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Do you remember the era of the N64? Where we had but a few third party developers making their titles upon Nintendo's finest machine?
Capcom were making million selling franchises on the Playstation, Square stuck their middle finger up at cartidge based Nintendo, Namco repeatidly slanted Nintendo's home format, Eidos refused to accept the system existed and new company Rockstar would only release a handful of tiny projects. But what all these companies believe would come to pass did not, the fall of Nintendo. Some brilliant innovations, the introduction of Pokemon and a certain game called Goldeneye allowed the mighty N to laugh in the face of the massive menace that was the Playstation. Nintendo may have had themselves to blame for the introduction to the Playstation but it was also because of Nintendo and Nintendo alone that they had managed to stop the money guzzling giant from eating away at Nintendo's fabled fan base.
Nevertheless Nintendo had support, well at least a bit from two major companies... in the east that support came from friends and highly talented publisher/developer Konami and in the east the adult orientated genius that was Acclaim.
Oh how times change.
Now a mere generation later and all of the big Japanese developers are making games exclusivly for Nintendo... Namco have confirmed the release of all their biggest franchises (bar Time Crisis and Tekken) plus 2 exclusive Nintendo money spinners. Capcom have release 5 exclusive games for Nintendo in the last year and a half... since the sale of Rare in fact who, despite being a bigger production studio, have made a mere 1 title for Microsoft. Square had been grovelling for weeks and set up an independant studio to allow the creation of exclusive Gamecube titles. SEGA of course are always doing something for Nintendo. In the east EA show dedicated support for Nintendo, Eidos spot that Nintendo exist and actually published 2 games and Nintendo have picked up 2 new companies Silcion Knights and Retro Studios.
So where have Konami and Acclaim gone?
Acclaim of course still exist and they do still support Nintendo. But a whole lot less. Turok, the previous Nintendo exclusive title, is now multi-format... it is also crap. In fact a lot of Acclaim titles have lost it since they've decided to leave Nintendo in favour of the money grabbing Playstation market. It may be due to the recent shake up by the company but Acclaim have publicaly made Nintendo responsible for their lagging software sales. Shadowman, one of the finest N64 titles, got a sequel that was nothing more than a pathetic 3rd person adventure game for the PS2. Acclaim's biggest titles such as the Extreme G series and in particular Burnout are now all released as a PS2 title with a later conversion. It may not be a massive loss, whereas once they ruled they now do not and so not having this company as dedicated as they once were is not that damaging. But it is still sad.
Konami is a little different. Since the N54 era Konami have become probably the biggest Japanese 3rd party developer in the world. Pro Evolution Soccor and Metal Gear Solid are titles that sell systems in style and get number 1 all over the world. These are titles that have never appeared on a Nintendo home console (outside of Japan). Nintendo could do with such titles, but that is okay because Konami have exclusive games for Nintendo that can potentially do the same. Well at least they did. Castlevania and Mystical Ninja, fantastic underatted games (well I though so) on the N64 no longer exist as Nintendo titles. In fact other than the Gameboy Nintendo barley see anything of their old friend bar the disspointing ISS system. But unlike Acclaim Nintendo need to rescue their fallen relationship. Because Konami sell systems and Nintendo have systems to sell.
Enter Silicon Knights, in my eyes Nintendo's GREATEST developer. Retro are fantastic, Hal are amazing but Silicon Knights make works of art. Eternal Darkness for example, despite lacking flare, is such a beautifully crafted piece of perfection with not a flaw to find. Amazing and the release of their next title had a mixed response from me. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a class looking title that has all the flare missing from past Knight's titles. But it is also a game that has stopped Dennis Dyack's team from making their next classic and concentrating on this upgraded port dicatated by Konami. Now the Metal Gear game is the first exclusive Konami game on the Gamecube... and they're not even making it. This is Nintendo trying desperatly to work so close to Konami that this is the first of a beautiful friendship. SK themselves have claimed this and that they could be working with Konami more in the future.
Could this be Konami's return? Could Retro be making a specific ISS Nintendo exclusive (the were making a football game after all)... Could Silicon Knights be producing the next Castlevania game (imagine how fantastic that would be)... Could Hal be ressurecting Goeman? What do you think?
Here's to the future.
Dringo.
Capcom were making million selling franchises on the Playstation, Square stuck their middle finger up at cartidge based Nintendo, Namco repeatidly slanted Nintendo's home format, Eidos refused to accept the system existed and new company Rockstar would only release a handful of tiny projects. But what all these companies believe would come to pass did not, the fall of Nintendo. Some brilliant innovations, the introduction of Pokemon and a certain game called Goldeneye allowed the mighty N to laugh in the face of the massive menace that was the Playstation. Nintendo may have had themselves to blame for the introduction to the Playstation but it was also because of Nintendo and Nintendo alone that they had managed to stop the money guzzling giant from eating away at Nintendo's fabled fan base.
Nevertheless Nintendo had support, well at least a bit from two major companies... in the east that support came from friends and highly talented publisher/developer Konami and in the east the adult orientated genius that was Acclaim.
Oh how times change.
Now a mere generation later and all of the big Japanese developers are making games exclusivly for Nintendo... Namco have confirmed the release of all their biggest franchises (bar Time Crisis and Tekken) plus 2 exclusive Nintendo money spinners. Capcom have release 5 exclusive games for Nintendo in the last year and a half... since the sale of Rare in fact who, despite being a bigger production studio, have made a mere 1 title for Microsoft. Square had been grovelling for weeks and set up an independant studio to allow the creation of exclusive Gamecube titles. SEGA of course are always doing something for Nintendo. In the east EA show dedicated support for Nintendo, Eidos spot that Nintendo exist and actually published 2 games and Nintendo have picked up 2 new companies Silcion Knights and Retro Studios.
So where have Konami and Acclaim gone?
Acclaim of course still exist and they do still support Nintendo. But a whole lot less. Turok, the previous Nintendo exclusive title, is now multi-format... it is also crap. In fact a lot of Acclaim titles have lost it since they've decided to leave Nintendo in favour of the money grabbing Playstation market. It may be due to the recent shake up by the company but Acclaim have publicaly made Nintendo responsible for their lagging software sales. Shadowman, one of the finest N64 titles, got a sequel that was nothing more than a pathetic 3rd person adventure game for the PS2. Acclaim's biggest titles such as the Extreme G series and in particular Burnout are now all released as a PS2 title with a later conversion. It may not be a massive loss, whereas once they ruled they now do not and so not having this company as dedicated as they once were is not that damaging. But it is still sad.
Konami is a little different. Since the N54 era Konami have become probably the biggest Japanese 3rd party developer in the world. Pro Evolution Soccor and Metal Gear Solid are titles that sell systems in style and get number 1 all over the world. These are titles that have never appeared on a Nintendo home console (outside of Japan). Nintendo could do with such titles, but that is okay because Konami have exclusive games for Nintendo that can potentially do the same. Well at least they did. Castlevania and Mystical Ninja, fantastic underatted games (well I though so) on the N64 no longer exist as Nintendo titles. In fact other than the Gameboy Nintendo barley see anything of their old friend bar the disspointing ISS system. But unlike Acclaim Nintendo need to rescue their fallen relationship. Because Konami sell systems and Nintendo have systems to sell.
Enter Silicon Knights, in my eyes Nintendo's GREATEST developer. Retro are fantastic, Hal are amazing but Silicon Knights make works of art. Eternal Darkness for example, despite lacking flare, is such a beautifully crafted piece of perfection with not a flaw to find. Amazing and the release of their next title had a mixed response from me. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a class looking title that has all the flare missing from past Knight's titles. But it is also a game that has stopped Dennis Dyack's team from making their next classic and concentrating on this upgraded port dicatated by Konami. Now the Metal Gear game is the first exclusive Konami game on the Gamecube... and they're not even making it. This is Nintendo trying desperatly to work so close to Konami that this is the first of a beautiful friendship. SK themselves have claimed this and that they could be working with Konami more in the future.
Could this be Konami's return? Could Retro be making a specific ISS Nintendo exclusive (the were making a football game after all)... Could Silicon Knights be producing the next Castlevania game (imagine how fantastic that would be)... Could Hal be ressurecting Goeman? What do you think?
Here's to the future.
Dringo.
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*their
Ohhh go Tilt!
Nintendo have been buttering up Rockstar for a while now...
And it isn't as if Rockstarr don't make games for Nintendo... there more violent stuff are the games we lose.
Nintendo have been buttering up Rockstar for a while now...
And it isn't as if Rockstarr don't make games for Nintendo... there more violent stuff are the games we lose.
Thing is though do Konami really make anything of worth other than Pro Evo and maybe Metal Gear (even though I think it stinks)?
Nintendo need Konami about as much as they need a punch in the face.
As long as they keep up strong relationships with Capcom and Namco they'll be fine. Flinging some money at Rockstar would also help their cause, but Rockstar are too 'grown up' for them apparently. Because extreme and over the top violence that mainly appeals to 12 year olds and over sexed teens, is really 'mature'.
Nintendo need Konami about as much as they need a punch in the face.
As long as they keep up strong relationships with Capcom and Namco they'll be fine. Flinging some money at Rockstar would also help their cause, but Rockstar are too 'grown up' for them apparently. Because extreme and over the top violence that mainly appeals to 12 year olds and over sexed teens, is really 'mature'.
Miserableman wrote:
trusted with Metroid...
>
> Eternal Darkness succeeded in telling a story through a videogame, it
> did well at letting you play through a book. In playability,
> graphical and technical terms, however, Metroid Prime kicks it
> through a wall. There is nothing dazzling about Eternal Darkness, and
> the title is not actually very playable - the gameplay (note they are
> subtly different) stems almost completely from the storyline and
> atmosphere, whereas Metroid is actually quite a playable game in its
> own right. I don't wish to diss Eternal Darkness or Silicon Knights,
> but to say ED is a more complex or ambitious title than Prime is
> bordering on outright false.
Have you played Eternal Darkness????????????????????????????
It is a beautiful game. The fact I think Metroid Prime is a dull, repetitive affair may make me slightly biased here but Eternal Darkness' gameplay does not stem from it's storyline, it is highly addictive, the ability to pick off parts of the body are fantastic, the complicated system of creating and using spells are ingenius, the swashbuckling ideas are fantastic.
I know graphically it was unspectacular hence Dyack's desire to make Metal Gear Solid.
Metroid Prime is a fantastic game, each level progresses the gameplay with slight new features... it is the same with most games. Eternal Darkness changes the entire method of playing through each level. How can you not play Eternal Darkness and not realize how truly complex and deep the game is... sure Metroid Prime maybe too but I'd go as far to say as Eternal DArkness is the most ambitious and complicated game ever made.
And deserves respect over Retro's disaster turned genius at the hands of Nintendo.
trusted with Metroid...
>
> Eternal Darkness succeeded in telling a story through a videogame, it
> did well at letting you play through a book. In playability,
> graphical and technical terms, however, Metroid Prime kicks it
> through a wall. There is nothing dazzling about Eternal Darkness, and
> the title is not actually very playable - the gameplay (note they are
> subtly different) stems almost completely from the storyline and
> atmosphere, whereas Metroid is actually quite a playable game in its
> own right. I don't wish to diss Eternal Darkness or Silicon Knights,
> but to say ED is a more complex or ambitious title than Prime is
> bordering on outright false.
Have you played Eternal Darkness????????????????????????????
It is a beautiful game. The fact I think Metroid Prime is a dull, repetitive affair may make me slightly biased here but Eternal Darkness' gameplay does not stem from it's storyline, it is highly addictive, the ability to pick off parts of the body are fantastic, the complicated system of creating and using spells are ingenius, the swashbuckling ideas are fantastic.
I know graphically it was unspectacular hence Dyack's desire to make Metal Gear Solid.
Metroid Prime is a fantastic game, each level progresses the gameplay with slight new features... it is the same with most games. Eternal Darkness changes the entire method of playing through each level. How can you not play Eternal Darkness and not realize how truly complex and deep the game is... sure Metroid Prime maybe too but I'd go as far to say as Eternal DArkness is the most ambitious and complicated game ever made.
And deserves respect over Retro's disaster turned genius at the hands of Nintendo.
Metroid is a serie of games which has been developed through many years.
I am sure that Metroid Prime would have been a different game if it were the first in the series.
Eternal darkness is a new franchise and maybe SK will make an even better game than Sanitys requiem in the sequel(if there is a sequel)
A castlevania-game developed by silikon knights would be cool
I am sure that Metroid Prime would have been a different game if it were the first in the series.
Eternal darkness is a new franchise and maybe SK will make an even better game than Sanitys requiem in the sequel(if there is a sequel)
A castlevania-game developed by silikon knights would be cool
Dringo wrote:
> As great as Metroid Prime is, it is not as nearly as ambitious as the
> Eternal Darkness project. Now Metroid Prime was the most EAD
> influenced game ever made by a 2nd party. Hudson can do what they
> like with Mario Party, Namco are trusted with Starfox and Retro were
> trusted with Metroid...
Eternal Darkness succeeded in telling a story through a videogame, it did well at letting you play through a book. In playability, graphical and technical terms, however, Metroid Prime kicks it through a wall. There is nothing dazzling about Eternal Darkness, and the title is not actually very playable - the gameplay (note they are subtly different) stems almost completely from the storyline and atmosphere, whereas Metroid is actually quite a playable game in its own right. I don't wish to diss Eternal Darkness or Silicon Knights, but to say ED is a more complex or ambitious title than Prime is bordering on outright false.
> As great as Metroid Prime is, it is not as nearly as ambitious as the
> Eternal Darkness project. Now Metroid Prime was the most EAD
> influenced game ever made by a 2nd party. Hudson can do what they
> like with Mario Party, Namco are trusted with Starfox and Retro were
> trusted with Metroid...
Eternal Darkness succeeded in telling a story through a videogame, it did well at letting you play through a book. In playability, graphical and technical terms, however, Metroid Prime kicks it through a wall. There is nothing dazzling about Eternal Darkness, and the title is not actually very playable - the gameplay (note they are subtly different) stems almost completely from the storyline and atmosphere, whereas Metroid is actually quite a playable game in its own right. I don't wish to diss Eternal Darkness or Silicon Knights, but to say ED is a more complex or ambitious title than Prime is bordering on outright false.
To Maverick and tphi....
Silicon Knights are a highly developed team, that have managed to create a pure masterpiece in Eternal Darkness. Granted Metroid Prime maybe a better game but I'll move onto that later. Eternal Darkness was more complex than any game I think I've ever played, developing a clever level of shooting, hand to hand combat, spells and other multiple combat methods... with insanity effects used to trick the gamer... a massive and heavily confusing storyline... spanning tonnes of characters.
A very ambitious title that actually met its target.
As great as Metroid Prime is, it is not as nearly as ambitious as the Eternal Darkness project. Now Metroid Prime was the most EAD influenced game ever made by a 2nd party. Hudson can do what they like with Mario Party, Namco are trusted with Starfox and Retro were trusted with Metroid...
And then they played it.
The retro now are a tiny company, mixed together with EAD members that are now part of Retro (and Retro is now part of EAD), there once 4 team development studio is little over one... they are owned by Nintendo now so all they really are is the Nintendo of America development company.
Retro are now great, one of the worlds best development teams. But only after Nintendo fronted money, a franchise, employees and near enough everything else.
Silicon Knights are a self-developed company that only really recieves recognition from IGN.
Thusly I have more respect for the latter.
Silicon Knights are a highly developed team, that have managed to create a pure masterpiece in Eternal Darkness. Granted Metroid Prime maybe a better game but I'll move onto that later. Eternal Darkness was more complex than any game I think I've ever played, developing a clever level of shooting, hand to hand combat, spells and other multiple combat methods... with insanity effects used to trick the gamer... a massive and heavily confusing storyline... spanning tonnes of characters.
A very ambitious title that actually met its target.
As great as Metroid Prime is, it is not as nearly as ambitious as the Eternal Darkness project. Now Metroid Prime was the most EAD influenced game ever made by a 2nd party. Hudson can do what they like with Mario Party, Namco are trusted with Starfox and Retro were trusted with Metroid...
And then they played it.
The retro now are a tiny company, mixed together with EAD members that are now part of Retro (and Retro is now part of EAD), there once 4 team development studio is little over one... they are owned by Nintendo now so all they really are is the Nintendo of America development company.
Retro are now great, one of the worlds best development teams. But only after Nintendo fronted money, a franchise, employees and near enough everything else.
Silicon Knights are a self-developed company that only really recieves recognition from IGN.
Thusly I have more respect for the latter.
Rickoss wrote:
> Sure, Nintendo are tryign to win back Konami with basically handing
> them some profits from MGS: TT (which, despite what everyone says,
> will be an awful game), but Namco don't seem to be doing much at all
> and Nintendo have offered them a whole lot more; StarFox, Donkey
> Konga and PacMan to name a few (unless PacMan is made by someone
> else...)
Other than releasing previous PS2 exclusives on the Gamecube...
And giving Nintendo publishing rights to Soul Calibur 2...
And a certain Tales of Symphonia and we all know what happened there!
And developing games for NINTENDO is a good thing...
And Pacman is of course a Namco title developed by Nintendo.
> Sure, Nintendo are tryign to win back Konami with basically handing
> them some profits from MGS: TT (which, despite what everyone says,
> will be an awful game), but Namco don't seem to be doing much at all
> and Nintendo have offered them a whole lot more; StarFox, Donkey
> Konga and PacMan to name a few (unless PacMan is made by someone
> else...)
Other than releasing previous PS2 exclusives on the Gamecube...
And giving Nintendo publishing rights to Soul Calibur 2...
And a certain Tales of Symphonia and we all know what happened there!
And developing games for NINTENDO is a good thing...
And Pacman is of course a Namco title developed by Nintendo.
So what now, Retro should get no credit for Metroid Prime?
They've won awards for it. It's still their baby, even if Shigeru Miyamoto oversaw it. It was pretty much given that Nintendo would be watching over anyway - it was a brand new team handling a major franchise.
They've won awards for it. It's still their baby, even if Shigeru Miyamoto oversaw it. It was pretty much given that Nintendo would be watching over anyway - it was a brand new team handling a major franchise.
Dringo wrote:
> Silicon Knights made a far more complex but almost perfect game.
Far more complex? Hardly.. collecting spells is hardly rocket science. Making something more complex can detract from the fun of it all anyway (except for Kirby Air Ride..). I much prefer blasting bugs in Metroid than pacing around endless gloomy scenary in Eternal Darkness, and comes closer to perfection in my eyes than ED.
> Silicon Knights made a far more complex but almost perfect game.
Far more complex? Hardly.. collecting spells is hardly rocket science. Making something more complex can detract from the fun of it all anyway (except for Kirby Air Ride..). I much prefer blasting bugs in Metroid than pacing around endless gloomy scenary in Eternal Darkness, and comes closer to perfection in my eyes than ED.
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