What’s Old Is New Again: Revisited - A Rant

Ah, Nintendo. Remember Nintendo? Home of the hardcore. Lair of the strong. Hell, they made a whole movie about a kid who was just blowing everyone else away - it was a man’s company and a man’s system. Suck at games? Then back off, little man. Nintendo was gonna destroy your ass and then hand it back to you, with little remorse. Innovative, groundbreaking, and challenging - those are 3 words I’d use to describe Nintendo’s Golden Age. Sure, they had some screw ups in their past (remember the U-Force?), but all in all, I’d say they set the bar pretty high.

Somewhere along the way though, it seems like they got lazy, and maybe we gamers are to blame. How many “Imagine:” games or “Petz” games are being released, just about every day for the Wii? How many add-ons for the Wiimote are there? A dongle that makes it work? A case that makes it look like a gun that shoots Nerf darts? A bathroom scale? These aren’t games, these are gimmicks. And this is where someone chimes in and says “But Eliot, those are for the casual gamers, and they have their place in gaming too.” Well, I say, screw the old lady who wants to play video games (not in that manner, unless that’s your thing). Why should video games pander to the masses? Do we really need another animal simulator or minigame compilation? Just so Gary Suburb can join in the fun? So Nintendo gave up on us on that front.

But here’s where the meat of my thought comes into play. We bickered and argued that there were no games for us, the loyal fans. So Nintendo threw us a few bones. Have you guys played New Super Mario Bros Wii? I hope you have. It’s awesome. Simple sidescrolling action, run and jump gameplay with a few new weapons. It’s just like playing Super Mario on the NES again. But that’s kinda my beef. I feel like Nintendo is just pandering to its fanbase. “Oh, you want games that don’t involve waggling a Wiimote to nurse a baby? Ok, here’s Mario, with updated graphics, but little else added. That not enough? Ok, then here’s Punch-Out again. Want more? Here’s another Zelda.” Nothing innovative, nothing mindblowing, just more of the same. They basically gave Mario a spinny hat and called it a day.

I suppose that’s alright, for the most part, and maybe I’m just angry about this because I thought Mario Galaxy was awesome as hell, and I also think that the original NES games were best left back in the 80s and early 90s. With Galaxy getting a sequel (which they admit is just more of the same, almost like an expansion pack), I just wish Nintendo would take more risks with their franchise characters. Mario has more going for him than Kart racing and sidescrolling, and I thought Galaxy was a great addition to the lineup. Say what you will about Mario Sunshine, but it was worth the attempt at something new. I’d argue that the last big risk they took was going first-person for Metroid, and that changed the series for good, and for the better. Going back to the well is fine, every now and then, but copy and paste just feels cheap.

The flipside to all this is what Sega’s been doing to Sonic. Werehog, really? First of all, let’s assess that situation, not that it hasn’t been done to death. Werehog technically translates to Man-hog, which is not what he was turning into in that game. More like a hedgewolf, with rubbery arms of death, but I digress. Those portions of that Sonic game did nothing but slow you down and force you to fight. Really? HIS NAME IS SONIC! He should be flying down the road at full speed. Along the way, Sega managed to created a werehog, a hedgehog with a gun, a black knight, and a bunch of other gimmicky things to rejuvenate the character. Meanwhile, he’s been doing just fine on the DS, because his games on that system have been all about running. Here’s a tip for Sega: rip off Tony Hawk. The old Tony Hawk, not the Tony Hawk that requires you to be sober to play (that board is ass). Sonic should be about finding the best line to get through a level in the fastest amount of time. And yes, it sucks to be a level designer knowing that all your work is going to go blazing by and no one will appreciate your precious bump-mapping or hi-def shrubbery, but tough. You’re working on a game called Sonic. Quit changing things and accept that fact.

So really, I’m torn on the state of classic characters, and maybe this rant really was just that: a rant, but I’m sure there are some people who will agree with me, some will disagree, and some will try to post Viagra ads. But what do you guys think? Is this a double standard? Are we to blame for wanting old things updated rather than new things?

Comments

About Author