The Uninspired Battle Cries of the Eighth Generation

There was an episode of Big Bang Theory that accidentally predicted the future of gaming. In one of the sequences, we see Sheldon Cooper desperately struggling to decide between the XBox One and the PS4. He mentions how they both have their strengths, and couldn’t quite figure out which one is the better option (Side-Note: He calls one of the female characters “Grandma” when she mentions the Wii—in case you ponder what Nintendo’s reputation is on the show). The one thing he doesn’t even mention is which one has the better games. Although the concept isn’t explored, one can argue it’s because both consoles have the same exact lineup of games—barring minor, minor differences with indie gaming, backwards-compatibility, and a few first-party exclusives. One major conclusion can and will be reached from all this:



The Console War is extremely stagnant, extremely devoid of change, and the leader out the gate (system that looks and feels like the second place console) wound up conquering it altogether.



The Playstation 4 is a nice machine. The XBox One is a nice machine. The PS4 has performed much better because of the forward momentum from PS3’s surprise finish, the Microsoft PR debacle involving DRM gaming, and because Nintendo killed every ounce of momentum it had during the peak Nintendo Wii period. This has been the case since 2013. And absolutely nothing has changed. It might crash the market, or at the very least make these sales wars extremely predictable. The eighth generation has secretly been far more boring than we could have ever predicted.

We will never have the epic battle that occurred between Nintendo and Sega during the early 90s. The two consoles (SNES and Genesis) shared the lead, exchanged the lead, made drastic changes, threw so much shade at each other that it took years to truly discover the winner. 1994 would ultimately be the turning point when Nintendo started separating itself but the damage was so intense it accidently created a new monster: The Sony Playstation. The mudslinging and backstabbing was so bad that Sony got hurt, and ultimately decided to chime in on the video game market—leading to what we see today.

It is practically impossible to imagine the gaming world if Nintendo had not betrayed Sony and if Sega had not gotten arrogant and refused to cooperate with that same company. The past might be the past, but that console war shoved video games into the economic mainstream, and proved the Wall Street world the potential of money involving video games, and the sheer competition that comes with attempting to enter the wars.

Fast-forward to today. We see Microsoft making good money, Sony making good money, and even Nintendo managing to make decent money despite the WiiU being its biggest failure since the Virtual Boy. Sony has done little to bolster its lead simply because it doesn’t have to. Microsoft hasn’t formed crazy partnerships, hasn’t made epic purchases, and hasn’t made much of a move to try to reach into Sony’s lead. There is no price cut, no special deals, no video game that is going to change the culture of gaming. Microsoft seems perfectly content with the second place positioning, even though the spoils of having the lead is all too obvious.

Sony as a company is literally being saved because of the video game division, especially when the film, television, and computer lines are nowhere near what it used to be. And outside of collecting third-party exclusives like Final Fantasy VII and Street Fighter 5, it really hasn’t had to do much to maintain its lead. Increase software output, and then sit there to collect the profits. It is great for business, extremely boring for the rest of us expecting more of a dogfight.

With the competition already well-established and minimal threats of a shift, the decision-making and the landscape will remain flat. The games won’t be as prevalent, the companies won’t be as aggressive, and in the end all we see are two machines extremely similar and unwilling to separate itself from the other, and a third machine that has been quickly abandoned in favor of an upcoming console.




The Eighth Generation blog had predicted a lot of craziness, but instead we have witnessed years of ho-hum decisions, and a lack of true battling. Even the seventh generation had more craziness, and that was with the Nintendo Wii faaaaaaar outpacing everyone else. This blog is on its final moments, as Nintendo is already looking into the ninth generation. If the Nintendo NX becomes a major success, expect the competitors to follow ship and move along to the next step.

Until then, there isn’t much to say here: Sony is #1, Microsoft is (once again) #2, and Nintendo is (once again) refusing to play by the rules by establishing another unique system that will bend the rules on how we play games.







Its boring, and its not good for gaming. Expect a slow 2016, from this blog and from the entire industry itself…barring a major push from anyone.


(Image Credit: Megamodsplanet.com)

The Giant Elephant in the Nintendo Direct Room

Nintendo unveiled yet another Nintendo Direct making tons of big announcements, including Cloud being in Smash Brothers (this seriously bears repeating, and will be the focus of a future article), Pokemon’s 20th anniversary resulting in a 3DS re-release of the first gen Pokemon games, updates to surprise-success stories Splatoon and Super Mario Maker, and a slew of other things----including that Star Fox game that is going to suck and is going to flop miserably. It was overall a very fun Direct, and a slightly somber one since it’s the first one since the passing of Satoru Iwata.



But there’s a major Nintendo product that has not been fully discussed for an extremely long time: the Nintendo NX.



It is totally understandable that discussing the Nintendo NX would harm some of the momentum of the WiiU (which may or may not even exist at this point). Totally understandable that discussing the NX would demean some of the games currently making money like Smash, Mario Maker, and Splatoon. Totally understandable that if we totally neglect the WiiU, then that long-anticipated Zelda game will be brushed underneath the hype of Nintendo’s next console.

But here’s the thing: the WiiU is over. It’s all over. It will never create mammoth sales (barring an awesome bundle like Smash Bros. U with ALL the characters), it will never escape the last place hole, and the third-party support for the system is all but over. Can you announce the NX and keep the fans in the loop for the WiiU? Of course you can.

WiiU owners have been rewarded for their loyalty in recent months; with Smash Brothers’ lineup becoming more and more beautiful, Splatoon fixing itself many times, Super Mario Maker becoming bigger and bigger, and overall more games being available in the WiiU Shop. But it’s time to hype the NX, Nintendo needs to go all-out on their upcoming console---whatever it is.

They already have the support of Square Enix with Dragon Quest and maybe (MAYBE) a Final Fantasy VII remake. EA and Ubisoft have also (cautiously) voiced some support for the upcoming machine. Nintendo should continuously reward the few that chose to purchase the WiiU with tons of goodies, surprises, and updates, I am not against that. As a matter of fact, it would be nice to see some more Nintendo Store deals and more HD remakes (F-Zero GX, Star Wars: Rogue Leader, MELEE). However, it’s time for them to look ahead and start giving the NX some attention as we veer closer to what might whether be the tail end of the eighth generation, or the beginning of the ninth.

We need details, we need explanations. Nintendo’s secrecy does help them sometimes, but it also damaged them in the eighth generation as they withheld so much about the WiiU that it became generally assumed that it was an add-on to the original Wii system---leading to its dismally slow start. But gamers are now more informed than ever, and demand information now more than ever. You can’t keep us in the dark for so long. We need to see more. We need to see something.





Give us the Nintendo NX. It is time for it, and we are already waiting.

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….

The Random Little Game that (Unexpectedly) Could

No analyst could have ever predicted this. Not one could have ever seen this coming.

Splatoon isn’t just selling well after minimal advertising and expectations, but it’s become one of the biggest games in WiiU’s history, the best-selling WiiU game in 2015, and the most successful new Nintendo IP since Xenoblade. After seeing multiple sequels based off of the usual Nintendo properties not do well in a quickly-dying console, this game rose out of nowhere and was shoved into the WiiU lineup as a bridge between Smash Brothers and the upcoming Xenoblade sequel (Super Mario Maker wasn’t treated as a major game but has become a hardcore title, but that’s a discussion for another day).

It destroyed multiple notions on its way to over 2 million copies sold (and still counting with bundles and extra goodies on the way). It was assumed that after Goldeneye (I know, reaching farrrr back) and the Metroid Prime Trilogy that shooters no longer sell well on a Nintendo console; with Call of Duty being an absolute bomb in the Wii/WiiU systems while selling millions anywhere else. It was assumed that new IPs just don’t work on Nintendo consoles, as we see awesome ideas and clever newer Nintendo experiences from this century reduced mostly to the handhelds (Phoenix Wright, Professor Layton, Golden Sun, Brain Age, Elite Beat Agents, etc.). Lastly, it was assumed that a game that clearly is reliant on Nintendo’s online functionality would fail and burst into flames. Instead, the online community for Splatoon is even more vibrant (and nearly stronger) than that of Smash Brothers WiiU.

There is a chance that it’s a fluke success, which sometimes happens even in the cutthroat gaming industry. In a random example, Just Dance 2 for the Wii sold nearly 10 million copies, more than any Metal Gear Solid game to date. Or, it could be the ultimate proof that Nintendo needs to continue producing these new IPs or at least do a better job bringing some obscure ones out from the dead. This current gaming generation is lacking in many genres, and the third-party shooter genre is one that is extremely rare. Nintendo needs more RPGs (an answer to Final Fantasy), more racers (a response to Forza), more shooters (Advance/Battalion Wars has been quiet lately), and most importantly more mature titles outside the usual suspects of Zelda and Metroid (Eternal Darkness 2 may never happen, but something along these lines).

The main reason for the lack of hardware sales during Nintendo’s eighth generation is the lack of exciting software. Unlike the Wii and especially the DS, there just hasn’t been that many new and innovative titles to convince the disgruntled hardcore and fleeting mainstream gamers to purchase a WiiU. Splatoon however is the ultimate proof that if you throw a good fresh title in the market, the gamers will reward you and will come back in droves. From the ashes of a usually-slow season in gaming, we see Splatoon becoming the sixth best-selling game in all of 2015. Nintendo needs to take note as they prepare for the next generation with the NX, whatever that eventually becomes.





But yea, also expect a Spla2oon in the horizon.

The Scary Success of Super Mario Maker

Super Mario Maker is a fantastic product, and a sure-fire example of a gift that keeps on giving. You can make levels, upload levels, and play random levels made by random people all over the world. As long as it sells its cool few million (the Mario/Nintendo Console attach rate is always extremely strong), there will be an endless supply of new content rolling around in the internet long after you’ve exhausted your creativity. You will find your fun levels, your challenging levels, your confusing levels, and levels that will make you scream bloody mary. Essentially, it’s your typical Super Mario Bros. game on an endless supply of Bane steroids.

Four art styles and gameplay styles to choose from (Each game will indeed play differently depending on which version you have chosen), you can construct any crazy level your heart desires to make. You can have Bowser riding on a wiggler in the very beginning of a level. You can have 7 koopas piled high while lakitus toss flying piranha plants at you. You can have a level in which you have to avoid getting bigger in order to advance to the end. Whatever your mind makes up, there’s a good chance it’s feasible on the WiiU.

And this is awesome for the gamers and the Nintendo fans---this is potentially tough news for the actual company. Nintendo may have created a monster, they may have created a scenario in which the students are about to excel and trample over the teacher. Halfway through the production, Nintendo must have noticed that handing the keys of the franchise to a rabid, dedicated, and quite clever fanbase may yield some consequences down the road. What happens when the aspiring chef starts making better recipes than the head chef? You wouldn’t see Major League Baseball allowing the fans to make major decisions, right? (It would explain all the unanswered letters)

I am deathly serious when I mention that some of the levels I have experienced online contain some of the best level design since Super Mario Galaxy 2 back in the Wii days. I am also serious when mentioning that this is the most excited the gaming community is towards a game since Super Mario Galaxy provided Mario with a fresh new look and feel back in 2007.

What is making the gaming world giddy about Super Mario Maker is that with the ability to randomly play other people’s levels there is no consistency, no rhyme or reason, no formula that has been done to death by Nintendo in recent years with their decent-yet-limited New Super Mario Bros. series. We are seeing creativity that we had been desperately craving in the past decade from Mario games---being truly satisfied in the Super Mario Galaxy franchise but not much noise since. Even the highly rated Super Mario 3D World lacked the hype pop that we used to experience in other platforming games.

Nintendo is about to lose control of the Mario franchise, and it has already noticed the dramatic shift as they have been banning YouTube videos left and right concerning speedruns and the notoriously cruel and clever modded levels in recent days (stupid decision I must add). It has even reached a point in which Miyamoto recently talked about having to move the Mario franchise in another direction. He knows just as well as anybody that the nostalgia and the appeal of Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World is far bigger and more extensive than all the recent Mario platformers. The 2-D Mario games for the WiiU have combined for 10 million copies---which is only half of what Super Mario World sold, and still can’t match the numbers of Super Mario Bros. 3 (17 million)---and both games came out during a time in which the gaming industry was much much smaller.

It’s strange for this article to transform from praise towards a revolutionary and ballsy (especially by Nintendo standards) game to become a cautionary piece about the potential upcoming gloom in a franchise that consistently sells millions, I understand your current confusion. However Super Mario Bros. doesn’t move consoles like it used to. Mario Bros., Mario Bros. 3, Mario World, and ultimately Super Mario 64 looked and played well enough that it convinced you to purchase the console. These were hardware movers. And then there’s the big transitions: Mario Bros. Lost Levels to Mario Bros. 3, Mario Bros. 3 to Mario World, and then Mario World to Yoshi’s Island. Nowadays your rookies into the gaming industry know of Mario, might play Mario, but aren’t really purchasing Mario. A change is indeed needed, and Super Mario Maker’s resounding initial success is evidence of that.

Success is sometimes dangerous. Seeing the cash flow sometimes shields the fact that a change is needed. Major League Baseball needed a few changes, and it took years before finally applying some improvements, even though it was already a multi-billion dollar industry that’s always a few yards away from becoming the most lucrative sports league in the planet. The Super Mario franchise has seen over 200 million copies sold, but it does need a refresher, or better yet, a break. Look at what’s happened to Zelda---running on nostalgia fumes.

Perhaps it’s time for Super Mario to take a slight break, with Super Mario Maker providing the platforming thrills until the next installment rolls in. With its easy accessibility, DLC potential, and (hopefully, DON’T MESS THIS UP) easy transition to the next franchise via remake or spiritual sequel, Super Mario Maker can bring in new gamers, new creators, and tons of ideas for years to come. As long as Nintendo doesn’t pull the plug on this potentially budding spin-off, Super Mario Bros. can live off of Mario Maker while it seeks its next renaissance moment.

Whether it’s a change in lineup, gameplay additions, new power-ups, new storylines, new visuals, new spin-offs (Super Mario RPG 2 would be greatly appreciated by the way) or just absolutely revving up the quantity on the next Mario game (aim for the gold Nintendo, gun for 100 levels), we have reached a point in which the only excitement we truly felt about an upcoming Mario game was one that WE were allowed to design. That’s not exactly a good sign of confidence to the company that usually dishes out the experiences. Hopefully Super Mario Maker will serve as a wake-up call as well to Nintendo about the fanbase, about our commitment to the craft, and about the fact that they might need to step its game up. Until then, we have our official Mario level editor, and it’s definitely a dream come true---and probably Nintendo’s worst nightmare.

Nintendo Should Become Marvel (Phase II)

Nintendo should become more like Marvel.



I know, this article has happened before, but it was a wildly different direction I was discussing. Before, I had mentioned how Nintendo needs to embrace the IPs and allow them to expand into more merchandise, television shows, movies, and more exposure altogether. Pokemon Company (only partially owned by Nintendo) generated 2 BILLION in 2014 alone. That is just one franchise. Nintendo owns over 30 franchises. If just half of them could come even close to matching the sales from the Pokemon brand we are looking at an extra 15-20 billion that would go straight to Nintendo’s pocket—combined with the sheer happiness from the rabid, picky, yet excruciatingly loyal fanbase.

So how should Nintendo Marvel it up? By combining the universes together, and bringing a more intimate presentation to the fanbase that is notorious for their creativity, Apple-like consumer habits, and respectful attention to detail. The Legend of Zelda franchise is the best example of this: it started out as a simple series of games and transformed into one of the golden meccas of gaming---and it’s been nearly 2 years since its latest major title, and nearly 4 years since its latest console title. Don’t disrespect Zelda in front of Nintendo fans though; it’s the equivalent to insulting Selena in front of Hispanics. The love runs deep, through the good times (1998-2002 epic run) and the dark times (Skyward Sword, despite still managing to sell a cool couple million). So what if we run the Zelda universe within the same universe as other Nintendo franchises? How awesome would that be?

Part of the appeal of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is all the connections between each of the films—through storyline, cameos, details, and moments that cause a ripple effect to future installments. The events of Captain America: Winter Soldier directly influenced not only Avengers: Age of Ultron, but also Ant-Man and the ABC television show Agents of Shield. How wonderful would it be that in the next Nintendo console/handheld, we see the popular Nintendo franchises blending together to create new and potentially innovative experiences? How awesome would it be for certain characters like Link and Kirby enter new genres of gaming?

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars became a subtle hit that resonated with gamers for generations because it took a familiar face and put him on a very different platform. Super Mario up until then was known for being in platform games and a few spin-offs here and there (Nowhere near as much as today, but Super Mario Kart was still selling like hotcakes back in the 90s), but in Mario RPG he was in a role-playing game complete with a unique cast of characters and unfamiliar circumstances (Bowser as an ally? Really?!!?). It sold over 2 million copies despite not having a European release and the Nintendo 64 appearing in the same year. Nowadays, it’s worth the price of modern games on Amazon. This type of success can be duplicated if you are willing to open the borders a little.

Now, imagine Link joining the Golden Sun universe. Imagine the Fire Emblem cast entering Hyrule to help Link in his fight to restore peace. Can you imagine seeing Link potentially in strategy games, turn-based RPGs, maybe even some medieval warfare games? Heck, imagine Link going up to the skies to help Kid Icarus take on some demons. Can you imagine the Wario universe and the Super Mario universe colliding together for the first time in a platformer since 1992 (Mentioned this idea before: Super Mario World 3)? Imagine Yoshi entering Donkey Kong Country to help out Donkey Kong and his pals? Imagine the kids from Earthbound/Mother joining forces with Professor Layton to solve a major crime? You can take the best of both worlds and blend them in to not only allow the universes and their storylines to connect, but to also allow for unique gaming experiences that we had not seen from our familiar cast.

This could also increase value to certain games you would otherwise not by on normal circumstances. Despite Fox’s popularity in the Nintendo universe, he hasn’t had a hit game since Star Fox 64---and the upcoming one really isn’t ruffling any feathers. To be honest it looks terrible. But if you were to point out that it’s in the same environment as F-Zero and Metroid, and all three are linked in different ways, then interest will grow. Imagine Nintendo creating a way so that if you own all three games different achievements you unlock in one game creates a new adventure or a new side quest in another. In this case, it would also help F-Zero, another franchise well-known amongst the Nintendo crowd but not exactly consisting of celebratory sales.

I had previously stated that the Nintendo NX, or whatever the next major console will be, should become extremely personal and extremely interactive with its hardcore audience. Look at the fanfare associated with Super Mario Maker because of the sheer ability to craft your own Mario game. This type of gaming opens new windows and allows for Nintendo fans to connect with each other and show off their skills and their love for the brand. Adding a dash of Marvel interactivity amongst the franchises we all know and love could create new gameplay/storyline/online possibilities that would breathe life into brands that aren’t as strong, and would create new layers to popular IPs already in successful existence.

Bottom Line: If there is gaming company that can create this type of connection between art, artist, and consumer, it’s Nintendo. And with a little imitating of the biggest cinematic name in the business currently, we can see another rebound from the Japanese giant when the ninth generation rolls around.

The IP Situation of the Eighth Generation

The Console Wars needs to become the IP Wars if the competitors ever want a chance to even come close to matching Sony.



Sony’s Playstation 4 is surviving because of PS3 momentum, great online service, great pricing, and best of all an aggressive strategy to shelling out more dollars to make certain games exclusive—like Street Fighter 5 (Capcom property) and Final Fantasy VII (Square Enix property). The first-party aspect be damned, it’s the suddenly-emerging third-party tidal shift that is helping Sony remain at the top.

The clunky thing is that neither of the competitors are actually financially bleeding, even if they could be doing much better. Microsoft is Microsoft, and will continue to make fantastic money through other means even when and if the XBox One’s American support starts to dwindle. Nintendo’s very deep bank and overwhelming overhaul from the Wii/DS days (255 million between both systems is bound to create some financial ramifications all these years later) allows for them to also find a way to ante up their lineup to compete against Sony.

The eighth generation is pretty much about over, unless the XBox One pulls off a miraculous turnaround and suddenly has Japan’s attention. Sony is going to win, and will probably win with the PS5 as long as they continue their major support for the console industry and continue shaking the right hands and making the right friends. In order for Microsoft and Nintendo to even have a chance, they need to alter their vision:



It is no longer about how the games are played; it’s really about what games they CAN play.

In the 90s, each system had extremely diverse lineups, forcing you to choose sides. The Genesis and Super Nintendo games were so different, even the games they shared (NBA Jam, Aladdin) were very different because of hardware limitations, and different people working on their version of the game. This is why the battles were so vicious, we had two different types of gamers buying games in the same market. This was why Nintendo owned Japan, Sega had Europe, and it was a total showdown in North America.

Nowadays, the games are remarkably similar in every shape or form except for graphics. Even the greatest game in the past few years, Grand Theft Auto V, can be found in the PS4 as well as the XBox One (and if you are a glutton for punishment, PC). Most of the better games have been arriving from third-party companies, they are no longer just knockaround squadrons throwing random games to make a quick buck. Microsoft and Nintendo needs to realize this and stack up its IP lineup and relentlessly build the better resume.

Microsoft has the most money, so they have the highest expectations to bolster the lineup. Rare Replay was amazing evidence as to some of the IPs that the XBox brand has but has hardly used. Perfect Dark, Jet Force Gemini, Blast Corps, Banjo-Kazooie, and Battletoads are all great franchises that have received minimal attention since Rare became Microsoft property. With Konami, Capcom, and Square Enix (among others) needing extra money, this is Microsoft’s chance to continue adding to its mature lineup: Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid (Will admit, that’s a longshot), Adventure Island, Bomberman, Contra, Bloody Roar, Breath of Fire, among other forgotten gems of the past.

The fact that Street Fighter V is not joining XBox One first has to sting, since it’s the biggest non-Smash Bros. fighting franchise on the planet. Final Fantasy VII being Xbox-exclusive could have finally given them an audience in the Far East Coast. Microsoft has to gain some revenge, with special deals with third-parties that aren’t afraid of joining sides.

Then there's the neglected IPs. The XBox One can go after the defunct Burnout and create the prefect partner to the more-realistic Forza. They can also become a sports mecca (I had mentioned this before) and nab Madden, FIFA, Nascar, among others before Sony owners can gain access to them. Unlike Nintendo, Microsoft wouldn’t have to develop these exclusive/earlier-than-thou games, just merely forking the extra money to get them first can be enough to get gamer’s attention.

Nintendo on the other hand needs to go on a massive, massive buying spree. Nintendo is the king in reviving defunct and forgotten franchises, as they have risen Earthbound, Fire Emblem, Metroid (8 year gap is no joke), Advance Wars, Kid Icarus, and others from the dead and from obscurity. If Nintendo were smart, they would go to all the companies with far less money and license or just 100% nab the rights to ideas that haven’t been explored or utilized. Nintendo has excelled in every major category of gaming (Even horror, remember Eternal Darkness?), which is something the competitors cannot claim.

Franchises like Mega Man, Secret of Mana, Bomberman, Earthworm Jim, Plok, Clayfighter, and dozens of others would benefit from a Nintendo facelift, and could potentially give the Big N some more weapons to employ as it can continue bragging its first-party superiority above the others (And even though this has saved Nintendo time and time again, the gap needs to be far bigger to justify the purchase). The gaming industry can take a page from Hollywood and reach into the past and remake/reboot dormant franchises (although Hollywood has been rightfully accused of remaking tons of material that didn't need the facelift, but that's for another article). In the wild and wacky history of gaming, we have seen tons of great ideas trail behind in need of assistance.

Just look back at the 90s and you'll see lots of underutilized ideas in need of expansion: Illusion of Gaia, Chrono Trigger (seriously, where's that sequel?), Maniac Mansion, Castlevania (A little more of a stretch, but this can use some Intelligent Systems love), Golden Axe, Vectorman, Comix Zone, Shining Force, and of course let's not forget Earthbound...it sometimes seems like Nintendo has...

The gaming industry is no longer interested in different ways to play games, we want to play games, and lots of them. There are great games ranging from $5 to $60, and they are flocking to the company that has the most. Sony right now is the leader, but Sony doesn't have to be. Nintendo and Microsoft have been sitting around watching IPs pass them by or float around without an owner; and unless they plan on making a push this scenario will remain the same leading up to the ninth generation.





The PS4 is in the lead, but its no secret why.

How Melee Needs the Street Fighter II Treatment

Super Smash Brothers Melee was recently part of the mega-popular EVO fighting game event.


Yes, Nintendo Gamecube’s Super Smash Brothers Melee

Let’s keep in mind by the way. It is 2015, and Melee is still a major player in the professional gaming community. That game is over a decade old and has just as many fans and has just as deep a community as your modern Street Fighters and your modern Mortal Kombats. What was originally brushed off as a fun yet hypersensitive brawler has blossomed into one of the most cherished games in the history of all gaming. Melee (a sixth generation game) hanging out with the eighth generation games is the equivalent of a team of 40-year-olds outplaying 20-somethings in basketball. The sheer longevity of Melee in the social gaming circles is beyond impressive.



And Nintendo needs to continue capitalizing on this, especially when the machine it originally came out on is becoming obsolete and slightly harder to come by. We need to preserve this game and transform it into a high-definition and online-friendly component. Whether it be through the WiiU or the NX, or whatever system Nintendo decides to throw for the ninth generation, we need the House of Mario to take a page from 90s Capcom and create a Turbo Edition, or an Alpha Edition to their gem. And this wouldn’t be some cheap way to make extra cash, it’s a way to expand the options of a rapidly growing community of Melee enthusiasts.

In my vision, Super Smash Brothers Melee Tournament Edition would take every single spec of gameplay from the 2001 masterpiece (yes, everything, including the physics and the advanced techniques and individual stats of each fighter) and give it a polish. Remember the re-release of Street Fighter II for the XBox Arcade? That’s exactly what they should be looking for. Do not try to fix perfection (new characters wouldn’t hurt, but at the same time wouldn’t be necessary), just try to give it a facelift. In this day and age, Melee is just an HD facelift away from standing even closer to the modern fighters.

We can even take it a step further and make some arcade machines out of Smash Brothers Melee to give that 90s king of the mountain feel that we used to experience when heading to the arcades to take on the local legend in whatever big game was out at the time. We don’t need the Melee machines everywhere, just in your gaming hotspots like Las Vegas, Orlando, New York City, etc. I can see Nintendo nabbing even more cash by going retro and simultaneously re-introduce Melee into the gaming stratosphere. Honestly though, wouldn’t any university be bursting with excitement upon seeing a Super Smash Brothers Melee arcade machine in their campus?

Throwing Melee into the online gaming world would make it easier for bragging rights, tournaments popping up left and right, qualifying matches that can be held around the world, and much more. Imagine a ranking system that can be viewed at any time in a Smash Brothers Melee Tournament website. Imagine racking up points and rising up your position as you take to the online world and take on fighters from around the world in between major gaming tournaments and conventions. Technically you can pull this off with the other Smash Brothers that have released after Melee, but for some odd reason no matter how many characters and changes you throw at the franchise we just keep coming back to Melee and reminisce its glory.

And on the off chance that you might argue that re-releasing Melee might take away from the sales of the mainstream-friendlier current editions, look at the sales of the Mario games on the Wii:

=========================
Super Mario Galaxy/Super Mario Galaxy 2 (More hardcore titles): 18.71 million
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Family-friendly): 28.05 million
=========================


Both hardcore and casual can definitely exist hand in hand, because everyone wins---those seeking fun have their game, and those seeking to enter a cutthroat world of fighting that we could never have imagined back in 2001 get theirs too. Honestly this would strengthen Nintendo’s relationship with the hardcore crowd and also give gamers of today to experience the sheer mayhem we experienced when we first started playing and loving Melee.

Personally, I believe catering to the still-rampant audience of Melee fanboys would be great for Nintendo, great for the fans, and great for potential new fans. Giving an HD remake to the masses as well as crafting a deep, engaging, and committed online functionality would send Smash Brothers Melee to new gaming heights, and would potentially allow it to progress even more in the professional gaming community. Look at all the revenue League of Legends draws in, as some of their tournaments draws prizes of over 2 million dollars. Dota 2 has tournaments that shell out 10 million in prizes. Games that can develop enough money to warrant such prizes has to be rolling in eternal cash. Not saying Melee can match the PC competitive gaming universe, but can still make a big name for itself with the increased exposure and increased accessibility.

You couldn’t find me a fighting game fan or a Nintendo fan that finds a Melee: Tournament Edition to be a bad idea. It is a gold mine of an opportunity, where the rewards will justify the spending no matter which way you spin it. Make this happen Nintendo, and I will be among the first in line at the door waiting to purchase my copy. Just don’t expect me to fight with the big boys. But don’t worry, there will be plenty of people guaranteed to want to be the King of Smash. And you’ll make millions along the way.

The Ho-Hum Disney/Nintendo Connection

Disney and Nintendo potentially making a deal together? Makes sense because both have lost their touch with the gaming industry.

We can start with Disney. After a delightful couple gaming generations with hits such as DuckTales, Aladdin, the handheld/console Mickey platformers, and Lion King, the Disney brand disappeared a bit during the Fifth Generation. After the Playstation Generation, besides Kingdom Hearts and Epic Mickey, Disney hasn’t really connected with gamers in spite of the sheer entourage of franchises and licenses it owns.

Disney Infinity has sold 7 million as a franchise overall, but I am sure after the company saw the 40 million pulled by Grand Theft Auto V alone they might be a bit disappointed that they couldn’t pull off more. But it’s not just on this front where Disney hasn’t fully connected with gamers, there’s also the ridiculous DisneyQuest that never quite took off closing down very soon.

DisneyQuest was a quiet disaster hidden underneath the financial success stories within the House of Mouse. After a slow start, Disney let the interactive park slowly die while they tried finding a solution to ease the bleeding. Despite the incredible amount of potential (especially considering the sheer amount of space), Disney just didn’t see that the park was already five steps behind the gaming industry. And in 2015, DisneyQuest still lacks: gaming tournaments, professional gamers competing, gaming conferences, new ways to play games, exclusive arcade games, ability to play seventh/eighth generation games, and much more.

Rest in peace DisneyQuest, you deserved much better. But the House of Mouse remains rather ignorant of the ever-growing and ever-expanding industry that hasn’t quite gotten much attention from Disney. So now they are turning to Nintendo to try to sort out the disconnect.



Nintendo however…..they are also disconnecting from the gamers.



The WiiU is a wreck. The rumored NX is scaring gamers away. The latest E3 was a disaster. Nintendo’s reputation is nearly as low as during the late N64 days. They are losing third-party companies, they are losing hardcore fans, and it’s the mammoth success of the 3DS keeping them afloat. So I am sure they could use whatever help they could possibly get.

That being said, does anybody even win with this partnership? We both know that Disney and Nintendo are downright hostile towards their IPs and would refuse to share them unless the deal was good. It will take everything Disney has to convince Nintendo to make a Mickey/Super Mario game. It will take forever for the Amiibos to become part of the Disney Infinity crew. Even though both companies could use the help, unless they put down their defenses I doubt much can come out of it. Disney will still be extremely restrictive, and Nintendo’s deal with Disney won’t exactly draw any new hardcore gamers unless they pull a Kingdom Hearts-like franchise.



We might see a Disney movie with Mario, and we might see some Disney figurines in future Nintendo games. But until both truly realize that they must change----let’s not get too excited. The deal won’t be that extensive, and won’t rock the gaming industry like it should.

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 Delayed, Underrated, Forgotten Legacy of the Nintendo Gamecube (Part 2 of 2)

The Nintendo Gamecube is a forgotten piece of gold that could have saved or at least delayed the inevitable fail of the Nintendo WiiU. And this forgotten behavior just adds to the legacy of the purple box that housed more hidden gems than disappointments. That poor purple box suffered from gamers’ post-traumatic stress from being N64 owners and also suffered from the giant third-party conquering monster known as the Playstation 2. Now, this blog entry is splitting into two categories: Why it Failed, and Why it Could Have Been Revived. Why it Failed belongs to my Entire World blog, with the Revived entry belonging to the Eighth Generation. Now, without further interruption, my upcoming 3,000 word dedication to the Nintendo Gamecube.

-----------------------
Here is Part One, in case you missed it
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Why It Could Have Been Revived


The Nintendo Gamecube failed once. Nintendo wasn’t fully at fault on that one, despite some of their controversial and baffling decisions. The Nintendo Gamecube in the 2000s could have been revived, saved, and treasured by a new generation. This, was definitely Nintendo’s wrongdoing. The Gamecube has an entire cluster of excellent forgotten games from the 2001-2005 years that remains in Nintendo’s hands----yet remains only in their hands. We have seen two generations of Virtual Console, WiiWare, and superior technology that could have revived some of these games. We have seen two generations come and go and we still have barely scratched the surface of Gamecube history.

Let’s start with what we did see. We saw Wii-versions of Mario Power Tennis (Not as good as the N64 version, but whatever), Pikmin and Pikmin 2 (random), Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (No…), and the Metroid Prime Trilogy (easily the best choice here, for the WiiMote was the perfect controller for shooters). To say that Nintendo totally forgot about the sixth generation is a total lie.

Now, here was the issue: all the missing games. Eternal Darkness could have been absolutely perfect with enhanced graphics and motion controls—that type of horror would be elevated with more personal control (and lack of) of your actions. F-Zero GX was meant to be handled with that Wii-wheel. Smash Brothers Melee deserved an online tournament mode for the much wider audience. Then there’s Paper Mario, Four Swords Adventures, Tales of Symphonia, Baten Kaitos, Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi’s Mansion, and of course the criminally underrated Rogue Leader games.

The issues continue: the Virtual Console did not include Gamecube games not just once, but twice. Only 4 games in the Gamecube sold over 3 million copies, meaning there was a cluster of games that had been played by just an inch of a fraction of gamers. Why not give the base of 70+ million Wii owners the chance to replay these games? Third-party relationships could have improved if Nintendo had reached out and tried to re-release the franchise-best Soul Calibur II, Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil Remake, Tales of Symphonia, Viewtiful Joe (cult gem that did better on Gamecube) among others.

And of course, there’s also the WiiU and the missed opportunity to launch a Gamecube Virtual Console of some sort (ANY SORT) during the early months when the game lineup was stretched absolutely thin. It could have been much better to Nintendo if they had a lineup of 30-50 Gamecube games at cheaper prices while waiting for the next big game. It could have benefited Nintendo if we saw HD versions of Smash Brothers Melee, Luigi’s Mansion (maybe throw in the sequel for good measure?), the Super Mario sports games, Mario Sunshine, Paper Mario Trilogy, Eternal Darkness (Yes, I bring this game up again), and for goodness sakes, give us SOMETHING NINTENDO! Sorry, stopped analyzing and became a disgruntled fan…

Nintendo used to be the best at bringing up the past, and it’s because of a mix of having the best lineup of first-party games and having less issues with third-party companies and licenses (although it will forever be a darn shame that we’ll never have an updated Goldeneye or NFL Blitz 2000). But with Sony revving up its past much better than before, Nintendo has to step its game up. The Gamecube could have been that next level. And it didn’t happen. And although it wasn’t the main reason for the failures of the WiiU, the fact that Nintendo curiously decided to focus on the same NES, SNES, and (eventually…) N64 games (when they could have been transferred from the Nintendo Wii itself, WITH widescreen) was curious and downright…stupid. So Nintendo lost, and the Gamecube remains without a second chance to create memories and a legacy.

Bottom Line: The Gamecube remains a curiously odd chapter that just doesn’t get revisited or mentioned much. It had a slew of great games, a slew of creative games, and they mysteriously get little to no love outside the early 2000s. It is curious, and it is quite sad. This neglecting of 90% of the great Gamecube games has led partially to Nintendo’s broken relationship with the hardcore gamer crowd and has led to weak console sales (handhelds is a totally different, and much happier story). With the new system announced and definitely on the way, this will be Nintendo’s third opportunity to link back to the past and revisit the lost years that Nintendo experienced while under the PS2 shadow. The Gamecube was Nintendo’s last truly hardcore system and until they acknowledge and celebrate this, Nintendo will struggle reaching out to the remaining hardcore crowd.

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.

The (Potentially Fun) Capcom IP Bidding Wars

So Sony won the bidding wars to make Street Fighter 5 an exclusive, much to the dismay of XBox One owners. I would also say WiiU owners but a) there aren't that many of them and b) Smash Brothers trumps everything in life. Capcom has become financially strapped yet remains a gold mine of potential with the entourage of franchises within its borders. And with that was a subtle bidding contest which resulted in Microsoft backing out and instead focusing their sights on improving the recently-revived Killer Instinct. Nintendo has pretty much no care in this issue, because Super Smash Brothers is the top-selling fighting game franchise by a country mile. But Capcom now has a curious dilemma: just how much money can they rake out from the competitors?

How much money is Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft willing to pay to get their hands on more exclusives? Do remember what Capcom also has up its broke sleeve:



Devil May Cry
Resident Evil
Viewtiful Joe
Dead Rising
Gargoyle’s Quest
Okami
Monster Hunter
Mega Man
Mega Man X
Ghost n’ Goblins
Bionic Commando
Breath of Fire
Captain Commando
Final Fight
Lost Planet
Phoenix Wright
Power Stone


(This list came from an earlier article about Capcom)


That’s a lot of video games yet to be made, remade, and blessed with sequels and potential spin-offs. And each company can benefit greatly from some of these brands. Sony can try to win back the American market with Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, Dead Rising, Viewtiful Joe, and Bionic Commando (Clever game mechanics in need of revamping). Microsoft can try to earn some Japanese trust with Lost Planet, Okami, Power Stone, Breath of Fire, and (especially) Monster Hunter. Lastly, Nintendo can continue its stranglehold on the platform market with Mega Man, Mega Man X, Ghosts n’ Goblins, Captain Commando, and Gargoyle’s Quest.

And of course, Marvel vs. Capcom is most likely also available for the taking.

Capcom might have seen better days, but can develop nice relationships with each of the major companies with its extensive library if it can reach into the past and tap into previous gold. The Big Three can each benefit in a variety of ways if they can pony up the money and help Capcom finance some of these games.

Like previously said, Sony needs more Americans to move away from Microsoft. Resident Evil would be an even bigger devastating blow if they can nab the rights. Take over Resident Evil 7 and go back to basics: become much more horror and much less action. Devil May Cry is another franchise that has seen better days but can still attract the North American crowd---and do remember once upon a time Devil May Cry belonged to just Sony.

Microsoft needs this more than the other competitors. Monster Hunter would be definitely the first and main major step, as it draws mammoth numbers on the 3DS (the latest installment nearly sold 2 million copies in Japan on the first day alone. The XBox One hasn’t even hit 50,000 copies). Then there’s the Japanese-friendlier Viewtiful Joe and Breath of Fire games which can trigger some improvement for the third-generation Green Machine. But if there’s one they can’t afford to forever lose (which...technically is whats going on anyway), it would be Monster Hunter.

Of course, Nintendo should just nab all the Mega Man rights and take the franchise to the next level. With Retro Studios, Intelligent Systems, and Nintendo R&D1 major experts on the genre, Mega Man 11 and Mega Man X12 would make absolute sense being Nintendo-exclusive. I can see Mega Man Classic on the 3DS, with the X series on the major console and perhaps even a 3-D upgrade ala Metroid Prime to attract new audiences. Of course, this is something we call agree on: Nintendo needs something soon, and fast for the WiiU. Mega Man can become that revival ticket.

Bottom Line: Capcom remains a gold mine, and it’s time for all the major companies to step up and nab their share of the treasure. Everybody can win at the time, and gamers in general can also win by seeing the cluster of Capcom classics see new life. There’s a lot of great games and great wealth that can be won in the coming years, it just requires some financial sacrifices and a willingness to work with the sinking ship of a company. Step up everybody, with the right exclusive games the tides can be turned in your favor. And Capcom, with the right business moves and smarts concerning the value of your product you can also see a comeback.

Nobody blow it.

The Legend of Zelda Should Retire

Is it time to retire The Legend of Zelda?



This conversation actually happened at Epcot in the Japanese Pavilion:

Woman 1: Oh look, Legend of Zelda…
Woman 2: Wait, is Zelda still even a thing?
Me (interrupting): Zelda is ALWAYS a thing!
(The women laugh and move on, leaving me with a dejected, disappointed look because I had to defend the great franchise that gave us Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Majora’s Mask)





 


I have to defend a franchise that used to create THIS kind of reaction!?!?!?!



Seriously, I am seriously asking this question: Is it time to retire Zelda? Is there anything left for this franchise to give? The gamers are not as invested as they used to be, the sales are not as strong as they used to be, the brand has gone from legendary to nostalgic, and worst of all with the “timeline” actually being fully explained it doesn’t leave much room at all for more installments before more chronological controversy. Link to the Past 2 should have been a glorious, massive event that would move 3DS hardware like nothing else. Link Between Worlds should have launched the franchise into the sales stratosphere as it’s the sequel to one of the greatest video games of all-time. It should have gotten the same amount of anticipated hype as Grand Theft Auto V or even Smash Brothers U. Back in the heyday, it would have been a massive deal. Now, it’s just another sequel---which is a shame because Zelda isn’t just another game series. The luster is fading, so is the interest:

GTA Series (Playstation Sales):
GTA: San Andreas: 20.81 million (13% hardware share)
GTA IV: 10.33 million (12% hardware share)
GTA V: 19.35 million (23% hardware share)
Average: 16% Hardware Share




Super Mario Series:
Super Mario Galaxy: 11.21 million (11% hardware share)
Super Mario Galaxy 2: 7.38 million (7% hardware share)
Super Mario 3D Land: 10 million (20% hardware share)
Super Mario 3D World: 2.90 million (33% hardware share)
Average: 18% hardware share




Mario Kart Series:
Mario Kart Wii: 35.04 million (34.5% hardware share)
Mario Kart 7: 10.48 million (26% hardware share)
Mario Kart 8: 4.03 million (46% hardware share)
Average: 35% hardware share




Pokemon Series:
Pokemon Black/White: 15.03 (10% hardware share)
Pokemon Black/White 2: 7.83 million (5% hardware share)
Pokemon X/Y: 12.56 million (31% hardware share)
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire Remake: 7.11 million—and climbing (18% hardware share)
Average: 16% hardware share




And now Zelda:



Skyward Sword: 3.86 million (4% market share)
Ocarina of Time 3D: 3.56 million (9% market share)
Wind Waker HD: 1.25 million (14% market share)
Link Between Worlds: 2.37 million (6% market share)
Average: 8% hardware share

8% of owners of the consoles own a Zelda game on average within the past 7 years. Although the number is decent, it’s still an extreme far cry from the numbers manufactured in the late 90s:



Ocarina of Time: 23%
Majora’s Mask: 10% (Released right before Gamecube launch)
Wind Waker: 21%


The worst part is while the gaming industry as a whole has expanded to great financial, quality lengths, the Zelda franchise has been stuck in neutral. Blame it on whatever you want; rising competition, the rise of the Western Hemisphere RPGs, Nintendo’s ill-fated decisions about the franchise (I am leaning more towards this reason), The Legend of Zelda’s status as the top-notch gaming name in the industry has pretty much faded.

Really, really doesn't help that Link to the Past 2: A Link Between Worlds was not a WiiU title but instead released on the more hardware-restricting 3DS handheld. 


Once upon a time, it was right underneath Mario as the biggest franchise in all of Nintendo. Nowadays, Smash Bros. does better, Mario Kart does better, Pokemon does better, and even Japanese favorite Monster Hunter has been doing better. So what should Nintendo do to bring back the love, mystique, intrigue, and interest to the Legend of Zelda franchise?


End it.



The worst thing Nintendo ever did was create and announce an official timeline to the Zelda series. What that did was eliminate all debates, all theories, and all conversations as to what game fits where. Can you imagine what would have happened if they had explained what was in the briefcase in Pulp Fiction? The movie wouldn’t carry the independent classic flavor that it carries today. Sometimes a little mystery adds spice to the production. Look at what happened to Lost when it started giving away all the answers—the show stopped being the satisfactory gem that it was in Season 1 and 3 (2 was a Writer’s Guild-created mess). But with the Hyrule Historia pretty much eliminating all clouts of doubt and confusion, Zelda condensed itself into another franchise with a storyline (albeit still a great storyline, but with no wiggle room for personal theories). Now, Majora’s Mask despite all the evidence pointing that it might be about Link’s death---is part of a not-so-accepted canon timeline in the Child Link Timeline. The mystery is all gone. The mystique isn't as engaging.





Sidebar: Of course, many of you can argue that if we not take the overdramatic and drastic route and simply give Zelda to another company to work on it, it might give us a fresh take on the series and might rejuvenate it similar to how Pokemon X/Y revived the Pokemon brand with its very different look. There is a chance that all we need is a Link to the Past-like quality and image level-up to fix its placement in the gaming world. But that’s an argument I have made before, and I don’t see Nintendo handing the reigns to someone else…





But we can shove Zelda back into the limelight with a Hail Mary idea: give it a trilogy, its final three games for the WiiU or the Future Nintendo System. Give the gamers one last rousing, massive Link-led adventure that will span multiple games, multiple worlds, and maybe even multiple storylines. End all the timelines, end all the canon, and put the final chapter into the legendary hero’s saga. Sometimes knowing where the finish line is allows for the creators to throw everything left in the tank to create a memorable finale. It will shove Zelda right back into the gaming conversation knowing that the end is definitely near.

The Final Zelda Games can tie up all loose ends, can wrap up the entire tale in a nice package, and can give us one final showdown between Link and Ganon. It can give gamers one final chance to say good-bye to all the worlds they had visited over the years, far beyond the regions of Hyrule. All the memorable characters and villains can make one final appearance. And finally, it would give closure to the interesting and complex relationship Link and Zelda have. This final trilogy will allow for the Legend of Zelda to end on its own terms, instead of just dragging along its legacy through the dirt like Capcom’s Mega Man or Rareware’s Banjo-Kazzoie (Both used to be huge and successful, now has-beens).

Of course, this idea will never be accepted. A good percentage of you will disagree with me. Extremely sure Nintendo will continue to create Zelda games for as long as they don’t flop like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Even though it does not sell anywhere near as much as Pokemon, it still does make money...just not 90s Zelda money.

Financially, it may not be the best move. But in terms of quality, I think it’s time to end Zelda, give it a final (epic) bow, and place it into Nintendo’s vault, where it can someday rise again and start from scratch.





Because of course, we will have to reboot and restart The Legend of Zelda a decade later….

How to Hardcore Your Next Nintendo System

Nintendo might be the first to bow out of the race.



Miyamoto has already discussed looking into the future, as the WiiU is getting no more major Super Mario titles (Which is a bummer because the system is lacking that AAA Mario game ala Mario 64/Galaxy) and after 2015 there really isn’t much to look forward to (Come to think of it, would it kill them to do a Mario 64 HD remake?). The 2015 lineup shows some promise but with the lack of pure marketing coming from Nintendo one can’t help but believe the end is near.

Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Brothers did move hardware, did sell plenty, but it still wasn’t enough to overcome the obvious third party issues and lack of software when compared to the competition. The main owners of WiiU hardware and software are your hardcore fans and those few duped into thinking it was going to be another revolutionary Wii system. In a classic case of history repeating itself, The Nintendo WiiU was a slightly more successful version of the infamous Sega Dreamcast. Of course the main difference is that Sega totally sunk after the Dreamcast, while Nintendo will stick around for at least another decade thanks to being the best first party developer in the land & because of its still strong grip on the handheld industry.

The question is, what now? What do you do from here? Where should Nintendo go from here? Although I have no say as to where the company is going, I do have an idea as to what the next Nintendo system can deliver. It would pretty much be the ultimate hardcore Nintendo system, a N64 for a new generation while also appealing to the old-school crowd. It would challenge the creativity of the Nintendo fanbase while simultaneously create a tight-knit community that would allow each person to be more than just an avatar, but instead a voice and a wholesome personality.

We can start with the first step, which is the types of games we will be seeing. Nintendo didn’t do a good job exclaiming how the WiiU was the first HD Nintendo system. The idea of HD Metroid, F-Zero, and Golden Sun should have had us salivating for hours. Instead, it was the Usual Suspects getting the HD treatment as well as the Virtual Console treatment—2-D Mario, Mario Kart, Smash Bros., Donkey Kong, Zelda; while we have to wait at least another year for Metroid, Earthbound, Kid Icarus, Fire Emblem, Wario Land, and many more. With the new system, they need to reach farther back in its history and give us long-awaited sequels and also throw in some new IPs that the company desperately needs.

Wario has gotten little to no love, although Wario Ware is an addicting franchise and Wario Land I-III remain one of the best platformers you’ll ever play. And where the heck is Waluigi’s own game? Nintendo Sports needs to make a comeback, as we can definitely use another Waverace, 1080 Snowboarding, Excitebike, Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Mario Strikers (Need to claim that European gaming crowd) and Punch-Out. For the new generation some franchises need to evolve into deeper, more engrossing games like Kirby, Pokemon (ESPECIALLY), Professor Layton, Mario RPG, Golden Sun, among others. The lineup needs to be Nintendo IP heavy, since the third-party scene in Nintendo is about empty. Nintendo has to whether reach out by licensing a few of their franchises to third-party publishers, or instead nab a few indie companies to make games with their lesser-known and lower-hyped gaming series. However they do it, Nintendo needs to rev up its first and second-party production schedule. They have no backup. Nintendo is fighting this war on its own.



The second major aspect I would work on is the avatar concept. The Mii creation feature is pretty neat on the WiiU, as your character can drive in Mario Kart and can fight in Smash Brothers. With the new Nintendo system, we need to expand this feature exponentially. We need the ability to have our persona participate in more games. We are talking Mario Party, Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Mario Strikers Charged, Punch-Out, Waverace, MLB Power Pros (underrated baseball gem), Wario Ware, as well as the next generation of Super Mario, Smash Bros., Mario Kart, and perhaps even Professor Layton and Pokemon. And of course we can throw in some new IPs, perhaps a few JRPGs and a few shooters?

Each avatar can have a ranking depending on how many games he/she is participating in and how many online matches they have won. Each avatar should have their own house to decorate to show off to anybody within the Nintendo network. And even cooler whenever you win contests or tournaments, have a trophy room to show off all your Nintendo-related accomplishments. This part will especially be awesome once you can create a Mii for the massive 3-D Pokemon game that Nintendo should make in the coming years.

We need more game collections. Nintendo gamers are definitely willing to spend the money, and the Pokemon sales year after year is a good example. But we need more game collections like Metroid Prime Trilogy and Kirby Anniversary Collection. We are talking about a Super Mario World Collection, Handheld Zelda Collection, Metroid Collection, Professor Layton Collection, and even a few cluster collections like Mario and Luigi Gamecube Collection, 1990s Donkey Kong Collection, among others. We could definitely use some more HD remakes of older games that can use a visual facelift. Eternal Darkness HD anyone?

Deeper first-party lineup, stronger Mii/online support, stronger link-to-the-past lineup of games, what’s the next one? The big one. This is where you reward the Nintendo fans for all their patience: the next system should be the Nintendo Entertainment Studio. This machine will not just allow us to play video games, but will allow us to MAKE video games to share to the world. The Mario Maker is a fantastic idea because Nintendo fans are the most creative in terms of gaming cult audiences. From the masterful HD jobs to the unauthorized localizing of Japanese games to even the clever YouTube videos of modded Mario levels, Nintendo fans are something special. So why not give them the ultimate freedom of making games, levels, mini-games, maps, and other goodies throughout the ninth generation? Think Little Big Planet on generation-lasting steroids.



Mario Maker 2 needs to happen. Mario Kart Maker needs to happen. As well as Smash Bros. Mod, Wario Ware Mini-Game Maker, Mario Sports Course Maker, F-Zero HD Track Editor, Kirby Level Maker, Zelda Dungeon Maker, Mario Paint 2, Mega Man Maker, Art Academy 2, Sonic Level Editor, Advance Wars Battle Map Maker (Probably the only series that can directly take on Call of Duty), Mario Party Maker, and much more. Let’s also throw in some updated versions of classic sandbox games like SimCity, RPG Maker (With Nintendo sprites) and Roller Coaster Tycoon. With the Nintendo Entertainment Studio, you can make your own levels, characters, maps, music, movies, and more---and then be able to share them with others on the massive Nintendo network. You won’t just be playing games, you will be making them. And even better, after beating that Mario game, you still aren’t done because there are hundreds of levels online to choose from to continue the experience. Even actual popular developers can contribute long after they are done with the original game.

The Nintendo Entertainment Studio offers this massive online experience of creation and sharing because it will make up for the obvious lack of games that will hamper the hardware. Third-party issues will not go away, so why not wildly make the first-party games appealing by allowing the gamer to become the developer? With enough people, you will never run out of courses to race in or dungeons to try to conquer. The lasting appeal would be pretty much endless, and would give the system more years of life even during the weakest of periods.

Nintendo since 2000 has had to adjust the rules of its gaming practices because the competitors have so much more money to spend. The Nintendo Gamecube was a smaller machine that used smaller disks. The Nintendo Wii was an extremely underpowered system that relied on revolutionary gameplay to make its profit and win the war. Lastly, the WiiU relied more on the controller than hardware strength to create its array of entertaining games—although the gamble hasn’t exactly paid off. With the Nintendo Entertainment Studio, it expands the first/second party offerings to include the gamers themselves to see what they can deliver. It doesn’t matter if the XBox OneTwo or the PS5 are more powerful, if there are 1,000 Zelda dungeons to choose from online the competition has no chance.

Bottom Line: Nintendo needs to embrace the niche audience that has kept them afloat for the past four years. Giving them unprecedented access to screw around with their favorite franchises would be a most magnificent reward, and a gift that would keep on giving. There are more Nintendo fans than the WiiU would lead you to believe. 50 million 3DS sales is no surprise, the fanbase just hasn’t been ready to embrace the console side---yet. With the NES (See what I did there?), Nintendo can satisfy its deepest of fans while also entice curiosity for new ones. Solution for the future is simple: make more games, make more collectables, deepen the online features, and lastly make the system also double as an empty canvas of unlimited potential.