The Fall and Hopeful Rise of Sonic the Hedgehog

Sega has finally, finally realized that Sonic just isn’t the same anymore, and that the fans are pretty much fed up with the direction of the franchise. For the past several years we’ve seen tons of Sonic games unleash a few good ideas and a few good levels, and perhaps even a few glimpses of hope for a true-blue comeback. Nonetheless, the sales haven’t been impressive, the word-of-mouth is just not there, and Sega has yet to truly capitalize on its biggest franchise. It does also hurt them that the games are rather crappy.





The best-selling video game in the Sonic line was Sonic 2, which sold an astounding 6 million copies. The Sonic trilogy sold 12 million copies within the SNES/Genesis death battle in early 90s. However once the new millennium started the console Sonic games just weren’t selling in the high numbers Sega was used to seeing. No matter how many reboots were thrown at Sonic, no new image or attitude could deliver. Sonic Generations couldn’t do it, Sonic Unleashed couldn’t really do it, Sonic Boom is a disaster. Even though the Sonic Adventure games did do surprise-surprise success on the Gamecube, it was far from the days when the hedgehog could be mentioned with the likes of Mario and Donkey Kong.

But if there’s a place where Sega should fully focus on, it should be the handheld market. For some odd reason, Sega is focusing all its efforts on the Playstation and XBox fronts----when this century has seen the best of Sonic in the Nintendo handhelds. Sonic Advance series (great games by the way) has sold 5 million copies on the Game Boy Advance---a handheld that saw tons of software sales but seldom in pure bulk. The Sonic Rush series (which features the best Sonic game in the past decade) sold over 4 million in the DS line. The numbers do exist, and the fanbase is willing to return back to Sonic in the way Nintendo gamers continue flocking to the Mario franchise. It just might not be in the eighth or ninth generation console battles.

Back to basics should be the approach, and scaling Sonic back into the Nintendo handheld market might be the best way to do it. Sonic flourishes best on the DS systems because it has the technology to make the games very fast, intense, and without issues---yet also isn’t strong enough to pull off the console gameplay that we’ve learned to hate. The other reason is because the Nintendo fanbase resonates and accepts Sonic far better than the fanbases of the competitors. Sonic needs to remain in 2-D as the style of gameplay suffers immensely with an added dimension. Mario can work on 2-D and 3-D because speed isn’t its special point—its creativity, variety, and replay value. Sonic’s best work involves furious speed, roller-coaster-like action, and relentless challenge. Pitting Sonic on 3-D and trying to duplicate this style just doesn’t work---you’d have to give them a totally new gameplay mechanic—which would then remove its Sonicness from the equation.

Sonic Rush is where they need to truly focus on if they want to win their fans back. Sonic Rush was lengthy, had big boss battles, elongated levels, and stripped back on storyline in favor of just throwing you tons of content. Sega needs to stop trying to tell a story, they have plenty of other franchises to pull off storylines to interweave with the gameplay. Sonic just needs to go, and keep going. And they need to give Sonic a break from the console market, instead building hype and anticipation through scattered games in the handheld front. Let’s take Pokemon for an example—when they finally upgrade it to the console market with a true official adventure, it will probably become the best-selling Nintendo game since Wii Sports. Sorry, drifting, let me get back on topic.

And once they decide to return back to the Playstation/XBox/Wii world, the path should be more New Super Mario Bros. and less Super Mario Galaxy; more Sonic Adventure 2 and less Sonic Colors. Less story, less exploration, less pointless side-quests (Seriously, the Chaos World was abysmal), and focus mainly on levels, speed, and plenty of characters to roam with. The Sega team does have some ideas, does still have the potential of delivering another classic, but needs more direction and less production. There is hope, nonetheless a restructuring of the franchise is needed. At least Sega knows that something needs to be done.

Admitting it is always the first step……..if only other companies would follow along….

E3 2015's Re-Affirmation of the Console War Standings

3 Things We Learned From E3:

1) Microsoft is not throwing in the towel
2) Sony is on top of its game and will remain on top for a while
3) Nintendo hates its fans.




E3 2015 has pretty much solidified the standings, as Sony remains on top, Microsoft is following nice and close in second, and Nintendo is all but irrelevant at this point---not even sure how the PR can handle the current backlash. Another major change happening in E3 is the importance of the publishers and developers impressing the media and the attendees. So now there’s much more focus on conferences from EA and Bethesda. With the Top 2 displaying similar lineups, the differences become nothing more than surprises, business decisions, pricing, and additional features within the console.

So with that, and the overwhelming amount of companies that fall off the gaming wars, you’ll see larger developers and publishers rev up the marketing during this weekend. Fallout 4 and Star Wars Battlefront pretty much led the way, taking almost all the attention from the decisions of the Playstation 4 and the XBox One. Never been an EA fan, especially after its legal monopoly on football games, but Battlefront looks darn good.

On to the Big 3. Microsoft shocked the world by offering backwards-compatibility, which was something the XBox had been trying so hard to deviate from. Microsoft had spoken out against it for years, which made this all the more surprising. The XBox One has had an interesting history of backing away from some of its original decisions, with the infamous DRM insanity from a couple years ago being the best example. Can’t blame them for throwing the kitchen sink into keeping the lead in the American market and attempt to creep into the European scene. The XBox 360 had a slew of spectacular games that deserved a second shot with the One, especially during the downtimes as we are seeing less and less major titles being produced nowadays.

The gaming industry is doing a strategy that’s similar to Disney’s cinematic technique: less is more. Less games produced, but throw more money and resources within these games. Grand Theft Auto 5 needed 5 years---but after a good marketing campaign and gamer’s support of the don’t-rush-art approach the game sells over 45 million copies amongst four consoles. So with that, you need software to hold the gamers over while they wait the next major title. Let’s be honest, outside Halo 5 is there any major exclusive XBox title that can move hardware sales? Not really. So backwards-compatibility, reaching into the past is definitely the direction to go, especially when Sony remains hesitant to do the same.

But dear God: The Final Fantasy VII remake. After years of begging and pleading for a remake to one of the last excellent JRPGs (honestly, we haven’t seen much JRPG goodness post-90s), we are finally getting it. Let’s forget the fact that Square Enix’s track record hasn’t been good in in a decade, Final Fantasy VII-2 is a reality. Not only did it remove some of the momentum from WiiU’s exciting Xenoblade Chronicles X, but combined with Shenmue 3 Sony is pretty much conquering the Japanese region in terms of consoles (The 3DS is still wickedly popular over there).

Although Sony won’t budge on their backwards-compatibility, its Playstation TV/Now/Live features cover up most of the damage from being the only console of the three lacking support of previous generations. Sony doesn’t have much to offer this year, but with such a successful run so far and outstanding third-party support the Playstation 4 has very little to worry about. The conference of Sony didn’t deliver the most hits, but delivered the most memorable blow.

As for Nintendo. Good ol’ Nintendo. The WiiU support is about dead, there was no mentioning of Zelda (that should stir the pot because if they can’t reveal anything now, I smell a delay to the next generation), the big Retro Studios announcement was a pure dud, Star Fox Zero doesn’t exactly impress (and no online support? Seriously?), and aside from Mario Maker and Xenoblade, do we really have anything to be excited over? No big surprises, no mention of Gamecube in Virtual Console (a pure miss for the past 5 years), no F-Zero, no major Metroid title, and just nothing that could possibly help Nintendo get out of its funk with the gaming crowd.

Nintendo is on some ugly crossroads. You have Nintendo of America constantly trying to clean up the shenanigans coming from the Japanese department, and you have the Japanese division continuing its bitterly stubborn ways and not trying to adapt and shift into the new age of gaming. At this point, Star Fox Zero not having online support is inexcusable. At this point, fumbling the Metroid franchise YET AGAIN after Other M ruffled the wrong feathers is also inexcusable. Lastly, not a single peek of the upcoming Zelda game is disastrous---and inexcusable. Nintendo did not win any fans during this E3, and really couldn’t give much of a convincing argument as to why you should invest in the WiiU. The system is being abandoned quite hastily—despite Super Mario Maker potentially being the most rewarding video game of 2015.

All in all, this E3 did deliver plenty of goods and surprises. The XBox One all but eliminated its ugly reputation that had been developing a few years ago after the influx of PR hiccups. Sony and the PS4 continues its reign at the top as they continue to pour money into remakes and sequels that we desire for the sake of making them exclusive to increase the value of the console. Then there’s Nintendo, making us sigh repeatedly. If you are a gamer however, there’s plenty to be excited about---even if most of the good stuff won’t come for several months.

The Nintendo Strategy That Worked, But Was Never Repeated

Back in 2002, Nintendo tried something unique, something different, and it worked.



And they haven’t done it since.



November 2002 would be the Month of Metroid, as we saw two very different Metroid games on two different systems release in the same day. They each had high-budget commercials, they each had the attention of the gaming community, and if it weren’t for the astounding controversy and success of Grand Theft Auto III/Vice City (as well as the mammoth year of the Playstation 2 overall) it would have been the most-talked about gaming-related thing in the entire holiday season.

Metroid Prime opened to spectacular reviews and sold over a million copies for a system struggling to actually do the same. Metroid Fusion also managed to sell a million, despite being part of a franchise that had been dormant for nearly a decade up to that point. Overall, it was a nice success and bit of good news Nintendo had needed during the rough opening year of the Gamecube.

But this idea was never duplicated again.

To this day we haven’t seen any of the Nintendo franchises have a special day of this magnitude. There was no special Wii/DS combination, there was no special Wii/3DS combination, and to this day we haven’t seen anything of that sort between the WiiU and 3DS. The concept of simultaneous release dates on different platforms should be an idea further explored by Nintendo, for releasing them at the same time creates lots of good marketing, and would prevent from one game hindering the sales of the other.

Take Smash Brothers 3DS for example. It had a release date in late summer, and its bigger brother counterpart had a release date of November. The 3DS version ruined the momentum of the other game because a) both games were eerily similar which was a poor choice I must add and b) way more people owned a 3DS as opposed to the WiiU—prompting the classic question of why taking the next step into getting the new console when I already own a system that has the game I had been yearning for years. 3DS Smash Brothers sold nearly 6 million copies—quietly making it the most successful fighting game in the history of handhelds.

The WiiU version? 3.2 million. The cheaper 3DS is now outselling the WiiU by over 80,000 every single week on average, with the spike attributed to software like Smash Brothers 3DS and Mario Kart 7. Now, there are much bigger issues than just software not receiving the same release date, but it definitely doesn’t help that the 3DS is chewing away at WiiU’s momentum.

Nintendo needs more moments like Month of Metroid. We need to see a day in which the next-gen system gets the brand new 3-D, not Skyward Sword Zelda and the handheld gets a 2-D counterpart. The games not only have to be same franchise, they also stylistically and texturally have to be different. Prime was a 3-D adventure with heavy first-person shooter elements---Metroid Fusion was a Super Metroid-influenced action horror handheld with 2-D gameplay. Same franchise, different games.

It is all about generating the hype, as opposed to spitting games in different release dates all over the year---prompting potential momentum kills. New Super Mario Bros. 2 definitely hampered the sales of the WiiU launch since we saw the more expensive but similar-looking New Super Mario Bros. U be the big launch title. Not a good sign. The 3DS sequel scored 8 million, while the WiiU version around half of that. If they had come out on the same date, we could have seen closer sales. If we saw a Super Mario 64-2 or a Mario Galaxy 3 as opposed to a New Mario U, that also could have helped the launch.

Nintendo in the future needs more Month of Pokemon, Month of Mario, Month of Zelda, etc. These types of events would be fun, and would motivate the fanbases. Month of Metroid resulted in sales of nearly 4 million after an 8-year hiatus and missing an entire generation. They need to invade the news of the gaming world at least temporarily with simultaneous releases of their heavy-hitting games. Random day in August to release a game won’t do you any good. Multiple sequels won’t do us good, we are willing to wait for that one big incredible game (Just ask Rockstar and the results after a 5-year development cycle of GTA V). You need to build the hype, you need to get people excited.

Unlike Microsoft (and Sony technically because the Playstation handhelds are irrelevant) Nintendo has the advantage because they own the handheld market and despite the limited sales of the current console, has a good history in the console wars. Their best franchises have done well in both platforms. Nintendo should further utilize this fact and do these special events more often. Cluster the games more often. Show the world why you should own BOTH the handheld and the console. But spitting random games in random dates won’t do the trick, it does more harm than you would like to believe. The WiiU is in third place, and that’s WITH having a version of Mario Bros., Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and even Zelda.



Month of Metroid back in 2002 was a game-changer, and was quite fun. I did buy both games. We would love to see more of these.

The First White Flag of the Eighth Generation

Nintendo Gamecube Release: 2001
Nintendo Wii Annoucement: 2005


Nintendo Wii Release: 2006
Nintendo WiiU Annoucement: 2011


Nintendo WiiU Release: 2012
Nintendo Successor Announcement: March 2015


Abandon ship gamers. Leave the WiiU right now. Nintendo couldn’t even wait three full years to announce that they have a successor to the rapidly-decaying Nintendo WiiU. And yes it’s just a codename, and yes we all knew this day would come. However, you make these major announcements only when your momentum with the current console starts running out. And after a bit north of two years, the Big N has pretty much unveiled their lack of hope and faith in their third-place system by not announcing a successor, but then even mentioning how its entering the smartphone business after years of denial and refusing to accept the technology. 

Run, run away fast Nintendo fans. There is nothing to see here. Yes we have a great Smash Brothers and superb sort-of 3-D Mario game in the console, but besides Zelda (and maybe Star Fox? Where are the details?) what is there to look forward to? I don’t hear of another console Pokemon game, another Donkey Kong game, no Fire Emblem, no F-Zero, no Kid Icarus, no Wario, nothing. It looks like even the first-party lineup has been severely scaled back. The 3DS got an astonishing 3 major Zelda titles. The WiiU couldn’t get 3 of anything. There is a chance that the WiiU by the end of its run won’t even outsell the Nintendo Gamecube; which is a ridiculous shame because the XBox One and the PS4 are selling at record pace and the gaming industry is bigger than ever.

And if you think I might be slightly looking too much into this; this comes after Miyamoto admits that there won’t be a 3-D Mario game. What Nintendo system doesn’t get the big Mario game? One that is being abandoned, that’s what.

Of course Nintendo is going to not reveal any specific details until at the earliest E3 2016, so they can nab whoever might be left in considering to purchase one thanks to Skyrim Zelda looming on the horizon. Not only does the WiiU get consistently outsold by the PS3, but even the Vita is performing better. Third-party companies have already left, and not even a good Wind Waker bundle and a price cut could remedy a positive solution. Unlike what happened with the N64 and Gamecube, Nintendo has decided to quietly pull the plug early before any further damage is done.

Whatever the Nintendo NX becomes, the company needs to learn from the mistakes made in the past five years with the Wii’s final years and the WiiU disaster. If you don’t own a WiiU yet, really think about it before purchasing one. There are good games to be played here, that part is true. However do you really want to now make an investment on a console that slowly but surely being abandoned by pretty much everybody?



The white flag has been raised. The eighth generation has pretty much become a two-console race.

WiiU: The Other DS

Smash Brothers for WiiU has finally arrived, and after years of anticipation we have finally seen the newest iteration of the grandiose franchise that has accounted for around 30 million in sales within 15 years and only 4 games. And after all the remarkable reviews, after all the hype, all the TLC given by Nintendo, after the Conan appearance, and after all the hardcore gamers seeing a nice lineup boasted by Namco and Sega support, just how well did it do?

Approximately 500,000 on opening week. Couldn’t even get first place. And couldn’t even outsell a remake of a 10-year old Pokemon game. It got destroyed by Pokemon, nullified by Grand Theft Auto, and couldn’t even defeat FarCry. This is Nintendo’s most important release in quite some time and those weak opening numbers are quite disappointing. And with looming reports of WiiU getting stomped in the Black Friday rush, there really isn’t much reason to believe in Nintendo rising out of the cellar in the eighth generation console wars.

Now, I can yell until I turn blue in the face as to some of the mistakes Nintendo has committed this year, and even with this game. No Melee re-release to hype up the next installment ala Halo Master Collection. Not much of a title (Would it kill you to give the game a proper title?). Not much of a commercial to advertise the much-anticipated game. And of course, no price cut/bundle combination strategy that has been used very successfully by Microsoft and the XBox One.

But even if Nintendo got all of this right, there is a good chance that the WiiU will not only absolutely miss the success of the Wii, but will absolutely get destroyed by the competition. And there is a simple, simple reason why: The Nintendo 3DS believe it or not.

Funny, I feel like I had written slightly about this before......

......but it bears repeating because its getting much, much worse. Especially with the WiiU still not hitting a nerve in the Western Hemisphere.

The WiiU has become a hybrid of a mediocre gigantic version of the 3DS with the totally-forgotten family-friendly anti-hardcore image of the Nintendo Wii. The WiiU has failed to shake off the bitter aftertaste of the Wii while at the same time fail to provide a lineup of games that gives the remaining Nintendo fans reason to purchase the system---and not because they are bad games but because there’s a cheaper alternative to every single one of their better efforts:

WiiU:
Smash Brothers WiiU
Mario Kart 8
New Super Mario Bros. U
Super Mario 3D World
Zelda: Wind Waker
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze


3DS:
Smash Brothers 3DS
Mario Kart 7
New Super Mario Bros. 1 and 2 (Hooray for backwards-compatibility)
Super Mario 3D Land
Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3DS
Star Fox 64 3D (I am throwing that in there because the WiiU is getting a Star Fox game)



The 3DS is cheaper, offers more games, offers cheaper games, is portable, and has Pokemon---something still lacking in console Nintendo systems. So honestly, why fork over $300 and get the WiiU when there is a similar lineup of games in the cheaper handheld while at the same time having a far better Virtual Console and a far better consistency of new games?

The WiiU is lacking an independent identity, and its killing its chances of taking off. The Nintendo Wii right off the bat knew what it was, a family-friendly, cheaper, simpler approach to gaming and it absolutely worked—while at the same time distance itself from the also-unique DS. The WiiU came out and in the midst of the delays and lack of software, we didn’t really know what to expect. The PS4 is PS3 on quality steroids, the XBox One is a machine of pure American entertainment. How would you describe the WiiU? Honestly? With the touchscreen, basically an expensive HD 3DS. It will even have DS games in the Virtual Console in the near future.

It needs some separation from the 3DS and extremely fast if it plans on ever being even slightly relevant. And even in the Virtual Console aspect there NEEDS to be some separation. WiiU needs Gamecube (and even some Wii games) and needs to stay away from the N64, GBA, and DS games that are associated with the 3DS. We are also talking about new IPs, bringing back old forgotten IPs (Golden Sun, seriously, where is it?), and making sure that the next installment of the popular IPs feels like the next step forward. Look at GTA IV and GTA V. Look at Metal Gear Solid IV and look at the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V. Now look at Super Mario 3D Land and look at Super Mario 3D World. Lastly look at Donkey Kong Country Returns and look at Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze. Which game combinations look and play the most alike?

You need to give the WiiU some experiences that you can’t experience on the 3DS. We are talking about the MMORPG Pokemon, we are talking about the massive open-world Mario game, we are talking about the Metroid game that has the epic Halo feel, we are talking about the massive massive sequel to whether Star Fox, F-Zero, Golden Sun, or whatever hardcore franchise has seen minimal action in the past half-decade; and lastly we are talking about that Zelda game that requires Skyrim amount of hours to finish.

The biggest drawback to Smash Brothers WiiU sales, were the phenomenal sales of the 3DS installment. And that connection alone is the perfect allegory to what is happening to the WiiU---its value is being diminished by the more attractive sibling. The Nintendo WiiU needs a massive makeover otherwise it will become another Gamecube: decent powerful system, great games, but nobody bought it....

How Nintendo Conquered E3 2014

E3 2014 will be known as the E3 that was dominated by Nintendo.


Let’s start with Sony and Microsoft. Both did a great job maintaining their audience happy thought their conferences. Neither unveiled too many surprises, but had a steady flow of games and good news to keep the console war interesting. Microsoft kept the FPS community totally enthralled after their news about the upcoming Halo game that features all 4 games and all the multi-player maps. Sony brought out their big guns with Uncharted and Little Big Planet. Both companies also displayed third-party games and how good they will look on their representative systems. Lastly, Grand Theft Auto 5 being released on all platforms was just great news for the gaming community altogether.




But Nintendo delivered the big guns, the big surprises, and came out swinging wildly from the first second on.


With the help of Robot Chicken, an extremely over-excited commentator, a successful Smash Brothers tournament, a cool action sequence featuring Nintendo presidents, and the ability to stretch out the good news over more than just one day, Nintendo single-handedly brought the fight on and pretty much all but guaranteed 2015 domination.They didn't throw any numbers, didn't apologize, didn't preach hope. All they did was hand out new game after new game after new game.



The new (remake) Pokemon games. The Nintendo figures that each carries its own distinctive stats. Smash Brothers WiiU. Smash Brothers 3DS. Pac-Man being in Smash Brothers. The ability to put your character as a fighter in Smash Brothers. Star Fox reveal. Zelda WiiU revealed and displayed (beautifully). New Kirby game. New game featuring Toad. New “X” trailer. 3DS RPG by Level 5 with help from Studio Ghibli. And a few surprising exclusives to round it all out. Nintendo needed software, and it delivered software by the droves. There was an infinite amount of attention given to the fleeting WiiU, and yet focused the second day on the 3DS to even up the love.

Nearly every problem the WiiU has presented over the years had been addressed, dealt with, and countered within the 48 hours of E3 so far. Lack of software? Not anymore. Pointless gamepad? Not anymore. Too much Mario? Not anymore, as not one Mario game was mentioned this year. Not enough indie games? Over a dozen Capcom games for Virtual Console in the upcoming year as well as its rising amount of low-budget games. Not enough new IPs? Well, we have Fantasy Life, Devil’s Third, and Splatoon around the corner. Nintendo managed to calm nearly all the criticism flames by unveiling the most diverse lineup amongst the Big 3 systems.

Some can and will argue that Nintendo had the most to recover amongst the three, as the PS4 is hitting record sales and the XBox One isn’t doing half-bad until you leave the Western Hemisphere. But Nintendo delivered the requirements and took it even farther. Although some will say it’s too little too late after the years of Wii neglect and the abysmal WiiU start, but for those that did indeed have hope this E3 should definitely make you a believer. The WiiU has a long, long way to go, but it is most certainly heading in the right direction.



Nintendo you needed to do something, fast, and you definitely didn’t disappoint.

Now time to make due with all the promises.

The E3 2014 Requirements For All Three Systems

E3 2014 is just around the corner, and with the XBox One matching the PS4 in prices, the summer and remained of this year will become a hotly-contested arms race, as it is no longer the PS4 with the overwhelming best deal. E3 will definitely become the forecast as to how the rest of the year is going to play out. Will the PS4 continue dominating? Will the WiiU finally start its chase for first place? Can the XBox One get out of the cellar? This E3 might be able to provide the hints. Each of the major players has yet to unveil much as to what is coming, but they each do have some requirements.



We shall start with Sony and the PS4/Vita. The Playstation Vita is getting absolutely destroyed (16% market share is a joke) and perhaps the only way to truly save it is become more of a system for the Japanese and Far East gamers. So for the Vita we should be talking more JRPGs, more fighters, more content from the likes of Capcom and Square Enix. The original PSP stayed relevant because of its impact in the Japanese gaming community. 20 million PSPs were sold in Japan, which was more than what they sold in America, and that’s in a country with 200 million less people.

The Vita needs to Final Fantasy it up; seek out old-school RPGs and new-school RPGs to remain relevant in the Asian market. To compete directly against the 3DS is no longer a feasible option, as it will continue to struggle to go up against the androids, Apple products, and smart phones. More games, and more appealing games is the solution. Don’t look like a PS3/PS4-lite, provide your own arsenal of software that is unique from everyone else.

The PS4 is doing fantastic, and that’s without much of a first-party showing (so far). However, this E3 is their chance to really make waves by throwing out some of their flagship franchises like Gran Turismo, Uncharted, Last of Us, God of War, among others. Can we potentially see a Crash Bandicoot reboot? A new Little Big Planet? Perhaps something brand new? Either way, Sony can win simply by maintaining its awesome online software lineup, maintaining its third-party connections, and not flubbing up and ruining a good thing. Gamers are now more than ever willing to fork out the big bucks as long as the games keep coming; and the record-setting sales pace of the PS4 is proving this.



Microsoft crafted a PR nightmare last year with the DRM disaster that was never fully explained, never fully thought-out, and was just met with Twitter/Gamer outrage. So this year, stop the non-gaming nonsense and focus on becoming the ultimate system for online play, for action-packed shooters, and the top billing for blockbuster games. While Sony owns the indie market and currently owns the genres of adventures and RPGs; the big-budget gems belong to Microsoft. Forza, Halo, Gears of War, and Fable are amongst the biggest games out there. We need more of these gorgeous immersive games to be promised to the fans if Microsoft ever plans on escaping the cellar. And unlike Nintendo and Sony, Microsoft has more money to throw, more money to spend, and more resources to make this a reality. Rev up the XBox Live, and pump up the big games. Sometimes all it takes is that one huge game to truly push the sales forward---look at all that Grand Theft Auto 5 last year accomplished.

But seriously though Microsoft, gamers don’t care about the TV shows, about the NFL connection, or any of the multi-media nonsense. Stay away from all of that by any means necessary.




Lastly, we have Nintendo. The WiiU is currently the cheapest system, currently also the system in most need of good news. They need software, and lots of it. And unlike the PS4 and the XBox One, Nintendo has the best opportunity to rev back into the past and deliver more games than anyone else out there. The Virtual Console for the WiiU is missing DS, N64, and Gamecube games---amongst those three systems that’s easily over 200 potential games to re-release for a new audience. HD remakes of past Nintendo classics could also help---like Smash Brothers Melee, Metroid Prime, Majora’s Mask, Super Mario 64, Mario Sunshine, Eternal Darkness, Mario Party (2, preferably), among many, many, many others.

But don’t just stop there Nintendo, we need more of your heavy-hitters. We need to see a new Metroid, a new Zelda, a new true-blue 3-D Mario adventure, and perhaps even some transitions from handheld to console from the likes of Pokemon (most obvious answer), Golden Sun, Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright, and even Wario Land. We need to see updated and modernized versions of classic franchises like Mario Golf/Tennis, Kid Icarus, Fire Emblem, and to an extent even Zelda (Which needs to achieve Elder Scrolls-like scope without question). Nintendo’s reputation for excellent game has always trumped its questionable business decisions, and all it takes is a game to the quality of a Super Mario Galaxy to bring the company back on its feet. But software is its biggest issue, and the biggest point that needs to be driven home this E3. And just focus on the WiiU, and save the 3DS news for a later date in a Nintendo Direct of some sort. But the WiiU needs all the love, all the focus, and all the saving.

This E3 should be another fun one, as the companies are now closer than ever in terms of competition and claiming the crown. All it takes is one wildly good bit of news to swing the momentum. Its just a matter of seeing who will deliver the biggest blow.

The Ninendo Smokescreen That Only Furthur Displays its Ineptitude

So Nintendo hates money.






A lot.




After revealing that they are operating at a major loss, yet again, because of the WiiU, Nintendo announces that they are remaking one of the older Pokemon games----the Ruby and Sapphire editions…….for the 3DS.

What looks to be the latest smokescreen to mask the bad financial news in the world of Nintendo, we are getting yet another Pokemon adventure for the handheld coming out this year---less than a year after Pokemon X/Y. This makes it the sixth year in a row a Nintendo handheld is getting a Pokemon game. It starts with Pokemon Platinum in 2009, and through the entire Call of Duty-like run we have seen two remakes, and a sequel.

And yet in the midst of all this, still nothing for the consoles, even if the console is the main source for all your flopping.

It is almost poetic justice that this news arrives right after the financial reports come out, because it reveals that Nintendo is losing money and then showcases one of the main reasons why. I am not saying Pokemon is going to single-handedly save the WiiU, but it would definitely bring a wild card to the table and get the ball rolling. Twitter and Facebook would have absolutely exploded if they said they have a Ruby/Sapphire remake for the WiiU in true 3-D form. Now THAT would have been a light at the end of the tunnel. Instead, we are left scratching our heads.

Not only is the remake not being in HD and in console form, but it’s not even having a chance to arrive in WiiU in any form. And it makes no sense because now we have DS Virtual Console games arriving directly to the WiiU! Pokemon X/Y has sold over 12 million copies, this is the success story the WiiU desperately needs! Why couldn’t you just remake the game and make a WiiU exclusive?


Just look at these numbers:
Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow: 46 million
Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal: 29 million
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald: 22 million
Pokemon Red/Blue/Gold/Silver Remakes: 22 million
Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum: 25 million
Pokemon Black/White Part 1 and 2: 21 million


Want to know what they have in similarity? All handheld. The Game Boy (118 million), Game Boy Advance (81 million), and the Nintendo DS (154 million) have benefited amazingly from this franchise. Want to know how many Nintendo consoles have sold over 81 million copies?


Just the Nintendo Wii.

Why would you not want to transfer some of those ridiculously successful numbers into the console? The Wii didn’t really need it (Well, until after 2010 when Nintendo dished out approximately one game a year), but the Gamecube could’ve used some help, and the WiiU definitely needs this sort of help. The idea of a console Pokemon with online enhancements would move hardware like nothing else Nintendo has done since making a 3-D Super Mario game way back in 1996. And if you think Pokemon doesn’t transfer well in consoles, just look at the N64 days—when Pokemon Stadium sold over 5 million copies and Pokemon Snap, a low-budget spin-off, sold 3 million with minimal marketing.

Nintendo, you need to stop being stubborn, you have a gold mine just waiting to be discovered. The elusive big budget HD Pokemon game has officially become one of gaming’s biggest desires, especially after seeing that the technology can indeed be achieved. Stop with the remakes, stop with the rehashing of older Pokemon games, and start focusing on the next generation of Pokemon gaming: larger budget, larger environment, HD graphics, and a major emphasis on online play. And even if you aren’t ready for that, these upcoming Pokemon games should have at least been an option for the WiiU, at the very least.


Nintendo, you seem to hate money nowadays because you are failing to see the different ways you can earn it, even during these dark times. Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire for the 3DS (and only the 3DS) is your latest and possibly greatest example.

The Hindering Success of the Nintendo 3DS

There was a recent interview of Koichi Hayashida on IGN talking about why the NES Remix games have not been released on the 3DS. In short words, he basically said that the 3DS doesn’t really have the technical capabilities to be able to run NES Remix. Of course reading the interview I found the answer interesting and would like to add one extra word:


Nonsense.


Total, unadulterated nonsense. The Nintendo 3DS will be running Super Smash Brothers (P.S., why is it lacking a true title?!?) on 60 FPS with no issue---and this fighter needs some major processing power to be able to replicate the Smash experience. You telling me that you can’t run a game that takes NES games (all of them 20+ years old by the way) and gives them little twists? Absolute lie. I don’t believe it in the slightest bit, sorry.

This is the truth: NES Remix would work perfectly fine on the 3DS, and to an extent should have been a strictly 3DS game with GBA or even SNES Remix occurring in the Nintendo WiiU. But the success of the 3DS is starting to directly affect the sales of the WiiU and Nintendo is beginning to see the problem.

Part of the WiiU’s failures (Trust me, there are dozens of reasons) includes the fact that it looks like the Nintendo DS on pure steroids. And while in hindsight it is a good idea since the original DS sold over 150 million copies worldwide during its epic run, it diminishes the value of the WiiU altogether. Why spend the $300 on a big DS when you can fork over half that cash and buy a system that is easy to move around with, and has a killer library of games?

Why get a WiiU that features Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Brothers WiiU, New Super Mario Bros. U, and the Virtual Console feature when you can get the cheaper 3DS with games like: Super Mario 3D Land, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Mario Kart 7, Super Smash Brothers 3DS, New Super Mario Bros. 1 & 2, Virtual Console, and a much bigger assortment of games?

Nintendo is making fantastic money, but it’s all coming from the 3DS. The 3DS nearly has 85% market share in the handheld field, and is steadily being able to hold off advances from the smartphones and Apple products to continue making good money---and this is without a major 3DS release currently making waves---until Smash Brothers and the inevitable Pokemon X/Y spin-off that is. The WiiU on the other hand is getting obliterated by the PS4 and has not taken off a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e., not even in the usually-reliably Japanese region.

Nintendo is not going the Sega path, since Sega failed in every field at the same time in the late 90s. Nintendo is still raking in cash, its still going to be fine in the long run even if the WiiU fails harder than the notorious Gamecube. But in order for the WiiU to have any sort of chance, it needs to distance itself from the 3DS as much as humanely possible. And NES Remix (And potentially SNES Remix, GBA Remix, N64 Remix) is part of that solution—becoming exclusive for the struggling machine.

This is why any idea that seems better-suited for the 3DS is winding up on the WiiU: GBA Virtual Console, DS Virtual Console, The Remix Games, and the long-overdue influx of indie games. Although it seems like giving more Nintendo gamers options to play these types of games, if the 3DS owners have their hands on any of these properties, they will be much less inclined to transition to the WiiU in the eighth generation of gaming.

Nintendo has totally dropped the ball in terms of upgrading the looks of their main franchises, still sticking with the 2-D, not-as-hardcore installments to their heavy-hitters like Mario and Donkey Kong—resulting in the WiiU versions feeling like mere Windows-like upgrades to the 3DS gems. Am I really going to fork over the $60 for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze when it looks like a game that can handle itself on the 3DS?


Side Note: One of the worst things Nintendo did in the past few years is manage to condense a first-party Nintendo Wii game to the 3DS and display how behind the Wii-series of systems is compared to the PS4 and XBox One.


So it may look strange, it may look downright bizarre that all these incredible ideas that seem perfect for the forever-improving 3DS wind up on the WiiU, but it’s mainly because the console is struggling to find its footing and momentum—and it is leading to the transferring of handheld ideas to the larger machine. The 3DS is a successful piece of hardware that is all but eliminating its own best friend, Nintendo’s own WiiU. Nintendo’s shift of focus is smart and understandable, for the console market is bigger and more successful than ever (Grand Theft Auto V anyone?) and it is time to take advantage of this.




That being said, in the field of transferring handheld ideas to consoles, why is Pokemon STILL not on the radar?

The Final What-the-heck-are-you-doing-to-the-Virtual-Console-Nintendo Post

This will be my final article about the Virtual Console in this blog, because quite frankly I can’t take it anymore.


I am allergic to stupidity and my sinuses are clogging my nose so badly I have to sound like a serial killer to get some air in my lungs. Nintendo announced that they will be releasing DS games on the WiiU Virtual Console as a way to entice gamers to purchase the system to play games on what is currently the biggest success story in the history of Nintendo gaming—and arguably all of gaming.


Before we get to why the announcement was dumb in every single conceivable level, let’s point out why Nintendo probably went with the route of the DS going to the WiiU:


1)    The Nintendo DS is the second most successful gaming machine of any kind in history
2)    The Nintendo DS lifetime sales totals past 150 million, with only the PS2 in a very, very weak sixth generation selling higher
3)    The software totals pass 811 million, which is the best out of any handheld in history
4)    Six of the 30 best-selling games in the history of gaming are on the DS, with New Super Mario Bros.’ 30 million being the prime example
5)    There are 10 video games for the DS that sold over 10 million copies

It makes sense. Deliver all these acclaimed and popular games for download to theWiiU, a system that can work as a duel-screen handheld on steroids. It makes sense. But there is only one problem:



You forgot about the NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Nintendo Wii, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Virtual Boy, and the Nintendo arcade games. You forgot about the Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, and Sega CD. You forgot about the Atari, the Jaguar, the Neo-Geo, and practically every single system between the years of 1980 and 2005.

You forgot about the fact that not only does the WiiU not offer widescreen play for your older games (which is absolutely stupid considering that the Wii did this), but the Virtual Console output for the WiiU remains sitting at less than 100 games, when between the years of 1985 and 2005 there are over 3,000 games to choose from---and I am not even including the handheld games that precede the Nintendo DS.

As an analyst, I am baffled. As a former fan that recently broke off all connections with Nintendo, I am furious. Nintendo there are literally hundreds of good games you are skipping out and have yet to release in the download market. You have totally forgotten the existence of the Nintendo Gamecube which comes with a slight irony because everyone else did too back in the day. And there are tons of excellent games within the Gamecube library that could bring a breath of actual fresh air to the WiiU.

How you ask? Well, the Gamecube barely sold north of 21 million copies, which is a laughable fraction compared to what all three systems of this previous generation sold. It’s a small install base. Now look at the sales of the Gamecube “classics”:


Eternal Darkness: 440,000

Star Wars Rogue Leader: 973,000

Super Mario Sunshine: 5.9 million

Viewtiful Joe: 275,000

Metroid Prime: 2 million

Metroid Prime 2: 800,000

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: 1.64 million

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour: 1.2 million

F-Zero GX: 650,000

These are all well-known games that honestly weren’t bought or played all that much. Just throwing half of these games into the Virtual Console limelight along with the should-have-already-come-out classics of the SNES and N64 would have been a perfect holdover for when Nintendo software-wise catches up with the rest of the gaming industry. After all, can you name 5 big games coming out for the WiiU in 2014?

Nintendo is once again dropping the ball on the Virtual Console business. They have been doing this to us for many, many, many years and it is amazing how many mistakes they have made along the way. They should have made one of their major branches within the company focus solely on bringing these games to the WiiU. And let’s not also forget the 3DS, which is STILL lacking Game Boy Advance games as well as SNES and N64 games. It would be a great apology to the hardcore fanbase that grew up with these classics and would be a nice homage to the few folks that did purchase and enjoy (allegedly) the Gamecube.

The Nintendo DS being added to the Virtual Console WiiU is not going to do any favors to the company. But expanding their efforts with the dozen systems that precede the Nintendo DS would. Once again, this is the last time I discuss the Virtual Console, because by now you are all aware that I firmly believe it’s an excellent idea being executed excruciatingly poorly.




Stop letting us down on this Nintendo, it is beyond embarrassing and is a major potential source of income being wasted.

The Unexpected Comeback of the Nintendo 3DS (And how Nintendo can apply this to the WiiU)

Not sure if you are noticing, but the Nintendo 3DS is kicking major amounts of arse.




Not sure if you are noticing, but the Nintendo 3DS currently has nearly an 86% market share in the handheld battle against the Playstation Vita. Even though Apple has sold over 22 million IPads and 47 million IPhones in 2013 the 3DS continues to put up impressive hardware and software numbers.

Examples:

Animal Crossing New Leaf: 4.4 million
Luigi's Mansion 2 (Surprising, to say the least): 2.1 million
New Super Mario Bros. 2: 6.1 Million
Super Mario 3D Land: 8.5 Million
Mario Kart 7: 8 Million
Ocarina of Time 3D: 3 Million

And now, the handheld is currently outselling the consoles in the U.K. merely two years after we were sure that Apple, Samsung, and the phone companies would eliminate the need for a handheld at all (I was hinting towards that in the past too). My a lot has happened since E3 2010 when the pundits declared that Nintendo was going in the wrong direction with their hardware.




But the truth is, they were.

The 3D craze was a mere fad that was dying, and it was also a fad that does better with kids and families and much less with the more dedicated fanbase. And when it launched, it was quietly a disaster. You can't even name the games that launched with the handheld. Not even a remake of a beloved classic could help it, as Star Fox 3D couldn't even break a million.

So what did Nintendo do? Well, practically bombard the market with a killer blend of sequels, remakes, re-releases, and a couple cool new ideas. As a matter of fact some of these better games were simply buried underneath all the quantity, like Paper Mario and Donkey Kong Country. After selling just 4 million in the first several months, the sales nearly reached 20 million after 15 months. Hey, actually caring about the online service and the downloadable content always makes for a positive note.



Now we have the WiiU in desperate need of help...

....another Nintendo niche system with a different way of playing games..but its a way that gamers have not been emotionally invested in quite like when the Wii and the Kinect first came out.

Despite what they want you to believe, if you simply deliver the arsenal of games required to keep gamers happy, then you don't have to worry about whether or not the niche of the system will become enough to entice people to buy your product.

Newsflash Nintendo: We didn't buy the 3DS for the 3D, we bought it for the superior memory, the superior online features, and the exciting-looking games.

Newsflash #2 Nintendo: We aren't buying the WiiU because of the "inferior" hardware to the competition---we aren't buying it because there has been a lack of software, disk and downloadable. And....we know that a price cut is beyond the horizon.

The WiiU has all the potential to pull off the 3DS-sized comeback. Despite the limitations, this is still Nintendo's first HD system, which in itself leads to lots of potential. We need more games first and foremost, and unlike the 3DS it has the third-party support of a Neo-Geo Pocket. So this means not just the typical sequels like new Mario 3D, a new Zelda, or a new Metroid. We need more Links-to-the-Past to make sequels to neglected or forgotten gems like Kid Icarus, the Mario and Luigi RPG series, and Paper Mario on the 3DS. Nintendo is the only one of the Big 3 that can thrive on a few games selling a lot, because those are usually the system pushers. I promise you the XBox 360 has more million-sellers than the Wii, but n.o.n.e. of them even came close to the success of Mario Kart Wii.

Also, we need more support of Nintendo's past. Earthbound is a decent surprise, but we need more SNES, N64, and Gamecube games available for the WiiU, no excuses. Lastly, once all the games start turning out, we need for the WiiU to not have a price tag that is just $50 less than the next generation systems. This is silly, you need to but at least $50. When the 3DS dropped $75, it was because they knew they shouldn't match the price of superior hardware, and because that way it made the competitors seem that much more expensive. Nintendo has only a few months to repeat this same trick.

But the WiiU can be saved, and Nintendo has proven themselves to be a company that can save systems----and the 3DS' unexpected powerful comeback is their greatest example.

How Nintendo Can Win the Indie Crowd

So the PS3 and the XBox 360 had their share of indie hits as well as their large-budget hits. There's Castle Crashers, Journey, Explosion Man, Shadow Complex, and then we have those that have become mainstream like your Candy Crush and Angry Birds. These small hits are a mix of cheaper prices, bite-sized entertainment, and every once in a while branch out and experiment with the limits of what you can do with video games.

Nintendo, like in most categories seemingly nowadays, is a little bit behind this trend. They haven't really gotten many (if any) indie games they can claim for themselves. This only adds to the notion that third-party and Nintendo may never get along ever again.

But there is still one thing Nintendo has that the competitors don't have that can give the Japanese giant its first true advantage and step up on the others: dozens of franchises sitting on the shelf.



For example, since the early 2000s we have not seen the likes of: Wario Land, Puzzle League, StarTropics, Ice Climber, Earthbound, Nintendo Wars (Advance Wars), 2-D Metroid, Mario Tennis and Mario Golf (The RPG versions), Mole Mania, Brain Age, Super Mario Land (trust me, these games play faaaar different from the other 2-D Mario games) and many more. I point these out specifically because these franchises don't really require the larger budgets and larger teams like Zelda, 3-D Metroid, and Mario (Although one can argue indie companies can have the resources to make Mario games).

So, what if Nintendo decides to lend some of these on-the-shelf franchises to indie companies and see what they can pull off? Even better, what if Nintendo took some of the heavier-hitting franchises like Mario, Kirby, perhaps even Pokemon and see what results may occur? The reason why the Disney/Pixar connection works is because Disney merely provides the money and resources, while letting Pixar do its own magic. The result is (up until recently) amazing animated movies that sometimes veers towards an indie flavor because of a lack of a corporate interruption. You really think Dreamworks would have given films like Wall-E, Up, and Ratatouille a chance?

Nintendo may not have the money of Sony or Microsoft, but they have dozens of usable ideas that can be given to new hands and they can be molded into something special. There are dozens of small companies waiting for its chance to shine. Nintendo can benefit from this by reviving one of their fallen and/or forgotten franchises while at the same time provide the confidence and care towards small-small game companies that others would love to see.

Perhaps the road to a better third-party relationship starts with the really little guys. I would love to see a world in which it contains an Indie Nintendo division full of small companies making smaller games for the WiiU and 3DS.

Nintendo, you have a chance to improve your online gaming community. With your abundance of franchises and a willingness to cater to the indie gaming crowd/industry, an improvement can start.

But Nintendo, it all starts with you.

The Insanity of the 2013 E3

E3 2013.

Holy mackerel, you are frustrating.

This is quite possibly the most intense, most dramatic, and most cutthroat E3 we have seen in quite some time. While usually companies shy away from each other and focus more on why their machine is the best, this time Microsoft and Sony’s conferences were directly linked and jabs were most definitely exchanged---with far more coming from the Sony. Now the gaming world has become more cluttered and more confusing because we have one machine with a good-looking lineup but an ishload of issues, and on the other hand you have a machine that has none of the restrictions but----still a little more lacking on the games. Then there is Nintendo, being avoided once again, but somehow still being exactly where they want to be----except wishing for more sales.




The Microsoft conference perfectly resembled its status as a gaming giant---broken, inconsistent, not much noise, and with a sour taste in the background. It had a good lineup of sequel—er, games, and had a few new interesting IPs as well as some nice surprises (Killer Instinct). But…but…..we still can’t forget all the nonsense this company is throwing at gamers, all the insane restrictions that will be on the system. Lastly, how on earth can one get over the price tag? $500 for a system with DRM, required online, and no backwards-compatibility? Please. And one can only wonder if the Xbox Live, which is $60 to start, will be required to do the online connection. You might wind up spending up to $700 from the start for a two-controller Xbox One with one launch title.



But Sony had remained hum about the entire used-game and DRM material as well, leading to speculation and fears. But Sony, who most likely won the show by the way, delivered such a heavy sigh of relief people don’t realize (or don’t care) that you now have to pay for online gaming, something that was going to be expected inevitably. Oh, and it is not backwards-compatible. But that bad news easily doesn’t hold a handle to the potential issues of Xbox One. PS4 will play used games, will not require an internet connection, and is going with the very reasonably priced $400 price tag to even combat the WiiU’s heavier $350 price tag.

While the line-up wasn’t as pretty as Xbox One’s lineup, do remember they did announce a few games during their exclusive conference weeks earlier. Besides, Kingdom Hearts 3 (which should be the biggest game of all-time) definitely made up for the smaller list of software. And the other besides, most of Sony’s exclusive developers are still churning out games for the PS3. That being said, more and more of Sony’s announcements are gearing towards games that are actually also coming out for the Xbox One.


In terms of Day One, it totally belonged to Sony. Sony knew the right price, knew when to deliver the bad news, and didn’t dwell into stupid territory unlike what has happened to Microsoft. They knew how to connect with their audience with their consumers, and were able to satisfy their simple needs: games, nice price, and no stupidity. Microsoft even had the audacity to transform Killer Instinct into a game with cell phone game-like qualities—forcing you to pay for the characters. So even if the lineup of games are seemingly shared with the competition---for $100 less you can get a system with the same games sans the first-person shooters the Xbox systems are known for.  It was now all up to Nintendo to attempt to steal some of the fire.




Except Nintendo, much like Microsoft’s sequels entourage and Sony’s PS4 future policies played it safe----extremely, extremely safe. Nintendo’s lack of risks can probably be attributed to the recent slow starts of the unique systems of the 3DS and the WiiU. Nonetheless, their presentation suffered immensely because of the franchises playing it far too safe and close to the punch. Retro Studios’ ultra-secret project was nothing more than a sequel to Donkey Kong Country Returns. The cryptic messages of Retro turned out to be a game so safe it was unexpected. We were dreaming of potentially a Retro Studios Metroid, Star Fox, F-Zero, maybe even Zelda. As of now, as of this typing, the DKC game is all we got. Something has to be brewing; otherwise, it would have been the most anti-climactic gaming thing since Halo 2. But do remember that the last Smash Brothers was revealed the day AFTER the original Nintendo conference all those E3s ago.

The new Mario 3D game was too safe, the 3DS sequels to SNES classics are too safe, the Pokemon games were way too safe, the entire damn conference was too safe. Even the background to the presentation was safe—as the lifeless presentation slowly revealed title after title. The only reason why the safeness isn’t that big an issue is because Nintendo still churns out the best first-party titles, even if Sony has barged in a little in that debate. Pokemon is still the best RPG series out there, Mario and Donkey Kong own the platform genre, Mario Kart owns the racing genre (good-looking eighth installment by the way), and lastly---there’s Smash Brothers.---which has sold 24 million copies within just 3 games. Nintendo knows this, and they need to save the WiiU. So it makes sense. However, no surprises. No price cut, no Ambassador Program like in the 3DS, no returning IPs, nothing.




Except Mega Man on Smash Brothers 4. That was a pleasant, pleasant surprise. A few more of these and they could have won the conference.


All in all, the conference was a budding realm of controversy, jabs, and surprises. In the poker game of the gaming industry, Nintendo is the one that folds on a hand of two pairs, Sony is the one that doesn’t take advantage of its royal flush, and Microsoft is the one that raises the pot while holding a pair of clubs. There might be a few new surprises and revelations within the next couple days after the publishing of this article, but for now there is no clear winner, we just have a clear loser:


Us gamers, whom are still probably just as confused as to where to spend the money this holiday season.

The Sweet and Sour of Kirby's 20th Anniversary Collection

Before the invention of the tiny but fun multitude of games you can find in phones, tablets, and handhelds everywhere, we had Kirby. Kirby’s video games were quite easy, usually not too lengthy, but contained enough creativity and fun to make up for all those setbacks. 20 years later, while Kirby isn’t exactly a massive-selling monolith, it does provide decent sales for Nintendo—especially in the Japan area. Advertising for this game is never prevalent; relying more on word-of-mouth to boost its sales.



Let’s be frank here: Kirby’s main reason for existence is for Nintendo to have that franchise that appeals to the kiddies. No other reason. While Kirby has had its appeals to the hardcore (Kirby Super Star comes into mind every time) these games are essentially quick, throwaway games that satisfy the creative and gamer soul without much true depth. Kirby is like the Winnie the Pooh of the gaming industry---light, charming, innocent, and fluffy fun.


So how on earth did Kirby receive the greatest game collection in the history of Nintendo??!?!?!?!?




Apologies to Metroid Prime Trilogy, the Kirby 20th anniversary collection is an incredible piece of work that for some inexplicable reason has remained below the radar while not getting much press. This is by far the greatest effort I have ever seen Nintendo pull off when celebrating a birthday of one of their franchises. Metroid didn’t get this celebration, Zelda has yet to receive much of anything, and let’s not even discuss what Nintendo did to Mario.

Just throwing the stats alone should boggle you and impress you: this one disk gives you the Kirby’s Dream Land trilogy, Kirby 64, Kirby Adventure, and one of the greatest SNES games in its history: Kirby Super Star. And this is not even including all the extra features, extra goodies, extra challenges that you can unlock throughout the experience. This does not even include the special CD that comes with each game that covers the musical history of the franchise. 6 games in one, including one game that features 7 games itself? How can this not entice you to fork over the $40? Along with Metroid Prime Trilogy, this is the greatest value in the history of the Nintendo Wii.

And while this makes me happy enough to give it a near perfect score (9/10, it was one spin-off video game away from nailing a perfect) it also infuriates me because this shows that Nintendo can indeed put the effort to releasing something of this caliber in terms of linking to its rich past---and yet it barely ever happens. I have pointed this out before in--

1) Angry article 1

2) Angry article 2

3) Angry article 3

--that Nintendo is always centimeters away from gaining the trust of the rapidly-depleting hardcore—and they have yet to pull it off. And with Metroid Prime Trilogy and this game in review, both games came out in awkward times under minimal press. Why why why why why????!!??

Pokemon. Mario. Zelda. Metroid (Trust me, there’s more). Fire Emblem. Golden Sun. Earthbound. Wario. Mario Kart. Mario Party. Professor Layton. These are ALL franchises missing an authentic collection, and could definitely benefit the 3DS and/or WiiU. But somehow the first decently quality collection Nintendo has released is that of Kirby—one not as requested and not as required.

This game overall is a pure delight hands-down and receives my highest recommendation (Unless you never liked Kirby, then we have a different problem), but it leaves a sour taste in your mouth because it only displays the potential love that can be given to the other babies in the Nintendo universe; and all we can do is hope and pray that we get to see more gems like this in the near future.

P.S. This anniversary collection would have been amazing if it had a 3DS counterpart.

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.

Nintendo's Unnecessary Financial Rope-a-Dope

So Nintendo recently posted massive, ridiculous, ludicrous losses for the past quarter. Of course they know the reasons behind it: from the ho-hum 3DS support to the absolute avoidance of anything Wii-related. But if I were holding Nintendo stock, I would be absolutely pissed. And not because I lost money, but because Nintendo seemed ready to take the hit without any sort of fight. There was no effort whatsoever to expand the lifeline of the Wii and no major changes to the 3DS during the period to try to boost sales. So what should they have done you ask? Do what they do best: link to the past.

Did you know that the 25th anniversary of Metroid happened not too long ago? Of course not, because Nintendo didn’t do much of anything to celebrate it—along with Zelda and Mario. Mario got a half-assed collection of games that was essentially a port of a SNES game (I wrote about this back in 2011), Zelda got a few Virtual Console games and Skyward Sword, but no collection whatsoever. And Metroid, they got next to absolutely nothing despite having two of among the greatest video games of all-time (Super Metroid and Metroid Prime). Naysayers will mention the Metroid Prime Trilogy, but the darn game was out of stock by the time the anniversary even occurred. Why didn’t you re-release it at a lower price?

And while we are on the subject, why not make other collections to increase the interest of the Wii? While my Wii has been collecting dust, I can guarantee you I would clean it if it means replaying Super Metroid and Metroid II on the big screen. Kirby is getting a collection anthology for the Wii---but we see nothing for other franchises like Zelda, Metroid, Earthbound, F-Zero, Mario (100+ games, he can do another collection), Pokemon, etc. The Wii may not be strong, but it can handle 90s games. Just saying.

Collection games have become all the rage in recent times with Prince of Persia, God of War, Splinter Cell, and others getting their HD versions on the Xbox and Playstation. Nintendo has not participated at all with the exception of Kirby, which is one that we never really asked for to be honest (Kirby Dream Land 2 and Kirby Super Star are arguably their only truly great games). And you can’t argue it’s to preserve the Virtual Console, since that ship has sailed a long time ago. Nintendo has so much rich history that remains untapped in this current millennium, we can only wonder how much longer it will be before it gets fully forgotten.

Bottom Line: Stop making new games and IPs for the Wii? Fine, but at least dig into the past, create some specials, create collections, and at least throw us a few final options for the Wii. And for the 3DS, dig into the handheld past and do a better job providing us with the classics that shaped the success of the Game Boy, the Color, and the Advance. It isn’t that hard, the first-party games are all in the same freakin’ company. How about you stop toying with the owners of the systems with long droughts without games and at least tap into the library of 1,000 Nintendo games waiting for a second life.

The dropping revenue can partially be blamed on the shift in handheld gaming towards mobile phones and tablets. But the rest of the blame can definitely be attributed towards Nintendo just not simply trying hard enough, instead waiting for the holiday season. We can wait for improvement for only so long. Just ask Sega.

Thinking Small to earn Big

The 3DS was supposed to be the talk of the town when it came out. It was supposed to be the next DS in terms of changing the face of gaming and drawing in new audiences. The PSVita was supposed to be the PSP on steroids and become an even bigger threat to Nintendo’s handheld market reign. Yet neither have really set a strong tone in the current generation. Who might be at fault? Nintendo? Sony? Not quite, but actually Apple.


Apple has changed the entire spectrum of the handheld gaming industry by showcasing that you can indeed have fun and provide excellent gaming on the go-------at extremely small prices. Angry Birds practically exploded but not because of the gameplay but much more because of the pricing. You practically get a full-length video game at a tiny fraction of the price of your typical DS/PSP game. Draw Something has become the latest smash and is connecting people throughout the nation (and has created some nice, nice art). While Apple has never once stated they are in the handheld gaming war, you bet your arse that their impact is still felt with 35 million IPhones sold and 12 million IPads sold in the last quarter.

Compare that to PSVita’s current sales figure: barely 2 million TOTAL since its release. This might be the last extremely profitable handheld generation in gaming. The DS sold 151 million copies, the GBA sold 81 million, and even the PSP managed a respectable 73 million. Do you honestly expect the 3DS and PSVita to reach these types of numbers? When phones, Apple products, Droids, and tablets are cranking out games just as consistent and at cheaper prices? Impossible, there’s no way. Even with the 3DS outpacing the DS’s first year in sales, there’s no way they could keep that up unless they virtually explode in software for the next five years.

Can this be fixed?

Yes, but it requires swallowing a few pride pills, and a total adjustment in strategy.

In order for these handhelds to compete and not get defeated by cheaper thrills, they need to actually provide some of the cheaper thrills themselves and then combine that with their usual flare of software. We are talking about your dollar/two-dollar games similar in style and addictiveness of Angry Birds. While Sony hasn’t had much of a history with your small fry addictive games, Nintendo has had a very underrated history with small unsung easy-to-learn games with their 1989-1991 Game Boy beginnings.


Why couldn’t Nintendo throw in $1 Tennis, Golf, Tetris, Tetris Attack, Faceball, Game and Watch games? Yes some are available in Virtual Console but if you really want to draw appeal away from the more expensive-yet-appealing Apple products, wouldn’t releasing Game Boy masterpieces at a buck sweeten the deal? Why couldn’t Nintendo also release $1 packages of extra levels for games already released like Star Fox, Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Kid Icarus, etc.? That would strengthen the longevity of the game and the system itself.



And Sony (They are such a mess nowadays), your PSN Network already has a history of independent games, drawing into the past, and app imitations. Why haven’t you pushed for more cheap products, services, and software on your Vita? Not sure if Sony knows this, but they currently have a less than 10% share in the handheld market. Not sure Sony isn’t flipping out right now.

Lastly, both must become more connected to the social networking of the internet. Sony and Nintendo needs to connect to Myspace (Stop laughing, its still sort of alive), Twitter, and especially Facebook---which is approaching a billion profiles. Pretty much everything handheld nowadays is connected to some type of social site—it’s time the 3DS and Vita start doing the same. Apple actually (mildly secretly) allows for you to chat and text people around the world without a phone contract of any sort. Why can’t Nintendo or Sony pursue this? Despite what the handheld life used to be, nowadays handheld systems need to start behaving more like the Swiss-army knife phones and behave and function in multiple ways outside of its main purpose.

Bottom Line: While the PSVita is dying slowly and the 3DS is losing slight steam, Apple can be seen making incredible profits and applications extending throughout the phones and tablets are giving dozens of indie companies life and a way to make ripples in the technological industry. Unless Sony and Nintendo change their ways and try to imitate more of the “Cheap is Good” economic style of the sort-of competitors, then it’s going to be darn-near impossible to make a profit in the future. All it took was one month and Angry Birds Space has been downloaded 10 million times. Am I saying that Nintendo and Sony should drop their $30-$40 software in favor of $5 games? No, but they should push an effort to offer more economical prices. If handhelds not even involved with gaming are offering $1 games, why couldn’t you do the same?



Draw Something for the 3DS. It is that simple a solution.