There’s going to be a huge 3DS event in New York City tomorrow, and our own Nick Chester is planning to be there to report on everything that goes down. In the meantime, I’m freaking out. What are they going to announce? What new games might be coming down the pipe? This air of mystery wont last forever, and I’m milking ever moment of sweet suspense that I can.
I find myself thinking about the 3DS at least once every morning, once while I’m trying to fall asleep, and multiple times throughout the day. There is just so much that the console might help bring about; things that I thought I’d never see happen. I mean, it’s already broughtKid IcarusandMega Man Legendsback from the dead,Resident Evilback to its horror roots, and a host of previously non-Nintendo focused franchises to a Nintendo console. Anything could happen with the 3DS, or at least, that’s the way it feels right now.
Here’s my expression of that feeling of hope for the 3DS, in list form.
3D World Runner
I’ve seen this game on a few “worst games ever” lists over the years, and I heartily disagree with that sentiment.3D World Runnercombines the precision gameplay of auto-run platformers likeBit.Trip RUNNERandCanabaltwith the depth of field shenanigans and rapid fire fun ofSpace Harrier.It also had relentlessly catchy music; an essential ingredient of any game that’s willing to mercilessly kill you for hours on end.
The game plays the way that it does to capitalize off of the red and blue “3D glasses” craze from the mid-to-late eighties, hence the name. Now that 3D technology has more or less caught up to the game’s original vision, I think it’s time for3D World Runnerto prove just how awesome it is with a reboot.
Viewtiful Joe
At their core, theViewtiful Joegames are about taking camera tricks and effects from the language of cinema (slow-motion, fast-motion, zoom angle, split screen, instant replay) and applying them to the language of videogames. After the underwhelmingViewtiful Joe: Double Troubleon the DS, it seemed like the series had gone through all the potentially applicable cinema tricks in the book. With the advent of glasses-free 3D, theViewtiful Joeseries could have a whole new bag of tricks to work with.
I’m picturing something where you manually activate 3D in-game, to jump in and out of the background and foreground, to avoid enemies, explore new areas, and use new attacks. This switch from 2D to 3D has already been done in games likeSuper Paper MarioandCrush, but not with the aid of an actual 3D display.
I’ve been desperate for a newViewtiful Joegame anyway, but seeing how seamlessly the series could integrate 3D gameplay into it’s design, now seems like the perfect time to Henshin A-Go-Go.
3D Dot Game Heroes
3D Dot Game Heroesis a fantastic concept, but it might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. In both art direction and gameplay, the game is a straight clone/tribute of the 2DZeldagames, which made it a weird fit for the PS3, a console best known for its movie-style games;God of War 3,Heavy Rain,Metal Gear Solid 4, and theUnchartedseriesto name a few.
So for starters, I think3D Dot Game Heroeswould sell better on a console that has a built in fanbase ofZeldafans. It could also use a dose of “real” 3D effects. Spicing up the otherwise flat gameplay could do a lot to broaden the game’s appeal. I also think the name3D Dot Game Heroes: Special 3D Editionsounds funny, and a little extra comedy never hurts.
Seaman
Ever since the the DS was first announced, I’ve been convinced it was the perfect console for theSeamanseries. In case you don’t know,Seamanis a game about talking to and rubbing aman-headed fish-thing. What better place to do that than on a console with a built in microphone and touch screen?
All that is true of the 3DS, but with the added processing power and glasses-free 3D display.Seamancould probably benefit from an additional gimmick or two, as a game about caring for (and being insulted by) a creepy man-fish may not be an easy sell in today’s market. Throw in “IN 3D AND REAL D” in the title though, and it’s sure to be a million seller.
Q*bert
I wouldn’t have thought of this one. AddingQbertwas Niero’s idea, but I agree with him.Qbertwould be awesome in glasses-free 3D.
Q*bertwas one of the last of the great “maze games”, one of the earliest styles of game to gain widespread popularity. Any game primarily focused on moving a character through a limiting space, with enemies hunting you down and specific safe zones and/or power-ups to seek out, could be defined as a maze game.Pac-Man,Crystal Castles, and some say the originalMetal Gear Solid, are all examples of maze games.
Pac-Man Championship EditionandPac-Man Championship Edition DXhave proven that the simple principle of the maze game genre still have a lot of life in them. With a brilliant design team behind it,, a fully 3DQ*bertreboot could be incredible.
[Editor’s note: I forgot to mention that the“cat on a pogo stick” 3DS demoplays almost exactly like a toned down, enemy-free version Q*bert, and it was still awesome. Imagine how much better it could be with full-on mazes, enemies, and other accouterments!]
Jumping Flash
OK, so this one isn’t going to happen. I’m 99% sure thatJumping Flashis still owned by Sony, and they aren’t likely keen on selling it (though they haven’t done anything with it for over ten years). Still, I had to make mention of it here. The world needs to know how great a newJumping Flashgame could be, particularly in 3D.
As an older teen, I wastotallyagainst polygon based graphics. You know how a lot of kids today have an absolute rule against motion controlled games or retro games or games about puppies? That’s how I was towards games with polygon based graphics. That’s not the direction I wanted games to go in, so any game that took gaming in that direction was my nemesis.
That all changed when I playedJumping Flash. This game showed me glory of polygon based graphics. No other game since has moved me through a virtual space with as much vertigo inducing, visceral excitement. That’s what polygons first did for gaming in the late 90’s, and that’s exactly what a 3D display does for games today. That makesJumping Flash(or a game like it) perfect for the 3DS (or any other console that displays in 3D).
Time Traveler
Time Travelersucked. It looked like something shot at a community access cable station. It plays likeDragon’s Lair, but with unresponsive controls. It wasn’t clever, or fun, or compelling in any way.
It was, however, the first game I’d ever seen in glasses-free 3D, and for that reason alone, I lost more than a few quarters to it back in the day. For nostalgia alone, I’d buy the game again, if just to finally see what happens when you win it.
I heard that there’s an actual boob at the end, nipple and everything. That’s how sure they were that no one would ever see the end of this broken, godforsaken game.
Katamari Damacy
TheKatamari Damacyseries is in a slump. Without its creator to lead the way,the last few Katamari gameshave lacked the life and originality that the first two titles had.
I’m not saying that a 3D display could definitely turn that around, but if done properly, a change in display could definitely give the series a new lease on life. Like a few of the games I already mentioned, the game is all about moving through predefined spaces, examining the objects on the horizon and managing the immediate and distant space around you. That’s a perfect fit for a 3D presentation. The blocky graphics would be a good fit too. There is something about simple geometric shapes that accentuates the 3D effect.
The real key would be perfecting the gameplay. How could 3D work to make the Katamari formula more interesting. I have a lot of ideas about that, more than I could fit here, but I’ll say for now that I can’t think of a way that 3D would make a Katamari gameworse.
ThegoodVirtual Boy games
A lot of you may be thinking that that “Virtual Boy” and “good” is an oxymoron, but you’d be wrong. Though every Virtual Boy game was hampered by the console’s eye-frying visual display, not every Virtual Boy game was bad in theory, or in practice. Anthony Burch made a very good case for whyVirtual Boy Wario Landwas the best game in the series, and I personally had a great time withTeleroboxerandMario Clash. On top of that,Red Alarmand3D Tetrisare close enough toStar FoxandThruSpacerespectively, that it’s clear to see that they could all work in glasses-free, strap-a-pair-of-goggles-on-your-face-and-stare-at-red-and-black-screens-free 3D
So that’s my list. It’s not complete, but it’s a start. Any games you think I missed?
