Sunday, September 2, 2012

Top Ten Nintendo franchises that need to make a comeback (Part 1)

   This is the first "Top 10" I'll post on this blog and the first one I did in years. I'll do my best because I don't want to disappoint anyone with a horrible "Top 10".

   This Countdown is about the 10 Nintendo franchises that have been gone for years but I want to see them make a comeback someday. Please note, this is a personal list so, if your favorite franchise (that has been gone for years) isn't number 1 or isn't on the list, please do your own Top 10 instead of insulting me. The only rule here is: The franchise must be owned by Nintendo. Some entries in this list aren't actually series but who gives. Without wasting another minute, let's get started with number 10.

10. Star Fox

        Star Fox, one of the finest On-Rail Shooters of all time and definitely one the most beloved Nintendo franchises. If you don't know what Star Fox is, you are missing out... BIG TIME. The game revolves around Fox McCloud and his team (Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Krystal) who have to fight alien monsters. They use Arwings to travel to planets and fight their enemies (occasionally they'll use the Land Master). The game is basically a Rail Shooter meaning you advance automatically and you have to dodge obstacles and shoot stuff on your way to get to point B to finish the level. Some of the later games in the franchises aren't necessarily Rail Shooters like Star Fox Adventures which is an adventure game and Star Fox Assault which mixes Rail shooting and Third Person Shooter elements together. Compared to other entries in this list, Star Fox is quite popular among the Nintendo community. Some people might find it odd that Star Fox is so low on the list. Well, that is because it is VERY likely that we will see a new Star Fox game in the near future. Shigeru Miyamoto (the creator of the series) said he REALLY wants to see a new Star Fox game on the Wii U. Rumors are heavily hinting that Retro Studios (makers of the critically acclaimed Metroid Prime series) are working on the next Star Fox game. It is only a matter of time before we see the space fox making a comeback.

9. F-Zero

      Some people say Mario Kart is the best racing series Nintendo has ever made. In my opinion, F-Zero is without question the best Racing series Nintendo has ever made. F-Zero is a Futuristic Racing game where up to 30 racers race to win the race. Unlike Mario Kart, you do not use any items to take down racers. You have to use boost pads and boost power so you can catch up to the others and while Mario Kart is open to a large audience and is easy to play, F-Zero requires skill and can be, at times, soul crushingly hard. You have to use your memory and have quick reflexes because this is one of the fastest racing games ever. You have a vast roster of racers you can choose from including the awesome Captain Falcon. Like Mario Kart, there are Multi-Player modes in F-Zero, but F-Zero is mostly a single player game. It is definitely one of the most competitive racers you'll ever find. Imagining an online mode in the next F-Zero where you can race against 29 other racers is just.... it's too beautiful, man! F-Zero is quite popular and like Star Fox, it is likely we will see a new one in the near future. Shigeru Miyamoto said in an interview that with the Wii U's hardware, it would be possible to create a new F-Zero game and the fact that there in an F-Zero mini-game in the upcoming Wii U title "Nintendo Land" means we might see Captain Falcon once again. I don't know about you guys, but I am PUMPED. And yes, F-Zero is low on the list because it is likely we'll see a new one.

8. Wave Race

      Some series, like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, are roasting under the spotlight while others are left in the dark. Some series sell well enough to earn a new sequel every few years. Unfortunately, that is not what happened to Wave Race. Being the second Racing game on the list, Wave Race is a personal watercraft Racing game released for the original GameBoy in 1992. The game sold well enough to have a sequel, Wave Race 64, in 1996. People know Wave Race mostly because of Wave Race 64. There is also a third game, Wave Race Blue Storm, which released along with the GameCube in 2001. That was the last Wave Race game. It is a fairly simple racing game but it sure is a fun one. You can race with 3 other friends in local multi-player. Unlike F-Zero, there are only 4 racers "that race to win the race". But that doesn't really mean Wave Race is an easy Racing game, no sir. While it isn't as hard as F-Zero, it certainly will give you a rough time. While you have to beat the other racers, you also have to successfully maneuver around buoys. That can get difficult at times. It is one of the most original Racing games out there. For a game that was so well received by fans and critics alike, it is weird that Nintendo has stopped making Wave Race games. It is higher than F-Zero because we're not sure if this series is going to make a comeback. Wave Race 64 is available on the Wii Shop Channel, so give it a try. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go cry in a corner.

7. Battalion Wars
   
         I'm not as much into war games as other people are nowadays. I feel like every war game has to be a bloody First Person Shooter or a gory Third Person Shooter. Why can't there be an original war game? What do you mean by "Battalion Wars"? Can you tell me what on earth this is? Battalion Wars is a real-time tactics game with third person shooter elements. It got its first game in 2005, for the GameCube, and got a sequel, Battalion Wars 2 for the Wii, in 2007. What I think is absolutely awesome about this game is the fact that you can change the classes you are playing as whenever you want to. Don't like being a Grunt? Play as a Tank! Do like being a Bomber? Play as a Recon Unit. The game can get very hard towards the end, which is something great because not many games today have the balls to challenge the player. Instead of being another generic, depressive First Person Shooter, Battalion Wars is colorful and joyous. Well, it's rated T for teen but anyways. It's a war game that truly stands out. To be honest, I am really worried about that game. I haven't heard words of a third installment and that is making me a little uneasy. Battalion Wars, unlike many modern war games, is not repetitive. It makes you think about HOW you should attack your enemies instead of mindlessly running to the battlefield to shoot the bad guys. There is a lot more thought put into the gameplay than your average modern shooting games. I just wish that a Wii U one will come out soon. Please, Nintendo.

6. Cubivore
   
     Being the first game on the list that isn't a series, it is none other than the bizarre and mildly disturbing Cubivore. There is only one Cubivore game. Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest is a GameCube game that came out in 2002. It is by far one of the weirdest games Nintendo has ever made (right up there with LSD: Dream Simulator). It is difficult for me to explain what on EARTH this game is, but I can sure as heck try. It's sort of an Action RPG, Action Adventure game where you have to eat other cube animals to become stronger. I do believe that at the end of the stage, your cubivore flies off the screen with a bunch of females so it can reproduce. Yes, it is a Nintendo game. Frankly, I've never played the game. This game is just so damn rare, it is almost a treasure! If only they could re-release this game on the Wii U's virtual console, that would be pretty nice. Out of all the series on the list, this one is the least likely to get a sequel. I would really want to see one though. That's why it is my number six. It is definitely one of the most disturbing games on the GameCube. Don't believe me? Watch the Japanese commercial without cringing at the thought that this is rated E for everyone. You don't see weird games like this these days. Let's cherish the f*** out of it.

     Well, folks, that's it for Part 1. I sure am proud of my work and I hope you are just as happy with this list. Part 2 is coming soon... I hope.

1 comment:

  1. Interesting list, this would be great to turn into a video, i'm sure of it! If you want, you could even respond to mine :P

    ReplyDelete