Proceed?

Lots of people might bear in mind Advance Wars collection as a flash within the pan, coming out of nowhere on the Gameboy Advance after which dying out a couple of years in a while the DS. However in Japan, the Wars collection was certainly one of Nintendo’s longest operating, prolific franchises, beginning on the Famicom earlier than spreading its army may to the Gameboy, Tremendous Famicom, GameCube, and the Wii.

For folk who had been following the franchise for the 20 years as much as its abrupt conclusion, listening to that Clever Methods had no “clear concept” on the way forward for the franchise felt like the top of an period. Likewise, for longtime followers, this month’s Advance Wars: Re-Boot Camp remakes from WayForward has much more weight to it when you understand how a lot strife this collection has been by.

The factor is although, when Days of Break capped off the Advance Wars collection (or ruined it, relying on who you ask), there wasn’t a giant announcement or second of closure that got here with it. When new video games are proven for the primary time, advertising and marketing makes a giant deal of it it. When previous video games energy down for the final time, they typically simply fade away, like a former finest pal that you just used to go shoe buying with, however haven’t seen for years. The longer you go with out texting or calling them, the bizarre it feels to hit them up out of the blue, so that you simply don’t.

However what in the event you did name that pal once more, a decade or extra after you final deliberate to, and truly took that journey to Skechers. Would the sneakers nonetheless match? Will your time aside show to have made you roughly appropriate buddies? Listed here are a couple of video games I’d like to see name once more, simply so we may discover out.

Pitfall!

Earlier than Mario reinvented the style together with his Tremendous sport from 1986, the largest identify in side-scrolling platformers was undoubtedly Pitfall Harry. The truth is, many credit score 1981’s Pitfall! on the Atari 260 for being the primary sport to popularize the style on house consoles, and its sequel may be seen as one of many progenitor of the sort of huge, interconnected map design that makes the Metroidvania style what it’s right now. The Activision traditional even bought its personal cartoon present.

Even after Mario stole Harry’s thunder, Pitfall! hung in there for years, with later video games on the SNES, Genesis, PS1, PS2, Gameboy Advance, Xbox, Wii, and as lately 2012, an autorunner for cell. If Indiana Jones could make a comeback in 2023, there’s no purpose Harry couldn’t do the identical.

Q*bert

Birdo stands out as the most well-known snorkel-nosed creature in gaming right now, however for a time, that title undoubtedly belonged to 1982’s Q*Bert. And it’s not like he’s a complete unknown right now, although that’s bought extra to do together with his appearances in movies like Wreck-It Ralph and Pixels than any of his trendy video games. The latter film even implies that Josh Gad had intercourse with him and, apparently, bought him pregnant.

Fortunately, Q*Bert’s precise video games managed to procreate in a way more dignified style, seeing a brand new launch each 5-10 years all the best way up till (you guessed it) a cell reboot in 2019. However it’s been far too lengthy since this foul-mouthed little weirdo hopped onto computer systems and consoles.

Rygar

Enjoyable reality, within the unique Japanese model of Rygar, the principle character is just often known as “The Legendary Warrior”, whereas the final boss, an enormous lion man, is called Ligar, which was mistranslated to Rygar within the localization course of. If the collection had managed to stay round, I’m positive that trivia could be as properly is aware of as Tremendous Mario 2‘s begin as Doki Doki Panic, or how Pac-Man would have been known as Puckman if Namco wasn’t afraid that sassy vandals would flip that “P” into an “F”.

However as a substitute, Rygar has largely forgotten lately, regardless of a massively profitable arcade sport in 1986, its a number of ports, a reimaging on the NES in 1987, a PS2 reboot in 2006, and improve port of that reboot for Wii in 2009. If Kratos can grow to be gaming’s most critically acclaimed cranky dad, I see no purpose why Rygar couldn’t grow to be a drained Greek motion man of comparable adoration within the close to future.

California Video games

For no matter purpose, the idea of California was massively common within the Eighties 90s. A state of limitless summer time, all the time relaxed, barely airheaded, and residential to numerous film stars and musical artists, was a spot the place individuals all over the world dreamed of every day. Motion pictures like Quick Instances At Ridgemont Excessive, Valley Woman, Invoice and Ted’s Wonderful Journey, had been the essence of cool again then, and doing the “California voice” was a simple get together trick for even the poorest of impressionists. Famed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Michelangelo might not have come discuss like such a radical dude, and Tremendous Mario World might not have its secret Gnarly and Tubular bonus ranges, if it weren’t for all that California fever.

Ninja Gaiden

The Ninja Gaiden collection truly began in arcades earlier than changing into one of many first motion video games on the NES to wow gamers with wonderful cinema-style cutscenes. After a short pause by the N64/PS1/Saturn period, it returned in a giant manner on the Xbox with a self-titled reboot, headed by Staff Ninja, which scored a DS spin-off and a few direct sequels.

The reboot trilogy was lately rereleased for contemporary platforms in 2021, however there hasn’t been an all-new sport within the franchise since Ninja Gaiden Z: Yaiba, the ill-fated spin-off from 2014. If I had my druthers, the workforce behind Katana Zero would purchase the rights and convey Ryu again for one more comeback assault, however that’s most likely only a pipe dream.

Bonk

In Japan, Bonk was known as PC Genjin (Japanese translation: “PC-Caveman”), and he was the mascot for the PC Engine, the most well-liked house console in his house nation all through 1988. Beating each Nintendo and Sega on the identical time was no small feat, and Bonk is without doubt one of the few cartoon mascots to tug it off. Sadly for him, the PC Engine didn’t grow to be a world hit when it launched worldwide in 1989 underneath the still-hard-to-type Turbografx-16 model.

However nonetheless, Bonk managed to survive the console he was born on, with sequels, spin-offs, and ports for Gameboy, NES, SNES, PS2, GameCube, and cell. I’m one of many few who bought to play his 2010 Wii title, Brink of Extinction, earlier than it was canceled. Little did I do know that was the final I’d see of the little man till his unique video games had been launched on the Turbografx-16 Mini in 2020. I’m 100% assured that in the fitting arms, individuals all around the world (however particularly in Japan) would eat up a brand new Bonk sport prefer it was a six-foot-tall hunk of meat.

Last Struggle

There was a time when each main arcade within the nation was house to a Last Struggle machine. Whereas the Renegade and Double Dragon video games had been among the many first belt-scrolling beat ’em ups ever made, 1989’s Last Struggle was the franchise that introduced it to the following stage. Its giant, well-animated characters, a number of playable characters and particular strikes, and common stage of depth get up even right now.

There have been two SNES sequels that continued the unique story, the Saturday Night time Slam Masters spin-offs, a Japan-only preventing sport for the Saturn, and a reboot for the PS2 in 2012. However the one Last Struggle illustration we’ve seen since is in traditional rereleases, like 2010’s Double Influence port, and within the rosters of newer Road Fighter titles. With Streets of Rage, River Metropolis, and even the Ninja Turtles making trendy hits from their traditional beat ’em up method, there’s no purpose that Last Struggle couldn’t make a comeback with an all-new title.

Breath of Fireplace

If I’m being actual, this entire checklist may have been full of Capcom video games. Whereas Konami deserted the Castlevania, Metallic Gear, and Silent Hill franchises for a short time, as of 2023, they’ve introduced and unannounced plans for all three of them. Capcom, alternatively, let Bionic Commando, Strider, Darkstalkers, Viewtiful Joe, Mega Man X, and perhaps most egregiously, the Breath of Fireplace collection simply burn out with no regret.

We’ve no less than seen cameos from all of the video games on that checklist in numerous Capcom releases over time… aside from Breath of Fireplace. For no matter purpose, Capcom doesn’t need something to do with their one ubiquitous RPG collection anymore. Breath of Fireplace VI was a Japan-only Home windows/cell title launched in 2016. Earlier than that, the final globally launched sport within the collection was Breath of Fireplace: Dragon Quarter for the PS2 in 2002. The collection simply celebrated its thirtieth anniversary, with copious fan artwork and different remembrances getting a great deal of reward throughout social media.

One can think about that an Octopath Traveller-style Breath of Fireplace VII for consoles could be equally properly obtained.

Ape Escape

Sony’s abandonment of Ape Escape speaks to their bigger rejection of all their sillier mascots. Within the PS1 period, the PlayStation’s prime first-party tiles had been video games like Leaping Flash, PaRappa the Rapper, and Ape Escape, the rambunctious motion platformer about utilizing twin analog controls to catch apes with numerous devices. For my cash, it’s among the finest video games of the era, and holds up higher than Tremendous Mario 64 or Banjo Kazooie.

The collection lived on with sequels on the PS2, spin-offs for the PSP, and PS3, and crossovers within the likes of Metallic Gear Strong, Ratchet & Clank, and most lately, the PS5 unique Astro’s Playroom. That latter title is the precise sort of B-Funds title that I believe AAA builders ought to make extra of, and taking Ape Escape again to consoles with a equally themed title would make sure you be a worthy funding by Sony Leisure Group.

Rhythm Heaven

I used to be the primary to interrupt the information that the Rhythm Heaven collection had “died”, and whereas Nintendo later debunked that declare, the timeline speaks for itself. The final all-new Rhythm Heaven title, Rhythm Heaven Fever, was launched in 2011, and the final official title within the franchise — the largely best hits title Rhythm Heaven Megamix — was launched on 3DS in 2015. Eight years with out information isn’t endlessly by trade requirements, but it surely’s a very long time for this explicit franchise, which used to see new video games each two to 4 years.

There are a number of the explanation why Rhythm Heaven could also be gone for good, however there are simply as many the explanation why Nintendo ought to convey it again. The music producer who pitched the idea to Nintendo within the first place desires it to occur. Video games impressed by Rhythm Heaven, like Melatonin, and the upcoming Rift of the Necrodancer, have been fast to search out giant and constant audiences. Likewise, resale copies of previous Rhythm Heaven video games have lately soared in worth. It’s not unusual to search out copies of Fever going for $100-$150 on Amazon or eBay.

The collection was large in Japan however, regardless of Beyonce’s endorsement, it by no means bought massive elsewhere. However on this age of memes and TikTok-length gameplay trailers spreading like wildfire, it may very well be that Rhythm Heaven‘s ascension to the highest is but to come back.