Breaktime

I am taking a break from posting here. It has less to do with the Holidays and more with writer's block, but Happy Holidays nonetheless.

Separating the Wii in the WiiU

Do you remember this commercial at all? This was during Gamecube’s final major push to convince the hardcore crowd that they indeed have some incredible games to satisfy the subculture. Now, we all know Gamecube would become Nintendo’s biggest failure not named Virtual Boy, and would ultimately force Nintendo to totally alter their strategy in terms of hardware and software. While the advertisement then did fail to push sales of the Gamecube, this was exactly the type of commercial that Nintendo needed to air this month.

The WiiU didn’t outsell the other systems during Black Friday simply because Nintendo could not separate the Wii reputation out of the new system that is clearly reaching out to the hardcore audience. The WiiU and the Wii were still joined hand-in-hand when the WiiU is essentially the 2006 system on HD steroids. I can guarantee you that the majority still see the WiiU as a simple update to Nintendo’s most successful system. There should be no reason that despite the WiiU selling nearly 450,000 copies on opening week, the original Wii managed sales of over 300,000.That’s at least 125,000 owners that will probably not consider buying the next generation system for at least a year.

The marketing failed miserably in showcasing the talent of the new system by not revealing the new features, not revealing Nintendo’s actual push for online gaming and the hardcore titles that feature Nintendo exclusives (unlike the Gamecube commercial displayed above), instead showing the world this:






It is not a bad commercial, but what separates Mario Bros. WiiU…. …from the Wii version? Aside from the tablet? They look virtually the same.It doesn't even seem like a next-gen game (although the game is partially to blame for that one too).

There is still no WiiU ad that shows that the tablet can become a full universal remote control (it just shows you can switch the game to the tablet), or pull off HD graphics, or allow for you to be able to see online videos while navigating away from the page into something else. The WiiU is a gaming system that can imitate a remote control, a movie player, and an interactive internet browser---at the same time!!!! 

We still don't really have an ad that even shows some of the exclusives available at launch or the holiday season. Remember this tease earlier this year?





If you even showed an abridged version of that video on television, it would have been far more effective than merely showing the families playing with Wiimotes and the only change is a gaming tablet attached. How could that warrant a $350 purchase? How would they know its HD, backwards-compatible, data-from-Wii transferrable, and extremely online friendly? How would they possibly know any of this?


Nintendo, you have a nice machine, I am enjoying it, but your advertising is going to result in the WiiU having a bumpy first couple of months.

10 Gamecube Games in Need of an HD Rerelease

The Nintendo WiiU has hit stores and one of the biggest questions concerning the system is the backwards-compatibility. But we aren’t talking about the Wii (even though I have discussed that the service has to stop bullspitting and truly blow up), but actually on the Nintendo Gamecube. Believe it or not, it’s been 10 years since the cube hit stores and became a financial disappointment although it delivered some of the best video games of the new millennium. Now, while I have been strongly begging and pleading for HD remakes and re-dos of past Nintendo classics, there has not been word on just how the Gamecube games (and if) will look once they do eventually arrive to the Virtual Console.


Nonetheless, I will remain faithful that Nintendo will do the right thing and enhance the Gamecube games a bit before putting them in the online store. I am personally willing to shell out a little extra for the HD touch—after all, look how that improved Perfect Dark and Marvel vs. Capcom on Xbox Live. Here is my list of the 10 Gamecube games that most definitely needs the HD re-release for new gamers to enjoy.

Honorable Mention


1)      Super Smash Brothers Melee: I do actually doubt that this will happen, because why spend $60 on the new upcoming Smash Bros. when you can spend $15-$20 on the HD remake of arguably the greatest fighting game of all-time? Melee is pure action perfection and remains the quickest, most responsive, most rewarding, and deepest fighter in the franchise and in the business.


2)      Viewtiful Joe: Capcom deserves no positive fame or fortune whatsoever for being one of the shadiest gaming companies out there. So although this is a fantastic game and can use an HD touch, I’d rather not see this game at all. Remember Capcom was the company that backed off a guarantee of releasing 5 exclusives to Nintendo only to dismantle the entire deal slowly but surely.


3)      Resident Evil 4: See above answer.

Now to the Top 10!





#10) Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Now, this game was a hybrid of the first two games in the Metal Gear Solid franchise that helped Sony become the king of gaming for 10 years. Enhancing this one with an HD touch would give Nintendo its first foray into the Metal Gear world in full definition. It was a slick game that improved upon the few flaws of the original Metal Gear Solid and combining with some extra goodies, became one of the best mature titles of the generation. Add the HD, add some MGS2 mayhem, and I promise you this $20 game will sell like hotcakes.

P.S. Snake’s appeal in Smash Brothers should improve the chances Nintendo gets an actual Metal Gear Solid game in the future.



#9) Soul Calibur II

Not sure what happened to this franchise, but it doesn’t hold the gamers’ attention like it used to back when it hit the Dreamcast and achieved that rare IGN perfect score. Soul Calibur II is arguably one of the best fighting games out there, and then throwing in the ability to fight as Link only made things all the sweeter.  Bringing this back, throwing in the HD, throw in some more playable characters, and smooth out the controls will make this a gem worthy of revisiting. The Marvel fighter series was saved because of MvC2 on Xbox Arcade, and Soul Calibur II on the WiiU can achieve this same type of revival.

P.S. In case you argue that Nintendo gamers don’t purchase fighting games: Smash Brothers Brawl is the only fighting game in history to sell over 10 million copies. Nuff’ said.


#8) Tales of Symphonia

The Tales series is an interesting one, for it holds an interesting relationship with Nintendo. Despite having two of their biggest hits on Nintendo systems, the Tales games see more spotlight in the Sony systems. Nonetheless, bringing back the surprise-surprise hit Tales of Symphonia would definitely improve relations amongst all the parties involved if done right. This is the biggest Tales hit, and by far the one with the most room for improvement and refreshment. Tidy up the graphics, improve the animation, and give it a big-screen feel will certainly lift this epic story and game into new heights that you couldn’t achieve all those years ago. With being one of the better Nintendo RPGs in the last decade, there is nowhere to go but up with this one.

P.S. I find it odd that Nintendo didn’t attempt to milk this installment in the franchise.



#7) The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

If you ever ponder what Link to the Past or Link’s Awakening would look like with the HD touch, then this game would be a nice experiment. The puzzling Zelda entry in the history of the fabled franchise, Four Swords came off as a game that required far too much to fully enjoy. After all, you had to fine three other people with Game Boy Advance systems in order to get the full treatment. Now, we can fix this by just making it a good ol’ fashioned 4-player game. There was a good game to be found in all the hardware muddle, and putting HD graphics and perhaps some new material on it would give this game a new life and a second chance at obtaining an audience.

P.S. Anyone else up for remaking Oracle of Ages/Oracles of Seasons for the WiiU?


#6) Eternal Darkness

Let’s have fun with this story: this game was well-received by critics to the nth degree, loved by gamers, but was purchased by essentially nobody. To make matters stranger, Nintendo holds the patent to the gameplay style, which remains a style that’s used…..never. And the patent has been renewed….recently. So, is the sequel going to happen? Or is this a mere ploy into being able to produce an HD remake or re-release? Whatever the reason, it has to be done. Eternal Darkness was a psychologically engaging game with plenty of twists and scary moments. It was Nintendo at its most mature, and at times its most creative. Just making it HD would be enough, but throwing in some more scares and moments that will warp your mind would make this one of the most essential purchases in the entire run of the WiiU.

P.S. I am surprised the patent to screw with your game hasn’t been used anywhere else, not even in the recent ZombieU.


#5) Super Mario Sunshine

Hands-down the most underrated Gamecube gem (Seriously, why don’t we talk about this game?) in the history of the machine, Super Mario Sunshine is a modern platform classic that was a great blend of music, gameplay, animation, and style. This game is literally just one HD update away from transforming into a purchase worthy of every penny. Seriously, that’s all it takes. Give it the Mario Galaxy polish, HD it up, and honestly, you are set.

P.S. While I prefer the open-style exploration of Mario 64, I would not mind a waterpack resurgence in the future.


#4) Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader

The best Star Wars video game of all-time (Nobody say KOTOR, I will scream), Rogue Leader from the Gamecube launched displayed how powerful the system was. As a matter of fact, few games ever topped it in terms of visuals as well as gameplay throughout its run. Now with Disney at the helm, they can fork over the big bucks, totally upgrade the entire game visually, add more levels and ships, and re-release this excellent game on the WiiU. Introducing this to a new generation of gamers and Star Wars fans would be nothing short of a great idea.

P.S. I am still waiting for Rogue Squadron IV. Just saying.


#3: F-Zero GX

The fastest, toughest, and craziest racing game I’ve ever played, F-Zero GX is the franchise fully realized and nearly hitting its full potential. This game would benefit greatly from getting the HD treatment and having the ability to run on a much more powerful system. While most skipped out on this game when it had first come out, this game is too good to not get a second chance. Give it the high definition upgrade, add all the characters and courses from the arcade version of the game, and I will buy this day one. And should every racing fan or anyone that enjoys a challenge.

P.S. If we don’t get an announcement for an F-Zero game within the next year, I will be royally disappointed.




#2: Metroid Prime

Without a doubt one of the greatest games of all-time, Metroid Prime should become an HD game as soon as possible so we can a) relive this wonderful experience and b) showcase everyone how a Metroid game SHOULD be done, instead of the light/dark theme in Prime 2, the rather Halo-ish turn it took in Prime 3, and the abomination that eventually became Other M. All that is needed here is a visual upgrade, nothing more. This game is perfection and shouldn’t be fiddled with too much.

P.S. A downloadable Metroid Prime Trilogy HD upgrade would be fantastic, especially now that the original game package is out of stock.








#1: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker



This isn’t the best Gamecube game in history, but its definitely the one that will most benefit from an HD upgrade and a move to a larger system. Back in the early 2000s, this game was so huge it was almost a chore to churn through when collecting the final pieces of the Triforce. But there was so much space and so many little islands in between major areas, this game could keep you entertained for hours. This essentially predates the Elder Scrolls transformation into 100-hour games.
Wind Waker wasn’t my favorite art style in a Zelda game, but the gameplay more than made up for it, and there’s plenty of room for even more enhancement. Imagine not only giving it HD, but also throwing in more islands, more secret places to go, and more sidequests. A Skyrim-style expansion would make this remake, this return to the Great Sea a worthwhile one.

P.S. If Nintendo really wanted to win the hearts of gamers, they would package Wind Waker with an upgraded Phantom Hourglass

Keys to the Success of the Nintendo WiiU

The Nintendo WiiU is hours away from being launched into the stratosphere (and technically by the time you read this article it’s probably already out) and being the first system in a new generation several years ahead of the competition, one of two things will happen: total success to the nth degree, or total disaster. The last time a company attempted this---well….Sega Dreamcast. Now, I have devised a list of things Nintendo must do in order for the WiiU to ever have a shot at matching the success of the Nintendo Wii, which did indeed win the Seventh Generation, even after giving up two years ago.



Strong First Year


The launch isn’t half-bad, with Mario, Pikmin, a few third-party gems, and a few surprises sprinkling the first couple months. But 2013 has to have many more surprises because as of now, the WiiU really has not discussed about anything past March. At least two of the major players in Nintendo should make an appearance, whether it be a good Mario spin-off, Metroid, or perhaps recent forgotten franchises like Kirby, F-Zero, or Fire Emblem. There is a good chance that ultra-secret Retro Studios project can be the big-big release of 2013.




Perfect the Online


Microsoft has conquered the online gaming market for years, and Sony and Nintendo will never catch up. Seriously, never. That being said, Nintendo has three major cards that could really threaten Microsoft’s Xbox Live fanbase. Mario Kart, Pokemon, and Super Smash Brothers. One is the best-selling racing franchise in the history of gaming, the other is the best-selling RPG franchise in history, and the last one contains two of the best-selling fighting games of all-time. Now, if Nintendo can greatly improve their online functionality, then there’s no reason why these three franchises couldn’t create games that will be played for years upon years to come.

Imagine the online Pokemon tournaments. Imagine the Mario Kart worldwide leaderboard. Imagine the random matches of Smash Brothers 4. Mario Kart 64 essentially was the first game to perfect multi-player of more than two players, so it only makes sense that Nintendo finally takes the next major step in multi-player. But it has to be done. It must be done. In order to really appeal to the hardcore, its time to embrace the internet.

P.S. You better improve that Virtual Console, Nintendo has far too many great games for them to neglect some.



Embrace the Past

Let’s be honest: Nintendo’s remaining hardcore fanbase is still around because they still yearn for 90s Nintendo when almost every single exclusive was a pure gem, from Super Mario World in 1991 straight to 1999’s Pokemon Snap. So with this being said, why not start doing the HD collections or HD remakes and start selling them? I would love to see SNES and N64 classics getting the cleaned-up HD touch. If there is a company with plenty of history to refer to, Nintendo is definitely a grand example. Imagine how awesome it would be to have HD collections of Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc.




Zelda Must Be On Top (Of the gaming world, you perverts)

Every single generation since the NES, Zelda was the biggest, baddest, and most amazing game in the business. Nintendo always went the extra extra mile with Zelda. From the original through Majora’s Mask, Nintendo would always have that edge over the competitors with this franchise. Hardcore gamers used to hang on to that Nintendo because of Zelda. Now…well, not so much. Wind Waker ditched the usual Zelda look, and Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword looked like games trying to follow the trend, not necessarily set them. This next Zelda needs to impress in multiple layers like the good ol’ days in order for Nintendo to really get the respect and attention of the true-blue gamers. Every major system has that one Best Picture Oscar-like game that showcases their best work. Sony has the Uncharted franchise, Microsoft has Halo, and Nintendo has Zelda. To move more sales, Zelda in HD better impress.



Second or Third-Party Must Improve

Third-party gaming has always been an issue with Nintendo, as the gaming industry has the memory of an elephant. The Playstation exists solely because of an act of revenge back in 1994. Most other companies still remember Nintendo’s death struggle on smaller companies back in the NES and SNES days. Because of this, the first-party games are what has kept Nintendo afloat during their weaker days like the late N64 days and the entire Gamecube run.

Now, third-party definitely improved on the Wii whether you realize it or not. Just Dance, Guitar Hero, Disney, and even Sega have benefited greatly from the surprise smash hit system. But there’s much work to be done, as there are still franchises like Final Fantasy, Grand Theft Auto, Burnout, Need for Speed, among others that have not moved their way to Nintendo in recent years---if ever. The Wii can technically classify itself as a dark horse win as many factors outside the actual system contributed to its victory. I doubt the WiiU can be this lucky—so they must improve relations with third-party companies OR—

Improve the second-party offerings. Nintendo has a good slew of companies to rely on, and they need to continue putting out good games. They have Intelligent Systems, Next Level Games, Camelot, and especially Retro Studios that can carry the mantle once held by Rareware as the top go-to company when first-party falters. In recent years the second-party offering was a bit lacking with a few disappointments here and there. So if the WiiU wants to really succeed, they must whether help their smaller companies step up or find a way to entice the bigger shareware industries to step up their game or at least actually put some effort in Nintendo product.


Price Drop When Others Launch

This one is very simple: don’t get greedy. The second the next Xbox and next Playstation launches, you better have a price cut in hand because those competitors will have prettier machines, more powerful machies, more capable machines, and above all, much more money to run through. Nintendo’s ability to correctly drop a price at the right time is what saved the 3DS (temporarily) and destroyed the Vita. Dropping the WiiU down to between $250-$275 when the Xbox 720 launches at $450-$500 will be quite a nasty blow to the competition.





Finish Strong

This is the most important, because for two generations Nintendo ended in a feeble whimper. The N64’s mistake was extremely poor marketing and not truly embracing the final gems of Pokemon Stadium 2, Perfect Dark, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, and especially Majora’s Mask. You need to save some of your best cards for last in order to give the system some necessary legs and good momentum once you hit the ninth generation. I can promise you the hype towards the WiiU isn’t as big because the Wii ended so, freakin’, weakly.

Save some dark horse franchises for the end. Ending the WiiU run with a Star Fox sequel, an F-Zero sequel, a WiiU version of Advance Wars, or perhaps even that Earthbound game we had always wanted to see would do nothing but great things to the sales, and the overall reputation of the gaming device. 

Nintendo, don’t just start strong, finish strong. All the great systems did the same---the NES, the SNES (especially), and the Playstation 2---with the Playstation 3 doing the same except for the fact that it might be another three years before we see the PS4.






I wish the WiiU success because when Nintendo succeeds and looks good, the gaming industry as a whole improves.

Should Nintendo Be Purchased?

Back in the 80s, Nintendo emerged from the ashes of the Great Gaming Crash and became the biggest gaming company in the world. And it was this way for a great period of time. They had the superior technology, superior memory, and the more expensive hardware. The Super Nintendo was more expensive than the Genesis every step of the way because the hardware associated was the most advanced in the gaming market—1994’s Donkey Kong Country being the ultimate example. Competitors came and went, but Nintendo was the biggest and baddest in the business.

Today, Sony’s Playstation 3 was programmed and crafted to have a lifespan of 10 years because of its Blu-Ray technology. The Xbox 360, which has been around for 7 years this November can still crank out some of the best-looking games you’ll ever see. As for Nintendo? Well, their Nintendo Wii was loosely more advanced than hardware from the previous gaming generation while the upcoming system looks like (there is still room for pure surprise because of lack of details) it’s going to just loosely be more advanced than the PS3. In a span of 15 years, Nintendo went from being the company with the most powerful hardware into the company with by far the most dated material out there.

What’s the difference? The competition and its money pockets were far, far deeper. Want to look into the numbers? You have no choice; after all you are reading this.

Net Worth as of 2012:
Microsoft: $230 Billion
Sony: $83 Billion

Nintendo: $18.6 Billion



Nintendo is now the small market, the indie company going up against the big boys. And with this type of disadvantage, essentially Microsoft and Sony can use their expertise with computers and technology to create the advancements in the gaming medium. With heavier budgets, more help, more connections, and far more hardware experience, Sony and Microsoft don’t have to wait on anyone else when manufacturing the future. They can afford failures (Xbox, PS Move, PS Vita) and brush themselves off to try again.



Nintendo never had this luxury, and now more than ever can’t afford any type of failure. This is why the company drops products immediately when there is any sign of flailing or fledging lack of success—Virtual Boy, ECard Reader, Game Boy Color, N64 DD anyone? Nintendo relies on pure smoke and mirrors with clever marketing, different approaches to gaming, and a ridiculously successful AAA first-party lineup to remain relevant.

Gamers are a fickle bunch, on a general consensus overreacting and painfully moaning when things don’t head in our direction. Nintendo has been in the crosshairs in recent years because after generations of astounding technology being matched by outstanding quality the find themselves being matched in their own game under far superior technology. I shall admit I was one of them for a while, but the deeper you look, the more you realize:

Nintendo is small. Very small. Just imagine the films of the Florida Film Festival having to go up against the summer blockbusters. They financially don’t stand a chance, no matter how good the movies can be. So now the question is how can Nintendo possibly bring themselves back into the mix and try to create software that can match the likes of the competitors? Where and how can Nintendo financially be able to match the heavy budgets of Microsoft and Sony? Look at the last time a smaller company attempted to push the envelope and lead the way in the gaming culture:




Sega Dreamcast anyone? Look where that took Sega. Straight into Yesterday’s news.



The solution is simple (in concept, not execution), although it definitely won’t happen. But if it did, the entire world of gaming could change forever. But like I said before, don’t expect it to be done.





Somebody has to buy Nintendo.





Yes, buy.



Like what the infamous Chris Rock sketch mentioned, there’s rich and wealthy. Nintendo is rich (not as much recently), while companies like Microsoft is wealthy. What needs to happen for Nintendo to truly rise up and go back to SNES ranking, they need a major player to put forth the effort to swallow the company whole, and provide them with the money and resources needed to push forward. Let’s be honest: the 3DS was not progressive, and the WIiU while incredibly unique isn’t much of a progression either. Crippling funds does that to you—forces you to be creative with what you have.

So what if Nintendo was purchased by Apple? Don't laugh at the Apple comment, because it was rumored for a little, and the idea has sprouted many times before. What about Disney, still raking cash after buying Marvel? Or NBC/Universal? Or, to an even lesser extent, Microsoft, its second-place rival? What if the funding for a Nintendo project increased to the ridiculous proportions of Sony? Then now we have SNES-like potential which puts Nintendo technologically in the front and in charge of their destiny. The days of having to find alternate means to go up against ever-changing and ever-improving technology would diminish. We would see the franchises of Mario, Zelda, and others look just as good as the likes of Uncharted, Heavy Rain, etc.

We can see what Nintendo can pull off with minimal budget; with Mario Galaxy 2 despite being leagues underneath the norm in terms of graphical and memory capabilities emerging as one of the best games in the past 7 years. So what would happen if someone pulled a Pixar on them, and gave them an unlimited budget on their projects? I adore Pixar, but they are lucky to have a company like Disney support them-----their last three movies have a total budget of nearly $600 MILLION (Although the payoff has always been fantastic, with over 7 billion at the box office since 1995).


What would be the canvas of Nintendo when the amount of paint is limitless? And as I am saying many times, this would require one hell of a merger, and a hell of a lot of agreements from both parties for a purchase or a merger to be a pure success. Have mergers involving a $14 BILLION company occurred? Why of course it has, but they are definitely rare. And like the other mergers, this one would be a game-changer, and (unlike the other mergers) would potentially benefit every single party involved—from Nintendo to the purchaser. Wouldn’t you like to fess up the billions to purchase a company like Nintendo? Wouldn’t you like to own the rights to the creative staff in Japan and all their original IPs?

I am not saying the company is on sale, and I am definitely not saying that Nintendo would even consider selling themselves to a bigger market in hopes of expansion. What I am indeed saying is that in order for Nintendo nowadays to EVER have the ability to play catch up with the future installments of Xbox, Playstation, and whatever else might occur down the road, they need backing. But until a company has the guts, the cajones, to truly rip open their bank account and attempt this mammoth sale, Nintendo will remain the indie company that hides their limited resources behind good marketing, a great confident staff, and a reputation that they will fight to the death to maintain.


Nintendo is not for sale. But it would be an extremely incredible investment if it were. And not to mention, the gaming industry would definitely be smiling from ear to ear.




Would you buy this brand if you could pony up the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$? I sure as hell would.

The Missing IPs of Microsoft

So Resident Evil 6 and Fifa 13 are scoring higher sales on the Playstation 3. The PS3 has owned 44% of the 2012 market compared to the Xbox 360’s 34%. The marginal lead of the Xbox 360 has been reduced to a mere 1.7 million. Microsoft in Japan is being outsold 8 to 1 against Sony. So with all these negative news, you know the momentum is pure Sony when these two get to complete a couple years from now with the next-generation systems. The Playstation 3 is almost fully recovered from the God-awful launch seemingly ions ago, while the Xbox 360 is sputtering thanks to its extremely weak non-American sales.

The question is, why? And how can Microsoft win back the crowd when the next gen hits?

Lack of IPs is the problem, IPs will become the solution.
They need new IPs. Now.



The reason why the Xbox 360 had survived at first was because they were able to pull off some of the exclusives in the Sony side when the PS3 was sputtering for an audience. Final Fantasy, Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid are examples of franchises that separated their exclusive ways and became multi-platform. So Xbox was beginning to look like an improved and inexpensive form of the Playstation.


And then the new exclusives happened.




God of War. Uncharted. Little Big Planet. Resistance. Killzone. And (this bears repeating) Uncharted happened. All of these started conquering the gaming airwaves, winning awards, earning good sales, and helping Sony establish a new audience of fans they didn’t have before. And then we have old-school exclusives making their return like Sly Cooper, Ratchet and Clank, and Gran Taurismo. So the shift happened---now we have PS3 looking like an improved version of the 360 with its more diverse lineup. While both horrifically pale in compassion to Nintendo in terms of the first-party offerings, Sony is closing in quite nicely in the way Fox Sports is sneaking in to ESPN’s sports viewership market.

Fun fact: On the Wii, the 13 best-selling games in its history are first-party. For the PS3, 8 of the 10 best-selling games are first-party. Microsoft? Only 5 of 10.

Where are Microsoft’s exclusives?



Surely they got Halo, but there are dozens of shooters to counter it, with Call of Duty finally becoming that fabled Halo-killer and becoming the biggest franchise in the seventh generation outside that infamous plumber we all know. Even Bioshock, arguably the best game ever to grace an Xbox system, wound up becoming a PS3 game as well. So, the question remains: where are your exclusive IPs Microsoft?


Time to make some, or bring some from the dead.

Bayonetta became a potential AAA success that got swooped up by Nintendo, but there are a few others ready for the taking. We can start with the Rareware brand, which is still under the Green Machine umbrella, even if the company is leagues behind what they used to be in its heyday. Like I had mentioned before, Perfect Dark, Conker, Banjo, Killer Instinct, Blast Corps, and Jet Force Gemini are all exclusives not even being mentioned to be having a future. Even Battletoads hasn’t seen the light of day since 1994. How can Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have at least 5 re-imaginings yet Battletoads get none?

In order to compete, first-party games are a necessity. Nintendo is going HD and if they play their cards right, will continue to run their model of first-party-rules-all strategy of competing against the big boys. This is why the N64 survived with NO third-party support, why the Gamecube even sold anything, why the Nintendo Wii was able to fly far away from the competitors between 2007-2009, and why the WiiU will have a successful launch even if most of the launch titles are multi-platform. Remember Halo was the only reason the original Xbox was even relevant, but nowadays it takes much more than just one or two exclusives to truly aim for the crown.


The NextBox needs more variety, shooters will help you plenty in America, but in Europe and especially in Japan it won’t help at all. Microsoft needs more exclusive role-playing games to even have a shot at Japan, while they need more action games to enhance the Europe/South America sales.



Lastly, they need more mainstream-accessible games that can be picked up by anybody. Nintendo’s Wii victory can be traced to the simple games (that don’t have the Kinect price tag) that sold phenomenal: Mario Kart Wii with 32 million, Wii Sports Resort with 30 million, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii with 26 million. Argue all you want, but shooters will NEVER hit those numbers.

Microsoft, your lead is dwindling simply because you have no new cards to offer, playing the same hand year after year. If you can’t fix this soon, then expect the Xbox 720 to look like the original Xbox:

Clunky, and barely surviving.



All Information Obtained From: VGCharts

Seven Franchises that need the Skyrim Scope

Elder Scrolls: Skyrim since its release has captivated gamers with its ridiculously long quest and endless amount of sidequests and random things to do that usually don’t even contribute to the main adventure. You can literally spend over 100 hours on the game and still not be done finding everything. Yes this game has its small bugs and issues, but the general scope of the game is arguably the biggest we have in all of gaming.

No franchise has honestly attempted to reach the scope of Elder Scrolls nowadays, with the possible exception of the Grand Theft Auto games. And of course, seeing what we can now do video games thanks to American game companies ever-expanding their horizons with the evolving admiration of sandbox/non-linear gaming that used to be held exclusively to RPG, we can only ponder: what other franchises should aim for the Skyrim heights? What gaming franchises would benefit from creating a game as big as Elder Scrolls IV?

Here is my list of the franchises that would most benefit from gaining the “Skyrim Scope.”



#7: Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy used to be one of the bigger games out there, with the SNES version guaranteeing over 20 hours of gameplay and Final Fantasy VII bringing the genre to a new level. But with the recent games, the franchise has gone so far backwards I have no idea how much worse it can possibly get. What they need to do is get back to the basics: provide a decent story, decent characters, and strip any shred of evidence of linear gameplay. The JRPGs are dying because with the exception of Pokemon, they fall into the category of being to focused, too linear, and far too restrictive. With a Skyrim environment, Square can give the next Final Fantasy more breathing room to set off on your quest at your own pace. That's all we want really.



#6: James Bond 007

Goldeneye remains the best James Bond game in all of history because of the amount exploring you got to do in the midst of completing your missions. Running on the Super Mario 64 engine, Goldeneye on the N64 had a lot of spots that actually didn't even contribute to the overall mission, they were just extra rooms to explore. Imagine taking the Bond license, creating a new storyline (or just take a few existing storylines), and then trying to expand the real world settings as much as possible. Imagine being Bond and fully exploring Las Vegas or Times Square, or London, or less-traveled roads in search of enemies or new clues. That would definitely take Bond in a new direction.




#5: Endless Ocean

These ocean exploration games despite being a little slow-paced, are soothing and delightful games that have enticed the imaginations of the younger gamers. Not much happens, but the opportunity to dive and interact with creatures of the deep have made these games mild surprise hits. Now if you were to maximize the scope and include more bodies of water, more depth, and much more, well, ocean, that would jack up not only the realism of the game, but the exploration aspects of it. Endless Ocean can truly be endless, if you give it the proper scope.



#4: Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing is a game that focuses heavily on interaction, an open world, and sheer size and variety. The Wii version didn't really improve upon anything the previous installments had, but with the WiiU, size should not be an issue. Imagine a Skyrim world for Animal Crossing, which allows for you to visit dozens of different places by traveling on foot or by boat or maybe even plane. With games like Animal Crossing, the main appeal is just finding all the fun little secrets scattered around. If you have a massive environment, the replayability, and eventually the quality of the game can improve.


#3: Pokemon

Pokemon is the biggest franchise in terms of sales, quality, and quantity in the handheld market. As a matter of fact its arguably the ONLY handheld franchise from the 90s to remain surviving in the world of today. Pokemon Black/White 2 has sold nearly 3 million copies---only in Japan---on an older system. One problem: too much potential has not been used. Yes, I have covered this before.

Imagine the Pokemon universe the size of Skyrim. Imagine combining all six major regions into one massive game. Now, similar to some of the entries here I have discussed the potential of Pokemon if they were to increase the scope and give it some extra time for development. Of all the best-selling franchises in history, the Pokemon remains the only one that has yet to tap into its full potential. Skyrim scoping it can definitely help.




#2: Kingdom Hearts

Part of this is because Square Enix is holding us hostage over Kingdom Hearts 3. Did you know that it has been 6 years since Kingdom Hearts II? Are you kidding me??! Now, Disney has purchased Marvel, has over 50 animated movies to work with, several live-action incarnations to mess around with as well. Come on now, that is dozens of environments to expand upon, dozens of places to truly dwell a little further into. Don’t give us samples of Disney movies, give us main courses! How awesome would it be if Disney truly went out and expanded places like Toontown, Africa (Lion King version), Halloweentown, the universe of TRON, and other Disney gems? It would be Disney fanfare to the ultimate degree. Remember, Square back in the 90s delivered some huge games. A nice way to come back to the prime is by exploding the Disney universe in the oft-delayed franchise.



#1: The Legend of Zelda

This is a no-brainer. I have discussed this time and time again: Zelda used to be the biggest and the baddest out there and Nintendo needs to attempt to reclaim this throne. In the 80s, Legend of Zelda was the biggest game out there with duel quests. In the 90s, Link to the Past held the throne for several years before the Nintendo 64 came out. Ocarina of Time---another Zelda game, became the biggest game on the face of the earth when 1998 rolled around. Lastly, Wind Waker was a game that suffered quality-wise because it was so large that gamers were quite frankly lost WITH a map AND a compass.

Fast-forward to today. Thanks to the weaker Wii system, the two Zelda games were nowhere near as immense as the norm. With the WiiU, Nintendo has the perfect opportunity to step up to the plate and truly create something special, something unique, and most importantly---something big. The Zelda brand has been soiled in recent times because of the weaker games within the past 7 years. The next Legend of Zelda game is arguably the most important in its long history---it will finally be in HD, in a decently-powerful system, and has the chance to scope like Skyrim. While it may hold the title only until the PS4 and Xbox 720 releases, it is a necessity to be on top at least for a little and clean up the name of the franchise.

The Pricing Chess Game of the Eighth Generation

Upset about the launch price of the Nintendo WiiU? Have no fear, for I know exactly when the price cut is going to occur, and I will tell you exactly when they will start selling those GamePad accessories individually. If you look into the past a little you’ll see a similar thing brewing today.


Back in March 2011 the Nintendo 3DS launched at a rather high $250, especially when you realize the original Game Boy launched at $90 and the Game Boy Advance a decade later launched at just $100. Many critics questioned why Nintendo went so high up on the price when the other handhelds had been more successful and profitable with prices far below $200. Even the sales were lacking a bit because of it—even though the lackluster lineup of games also wasn’t helping.

And then the Vita happened.

Sony decides to match the price of the 3DS at $250, while offering superior graphics and a slew of potentially awesome goodies. What happens next? Nintendo drops the price a few weeks later and before you know it the 3DS winds up costing a mere $170. Even though this was still higher than any handheld launch—even the DS, it destroyed all momentum of the Vita. Everyone flocked towards the 3DS with its new price, new attitude, and suddenly-powerful lineup of games. Currently the best-selling game in the world is a 3DS game, and Nintendo owns 87% of the handheld market share. Even though the phones and tablets are competing better than ever before, the 3DS has sold 20 million copies since March 2011.




So even though the 3DS will definitely not match the DS lifetime sales, being on pace to hit 40 million in three years isn’t shabby at all; particularly when you look at the Vita, a handheld that is gasping for air with just 2.8 million under its belt and no price drop beyond the horizon.

So what does this have to do with the WiiU?




All the signs are pointing towards repetition. The launch doesn’t have many first-party hard-hitters besides Mario and (sort of) Pikmin. So where is Zelda, Pokemon, Metroid, Kirby, F-Zero, Fire Emblem, and maybe even Earthbound? Waiting for the PS4 and Xbox 720. It is as simple as that. Nintendo is waiting for when the competition decides to move to the eighth generation, reveal their machine, reveal their price, to then shift into the next gear. In this waiting game, the best time to throw a nice price cut is when the others reveal their launch prices. The best time to bring out the long-anticipated Zelda HD, Metroid HD, Pokemon HD, and Mario 3-D HD is around that same time as well.


The Xbox 360 was at around $400, and the PS3 at one point was past $500. Argue all you want, Microsoft and Sony will aim their launch prices at around the same range. There is absolutely no way no how that the next-gen systems will push for a $350 launch---there is no way. And even IF they do, guess which system will suddenly drop into the $250-$275 range: Nintendo’s WiiU. Guess which other system might drop: the Nintendo 3DS. And guess around which time we will see news and/or releases of Nintendo’s more prominent franchises— around launch time with the Microsoft and Sony consoles. The advantage Nintendo has this time is a more established base with the WiiU being around for at LEAST one year, after all the Xbox 720 and PS4 will be looking at a late 2013-early 2014 revelation regardless.



So if you are upset or too financially-strapped to get a WiiU, don’t fear. That inevitable price drop will happen—right on the heads of the competition.

The Light Missteps of the WiiU Conference

The WiiU finally got its price, its release date, and a little preview as to what games you’ll be seeing in the first couple months of its lifecycle. They had a special conference a couple days ago in New York full of guest stars and Reggie Fever. My prediction was the $300 and I was half-right—because the basic pointless bundle runs you at that price. The full WiiU package, included with Nintendo Land (essentially the WiiU version of Wii Sports) a subscription and a few other goodies costs $350. The release date is the 18th of November as opposed to my predicted 19th. Now, I have a gripe with the pricing of the system.


The rumors are jerking around that the WiiU is marginally as powerful as the PS3---which echoes the hardware of the Wii which had harbored graphics that barely beat those of the Nintendo Gamecube. If you are going to toy around with a system that isn’t as powerful as you had promised, and instead looks like a Wii on steroids—why gamble with the $350 price tag? The Wii’s success was perfect because the $250 price tag was perfect for the casual crowd as well as the hardcore—and it justified the hardware limitations. Jumping up $100 and repeating the same launch issue may entice the hardcore crowd to wait a little and see if Microsoft and Sony will react—and entice them to wait.


The second issue is, if it barely beats the PS3 and 360, what’s the motivation to getting the WiiU right now? The only exclusive that can really shift sales is Super Mario Bros. U, and in recent times its become more a casual franchise as opposed to one for the pure gamers. Almost all the third-party games are those that have already/will come out for the other systems with the exception of the controversial Bayonetta 2. Becomes very difficult to entice the pure gaming crowd with this bunch of games.


And that’s where the conference also failed miserably. If you are going to drop that hefty price when the competitors with already established game lineups and good outlook of upcoming (slightly similar) games are lingering, you better deliver some good news. Nintendo Land was not good news, and the Nintendo TV feature was more gimmicky than anything—although I personally liked it and know it will appeal to those that spends good amount of time watching television. They should have started the conference with the trailer showing all the games that will be available in the launch window and then focused on…GAMES!!! Save the television stuff for another time---Nintendo owners have been starving for consistent barrage of games for about three years now. Nintendo Land was not the solution.





(this should have been displayed first)


The only thing Nintendo got right on the fabled September 13th conference was the release date. But the price is too high; they focused on all the wrong things, delivered the trailer long after we were almost sleeping during this presentation, and lastly no surprises. Nothing to get us excited for in 2013. No Zelda. No Metroid. No F-Zero. No 3-D Mario. And lastly, no 3-D Pokemon. Bummer. The WiiU will see some success in November, but not as much as it could have been with a better price and a better focus on the audience it had lost in recent years.



P.S. That being said, Lego City: Undercover looks like its going to be a heck of a guilty pleasure.

Nintendo WiiU Launch: Dreams and Predictions

So by the end of this month, Nintendo will (hopefully) reveal their price tag and their release date. September 13th is when the big announcement will be made, some of the speculation will die down, and more questions will pop up----and let’s not forget the competitors and how they might react. The big rumor is that the Sunday before Black Friday (that terrible, terrible day) is when the WiiU will be released, right after Halo 4 and the latest Call of Duty. But nothing is yet certain. What I am about to reveal is my personal opinion towards when it should launch and as to how much it should be, and what I am expecting it to be.


My Price and Release Date:

WiiU: $250 (Bundled w/Nintendo Land)
$300 (Bundled w/Nintendo Land and Super Mario Bros. U)
November 23rd


The rumor is the 18th, which is the Sunday before the Dark Weekend starting with Black Friday is the release date. For me, the only reason I wouldn’t do it on Sunday is because the launch number won’t be as mammoth as opposed to if you were to deliver it at midnight of Black Friday. Transform Black Friday into WiiU Friday. Conquer, own, utterly take over one of the biggest economic weekends in the entire year. Halo and Call of Duty are going to devour sales throughout November, so the easiest way to not get swept up in the first-person shooter hurricane is to seek shelter on the 23rd.

As for the price tag. This is the truth: the economy isn’t that great, the system is technically 5 years behind in terms of certain technology, and there is far too much rising competition with the rise of mobile and tablet gaming. The Wii launched at $250 and did perfectly fine, especially when bundled with a game that made up for the lack of software during the first year of the Wii. $250, launch with Nintendo Land to practice the tablet-style gaming and the technology that follows, and make sure to have Mario and Call of Duty ready at the exact same time. Just the fact that Nintendo is finally in the HD realm is enough reason for a purchase, but to start nice and low at $250 would be icing on the cake. The other reason why it should not be more than $250: those tablet controllers will be at least $60 and expect the video games to run at similar prices.


Prediction of Price and Release Date:

$300 (Not Bundled)
November 19th

Sunday would not be a bad idea, and to launch right before Black Friday is something I can see Nintendo doing. Black Friday is definitely the due date, but giving the system a few days extra despite not delivering blockbuster-style numbers that Americans and Economists love to see would give some breathing room to shoppers that avoid that awful weekend like the dickens. Call of Duty launches a few days prior, so not delaying the WiiU installment too long would be good news. I can see the 19th, nothing earlier and nothing later.

Sadly, I don’t see a bundle in its future, even if Nintendo Land could be the Wii Sports-like game for the WiiU. That being said, the list of launch games is arguably the most impressive since the N64---which featured the gaming culture-changing Super Mario 64 among other instant classics. This would make the $300 price tag a little more bearable for the pockets as there’s plenty of software to choose from the getgo. My main reason for predicting $300 is because the 3DS last year launched at $250. Would Nintendo honestly launch an HD system at the same price as a 3-D handheld? Doubt it.

Time to Virtual Boy the Playstation Vita

Sony, destroy the Vita immediately.


Pull a Virtual Boy.


Let’s put it this way, the Vita has been out for about a year, a year. And its market share? 12.1%. In other words, the 3DS Sony has had the Vita for about a year. Its sales? $316 million dollar loss in the last quarter. $5.6 billion dollar loss within the last year. Mario Kart 3DS has outsold the Vita in the past several weeks----its just one game. For every Vita sold, over 6 3DSs were sold. Worst economic period in the history of the company---and no signs whatsoever of going up. Which would also explain their refusal to cut the price of the handheld disaster.  This is what happens when you don't listen to me.

Here is the other example. See?

Their music sales of course are down, their television sales are struggling, and their movie division hasn’t been that great. Video games can be their future, look at how Nintendo can survive with just merchandise and game sales. The Playstation 3 in the last couple years has had plenty of success stories from their own party (Uncharted 3, Gran Turismo 5…well...) and third-party companies (Batman, Call of Duty, Battlefield) even if the hardware sales still can’t compensate for its God-awful launch.

In terms of the handheld market, Atari failed to beat Nintendo, SNK failed to beat Nintendo, Sega failed to beat Nintendo, and Sony has so far failed to beat Nintendo. So why not get out of the handheld market by all means necessary (You can’t beat the Game Boy/DS, ever), cut all losses, and revamp all the attention to the console war of today and tomorrow? The PS3 is riding good momentum and is inches away from tying the Xbox for second (Good luck ever catching the Nintendo Wii).



Sometimes, repeating history can save you. Nintendo realized immediately after the Virtual Boy’s tough start in 1995 that if they continued supporting it profits were going to dwindle and it was going to affect the N64. If Sony continues with the dwindling and depleting Vita then it will hack into the potential of the rest of PS3’s life and the beginning of PS4.


Kill the Vita. Kill it now. It cannot be saved, it won’t be saved. Time to put all focus on the Playstation 4.

Let it die. Move on Sony. 

10 Lego Games That Should Happen

Somebody sent me this awesome image of the Legend of Zelda in Lego format. And while I was delighted at the image, it also got the old noggin thinking: what if Lego and Nintendo (and/or Sony) formed some sort of partnership that would allow for certain franchises to get the Lego touch? We saw the major success with Lego Star Wars and Lego Indiana Jones, and don’t skip out on Lego City Undercover when it (perhaps) launches with the WiiU. And since I am on a creative streak, might as well form a new list. Here is the list of the franchises (or games) I would love to see get the Lego touch. Here we go:


#10: Metal Gear Solid
Imagine being able to re-create Snake’s biggest missions Lego-style. Then imagine the fun of alternating pieces around to suit your espionage skills. And then for multi-player you can build places to create espionage competitions against one another. And lastly, let’s not forget about the potential of building your own Metal Gear.



#9: Blast Corps
This one is a longshot but the N64 underrated classic gave you the chance to blow things up and----blow things up. You can take this concept, expand it, and then build entire buildings and cities out of legos----just to blow it up again.


#8: Mega Man
Although Metroid was my original choice I realized that the weapon upgrading of Mega Man would make Mega the perfect choice to get the Lego treatment. Imagine bouncing around difficult levels and collecting enough pieces to upgrade your suit to better suit (pun intended) the difficult moments of the game. You can customize Mega Man to be stronger or faster or more agile. Your choice. P.S. I can see Capcom finding a way to milk the upgrades post-release…..


#7: Avengers
Imagine Lego Batman on pure Marvel steroids. Imagine being able to walk around the Legoized cities as one of the many potential superheroes. I am pretty sure I don’t have to say anymore.



#6: James Bond
Bond. James Bond. I would love to see all different variations of Bond and would love to see the Lego versions of all the European and exotic places he has visited over the decades of Bond cinema. And think of the multi-player fun as you get to go at each other with toy guns and weapons.



#5: Uncharted
This franchise has seen so much growth since the original captivated gamers several years ago. But I would love to see Mr. Drake reduce into Lego form and re-create all of his adventures. It would provide a fun twist to the gameplay and the cutscenes involved.


#4: Legend of Zelda
The image did get me thinking, and personally a Lego remake of the original original Zelda or Zelda II wouldn’t be half-bad an idea. There’s been no extra loving for Zelda II and I can see it getting a 3-D Lego treatment so it can be re-introduced to a new audience. The franchise has gotten a little stale so perhaps giving it a new look will help some.


#3: Super Mario Bros.
The only reason why this is on the list is because of the pure potential of creating Mario levels with Lego blocks, since the original Mario Bros. can definitely be re-created block by block. Imagine having the ability to create your own levels and share them online with others. We already see re-creations of Mario Bros. on Youtube so might as well cash in on the creativity and give gamers the chance to build one on the WiiU.



#2: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
A Lego re-creation of the biggest and arguably best warfare franchise in history? Why in the heck not? You can make the game first and third person while drumming through all the different wars whether its World War II or World War III. The younger gamers can finally get their first glimpse on the frantic gameplay you usually get with your Call of Duty games. Wouldn’t it be awesome to build your own aerial vehicle so you can combat in the skies? Lastly, a Lego map editor is a definite must.






#1: Mario Kart
There is some heavy bias going on here, but I don’t care. A Lego Mario Kart would send this franchise in directions that would entice every gamer to play. Imagine building your own Toad or Yoshi or plumber to race against the classics. Imagine building your own vehicle to compete against others. Imagine having the ability to re-create classic tracks from Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64 to upload, share, and compete with others. Mario Kart with a heavy Lego editing touch would give us endless joy, endless fun, and would propel the online multi-player world into a pure frenzy.


If you have any other Lego gaming ideas, please by all means share them!