When it comes down to naming the best Star Wars video game ever made, one game regularly reigns over all other contenders. That game is Knights of the Old Republic, the creation of the legendary western RPG developer, Bioware. Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel are not only amazing Star Wars games, but also exceptional RPGs in their own rights. They possess quality leveling systems, unforgettable characters, and captivating stories that can be experienced through multiple playthroughs without getting old. Critics and everyday gamers alike adore and respect the series.

What scores of KotOR fans might not know is that a dedicated modding community exists for the phenomenal PC series. For those unfamiliar with the term, "Modding" refers to the act of making custom modifications to a piece of software or hardware. In the case of computer games, this usually involves adding in new content, such as characters, levels,  and weapons, Both Knights of the Old Republic games have received hundreds of such fan-made additions in the years since their releases. With the recent announcement of a bundled rereleaseof Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel, it is an opportune moment to review the best of these mods. While the KotOR modding community isn't the largest on the internet, it has still produced some truly top-quality content over the years.

Brotherhood of Shadow: Solomon's Revenge

(KoTOR)

The magnum opus of the modder Silveredge9, BoSSR is the most extensive mod ever released for the first KotOR game. While the majority of mods for any game are often merely tiny tweaks or minor additions, BoSSR is far more ambitious. It adds to the game an entirely new story arc, one with the size and polish of an official expansion pack. Bioware themselves would've been hard pressed to develop something akin to it with the same limited time and resources of a modder. Just as impressive as BoSSR's scope and technical feats is the narrative it has to tell. Its story is exceptionally well written and features a diverse caste of likeable characters (my favorite being the sarcastic wisecracking Duro mechanic, Mec'Hanic). Not only do the characters and plot fit perfectly within the bounds of the original game's storyline, they enrich it with new perspectives on KotOR's back-story.

Those who play BoSSR can expect multiple new locations to explore. They range from the bridge of a Mandalorian battleship to the depths of forgotten Sith Ruins. Every setting has an engrossing atmosphere, with several possessing the feel of a survival horror setting. While the mod often relies on retextures of existing KotOR areas, a number of completely new modules are also used in the mod. These unique locations stand out the most as being professionally realized and memorable.

Many new weapons and armor are included with BoSSR, along with a number of new player-controllable characters. While these are often only briefly available to the player, their segments are often the most brilliant in the mod. Without spoiling too much, players can expect to play through important events in the Old Republic era. They will experience the Mandalorian Wars through the eyes of a misguided Jedi apprentice and witness firsthand the reign of the enigmatic Sith Lord, Darth Revan. With a lengthy main adventure and several side quests, BoSSR easily provides well over ten hours of gameplay. Possessing both professional quality and creativity that only a passionate fan could give it, every KotOR enthusiast should make it a priority to play Brotherhood of Shadow: Solomon's Revenge.

Revans Robes Revisioned

(KotOR)

The most stylish attire in all of Star Wars has to be the robes of the Sith Lord Darth Revan. Unfortunately, like enticing forbidden fruit forever denied to those who crave it, players were never able to don these awesome robes in Knights of the Old Republic. Many mods for KotOR have sought to fix this in the past. The best of them however, has to be Revans Robes Revisioned. Not only does it provide players with the best Revan robes ever modeled, it even offers seven different versions of the robes to choose from. The mod also includes a special flowing animation for Revan's cape.

While Revan's Sith robes are perfect for dark side leaning characters, they don't really fit the image of a Jedi. Thankfully, there are also versions of the robes that no knight of the Republic should feel ashamed to wear. My personal favorite is "Jedi Revan Robes" by Darth_Shan. Since this mod is only a re-skin, it has to be used with another mod that adds Revan's robes to the game. Revan's Robes Revisioned is the ideal mod to apply it to, of course.

Visual Enhancement 2012

(KotOR 1 & 2)

Visual Enhancement by Xarwarz is a series of updates to Knights of the Old republics' graphics. The mod provides higher quality textures for both the first KotOR and its sequel. While it doesn't put the games on the level of modern games, it is still a huge improvement over the original visuals.

Nar Shaddaa (KotOR 2 loaction) with Visual Enhancement 2012

TSLRCM

(KotOR 2)

It is a well known fact that Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords was released in an incomplete condition. While its developer Obsidian often receives the flake for this, much of the fault can be placed at the foot of the game's publisher. There has been much speculation that LucasArts pushed Obsidian to finish the game for a Holiday release. Because of this, a ton of content ended up being cut from KotOR 2. Many of this discarded material would have greatly benefited the game had Obsidian been allowed the time to implement it.

After its release, a number of fan projects stepped up to restore the game's cut content. Perhaps the best known of these groups was Team Gizka, which worked on their restoration project for years before collapsing due to internal divisions. Thankfully a second group of modders took up the immense task that all before had failed to do. Finish Knights of the Old Republic 2.

Titled "The Sith Lords Restored Content Mod" (TSLRCM), the file contains a compilation of restored content and bug fixes. The degree to which it improves KotOR 2 cannot be fully expressed given the sheer range of dialogue lines, and story events it restores and improves. One of the mod's crowning achievements is the restoration of an entire level that was removed from the game: the HK Assassin Droid Factory. The inclusion of this area to the game, a feat that required multiple rounds of testing and bug fixing, adds a huge new twist to the way the game's ending plays out.

The First TSLRCM Trailer

(Warning: contains massive spoilers to anyone who hasn't beaten KotOR 2)

(Please visit the site to view this media)

TSLRCM is an example of what talented modders can do when they band together to realize a common dream. It is a massive undertaking that wouldn't have been possible without years of dedicated work by passionate fans. These are people who dedicated hours of their own free time to ironing out the flaws in a game for zero financial gain. Such dedication  could only be inspired by a truly great game, one that deserves perfection. TSLRCM is currently on version 1.7, with a 1.8 update in the works. When it's released, it will be closest KotOR 2 has ever been to the complete game Obsidian had intended to make.

M478-P (Unreleased)

(KotOR 2)

The most significant feature cut from KotOR 2 was the entire planet of M4-78. Inhabited only by droids, it would have given players the chance to explore a completely mechanized planet. While there wasn't enough of its original data left for inclusion as part of TSLRCM, a separate modding team has been able to create the models, scripts, and storyline needed to finally make the planet playable. While the mod hasn't been released yet, work on it is progressing smoothly and can be followed on the Star Wars gaming site "Deadly Stream."

Revenge of Revan (Demo)

(KotOR 2)

Many fans of the KotOR series were disappointed when Bioware announced its Old Republic MMO. While they had eagerly awaited a single player RPG continuation of the KotOR saga, and TOR was not what they had expected. Even today, many gamers long for a Knights of the Old Republic 3. While it cannot lay claim to such a title officially, there is one project that is attempting to provide just that.

Revenge of Revan seeks to be an unofficial continuation of the KotOR storyline. Picking up a few years after the end of KotOR 2, its story focuses on the attempts of the Republic and Jedi Order to rebuild after years of war and galaxy-spanning devastation. The project is nothing if not ambitious. It features a robust cast of characters, both new ones and fan favorites from the past two games. It also seeks to bring new gameplay content to the standard KotOR 2 experience. This includes a lightsaber progression system, the chance to play as alien races, and a new system for building trust with party members. At the same time, RoR is shooting to have full voice acting, along with a completely new original soundtrack.

Though the mod as a whole has a long ways to go, it shows a lot of promise. The team behind it released a demo last summer. Overall it offered a total of 3 hours of new KotOR gameplay, and acted as an introduction for what is sure to be an expansive experience. When finished, the project promises the chance for players to continue their KotOR adventure and bridge the gap between the second game and its MMO successor.

Check out the following links to learn more about KoTOR modding:

KoTOR Modding on Lucas Forums

Deadly Stream

Originally posted at my Blog: Cartoons Dash Gaming

Every gamer has at least a few gaming experiences that they'd rather forget. Most of mine hail from when I was kid. Back when I didn't have the judgment of quality that keeps me from buying dud games now. While many of my picks in games at the time ended up being solid (including the best of Nintendo's first party lineup), I still made more than a few ill-informed purchases. Most often they were based off my interest in a licensed property, or catchy cover art.

While I haven't bought a truly terrible game in years, I still must live with the bad games of my past. I've listed the worst of them below, just so my experiences with these electronic turds can at least be put to use amusing all of you.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2002) Game Boy Advance

This isometric Lord of the Rings RPG's only real claim to fame is being based off the Lord of the Rings books by J.R Tolkien, rather than Peter Jackson's movie trilogy. While faithful to its source material, literary accuracy is pretty much the only thing this game has going for it. From the very start, its basic mechanics are sloppy and unwieldy. Character movement with the D-Pad is often so imprecise that characters walk in directions you don't want them to go. The turn based battle system is overly simplistic, slow, and boring. Most of the soundtrack isn't half bad but can get annoying when the same looping track is played over and over.

Good ole' Sancho Proudfoot at his (her?) best

Despite a few control hiccups, the game's early Shire areas are at least tolerable, if a bit simplistic. This changes when players reach the Old Forest, where the game's penchant for poor level design comes into play. Players are tasked with navigating their party of Hobbits through a literal maze of paths that warp them about the woods randomly. Unlike the Lost Woods of the venerable Zelda franchise, there is really no way to predict which path will lead where,and it's up to dumb luck and trial and error to reach the various locations needed to advance.

Merry and Pippin being groped by a tree.

While navigating the Old Forest is a manageable feat given the right amount of patience, it pales in comparison to the worst this game has to offer.  While the mines of Moria are a notorious location in the lore of Middle Earth, its rendition on the Game Boy Advance goes far beyond its reputation. It consists of numerous interconnected, confusing, and repetitive passages. Determining which path is the correct way through the mines requires endless wandering. Most simply lead to dead ends, locked doors, or loop around aimlessly.

Gandalf was right

The level is so vast that it is very easy to run out of health items before reaching the exit. This happened to me on my first play through, and I ended up getting stuck on a group of enemies blocking the path to the exit. Time to restart from the beginning!  Add to this the repetitive music looping in the background and you have an experience capable of  driving even the most grilled gamer insane.

Now this is what I call thrilling combat.

In conclusion, this is a really frustrating and boring RPG. Truthfully, I do feel a certain degree of fondness for it, if only because I put so much time into trying to beat it. Nostalgia is weird sometimes. 

Dragon Ball Z The Collectable Card game (2002) Game Boy Advance

I don't remember how or when I got this game, or why for that matter. Knowing my obsession with Dragon Ball Z at the time, I probably took one look at the box and thought I could at least look forward to Kamehameha-ing some suckers. Oh how wrong I was.

Deal! Draw! Conquer!

What I ended up playing was, as if the title of the game weren't obvious enough, a video game adaptation of the DBZ Collectable Card Game. Starting out I had no knowledge of how to play it and this Game Boy Advance version certainly wasn't going to resolve this. With a nonexistent in-game tutorial and a useless instruction manual, most of my time with this game consisted of me making moves at random. For some reason this didn't get me very far.

I don't think Vegeta is having any fun either

Everything about this dang game was completely untranslatable to me, and this is coming from someone who still knows the rules to YuGiOh! Even if I knew how to play, I doubt I would've had much fun. Everything about the game felt barebones and cheap. I actually ended up selling it at a garage sale to some middle-aged lady who didn't know what she was getting herself into. It remains to this day the only game I've ever sold.

Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) GameCube, Xbox, PS2

Unlike some of the obscure games on my list, most knowledgeable gamers should recognize this game. For all the wrong reasons, of course. Shadow the Hedgehog is widely and rightfully regarded as one of the dumbest games ever made. For some god forsaken reason Sega, in all their wisdom, wanted to make their whimsical Sonic series "edgier." To accomplish this they put the spotlight on Sonic's moody rival, Shadow, and added guns and PG-13 swearing to tradition 3D Sonic gameplay. All of this in an attempt to convince kids that playing as an anthropomorphic hedgehog with a bad attitude was cool. Of course, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

"Shadow...Android....Am I... An Android... Too"

Shadow the Hedgehog's gameplay is a mix of simplistic platforming and bland combat. Eliminating baddies is accomplished either by jump dashing into enemies like in normal Sonic games, or through the laughingly bad third person gunplay. Playing this is how I spent Christmas 2005, people!

"Where's that D*** fourth Chaos Emerald!"

One of the games most talked about features is its morality system and branching storyline. Each mission has a "good", "evil", and"neutral" way to complete it. Each ending leads to a completely different next level and there are many paths that lead to the game's multiple endings. None of this really matters though. No matter what path is taken the story ends up being a convoluted mess of unconnected plot points and bland characterization.

"Find the Computer Room!"

All of this adds up to Shadow the Hedgehog being a very poor video game, even when compared to Sonics' multiple other recent train wrecks. Still, the game's sheer absurdity is great for laughs at least. The constant stream of badly written and voiced dialogue was able to put a smile on my face even as its gameplay was boring me to death.

Prison Tycoon 2 (2006) PC

There is a very good idea behind Prison Tycoon 2's concept. Building and running a virtual prison sounds like a lot of fun on paper. Unfortunately this game has far too many bugs and design hiccups to be worth putting hours into building a prison up to maximum security status. Far too much time is spent in the game manually ordering npcs about, such as sending injured prisoners to the hospital because they're too stupid to go there by themselves. One of the game's main goals, reforming prisoners, requires far too much of this micromanagement to be worthwhile.

To say the least, this game can get pretty hectic

Tycoon games have always lacked the polish of Sid Meier's and Will Wright's triple A simulation games. Prison Tycoon 2 is proof positive of this. I don't know if its developer fixed any of the game's issues in its three sequels since, but they certainly had three sequels worth of improvements to make.  

There is no gaming experience quite like opening the box of a new gaming console or handheld. Looking down on a shiny piece of new gaming equipment is enough to make anyone forget that the actual games you play on it is what really matters. It's because of this that choosing the first games to play on a new system is unusually important. Picking up a good set of games on day one can cement your confidence in it.  Likewise, bad choices can sully your first experience with an expensive piece of new hardware.

The following is a summary of the first games I played on each of my gaming systems. The games I played on day one and how they shaped my initial and future experiences with each device.

Nintendo GameCube  

Super Smash bros Melee, Godzilla: Destroy All Monster's Melee, Super Mario Sunshine

Technically the first Game Cube game I played was a Sonic Adventures 2 demo at the electronics of a local shopping center, but I'm not going to count that. Instead I will focus on when my brother and received our own Game Cube for Christmas 2002. It was when our mom finally figured out how to connect Nintendo's purple lunchbox to the TV, that we finally began our serious gaming careers.

We had three games to play that day, and the first we tried out was Super Smash Bros Melee. While it hadn't been on our list to Santa, we would both end up logging countless hours into it. over the next several months. Melee ended up being more than just a fun game to play.,however. It also did us a huge favor by introducing us to all of Nintendo's best characters. Characters we had been almost completely ignorant of beforehand. This in time led us to games such as Metroid Prime, Star Fox Adventures, and the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. All of which we played, in no small part, because we recognized their protagonists from Smash Bros' lineup.

Godzilla Destroy all Monsters Melee! was purchased with my Godzilla loving brother in mind, though it soon had both of us addicted to its rampaging giant monster mayhem. We liked the game so much at the time; it became our main motivation for begging our parents for a second controller so we could play its multiplayer.  

The last game we played that night was the one that first fired up my interest in the Game Cube. Playing Super Mario Sunshine at a Target kiosk was a mind-altering experience for someone whose only real experience with gaming at the time was playing "Oregon Trail" on school computers. While some have criticized Sunshine for its divergence from typical Mario conventions, I loved it for what it was, without any knowledge of how different it was from traditional Mario platformers.

Super Mario Sunshine was like gamer Kindergarten for me. While it's an easy game for me today,  back when I was a gaming new comer each level was a Herculean challenge. Playing it taught me all the ins and outs of gaming, from collecting items, to finding a boss's weakness, to discerning the best path through a level. Beating it felt like an immense accomplishment for my 5^th grade self, and to this day, cleaning up tropical Isle Delfino remains my most nostalgic gaming memories.

Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP

Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku, Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku 2

I was a huge Dragon Ball Z fan growing up and I remain one to this day. My interests in it and video games were bound to collide, and this came in the form of a game called The Legacy of Goku. Both it and the Game Boy Advance to play it with were at the top of my birthday list in 2003. Since my parents generally respected my gift wishes, I got exactly what I wanted (thankfully I received the SP version of the GBA instead of its original clunky model). Naturally, I also  got the game I'd wanted a GBA for in the first place. As a surprise gift, my parents also purchased The Legacy of Goku 2, which I hadn't even known existed.

Ironically, I ended up liking this second game much more than the one I'd originally wanted. The first Legacy of Goku has some questionable design choices, including useless melee attacks and superfluous grinding. Its sequel on the other hand is a competent top-down beat 'em up with a quick pace and lively graphics. A simple but fun game, even if you don't know your King Kai from your Tien Shinhan.

Because I already knew Dragon Ball's story by heart, I saw no harm in playing the two Legacy games back to back. They were good games to introduce me to handheld gaming, though it didn't take long for them to be overshadowed by the likes of Metroid: Zero Mission and Mario and Luigi: Super Star Saga.

Nintendo DS Lite

New Super Mario Bros, Metroid Prime Hunters

Nintendo's dual-screen handheld didn't have many compelling games when it launched in 2004. Thankfully, when I finally got around to getting one, it had both a sleek new redesign and a robust library of games. When it came down to picking which of these great games I'd play first, I choose the familiar faces of an Italian plumber, and an intergalactic bounty hunter.

New Super Mario Bros is traditional 2D Mario gameplay at its best. Even now, over 6 years since its debut, it holds a firm grip on popularity. There's even a "New" Super Mario Bros game on the most recent cover of Game Informer. While series like Call of Duty get pasted for each installment being more of the same, very few people complain about Mario keeping to its winning formula. Its timeless gameplay certainly hooked me when I first played it on my DS Lite.

I went into Metroid Prime Hunters with an intense love for its parent series. Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes had owned my Game Cube's disk drive for some time and I fully expected Hunters to become my favorite handheld title ever. Part of this hype was based off my amazement that a full 3D game on a handheld was finally possible. However, the novelty of this technical feat soon wore off. Hunters ended up lacking the engrossing atmosphere, and perfect level design seen in the rest of the Prime series. Looking back, I wish Nintendo had released a traditional 2D Metroid on the DS, rather than this half-hearted 3D offering.

Nintendo Wii

Wii Sports, Super Smash Bros Brawl

I didn't plan my purchase of the Nintendo Wii ahead of time. I just happened to be at a store one day when it was on sale. At the time, I only had enough money to afford one game to buy along with it. Super Smash Bros Brawl was an easy pick, largely due to my fond memories of Melee. Along with Brawl, I also knew I could look forward to playing the Wii's pack-in title Wii Sports.

Everyone who bought a Wii ended up playing Wii Sports, so naturally it attained some level of popularity at the time. For the most part, it was a decent introduction to the console's motion controls, but nothing about it was especially memorable. I never would have given it 10 seconds if it hadn't been included with the Wii. I also made sure to stay far away from its spiritual successor, Wii Play.

In many ways Brawl seems bigger and better than Melee. It has a massive single player quest, more characters, more stages, and more collectibles. There were also plenty of nostalgic setpieces from the Game Cube era I'd grown up. Things such as the Delfino Plaza stage from Super Mario Sunshine and Toon Link from The Wind Waker. Despite all this, I was never able to get into Brawl as much as Melee. There was simply no way it could impact me as much as its predecessor, though I still enjoyed ever second I spent playing it.

The first time I played the Wii was nothing compared to what my Game Cube inauguration had felt like. Part of the reason for this is that neither Brawl nor Wii Sports engaged me in what separate the Wii from the Cube, its motion controls. This initial lack of excitement soon came to define my relationship with the Wii. Though I own plenty of great Wii games (such Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and the less known Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon), their numbers pale in comparison to my massive stack of Game Cube games.

Microsoft Xbox 360 

Assassins Creed, Call of Duty 3

The Xbox 360 was my first non-Nintendo system, and my first introduction to the HD gaming. I wanted my first game on it to be memorable because of these two distinctions.

Thankfully, I pretty much already knew what game that would be. I'd had my eyes on Assassins Creed ever since it debuted on the cover of Game Informer's June 2006 issue. Everything about it, from its historic setting to its hidden blade wielding protagonist had me sold in a heartbeat.

I was clearly not the only one impressed with the first Assassins Creed, which went on to sell millions of copies worldwide. Ubisoft used its success of to launch one of the most successful video game franchises of this generation. Assassins Creed's many sequels and spin-offs have since improved upon the original game's formula in almost every conceivable way. Still, stalking Templars through the streets of Damascus, Jerusalem, and Acre will always remain nostalgic moments in the series for me.

Call of Duty 3 was more of an afterthought purchase compared to Assassins Creed. It was in the bargain bin and I didn't want to have only one game to play on my new system. Plus, I was pretty familiar with the series, having played Call of Duty: Finest Hour, and Call of Duty: Big Red One on Game Cube. So I felt I had a pretty good idea of what I could expect from it. Unfortunately, despite its shiny graphics and high production levels, CoD3 didn't leave a lasting impression on me. It's actually the last Call of Duty game I ever owned. Judging by how stagnant the series has become recently, I probably got off at the right stop.

I've gotten a lot of quality gaming out of my Xbox 360, but at the same time I don't really feel overly attached to the system itself. The main reason for this is that I'm simply not interested in any of its exclusives games. Nintendo's first party games are always what made me fall in love with their consoles. In this regard, I can't help feel that I made a mistake picking the Xbox 360 over the PS3, which has several exclusives games that I'd love to play: (Ni No Kuni, The Last Guardian, Tales of Grace F, Jak and Daxter Collection, Sly Cooper, and more).

Nintendo 3DS 

Ocarina of Time 3D

As a long time Nintendo fan nothing was going to stop me from eventually owning a 3DS. With that said my original plan had been to wait for its inevitable redesign before investing in one. Those plans were cast aside when a 3DS turned up for me underneath the family Christmas tree. There still weren't many stellar titles in the system's library at the time, so when picking my first 3DS game I went with a familiar classic.

I'd originally played Ocarina of Time on my Game Cube, via the Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition, and it was already one of my favorite games. Replaying it with updated graphics seemed like as good a reason as any to pick it over the likes of PilotWings: Resort, and yet another version of Street Fighter 4. Of course, I was more than happy when one hundred percent new 3DS games that I wanted (Kid Icarus: Uprising and Resident Evil Revelations) finally came out.

So what were your first games on each of your consoles/handhelds? Post them in the comments below!

HD Remakes of popular games from prior generations have been widespread in recent years. Video game remakes often face the challenge of justifying themselves, but with HD Remakes, there is a clear and obvious rationale behind them. The onset of the first generation of high-definition gaming has made it more and more difficult to go back to favorite games of previous standard definition eras. So who wouldn't want to be able to play these games with a fresh coat of paint?

Both the PS3 and Xbox360 have seen a treasure trove of HD Remakes. The Nintendo Wii, however, has overlooked this trend completely. Obviously, this is due to the Wii not supporting high definition graphics, making HD remakes impossible. With Nintendo finally entering the HD era with their new Wii U console, it's the perfect time for them to catch up on this aspect of the modern gaming market.

To be fair, the Wii did see a number of GameCube era remakes. One example of this was Nintendo's now defunct New Play Control series. However, the focus of these releases was the updating of their control schemes to use the Wii's motion controls. There was little improvement in terms of graphics and the collection only scratched the surface of the GameCube's library of outstanding titles. Now that Nintendo has an HD capable console, it is the perfect time to revisit the idea of rereleasing GameCube games, (especially since the Wii U is dropping GameCube backwards compatibility).

The below HD screenshots, taken using the open source Nintendo GameCube Dolphin emulator, show how much GameCube games would benefit from an HD treatment. Naturally, there are also plenty of Wii era games that would benefit from updated visuals. I predict that, with the coming of the Wii U, these games will soon shake off their SD shackles. Nintendo has already shown a willingness to rerelease games with enhanced visuals, with their 3DS versions of Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64. There is no reason to assume they wouldn't be open to doing the same thing on their home console.

Sources: 1Up and N4g

Retro Studios is the best friend of the hard core Nintendo enthusiastic. A western developer owned by Nintendo, Retro is renowned for spicing up the Japanese publisher's first party franchises. With the legendary Metroid Prime series and a successful reboot of Donkey Kong Country under their belt, a new release from the company is certainly something to look forward to. While it has already been reported that Retro is working on a "fantastic project" for the Wii U, there is almost no concrete information on what this game is. What we do have is a healthy number of rumors floating around, and I have used these as a basis to make some educated guesses on the game's identity.

A 2D Metroid game

Let's face it; Retro Studio making a new 2D Metroid game would be a dream come true for many a Nintendo fan. Retro has already proven their chops at making great 2D games with Donkey Kong Country: Returns, and great Metroid games. All of this seems to point towards them being the perfect developer to return Metroid to traditional 2D gameplay.

A 2D Metroid reboot is just what the series needs after the mixed bag that was Metroid: Other M. Unfortunately, Nintendo hasn't yet dropped any hints at being interested in making one. The 3D Prime games have dominated the series identity for a decade, and Other M might have dampened Nintendo's enthusiasm for Metroid.

Final Verdict: Possible, if Nintendo knows what their fans want.

Another Metroid Prime Game

Though Metroid Prime 3: Corruption brought to conclusion the venerable Metroid Prime trilogy, it's highly unlikely that gamers' have seen the last of the first-person adventure sub-series. As much as I'd like to see Retro Studios try something new, I can't deny that a Wii U Metroid Prime would make financial sense. A new Prime game announcement would ignite a blaze of excitement; just what Nintendo needs to drive Wii U sales. It would further excite hard core gamers, who are perhaps not currently wholly enthusiastic for Nintendo's current lineup.

Final Verdict: Possible

A Star Fox Reboot

There really hasn't been much excitement surrounding Star Fox for some time. The series has been relegated to handhelds since 2005 and the last universally acclaimed game in the series was Star Fox 64. Retro already has a track record for saving Nintendo's waning franchises, and if anyone can rescue Star Fox, it's them. With that said, I don't think there's much chance of us seeing a Retro made Star Fox game anytime soon.

When it comes to Nintendo's first party properties, Star Fox has always been a few tiers lower than Mario and Zelda. Because of this, I can't help but feel Nintendo would want Retro tackling one of their more popular properties for their first next-gen game. Nintendo needs system sellers for the Wii U, and Star Fox, with its anthropomorphic characters and mixed track record, doesn't seem like the kind of brand that would move consoles in this day and age.

Final Verdict: Unlikely

Donkey Kong Country: Returns Sequel

With Donkey Kong Country: Returns, Retro rebooted a classic series and made Donkey Kong relevant again for the first time in years. A sequel to this critically reclaimed and financially successful game certainly isn't a long shot. It might, however,  be a little too soon for one right now, and I have a feeling Nintendo would want Retro working on something new and exciting for their Wii U debut.

Final Verdict: Somewhat Possible

A Legend of Zelda game

While still widely beloved by millions of gamers, there have been some concerns recently that the esteemed Zelda series is losing some of its legendary luster. Handing the series over to Retro Studios would go a long way towards reinvigorating the series with fresh game design. Nintendo already has a history of entrusting Zelda other companies; such as with Capcom's amazing handheld Zelda games (and the Philips Cd-I's less than amazing take on the series).

While Zelda's creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, has said in the past that Zelda could be a good fit for Retro Studios, he has more recently said that the developer is currently busy working on something else. Miyamoto saying flat-out that Retro isn't working on Zelda, seems to kill the chances of their next game being one.

Final Verdict: Unlikely, (For now at least).

Some sort of Mario game

After Retro Studio's success with other Nintendo series, it isn't out of the question that the developer could one day make a Mario game. However, I don't see Nintendo handing the reigns to their mascot series to a third party developer just yet. Nintendo also already has a major Mario game launching with the Wii U, making the chances of Retro working on one even more remote.

Final Verdict: A very big "Maybe"

Now that you've read my musings, what do you think/hope Retro is working on?

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post predicting that Nintendo would release HD Remakes of their past games on the Wii U. This post will explore which games I would most like to see given this treatment. Among them are the best of Nintendo's past two generations, timeless games that deserve a reintroduction to the modern era.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Many scoffed at Wind Waker's cell-shaded art style when it was revealed, christening it condescendingly as "Cel-da." These critics have since been soundly silenced. Wind Waker's expressive graphics, bright colors and creative designs are, in my humble opinion, the pinnacle of Nintendo's artistic vision. One benefit of using a minimalistic art style is that it ages exceptionally well and HD or not, Wind Waker's visuals remain pleasing to the eyes. With that said, HD screenshots of the game taken with the Dolphin Emulator, prove that everything looks better in HD. Wind Waker in high-def jumps out with lush bright colors and sharp character and environmental models.

Must. Resist. Urge to play Wind Waker... Gah! I can't do it!

Wind Waker is already one of my favorite games of all time, and I'd gladly replay it over and over on the Wii U, a system that was seemingly designed for Wind Waker's unique features. One of these is the Tingle Tuner, which made used of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance - GameCube connection cables. Players used the Tingle Tuner to find hidden secrets and solve puzzles. Nintendo's innovative GamePad controller, with its prominent touch screen, would perfectly emulate and enhance this feature.

The most exciting possibility surrounding the announcement of a Wind Waker remake would be whether Nintendo would implement the dungeons that were originally cut from the game. Longtime Zelda director Eiji Aonuma said in an interview with Nintendo Power back in 2007 that he'd love to do a remake of the Wind Waker. With Nintendo's foray into HD gaming and its recent interest in rereleasing Zelda games; it might be only a matter of time before he does.

Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Another GameCube game that still holds up graphically is Metroid Prime. Somehow Retro Studios was able to succeed in creating a realistic graphical style that has resisted aging in the face of exponential graphical advances. Even its third sequel, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the graphically underpowered Wii, was able to impress critics in an HD era. Despite this, Prime and its sequels in HD is a tantalizing propitiation. While Metroid Prime has already been rereleased a number of times, surely one more time wouldn't hurt? Metroid Prime would undoubtedly benefit from the Wii U's Gamepad screen. The most practical use would be to display Prime's convoluted 3D map and display information from the game's robust scanning database.

Remember when I said everything looks better in HD? Maybe not this thing...

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Of all the games on this list, Twilight Princess would probably benefit the most from an HD paint job. Nintendo settled on a realistic graphical style when developing it and it has aged poorly in comparison with the company's usual cartoony visuals. Its textures were dated the day it was first released and its models appear grainy and pixilated on modern TVs. While Twilight Princess is probably my least favorite 3D Zelda, I feel it still deserves a HD makeover that allows its art style to truly shine.

The colors of the rainbow according to Twilight Princess's: a little green, a little brown, and a little gray.

Super Smash Bros Melee

Super Smash Bros Melee built upon the concept of the first Smash Bros to create the most popular title in the Game Cube's library. Even with the release of Super Smash Bros Brawl on the Nintendo Wii, Melee retains a following that prefers its faster paced gameplay. Furthermore, Melee is a hugely nostalgic game for me personally. All of this points towards the sense behind giving the game an HD Remake.

All that Ice Climber can't be good for your cholesterol levels, Kirby.

More important than improving the game's graphics, online multiplayer is the greatest thing a Melee remake could accomplish. Melee could also use a retooling of its boring menus and balancing of its character roster (Fox and Marth destroy everyone). 

When Bioware first announced that it was packaging its three blockbuster Mass Effect games into one collection, I was reasonably excited. Mass Effect was one of the many terrific games that I had procrastinated on playing. Now that the trilogy would be released in one collection, I could acquire the entire series in one go. Unfortunately, while certainly still a great deal, Mass Effect's Trilogy collection isn't going to provide me with the complete Mass Effect experience that I thought it would. 

At first glance the Mass Effect Trilogy has everything a complete series collection should have. All three Mass Effect games are packaged together in a single snazzy casing. What the collection does not include, however, is a complete compilation of each game's dlc. The most jarring example of this is that Mass Effect 3 will be included as it was originally shipped. That's five full dlc packs that aren't included in the collection, including the fan requested extension of the trilogy's controversial ending. Furthermore, in some cases one platform that the Trilogy is released on will not receive the same dlc as the others. For example, the Xbox 360 version of the collection won't include "Bring Down the Sky" or "Pinnacle Station" on disc, while the PC release apparently will.

What I like the most about "Game of the Year" and other types of gaming collections, is that I can get the entire experience on disc from the start. An example of this is the Arkham City Game of the Year Edition, which included all the previously released dlc for the game. It seems Bioware, however, isn't interested in offering such a definitive version of their games. They are instead releasing an incomplete collection that offers little to current Mass Effect owners (who might have been interested in having a physical copy of the trilogy's dlc), and requires newcomers who want the full experience to track down (and pay for) content that has been out for several months or more.

The Mass Effect Trilogy Pack is still a great deal for anyone who missed out on the series. It could have, however, been an even better one.

It's no secret that video game makers love sequels. From a business standpoint it's hard to argue against their appeal. Following up on a successful game guarantees that an established audience is waiting to gobble up the new entry. Developers are also able build upon their past work, rather than starting from scratch with a new IP. So every year game charts are dominated by continuations of successful franchises.

Despite the constant deluge of sequels overall, year after year there are always notorious no-shows that defy explanation. These are sequels to games that, despite there being well established demand for them, end up delayed indefinitely with little word of when or if they will see the light of day. Inadvertently, a lot of these games seem to have the number "3" attached to their names.

The following is a list of highly desired, yet so far intangible sequels that prove that the third time isn't always the charm.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3

NA (North American) Release Date for KotOR 2: December 6, 2004

Naming the greatest Star Wars game of all time isn't usually a controversial topic. Bioware's acclaimed Knights of the Old Republic is beloved by fans of Star Wars and good video games alike. Introducing an era in the Star Wars chronology arguably cooler than that of the movies, it remains a clear favorite in any debate of which Star Wars video game is the best.

KotOR success was followed up with a sequel developed by Obsidian. KotOR II: The Sith Lords,  gave gamers a fresh take on the Star Wars universe with a darker storyline that delved deep into the philosophical concepts surrounding the Force.

Somewhere there's an action figure diorama just like this

Unfortunately, LucasArts rushed The Sith Lords through development in order to meet the all consuming Christmas deadline, leading to several cut features and an overall unpolished feel to it. This was the start of the series' difficulties, which reached their zenith with the cancellation of a third KotOR game before it even entered full development. Afterwards came a grueling hiatus in news on the popular series' future. When an official announcement was finally made in 2008, it wasn't what many expected.

LucasArts and Bioware publicized their new KotOR inspired Star Wars MMORPG with extraordinary fanfare. They were dead-set on competing with the reigning MMO king, World of Warcraft and this naturally included appealing to KotOR's established fanbase for support. While building hype for the game, Bioware, perhaps anticipating fan reservations for such a drastic change from the first two games, said outright that The Old Republic would be KotOR 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 all in one.

Star Wars: The Old Republic ended up having many of the trappings of a single player RPG, including party characters, massive dialogue trees, and expansive storylines. With that said, it's still an MMORPG, probably the most divisive genres in all of gaming. When people love them, they really love them, and when people don't care about them, they really don't care about them. The genre simply introduces a heap load of controversy wherever it appears. This is especially true when developers try to adapt it to a preexisting franchise.

There's no reason why both sides of the MMO fence can't get what they want. Online gaming adherents already have a competent and recently free-to-play version of the Old Republic universe to explore. Now all LucasArts needs to do is provide single player enthusiasts with a Knights of the Old Republic 3 counterpart. 

To help pass the time until KotOR 3, here's my list of the Best Mods for the first two games

Kingdom Hearts 3

NA Release Date for Kingdom Hearts 2: March 28, 2006

Last Official Kingdom Heart Release: July 31, 2012

To be fair, unlike other series on this list, there hasn't exactly been a shortage of Kingdom Hearts games in recent years. The whimsical action role-playing series that mixes Square Enix's Final Fantasy with the cartoony creations of Walt Disney, has seen several releases since Kingdom Hearts 2 came out in 2005. Almost all of these, however, have been portable side-stories. Most telling of all is that none of them have carried the prestigious distinction of being a full-fledged Kingdom Hearts 3.

Despite being buried by spin-off after spin-off, Kingdom Hearts' fandom has lost none of their enthusiasm for a new numbered title. While little in the way of concrete details exists on it, recent speculation at least seems to point towards it being the next step in the series.

Mega Man Legends 3

NA Release Date Mega Man Legends 2: October 24, 2000

When the N64, Sega Saturn, and Playstation ushered in 3D gaming (as in controlling polygonal characters in 3D environments, not the headache-inducing gimmick of pop-out screens) many iconic characters made the jump to the new medium. Mega Man was no exception and the two Mega Man Legends games, while nowhere near as well remembered as the likes of Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time, became cult classics, known for their quirky characters and charm.

After being left with a massive cliffhanger at the end of Mega Man Legends 2, Legends enthusiasts had been eagerly awaiting a third game for over a decade. So when legendary Capcom game designer Keji Inafune personally announced Mega Man Legends 3 for the 3DS, it was received ecstatically. Not only were fans of the neglected subseries getting a new Legends game, they were actually being invited to help create it.

Along with the new project, Capcom unveiled the Devroom, a forum where fans could become"Servebots" iconic minions from the series known for their productive work ethic, and submit concept art and feedback on development ideas. This included a publicized vote on what Mega Man would look like in the game.

I voted for the version without the robotic briefs

All of this ended up being too good to be true. Despite an energizing announcement and innovated development structure, Mega Man Legends 3 was never actually green-lit by Capcom's head honchos. Originally Capcom of Japan promised that sales of the Mega Man Legends 3 Prototype demo on the 3DS eShop would determine whether or not the project would move onto full production. For whatever reason Capcom reneged on this commitment and both the prototype and the full game were unceremoniously canceled on July 18 2011.

The reaction most Legends fans had at the time

There was an immediate backlash against the cancellation, which seemed to finally top a series of controversial decisions made by Capcom at the time. Internet campaigns to revive the project were started soon after the announcement. While these fan efforts have yet to convince Capcom of bringing back Legends 3, the success of a similar project, Operation Rainfall, proved that fan protests can at least partially influence the powers that be.

The design of this boss came from fan-submitted art.

By now Capcom is no doubt aware of the demand for Mega Man Legends 3. With the 3DS game likely dead for good, we can all at least hold out hope that the saga of Mega Man Volnutt and his robotic toilet bowl monkey Data is picked up someday down the line. 

Half Life 3

NA Release Date for Half Life 2: November 16, 2004

Last Official Half Life Game: October 10, 2007

If you want to set the internet on fire, you won't find more flammable fuel than creating Half Life 3 rumors. Despite not seeing a new game since 2007, Half Life 3 has continued to make headlines across the web based simply on the off chance that it might exist. Naturally, every time these rumors sprout up, sparking all our hopes, Valve always comes along to extinguish them.

Of all the games on this list, Half Life 3 is by far the most likely to be released some day. After all, there's only so much enjoyment Valve can get from trolling their fanbase. Eventually Gabe Newell has to notice the pyramid size mound of potential profits he's sitting his posterior on.

All jokes aside, it's pretty obvious why Valve hasn't pulled Half Life 3 out of the hat yet. Both original Half Life games were monumental games that set genre defining features for their respective generations. Half Life 3 can't pull off a similar effect releasing on current-gen hardware, hence why Valve is likely saving their big guns for the next generation. With Valve posed to enter the TV-based gaming market with its "Steam Box" what better way to inaugurate it by unveiling one of the most anticipated games of all time?

Star Wars: Battlefront 3

NA Release Date for Star Wars: Battlefront 2: November 1, 2005

Last Official Star Wars: Battlefront game: November 3, 2009

The story surrounding the anticipation, speculation, and ultimately cancellation of the third game in LucasArts' popular Star Wars: Battlefront series make's for a high drama. Free Radical's attempt at sculpting an ambitious successor to the first two celebrated shooters imploded, leaving Battlefront III orphaned. Eventually, Rebellion Developments coughed up a pair of mediocre Battlefront games for the PSP, but since then the only news surrounding the series has been leaked footage of Free Radical's cancelled project.

Is that Stormtrooper even trying to aim? What am I saying. Of course he's not.

Perhaps I was late to the party when I eventually got around to playing it, but Star Wars Battlefront 2 didn't strike me as anything more than a decent FPS based off a well recognized licensed property. Overall, its battles were just a little too spastic and random for my tastes.This doesn't mean I don't feel Battlefront fans' pain. LucasArts has been dishing them out nothing but disappointment over the past few years. Sadly, in light of Disney's purchase of LucasArts late last year, the chances of Star Wars Battlefront being dumped in the pile of  forgotten Star Wars properties, with the likes of Jedi Knight and Rogue Squadron, is more and more likely.

Shenmue 3

NA Release Date for Shenmue 2: October 28, 2002

You can't bring up a discussion of wished for sequels without mentioning the unfinished Shenmue trilogy. Released on the Sega Dreamcast in 1999, the first Shenmue game introduced a style of gameplay that had never been seen before (and arguably since). Combining open world exploration with character interaction and an immersive Japanese setting, Shenmue was a unique, slow-paced gameplay experience that people have been craving more of for years.

After Shenmue 2 was released to lackluster sales in 2001, production on the series fizzled out, leaving the game's storyline unfinished. For a game so strongly focused on storytelling as Shenmue, it's hard not to understand the lamentations of Shenmue fans, who have mourned the incomplete trilogy for well over a decade now.

News on the series' possible revival still pops up every now and then. As recent as January 2012, Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki brought up the possibility of obtaining the license from Sega. So while the chances of a Shenmue continuation look slim at best, at least some grounds for hope remain after all these years. The same can hopefully be said for all the games on this list.

When I logged onto the Game Informer website late last night and saw that Nintendo had announced a HD Remake of The Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker, I shouted with joy at my screen.  I had predicted a few months ago that Wind Waker, my favorite game of all time and the one that introduced me to Zelda, would eventually see an HD rerelease on the Wii U. That it ended up being announced so soon into the console's lifespan caught me completely by surprise. As astounding as this announcement was, however, the route Nintendo is taking with the game is perhaps even more so. 

When Nintendo announced the Wii U in 2011, they showed the world what an HD Zelda would look like. Their Zelda tech demo gave us a teaser of what a game would like using a HD remastered version of Twilight Princesses' semi-realistic art style. Wind Waker HD seems to be following a similar directive. Instead of simply bumping up the resolution of the game's original graphics, Nintendo has completely remade them.

Nintendo Wii U Version

Nintendo GameCube Version

This was not what I had in mind when fantasying my beloved Wind Waker in HD. For years my hope for a HD rerelease had been based on screens of the original graphics enhanced with an HD resolution. Using a Dolphin Emulator, which allows you to play GameCube and Wii games on a PC, Wind Waker's original minimalistic art style truly shines through in 1080p.

These upscaled screens show how charming and whimsical Wind Waker's original graphics are and how amazing the game would look with only a simple upgrade in resolution. Suddenly I feel torn between what I had hoped for in an HD edition of Wind Waker and the style Nintendo has chosen to pursue.

What I miss the most from the screens of Wind Waker HD released so far are the bright colors. Wind Waker HD's color palette appears to be far more subdued and faded. Perhaps the most striking change is to the water, which has gone from a deep expressive blue to a far lighter shade.

A further difference is the lighting direction. The overly bright sunlight gives the visuals a washed out look. Everything, especially buildings in the distance, is bathed in it, reminiscent of the most recent Zelda title released by Nintendo, Skyward Sword. As much as I enjoyed Skyward Sword, I didn't find its watercolor visuals to be nearly as appealing as Wind Waker's cell shaded style.

While I feel slightly miffed on the environmental retextures shown so far, I can't fault Nintendo on the upgraded character models. Their smoothly rendered detailing gives them the look of miniature figurines and I'm happy to see that their faces remain expressive and full of personality. Toon Link in particular is even more adorable than he used to be. His appearance, in fact, reminds me of his depiction in Super Smash Bros Brawl.

I can't think of any other game in existence that I feel more strongly about than Wind Waker. Because of this, it is natural that I'm going to end up critiquing any deviation from the original game that Nintendo makes with this remake. That's just how nostalgia works when mixed with a healthy dose of passion.

I definitely understand why Nintendo decided on a radical art redesign for this rerelease. Having completely new, state-of-the art visuals will create far more excitement and impact than a simple upgrade in resolution would have accomplished. It's heartening see Nintendo devoting such attention and resources to remastering Wind Waker.

Hopefully my initial reaction here ends up being extreme in hindsight and that Wind Waker amazing qualities will be successfully translated to the HD era. All I do know for sure is that I desperately need to start saving up for a Wii U, pronto.

Epic bosses and endgame rivals are commonly the most celebrated contenders in the annals of video game enemies. However, before any adventurer is ready to slay massive fire-puking dragons and power-crazed overlords, he first has to cut through hordes of their hapless minions. The lowliest of these are the hapless baddies that guard the opening levels and dungeons of near every video game.

While they're usually considered little more than cannon fodder to fuel a player's early leveling, a game's first batch of enemies play an important role besides giving would be heroes something to swing their wooden swords at. In my experience, the best way to learn a new game's control intricacies is not through tutorials or reading longwinded instruction manuals, but through facing beginner enemies firsthand. The best of these are tailored to their game's basic components, letting players master them through regular encounters.

Perhaps the most iconic example of a baddie that educates players more than it harms them is the Goomba. They're almost always the first enemies encountered in a Mario game. Because of this they are susceptible to the Italian plumber's most basic jump attack. Their lack of outright aggressive tendencies and leisurely pace makes them an easy target for players to practice this fundamental move on. A successfully timed jump rewards players with success. The penalty for making a clumsy leap is instant humiliating defeat at the hands of a walking mushroom.

Goomba's teach players more than how to attack. The accuracy needed to dispatch them becomes useful latter on when making carefully timed jumps across the platforms and obstacles that fill Mario levels. Jumping comprises the chief gameplay formula of most Mario games and Goombas are the perfect early obstacle to instruct people how to do it.

The lowly Goomba's educational role is mirrored in Nintendo's other major franchise, The Legend of Zelda. Many different enemies have introduced players to the epic adventure series' mechanics over the years. Octoroks in the original NES game were easy for early gamers to dodge and strike. At the same time gamers to learn how to use the shield to guard against ranged attacks. Deku Shrubs latter served a similar role, giving Link a stationary target to practice deflecting projectiles.

The impish Bokoblins meanwhile offer a weak practice dummy for Link to practice his swordsmanship on. They are especially valuable warm-up opponents in Skyward Sword,  where it's prudent to learn how to swing the Wiimote accurately to overcome enemies.

Quick! Forget everything you've ever learned about fighting Zombies. Aim for the limbs!

Beginner enemies that teach important gameplay skills aren't limited to Nintendo. The zombies of Resident Evil and the Necromorphs of Dead Space promptly encourage gamers to learn to target specific enemy body parts to eliminate them efficiently. In an entirely different genre, the Sectoids of early XCOM missions give commanders a straightforward opposing force to experiment with tactics on.

Helping gamers learn basic mechanics isn't a glamorous job. The various beasts, minions, and mooks that fruitlessly try to obstruct the path past level one will probably never receive the gratitude they merit. Their pointless deaths at the hands of aspiring heroes build the foundations of  truly epic adventures.

It doesn't take a dedicated follower of video game culture to recognize who Megaman is. The blue robotic boy with a laser cannon for an arm has been a prolific part of Japanese gaming giant Capcom's roster since the days of the NES. His image is equated so closely with Capcom, that many are surprised to learn that he isn't the company's official mascot. Yet for all his fame and popularity among gaming enthusiasts, Mega Man is more famous these days for the uncertainty surrounding his future, rather than his legacy as an industry icon.

There is no getting past the fact that 2011 was a bad year for Capcom's Blue Bomber. The series was hit with two high profile cancellations, Mega Man Universe, a 2.5D platformer featuring level creation and character customizability in the vein of Little Big Planet, and Mega Man Legends 3, the much awaited continuation of the cult classic subseries.  This latter decision was particularly controversial and called into question the company's commitment to both Mega Man and their fans in general.

Increasing doubts in the series' health was the departure of Keiji Inafune from Capcom, a popular developer and Mega Man's co-designer. Known as a major advocate for Mega Man within Capcom, his exit from the company was mourned by the Blue Bomber's supporters as a sign of trying times ahead.

It's easy to pin Megaman's decline on the high profile cancellations of 2011. However, the root of the Blue Bomber's struggles is dug deeper into the past than many fans might realize. The last Capcom developed Mega Man title released in the United States was Mega Man 10 in 2010. At first this might not seem like such a long time ago. Many other healthy series, ranging from Grand Theft Auto to Legend of Zelda, often go for a few years without major new entries. Mega Man 10, however, was far from a blockbuster release. A download only title, it was developed to look and play like a long lost title for the NES. Obviously it doesn't take a financial analysis to realize it was likely made on the cheap.

Mega Man 10 and Mega Man 9 before it in 2008 were notable for being the first brand new Mega Man games developed for consoles since 2004. Mega Man had gravitated to handhelds throughout the early 2000s, with series like Meg Man Battle Network and Mega Man Zero. Both of these Mega Man iterations saw a degree of success on the Game Boy Advance. Still, there were signs that the franchise was beginning to grow stale. This became even more evident when Mega Man made the handheld generation jump to the Nintendo DS. The Mega Man ZX series saw only two games and the Mega Man Star Force games that followed were swamped with negative reviews.

This brief historical summary shows a gradual decline in Mega Man's prospects over the past decade. Most maddening of all is that it's at least partially due to Capcom's own mismanagement. Failure by them to apportion sufficient recourses to Mega Man has been its undoing. The series, which began on the cutting edge of game development, was left to slowly fall behind as other icons of the NES era powered ahead. It's been like a NASCAR driver's pit crew refusing to change his tiers and then wondering why he hasn't been winning any races lately.

In many ways Mega Man's confinement in the past has become his main sales pitch. Capcom's strategy over the past several years has been to market Mega Man as a nostalgia trip. Mega Man 9 and 10 were made in the same vein as the original NES classics, for the same audience who originally fell in love with them. Don't get me wrong. It's great for a company to celebrate its heritage now and then. Paying homage to the oldest, most loyal branch of a fanbase is never a bad thing. Tears of joy would be shed if Capcom took a similar route with Resident Evil and put out some traditional survival horror for old school purists.

Nostalgia, however, can't be the central pillar supporting a series' image. The gaming market has grown exponentially since the days of the NES; with millions more playing video games than in the industry's infancy. Mega Man can't tap into this growth without offering new experiences that today's gamers can latch onto. By staying anchored to the past, the series is insuring that it will only sink further into obscurity.

Capcom's celebration of Mega Man's 25^th anniversary is so far a testament to his decline. Rereleasing classic NES games for the hundredth time is hardly the treatment that such a storied icon deserves. Mega Man Xover and Street Fighter vs. Mega Man, while technically brand new games, aren't much to get excited over either. Xover has so far failed to prove it's anything other than a cheaply made iOS shovelware game. Street Fighter vs. Mega Man, on the other hand, wasn't even developed by Capcom initially. Truthfully, the only recent worthwhile tribute to Capcom's iconic blue robot is the thoroughly charming Archie Mega Man comics.

Mega Man Xover? More like Mega Man OVER.

Obviously you can't have a successful video game property if you don't have compelling new games coming out for it. All evidence points to a loss of faith in the Blue Bomber at the company that gave birth to him. Capcom has seemingly come to see Mega Man as a niche series. As long as they keep treating it as such, its potential will remain untapped.

There are a number of ways Capcom can turn Mega Man's fortunes around. One is what I like to call the Donkey Kong treatment. In 2010 Retro Studios released Donkey Kong Country Returns, breathing life into a Nintendo series down on its luck. Donkey Kong Country had been a popular series of platformers on the SNES. Yet in more recent years, their namesake, everyone's favorite tie-touting gorilla, had begun to spiral into irrelevancy. After a number of gimmicky rhythm games and forgettable handheld titles, interest in Donkey Kong seemed to be running dry.

Out of almost nowhere, Retro Studios came along and proved that even if you can't teach an old ape new tricks, you can at least improve the ones he already knows. Donkey Kong Country Returns was a perfect love letter to the original Donkey Kong Country games. It brought the series' classic gameplay up to modern standards and reaped both praise and profits. Stunning colorful graphics further made sure that the new entry was attractive to a modern audience.

Mega Man needs a similar treatment: a reimagining of its classic game play with modern mechanics and graphics. Capcom need not deviate outlandishly from the characteristics that made the old Mega Man games successful, but they need to adapt the series to the times. New Super Mario Bros proves that gamers are still open to playing 2D games, as long as developers put a genuine budget and effort behind them.

One persistent problem that Mega Man has struggled to overcome is his series' general lack of focus. The Mega Man franchise is divided into numerous different sub-series, each with their own following and style. There's Classic Mega Man, Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero, and Mega Man Legends, just to name a few. Having all these offshoots has essentially divided the Mega Man's fans into multiple smaller factions. Some want more Class Mega Mega Man, while others think the NES games are overrated. One group might only want more Legends games, while another might think the series was a mistake to begin with. All these competing camps have made it impossible for Capcom to please everyone with any new Mega Man game.

Some kind of reboot is necessary to create a unified vision for what Mega Man means in the 21st Century. While reboots can conjure up considerable controversy, (Capcom learned this firsthand when fans reacted negatively, if prematurely, to Devil May Cry's new direction) they are often the only way to reverse a troubled property's fortunes. Unless Capcom puts serious effort into a new Mega Man game, the Blue Bomber will continue to sink deeper into his rut.

With that said, please still make Mega Man Legends 3, Capcom. LEGENDS NEVER DIE!

This is the first part of what I hope will be a long series of blog posts in which I review the past week's major gaming news. I'll summarize what I consider to be the most significant happenings while also voicing my opinions on them. Whether it will be gushing over a new game announcement or criticizing industry business practices, I hope to entertain and inform with my rambling musings.

So without wasting any more time on a dull obligatory introduction, let's get started!

Aliens: Colonial Marines succumbs to the bad licensed game curse

As a major fan of horror films and games, Aliens: Colonial Marines had been on my radar since the day it was announced. The first Alien movie is one of my top 10 favorite films of all time, earneing my love with its memorable characters, perfect pace, and  the underlying tension it uses to build up to each heart pounding plotpoint.  Its sequel, Alines, while focused more on action than the slow-paced creeping terror of the original, was just as enjoyable.

With such awesome source material and the talented developer Gearbox behind the wheel, Aliens: Colonial Marines seemed like a guarenteed success from the start. Licensed games had come a long way in terms of quality over the years, and there was no reason not to exspect a similar treatment for Aliens that Batman: Arkham Asylum and Transformer: Fall of Cibertron had given to their liscensed properties. After five years of developement, everyone was hoping for a game that would do the franchise justice. Something that would give both horror and FPS aficionados a satisfying dive into surviving a Xenomorph infestation.

Unfortunately, after months of hype and eager anticipation pumping it up to be the licensed game of the year, Colonial Marines was panned on released by professional critics and mainstream gamers alike. At the time of this posting, the game's Metacritic score stands at an abysmal 42 out of 100.This response is a new lowpoint in the slow decline of the Alien franchise, which has been tarnished over the past decade by unremarkable sequels and spinoffs.

I haven't played Aliens: Colonial Marines, and after watching countless gameplay videos and reading multiple reviews, I probably never will. The main problem, besides graphical, AI, and story shortcomings, seems to be that the game doesn't build upon the strengths of the series. Xenomorphs apparently pose little threat to players, negating any sense of fear and tension the game could have delivered. As far as I'm concerned, an Aliens adaptation that isn't scary isn't an Aliens adaptation at all.

Another problem brought up by critics is how little Colonial Marines adds to the serie's fiction. Instead of offering fans a new experience to enjoy, it retreads the same concepts that already been seen on the silver screen. It makes callouts and references to the films without inventing its own memorable plot points.

I had a feeling this would be a problem when I heard the game would take place in Hadely's Hope, the setting of the second movie. This not only didn't make sense within Aliens' continuity (Ripley, Hicks, and Newt nuke the colony to smithereens at the end of the second film) but I couldn't see where it left the developer  room to expand the property's fiction. Apparently, and unfortunately, I was right.

I expect gamers will soon forget Aliens: Colonial Marines until the end of the year, when we will all be reminded of it when we read Game Informers Top 10 Disappointments of the year.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team announced for 3DS

I don't usually treat Valentine's Day differant than other day of the year, but this year was different. Nintendo gave gamers a perfect valentine, announcing a slew of exciting new games for the 3DS. The one that especially caught my eye was a new entry in the Mario & Luigi series.

The concept behind Mario & Luigi: Dream Team couldn't possibly be more fun and whimsical. The primary setting of the game appears to be Luigi's dreams, which Mario enters to solve puzzles, platform, and fight enemies. Besides being a unique concept for an RPG, it also makes Luigi the front and center focus of the game, and let's be honest. Everyone likes the green little dude a lot more than his heroically bland big bro.

I'm ashamed to say I haven't played a Mario & Luigi since the first one, Super Star Saga, on the Game Boy Advanced. Partners in Time sort of turned me off with its focus on the baby Mario Bros and time travel. I've also procrastinated on checking out Bower's Inside Story, despite how excellent I've heard it is. Nonetheless, I loved the first Mario & Luigi game so much that I still consider myself a big fan of the series. I can't wait to get my hands of Dream Team, though hopefully it will be sooner rather later.

Donkey Kong Country Returns coming to 3DS

While a handheld port of a years old game might not seem like breaking news, Donkey Kong Country Returns coming to the 3DS is a big deal for me personally. I never got around to playing the Wii original , and this port might be just what gets me to finally play it.

I actual prefer playing games on handhelds when I have the option. It's easier for me to fit play sessions into my busy schedule with handheld gaming's pickup-and-play style. While this can often mean putting up with inferior graphics, I don't expect a massive visual discrepancy between Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and the Wii game. Who knows, considering how underpowered the Wii is, the 3DS version might  end up looking better. There's also the possibility of getting new exclusive content on the 3DS, which is always a plus.

Playing Donkey Kong Country Returns on a handheld would be natural for me, considering my history with the series. I wasn't old enough at the time to experience the first three Donkey Kong Country games on the SNES. I played their Game Boy Advanced ports instead . For me, the series will always feel most at home on a handheld, and it looks like I'll be able to enjoy Retro Studio's reboot of the franchise the same way I enjoyed the originals.

Sluggish Wii U Sales Reported

January sales figures for Nintendo's Wii U game system came in this week and they weren't a cause for celebration over at the house of Mario. The system sold  only 45,000 to 59,000 units last month,  a worse month of sales than the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have ever experienced.

Now before anyone starts prophesying Nintendo's doom, there are a few things to keep in mind. One is that pundits had predicted that the 3DS would be a failure after mediocre early sales. However, after a surgical price cut and injection of countless amazing games into its library, the 3DS today is healthy and profitable.

The Wii U is in a similar situation. It simply doesn't offer enough robust features and software for the price Nintendo is asking for it. I predict this will likely all change once more compelling game are released for it. With a Wind Waker remake and exclusive sequel to Bayonetta on the way, along with countless other games yet to be announced, the Wii U's fortunes could quickly turn around.

I think another part of the problem is that Nintendo hasn't done enough to market the Wii U to consumers. The system, in both name and design, looks awfully similar to its predecessor if you don't count the touchpad controller. Hardcore gamers likely haven't warmed up to it due to memories of the Wii's weak graphics and meager library of compelling games. Nintendo's casual audience, on the other hand, is probably still satisfied with their Wiis for now. They won't start picking up Wii U's in mass until the Wii U has had time to take root in the media and popular culture.

With all this in mind, I think it is far too early to start likening the Wii U to the Sega Dreamcast, Sega's ill-fated final foray into the hardware market. The Wii U has a tough act to live up to after the Wii sold like McDonald's hamburgers, but Nintendo has proven it can beat tough odds and still come out on top at the end of the day. You won't find me betting against them any month of the year.

My score for the week is a B+ The announcement of Nintendo's new 3DS offerings saved it from being defined by its noteworthy disappointments.

Human Head Studios made a big splash at E3 2011 by unveiling the sequel to Prey, its hit 2006 sci-fi shooter. Not only was Prey 2 marking the return of a series that was met with both critical praise and commercial success, but it was setting out in a completely new and compelling direction. Starring a gun-slinging bounty hunter stranded on an alien world, Prey 2 represented the open world sci-fi bounty hunting game Star Wars fans had hoped for long before Star Wars 1313 was announced. Unfortunately, Prey 2's development, much like LucasArt's now seemingly doomed next-gen Boba Fett adventure, has become shrouded in a mist of nervous anticipation.

Journalists and gamers alike were nothing but impressed by Prey 2's blockbuster CGI trailer and debut gameplay footage. Both made hunting down alien scum in a dark neon light-lit cityscape of seedy night clubs and black market vendors look like a blast. Abundant gadgets, including augmented targeting systems, deployable energy shields, anti-gravity grenades, electric bolases, hover boots and shoulder-mounted rockets, promised to make each player into a one-man arsenal. Meanwhile, agile combat, including the ability to slide between cover while firing, and fluid first person platforming, made traversing Prey 2's vertical cityscapes look effortless and energizing.

Intense action wasn't the game's only highlight. Gathering information and tracking bounties would have added strategic layers to each hunt. Stealth options for more subtle hunters were also a rumored possibility. Regardless, Prey 2 seemed to have something for every sort of gamer imaginable to latch onto.

Unfortunately, Prey 2 now seems to be jostling for the position of the next game industry enigma. New information on it has been hard to come by since its major showings in 2011. Even the game's once enthusiastic developers have seemingly gone underground with possible updates. Human Head'sTwitter account has been silent since September. Additionally, the last update on the studio's website was in December, and concerned the release of an iOS game.

Prey fans yearning for even a morsel of news have grown used to being let down. A website once thought to be a teaser for the game, complete with cryptic imagery and a countdown, was revealed to be a fan site hoping to promote the game. Likewise, every rumor of a major Bethesda announcement on the horizon has raised hopes only for them to be crushed. Most recently, Bethesda launched a teaser that led to the reveal of a new Wolfenstein game. Though new game announcements are always welcome, Prey fans are still waiting for an update on a game that was originally set for launch in 2012.

Although it was unlikely from the start that any of these internet rumors would result in a Prey 2 update, the fact that fans latched onto them is proof of their desperation. A petition on the Prey 2 Alien Noire fan website has garnered 3,909 signatures supporting the game, despite the site's obscurity. Furthermore, Bethesda's official forums for the game remain an active meeting ground for fans to voice frustrated dissent.

Game cancellations can be messy affairs, and usually the publisher or developer will want to promptly clarify their position moving forward. The fact that Bethesda is not being open about what's going on with Prey 2 suggests that they either have not made a final decision on the project's fate, or have a future announcement planned. Lending credence to this theory is the continuing presence of Prey 2 media being hosted on official sites. Not only does the game remain front and center on Human Head Studio's website, but Bethesda has yet to close the game's official Bethesda Softworks hosted forum.

All this does not mean the game's development is going smoothly. Human Head Studios still lists the game on their web site for a TBA 2012 release date, which suggests they aren't preparing for launching the game anytime soon. Bethesda's last update on the game affirmed that the game was not meeting the company's quality standards at the time. A Tweet from Human Head level designer Nathan Cheever again stated that development was in limbo. Back in April 2012, Game Rant reported that Human Head deliberately stopped working on the game to protest their contract. Although all these sources agree the game hasn't been cancelled, none have stood out to resolve its fate.

The wrangling between Human Head and Bethesda seems to have continued without resolution up until the present. Cheever has continuously posted on his Twiiter account that "the ball is in Bethesda's court" as far as Prey 2 moving forward is concerned. In one of his most recent posts on Twitter, from May 1, 2013, Cheever voiced clear frustration with the situation.

— Nathan Cheever (@NathanCheever) May 1, 2013

All of this suggests a strained relationship between Human Head and Bethesda. Conflict isn't altogether uncommon between developers and publishers. Bethesda has previously been known for holding their second party developers to rigid standards. The publisher refused to pay Obsidian royalties due to Fallout: New Vegas missing a score of 85 on Metacritic by one point. Prey 2's stalled development could therefore very well be the result of a disagreement over compensation or royalties. This would at least be more likely than the game making a jump to next-gen systems, like some have suggested.

It is, however, strange that negotiations with a major publisher like Bethesda would become drawn out over such an extended time. What makes it especially odd is that the parties involved are sitting on a potential AAA game that made a strong impression in 2011. Gamers have continually shown interest in Prey 2 despite the lack of updates, an interest that seems to exceed that of its sponsors.

It would be a terrible shame if Prey 2 became vaporware because of obstinate business shenanigans. For all appearances, the game seemed far along in development when it was last shown at E3. Many of the game's features were on display, and its detailed graphically rich environments were proof of the effort Human Head had put into the game. Furthermore, according to this Tweet by Cheever, there is possibly loads of content, "cities, aliens, gadgets" that has been kept behind the scenes. 

Zenimax, Bethesda's parent company apparently extended the Prey 2 trademark in April 2013, so the company likely hasn't disallowed all interest in the game. A troubled development cycle certainly isn't unfamiliar territory for Human Head Studios, or the Prey franchise itself for that matter. The first Prey was in development in one form or another starting in 1995 before finally being released in 2006. During this time the game jumped not only systems and iterations, but entire generations. Still, its stay in development hell did not stop Prey from being released triumphantly. There is nothing to suggest the same wouldn't be true for its sequel.

Secrecy, although sometimes a necessary consequence of strained development, will never make a company popular with its followers. Likewise, surrounding a project with ambiguity is never ideal. Someone eventually needs to step forward to settle the confusion pervading Prey 2's development. In a world where Duke Nukem Forever can see the light of day, it's still too early to lose all hope for this promising game. However, the time for misleading and frustrating fans has long passed.

Earlier this week, Game Informer celebrated their favorite cult classic games with a lineup of expository features. I've decided to join in with a piece examining my own favorite cult classic game, Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon. Although it might not have the universal critical praise or vocal audience of some cult classics, it made an impression on me unmatched by many mainstream offerings.

Co-developed by Namco and Tri-Crescendo, and published in North America by the good folk at XSEED Games, Fragile Dreams Farwell Ruins of the Moon can best be described as a video game version of a graphic novel. Set in the post-apocalyptic ruins of Japan, its visual style draws heavily from Japanese animation for its colorful character designs. What really sets the game apart, however, is its melancholy-painted scenery and multi-layered emotional storytelling.

The game stars 15-year-old Seto, a boy who has grown up in a seemingly empty world. Humanity has disappeared from the face of the earth, leaving all that they created behind to rot away in silence. Following the death of his elderly caretaker, Seto sets out to look for survivors across a haunted wasteland of decaying structures and lost souls. His journey takes him from one heartbreaking epoch to the next as he searches for a mysterious young girl, Ren, who he hopes to befriend. Unlike most fictions set after the end of the world, Seto isn't driven by the need to survive. Instead, his journey is fueled by the hope that he isn't alone, that there is someone out there to share his lonely existence with. This emotional angle allows for a more whimsical, almost spiritual take on the aftermath of civilization.

From a modern perspective, Fragile Dream's doesn't meet many expectations for what a video game is supposed to deliver. Moving around an environment, crouching under debris and searching for hidden items would be necessary background activities in most games. In Fragile Dreams, however, these tasks constitute the main gameplay. You move Seto through environments in a third person view using the control stick. Changing the direction he faces is handled by the Wii's motion pointer. At anytime the view can be changed to a first person "Search Mode" in order to better locate items. Combat is simplified into a single button press that relies more on timing than precision. Weapons come in both melee and projectile varieties, including everything from wooden sticks, brooms, hammers, swords and even crossbows. Each one is of varying durability, and the need to maintain a cache of weapons in case of breakage is at the heart of the game's limited survival horror-styled resource conservation.

Like many games released for the Wii, Fragile Dreams tried to use the system's motion controls to enhance its gameplay. Using the Wii Remote to direct the beam of a flashlight isn't the most inspired mechanic, but is effective nonetheless. It's impressive that such an intriguing game could be created around such a simplistic concept. Ultimately the basic, yet functional controls are perfect for a game like Fragile Dreams, which isn't focused on delivering complex gameplay.

Its apparent archaic design, simplistic controls and objectives are what make Fragile Dreams so compelling. Today's gaming landscape is dominated by rollercoaster-ride action and complex combo controls. Fragile Dream's slow-paced minimalism is a breath of fresh air in comparison. Without an intricate combat system to master, the game allows you to immerse yourself into exploring its imaginative world. At its heart Fragile Dreams is an interactive story. It offers a world to explore, where fighting enemies and solving puzzles take a backseat to delving into its secrets. Standout locations include the dark forsaken tunnels of a dilapidated subway system, a dank hotel overgrown with plant life and a rundown amusement park, whose rusting attractions stand like juggernauts overhead. Although backtracking is often required, the environments seldom become tedious to explore.

Fragile Dream's story is shaped by Seto's bonding with the characters he meets through the course of the game. Although some accompany him as side kicks similar to the ones from Zelda games, most pop in and out from the sidelines to impact the plot in surprising ways. Regardles, Fragile Dreams knows how to use the story-arcs of its side characters to pull at someone's emotional chords. Playing hide seek with the lost spirit of a little girl waiting to join her mother on the other side stands out as an early tearjerker. Yet even heartwarming scenes like this are always have a depressing angle to them. Throughout his journey, Seto is forced to constantly say good bye to many newly met friends. Because of this, you never know what kind of tragedy is looming ahead for any of them.

Even though combat isn't Fragile Dream's focus, it still manages to deliver memorable boss fights and creative enemies. Most of these come in the form of hostile spirits, such as ghostly hands grasping from walls, the floating specter of a wailing women, or masked malevolent entities. With all these supernatural apparitions seeking to do Seto harm, one would think the game would have scaring players as one of its priorities. The game's mood, however, generally doesn't go beyond being moderately unsettling. Enemies of the more physical kind also abound, including feral dogs and, believe it or not, a giant mole at one point. Perhaps the most bizarre battle occurs when Seto goes up against a possessed construction crane.

I've seldom experienced a game with presentation that is as consistently beautiful as Fragile Dreams. Despite its desolate world of decaying ruins, the scenery never fails to impress the eyes with lovely imagery. Whether it is an evening sky tinted with swirling red and blue colors by the setting sun, or a lily pad pond illuminated by a watchful moon, the game succeeds consistently with creating gorgeous backdrops. Namco and Tri-Crescendo truly knew how to make use of the Wii's limited graphical power. Although textures occasionally appear blurry, the game's overall beauty always shines through, blending color into the usually gray environments of a post-apocalyptic world. The game's musical score is also an object of true elegance. Lullaby piano melodies express tender serene beauty with each note. Overall the soundtrack reflects the narrative's tone perfectly, expressing both sadness and hope.

"A Dedication to... Everyone" -one of the game's most lovely soundtracks. For some reason I couldn't get the YouTube video to embed.

I can give nothing but my most profound thanks to XSEED for bringing Fragile Dreams over stateside. As everyone's favorite Japanese game distributor, XSEED always puts the utmost effort into localizing obscure games like Fragile Dreams, delivering them with bows and ribbons to niche audiences. Not only did was the in-game translations handled expertly, but XSEED put extra effort into including a beautiful colored manual with the game, along with double-sided box art, so collectors could choose between the American and Japanese cover art. It's rare these days to see a game's packaging treated with such artistic care. My only complaint concerning the localization is the hit-and-miss quality of the English dubbing. Despite having big-name voice actors like Johnny Yong Bosch, who plays Seto, much of the voice acting is a tad overdone. This flaw is meditative by the inclusion of the Japanese voice track. Not only do the original voices generally fit the characters better, the also enhance the immersion of exploring a post apocalyptic Japanese setting.

Fragile Dreams is more like an artistic experience than a video game. Still, the interactive nature of the medium is able, in my opinion, to express the game's story  better than a comic or film could do. Exploring Fragile Dream's world and guiding its tragic protagonist firsthand lends far greater depth to the experience. Fragile Dream's story is not especially happy. Instead, it frequently verges on being downright depressing. With that said, it never fails to make its underlying sadness beautiful.

It's been well over a week since E3 2013 came to close. Now that we've all had time to recover from the adrenaline-boasting spectacle of the event, it's time to reflect on its biggest stories with calmer tempers and the clarity of hindsight. After all, it's hard to judge history when you're right jab in the midst of it.

But really, that's just me coming up with a lame excuse for being late to the party. To be honest, I was planning on writing a few blog posts about E3 much closer to the event itself. However, as it so often does, real life and procrastination got in the way of my plans. Call me lazy all you want, but better late than never is a motto I'm going to roll with here.

First off on my backlog of things to post about are my thoughts on Nintendo's unconventional E3 presentation.

Nintendo's decision to skip a traditional E3 press conference this year left many scratching their heads. With sales of its Wii U console sagging, the company desperately needed to take advantage of the event to drum up excitement. Did its webcast presentation, and more importantly, the game's it showed off, do enough to win over skeptical gamers? In a sense, the answer is both a resounding yes and a hesitant no.

Games needed to be the forefront of Nintendo's focus at this E3. Many have blamed the Wii U's sluggish growth on a lack of compelling software. It's not that the system has been completely devoid of great titles. New Super Mario Bros U would beg to differ. But for the most part, the system's meager launch lineup has failed to reel in gamers. Nintendo's top brass have even embraced this theory, promising to increase the output of new games for the Wii's successor.

This was on full display during the E3 Nintendo Direct Event, which showcased a number of exciting new first party titles. A new Mario Kart mixing the best features of prior console and handheld entries, a gorgeous new Donkey Kong Country from Retro Studios and the announcement of a new Smash Bros rounded out a list of familiar mainstays finally appearing on the Wii U. The first 3D Mario platformer for the console was also brought to light in the form of Super Mario 3D World. Featuring four-player multiplayer and a blending of 3D and 2D gameplay styles, the game should offer enough innovation and familiarity to please everybody. Also, Mario and his friends can turn into cats now to scamper up vertical slopes. Hey, after he transformed into a bee in Super Mario Galaxy, nothing should surprise us now.

Overall, Nintendo's exclusives were as impressive as usual. This, however, is where the problem lies. There was nothing but standard fare on display. Most games were simply new iterations of franchises gamers expect to appear on a Nintendo console. The only variation was the sequel to the flamboyant Bayonette action game, appearing exclusively on the Wii U. Nintendo must be hoping that Bayonette 2 will draw its fan base into the Nintendo camp, and add some much needed mature content to its lineup. Nonetheless, it currently stands out as the only beacon of newness shining from Nintendo's court.

In fact, one of the most impressive games Nintendo had to show this year wasn't a new game at all. Zelda fans finally got to see The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD in action after weeks of anticipation. Full demos showed off the Game Cube title's updated visuals, highlighting its softer textures, dynamic lighting and crisp shading. As stunning as it looks on the Wii U, nothing changes the fact that Wind Waker is an old game with an HD paint job. It could never pack the punch of a brand new game in the series.

Apparently Nintendo could have shown its new Zelda for the Wii U at this year's show, but choose not to in order to avoid overshadowing its other games. It's hard to not see this decision as a mistake. Even a sliver of Wii U Zelda details could have stolen the show out from under Microsoft's and Sony's legs, and it being omitted is a major disappointment. Without it Nintendo's Wii U roundup simply lacked the excitement it needed to be packing.

Nintendo made an effort this year to show off the Wii U's third party chops. Such games as Batman: Arkham Origins, Assassins Creed, Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut, and Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, were all proudly displayed acquisitions. Although this list of games appears impressive on the surface, and certainly blows the Wii's third party support out of the water, it's hard to see it giving the Wii U an edge over the competition. Great games have already been ported to Wii U to little fanfare. It remains to be seen if Nintendo can keep outside developers interested in the Wii U long enough for it to take root.

As strong as Nintendo's first party games are, the company cannot afford to go in alone this time around. Countless people complained about the scarcity of games to play on the Wii. If Nintendo wants to avoid this kind of situation, the company needs to give gamers something to play besides Mario, Zelda and Metroid once in a blue moon. Unfortunately, the Wii U's underpowered status compared to the Xbox One and PS4 will inevitably lead to inferior ports appearing on the system.

Nintendo is caught in precarious situation. Though the Wii saw much success appealing to a casual audience, it burned a number of bridges to hardcore gamers, It is vital that Nintendo doesn't neglect them this time around. Although casual gamers were what made the original Wii a sounding success, they are an inconsistent demographic whose interests ebb and flow. If the Wii U is to be a success, it needs to appeal to those invested in console gaming as well as everybody's grandma. To do this Nintendo desperately needs to sell its tablet controlled console to the masses. Providing new exciting games is simply the only way to do this.

With the Wii U in a precarious situation, Nintendo thankfully didn't neglect the 3DS, which has become a welcome success story for the company. Great games continue to come out on the system, creating a diverse library that will soon include The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Mario & Luigi: Dream Drop Distance and many other compelling new titles. Even if the 3DS didn't make massive waves at this E3, Nintendo did enough to keep its handheld healthy.

If there's anything to be learned from the past few console generations, it's that people should never count Nintendo out. The company can still do a lot to save the Wii U and resell its brand to hesitant gamers and the casual crowd. This year's E3 was a good first step, but not the giant leap that could have jolted Nintendo's lukewarm fortunes.

After a long absence from the Game Informer blogosphere, I've returned to redouble my efforts towards making some kind of impression in this wondrous community of fellow gamers. Having updated my account and changed my username to my real one (I don't need to hide behind an alias when discussing video games, of all things), I've decided to begin with a post detailing my most recent game purchases.                                                                  

In the past few months, my outlook on downloadable games has turned completely around. Before, I was a staunch physical-only gamer, preferring to own all my games on disc due to reasons of longevity and collectability. What led me away from this digital aversion? Seasonal deals on Valve's downloadable game distribution platform, Steam. Snagging games for a few dollars apiece was too sweet a deal for this impoverished college student to resist. My preference for physical games hasn't been diminished; so much as my access to a larger number of games has been expanded. I can now comfortably sink my spare change into games on Steam that I wouldn't have been able to justify paying full price for at a brick and mortar store.

But enough of my ramblings about the continuing debate between physical and digital game distribution. I only mentioned it to lead into my most recent purchases. This weekend, I took advantage of an across-the-board sale on Rockstar's Steam catalog. For under $20.00, I made off with Max Payne 3, L.A. Noire and Bully: Scholarship Edition. This might sound heretical to some of you, but these are actually the first Rockstar products I have ever purchased. I've heard enough of the sometimes controversial developer over the years to know that its games are in high regard, and I thought it was a good a time as any to see what all the fuss was about.

Max Payne 3 highlights the downside to buying games on Steam. I live in a house with three other people, and I can't tie up our internet's bandwidth to download sizable games all at once. Thus, it's taking forever to install Max Payne 3's behemoth file size. Our internet connection isn't exactly terrible - it can handle a max of about 860 kilobytes-per-second - but it definitely isn't about to compete with an electronic Speedy Gonzalez.

Thankfully, Max Payne 3 looks like it will be well worth the wait. Having watched the Game Informer Test Chamber footage of it beforehand, I'm already confident that I'll enjoy its high-octane gritty action punctuated with slow-motion shooting. Truthfully, I usually prefer happier tales to the gloomy melodrama that the Max Payne series' lives on. With that said, I'm sure the good folks at Rockstar can deliver an engaging story, even if it won't be making me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

L.A. Noire has been on my radar ever since it was a 2010 Game Informer cover feature. The premise of solving cases in mid-century Los Angeles had me intrigued. However, I also had some misgivings at the time that kept me away from the game until now. Before you ask, it's not Rockstar's controversial treatment of Team Bondi that came to light after allegations of poor working conditions. I'm not someone who will boycott a potentially good game just to protest a company's mistakes. My skepticism leaned on whether L.A. Noire could deliver compelling interactive gameplay. I don't want a game that puts all its weight behind point and click clue-finding in environments, or one that oversimplifies the crime-solving process. I don't know yet whether or not L.A. Noire avoids these pitfalls. But I'm a sucker for authentic period piece settings, and I don't doubt Rockstar's talent for handling historical Americana.

Of all these games, Bully: Scholarship Edition is where I am the most late to the party. Bully was originally released on sixth-generation consoles in 2006, and I didn't even know there was a PC version of it until now. I do know that the game is a cult favorite that attracted a fair share of attention back in the day. Despite the hubbub surrounding the game's perceived content by moral guardians, Bully looks to be one of Rockstar's tamer creations. A lighthearted freeform high jinks-filled schoolyard romp sounds like a blast, and my time with Bully should hopefully make up for me being a complete goody two-shoes in school.

By scientific estimates, the Milky Way galaxy contains as many as 300 billion stars. Around these distant suns there might orbit billions upon billions of planets, coming in as many shapes and sizes as we can imagine. One galaxy far, far way, however, apparently isn't as rich in untapped worlds as our own galactic vicinity. Recent media reports suggest Star Wars Episode VII, the latest upcoming film in the celebrated space epic film series, is falling back on a familiar dust-covered world for one of its locations. Although many will no doubt welcome the return of an iconic planet, I see it as a troubling indicator of creative bankruptcy plaguing the Star Wars universe.

When I first read that Disney was eyeing Morocco or Abu Dhabi as possible sites to film parts of Star Wars Episode VII, I intuitively knew what the sci-fi franchise's new keepers had in mind. Both countries are covered in wide-open desert expanses - the perfect backdrop to recreate one conveniently marketable Star Wars planet. Only after further media speculation and apparent confirmation from inside sources, have I now allowed the weight of the decision to sink in. Once again, the silver screen is set to bear witness to the endless sand dunes of Tatooine.

The world that served as the launching point for Luke Skywalker's quest to become a Jedi and bring balance to Force is by far the most popular setting for anything Star Wars related. As of now, Tatooine has appeared in five out of six Star Wars films, and has been visited uncountable times in other mediums. In the real world, its original Tunisian sets are a Mecca for geeks, and scientists have even nicknamed an actualextrasolar planet after it.

From an in-universe point-of-view, this fixation on Tatooine makes little sense. The place is a sparsely populated barren wasteland, a hub for washed-out space bandits where a common occupation is farming water. And yet, with the frequency it is visited by the Star Wars universe's leading powerbrokers, you'd think it was a galactic equivalent of New York City. Picture how absurd it would be if an obscure developing country like Chad or Turkmenistan was suddenly made the epicenter of Earth's destiny. That's how silly it is for Tatooine to constantly play a key role in the Star Wars chronology.

Besides nitpicking the geopolitical nuances of a fictional space-faring galaxy, I have other reasons for loathing the return to Tatooine's sand-swept surface. My main gripe is straightforward: Tatooine is no longer interesting. Don't get me wrong, I still love the place. Tatooine is central to my fondest childhood memories of Star Wars. But just because I also like scrambled eggs, doesn't mean I want to have them for breakfast every day for the rest of my life. Variety is the spice of life, and the Spice Mines of Kessel no longer ship to Tatooine.

Tatooine's narrative potential has run as dry as a malfunctioning moisture vaporator. Over the course of countless appearances in films, books, comics and video games, ever single drop of fresh material -new characters, locations and insights into its history and society- has been sapped from its blistering surface. We've met Jawas, Sand People, Hutts and all manner of cantina riff-raff. We've faced savage Krayt Dragons, battled atop the Sarlacc pit and engaged in high-speed podracing through the planet's badlands. We've witnessed not one, but two legendary protagonists begin their story arcs on this unremarkable backwater world. What more of Tatooine is there to see?

Furthermore, a planet completely covered in desert can only offer so much when it comes to creative sci-fi scenery. One sand dune looks much like another, and although past Star Wars outings have done their best to vary the planet's vistas, giving us twisting canyons and lively spaceports, I don't see how the next movie could offer anything  new visually.

I am in no way questioning Tatooine's status as an iconic sci-fi setting or it's rightfully earned place in the Star Wars mythos. With that said, the Sequel Trilogy is a chance to take the time-tested franchise in a bold, new and inspiring direction. An opportunity to undo George Lucas's mishandling of the property, dump the convoluted baggage of the Expanded Universe and explore new corners of an imaginative galaxy. Tatooine is not the place to start.

Frankly, I'm just sick of the place after countless years of overexposure. If it must be in the movie, I would personally limit it to a quick cameo, perhaps meriting a handful of scenes. I understand the desire to lure fans in with familiar locations, but the urge is best resisted. J.J. Abrams and the creative folks at Disney have a galaxy worth of potential worlds to build. It would be a shame if they limited themselves to retreading the same ones over and over again.

As undeniable as it is that Batman is one of the greatest superheros of all time, so it is that Batman: The Animated Series is one of the greatest adaptations of his character. As such, what better way is there to celebrate the Dark Knight's 75th anniversary than to have Batman's most recognized animator produce a homage to the hero's early years? The result is a new animated short that distills enthusiasm for the character's history into three dynamic minutes. 

Batman: Strange Days loosely adapts one of five tales featured in Batman #1, the 1940 comic that introduced the Joker and Catwoman. The story at hand sees the diabolical Dr. Hugo Strange employing a monstrous giant as his henchman. Together they kidnap a young woman, from whom the good doctor needs every drop of precious blood for his latest experiment. Naturally, it's up to Batman to rescue her, as he intervenes on the outskirts of the mad doctor's laboratory.

In terms of narrative complexity, there is little here to latch onto. At three minutes, the short doesn't have room to develop a three-act story, and comes off feeling like the tail end of a larger plot. The woman in white has no characterization besides that of a damsel-in-distress plot device. We never learn why she is so important to the doctor's experiment, or even what his experiment is. But a simplistic plot is forgivable in an animated short that pulls off everything else so perfectly. Bruce Timm's critically acclaimed work on Batman: The Animated Series, which ran through most of the 1990's, and other works in the DC Animated Universe, makes him the perfect man to animate this period piece Batman escapade. A master at telling mature tales in cartoon form, seeing him back in action is the perfect treat from DC to celebrate Batman's birthday.

Delivering tight-paced action and a tone-perfect atmosphere is where Batman: Strange Days shines. The short's monochrome color plate lends it an old-school 1940's Noire movie look that befits Batman's gothic trappings. It's all very elegant and stylized, clearly drawing from the time period that gave birth to the Caped Crusader's mythos. Fluid animation and sleek character designs further complement the atmospheric setting. Little touches, such as the Hulk-like henchman irritably ripping the woman's dress after it's caught on a branch, show Bruce Timm's skill at delivering subtle characterizations through environmental storytelling. Likewise, the animation skillfully delivers topnotch set piece moments. Such as when Batman flies in on the Batplane blasting the ground with tear gas canisters fired from a mounted machine gun. Yes, he totally does that. Is it still any wonder why Batman is pop culture's favorite superhero?

Here the short does a good job showing Batman's tactical chops, The clouds of teargas provide Batman with the perfect backdrop to disorient and stalk Dr. Hugo Strange's hulking goon. We see Batman's combative talents on display as well, with fight scenes that are refreshingly physical for something aired on Cartoon Network these days. Batman smashes a rock on the giant's head, clubs him with a tree branch and rams his forehead multiple times against a cliff wall. What really drives the fights home are the robust sound effects that lend an acute impression of pain to each blow. Meanwhile, the theatrical score sets the mood for each scene, flowing perfectly with the action.

Dialogue in the short comes in brief snippets. Kevin Conroy of Batman: The Animated Series and Arkham Asylum fame reprise's his long-held role as Batman, and there is none more worthy of donning the cape and cowl than him. Conroy is Batman. No other performance can match his well-balanced and intimately likable take on the character. His Batman is intimidating, reflective, admirable, stern, confident and recognizably human all at once. He only has one line this time around, and yet it is all he needs to trigger a shuddering of nostalgic vibes. Seeing his voice paired again with the hero's design from Batman: The Animated Series is downright eerie -in a good way. The other voice work in the short is fully capable as well, but it's the one line from Conroy that runs home its authenticity.

Batman: Strange Days aired Saturday on Cartoon Network and has since been put up on DC's official YouTube channel for free viewing. If three minutes isn't enough to satisfy your appetite for Bruce Timm animated goodness, an additional Batman anniversary short is reportedly in the works, this one based on the futuristic Batman Beyond property. Although an actual continuation of Batman's DC Animated Universe storyline would have most Cape Crusader fans foaming at the mouth, (it would certainly more than make up for the apparent demise of Beware the Batman on Cartoon Network), we must enjoy what we can get as we get it. Batman: Strange Days is easy to enjoy. It's a gratifying for longtime fans of Bruce Timm's work, and an entertaining slice of animation on its own.

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Fear-filled confinement

Untold terrors await survival horror fans behind Mount Massive Asylum's crumbling facade. An anonymous tip has led investigative reporter Miles Upshur to the dilapidated psychiatric hospital, where he soon scores a horrific scoop. Unchecked experiments have left the asylum's patients hollow shells of their former selves, twisting their minds and mutilating their flesh. Depraved lunatics, freed from their blood-stained padded cells, now stalk the facility's corpse-littered halls. And in hushed tones, broken men whisper of The Walrider, an otherworldly entity at the heart of the inhumane research inflicted on the patients. Uncovering the asylum's secrets (and living to tell them) drives progression in Outlast, the debut horror romp from developer Red Barrels.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent put indie survival horror on the map when it released to wide-spread critical and consumer praise in 2009. Comparing Outlast to Frictional Game's standout title comes easy, as the game pays homage to the horrifying classic at almost every turn of its dimly lit corridors. Fans of modern PC horror games will find its first-person exploration-driven gameplay instinctively familiar. Placed in the shoes of a defenseless main character, players must find their way through the game's unkempt prison ward environments.

Horror fans who prefer subtlety will find very little of it in Outlast. Instead, it features its own unique blend of in-your-face frights. While much of Amnesia: The Dark Descent's unsettling atmosphere came from never knowing what unknown terrors lay ahead, Outlast derives its main scares from what players can see. Gruesome sights drench the environments with buckets of gore and players frequently end up in close proximity with the deformed madmen roaming the asylum. Detection leads to heart-pounding chases and brutal deaths if cornered. Focusing on adrenaline-rush encounters thankfully doesn't make the game any less terrifying. It might, however, not fit every horror enthusiast's tastes.

Timid players will take a slower-paced approach to progressing through Mount Massive Asylum, leaning around corners and ducking into lockers to avoid malevolent lunatics. Pitch-dark environments make stealth-based playthroughs manageable. Enemies won't notice you if you crouch in the shadows and keep a reasonable distance. Though the darkness hinders your own senses, the handy night vision on your video camera provides the upper hand as long as you conserve its battery power. When attempts at stealth fail, you can rely on speed and reflexes to outrun pursuers, hurdling over obstacles and slamming doors behind you before diving into a hiding spot. Your character's athleticism also comes in handy when squeezing through tight spaces, jumping across ledges and sidling along narrow ledges.

Outlast delivers bursts of terror-fueled adrenaline regardless of your preferred way of tackling the game. One heart-pounding sequence had me escape the clutches of a sadistic skeleton-thin doctor, shuffling from under one bed to another through a hospital ward filled with his mangled torture victims. Eventually, I needed to switch to evasive tactics when I came up against a door blocked by a cabinet. I frantically pushed it slowly to the side as the doctor bee-lined straight for me, readying his scissor-like blades.

Standard video game obstacles frequently block progression, including mundane tasks like turning valves to lower water levels or collecting fuses for a busted control panel. Accomplishing these tasks always requires avoiding one of the asylum's aggressive residents. Memorizing their patrol patterns, however, becomes easy after careful observation. Although the batteries powering your camera's night vision drain at a fast clip, replacements are relatively plentiful in the levels, and represent the game's only resource management. These simplistic gameplay elements, however, don't hinder enjoyment, and allow players to focus fully on immersion in the tense atmosphere.

The only real disappointment in Outlast comes from its hackneyed storytelling. Overused clichés, like evil corporations and supernatural experiments gone wrong, prevented me from taking the plot seriously. Although cryptic documents scattered around the environment try to build suspense and mystique, I never particularly cared about solving the game's mysteries. With that said, the creepy asylum setting (though overused across horror books, films and games) kept me engrossed despite a lack of originality.

Though flawed, Outlast succeeds at its main objective: delivering a terrifying experience. I could only play the game in brief chunks, and needed long breaks between play sessions to mantle my courage for continuing. I breathed a sigh of relief after every save point, and felt an immense sense of accomplishment surviving each tract of gameplay. You're rarely allowed to feel safe in Outlast, and that in itself is an accomplishment. Red Barrels has made an admirable contribution to horror gaming that is well worth a look. 

 8  PC - PS4   Style: 1-Player Survival Horror Publisher: Red Barrels            Developer: Read Barrels Release: September 4, 2013  Rating: M

The following article was originally published on Zelda Dungeon on May 26, 2014. 

Teased relentlessly in the current era of internet memes and viral YouTube clips, The Legend of Zelda animated series can best be described as a product of its time. The show thrives on the trappings of NES-era Zelda, goofy humor and cartoon character archetypes typical of the 1980s. Link comes across as a lovable doofus, whining and spouting catchphrases as he persistently fails to get to first base with action-girl Princess Zelda. Together they thwart the inept plots of raspy pig wizard, Ganon, to take over the kingdom.

Although charming and chock-full of entertainment, it would be a stretch to call the show a groundbreaking adaptation of Nintendo’s popular fantasy adventure series. At the time it was exciting enough just to see Hyrule freed from the visual limits of 8-bit sprites. DIC Entertainment only had the first two Zelda games to draw upon for inspiration, and used the reference material appropriately when fleshing out its 13 episodes. Viewed today, however, the cartoon’s episodic nature and jarring shift from the tone of modern Zelda games keeps it from rising above the typical fare of Saturday morning lineups.

What was a missed opportunity in 1989, however, has the makings for success today. Animators could now draw inspiration from 17 mainstream Zelda games, each with an undeniable cartoon spirit. They feature bizarre creatures, cheerful fantasy visuals and character designs inspired by the stylized trappings of anime. Even Twilight Princess, with its faded color palette and inclination for realism, shows a cartoon-ish side with outlandish characters like the baby entrepreneur, Malo. On the other end of the spectrum, The Wind Waker’s cel-shaded graphics deliver expressive toon visuals, bright colors and whimsical sights. With a long history of paying homage to animation, Zelda might be the perfect gaming franchise to adapt into a action cartoon.

Zelda’s untapped cartoon potential dawned on me recently when re-watching Avatar: The Last Airbender for the umpteenth time. Nickelodeon struck animated gold with its fantasy epic, combining elemental martial arts, a diverse mix of cultural imagery and timeless characters to create one of the most talked-about cartoons of the past generation. People of all ages latched onto its smart storytelling, spawning a devoted fan base kept alive to this day by spin-offs and comics. A similar passion surrounds the Zelda series, a kid-friendly property beloved by hardcore gamers worldwide.

Although my personal love for animation drives my enthusiasm for a new Zelda cartoon, Nintendo would also have much to gain from launching one. The company desperately needs to revitalize its image. Its financial prospects have noticeably dimmed following the standout success of the Nintendo DS and Wii. The Wii U has infamously under-performed since its launch, and the Nintendo 3DS, although successful, has not lived up to its predecessor’s impressive numbers. Nintendo can only pull out of this financial rout if it takes full advantage of its greatest strength: its beloved first party properties.

Nintendo must leverage the full potential of its iconic characters, and this means employing them beyond the realm of video games. Ever since the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film flopped spectacularly, Nintendo has shied away from non-game adaptations of its intellectual properties. Earlier this year, however, the company announced plans to expand its character licensing business. We’ve already seen this result in a Zelda-themed version of Monopoly, pegged for release this September. Licensing deals, however, should ideally enhance the storytelling chops of Nintendo’s worlds and characters.

Based on how silly most live-action Zelda fan films look, animation seems like the only appropriate medium for bringing the series to life outside its legendary games. External companies have already shown an interest in animating Zelda. Nintendo turned down Imagi Studio’s pitch for a Zelda CG-animated movie in 2007. Although featuring a strangely foppish Ganondorf, the proof-of-concept trailer released online last year proved that Zelda could make a triumphant return to animation under the right circumstances.

Nintendo built its gaming empire by appealing to children. Many of its original fans, who grew up during the company’s video game heyday, still love Nintendo products. But the company needs to continue impacting each successive generation of gamers if it wants to remain a pop cultural force to be reckoned with. In recent years Nintendo has lost competitive ground to its console competitors and mobile games. Even if cartoons don’t dominate childhood passions as much as they did in the ’80s and ’90s, a new Zelda action cartoon could still spark renewed enthusiasm for the property. It could hook a new batch of Nintendo kids and get plenty of current Zelda fans to tune in as well.

An animated powerhouse, Japan hosts the artistic brilliance of Studio Ghibli and countless other talented animation studios. Media companies frequently take advantage of Japan’s love affair with cartoons to advertise comics and games. Game developer Level-5 recently saw great success marketing its Yo-Kai Watch RPG this way. Released in July 2013, the Nintendo 3DS game stars a young boy who captures ghosts using a magical watch. Although it posted respectable numbers when it first launched, it took a dedicated animated adaptation to keep Yo-Kai Watch tracking on Japanese sales charts. The game has sold almost a million copies so far, and its animated counterpart often surpasses Pokémon’s weekly viewership.

Cartoons work great as advertising subtly disguised as entertainment. Nintendo only needs to look at how Pokémon has fared over the years to see the benefits of using a long-running animated series and frequent films to stroke interest in its games. The Pokémon anime introduced countless American kids to the franchise, including yours truly. Even Nintendo’s one-time rival Sega continues to pump out Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons, arguably keeping its iconic blue hedgehog hero relevant as his games falter critically.

At its heart, Zelda’s simple premise – a youthful hero who conquers dungeons and battles monsters – offers the perfect foundation to build an exciting action cartoon. Nintendo rightfully prioritizes gameplay over story when designing its games. Cartoon adaptations, however, could deliver bursts of pure storytelling free from gameplay restraints. The show could help characterize Link, giving him the likable enthusiastic personality seen in the Akira Himekawa Zelda mangas, without removing his traditional muteness from the games. A cartoon could also flesh out Hyrule’s lore, exploring in-depth side stories to a degree that would be impractical in a game.

Zelda can succeed as a cartoon if treated seriously and painted with the same grand strokes of energetic adventure that Nintendo infuses in their gaming masterpieces. Maybe then the series will finally live down the “Excuse Me, Princess” meme and the Zelda CD-i cut scenes… maybe.

Would you like to see a new Zelda cartoon? If so, what would you want it to look like? Would you prefer if it used computer animation in the vein of Star Wars: The Clone Wars or traditional 2D animation like Avatar: The Last Airbender? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.