroid Dread is a must-buy for me. Between that, WarioWare, and the Advance Wars remakes, this year doesn't look that bad.
Don't know if BotW2 will release early next year... probably not. Nothing about Splatoon 3, but we know it's scheduled for 2022 too. Monolith Soft is probably assisting in the development of those two games, but it's likely that they've also got something of their own in the making. No sight of Metroid Prime 4, as expected. And I wonder what Odyssey's development team is doing...
The Switch still has got life in it, it seems. I guess it will last until 2024 or so.
@Snow-Dust Official sources do treat it as a main installment, unlike the Prime games. And Nintendo did hype it up back in the day. I don't know if they're trying to downplay its importance because of the backlash it got or something like that, but personally, I still consider it a main Metroid game.
Tekken is one of Namco-Bandai's biggest franchises, so it's nice that it makes an appearance in a Smash game they co-developed. The game already has Ryu, Ken, and Terry; so, of course, it'll also be a meeting of some of the biggest fighting game characters in video game history...
Not counting the games already announced, I think WarioWare has the highest chance of appearing. Monolith Soft are probably assisting in the development of BotW2, so I don't know if they'll show anything. And if the rumour about the DK game developed by the Odyssey team isn't true, then I think there's a high chance of Odyssey 2 being revealed.
@Snow-Dust
That's right, it should be Metroid VI (Metroid VIII if the two remakes, Metroid Zero Mission and Samus Returns, are counted separatedly).
I don't think it'll show up this year, but I think it'll release during the Switch's lifetime, probably between Q4 2022 and Q4 2023 - at least that's my guess.
@stinky_t
Retro's Prime games have been somewhat distant from the storyline of the 2D Metroid games, instead focusing on a story arc regarding Phazon - they don't ignore the rest of the series, but they're mostly self-contained.
Back in 2015 Kensuke Tanabe said that the next Prime game would be about Sylux (introduced in Prime Hunters, which wasn't developed by Retro, but still) and have a time-travel mechanic. He also said that the storyline of Retro's original trilogy (Phazon, Dark Samus, etc.) is over, but that they'd keep the numbering:
Don't know if they're still going with that, or if MP4 will be about something else, but there it is.
@antonio2244 Please don't. I mean, even if you're kidding, this kind of comment really doesn't help. I like Donkey Kong too, but that "It should've been [X]" attitude is very annoying (having said that, I do hope Retro makes a third DKC game soon).
My personal favourite is E3 2010. Skyward Sword, the 3DS reveal, Kid Icarus: Uprising ("Sorry to keep you waiting!"), and Metroid: Other M (alright, that last one might be contentious, and also it was first shown at E3 2009, but still.), among others. But the best part was, of course, how they introduced Donkey Kong Country Returns: Reggie saying "If you listen, you can hear it coming." while Jungle Hijinx starts playing in the background - cue the DKCR announcement trailer. Awesome.
I don't like some of the things Nintendo has done lately either (Galaxy 2 not being in 3D All-Stars, discontinuing the Mario anniversary stuff, among other things), and you do have some good points regarding their bussiness practices. I don't mean that Nintendo should be above criticism; it's just that, well, sometimes running a huge company might seem easier from the outside, but we don't have the whole picture. Nintendo may be a giant, but sometimes even giants fall - think of what Sega was in the 90s and what it is now.
I'm a consumer too - I don't like being ripped off, I really don't. But it's not as simple as "Nintendo bad" - which I get isn't what you're saying; I'm much closer to your opinion than it might seem.
Even before the Switch, Nintendo outsourced the development of some of their IPs - Metroid to Team Ninja and MercurySteam, Excitebike to Left Field Productions and Monster Games, Yoshi to Artoon/Arzest, even some Zelda games to Capcom, among others. Sure, they were co-developed by Nintendo themselves, but there was a tendency to leave part of the work to external companies. As for giving more control to third-party developers, it's a... risky move (Metroid Prime 4's development being restarted from zero comes to mind).
Also, the unification of handheld and home consoles was pretty much inevitable - the 3DS had games like Super Mario 3D Land and Luigi's Mansion 2 which weren't very far away of the kind of stuff that would appear just a generation before on the Wii, a home console. Handheld games were getting more and more time- and resource-consuming, and it was one of the reasons the Wii U suffered a lack of games.
We could discuss it all day long, but the thing is that big games like BotW or Odyssey get the most attention, sales, and recognition - not that smaller games don't have their merit, but, well, in the end, Nintendo's got to make a profit. Splatoon is an interesting example of a game series that is somewhat weird, yet has high production values and is heavily promoted, resulting in good sales (at least for Splatoon 2).
There's got to be a balance between commercial success/adapting to contemporary trends in gaming and more experimental/niche games. But if the Big N doesn't make money, there won't be any games at all.
WarioWare is a great example, by the way - it shows how much can be done with a single button. Gaming reduced to the bare minimum and then rebuilt piece by piece. Nintendo making a revision and reinvention of the game mechanics they've mastered through the years. A really remarkable series (incidentally, it's a series that has never been given to an external developer. It always has been developed by Nintendo/Intelligent Systems).
Whoa. Talk about unexpected. Personally, I'm all for a third Country game from Retro (I know they're working on Metroid Prime 4, and I really want that game too, but just two DKC games feels too little dammit, I'm sure they've got plenty of good ideas for a 2D platformer), but this isn't unwelcome.
I was thinking that Odyssey 2 would be pretty much a given - the original has sold 20 million copies and the audience seems eager for a sequel, and the team that developed it already has the assets and experience to deliver a potentially greater second game; commercially, I think it would make more sense than spending time and money on a 3D DK game. And I don't think Odyssey 2 and a DK game could be developed concurrently, EPD already has BotW 2 and Splatoon 3 to keep them very busy.
Also, Super Mario games seem to come in sets of two: SMB/SM2 (The Lost Levels), SMB3/SMW, Galaxy/Galaxy 2, and 3D Land/3D World; first they make a relatively safe game to build some solid foundations and then they get more creative and experimental in the second part, they make the familiar become unfamiliar. On the other hand, SM64/Sunshine differ a little too much in gameplay and were released too apart to be considered part of this trend (while SMB3/SMW and 3D Land/3D World were released in different consoles, they have strong enough ties to be considered "brothers", no pun intented); and SMB2 USA is a special case, because it was first released as a non-Mario game, has a considerably different gameplay from previous or following Super Mario games, features completely new antagonists, and overall does things in a way that other Super Mario games have never done, though some features have become series mainstays. Even the arcade Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. are pretty much two sides of the same coin (Donkey Kong 3 is very different to both of them, and the arcade Mario Bros., while related to all of them, is more or less its own thing).
While it's just a personal observation, it would feel like the natural step would be to make Odyssey 2, but don't take me wrong, I'm not against an EPD-developed DK game. 2021 is, of course, the 40th anniversary of the original arcade Donkey Kong, so perhaps it would be a throwback to that game... in 3D? Odyssey already had Pauline in it, so perhaps it will feature both DK and Mario, with DK as an antagonist, or maybe as a protagonist? Or perhaps a game in the vein of Jungle Beat, given that EPD's predecessor EAD developed it? I don't think it will be a Country-style game, but that's just me guessing the future through past games; it could be a completely new kind of game.
It seems we'll have to wait and see - If we see anything, that is. No matter how much it is reported, it's still a rumour (or is it?).
The release of the Famicom Detective Club games has been both exciting and disappointing.
To begin with, I'm amazed that 30-year-old games that never left Japan have been remade and released worldwide, but the way they've been brought to the West is rather lackluster - eShop only, and, especially, only English screen text (I can deal with the voices being exclusively in Japanese, it's like watching the original version of a foreign language movie with subtitles. Plus the games take place in Japan, so it gives them a degree of authenticity).
Of course, Nintendo has surely calculated the cost/revenue balance of this release, and may have decided that a physical release outside of Japan is not worth it; but still, the game NOT being properly localised is a particularly sour spot: it feels like a step back when the standard practice for releases of Nintendo's own properties is, at least, full professional translation of screen text in a variety of languages, and it's very troublesome in a game where text is especially important.
While it's rather clear that the remakes are primarily aimed at a Japanese audience, the lack of care displayed when bringing them overseas is worrisome - they might not have particularly good sales potential; but making a minimal effort for one of its own properties sets a bad precedent and becomes another obstacle for an audience that, while surely minoritary, does exist.
Having said that, I'm interested in the games, and I hope they do sell well, in Japan or elsewhere, and that Nintendo considers revisiting other dormant franchises it owns (with a better release strategy, please).
Same. I don't know if I'll get it (I'm definitely getting the game, but I haven't chosen an edition yet), but this kind of stuff should be available in all regions.
I'm not still convinced, but it could be fun. Boxing in Wii Sports was shallow but it had its charm, and the Wii version of Punch-Out!! was amazing (I still want a sequel). I hope this delivers some great matches...
Zelda in early March, Mario Kart 8 in late April, Splatoon in "Summer"... A high-profile release each month, more or less, would be a good pace; not too fast but not too slow either...
Comments 332
Re: Video: 'The Frog For Whom The Bell Tolls', Link’s Awakening’s Hidden Predecessor
I've never played this game, but I'm very interested in doing so.
Link's Awakening DX is one of my favourite Zelda games, and if it is anything like it, then I'll surely like it; also, this game seems to have that kind of charm classic Game Boy games have. So a remake in the style of the one Link's Awakening got in 2019 (Perhaps using some of its assets, kind of a reverse process of how this game influenced the original Link's Awakening), or a revival like Kid Icarus: Uprising, or maybe even just a (properly) localised release of the original game would be great.
The Famicom Tantei Club remakes recently released showed that old games can make surprising comebacks, so perhaps there is a chance for Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru to do so? At least there seems to be a bit of an audience for it...
Re: Fans Celebrate All Things Metroid As The Series Turns 35
@RupeeClock
Heh, Dread will be released two months from now, that'll be the best way of celebrating the anniversary (and Metroid in general) - a bit late, but I think it'll be worth it.
Happy 35th, Metroid. Hope the following years are full of great games.
Re: New Metroid Dread Footage With Links To Samus Returns Is Swiftly Deleted
Seems like the Chozo, or at least some Chozo, are going to have an antagonistic role from now on, which is an interesting twist to the series' storyline.
By the way, the original Metroid was first released in Japan 35 years ago today. Happy Birthday, Samus!
Re: Video: The Complete Story Of The Metroid Series
@Inc
The Metroid vaccine saved her from the X Parasite infection and made her immune to the X, meaning she can absorb them harmlessly - in fact, it can be beneficial for her, restoring health or missiles or even recovering lost abilities.
When Phaaze was destroyed at the end of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption all the Phazon in the universe ceased existing, including what was inside Samus' body, so Phazon's pretty much a non-issue after that.
The main change for her is that she can be considered a Metroid starting with Fusion (Even etymologically, "ultimate warrior" and all that). But the Chozo had already biologically altered her before any of the games had taken place, so she stopped being a regular human long ago.
Re: New Metroid Dread Report Outlines 7 Points That Define The 2D Saga
@marandahir
Nah, I don't think it's some kind of ambush by the Federation - they do want to get their hands on the X, but that's it. They're shown to be more or less OK during the entire series, only Fusion and Other M had the "Fed's going bad" theme (In part, because the series needed new antagonists now that the Space Pirates had been dealt with in Super Metroid).
Samus had previously given them the last Metroid, and they had discovered the way to use its powers for good. Fusion has them deciding that the X have potential, while Samus considers that the X is a threat to the universe. There's also the secret Metroid breeding programme, which Adam guarantees is "for peaceful application only"; a somewhat dubious claim, but hey, as said before, Samus herself had given them the last Metroid to research it (Also, the vaccine that saved Samus' life and gave her X-neutralising powers was developed from cells of that same last Metroid, so they managed to do some good).
In Other M, there's the conspiracy to use Metroids and Space Pirates as weapons, giving the impression that the Federation is becoming just like the Space Pirates, but there's the feeling that it's more a faction inside the Federation than the Federation as a whole.
So when it comes down to it, it's not that the Federation wants Samus dead (As stated before, they saved her life with the Metroid vaccine); it's that they want to capture the X and Samus opposes that. I think that the antagonist in Dread won't be the Federation, it'll perhaps be the Chozo that seemed to appear in the trailer.
tl;dr: Galactic Federation not so bad, just very misguided.
And regarding how Nintendo handles the series... eh. Samus Returns may not have had much attention, but at least it worked as a training ground for MercurySteam before moving on to an all-new game (Also, the fact that we're getting Dread makes me guess that they must've deemed the sales acceptable). Metroid Prime 4 being restarted means that the game is important enough to spend extra time and money on it. Nintendo may not be perfect, but I feel that right now they're doing things well regarding Metroid. I think the upcoming years will be good for Samus.
Re: Rumour: Nintendo To End Submissions For New Wii U And 3DS eShop Games
I seriously hope this doesn't mean the eShop is going to close down or that Nintendo Network is being terminated, for any of the consoles. It's still too early, dammit!
Re: 25 Seconds Of New EarthBound 64 Footage Emerges Online
Nintendo needs to release a localised Mother 3 outside of Japan. I know it's been said ad nauseam, but it's still true.
Re: Nintendo Leak Reveals Scrapped Wii Games, Including A Metroid Title From Intelligent Systems
Intelligent Systems was already involved with Metroid before this, they helped code the original Metroid and Super Metroid.
https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4333/the_elegance_of_metroid_yoshio_.php
@Jmjfrank
While I wouldn't use the word "fault", I'd say that the main creative force behind Other M was, indeed, Yoshio Sakamoto (Producer, Director, and Story). He's also the main creative force behind Metroid in general. Already in Metroid Fusion, Samus had some monologues not unlike the ones in Other M. So, yeah, Other M would've probably turned out not very different from what we got even if Intelligent Systems developed it, at least storywise (As a sidenote, he also wrote the recently remade Famicom Tantei Club games).
This is one of my arguments to say that Other M is a main Metroid instalment; Yoshio Sakamoto was fully involved with it, unlike the Prime games, which are produced by Kensuke Tanabe (Though Sakamoto is credited as "Special Thanks" or "Special Advisor" in them).
Re: Feature: The Many Faces Of Donkey Kong, Nintendo's 40-Year-Old Gorilla
Even within these divisions, DK3 is very different to the arcade DK and DK Jr., that are very similar; it's arguably got more in common with Galaga than the two other games. Retro's DKC games are somewhat different from Rare's (Silhouette and Rocket Barrel levels, overall more action-focused gameplay). And it's worth noting that Jungle Beat does seem to owe a bit of inspiration to the first Country, which was a very rhythmic game (DKC2 and DKC3 were more adventure-focused, something of a prologue to the N64 Banjo games and DK64).
No mention of Diddy Kong Racing? It's got loose ties to the rest of DK games and much more similarities with Mario Kart, but it's still DK-related, and a good game...
@ahappymedium
This is right. Current DK (first appeared in DKC1) is Cranky's (the original, arcade DK) grandson and Junior's son. At least that's the general Kongsensus (sorry).
https://themushroomkingdom.net/kongtroversy.shtml
@TheFrenchiestFry
I know you're kidding, but the fact that more people seem to know about the cartoon than the games is just sad.
Re: New Metroid Dread Report Outlines 7 Points That Define The 2D Saga
@Dr_Corndog
Yes, they've avoided mentioning Other M so much, it has become noticeable. I assume it's because of the backlash it got; Nintendo did heavily promote it up until release, and Sakamoto was fully involved with it. I seriously hope they don't go on ignoring it; I mean, yeah, it was contentious, but I don't think erasing it from the series' history is a good move.
By the way, will Nintendo keep working with MercurySteam now that Metroid seems to be heading for actual popularity? I mean, the series will need a developer for future entries if Dread is successful, right? It would be kind of a waste if the series stagnates after it gets back in the spotlight. Also, Retro... right now, working on Prime 4 is what they must do (and I'm hyped for that game, I seriously am), but I hope they make a third Donkey Kong Country game not too far into the future (two Country games feels too little, dammit).
Re: New Metroid Dread Report Outlines 7 Points That Define The 2D Saga
@Euler @marandahir
"They need to recapture such a market" there isn't much to recapture, it seems. Focusing on Retro's efforts only, Donkey Kong Country Returns alone sold better than their three Metroid Prime games. Having said that, Samus herself seems to enjoy some popularity; but the public isn't very aware of the games themselves: gameplay, story lore, secondary characters, etc.
The 2000s, not very long ago, were the series' heyday: Fusion, Zero Mission, Retro's Prime games, Prime Hunters, even Prime Pinball. And despite all those releases, it is still somewhat obscure compared to Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Pokémon, or even Splatoon.
What's true is that Nintendo never gave up on Metroid. There have been releases with more or less frequency over the past two decades - the only long period without Metroid was the late 90s, because they weren't sure about how to make the jump to 3D.
Re: New Metroid Dread Report Outlines 7 Points That Define The 2D Saga
@marandahir
https://metroid.nintendo.com/news/metroid-dread-report-vol-1/
"One day, the Galactic Federation received video footage from an unknown source indicating that the X still lived. The Federation dispatched a special unit consisting of seven E.M.M.I. robots to the remote planet ZDR, believed to be the source of the transmission.
Soon after arriving on ZDR, the whole unit mysteriously vanished."
Re: New Metroid Dread Report Outlines 7 Points That Define The 2D Saga
@Tandy255
Well... I don't know if many younger players would be much interested in the NES/SNES minis, they seemed more aimed at the crowd nostalgic for older games. Samus Returns was released in the 3DS, and handhelds tend to have a younger demographic. That and the NSO/Virtual Console games would definitely help popularize the series.
Re: New Metroid Dread Report Outlines 7 Points That Define The 2D Saga
@marandahir
No. The Federation wants to control the X. They sent the E.M.M.I. to the planet Dread takes place in because an unknown party informed them that there are X parasites in the planet.
Re: New Metroid Dread Report Outlines 7 Points That Define The 2D Saga
@Dr_Corndog
They say "2D Metroid"; Other M is not technically a 2D game, because it switches between side-scrolling action and first-person action. Having said that, I'm getting the impression that they're trying to sweep the game under the rug.
@Euler @Tandy255
I don't know if "very few", but sometimes I get the feeling that people who either bash or praise the series haven't actually played these games.
Re: DKC Artist Steve Mayles Shares Gorgeous New Piece To Celebrate Donkey Kong's 40th
@Zeldafan79
Yes, I can count too. If it was up to me, we'd get new DK games every single year. But there's this little thing called "reality" that doesn't always give us what we want, be it DK-related or not.
@ophone
Nintendo didn't have a problem using Super Mario's 35th anniversary as a marketing ploy to sell products. If this is going to turn into some kind of childish bickering of "Mum and Dad love you more! It should be me! It's not fair!", then count me out, because it's a particulary stupid attitude.
I'm pretty sure Nintendo is well aware of the meaning of this date, as I said before, they created the game. Using it to complain that you aren't getting what you want sounds rather selfish.
Re: DKC Artist Steve Mayles Shares Gorgeous New Piece To Celebrate Donkey Kong's 40th
@Zeldafan79 @Varkster
Bah, don't know why there should be some kind of celebration just because it's this day. That Nintendo doesn't care? They cared enough to create the damn thing. I'd much rather take proper games any day, any year, above a perfunctory pat on the back on a particular date.
Moreover, it's the 40th anniversary of the arcade Donkey Kong, not Donkey Kong Country. Diddy, minecarts, DK's present design, the Kremlings, etc. weren't in the original. Those all debuted in 1994. If anything, it should be Cranky Kong ranting at the youngsters how much better the original game was.
Today is the anniversary of a game made by Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto. While Rare did excellent games, and DK certainly wouldn't be the same without them, it is inaccurate to celebrate those games today.
Now, don't take me wrong - I love Rare, I love Donkey Kong Country, and I'd love a third DKC from Retro; but sometimes I read opinions that are so self-righteous they make me want to say "get over yourself".
By the way, it is, by extension, the anniversary of the first appearance of Mario (and Pauline, too). They aren't celebrating that either.
Re: Sakurai Says Smash Bros. Ultimate's Next DLC Fighter Really Will Be The Last One
What I hope is that Sakurai gets to do something other than Smash once Ultimate's DLC is over. The man will have to go back to develop the next Smash game for the next Nintendo console sooner or later (the series is the too big to miss a generation), but sometimes I feel like he's wasting his talents just making Smash (even though it's evident that he puts lots of care when making each installment). Then again I don't know how he will feel about it... perhaps it'll be best to hope that he gets to do what he wants.
The kind of hype that surrounds Smash is sometimes annoying, but everyone fosters it - we always want some new character (even if it is only as a means to get new games for that character), and Nintendo also pulls spectacular new character reveals (and they also use Smash appearances as a promotional tool, most notably with Fire Emblem characters). It's more complicated than just "fans ask too much" or "Nintendo pushes this kind of stuff".
I'd be perfectly OK if the next Smash has no third-party characters, but that's complicated too; it'd probably generate less hype, be seen as something of a step back, and, as mentioned before, Smash is a bit of an advertising tool, and from the beginning it was marketed as a meeting of popular game characters - it's like it's in its nature to expand to include non-Nintendo characters.
So, Smash. Sometimes it feels like it has grown into something ugly, but, well, if it would disapear overnight, we'd probably miss it...
Re: Dante, Shantae And More Join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate As Mii Fighter Costumes
@TheFrenchiestFry #18
Yeah, Devil May Cry redefined 3D hack-and-slash games, just like Resident Evil 4 redefined 3D third-person shooters - and, as you said, they inspired games like God of War or Gears of War, which were successful and influential on their own right. In other words, the development of RE4 produced two of the most important 3D action games of all time.
Perhaps Capcom already having two representatives played against his inclusion? I don't know if that kind of thing has any repercussion...
@Nameless_Shame
Heh, well, considering that Snake, Cloud, Sephiroth and now Kazuya are in, it is something of a reunion of late 90s PlayStation stars...
Re: Tekken's Kazuya Arrives In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tomorrow, 29th June
@TheFrenchiestFry @tntswitchfan68
Perhaps the final fighter will be revealed at this year's The Game Awards show (that still hasn't got a date, BTW), just like Joker and Sephiroth were in past years - it would be a proper place for a final, spectacular showcase (I do think that it will be someone big).
Re: Round Up: Sonic The Hedgehog Birthday Messages From Around The World
Happy Birthday, Sonic. Hope you get high-quality games in the future, now that you've regained mainstream popularity. Best of luck!
Re: Best Nintendo 64 Games
@Duffman92
I think the merit of Super Mario 64 is that it had to basically rewrite core Super Mario gameplay, mostly on two things: health bar, and power-ups now being crucial to get stars. Super Mario 64 has a more "strategic", puzzle-solving gameplay compared to the "hop 'n' bop" obstacle courses that 2D Super Mario games are made of, where power-ups give an optional advantage to beat the levels. On the other hand, the open-world level design could be seen as a natural extesion of SMB3 and SMW's overworld maps: instead of worlds with different levels, it has courses with different stars, and a hub world hosting those courses - it's an already existing idea taken one step further.
That necessity to reinvent the game from scratch is what I think makes it the console's greatest achievement. I mean, it's not the first 3D game, but it sure has influenced 3D gaming through the years.
@AlexHarford
Perfect Dark, while pushing the machine to its limits, stands upon the shoulders of Goldeneye - it didn't have to break as much new ground as Goldeneye did, and therefore is inferior IMO, but it's still a great game, easily within the Top 10 for the console.
Re: Best Nintendo 64 Games
The Nintendo 64 was my first Nintendo home console, and Super Mario 64 is the console's best IMO.
Side-scrollers have a particularly difficult time adapting to 3D - leaders in that field of gaming like Castlevania, Mega Man, or Sonic, either shied away from 3D or had trouble adjusting. Nintendo's own Kirby, Yoshi and Metroid avoided 3D too (the fact that they couldn't do a proper Metroid 64 is the reason the series languished between 1994 and 2002). Mario tackled the issue head-on (how could he not? He was Nintendo's main mascot, and in the mid-90s, 3D was no longer the future, it was the present), and he succeded, reinventing platforming in the process.
In comparison, Ocarina of Time is a straightforward translation into 3D of A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening (top-down games generally have it easier compared to side-scrollers, Metal Gear Solid also borrowed a lot from the 2D Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake), and had the advantage that games like SM64 and Star Fox 64 had already broken ground for Nintendo in 3D gaming; its real achievement is that it integrates a lot of things (first-person shooting, target locking, context-sensitive buttons, etc.) into one neat package. Not that it isn't a monumental game, but, personally, I think SM64 accomplished something more difficult.
Goldeneye 007 is an excellent game too, evolving first-person shooters from "kill everything on sight, get out of the maze", to something closer to action-adventure games, focused on completing different tasks in each level. Rare's greatest achievement in the N64, IMO.
That's my Top 3: Super Mario 64 first, Ocarina of Time second, and Goldeneye 007 third. All three giants of gaming, among several other great games (both Banjos, Star Fox 64, Diddy Kong Racing, etc.). So happy anniversary to the Nintendo 64, home to such gaming masterpieces. And happy anniversary to Super Mario 64, one of the most important games in Nintendo's entire history, up there with the likes of Super Mario Bros 1 and 3, the first Legend of Zelda and A Link to the Past, and the arcade Donkey Kong.
Re: Metroid 5 Is Coming To Switch As Metroid Dread, And It's 2D
@30mm
Metroid Prime 4 was announced four years ago; then, in early 2019, Nintendo said that development had restarted with Retro Studios. It's still in development, and hasn't appeared in this year's E3.
This game was in production much earlier, back in the mid-late 2000s, but it didn't reach completion and nothing was certain about its status until now.
Re: There's A Zelda Game & Watch Coming This Christmas
@Spider-Kev
Perhaps because this thing doesn't have L/R and X/Y buttons.
Re: Metroid 5 Is Coming To Switch As Metroid Dread, And It's 2D
@KawaiiDawn
No, the Fusion suit is sleek and organic-looking, this suit looks more mechanical.
Re: Metroid 5 Is Coming To Switch As Metroid Dread, And It's 2D
@Yodalovesu
MercurySteam, who also co-developed Metroid: Samus Returns
Re: Roundup: Here's What Was Revealed In Nintendo Direct E3 2021
Metroid Dread is a must-buy for me. Between that, WarioWare, and the Advance Wars remakes, this year doesn't look that bad.
Don't know if BotW2 will release early next year... probably not. Nothing about Splatoon 3, but we know it's scheduled for 2022 too. Monolith Soft is probably assisting in the development of those two games, but it's likely that they've also got something of their own in the making. No sight of Metroid Prime 4, as expected. And I wonder what Odyssey's development team is doing...
The Switch still has got life in it, it seems. I guess it will last until 2024 or so.
Re: E3: Get Your Nintendo Life E3 2021 Bingo Cards Here!
@Snow-Dust
Official sources do treat it as a main installment, unlike the Prime games. And Nintendo did hype it up back in the day. I don't know if they're trying to downplay its importance because of the backlash it got or something like that, but personally, I still consider it a main Metroid game.
Re: There's A Zelda Game & Watch Coming This Christmas
@marandahir
Personally, I'd love a compilation of G&W titles like the Game and Watch Gallery series. They're an important part of Nintendo's history.
Re: There's A Zelda Game & Watch Coming This Christmas
@Toy_Link
Yep. Some hardware barrier there. Having said that, the inclusion of a Zelda version of Vermin is kind of baffling. Why precisely that G&W title?
Re: Metroid 5 Is Coming To Switch As Metroid Dread, And It's 2D
By the way, it's the first original 2D Metroid in nineteen years. Zero Mission and Samus Returns do exist. And so does Other M.
Re: E3: Get Your Nintendo Life E3 2021 Bingo Cards Here!
@Snow-Dust @link3710 @Stubborn_Monkey
And it turns out Metroid Dread is Metroid 5, but I'd say Other M is still a main installment, dammit. Someone ask Yoshio Sakamoto to confirm or deny.
Re: New Breath Of The Wild 2 Footage Shown, Aiming For A 2022 Release
When in 2022? Late? The disclaimer at the beginning said that the coronavirus pandemic could impact development...
Re: Kazuya From Tekken Is The Next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC Fighter
Tekken is one of Namco-Bandai's biggest franchises, so it's nice that it makes an appearance in a Smash game they co-developed. The game already has Ryu, Ken, and Terry; so, of course, it'll also be a meeting of some of the biggest fighting game characters in video game history...
Re: Metroid 5 Is Coming To Switch, And It's 2D
@Snow_Hawkthorne
Heh. I remember that easter egg in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
Re: Metroid 5 Is Coming To Switch, And It's 2D
Hm. New suit, looks... as if made out of scrap. And that E.M.M.I. character seems to have a role similar to SA-X in Fusion...
Re: E3: Get Your Nintendo Life E3 2021 Bingo Cards Here!
@link3710
Says who? In the official Japanese website for Samus Returns, Other M is included alongside the other main Metroid games in the "History" section.
https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/a9aj/pc/history/index.html
Other M is a main installment. It's part of the main storyline.
Re: E3: Get Your Nintendo Life E3 2021 Bingo Cards Here!
Not counting the games already announced, I think WarioWare has the highest chance of appearing. Monolith Soft are probably assisting in the development of BotW2, so I don't know if they'll show anything. And if the rumour about the DK game developed by the Odyssey team isn't true, then I think there's a high chance of Odyssey 2 being revealed.
@Snow-Dust
That's right, it should be Metroid VI (Metroid VIII if the two remakes, Metroid Zero Mission and Samus Returns, are counted separatedly).
Re: Metroid Prime 4 Was First Announced Four Years Ago Today
I don't think it'll show up this year, but I think it'll release during the Switch's lifetime, probably between Q4 2022 and Q4 2023 - at least that's my guess.
@stinky_t
Retro's Prime games have been somewhat distant from the storyline of the 2D Metroid games, instead focusing on a story arc regarding Phazon - they don't ignore the rest of the series, but they're mostly self-contained.
Back in 2015 Kensuke Tanabe said that the next Prime game would be about Sylux (introduced in Prime Hunters, which wasn't developed by Retro, but still) and have a time-travel mechanic. He also said that the storyline of Retro's original trilogy (Phazon, Dark Samus, etc.) is over, but that they'd keep the numbering:
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-06-17-next-proper-metroid-prime-would-likely-now-be-on-nx
Don't know if they're still going with that, or if MP4 will be about something else, but there it is.
@antonio2244
Please don't. I mean, even if you're kidding, this kind of comment really doesn't help. I like Donkey Kong too, but that "It should've been [X]" attitude is very annoying (having said that, I do hope Retro makes a third DKC game soon).
Re: Feature: Nintendo's Most Iconic E3 Moments
My personal favourite is E3 2010. Skyward Sword, the 3DS reveal, Kid Icarus: Uprising ("Sorry to keep you waiting!"), and Metroid: Other M (alright, that last one might be contentious, and also it was first shown at E3 2009, but still.), among others. But the best part was, of course, how they introduced Donkey Kong Country Returns: Reggie saying "If you listen, you can hear it coming." while Jungle Hijinx starts playing in the background - cue the DKCR announcement trailer. Awesome.
Re: Soapbox: Without A Dedicated Handheld Division, Is Nintendo Less Weird?
@Yorumi #57
I don't like some of the things Nintendo has done lately either (Galaxy 2 not being in 3D All-Stars, discontinuing the Mario anniversary stuff, among other things), and you do have some good points regarding their bussiness practices. I don't mean that Nintendo should be above criticism; it's just that, well, sometimes running a huge company might seem easier from the outside, but we don't have the whole picture. Nintendo may be a giant, but sometimes even giants fall - think of what Sega was in the 90s and what it is now.
I'm a consumer too - I don't like being ripped off, I really don't. But it's not as simple as "Nintendo bad" - which I get isn't what you're saying; I'm much closer to your opinion than it might seem.
Re: Soapbox: Without A Dedicated Handheld Division, Is Nintendo Less Weird?
Even before the Switch, Nintendo outsourced the development of some of their IPs - Metroid to Team Ninja and MercurySteam, Excitebike to Left Field Productions and Monster Games, Yoshi to Artoon/Arzest, even some Zelda games to Capcom, among others. Sure, they were co-developed by Nintendo themselves, but there was a tendency to leave part of the work to external companies. As for giving more control to third-party developers, it's a... risky move (Metroid Prime 4's development being restarted from zero comes to mind).
Also, the unification of handheld and home consoles was pretty much inevitable - the 3DS had games like Super Mario 3D Land and Luigi's Mansion 2 which weren't very far away of the kind of stuff that would appear just a generation before on the Wii, a home console. Handheld games were getting more and more time- and resource-consuming, and it was one of the reasons the Wii U suffered a lack of games.
We could discuss it all day long, but the thing is that big games like BotW or Odyssey get the most attention, sales, and recognition - not that smaller games don't have their merit, but, well, in the end, Nintendo's got to make a profit. Splatoon is an interesting example of a game series that is somewhat weird, yet has high production values and is heavily promoted, resulting in good sales (at least for Splatoon 2).
There's got to be a balance between commercial success/adapting to contemporary trends in gaming and more experimental/niche games. But if the Big N doesn't make money, there won't be any games at all.
WarioWare is a great example, by the way - it shows how much can be done with a single button. Gaming reduced to the bare minimum and then rebuilt piece by piece. Nintendo making a revision and reinvention of the game mechanics they've mastered through the years. A really remarkable series (incidentally, it's a series that has never been given to an external developer. It always has been developed by Nintendo/Intelligent Systems).
Re: Feature: Our Predictions For Nintendo's E3 2021 Direct
What I'd like to see:
I don't think we'll see anything from Metroid Prime 4, not this year. And I wouldn't be surprised if Odyssey 2 was announced.
Re: Rumour: The Next Donkey Kong Is Being Developed By The Super Mario Odyssey Team
Whoa. Talk about unexpected. Personally, I'm all for a third Country game from Retro (I know they're working on Metroid Prime 4, and I really want that game too, but just two DKC games feels too little dammit, I'm sure they've got plenty of good ideas for a 2D platformer), but this isn't unwelcome.
I was thinking that Odyssey 2 would be pretty much a given - the original has sold 20 million copies and the audience seems eager for a sequel, and the team that developed it already has the assets and experience to deliver a potentially greater second game; commercially, I think it would make more sense than spending time and money on a 3D DK game. And I don't think Odyssey 2 and a DK game could be developed concurrently, EPD already has BotW 2 and Splatoon 3 to keep them very busy.
Also, Super Mario games seem to come in sets of two: SMB/SM2 (The Lost Levels), SMB3/SMW, Galaxy/Galaxy 2, and 3D Land/3D World; first they make a relatively safe game to build some solid foundations and then they get more creative and experimental in the second part, they make the familiar become unfamiliar. On the other hand, SM64/Sunshine differ a little too much in gameplay and were released too apart to be considered part of this trend (while SMB3/SMW and 3D Land/3D World were released in different consoles, they have strong enough ties to be considered "brothers", no pun intented); and SMB2 USA is a special case, because it was first released as a non-Mario game, has a considerably different gameplay from previous or following Super Mario games, features completely new antagonists, and overall does things in a way that other Super Mario games have never done, though some features have become series mainstays. Even the arcade Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. are pretty much two sides of the same coin (Donkey Kong 3 is very different to both of them, and the arcade Mario Bros., while related to all of them, is more or less its own thing).
While it's just a personal observation, it would feel like the natural step would be to make Odyssey 2, but don't take me wrong, I'm not against an EPD-developed DK game. 2021 is, of course, the 40th anniversary of the original arcade Donkey Kong, so perhaps it would be a throwback to that game... in 3D? Odyssey already had Pauline in it, so perhaps it will feature both DK and Mario, with DK as an antagonist, or maybe as a protagonist? Or perhaps a game in the vein of Jungle Beat, given that EPD's predecessor EAD developed it? I don't think it will be a Country-style game, but that's just me guessing the future through past games; it could be a completely new kind of game.
It seems we'll have to wait and see - If we see anything, that is. No matter how much it is reported, it's still a rumour (or is it?).
Re: Japanese Charts: Famicom Detective Club Earns Top Ten Debut In Another Strong Week For Switch
The release of the Famicom Detective Club games has been both exciting and disappointing.
To begin with, I'm amazed that 30-year-old games that never left Japan have been remade and released worldwide, but the way they've been brought to the West is rather lackluster - eShop only, and, especially, only English screen text (I can deal with the voices being exclusively in Japanese, it's like watching the original version of a foreign language movie with subtitles. Plus the games take place in Japan, so it gives them a degree of authenticity).
Of course, Nintendo has surely calculated the cost/revenue balance of this release, and may have decided that a physical release outside of Japan is not worth it; but still, the game NOT being properly localised is a particularly sour spot: it feels like a step back when the standard practice for releases of Nintendo's own properties is, at least, full professional translation of screen text in a variety of languages, and it's very troublesome in a game where text is especially important.
While it's rather clear that the remakes are primarily aimed at a Japanese audience, the lack of care displayed when bringing them overseas is worrisome - they might not have particularly good sales potential; but making a minimal effort for one of its own properties sets a bad precedent and becomes another obstacle for an audience that, while surely minoritary, does exist.
Having said that, I'm interested in the games, and I hope they do sell well, in Japan or elsewhere, and that Nintendo considers revisiting other dormant franchises it owns (with a better release strategy, please).
Re: Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Confirmed For Nintendo Switch Launch Day
@Moshugan
Same. I don't know if I'll get it (I'm definitely getting the game, but I haven't chosen an edition yet), but this kind of stuff should be available in all regions.
Re: Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Confirmed For Nintendo Switch Launch Day
Switch version box art (Wii U version has the same art):
Special Edition contents:
Master Edition contents:
Re: Nintendo Introduces ARMS, a New Boxing IP
I'm not still convinced, but it could be fun. Boxing in Wii Sports was shallow but it had its charm, and the Wii version of Punch-Out!! was amazing (I still want a sequel). I hope this delivers some great matches...
Re: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Launches On Switch In April, Features Splatoon Inklings
Zelda in early March, Mario Kart 8 in late April, Splatoon in "Summer"... A high-profile release each month, more or less, would be a good pace; not too fast but not too slow either...