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Biggest surprises these past 5/6 years?

I know it doesn't seem like a big deal now, but for me, as I remember it, nothing has topped the day when Sony announced the PS2 specs and tech demos in march 99. It was shocking to a lot of people and endless speculation followed, partly because they didn't give it a full picture out of anything except for the (at the time) amazing tech demos.

Other than that, when Sega announced they were going out of the console business, also not completely unexpected but it was done in such a way, and under such a momentum from the Dreamcast that it probably couldn't have been more shocking at the time.
 
I'd say Sega going 3rd party and merging with sammy was pretty big.

Square and Enix merging together to form one RPG superhouse is pretty damn huge too, especially since Square and Enix had basically been rivals for the previous 15 years.
 
rmmegaton1kz.jpg


The whole Megaton deal still lives on today.
 
I didn't really think about it until you kids posted , but the DS' success is definitely high up there for me.

I was completely confounded when they announced it, and now I am seriously considering picking up a Lite come June. I thought it would be crushed under the PSP. Hah!


The PSP has become a joke! Maybe that's a bit harsh, but I was expecting a lot more than what we have gotten at this point. Where's the support? Where are the games? It reminds me of the Dreamcast in that months go by without any hot games, and little seems to be on the horizon. PSP ftl.
 
In no particular order:

Resident Evil on GameCube
Final Fantasy on GameCube
GTA explodes
Wind Waker reveal
Rare to Microsoft
Retro gets out of the ICU, successfully births Metroid Prime
Sega minus Dreamcast
Square and Enix merge, eat Quest, Taito, and others
X-2
Vestal is Drinky
Touch screen
Waggle wand
Easter

TheKingsCrown said:
Zelda's Quick Change Back to Twilight Princess
Click to expand...
Ehh. Since then we've seen a 2D title in the style of Link to the Past, a 2D title in the style of Wind Waker, and this fall two 3D titles of which one is in the style of Wind Waker.
 
Does Sega announcing the fact that they're going 100% 3rd party fall into this whole surprise category?


And yeah, the Raiden MGS2 mindfuck thing was a huge shocker to me and gamers worldwide. Oh how I despise you Raiden.
 
1. Square and Enix merging
2. SEGA going third party
3. Brand new 2D Mario
4. Cel Shaded Zelda
5. Wiimote
 
I hate that I'm basically giving 3 of these to Nintendo, but they were big surprises IMO.

Raiden - I don't think a single person who picked up MGS2 expected Raiden at all.
FFXII - first because it took so long to come out (FF games usually took like 1-2 years before, aside from the generational jump from SNES->PS1) and then also because of how incredibly different it is from the rest of the series. I haven't played it, but the gameplay, story and characters are way different than your typical FF. It's an even bigger change than FFX was.
RE4 - similar to FFXII, not only because this game took so long to come out, but also because it was so different from the previous entries (though at the same time, some familiar concepts at its core).
Mario Sunshine - probably the first time I can think of that nobody went crazy over a new Mario platformer (and for good reason, but still, a major surprise).
Wind Waker - the change from the old "realistic" video was huge.
Metroid Prime - that it was so successful and so good. When it was announced that there was going to be a Metroid FPS for Gamecube, I thought it was one of the stupidest decisions ever. But the final game came out pretty good.
 
Boards of Canada said:
My mainly Nintendo-slanted list, but please post your own lists!

1. Nintendo whoring out their characters to third parties
Who thought this was a good idea? The only game it seemed to help was Soul Calibur 2, which featured Link. Putting Mario, Luigi and Princess in EA games just cheapened their appeal, at least for me. Please, let's not do that again. I'm not even okay if Sonic & pals are in the new SSBM. No more.

2. Original Twilight Princess unveiling at E3
Now THAT was a real surprise. I don't remember if anyone was predicting it, but I sure didn't expect it. The audience reaction alone (cheers and crying) made it memorable.

3. Next-gen Zelda goes cel-shaded
Now THAT... yeah. Big surprise, no one ever expected it. Not much else to say.

4. Microsoft actually doing well
I don't think anyone expected Microsoft to actually place 2nd worldwide. I mean, the name alone made me think it would fail. That Tao Fang fighting game... Blinx? The Japanese pointing fingers and laughing? It all didn't matter. Came down to Halo and some great third-party titles.

5. Nintendo DS actually doing well
I'm the biggest Nintendo fan there is, and even I had reservations towards DS. It's just one of those things... once you get your hands on it, you get it, and you love it. Plus all the amazing games Nintendo's putting out helps.

6. Original Capcom 5
Yeah, let's not get into too much detail, but at the time it was a pretty big deal. Quite a surprise to most.

7. Metal Gear Solid on GameCube
Another surprise with a so-so ending. Kojima / Dyack / Miyamoto, wow! Should be an amazing experience, right? Some sloppy coding and really... just didn't feel like Kojima touched it. Still a fun game though.

8. GameCube/GBA Connectivity
I think we were all surprised that Nintendo thoughti t was a good idea to make people not only buy a GameCube and a game, but also Game Boy Advances to play it the "way it's meant to be played". Thankfully it failed.
Click to expand...

Is there any where I can get the orginal TP unveiling. It was aweeesomee.
 
Kuroyume said:
Pokemon still being popular
Click to expand...


Why is that surprising? Pokemon games (the main games, Red/Blue, Gold/Silver, Ruby/Saphire and the occasional side quest of Pokemon Snap) have been quality, fun games. Thats like saying I'm surprised GTA is still popular. There is no reason for it not to be.
 
01. The decline of first party sports games. They were a big deal for PlayStation and Dreamcast, but it is almost as if nobody really cared to challenge EA lately. MLB 06 The Show is good, but it seems like the days of competition between two or more good NFL games (impossible now anyway) and NBA games are over with. I just figured this would have been a bigger focus for the console makers.

02. Duke Nukem Forever. I actually believed earlier in this decade that I'd have played it by now.

03. Lack of new, worthwhile 3D fighting game franchises. Bushdio Blade & Tobal came and went before PlayStation was even done with, Powerstone is more of a cartoony beat 'em up, and I'm still pretty much looking forward to releases from the same AM2 and Namco franchises I liked a decade ago.

04. Grand Theft Auto. I liked the original game a lot when I played it back in 1998, but I never would have thought the first 3D installment would be something like GTA3, or that it would it so thoroughly trash everything else in terms of controversy and popularity.

05. Sega making sane, rational decisions. This doesn't happen often, but it is always surprising.
 
GTA3 pretty much came out of nowhere, I hardly remeber any hype until a month or few weeks before it was out.

ATi 9700/9800, took everyone by surpise, Nvidia am cry

Sega dropping out of hardware. Of course we all knew that Sega wasn't doing so hot but it looked like things were finally getting better.

XBox, where does MS get the balls to make a console? they're not even a hardware company

Halo, blew everyone away.

Windwaker, why mess with success?
 
Blackcherry said:
Hmmm...that was PSO right?
Click to expand...

No, it was the best thing ever.

Shonen Jump said that there was going to be a Megaton Announcement for the GameCube, and it eventually came about that it was a freaking Naruto game. :lol
 
max_cool said:
Halo, blew everyone away.
Click to expand...
Bleh. The game hardly came out of nowhere. It was being hyped for years, and when it finally came out it was much more of a standard shooter than what was originally promised. The subtle little touches and super-tight gameplay were IMO canceled out by the boring and repetitive level design.

03. Lack of new, worthwhile 3D fighting game franchises. Bushdio Blade & Tobal came and went before PlayStation was even done with, Powerstone is more of a cartoony beat 'em up, and I'm still pretty much looking forward to releases from the same AM2 and Namco franchises I liked a decade ago.
Click to expand...
Not that surprising to me. It's such an incredibly stagnant genre that hasn't gone anywhere in years compared to other genres.
 
Gotta say the DS sucess. After I saw it for the first time, I completely ignored it and pretty much wrote Nintendo off as being dead to me. It wasn't until 2 weeks before it launched that I looked into it a bit more. I got a bit more interested, but was still looking forward to the PSP kicking its ass.

I just happened to be in the mall on the launch day though and picked up the one DS that was on the shelf at Gamestop. Haven't looked back since.
 
The day SEGA called it quits on the Dreamcast ... and the suprise inveiling of the new Rev name "Wii" ....which i still haven't recovered from <_<
 
5 surprises... ?

- DS gameplay became actually fun.

- Grand Theft Auto going 3D became such an incredibly excellent franchise.

- More and more "Japanese market only" games are realeased in Usa and Europe ( Shin Megami Tensei, Dragon Quest, Phoenix Wright... )

- Insane amount of Mario Spin off

- The rise of "game author" as Ueda, Takahashi Keita, Suda51, Yoot Saito...
 
Bud said:
I've never seen his one before.

What game is this for?
Click to expand...
It was the last page in the UK magazine EDGE one month. They usually do like a cryptic thing for the next month.

When I saw that one, I literally jumped up and shouted 'WOOOOOO!'. I was glad I was in my house and not in town at the time <_<

p.s. the crowbar is a Half-Life icon, and the shape of it and the shadow are falling into the shape of a 2 ;)
 
CluBpop said:
- More and more "Japanese market only" games are realeased in Usa and Europe ( Shin Megami Tensei, Dragon Quest, Phoenix Wright... )
Click to expand...

I'd like to add to this. Who woulda thunk a couple of years ago that most of the major Japanese developed titles would be coming to North America or Europe first.

- RE4
- MGS
- Tekken
- Soul Calibur
- Silent Hill 3
- etc. etc. etc...

All came out in North America / Europe before Japan. CRAZINESS I TELL YA!
 
colinp said:
a good game?

don't hate me because BG&E is overrated!
Click to expand...
You got me there. I tried it on Gamecube and got bored with it near the end. There's still a lingering feeling of happiness about the whole situation, and I'm surprised that with it's ratings and reviews that more people didn't at least try it out. The game looked and sounded damn sexy, to say the least.
 
Red Scarlet said:
Revival of the Metroid series was surprising to me.
Does Street Fighter 3 fit into the time period of 5/6 years?
Click to expand...

Three? I don't think so. I remember having an EGM with horrible cover art that revealed the game and it was a while before 2000.
 
Nintendo going from Zero to Hero with the wiimote. Everyone expected something shitty like a controller with 2 buttons and a touch screen.
 
1. The Nintendo DS - With the runaway success of the GBA, people thought it would be many more years before another handheld from Nintendo emerged. But when it did, not only did it bring new ideas and play mechanics to the forefront, but was wildly successful and more than just a gimmick. It has kept the PSP at bay and paved the way for the Wiimote, and I don't think any of us saw that coming from Nintendo.

2. Grand Theft Auto - Ok, it's one thing for a franchise to emerge and be great and sell bucketloads. It's a whole other thing to create so much controversy, garner so much support, and become the face of a generation by breaking the mold into what is "acceptable" in games. If six years ago someone told you GTA would be the biggest property in gaming the next gen, you all would have laughed. I know I would've.

3. Microsoft succeeding - I guess it shouldn't be that much of a shock, seeing how much money they have to work with, but more often than not, companies get consoles WRONG the first time, and whither back into whatever corner of electronics from whence they came. But the Xbox was wildly successful considering the chokehold Sony has on the market, and Sony has even taken ideas from MS, especially with online play.

4. Online console gaming booming - Thanks largely to Microsoft, the online gaming community went beyond PCs and crept its way into the houses. The Dreamcast was the forerunner, and Microsoft and Sony nailed it home, to the point where online features are just as important (if not more) than multiplayer was generations earlier. Can't underestimate the online community in console gaming these days.

5. Sega dying so quickly - It seemed like one day they were battling it out with the Dreamcast, and in Christmas 2000 almost seemed like, if not a threat, a competitor in this generation with Sony and Nintendo. But as quickly as the DC brought them back, the PS2 knocked them down, and by the end of 2001 the DC was basically a memory and Sega was forced to go third party. A shame, seeing as the DC had some amazing games. And the quickness of it all is what was so surprising.


SURPRISE GAMES

1. Zelda: Wind Waker - Cell-shaded?! How in the hell.
RESULT - Still a very good game

2. Metal Gear Solid 2 - Raiden is your thorn.
RESULT - Confusing, and Raiden's gay, but a solid game.

3. Metroid Prime - Return of Samus... in first person
RESULT - Doom was predicted for this game, but it turned out incredibly well.

4. Resident Evil 4 - Capcom actually updates the series!
RESULT - Actually turned out to be one of the best experiences this gen.

5. Zelda: Twilight Princess - Link is again teh matoor!
RESULT - Still undetermined, but with full Wii control now, the surprises keep coming.
 
MOTHER 3 actually came out!

Metroid Prime turned out to be pure gold, I'm usually very optimistic about new directions in games, but I did not see this working.

Atlus becoming übergods.

Raiden in MGS2.

DS taking off (I had faith though)

SEGA slowly dying and going third-party.
 
It's been more than five years but the surprise announcement i always remember the most is the unveiling of Diddy Kong Racing.
 
Shawn said:
There is nothing more surprising than Microsoft taking second place in the console war.
Click to expand...
Sorry, guys, but it was a much bigger surprise how clearly the PS2 won.

I remember the days, when the common opinion was "xbox and GC will sure win monthly sales because of better graphics, but wont come close in total sales". But PS2 lead about all monthly sales in all regions with only a few exceptions.

Xbox would have been dead without Halo, and it later would have been dead without early and massive pricedrops (especially europe). xbox wasnt completely unsuccessful after all, but a console that already has some $150 per machine loss and then gets a $100 pricedrop after half a year (250 Euro price drop in europe) is hardly successfull IMO.
 
Katamari Damacy! Also, Dragon Quest 8. And finally, the amount of time it took for FF12 to FINALLY get done. It's crazy.
 
HowardMoon said:
Pretty much every major Nintendo annoucement; Celda, TP, Capcom 5, Metroid Prime, Revmote, "Wii", DS, Rare split

I can't really think of anything else other then PR guys becoming celebrities
Click to expand...

What is so surprising about any of these?
 
nintendo's decline in relevance as a gaming innovator culminating in their current status as a purveyor of wal-mart grade novelty pseudo-game experiences
 
Drinky Crow said:
nintendo's decline in relevance as a gaming innovator culminating in their current status as a purveyor of wal-mart grade novelty pseudo-game experiences
Click to expand...

You try so hard to make yourself sound intelligent.
 
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