Possibly the most shocking and interesting title of 2008, Mega Man 9 is creating waves in both the gaming community and in the media. It's only natural that something this bizarre would get massive amounts of attention: the game looks like it came straight from the NES, the music is all rendered in 8-bit quality, blotches and flickers are being purposely added, and we haven't done the time warp. That's right: it's still 2008. Many industry experts are predicting that we will see more "retro" game releases in the near future, and, naturally, that statement got me thinking.
If there is one thing the gaming community can't get enough of, it's retro games. In a land where titles such as Super Mario Bros 3 still reign supreme, it would seem only natural to attempt to cash in on the retro craze while it lasts. Capcom has obviously been paying attention to this growing demand and has fulfilled it in a way that nobody in the industry saw coming. If the Mega Man series can return and be successful, then why can't other game franchises do the same? I'm going to speculate on a few franchises that I believe will be showing up again and some franchises that I doubt will be showing up, but I wish that they would.
Bionic Commando
Bionic Commando is a series that is finally having life injected back into it after so many years of being six feet under and long forgotten. With a brand new game for the 360, PC and PS3 ready for release and a remake of the original on the way, I think it's safe to say that Capcom would be more than willing to put out a new 8-bit adventure starring Nathan Spencer.
Honestly, the creation of such a sequel would probably rely on both the success of Meg Man 9 AND the new Bionic Commando. Capcom would want the new generation of gamers to be familiar with the Bionic Commando series, and they would probably wait to see how their latest title would be received. Of course the new Bionic Commando and the 8-bit sequel would be two completely different games, but that wouldn't matter. People would buy it because of the name at that point.
Ninja Gaiden
The popularity of this series has never been higher. People are raving over Ninja Gaiden II, and an 8-bit Ninja Gaiden IV wouldn't exactly be a bad thing. The series could redeem itself and correct the horrible mistakes that were made in Ninja Gaiden III. Everyone just loves to take double the damage, right?
I’d love to see an 8-bit last hurrah of Ryu Hayabusa, and hopefully I’m not alone. This game was a must have classic in the old NES days, and the new second run of the series has been extremely well received – aside from those who whine about how hard the game is. If you can’t handle the pain that the current generation’s Ninja Gaiden brings, then don’t even think about trying your hand at the original classic series. It’ll break your face and offer no apologies.
Castlevania
The Castlevania series has gone in a direction that many gamers would rather choke on cyanide than follow. Trying to keep up with the latest technology, Castlevania decided to go 3D with Castlevania 64(actually just Castlevania) and failed horribly. Along with plenty of anime injections – aside from SOTN which is actually wonderful – the series just got weird on gamers.
So why not let Castlevania have another try at 8-bit glory? I know that Simon’s Quest wasn’t exactly wonderful, but think of Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. That was definitely one of the top ten best NES games I have ever played, and there are plenty of others out there who share this feeling. The third installment was a milestone in great gaming, and I think it’s time that we allow a fourth 8-bit title to be released.
Kid Icarus
The biggest letdown from Nintendo was the absence of Kid Icarus at E3 this year, and now the fans are ravenous for a game that they are certain is being hidden from them. If Nintendo enjoys making money and pleasing fans, then I present this solution.
But will the fans be entirely pleased? I think that they would. None of us know how the new Wii Kid Icarus even plays, so how could prefer something we don’t even know about? This one could be a continuation of the game that everyone loved years ago. You can thank me later.
Super Mario Bros.
Sure, sure. Super Mario World was indeed the fourth Mario title and vastly improved upon several things that Super Mario Bros. 3 brought to the table. But I argue that if there is any series out there that show be allowed another chance to shine in original 8-bit glory, then it should be the brothers who started it all.
I really can’t see how this could go wrong. Put Miyamoto behind the project, and watch the magic unfold.
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Now that I’ve mentioned some likely titles that we’d be seeing, I’m going to name off a few that I would enjoy seeing. Chances are I’d snatch these up without thinking twice.
Metal Gear
The first Metal Gear was pretty tough to the inept gamer, and I’d be one of those in the inept group. But I still had a blast with the first game. If I could get another one that carried the features from Metal Gear 2, I’d be a happy camper. And, knowing Hideo Kojima, it would have a kickass story that would leave gamers in complete awe. I’m not asking for this; I’m begging for it.
Instead of another Metal Gear Solid title that will mess up the series and leave gamers aggravated and with a bad taste in their mouths, give us this title. Give us a solid prequel with kickass, 8-bit espionage action!
Punch Out!!
It has been well over a decade since we got our last dose of the Punch Out!! series, and I say that’s too damned long! The original arcade game was loads of fun, the NES version was amazing, and Super Punch Out!! was kickass jammed into a cart. So why haven’t we been treated to another one yet?
I’ve waited patiently, and I’m about tired of waiting. I’d love to see a return to the old 8-bit Punch Out!! with the return of old foes and a mix of new ones. I’d probably schedule off of work just to ensure I could play all the way through this game on its opening day.
Contra
The very name of this series stands for “awesome” and “classic” at the same time. Contra is a series that has also lost its way over the years aside from a pretty solid release on the Gameboy DS. Is it time for a return back to the original Contra or Super C? You bet your Konami Code using ass it is.
Few games have been able to come close to the non-stop action that Contra made a name with, and I think it’s time that all of these first person shooters and the FPS kiddies learn how to really gun down some bad guys and blow stuff up. Konami, please give us a new 8-bit Contra. I’m begging you. Signed, Debaser.
Double Dragon
Is it just me, or did Double Dragon begin to suck after Double Dragon II: The Revenge? A few severely disappointing titles arrived on the SNES and Genesis after Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones, and Double Dragon V wasn’t that bad – but it was a fighter title rather than a sidescrolling beat-em-up.
I don’t want to see a great series die off like this. Now would be a great time to get the original Double Dragon staff back together, make a great sequel to the original NES Double Dragon games, and breathe life back into the series before people actually forget about it.
Spy Hunter
The original game that offered a perfect blend of driving and chaos on the road, Spy Hunter may be a little forgotten by now. There was a remake on the Xbox that I never really heard much about, and now a company(name escapes me) is using a Spy Hunter-themed TV commercial. But do gamers truly remember the greatness of the original Spy Hunter?
I believe that must of us do remember it, and hopefully that same demographic is hungry for a sequel. Spy Hunter was a game that had me trying over and over again as a kid. I had to try my very best to be good enough to shoot down the helicopter and get on the boat. I had to knock that lame ass armored car off the road and watch him explode. Would a return to these great times be so wrong? Simply put: A Spy Hunter sequel would make the child gamer in me flip the hell out.
Than you for reading another edition of From the Shadows, and I’d love to hear what 8-bit series you’re hoping returns. Read, rate, comment, and even Digg if you enjoyed it enough. For ScrewAttack.com and Debasedtothis.org, this is the Debaser saying, “It’s time to go retro.”
