Five franchises in need of a “Wii-boot”
Saturday, December 8th, 2007 at 11:23pm by Derek
It may be doing business in stylish new places and selling consoles to fresh new faces, but Mario, Zelda and Metroid still run the show at Nintendo. Over the last year, fans have been treated to proper new titles from each of Nintendo’s three elite franchises, not to mention an additional handheld Zelda.
The last time this happened? Try 199-never.
But as great as it’s been, it is also representative of a trend that needs to change. Mario, Link and Samus can only carry the company so far, as recent disappointments have proven. So why not look to your bench, Nintendo? You’ve got other great players dying to get time on the field.
From my humble estimation, these are the five franchises most capable of an innovative “revolution” and an immediate contribution on Wii.
Kid Icarus
The Kid Icarus series chronicles the adventures of Pit, a brave young angel armed with the sacred Bow of Palutena, the Goddess of Light, and the leader of her army. In addition to his charming character design, Pit is essentially an amalgam of the attributes of Nintendo’s biggest characters. Nintendo Power marveled over Pit in issue 204, raving that he could “jump like Mario, collect items like Link and shoot enemies like Samus.”
Kid Icarus is an extremely interesting concept for a video game series; battle demons and mythological monsters in an ancient Greek setting to save the Goddess of Light. The potential for such a premise to catapult Kid Icarus into the Nintendo elite is obvious, but unfortunately, the series has only had two games to date. The original Kid Icarus debuted on the NES in 1987 and offered a unique hybrid of classic Nintendo gameplay elements. The series continued on the original Game Boy with Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters in 1991. Since then, Pit has been forced to sit the bench.
But if there were ever a time to get him back in the game, it is now. Legions of fans agree; Kid Icarus could be an incredible experience on Wii. Imagine an immense, beautiful world similar to Hyrule in Twilight Princess, only with a fourth dimension, of sorts: unlike Link, Pit is not bound by the constraints of gravity. He could soar through the sky for airborne battle, darting from cloud to cloud and aiming at enemies effortlessly thanks to the Wii remote. Massive ancient Greek landscapes and oceans, enormous enemy combatants, gigantic sea beasts; the series is practically demanding a reinvention on Wii.
F-Zero
There isn’t a racing franchise faster or more stylish than the futuristic F-Zero. Cast centuries into the future, F-Zero features brutally fast racing action complimented by pulse-inducing musical scores and console-pushing technology. The series embraces its unique setting by utilizing a cast of over-the-top characters including anthropomorphic mutants, caped super-heroes, evil villains and even futuristic musicians and fashion models. Chief among them is perhaps Captain Falcon, the mysterious bounty hunter as popular for his appearances in the Smash Bros. series as for his F-Zero racing.
The series began with the original F-Zero, a launch title for the Super NES in 1991, and new entries into the series have appeared on each Nintendo console since. Except, of course, Wii and DS. Combine these recent absences with the implications of recent comments from Nintendo executives, and the future of the series has suddenly been called into question. Shigeru Miyamoto in particular has been quite vocal about his disappointment with the latest game, F-Zero GX, a critically successful commercial failure entrusted to outside development studios by Nintendo.
Nagging problems and poor sales aside, the core of F-Zero GX offered one of the best gameplay experiences on GameCube, and the game’s issues are certainly addressable. A Wii version could add individual difficulty modes to expand the potential audience. This would make the game more enjoyable for the mainstream, but also keep the game’s traditionally maddening difficulty level intact for F-Zero veterans. Implement stat-filled online leaderboards and fast-paced competition modes to extend the replay value. Improve on the offline local multiplayer, and we’re already making serious headway.
We haven’t even gotten into all the possibilities for responsive new controls and enhanced speed and visuals on Wii. Super Mario Galaxy has teased our appetite for pretty Wii games; a new F-Zero would be like a smorgasbord feast.
Star Fox
Like F-Zero, the Star Fox series began as a technological achievement on the Super NES. When the original game released in 1993, it was a visual wonder. Using the Super FX graphics chip, Star Fox was one of the first games to simulate 3D graphics on a console. But there was more to Star Fox than groundbreaking visuals; the gameplay was smooth, fast, responsive and incredibly addictive. When a Nintendo 64 sequel was released four years later, it improved upon everything the original had introduced, establishing the new franchise as one of Nintendo’s best and brightest for the future.
From there, everything went wrong. The third installment, Rare’s 2002 Star Fox Adventures on GameCube, was considered blasphemy by Star Fox faithful. Gone was the intense on-rails shooting of the first two games, and in its place was an adventure game best described as a second-rate Zelda. And while it was certainly a beautifully done adventure title, it just wasn’t a Star Fox game. The downward spiral continued three years later when Nintendo hired Namco for the next game, Star Fox: Assault. Though it was hyped as a return to form, it also had laborious ground missions which abruptly broke the intensity of the game, and although the recent Star Fox: Command on DS showed signs of improvement, Nintendo still seems to be struggling with the idea of keeping Star Fox on-rails.
But if Nintendo were to finally swallow the “on-rails pill” and bring Star Fox back to what initially made it special, the Wii could provide an astounding new level of interactivity to the Star Fox experience. As with any game in which shooting enemies is an objective, blasting enemy fighters could be a remarkably smooth and precise exercise on Wii, and like F-Zero, Star Fox could push the Wii to achieve a dramatic sense of speed and graphical prowess. Just as Nintendo achieved with Super Mario Galaxy, it would be technically easy to free up lots of processing power in space levels for gorgeous planetoids, meteors and space fighters through gorgeous lighting, particles and textures.
An on-rails, fast-paced, gorgeous looking Star Fox on Wii with online leaderboards? It would be a must-have, period.
Mega Man
Sure, he isn’t technically a member of the Nintendo family. But Mega Man is sort of like that drunken uncle who used to come around all the time before he lost control of his life. Now, he stumbles around the house, filled with potential but too lost to actually fulfill it, barely recognizable and an embarrassing shell of what he used to be.
And maybe that was a bit harsh, but in the case of most of the countless spin-offs the franchise has spawned, you would have no idea it was a Mega Man game if not for the title on the box.
Maybe I am simply part of a stubborn minority, but when I buy a Mega Man game, the last thing I want is a contrived Japanese RPG with a grotesquely cliched anime presentation. I want a challenging 2D action-platformer filled to the brim with robotic enemies, weapon upgrades and a cool little guy with a blue suit and a blaster for an arm. And I really don’t think I’m the only one.
Super Paper Mario has proven there is still a market for simple 2D games on a console. They may be basic and they may be archaic, but considering Wii Sports, it seems consumers wouldn’t really mind. And speaking of Super Paper Mario, what if Capcom did a similarly styled Mega Man game? Imagine blasting through traditionally designed Mega Man stages in all their 2D glory until a boss battle, when the game would shift into a first-person perspective similar to that of Metroid Prime.
Capcom could even keep the formula simpler. Maybe a 2D Mega Man with cursor-based aiming as implemented in Geometry Wars? Players could aim wherever they wanted Mega Man to blast while simultaneously doing some deliciously sweet 2D platforming. Or perhaps add points-scoring for online leaderboards? And pretty explosions? How about keeping it pick-up-and-play, too?
Evolution is a great thing for a video game franchise to embrace, but there is a difference between evolution for the sake of improvement and evolution for the sake of complete reinvention. Mega Man, that little blue bomber we fell in love with two decades ago and captivated gamers for years, deserves better.
Donkey Kong
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Once one of the Nintendo elite, Donkey Kong has since been relegated to exist in perpetual mediocrity, appearing exclusively in vaguely interesting spin-offs, disappointing racers and niche rhythm games. But when considering his origins, it is easier to understand how Donkey Kong has lost his way. Despite achieving status as one of the most iconic characters in early gaming history, he didn’t make his playable debut until the Super NES when third-party Rare put him in his now-trademark red tie and let him loose to stomp through the jungle in one of the best platformers ever made.
And since? Well, things haven’t fared as well.
But like Mega Man and Star Fox before, simplicity is all it would take to resurrect Donkey Kong back to his former greatness. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, the oft-overlooked GameCube gem, had the right idea. But it implemented that idea with a bongo-pounding gimmick that, while incredibly fun, practically guaranteed it would become a niche title. A similar platformer could do well on Wii, but this time around, inject a little more Donkey Kong Country into the formula. Mine carts, rideable jungle critters and some sweet barrel blasting is all it would take to get fans back on board. Perhaps even more so than the previous four franchises, it wouldn’t take much to get Donkey Kong back on track. Give him the proper world to work in on Wii, and the lovable, legendary ape would likely take care of the rest.
And maybe add some online leaderboards. I like online leaderboards.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:19 am
It’s all well and good to ponder how great certain franchises would fare on the Wii. Sure, we’ve had good times with Starfox (I’m a particularly huge fan of the original and the 64 version), and F-Zero. But when it comes down to it, what Nintendo needs to do, no, actually what you and I need to do as Nintendo fans is push Nintendo for exciting NEW franchises and games.
I’ve matured since I cut my teeth playing the Marios and Zeldas of old as a youngster. My taste for gaming is different now, and I think that’s true for the market as a whole (hence the Wii’s success). What we need from Nintendo and other developers is not ANOTHER Resident Evil, or ANOTHER Zelda clone, or ANOTHER Paper Mario with a Mega Man theme, what we need is something like Rez. Or Okami. Or Pikmin. Game franchises that jump out as completely different. New experiences. I’m still in the 18-35 male demograph that’s most craved by the gaming industry, but even I am sick of constant sequels rehashes and rebirths of franchises. I’ve played first person shooters since Wolvenstein. I’ve completed Mario 64 and Sunshine, and I’ve got top track times on all iterations of Mario Kart. Give me something new.
I understand your longing for the franchises of old. But in the much the same way snap bands, Tamagotchis and Samurai Pizza Cats need to stay dead and fondly remembered, rather than rehashed, so too do the franchises you mentioned above. If you want a rails shooter like Starfox 64, buy Starfox 64 on the VC.
We’ve all already been there. I’m personally waiting for new experiences and new franchises and new gaming worlds. I know I’m not alone.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:23 am
“Imagine blasting through traditionally designed Mega Man stages in all their 2D glory until a boss battle, when the game would shift into a first-person perspective similar to that of Metroid Prime.”
WHAT?! That would be awful!
Cursor based aiming, however, I’ve been advocating for a classic styled Mega Man (and Earth Worm Jim) game for a while, though. That would kick ass!
Maybe Capcom will throw us a bone on Wii Ware.
And I liked the last two Star Fox games. I don’t know why everyone bags on Assault so much. It was fun. Even the tank levels, which were a tedious, annoying pain in the ass in Star Fox 64, were fun.
The only problem I had with it was that there were too many foot missions, but those weren’t so horrible that it ruined the game by any means. They did take way to long to complete, though.
I wouldn’t mind seeing them return in the next Star Fox, but they need to have one two at the most and they can’t have you running around looking for items in huge maze-like cities. I’d rather they just be more like a linear TPS style games with the Wiimote. That could be a lot of fun.
As far as Kid Icarus goes, if it returns, I would be so happy if it was, essentially, “Nintendo’s Take On Ninja Gaiden”. Pit’s bow does turn into swords now, you know! If they could combine beat ‘em up fun with Wiimote bow aiming somehow, they’d have a huge hit, methinks.
AND that would differentiate is substantially from Zelda, which I’ve gathered is the main concern everyone has about it – that it’d just be Zelda with a bow and jumping.
And finally, Nintendo just needs to make DKC 4. On Wii Ware would be cool, too. That is automatic buckets of money right there.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:32 am
“Or Okami.”
Okami is one of my “10 Best Games EVER”, but original it was NOT. It was Zelda with a jump button, at it’s core.
I would actually go so far as to say that it was Clover’s most uninspired game, compared to Viewtiful Joe and God Hand. Both of those games took a genre (2D platformer and Beat-’Em-Up) that was, for the most part, dead. They managed to revitalize them AND turn them on their head at the same time.
Okami, by contrast, took the Action Adventure formula that Zelda established and injected some really original and creative new elements into it…but the gameplay itself was pretty much completely unchanged from what you’d find in a Zelda game, at the same time.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:35 am
I’m all for new franchises, but I also long for another great Star Fox game. The peak was SF 64, but ever since then it’s been bad. Adventures was a beautiful game but obviously not a SF game. Assault was half-good, but the on-foot missions really brought the game down (just like the on-foot missions brought down Rebel Strike). And though I appreciated the more-to-the-roots SF Command, overall I pretty much hate that game. It’s the only SF game I haven’t completed and I have no desire to, that’s how much I hate the game.
Donkey Kong is another, it’s been downhill since IMHO DKC 2. DKC 3 was pretty average and at that point the DKC formula had worn thin and lost it’s luster. DK 64 was ok but by the time it came out, it was lost in the sea of all the other 3D platformers on the N64, and not nearly as good as the best ones. Jungle Beat to me was ruined by the bongos because like was said, it automatically made it a gimmick title. And Barrel Blast, my goodness what a pile of crap. And I really have never given much attention to the Kong racers, simply because I found them to be Mario Kart Lite.
I’m not sure what the deal is with these 2 franchises. They used to be 2 of Nintendo’s staples but now they are more after-thought. It’s kind of sad in a way, especially Star Fox to me because I absolutely love the first 2 games.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:42 am
You’re right on with this one, homie. I especially agree with you about F-Zero, however GX is so fun to play and nice to look at I would’ve liked it to have been a Wii launch title instead of a GC release. But yah, bring on a new F-Zero with ONLINE!!!
Mega Man severely needs a restart, I vote for a Mario 64 style action platformer fused with Resident Evil 4 style IR aiming by way of the over the shoulder camera. Also, the updated art style of Mega Man needs to be scrapped. Bring back the aesthetic simplicity of the classic games.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:01 am
Well, I think Star Fox is a given. That series is definitely coming back.
Also, I’m sure there is a DK title in the works for the Wii, since Barrel Blast was a Gamecube game.
I would expect F-Zero, but Miyamoto was disappointed with the previous GC effort from Sega.
So, that leaves Mega Man(Inafune is interested in making a Wii title, if he were to do a console Mega Man again) and Kid Icarus.
Technically, that would leave just Kid Icarus as the title that I would love to come out for the Wii, but don’t expect to see.
To that list, I would add Pilotwings. I think this title has the highest chance of being revived on Wii.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:03 am
I just want another F-Zero. I freakin love those games.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:09 am
I’m not sure if this one is owned by Nintendo or not, but Star Tropics would also be nice to see, at least on the Virtual Console.
December 9th, 2007 at 2:25 am
ONE of these franchises will be revealed as a new Wii announcement very soon. I promise. It’s already in the works.
December 9th, 2007 at 2:34 am
So, uh… Pikmin?
December 9th, 2007 at 3:29 am
Zelda needs a reboot so bad it hurts. Playing through Phantom Hourglass was barely even fun just because I had been through it all before, so. many. times. You know you’re getting some bombs, a boomerang, a bow, a hookshot, and so it takes hours and hours to even get to a point where you pick up something new. Please give me a Zelda game with a strong story, none of the same old gadgets (or just all of them to start… either way, I can’t pretend to be excited about finding a boomerang anymore) and bosses that don’t follow a formula that was established back on the SNES. Link needs to go up against some God of War bosses, or goddamn Shadow of the Colossus bosses…
Oh, and the whole not talking thing doesn’t work anymore, unless it’s used for comedy ala the Mario RPGs. Give Link a personality!
December 9th, 2007 at 8:53 am
Yorrike,
I guess you could say I agree with you that articles such as this one do us something of a disservice. The other problem with new francises is that we are not sending the right message to Nintendo. The fact is that in the past couple of years Nintendo has introduced new franchises, and by and large they are completely ignored. Over the past console generation or so years they have created:
Ba talion Wars
Hotel Dusk
Giest
Pickmin (you mentioned it)
Disaster day of crisis(is being worked on)
Well, thats just off of the top of my head and I am certain there are titles I missed. The fact is that gamers are crying out for remixes of old games and when Nintendo hears it they are compelled to oblige.
December 9th, 2007 at 9:15 am
Unfortunately tied in with the GameCube bongos, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was an incredible game. Graphically one of the top titles on GameCube, controls were amazingly tight (even via bongo), and the sound/music was absolutely top notch. They need to take that model and apply it to the Wii, with some sort of hybrid traditional/shake controls.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Yes, and No. Where do I begin?
-Starfox: couldn’t agree more. (Though I do love Command)
-F-zero: Miyamoto didn’t like the last one, you can expect it to be just that, the last.
-Megaman: I think the Megaman series is shoved too far up it’s own ass to be any good anymore. The only worthwhile thing they could possibly produce would be a Wiiware super mix of Megamans 1-4, where you rip through a remix of the bosses eight at a time. Then fight something of Wily’s and move to the next tier of eight master robots.
-Donkey Kong: What have they done to you? My poor poor simian friend? I have no idea how to revive this one other than Wiiware, if at all.
-Kid Icarus: This is actually the whole reason I wanted to comment on this article. Your idea is a big waste, sorry, that’s just how I feel.
We don’t need to see any more adventure games, don’t we already have an adventure hero in need of a retooling? I believe the only route for Kid Icarus to go in would be the Action game, stage based of course. I have an entire blog about this very matter, that I strongly encourage you to read.
http://dlindema.gametrailers.com/gamepad/index.php?action=viewblog&id=162499
The whole thing is there it is rather long, that’s why I didn’t post it here, please read it, you’ll love it.
Lastly my ideas for Wii-boot franchises:
Zombies ate my Neighbors: Elebits + Simon’s quest.
Road Rash: Punch dudes with the nunchuk, drive with the Wii-mote.
A boy and his Blob: Just do Zack and Wiki again.
Ecco the Dolphin: Control like Starfox should, roam the open seas.
On gametrailers, you might see side-blogs where I also detail the remakes I would do for these games, in a series titled, “Everything Old is New” also, read those.
Thanks for your time.
December 9th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Kid Icarus gets my vote for a likely “Wii-boot”. His random addition to SSBB seems like a clue that Nintendo is wanting to bring back the franchise.
December 9th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
This is the best list I’ve ever seen online. Seriously.
I read Kid Icarus, F-Zero, and Star Fox and had to agree. And then came Mega Man, and I swelled up with emotion because someone was FINALLY on my side about how the series has gone to shit, for lack of a better term. I really miss classic Mega Man (I own the Mega Man Anniversary Collection for that very reason), and it’s a shame to me that we will probably never see another iteration of that again. Because the suckfest RPGs and the lackluster Mega Man Zero/ZX titles sell well enough to where they have no need to change, or at least in the view of the developers.
And that shows that Capcom has given up on the beloved blue bomber, which makes me angry. I remember my unhealthy obsession with the series as a child, and it’s a shame I’ll never get to feel giddy about a new Mega Man (original, not X or Legends - though Legends was good - and certainly not Battle Network). Ever again. Ever.
BAH!
Anyway, I also really agree with how the DK series has degraded, and I’d like to see something done about that, too.
Thanks for writing this awesome and very true article!
December 9th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
December 9th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
But you forgot a new Punch Out with motion controls much better than those in Wii Sports!
December 10th, 2007 at 10:56 am
Pikmin is sorely missing in this list…
December 10th, 2007 at 11:01 am
Note: This list primarily deals with franchises that have either gone astray or gone away. In the case of Pikmin…that franchise certainly hasn’t gone wrong yet, and is a fairly obvious continuing series for Nintendo. That’s why Pikmin is not on the list.
December 10th, 2007 at 11:53 am
I sort of have to agree with Albo on Zelda, at least on Phantom Hourglass. While I actually liked Twilight Princess a great deal (the first Zelda since A Link to the Past that I actually did everything you could in the game), I’ve found the Phantom Hourglass to be somewhat tedious. I’ve had the game for 2 months now and I’m only a little halfway through. For me and Zelda games, that’s unheard of. I usually finish a Zelda game within 2 weeks of purchase. It’s not a bad game by any means; the graphics are quite nice, the controls work very well, but the progression of the story to me is slow and tedious. I specifically have grown to loathe the Temple of the Ocean King. Going through that, so many times, it’s starting to feel like work instead of fun.
I do think though Nintendo is in a bit of catch 22 when it comes to all this. People say a game series is getting stale and needs new blood, so they change it but then people complain because “it’s not Zelda”. Just like Capcom and Resident Evil, RE needed a change, so they went the RE4 route (which I think storywise was a bit too much of a change) and while the game is popular and sold well, many complained about the changes….changes beforehand many of the same people were screaming for. That doesn’t mean just because Nintendo changes something that it’s automatically good though, but still. I remember the huge uproar over Wind Waker, which is a fine Zelda game. Nintendo responded to that by making Twilight Princess, which was the more “realistic” look. However you see what happens, people complain. To be fair to the criticisms though, most of the criticisms are not about the looks so much as they are about the gameplay. Even in Wind Waker, it was basically the same game in a different look.
December 10th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
I’d love an F-Zero remake, but I think the series has gone the wrong direction with the Cube game. The first F-Zero had intense speed, but the game had a nice relaxing tempo to it, aided by the mellow music. It was easy to get into the zone with that game. The later games are a little too chaotic - too many cars and crap all over the track. It’s almost hurts my head when trying to pay attention to everything in that game…
December 10th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Pilotwings??!?!?!?!?!? Also completely agree on Star Fox. Luvved the SNES & N64 games, the rest have been trash. Maybe resurrect StarFox 2 from SNES, or at least give it to us on Virtual Console?
December 11th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
first off let me say great article. i love old and new franchises and i think there is room for both. getting a new generation turned on to the games we played as kids is great, but only when the quality is up to par. it sucks when a franchise goes to hell in a hand basket. you sit back and try to defend the way it was and why it’s ruined, but how the original was awesome. as long as there is room for improvement while maintaining the integrity of the game i’m all for keeping old franchises alive and bringing dead ones back. i might be the minority, but as long as mario, link, and samus have quality games they’ll never get old to me. there is a huge list in my head that i’ve always wanted sequels to, but that would take forever. one that was not mentioned though is my name. i could see a resurrection of the original half action game battling minions and bosses and then transitioning into the RPGish town settings, but in full 3d and open environments from the air and ground. this would be most excellent!