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[Box of Bunnies]

It was a great generation for Castlevania fans until they took it out back with Lords of Shadow:

The Adventure ReBirth
Dawn of Sorrow
Dracula X Chronicles
Judgement (fun arena brawler despite the silly art style)
Order of Ecclesia
Portrait of Ruin

Metal Gear Solid 4 was pretty wretched (fantastic gameplay systems unfortunately smothered by terrible cutscenes) but Revengeance made up for that.

 

[GoshaDole]

I try and forget about Beat'n Groovy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNnbUp8T5k8

 

[Diomedeskun]

Suikoden is my favorite series of all. I also have a deep love for Igavania and Goemon. I don't ever expect a return of the awesomeness from the old Konami that was deeply in love enough with its IP to make the Wai Wai World games, but it's just really damn sad to see how much has changed.

On top of that, I had never played much of any of the Bonk games before, and I just got around to buying some of the games released for Nintendo consoles recently. Super Bonk and Super Bonk 2 are amazingly fun (the Famicom game is ok, and the GB games are entertaining in their own way) and I will get the original trilogy whenever I get around to buying a Duo. The dissolution of Hudson and the loss of Bonk, Bomberman, Adventure Island, and tons of other games is tragic.

 

[@MUWANdo]

Wasn't there also a good Gradius game for Wiiware? There was also a Contra one as well.

Gradius/Contra/Castlevania Rebirth were all developed by M2, and yeah, they're all pretty decent.

Come to think of it, all three of the Contra games they released this gen were outsourced.

 

[Hesemonni]

The whole conference was pure comedy gold. And when the conference started looping I think I watched it some 2-3 times before going to sleep.

Good times.

 

[Zebetite]

That is pretty terrible

Especially that you'd consider the new SH games a good thing when we should have gotten Silent Hill 5 from Team Silent

He didn't mention anything about "the new SH games," he said that he considers a particular one (Shattered Memories) to be a good game (which I agree with! Shattered Memories is the only not-horrible Silent Hill game since 4!). Liking one doesn't mean he automatically likes all of them.

 

[Oublieux]

Does anyone else think the FOX engine might have a bit of a hand in this? I'm sure that took a lot of development time and, apparently, they're going the way of the Frostbite by creating a multitude of games based on a single engine. I believe PES' next game is using the FOX engine and it looked fantastic with the new animations and models.

 

[Obeso]

I sadly have to agree with the OP. Konami use to be one of the best!
I use to love, but a lot, PES, ZOE, SH and MGS. I finished all these games more than once on PS2!
But this generation:

1. Konami made the worst numbered MGS.
2. I lost my interest in SH after the SH4...
3. Where is ZOE 3?
4. And I move to FIFA, which is better than PES now...

Really, really sad...

 

[dark10x]

Worst? Compared to Activision, EA, and Ubisoft?

Are you joking?

Say what you will about those three companies and their greedy practices, but they have all released some truly excellent games over the course of this generation both as new IPs and old franchises.

Konami has been shitting around for years despite having an amazing legacy. Nothing is more crushing that watching a developer you once loved fail to produce anything of value. They have failed this generation.

Most of the good games released under the Konami name were simply outsourced. They've seemingly eliminated all internal talent outside of Kojima Productions.

 

[Pistolero]

"I dare you to drop the soap" look...
I'm scared!

 

[JordanN]

Outside of MGS4 and Castlevania, I don't even know what Konami did last gen. I think I saw their name in a Pachinko game.

 

[Wario64]

The whole conference was pure comedy gold. And when the conference started looping I think I watched it some 2-3 times before going to sleep.

Good times.

That was one of the most fun threads on GAF

 

[Sapphire Dreams]

Konami are not bad, they just scaled down their releases since they make money off other things beside video games.

That being said, I wish they made a proper Suikoden game.

 

[ThaGuy]

Im in dire need of a new bomberman, Especially one with off-tv play for wii u. Ill even take a remake of an old school bomberman for psn, xbl, or eshop.

 

[MightyKAC]

Capcpom has disappointed me more.

Came in to post exactly this.

 

[BHK3]

People seem to have forgotten just how fun it was making a konami ID so you can play MGO

 

[ULTROS!]

If I'd rank the companies in terms of disappointment:

1. Konami
2. Capcom


3. Square Enix

 

[zainetor]

The truth right here.

I'm going to keep pimping this video until everyone buys this brilliant game.

technically that's a platinum game, however, we should tank hideo for giving the task to platinum, instead of team ninja.

 

[Kokonoe]

I want a Super Castlevania IV remake with gdlk music like this.

Simon's Theme from Harmony of Despair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exp1y7_eYMk

 

[sublimit]

There was no konami this gen.Only Kojima.

 

[ZombiePlatypus]

That HD Silent Hill release and criminal levels of neglect towards Suikoden are undeniably terrible. As awful as Konami has been though, somehow I feel like Square Enix has been even more craptacular this gen.

 

[eXistor]

I tend to agree. MGS (and MGR) is cool, but that's one game every...what, 4-5 years? Castlevania is no longer Castlevania and the rest is shit. One of the biggest falls from grace for sure.

Capcom gets way too much shit over here. They may have shitty DLC practices, but their output is pretty decent. Not NES/SNES era good, but still respectable.

 

[Kurtofan]

Why did you kill Igavanias konami why.

3DS would be perfect for a new one but nooooo it's Lords of Shallow time.

 

[dark10x]

Came in to post exactly this.

Oh wow, really? I'm curious to know why.

They've released a lot of excellent games this generation.

I mean, they revived Street Fighter, MvC, and Bionic Commando successfully, they made new retro-style Megaman games, they released two different but solid Devil May Cry titles, and introduced some new franchises such as Dragon's Dogma, Lost Planet, Asura's Wrath and Dead Rising. Is that really so disappointing?

 

[Muchi Muchi Pink]

Revengeance is a fucking awesome game. Even if Konami has been terrible this generation, that's no excuse not to play one of the best action games of 2013.

And if platinum didn't helped them out, it would have never been finished.
Edith: Agreed Capcom is still making a lot of good games regardless.

 

[NewGame]

I agree with the OP, Konami have gone to poop. Did you see the Silent Hill HD collection? They lost the source code! prfeshuonal.

 

[GamerJM]

A review of this recent thread might be in order.

Things for Konami aren't so dire if you look at the full picture.


The CS releases tapered off, and IIDX is the kind of game which is nearly unplayable at homes with laggy HDTVs.

Regardless, I wouldn't call those resources wasted. I'd rather there be only arcade IIDX than no IIDX.

I bought an HD Asus Monitor in case there ever is one

Spoiler

;_;

.

 

[Toxa]

with namco

 

[Haunted]

You know you fucked up when your biggest "achievement" in a generation is accidentally letting a couple of your devs go out for a press conference after doing some coke.

I'd call it a heartbreaking fall from grace if they hadn't used up all my goodwill with garbage like MGS4 and mishandling PES the way they did.


RIP Konami.

 

[LeleSocho]

The first half of they did good if you ask me but in the second they just disappeared from the worthwhile scenario.

 

[FourMyle]

Nowhere near as bad as Ubisoft/EA.

 

[Dami3N]

Yup especially because they don't release Suikoden VI.

this

 

[squall23]

Oh I just love how the recent wave of Konami complainers deny the existence of their bemani division.

 

[MightyKAC]

Oh wow, really? I'm curious to know why.

They've released a lot of excellent games this generation.

I mean, they revived Street Fighter, MvC, and Bionic Commando successfully, they made new retro-style Megaman games, they released two different but solid Devil May Cry titles, and introduced some new franchises such as Dragon's Dogma, Lost Planet, Asura's Wrath and Dead Rising. Is that really so disappointing?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Capcom is a shitty shitty company, and the only reason anyone tolerates them is because they make decent games.

Between the Mega Man fiasco, the fact that they're now asking me to buy Street Fighter 4 for the Nth time, and wait, Bionic Commando successful??? REALLY???

Listen I know this is an opinion and all (as well as being MASSIVELY off topic) but Capcom to me has been a HUGE disappointment this gen as a former fan. Konami failures don't even begin to compare in my eyes.

 

[Gagaman]

They bought out and murdered Hudson, so yeah, on that alone I can agree. No new Bomberman games on the horizon makes me sad.

 

[glaringradio]

Oh I just love how the recent wave of Konami complainers deny the existence of their bemani division.

Are you saying the state of bemani at the minute is something to be happy about? They've just killed support for DDR Wars, there's no more home IIDX or Pop'n or GF/DM. The music for the bemani series is getting worse with each game. The only decent thing they've done for bemani outside of the arcade is juBeat on ios, which is great if you own an ipad but overpriced.

 

[Castef]

Worst? Compared to Activision, EA, and Ubisoft?

If he is talking about the quality of the produced games then he has a point: Konami's lineup in the past 2/3 years is far worse than the ones of the three mentioned software houses.

 

[GrotesqueBeauty]

Their throwback stuff was great. The Rebirth series on Wii was totally under appreciated, Hard Corps: Uprising was awesome. Dawn of Sorrow and Order of Ecclesia were great, as was Dracula X Chronicles. Elebits was rough around the edges but fun and novel, and the DS follow up The Adventures of Kai and Zero was a seriously underrated action/adventure game as well. Contra 4 is a pitch perfect homage to the 8/16 bit games and easily in my top 3 games for the DS. Hell, even the almost universally snickered at Dewy's Adventure was actually pretty entertaining and polished if you could take it at face value. Shattered Memories was ambitious in trying a new formula if not perfect, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance seems to have gotten a positive reaction (haven't played it personally).

Guess it all depends on where you're looking. They may not have tons of great blockbuster console games, but they published a considerable amount of praiseworthy games, particularly for the old school enthusiast.

 

[szaromir]

Rockstar and Zynga are the worst.

 

[hesido]

Konami ID.

Now, that was a stupid idea.

 

[pillowtalk]

Konami ID.

Now, that was a stupid idea.

Buying mgo dlc was so easy. Only required three logins.

 

[TalesOfWin]

yep, they destroyed the castlevania franchise with lackluster titles such as LoS and Mirror of Fate.

usually a new castlevania game for a handheld console is an instant buy, but not this time.

 

[redcrayon]

Mentions Contra 4, but not Hard Corps. Shame.

Both were awesome games.

Didn't they also put out the rebirth titles on Wiiware- Castlevania, Contra and Gradius?

I have to admit that normally I love Castlevania, but found Rebirth, Judgement, Lords of Shadow and Mirror of Fate to be not quite what I was looking for. Order of Ecclesia was great though, one of my favourites in the series.

 

[AgentLampshade]

I dunno, Capcom's been pretty bad. Between whoring out franchises to "westernise" them, day one DLC up the ass and generally bad decisions everywhere, I honestly can't think of a company that's fallen as much as Capcom.

Didn't they plan on making a fucking Gummi Bears game starring a famous rapper or was that a horrible nightmare?

 

[Lee Chaolan]

They are a very extreeeeeeme company.

Although they do get major points for the extremely fun Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

 

[Arthea]

Suikoden doesn't get even mention in "Poor treatment of their legacy IPs", you sadden me
I'm not sure I understood why are you unhappy about ZoE HD, I think that's one of the best things Konami did this gen.

 

[edeo]

Capcom allowed the Ducktails remake, so I'm okay with them.

 

[TalesOfWin]

Both were awesome games.

Didn't they also put out the rebirth titles on Wiiware- Castlevania, Contra and Gradius?

I have to admit that normally I love Castlevania, but found Rebirth, Judgement, Lords of Shadow and Mirror of Fate to be not quite what I was looking for. Order of Ecclesia was great though, one of my favourites in the series.

too bad you'll never see another metroidvania of that quality again. franchise is stuck with that shitty mercurysteam.

 

[redcrayon]

too bad you'll never see another metroidvania of that quality again. franchise is stuck with that shitty mercurysteam.

Thats true, but between SotN, the GBA games and the DS ones, I've got enough to last me a lifetime. Would be nice to have one on the 3DS as I love having the full map on the second screen, but hey, never mind. I don't expect things to always stick with a certain style just because I like it, I know some people prefer the more linear ones, it's just a shame Mirror of Fate wasn't as good as it could have been.

 

[squall23]

Are you saying the state of bemani at the minute is something to be happy about? They've just killed support for DDR Wars, there's no more home IIDX or Pop'n or GF/DM. The music for the bemani series is getting worse with each game. The only decent thing they've done for bemani outside of the arcade is juBeat on ios, which is great if you own an ipad but overpriced.

The thing is that you're taking their success in arcades lightly. While this is only my personal experience, and I don't go to an arcade every single day, there is ALWAYS a lineup behind the Jubeat, Reflec Beat, and Sound Voltex machines in the arcades I go to. Again, judging from personal experience, I can't consider what I see to be a failure in Konami's end.

Also, I enjoy all the those games, so yes I would love for them to continue what they're doing. Hence why I have an ipad with a lot of song packs for both Jubeat and Reflec Beat.