Everyone clings to the memories they created as a child, whether it be Saturday morning cartoons, late night scary movies, or countless hours spent playing games. It seems as we begin to grow up, certain memories we recall so fondly, just don’t have the same impact on us today. I know some of the fault can be put on developers for not producing classic characters in the same frame as they use to, but the way we cherished these characters as children left us wanting more of what we used to have rather than anticipating new developments with a franchise.
Mario and Donkey Kong games are amongst are rare breed in the fact that their developers were able to deviate and fans can still appreciate the franchise. Although, franchises like Sonic and Megaman were never able reinvent the character in a new light, and it dawned on me that it’s because these titles didn’t come out as much as Mario or Donkey Kong games did, so as kids we attached ourselves to them. We soaked in every aspect that we could about the game until there was only time left for us to admire the character until the next title came around. In return, we became jaded, and you criticize graphics or the mechanics of the game, but it’s the childlike spirit you’re missing from these games.
Other franchises like Star Fox or Crash Bandicoot got left in the past, because that’s where the developers left them. There’s always the hope that someone will pick up these titles, but the likelihood of it happening is slim, and if they do it’ll receive little to no attention, the way Twisted Metal was handled. It’s hard to move on from franchises like this, thinking of the world of possibility these titles could have produced, but it’s hard to keep holding your breath when you don’t hear of new games for almost five years.
Not to knock the success of Skylanders, but I was hoping for a game that had more of a focus on Spyro rather than all of these different characters I have to buy. Also PokePark didn’t feel right compared to the Pokemon games I grew up on like Pokemon Stadium. Even though these titles were able to gain some success while venturing into interesting aspects, they seem distracted from what the franchise use to be.
Developers have become concerned with money over experience of the game. It seems like if titles like Skylanders or Pokemon Rumble U came out earlier, these characters that you have to buy would actually be a part of the game you could unlock during different situations, Super Smash Bros being an example. It’s a charming response toward DLC, but the lasting value the game has on me is depleted, as well as my wallet size. Players need to realize the gaming industry is just that, an industry. It’s not here to foster your past time, because at the end of the day if no money is coming in, no game is coming out.
Kirby and Yoshi are two franchises that push games out every once in awhile, but the results either left us amazed or confused in what was happening. I was a huge fan of Kirby 64 as a kid, but even Kirby’s Epic Yarn would’ve caused the kid in me to doze off from how easy it was. With talk of Yoshi’s Yarn in the mix lately, I can only hope it challenges me to some degree, or gives Yoshi the threat of failure for that matter.
I loved playing through Daxter and Clank as the sidekicks who are finally getting some attention, though it would be nice to get another sequel under one of these franchises belt. Ratchet & Clank is fortunate enough to be receiving a new title soon, but as for the dysfunctional duo, Jax & Daxter, it’s been nearly 5 years since Jax & Daxter: The Lost Frontier’s 2009 release.
Whether it comes down to the child in us fading away or the lack of attention developers have toward certain titles, the memorable moments we love to reminisce about aren’t coming back anytime soon. It can be easy to linger on what use to be, but if you don’t support what is coming out, how can you expect for a developer to take a risk? If you’re having a hard time letting go, tweet me @ruppz1 or leave your thoughts in the comments section.
