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• Pikmin Remake: Too Soon?

  The Pikmin series is one of Nintendo's most recent franchises, and seemingly, its most overlooked--but Nintendo itself is seeking to remedy this with a new, improved Wii-make (I shudder at the terminology) of their cartoony take on the RTS. As a big fan of Pikmin, it's nice to see some attention given to a series that's really deserved more; and even hardcore Nintendo fans can admit that the GameCube was by no means a popular enough system to make Pikmin the hit it should have been. But if this new Pikmin is more of a remake than the Wii's Resident Evil 4, wouldn't Nintendo's time be better spent on making a new game? Note: I realize they don't normally solicit advice from gaming blogs. Of course, we don't know if the "new" Pikmin Miyamoto casually mentioned at E3 is this remake--so things are still up in the air at this point. But if the only new Pikmin we see this gen is a slightly revamped version of a seven year-old game, you'll be able to taste the disappointment in the air. Read More... Posted Oct 03 2008, 11:00 AM by Bob Mackey with | with 9 comment(s) Filed under: remake, nintendo, wii, pikmin, klonoa, bob mackey

• Lowering the Standard: Why Nintendo’s Hardcore vs. Casual Commitments Aren’t the Problem

  I tend to sound overly pessimistic when talking about the Wii. I happen to love the system. I think the funky little box has quite a lot going for it and it’s given me a handful of unforgettable gaming experiences, with Wii Sports and No More Heroes chief among them. No, I’m not overly pessimistic about the Wii. I’m overly pessimistic about Nintendo. As much as I want to be excited about a new Punch-Out!, I can’t help but look at the facts: Nintendo has released more traditional, hardcore games in the Wii’s first two years than they did in the Gamecube’s first four and all of them, with the exceptions of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, have been below the gold standard of Nintendo’s internally developed software from generations past. Read More... Posted Oct 02 2008, 07:00 PM by John Constantine with | with 9 comment(s) Filed under: john constantine, metroid, nintendo, wii, madworld, zelda, gamecube, fire emblem, super mario bros, punch out, klonoa, fragile, smash bros, house of the dead, oboro muramasa

• Klonoa's Truimphant(?) Return

  Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, a mostly-forgotten mascot platformer for the PSX, may be far less forgotten in the not-too-distant future. 1UP reports that the first--and admittedly, best--Klonoa game will see new life on the Wii in a fully-refurbished remake this December, which is great news--for Japan, anyway. Not only will this remake excise the game's lousy pre-rendered sprites; everyone who missed Namco's mascot of indeterminate species back in 1997 will finally get a chance to see why they should regret all of their decade-old mistakes. Here's a video of the original game in action, lest we've forgotten: I've always held a bit of disappointment in my heart for the general failure of the Klonoa series; despite the furry trappings, the first game was a whimsical adventure with a seemingly contrary bittersweet--and slightly depressing--tone. And the economy of effective storytelling fit in well with the game's deceptively-simple puzzle-platforming mechanics; Klonoa is a solid little game, and very similar to the 8-bit 2D platformers that undoubtedly inspired it.  Unfortunately, the series was launched at a time when 2D vs. 3D was a common argument, back before people realized they could live together--kinda like Ebony and Ivory (ask your parents). Read More... Posted Oct 01 2008, 03:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 14 comment(s) Filed under: remake, wii, klonoa, namco bandai, bob mackey

• Abominations of Technology: Pre-Rendered Graphics

  As a weird side-effect of technological anxiety and the transition from 2D to 3D games, pre-rendered graphics had their place.  In some cases, that was a very, very bad place, like where Big Bird said strangers couldn't touch you; basically, any game with pre-rendered, animated sprites.  Though in the 32-bit era, it's reasonable to say that some pre-rendered graphics were necessary--if a circa 1997 Square programming team tried to make a real-time Midgar, the result would be an abominable pile of warping polygons and broken dreams. But so many years later, you'd think that we, as a people, could unite against pre-rendered graphics and say "No more."  In what can only be considered an affront to the eyes and good taste of gamers everywhere, developers are still using pre-rendered graphics.  And it's high time they stopped. Read More... Posted Sep 08 2008, 06:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: donkey kong, donkey kong country, klonoa, bob mackey, pre-rendered graphics

• Where is Shuichi Sakurazaki, Creator of Ninja Gaiden?

  While they might not be rock stars quite yet, it’s great that videogame developers are becoming more and more recognizable by name. Many, many people know who Hideo Kojima is and what Kojima Prodcutions makes. Sega didn’t just contract Platinum Games to make a few killer titles for them, they signed them on for the name recognition, for the artists’ cred. Back in the day, it wasn’t the people who created games that got recognized. It was only franchise names and publishers that got the love. In 2008, it’s widely known that Tomonobu Itagaki is the head honcho behind Ninja Gaiden. But who is the brain behind Ninja Gaiden on the NES? After doing a bit of digging, I found that Ninja Gaiden and its first sequel were designed by a fellow named Shuichi Sakurazaki and Tecmo’s Team Strong. The game’s trademark cutscenes, arguably the first of their kind, were penned by Sakurazaki himself. But that’s where the information trail ends, with nary an interview with or a Wikipedia page on the man to be found. I found only two other games credited to Sakurazaki, and surprising ones at that. Read More... Posted Aug 27 2008, 01:00 PM by John Constantine with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: john constantine, where is, ninja gaiden, klonoa, tecmo, namco, shuichi sakurazaki, tomonobu itagaki

• A Letter to the Industry: How to Destroy the Female Gender Barricade

  Girl gamers, how to attract more women to games, making games for girls, various takes on these topics have been popping up a lot lately. This is a subject quite close to my own heart and I have compiled a few suggestions for game developers to consider when making their next title (assuming said game is aimed at an audience broader than “randy male youth”). These are not suggestions for how to make a game just for girls but rather, how not to drive us away... Read More... Posted Jun 26 2008, 11:00 AM by Amber Ahlborn with | with 7 comment(s) Filed under: metroid, beyond good and evil, metal gear solid, final fantasy, amber ahlborn, samus aran, feminist, girl gaming, klonoa