What A Future Mario Kart Could Take from Mario Kart Tour

SuperPhillip Central continues this impromptu week featuring Mario by pondering about what could be in the works for the next Mario Kart. It seems that a theoretical Mario Kart 9 won't happen for a while--at least not until the Switch's successor, as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues to burn rubber up the sales charts in utterly impressive fashion. After all, why cut off the legs (or in this case, slash the tires) of an evergreen title like Deluxe with a new entry while the old game is still selling immense amounts? Well, other than to satiate the thirst of players like myself who yearn for a new console-based entry in the series, of course!

While Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the most recent console release for Nintendo venerable kart racing franchise, it's certainly not the latest in the series. No, that title goes to Mario Kart Tour, which despite my criticisms with the game as seen in my review, has improved substantially since launch. In fact, there are a fair number of things that I think a possible Mario Kart 9--or whatever the next entry is named--could borrow from Mario Kart Tour. And, no, I'm not talking about the horrid, aggressive and disgusting Gacha mechanics or micro-transactions like $40 for one character, kart, and glider. 

For one, Mario Kart Tour's roster of characters is the most fully featured yet. Now, obtaining all of the characters in the game is truly a challenging task unless you're a whale, but the size and scope of the roster are certainly amazing. For one, new characters that have never before appeared in the Mario Kart series are featured in Tour. These characters include Hammer Bros, Dixie Kong, Captain Toad, Monty Mole, Nabbit and King Bob-Omb, for starters. Just as notably though, from Mario Kart Tour is that several characters have alternate costumes. While they're listed as separate drivers entirely in Mario Kart Tour, in Mario Kart 9 they could function like the Mii racer costumes as seen in Mario Kart 8 and its Deluxe version on the Switch. Imagine Nintendo trotting out unlockable costumes for Mario and friends, such as Builder Mario, Penguin Luigi, Festive Yoshi, among many others. 

Moving on from characters to tracks, Mario Kart Tour possesses the most racetracks and circuits out of any other Mario Kart game, although in MKT these are rotated in and out with each biweekly tour. Regardless, my desire for the next Mario Kart game isn't so much for the game to have the most tracks of any Mario Kart game. Instead, I'd like the next game to utilize Mario Kart Tour's track variants. Plenty of tracks in Mario Kart Tour have four variants to them: the normal version of the track, the reverse version of the track where drivers race the track in the opposite direction, a trick version with multiple ramps and different paths to take off the normal version, and a combination of the reverse and trick variants. This adds a lot of variety in the tracks of Mario Kart Tour, and it would add the same to a future Mario Kart game. 

Another addition that Mario Kart Tour introduced to the series is an arcade-like points system for races. Upon performing tricks, collecting coins on the track, successfully hitting other players, and completing other actions, drivers gain points, and for each action they complete within a certain time frame, they achieve a combo multiplier. The multiplier increases for each action they perform. Grand Prix cups in traditional Mario Kart games usually don't have much replay value, other than aiming for three stars on each cup by winning first place in each and every race (and up until Mario Kart 8, doing so in a dominant fashion). 

Using this formula and foundation from Mario Kart Tour, a future Mario Kart could lift this points system and use it to not only serve as a means of replay value--to increase your high scores on each racetrack and each cup--but also perhaps serve as a method to unlock new content like kart parts from reaching certain point thresholds. Furthermore, high scores could be compared and contrasted with others in a competition-like setting, much like Mario Kart Tour has already, where weekly leaderboards show which players have the top scores for a given cup among friends and worldwide. 

Finally, speaking of modes like the Grand Prix, Mario Kart Tour reintroduced mission-like challenges as seen with Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii. Mario Kart 9 (or again, whatever the newest game would be called) needs to have a Mission Mode with clever challenges as seen in not only Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, but also as seen in Mario Kart Tour. Such missions/challenges include keeping a combo going for as long as possible, steering clear of all enemies and obstacles, gliding as far as you can possibly glide, or running over as many small enemies as you can during one lap of a race, to name just a handful of ideas lifted from Tour. 

It's obvious what Mario Kart fans wouldn't and don't want from Mario Kart Tour, but hopefully we can all agree that these aforementioned additions to future Mario Kart games would be most welcome ones. What would you like to see in a future Mario Kart game? Is there anything from Mario Kart Tour that you would like a possible Mario Kart 9 to directly lift? Let the SPC community know in the comments section below!

Fatality: Games That Killed Their Franchises (Or At Least Put Them On A Long Hiatus)

Sometimes all it takes is one game to make a long-running or promising franchise become dead in the water, maligned to irrelevancy and just a memory in the annals of gaming history. It's a dog-eat-dog industry where it doesn't matter if the franchise has been around for ages or for milliseconds--just one or two failures and you're done. That's the case with these franchises, all of which I'm sad to see are currently nowhere to be found. Whether any of these will return for a kick-ass comeback or not is up in the air, but what is known is that for many, these franchises met truly unfortunate ends.

Tony Hawk Ride/Shred (PS3, 360, Wii), 
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 (PS4, XB1)

We start with a series that was crazy popular in the late nineties and early aughts--the same series that brought extreme sports fever into our hobby. That series was none other than Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. The series did a lot of experimentation: changing the rules of Classic mode, adding a story to the game, and even adding an interconnected world. However, the biggest and most radical experimenting to the Tony Hawk series was ultimately the one that killed it: Tony Hawk Ride. This game and its sequel, Tony Hawk Shred, both utilized a skateboard peripheral for its controller, as back in the day, pieces of plastic and convoluted controller peripherals were all the rage (e.g. Guitar Hero and the Wii). While an interesting idea in theory, the execution left a lot--I mean, A LOT--to be desired. Crashing in both critical and commercial feedback, Activision's skateboarding series was put on a hiatus until a couple of years ago when Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 came out. If Ride and Shred put the Tony Hawk series in its coffin, Pro Skater 5 drove the nails into it.

Dead Space 3 (PS3, 360, PC)

The survival horror genre doesn't get too much representation for the most part. That's why it very much stinks that Dead Space as a franchise is no more. What killed such an impressive series? Well, Dead Space 3... but mostly because of its publisher EA's ambitions. Wanting to make the Dead Space series more mainstream (i.e. a way to make even more money than the first two games), EA had the idea to put in two-player co-op into the game, making for a much less scary experience. To add insult to injury, Dead Space 3 introduced unnecessary microtransactions as an extra "we don't value our consumer that much" proposition. Despite selling well, Dead Space 3 didn't meet EA's lofty sales expectations, making the series get eviscerated like a Necromorph. The future of the series is a horror story all on its own. At least we got two (three if you count the on-rail shooter Dead Space: Extraction) excellent entries in the Dead Space franchise before things turned dark.

Ninja Gaiden 3 (PS3, 360),
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge (PS3, 360, Wii U)

The exit of Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki was definitely felt with Ninja Gaiden 3. The third game took a more streamlined approach to the series, making it friendlier for audiences. In doing so, it isolated many of the franchise's biggest fans. When you have to make a course correction to your own game with an updated version as a way to apologize and make it up to the fans (and still ends up being a weaker entry compared to Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2), you know you've done something majorly wrong. The original Ninja Gaiden 3 had many faults to it, both on a gameplay and a technical level. The action was just shallow, and those who yearned for the challenge exemplified in early entries were left out in the cold. Razor's Edge, originally released on the Wii U before being ported over to the PS3 and 360, attempted to right the wrongs of the vanilla version of Ninja Gaiden 3, but Team Ninja could only do so much when the foundation was on shaky ground to begin with.

Dino Crisis 3 (XBX)

An entry so bad that developers opted not to continue with the series, Dino Crisis 3 put the Dino Crisis franchise into what essentially amounts to extinction. The game was originally set to be on both the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox, but only the latter (un)fortunately survived. Packed with one of the worst cameras in a survival horror game, especially considering how fast the player sometimes had to move, Dino Crisis 3 was put the wringer review-wise for this main reason. There was nothing like crossing an invisible boundary in a room, only for the camera to suddenly change angles, having the player totally become disoriented in the process. This also made aiming and targeting the dinosaur-like mutated beasts in the game all the more challenging. Sure, Capcom has given us some scraps pertaining to the Dino Crisis franchise since the failure of the third game in the series, like Regina's inclusion in the now-defunct mobile game Puzzle Fighter, but that isn't enough for most Dino Crisis fans out there--the dozen or so of those out there.

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (360)

Sometimes it's a smart idea to stick with the basics. Rare did not do that in 2008 when it developed and released Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts for the Xbox 360. The game was actually really good, allowing players to take on challenges their own way by creating their own custom LEGO-like vehicles. The problem was that Nuts & Bolts was such a dramatic departure from what Banjo-Kazooie fans loved about the franchise--the excellent, open 3D platforming--that this game unfortunately drew a lot of ire. This was especially so after Microsoft and Rare teased a more traditional experience with this trailer, which many now consider a bait and switch. Regardless of the high quality of the game, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts stopped the promising platforming series right in its bear tracks, as well as Rare doing anything other than working on Kinect-related projects for a sizable duration of time. Sure, Rare's back with Sea of Thieves, but Banjo isn't and that just sucks.

Klonoa (Wii)

As much as I hate to face it, sometimes quality means nothing if your game just isn't appealing to the market. Unfortunately, even with Namco Bandai's Klonoa releasing on a Nintendo platform with the Wii, where platformers were generally quite welcomed, this remake of the PS1's Door to Phantomile cratered hard sales-wise. Again, the quality was definitely there. You had one of Klonoa's best adventures remade for a new generation, but strange marketing, including the decision to possibly alter Klonoa's look to this ghastly creature, made for a less than stellar sales showing for the floppy-eared feline. There is good news, however. Since Klonoa's ten-year hiatus, rumors of a new game, possibly tying into the upcoming film adaptation, have sprung up. At least Klonoa will get a second chance in the spotlight after a decade off.

Nintendo's Latest amiibo Offering With Metroid: Samus Returns Is Downright Scummy

Nintendo's amiibo line has been a tremendous success for the company, bar the extremely overproduced Animal Crossing series that languished with great stock on store shelves before being severely reduced in price to clear stock. The original appeal of amiibo figures was not just to be able to collect cool Nintendo characters--many of which would never receive a figure of any type any other way--but it was also to add value in games with extra bonuses and features.

However, Nintendo's latest use of amiibo with next month's Metroid: Samus Returns on the Nintendo 3DS seems to be taking the concept of locking content behind amiibo and doing so in a really scummy way to a good portion of fans. Has Nintendo gone too far with amiibo? And if so, is it worth boycotting Metroid: Samus Returns because of it?

Amiibo debuted as a toy line as Nintendo's answer to other popular toys-to-life series like Activision's successful Skylanders and Disney's own Disney Infinity. However, while the toys from Activision and Disney's games were tied to one series of software, Nintendo's amiibo could be used for multiple games. While the usage of amiibo hasn't as of yet been as deep as Skylanders or Disney Infinity, it has done small benefits for games like the first amiibo inclusion with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, where custom character data could be saved to individual amiibo. Really, though, the fascination there was being able to collect various Smash Bros. fighters in figure form more than anything else.

But then Nintendo moved on to cosmetic additions and small little bonuses. For instance, in Mario Kart 8 and later Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, specific amiibo could be used to unlock Mii costumes based off the character figures used. An issue that some had with this, and understandably so, was that while the costumes might be appealing to them, perhaps they didn't want to spend a $13 figure just for them, especially if they didn't care about collecting amiibo or displaying them at all. This was only further compounded by more games utilizing amiibo to unlock characters, bonuses, and other content. Why couldn't these additions just be DLC for people to purchase on the eShop, some wondered.

While small bonuses that don't contribute much to games that utilize amiibo or aren't as desirable weren't too much to think of, things got especially heated with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Nintendo Switch and Wii U. Scarcity of popular and most wanted amiibo was already an issue, and this concept was further compounded with the bonuses unlocked by The Legend of Zelda-related amiibo. New tunics for Link from past Zelda series adventures, rare weapons, and such were locked behind amiibo, and not just any amiibo, extremely rare, costly, and hard-to-find amiibo.

Things have reached a boiling point for many with the news of the two Metroid: Samus Returns amiibo being required to unlock the most challenging difficulty in that game as well as content like playing as Samus Aran in the Fusion Suit. For old fogies like me (speaking in relation to how long I've been playing games and not so much how real world wisdom I have--which would be none), I remember when things like new modes and costumes were unlockables and rewards. Instead, now they're gated behind amiibo that will most likely be hard to find on store shelves. Man, I feel like busting out Archie and Edith Bunker's "Those Were the Days" right now, but with some modernization.

And that's the big problem here--Nintendo isn't just doing DLC its own way, it's doing DLC in a despicable way. One should not have to buy a $10+ toy just to unlock modes and other desirable content. It's fine for collectors, but what about those who just want the content? The figures are a poor justification for something that should already be included in the game. Heck, Star Fox Zero, as maligned as that game often is, did the amiibo right. Yes, you could use a Fox or Falco amiibo to immediately unlock a cool reward, but you could also play the game normally and unlock it that way. The latter would take longer, but you could still do it. Instead, Nintendo has moved away from that logical and defensible take on amiibo and doubled down on their shady practice. It's highly disconcerting and very disappointing.

Now, I'm harsh here on Nintendo's use of amiibo, but does that mean that one should boycott Metroid: Samus Returns and any future game that uses amiibo in an unflattering way? I don't think so. If the game appeals to you, and it seems like it's going to be a truly stellar title, then I think one should still buy it. Heck, buy it used if you're so willing to do so, but showing support for the Metroid series after so many years of absence from the franchise would be a good thing if you love the franchise. If you don't love the use of amiibo, don't support that--as in don't support the amiibo. Don't buy them; don't think about buying them. Metroid: Samus Returns will still be an enjoyable game without the bonus content included. Yes, it's really crappy that Nintendo went this direction with amiibo in Samus Aran's glorious return to gaming, but I don't believe denying yourself the ability to play the game and support a franchise you love is sending the right message to Nintendo quite like what avoiding buying the amiibo would instead.

With the JonTron Debate, YouTuber Boogie2988 Just Doesn't Get It.

Let me preface this article with some words on Boogie2988, a face on the gaming side of YouTube that made himself somewhat popular with his "Francis" character. He tries to appear as a nice guy on both his YouTube channel and on Twitter. One of his defining characteristics is to keep a centrist approach and not enjoying conflict within the community. However, recent events have made Boogie look less than enlightened and almost opportunistic.

Recently, YouTuber JonTron said some very unsavory comments towards other races as well as immigrants in an online video. The text of some of his comments is written out here. Following that was a lot of fallout with his voice work in the upcoming game from Playtonic, Yooka-Laylee being taken out in response.

Boogie has said he didn't want to lose viewers by taking sides, yet he went ahead and not only made a video, but monetized the hell out of it. If someone wanted to stay out of something, then why put themselves directly into the storm? In doing so, he took the nice guy "both sides" approach as seen in this comment:

"Maybe I'll learn from them, maybe they'll from me, and we'll land somewhere in the middle. Wouldn't that be swell? Because the middle is a great place to be!"

This is a nice idea, but it doesn't work here. The middle ground is "a great place to be" works in a debate about choosing what movie you want to watch with your date at a movie theater. She wants to watch a romantic comedy. You want an action movie. Why not meet in the middle and watch an action comedy with some romance, then? That is indeed swell. ...Well, not if it's a matinee of Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, but I'm getting off track here.

But, really, what is the middle ground between "we should have an White-ethnocentric country" that JonTron uttered (yet in our post-truth world there's even those who disagree that that was even said) and "no, that's racism?" How does one get a middle ground between a viewpoint that's racist and one that condemns racism? Is the middle ground simply being "partly racist" then? That's still awful and shouldn't be condoned. It's essentially saying "Hey. Dude. Why don't you be a little less racist, huh?" And then the other side going, "Okay, other dude. Why don't you try to be a little less black, huh?" That's idiocy and it's intellectually dishonest and dangerous at best, as just because there's an argument it doesn't mean that there's needs to be a middle ground to move to.

But there's more. You can look at his Twitter feed for this gem.

Boogie uses so many intellectually dishonest arguments that it's simply maddening. For one, there's a difference between disagreeing with someone for their views like being a conservative or a liberal and disagreeing with someone for saying racist gems like saying the wealthiest blacks commit more crime than the poorest whites or thinking we should purify the gene pool. So yeah, that's not a good look right from the beginning, and it's a pure unequivocal comparison there.

Another, which is even more ridiculous, is comparing JonTron's views with Anita Sarkeesian's. Both, to Boogie, are "extreme views." Maybe in the gaming world where any time calls for inclusion are desired, many gamers go "get your politics out of my gaming!" But in the real world, both of these views are hardly extreme; only one is. Instead, it's a flimsy argument that JonTron and Sarkeesian's views should be compared as one argues FOR racist ideas and one argues AGAINST sexism. One advocates those that don't possess white genes are somehow inferior (JonTron) while the other advocates against norms in gaming media deemed harmful towards women (Sakeesian).

How is wanting less sexualized women in gaming extreme? How does that even compare to the dilution of the gene pool? What?! Where is the sense in this totally false equivalency?! In the real world, equality isn't an extreme idea, sort of showing how much Boogie here doesn't get it. He's stuck in his own world, like many who have grown up and stayed behind computer screens, and not in actual reality, and that's unfortunate!

People are very much allowed to share their views no matter how bigoted they are (like JonTron did). People are also very much allowed to share their views on defending these bigoted views (like Boogie currently is). However, the nice thing is that people are allowed to share their views on both whether it's positive or not. If people want to call out racism as bad, they're more than enough to do. They can also defend racism like Boogie is doing yet either is too naive to understand that or is just playing us all like fiddles.

You're certainly free to cower behind the victim card when your views of racism or your views not calling out racism are argued and debated. Feel free to say "woe is me", feel free to be "surprised" when your monetized video saying we should meet in the middle with racists isn't taken with all sunshine and happiness by everyone. In Boogie's reality or the one he divulges online, being in the middle with racists is rational. In the real world, not fighting racism and instead flippantly letting it slide is, in fact, being okay with racism. You deserve to have your ignorance argued against, and you can't just play the victim and wonder why you're under attack when you defend someone spouting pure bigotry. Though constantly playing the victim card in general gets annoying...

Boogie's right, though. We shouldn't try to ruin JonTron's career. Jon's own words and beliefs might do that himself. And why would we want to anyway? It's not like JonTron is a racist with harmful views (but they're just opinions, bro!) who has a whole slew of young, impressionable kids as his audience. What could possibly go wrong with JonTron's views being read and heard by the young'ins anyway?

Perhaps instead of saying "the middle" is the great place to be, Boogie saying "tolerance" could be the great place to be. he wouldn't be under fire such right now. He wouldn't seem to be a coward, afraid to upset one side of the argument or the other.

It's not about SJWs or liberals. It's also not about being politically correct unless we no longer think tolerance is just the decent, humane thing to have. Boogie continues to portray himself as a nice guy, and many of his followers share that view, but how can one be a nice guy and defend or at least try to normalize hatred and bigotry? Not only that, but when one has a sizable amount of followers (a reason I'm even talking about this subject to begin with), especially young and impressionable ones like JonTron and Boogie do, who listen to what that YouTuber says, if one legitimizes bigotry and racism, this rubs off to their followers. How can one possibly be okay with that and still think they're a nice guy?

I Don't Think Most Gamers Understand "Miitomo".

Nintendo's first mobile project, Miitomo, launched a couple of weeks ago here in North America. With it launched My Nintendo, a service that Nintendo wants 100 million accounts signed up to. Thus, one could say that Miitomo is a bit of a Trojan horse to get people to sign up to My Nintendo, this being the main point to Nintendo's mobile app in the first place.

Notice how I say mobile app and not game. Miitomo isn't meant to be played like a game. It's not really meant to be played at all. Instead, it should be used. Sure, there's Mii Drop, a mini-game within Miitomo that has users dropping Miis into a pachinko style board in hopes of gaining exclusive attire for their Miis, but that really is the limit to the area of play that Miitomo possesses.

Miifoto is magic. Miifoto is love. Miifoto is life.

The confusion that Miitomo is an app and not a game has been a point of contention with many games. Sort of like how gamers have the opinion of casual gamers not knowing a joystick from a d-pad, a lot of true and blue gamers really don't understand Miitomo. Not to say that even if they did understand Miitomo fully that they would enjoy it. It's definitely an app that isn't for everyone.

Firstly, Miitomo does have "gamification" in how users can earn MyNintendo points for doing in-app tasks, such as connecting one's Facebook and Twitter accounts to Miitomo, changing one's Mii attire on a daily basis, and answering a certain amount of questions per day, to name few. Many gamers use Miitomo as a means to quickly accumulate MyNintendo points. One such way this is done by adding as many people to their Miitomo friends list as possible.

I saw it was commonplace on sites like GameFAQs and NeoGAF, adding pretty much what amounts to be strangers to their Miitomo friends list. Then, after having about 400 strangers, these same people wonder why they don't care about what these people answer, not having the motivation to really interact with them, thus finding Miitomo to be a bore. 

Posting and reading off the wall answers
is part of what makes Miitomo fun.

While one can easily artificially build up their Miitomo friends list with strangers found on the net, that's really missing the point of the app. Miitomo is a social app, and it doesn't hide this fact at all. It's meant to be used with your circle of friends. I understand that not everyone has friends who use Facebook or Twitter, much more have them interested in using the same app as them. However, through gathering your real life friends, which fortunately I was able to do, I have really enjoyed myself with Miitomo.

Furthermore, Miitomo isn't meant for long stretches of use. It's perfect for answering a handful of questions per day, perhaps perusing your list of friends to see their answers, and maybe even commenting on their answers to start a fun discussion. I noticed some gamers were using Miitomo for hours at a time (which isn't good anyway as Miitomo confusingly sucks up battery life like the dickens), and then they wondered why they got tired of it so quickly. Again, Miitomo isn't a game. It's not meant to be used in long bursts. Instead, just hopping in while you wait for your order to ring up at Starbucks, while you ride the bus to school or work, or while you get ready for work or bed works wonderfully.

Lastly, a point that I think gets lost on many gamers, especially the traditionally catered to demographic of 18-35 year old men, is that Miitomo really isn't being marketed for them. It's also not really meant for them either. As this initial Miitomo spot on Nintendo Mobile's YouTube channel shows, it's really putting the spotlight on kids and young adults. I imagine that market would eat Miitomo up, if they aren't already. So, when xXx_PaperBoy69_xXx (pardon the awful example!) logs into Miitomo, wondering what the heck people see in this app, well, he shouldn't be surprised he doesn't get it. Heck, even some of the Nintendo faithful don't "get" Miitomo, and that's all right. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just not an app for everybody. Sometimes the greatest answers are the simplest ones.

The Surprising Health Benefits of Gaming - A Special Article

I don't usually do this as I like to dedicate this site mostly to my writing, but I am feeling game this go around. Recently a freelance writer named Lily McCann emailed me, wanting to share an article she wrote regarding the health benefits of gaming as well as myths. The article goes into a little detail about eyesight myths, "exergaming", and much more. To check out the article, look no further than this link.

Five Reasons Why Capcom Leaves a Bad Taste in My Mouth

Complaints and criticism are a huge part of the game industry. We hear and read it from gamers, from the media, and from people on the outside looking in. There isn't a day that goes by where there isn't some kind of point of contention to be found.

Capcom, in many eyes, has gone from Capgod to Crapcom (pardon the crude nickname, but I didn't create it) in merely a generation's span. From bad decisions to bad games to bad consumer practices, there are a wide variety of reasons Capcom has made it easy to dislike them. This opinion piece is a brief look at five such ways my stance on the company has soured over the years. After you've read my ramblings, feel free to engage in civil discussion within the comment section below.

Seemingly turning Resident Evil into the next generic shooter despite the opinion of old fans

I hate throwing the word "generic" around like that because the word is so grossly overused nowadays. Perhaps bland would be better? Nonetheless, Resident Evil 4, as awesome as the final product was, turned the series into a more action-oriented affair. With the direction of Shinji Mikami (who later left Capcom), the game had perfect pacing between thrills, chills, puzzles, and scares. With his departure, I believe the team behind the RE series lost their way. The focus shifted to capturing a grander audience, and in doing so, this severed a lot of Resident Evil's fans from the franchise.

It's weird because I hold hype for Resident Evil 6. I look forward to trying out as Resident Evil: Revelations gave me hope, as that game had a near-perfect blend of action and finally a focus on survival-horror gameplay. Regardless, Capcom of America were more concerned with advertising Operation Raccoon City, the epitome of selling out to the Call of Duty audience (and another point of contention for former Resident Evil fans), instead of marketing Revelations -- y'know, the game that was actually on store shelves exclusively then.

Fans of the old school RE have a right to not like the direction the series is being taken. Will Resident Evil 6 return the franchise to its roots? We've heard that claim so many times now that it's getting impossible to take it seriously. It really doesn't matter to Capcom, though, as long as the series continues to sell as well as it does.

Their treatment of Mega Man

I have long since gotten over Mega Man Legend 3's cancellation. Yes, Capcom led fans desiring for a conclusion to the series on by allowing them to have input on the direction of the project. Yes, Capcom cancelled the project out of nowhere, leaving the fans with nothing but wasted time and effort. And yes, a Capcom rep tweeted that it was essentially the fans' fault for the project's cancellation. We know all that, and some of us still are bitter.

But what about Mega Man now? What used to be one of Capcom's premier franchises is now placed on iOS platforms (which isn't the problem, really) with this:

What the hell is that supposed to be? The first time I saw that screen I thought it was a fan-made Game Maker title. I mean, it just reeks of something cheaply put together. I can't say anything about the quality of the gameplay as it might as well be a perfect adaptation of Mega Man onto a smartphone or tablet. However, first impressions most certainly count, and the impression that I got was not a positive one. This game, Rockman Over (such an ironic title, no?), is a project that celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Mega Man character, and what it looks like is a Flash game made by a couple students screwing around in their high school programming class. Not exactly how fans wanted Mega Man's 25th birthday to be celebrated. Far from it.

Their Western treatment of Monster Hunter

My first and only experience with the Monster Hunter series was the Wii exclusive, Monster Hunter Tri. The game was challenging, but also very much rewarding once you finally endured a long battle with a behemoth-sized beast. I would certainly like to see the series continue in the West. In fact, Monster Hunter Tri did well all things considered. However, the way Capcom -- especially the American branch -- has been torturing fans of Monster Hunter in the West with throwaway comments, teases, and hints at future Monster Hunter news:

"Noted guys. Stay tuned."

"Soon is a relative term but I would say that Western MH fans have lots to be excited about for the future. Admittedly I do hope we can find a way to get P3 HD Westward somehow sooner than those other things but as I’ve mentioned, it’s an open item.”

"I know exactly how it feels to be lacking a new MH game for a while… patience is a virtue, right? Eventually it pays off somehow… we’ll have something veeeeery soon ;)"

It is not known whether or not the latter comment was in reference to the announcement of the iOS game, Monster Hunter: Massive Hunting, which was revealed a week after that comment. Even if not, isn't it about time we had word on if Monster Hunter 3G was coming to the West or not? Why all the obnoxious teasing and hinting? Why can't anything be said already? Either crap or get off the pot. No more of this wishy-washy nonsense, false promises, false hope, and crushed dreams of fans. And while you're at it, Capcom, how about some localization news once Monster Hunter 4 gets released in Japan?

Disc-Locked Content

I don't know if "anti-consumer" is the appropriate phrase to utilize here, but that term comes close to my thoughts on this practice. You know when Michael Pachter agrees that disc-locked content is a bad practice that something is seriously wrong. For those unfamiliar with the term "disc-locked content," it is when content is already on the disc, and a player is essentially buying and downloading a "key" to unlock it. The first reaction is "why isn't the content free if I already paid for the disc the content is on?" And that would be exactly right, in my opinion. Capcom even went out of their way to disclose their belief that downloadable content and disc-locked content are basically one in the same. This is stating that any difference between buying content that is already on the disc you own through downloading a key and buying content from an external source to download is zero. Where is the sense in that? There's a tremendous difference. Capcom has stated that they are listening to fan input on the controversy the company found itself neck deep in. We'll see if it sinks into their brains or goes in one ear and out the other.

Ultimate Marvel VS. Capcom 3

Now, this beef with Capcom is recent, but I haven't forgotten it so bear with me anyway. In February of last year I forked over sixty dollars for Marvel VS. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, a much-hyped fighter featuring a myriad of characters from both Marvel Comics and Capcom universes. I enjoyed the game and many felt it was pretty much a complete experience. Apparently Capcom disagreed because not even a year after the game came out, a new full retail release was hot off its heels, Ultimate Marvel VS. Capcom 3. The game fixed a lot of the problems with the vanilla version and added more content. Essentially, early adopters and huge fans of the original MvC 3 got shafted by Capcom. They of course didn't have to buy Ultimate, but if they wanted to go where the fighting game community went (along with many of their friends), they'd have to upgrade. Just another example of Capcom releasing the same game with a few upgrades multiple times for full price.

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From Mega Man to Monster Hunter, my opinion of Capcom isn't as great as it was in generations past. There's just too much to dislike and not enough return love towards consumers from the publisher to warrant supporting them fully anymore.

Regardless, tomorrow is Thursday which means it's time for the third installment of The Top 50 Nintendo DS Games. We'll be halfway through the list of fifty by this time tomorrow, so stay tuned and catch you later!

21 Terrific Gaming Commercials

Are you ready for a nostalgic trip through gaming commercials from yesteryear to now? That is precisely what I have in store for you with this list of 21 (odd number notwithstanding). These televisions ads come from Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and third-parties across decades of games and countless generations. Whether they're funny, artistic, send a message, or are just plain cool, these 21 ads are some of my personal favorites. Will your favorites be listed? If not, realize that this won't be the only article regarding great gaming ads.

Note: These commercials are all from the States. Feel free to share commercials from outside the U.S. 

Note 2: To save everyone from lots of loading, the actual videos are linked to as opposed to embedded on this site. Click the name of the ad to get to the video. I apologize ahead of time for YouTube comment sections.

Nintendo Wii "Wii Would Like to Play" Campaign

The console that shook the gaming world and changed it forever, the Wii received an outstanding blitzkrieg of television ads. This is actually a compilation of such ads to introduce America to the Wii. The ads portray two Japanese gentlemen riding across the country in a smart car, greeting unaware folks at their doorsteps, and with Wii remote in hand, bowing and stating the clever line, "Wii would like to play." Showing the fun and simplicity of motion controls in a masterful way, these Wii ads helped shape the success of the platform. And then the rest of the gaming world would follow, even a once reluctant Sony and Microsoft. We will see if Nintendo can convey the inherent fun and uniqueness of the Wii U in such a similar fashion.

"Michael" - PS3 Long Live Play Campaign

This commercial could be perceived as a prelude to Sony's Smash Bros-inspired game, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. It features a cast of both first and third-party characters that have appeared in numerous PlayStation 3 titles. We have Nathan Drake from Uncharted, Kratos from God of War, Cole from inFamous, Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, and soldiers from Call of Duty, to name several. It is a tribute to the gamers who made the PlayStation name such as success. To Michael! 

Halo 3 (360) Believe TV Spot

While this commercial gets points off for not including any gameplay, I will give it a pass since that would detract from the artistic nature of this ad. It shows stationary and incredibly articulate figurines put in battle against one another. Added are special effects like blur and explosions. It is of stark contrast to the gentle theme of Frederick Chopin's Prelude 15 (Raindrop). Juxtaposition, if you'd rather call it that. The scenes certainly showcase the epic struggle between the humans and the Covenant forces. At the end, we see Master Chief held up by his neck, defeated... or is he? A grenade in his hand lights up, and his head turns up, looking at the viewer. Believe.

Metroid Prime (GCN)

Now this commercial is just incredible. It masterfully blends live action with the gameplay from one of the greatest games from last generation, Metroid Prime. It shows Samus Aran, clad in her Power Suit, exploring a desolate industrial zone. She moves through the facility, enters her Morph Ball, and blasts the hostile lifeforms which take up residence inside this dark and deserted area. The narration with lines like "The cold silence of space only punctuates the feeling of death that emanates from this virtually lifeless planet" as well as "And [evil] must be destroyed -- decimated -- exterminated... But first... it must be found." Combined with the sensational special effects and imagery, this is one of the coolest commercials Nintendo has ever put out. And it should be when it gets a Hollywood director to help produce it.

Gears of War (360) - Mad World TV Spot

This artful ad shows a lone solitary Marcus Fenix in the fight for his life. Like the Halo 3 Believe TV spot, this Gears of War one juxtaposes the action and seeming futility of Fenix fighting on with the song Mad World by Michael Andrews on piano and Gary Jules providing vocals playing in the background. The ad concludes with Marcus entering a dark building which he thinks provides shelter, only to be greeted with a colossal beast. Nothing left to do but fight on, pelt the Locust monster with bullets.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Pair of Ads

I don't know why the uploader of this video felt the urge to show him screwing around on the Nintendo Channel menu, but the first of the two ads for New Super Mario Bros. Wii actually begins at 0:23. The nostalgia immediately comes pouring in as we here the classic 8-bit Super Mario Bros. theme, alongside shots of the real world mixed with Mario elements like beanstalks and flagpoles. We see several groups of four players across varying ages having fun with the game (and the multiplayer is very fun -- the best of this generation locally, to be honest) while Bob-ombs, Cheep Cheeps, Mushrooms, coins, and other Mario-themed creatures and objects linger around them. Here we go indeed!

"Cubs Win" MLB 2012 The Show (PS3, PSV)

Finally, after a century of failures, the Chicago Cubs win the World Series! Tears are shed, prayers have been answered, a celebration erupts in the Windy City. Skyscraper windows light up with festive messages, citizens cheer, cry, and embrace one another, and the Cubbies storm the field in one giant blob of white uniforms. But it isn't reality. The real reality is that it was a PlayStation 3 owner winning the World Series with the Cubs in MLB 2012 The Show, the best baseball simulator yet. The tears from the player are, in fact, real. The point of the ad is that the game feels like the real thing, so real emotions (manly tears, I'm sure) were conveyed. It really is a tremendous ad. Then again, a video game championship doesn't go in the MLB record books, give you a parade and trophy, and break your 100+ year curse.

Perfect Dark (N64)

Perfect Dark is without a doubt my favorite first-person shooter of all time. It wasn't perfect like the name suggests as the framerate was low in high octane situations. However, the XBLA remake fixed this, making it tops in the genre for me. The objective-based missions a la GoldenEye will always be my preferred means to play. Plus the combat simulator was full of awesome options. So many, your head would spin. The commercial shows a live action Joanna Dark's morning routine. It's all common stuff: shower, an energizing drink, lipstick, getting pretty, getting dressed, selecting what gun you are going to wear to work -- it's all common like I said. As the commercial states quite clearly, the only person man enough to tackle the DataDyne corporation's nefarious scheme is a woman.

Final Fantasy VII (PS1)

Like Halo 3's ad, this Final Fantasy VII TV spot does not show any gameplay either, but at least we have some in-game cutscenes to marvel at. While it doesn't really do anything spectacular or even original, the sight of seeing the first Final Fantasy in full 3D was astonishing at the time. Sure, the graphics of the game outside of FMVs look rather prehistoric now, even headache-inducing (personal experience), but it was still a well put together commercial. The line "you can always push the reset button" is one that has stood with me for a long time. It's just one I hear or read somewhere and I immediately think "Final Fantasy VII."

Kingdom Hearts (PS2)

You'll never know who you'll run into next. That was certainly the mantra of the Kingdom Hearts series. I had to choose between this and Kingdom Hearts II's ad, but I felt this one captured the spirit of what the series was originally intended to be without -- y'know, before one of the most awful and convoluted stories in gaming history came to exist. It was indeed simple and clean for the most part. Sora, Donald, and Goofy went from Disney world helping the denizens out, defeating the Heartless horde, and saving the day. The commercial shows a full cavalcade of Disney all-stars from numerous films. It is a wet dream for any fan of Disney or, to a lesser extent, Final Fantasy.

Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

The Kevin Butler ad campaign may have overstayed its welcome or have made some to believe the character was the arrogance of Sony personified in marketing form, but I just enjoyed them for the most part. Anything was better that that creepy PS3 baby or Marcus. 500 cars? No. How about 1,000? No realistic damage? Nah, you better put that in. Gran Turismo 5 may have failed to live up to the unrealistic expectations fans had (but it was later patched to be a sensational racing simulator), but this commercial certainly did not fail to entertain. Even the disclaimer while Butler tears out of the parking lot, "Mr. Butler is a professional driver on a closed course" leaves me in stitches.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2, XBX)

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas had a full, living, breathing world to explore. Three cities based on Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas separated by miles of country and desert, multiple vehicles to utilize including sports cars, tanks, jet fighters, and speedboats, great mission variety, and an engaging story all added up to my favorite open world sandbox experience ever. The ad beautifully displays all of this frenetic fun with Guns 'n Roses' Welcome to the Jungle accompanying the action. It is a well-edited commercial that even when my attention was elsewhere during commercial breaks, it immediately turned to this TV spot as soon as it started playing on the air.

Crash Bandicoot (PS1)

Oh, man. Could you stand it if a commercial like this aired on TV in today's gaming climate where console zealots and trolls are at the highest level of obnoxiousness yet? It would be disastrous. I'm not the type of person who grabs a bowl of popcorn to watch fanboys and trolls make asses of themselves on message boards, so I wouldn't be sitting back and watching that happen. There's far better things to watch like all seven seasons of The Golden Girls, the first 100 or so episodes of Family Guy (when it was routinely funny to me), and the great out-of-retirement cop show New Tricks. Nonetheless, I am getting off point. It was hilarious seeing a man in a Crash Bandicoot costume with a bullhorn blaring insults to Nintendo's supposed headquarters. It's sort of funny knowing how things actually turned out. How's that non-future in gaming going, Crash?

Super Mario Bros. 1-3 (NES)

Nintendo fans sometimes get called a cult due to some of their ilk becoming overly defensive whenever Nintendo has bad news or gets the slightest bit criticized (there's even evidence of that on this very site if you look hard enough). Whether or not some of them have a persecution complex as well is another argument that can be made. Regardless, this very old commercial for the NES trilogy of Super Mario Bros. games shows multiple groups chanting "Mario" in a cult-like fashion as they wear different colored clothing; some in red, some in blue, some in white, and some in black. The camera pans out into a view from space showing that the massive group of young'ins look like Mario's head from that distance. Very clever.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 (GBA)

What do Japanese schoolchildren have in common with an American audience? Why, everyone loves Mario, of course! And if you don't, you obviously have a problem. (Kidding, obviously). The commercial has school letting out, and the schoolchildren rushing, jumping, providing aerial acrobatics akin to what is seen in Mario games, racing across subways, and heading some place all in one smattering of kids. Their destination? A store that has just release Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, a wonderful remake of the Super Mario Bros. 3 classic. (Well, technically it's a port of the Super Mario All-Stars version of SMB3 with added content in the form of e-Reader cards.) This ad was part of Nintendo's intriguing "Who are you" campaign during its GameCube/Game Boy Advance days.

Paper Mario (N64)

One of the funniest commercials to me on this list of 21 is Paper Mario's US ad. It is just so delightfully charming. After receiving a letter from the seemingly perpetually kidnapped Princess Peach, a cutout of Mario throws down his fishing rod, dives into the lake, and begins swimming on his journey to save his lovely lady. He jumps off a cliff, crosses the stormy countryside, and crashes through a plated glass window to save the princess from an untimely death, the dreaded paper shredder. Such a remarkably clever commercial. It really is amazing.

Super Smash Bros. (N64)

Something truly has gone wrong in the happy-go-lucky world of Nintendo, but it is oh-so right at the same time. The game that made immensely popular the party fighter genre, Super Smash Bros. was a hit from the mind of Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai. Two sequels later and the series is primed for a fourth installment across two platforms: the Wii U and 3DS. The Turtles' Happy Together plays as people in Mario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Pikachu costumes beat the crap out of each other. Good music, good entertainment, good commercial. And quite memorable, too!

Banjo-Tooie (N64)

No, no, no. What is wrong with that skydiving instructor? The guy in the Banjo costume obviously doesn't need a parachute, he has Kazooie in his backpack to soften his fall. But wait-- Kazooie's AWOL? Uh-oh. The commercial's premise shows how Banjo and Kazooie are no longer inseparable. They can split up and handle tasks on their own when the necessity presents itself. A wonderfully executed idea making for a wonderfully executed commercial.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Willst thou soar... Or willst thou suck?  Well, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time certainly did not suck, nor did its epic commercial. Showcasing multiple action-packed instances of gameplay, story elements, and other notes of interest, this ad cemented my desire to get the game and increased my already feverish anticipation of Ocarina of Time. And even with this impossible to satisfy hype I had for the game, Ocarina of Time still managed to outperform my expectations. Just astonishing, and it is still such an outstanding game. Speaking of outstanding, how about a look at this glorious European ad for Ocarina of Time 3D featuring Robin Williams and his daughter Zelda? Why, oh why didn't this ad come out in North America?

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN)

"In the land of Hyrule, there echoes a legend." And so this enchanting commercial begins. Mixed with a live action Zelda telling the tale of Link with some captivating gameplay of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, this ad is whimsical. When it was originally shown, the cel-shaded art style was lambasted by fans. Then, like so many times with Nintendo, critics actually played the game and developed a fondness for the very thing they derided so vocally. It seems history will continue to repeat itself forever.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

Swords and shields fall to the ground from the heavens above. They might look cool and stylish, but they can certainly take your head off if you aren't careful. I mean, surveying the damage from the commercial alone and you can see cars destroyed, lunch dates ruined, and those in apartments who I really hope have some kind of insurance policy. Say what you will about the quality of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword or how the series has lost its way, but my review backs up why I love the game and why it was SPC's Game of the Year 2011.

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Did you enjoy this look at 21 gaming commercials that I admire? If I left out one of your favorites, let it be known that I plan on doing an additional list of other favorite commercials of mine. Can't have part two be full of second-tier favorites! I gotta have some stellar and unforgettable ones! And if you aren't in the States, what commercials in your country or even outside your country do you adore?