ethelred said:
Games aren't movies, though. They're not isolated narratives presented via one-shot-only acting and directing, where any subsequent attempt would be impossible to duplicate. That's setting aside the fact that remakes and sequels are vastly different things. If a game has solid mechanics and does something in a very unique way, it's natural to want to see a sequel that retains that style and gameplay and evolves them. For instance, in the case of ActRaiser, I still haven't seen another game ever that combined its simple mix of actiony platforming and simulation. Why wouldn't I want to see a new game take that simple yet very effective mix and enhance it further?
Oh, I personally wouldn't mind an ActRaiser 3... but I also wouldn't mind a game that effectively combines the two parts of ActRaiser but is not within the AR franchise. Hell, I'd even be willing to give up the Dante's Inferno narrative and gothic art of the second game. And this is my point--sometimes it seems like gamers clamor for sequels to quality products when they could just clamor for quality products regardless of whether or not they're original games or sequels.
Ninja edit: I think I probably explain myself more clearly in response to charlequin later in this post.
In Kid Icarus, the core mechanic is exploratory vertical adventuring/platforming, no? I don't see that as so inherently archaic or unpalatable to modern norms that it'd be impractical as a new game. And just like with ActRaiser, it's the sort of obvious thing that not a lot of games are doing what that one did. I think the simple element of orienting most of the gameplay in a vertical instead of horizontal direction makes a big deal in establishing the game as unique.
It wouldn't be unpalatable on the DS... but you're kidding if you think a 2d platformer would be viable on the Wii. I totally failed in not qualifying my earlier post that I was essentially referring to Metroid Prime-like sequels/re-imaginings rather than new installments of old games on the DS.
Obviously it's probably a good idea for Nintendo to still make use of their old IPs in ways that they can, and the DS is a great outlet for that. I just don't get fans who want to shoehorn ancient IP into modern gaming rather than build up great new concepts.
RE: Earthbound VC / Super Smash Bros Brawl; I suspect that EB isn't in the Brawl masterpieces because it isn't coming to VC any time soon. Now, as to why it's not coming to VC any time soon? Nintendo is fucking dumb, that's why. No defence on that one.
charlequin said:
Alternately, I think people under-exaggerate the crappiness of NOA's publication decisions in general, as if Earthbound is some sort of special exception. Tingle's Rosy-Colored Rupeeland (even with an English translation already done for EU release) and the first GBA FE didn't come out here, and it's unlikely that ASH or Soma Bringer will hit over here either. NOA just doesn't historically seem interested in bringing out more niche stuff (especially in the RPG genre) unless GameCube-level software deserts force them to find something to get out there.
I agree with you on these issues. Nintendo makes a shit-ton of poor publication decisions. I firmly believe that Soma Bringer will get a domestic release, ASH is a maybe. Tingle and Cooking Navi are inexplicable by anyone sane. Sin & Punishment, Doshin the Giant, the bungled Cubivore deal last generation, Wii Chess this generation, and god knows how many other examples exist of Nintendo publishing or localizing poor products while refusing to localize good ones.
In a lot of cases, Nintendo's localization decisions are not reality based. I just think that in the case of people looking for Mother 3 GBA / more Mother games, the fans are not reality based.
Shikamaru Ninja said:
What? Nintendo is listed in the copyrights of Starfy (its even in Smash Bros). Hitoshi Yamagami is the producer. Nintendo's SPD2 unit produced the game with Tose developing it. It was a relationship and a game built during Game & Watch 4. Nintendo has absolutely everything to do with the game not being localized as the publisher and primary IP holder. (c) Nintendo / Tose.
All of NCL's games go through NOA Tree House if NOA decides to bring the game over. Despite if the sub-contractor is Camelot or Tose or Hudson.
I have no reason to doubt you. I've only played Stafy 4. My info was based on that 1up piece on TOSE from a few years ago (
here which seemed to suggest that for Stafy, TOSE was the owner and Nintendo acted as publisher.) A re-read seems to suggest that it's closer to what you're saying.
charlequin said:
I think you're kind of off-base here. People are a lot more accepting of "spiritual sequels" in games than they are in movies, because in many (obviously not all) cases, the gameplay (or "feel") of a game is what fans want to see come back.
What I'm referring to here is not simply fans wanting to see more of the same great gameplay, it's fans mythologizing Mike Jones or Pit and hypothesizing 3d installments of the IP that have little to do with the theme or narrative of the original games. To some extent, Nintendo feeds this by doing things like creating a 3d Pit / Palutena for Smash Bros Brawl...
I guess what I'm saying is that when a good movie has a good sequel, it involves most of the original cast and crew (or is blessed by them) and continues the narrative and the unique elements of the original in a respectful way. When I hear a lot of fans asking for sequels to old games, it tends to be more in the fan fiction sense--re-purposing of previously existing characters into an inauthentic and non-cohesive new work that bares little resemblance to the original.
Like I mentioned to ethel earlier in this post, I'm all for new games that expand upon these original games in a good way. I'd be happy for an ActRaiser 3 on DS. I'd be happy for a Bushido Blade 3 that continued the heritage of the original. I'd be happy for a Kid Icarus on DS. I would not be happy if the names of those three games were slapped onto new products willy-nilly simply because of a nostalgic remembrance rather than a heritage of quality.
Look at the new Bionic Commando. Takes the name. Takes the core mechanic. Updates everything including the core mechanic to fit modern gameplay. Plus, Capcom has experience from Lost Planet and Dead Rising in terms of the engine they're using and the general feel of gameplay. Ta-da! This is a good idea, and I'm happy if companies do this. What would make me unhappy would be if Capcom had transplanted Super Joe and the music from Bionic Commando into a new game that was their first shot at that genre without really any planning.
I think Parasite Eve 2 and Bushido Blade 2 are both pretty good examples of products that fail in the way that I think most fan's demands do. Both, while quite alright on their own, did a disservice to their predecessors by taking things superficially rather than imaginatively.