January 23, 2008
It's amazing to see how far gaming has progressed in such a short time. Twenty years ago, 2D sprites composed of two, maybe three different coloured pixels would stutter across a barren landscape, brandishing a sword or firing pixel-sized bullets at our command - it was incredible. No joke. These days... well, you can see for yourself how gaming has changed from being a nerdy past time to a form of interactive entertainment accessible to many and rivalling that of more traditional mediums such as film and literature. A lot has changed and you may not believe it until you see it for yourself. Here are my Top 10 Franchise Evolutions that will take you on a trip down memory lane. Sit down, grab some munchies, open up YouTube and enjoy the ride.
10:The Elder Scrolls: Arena -> Oblivion
The first Elder Scrolls title offered a lot to keen gamers: an immersive spell creation system and a vast world to traverse. It was truly ahead of its time - perhaps too ahead. It was plagued with problems associated with over-ambitious DOS projects - the randomly generated dungeons offered something slightly new every time, even a system crash if you were unlucky! The difficulty was much too hardcore as well. It was a niche game, for sure. It all changed when Bestheda released Oblivion. The 4th official instalment features endless customisation - character classes, skill sets, mastery levels, the works - and an open, "sandbox" style world nearly larger than life. Seriously. If our world was a fantasy, it would be called Oblivion. Beautiful has never been a more appropriate description.
9:Pokemon Red/Blue -> Pokemon Diamond/Pearl
Apart from ditching the primary colours for some precious stones, Pokemon has undergone an evolution that many saw coming, but it still manages to impress nevertheless. We started out with 151 to catch and now we have 493; we started with some basic elemental movesets and we now have more focused properties to make most Pokemon viable competitors in any team (excluding the uber-cheap Ubers, of course). There is now a Global Trading System which allows trainers to trade Pokemon online, without hassle, and fully integrated Wi-Fi multiplayer modes. It isn't quite perfect, though, with the game still reliant on heavy grinding and battles as slow paced as they were. But the #2 best-selling video game franchise of all time has improved remarkably since its inception that despite all the minor faults, I am inclined to give Pokemon a spot in this Top 10 list. That and because this IS "NintenFAQs" after all - and I don't want any hate mail.
8:Grand Theft Auto -> Grand Theft Auto 3: The Trilogy
Grand Theft Auto 3 wasn't just another sequel, but a total facelift, extreme makeover, a renaissance. Yeah, stealing cars and beating pedestrians senseless was fun from a 2D overhead perspective. But a fully polygonal city loaded with fully polygonal, albeit poorly rendered human models to shoot, uppercut, or run over with an ambulance is just so much more. The mission variety is immense, the scope is incredible (riding a speedboat, piloting a helicopter, base jumping - damn!) and the drama so intense at times that I'm at a loss for criminal adjectives. Nevermind the somewhat stodgy graphical style - Grand Theft Auto IV's arrival is imminent. Not that it really mattered, though.
7:Ninja Gaiden (1998) -> Ninja Gaiden (2004)
Truly tough games are a rare breed these days. Can any modern-day video game live up to the hair-ripping standards set by infamous NES classics such as Battletoads or Ninja Gaiden? Well, the latter's descendant would like to have a word with you. Ninja Gaiden's 3D revival brought about a whole new world of pain. The more combat-orientated gameplay is a dream to play, and with tons of Ninja half-breeds ravaging you within seconds if you don't learn to stop, block and roll in time, it is a game that will only reward the dedicated - with lots of tough-as-nails bonus content and enough ninja action to fill several film reels. But it's nice to know that enemies now - while still cheap in that they hide out in camera blindspots - do not respawn if you take so much as a pixel-sized step back. The original Ninja Gaiden was extremely hard, too, but for all the wrong reasons. I'd say it was more frustrating than a real challenge - I think I nearly committed Ninja Suicide in the final level.
6:Resident Evil -> Resident Evil 4
I'll be honest with you: Resident Evil was an amazing game back in its time, but time has been cruel to this cheesy B-grade, interactive action flick. Cringe-worthy voice acting, find-a-key syndrome, bland (yes, BLAND) pre-rendered backdrops and my God - the tank controls. It's just laughable these days. Okay, so Resident Evil 4 hasn't totally erased all of these features, but they have been toned down somewhat and the presentation and action set-pieces are some of the best in ANY action game. Throw in the Wii Edition's precision aiming and tons of zombies- I mean, crazed villagers to shoot up and you've got one of the finest evolutions in gaming. Will we look back at Resident Evil 4 in ten years time and laugh at how ridiculous it is? I think not.
5:The Legend of Zelda via buttons -> via touch screen
No other series has successfully strayed from the beaten path more times than The Legend of Zelda. The move to 3D with Ocarina of Time practically defined the action-adventure genre. The Four Swords proved that multiplayer Zelda does work - although its downfall was the poorly implemented multiplayer connection scheme which was far from approachable. Not surprisingly, the latest deviation comes in the form of Phantom Hourglass for the DS. It follows on from The Wind Waker, retaining its unique and charming cel shaded style, but the fully touch-based control system opens up a whole new way to play. It's not for everyone - extended play will give you hand cramps and the overall game is rather simplistic - but who knew that Link could make such a glorious transition with everything we've come to love about Zelda - the interesting dungeon designs, the incredible boss fights, the awesome special weapons, etc. etc. - revitalised with an intuitive touch-based interface so easy that even my mother can play! I can't wait to see what's next.
4:Prince of Persia -> Sands of Time Trilogy
Here's another game that was downright unplayable (even more so) in the 8-bit age, but has seen something of a revolution in recent times. Prince of Persia was Jordan Mechner's artistic tribute to puzzle-based action-platforming. Time was of the essence as the Prince had only one hour to nimbly make his way through a trap-ridden dungeon - to defeat an evil vizier and save a lovely princess, no less. Rotoscoped graphics combined with meticulous animation gave the Prince's movements a creepy degree of realism, but the controls flat out sucked. However, with the Sands of Time Trilogy, the move to 3D was not only handled masterfully - control issues practically nonexistent - but the essence of the Prince's exploits - acrobatics and... free running - were kept intact. Plus you could rewind time if you accidentally leapt to your death - which is always cool.
3:Super Mario Bros. -> Super Mario Galaxy
One of the greatest 2D platformers ever has just become one of the best 3D platformers yet. And I'm not talking about Super Mario 64 - a sublime experience despite a world of camera issues. Super Mario Galaxy may not look much like the original Nintendo hit (jawdropping graphics can do that to you), but playing it brings back many fond memories. Only this time, Mario doesn't just move left and right, but up and down... and upside down! The focus is still on quick reflexes with a string of crazy power-ups to lighten up things and plenty of hidden secrets to boot. Super Mario Galaxy is THE next-gen Super Mario Bros. (well, Super Mario Bros. 3 if you want to be pedantic). I don't know anyone who has played a NES, but hasn't played Super Mario Bros. I hope to say the same thing about the Wii and Super Mario Galaxy in twenty years time.
2:"Classicvania" -> "Metroidvania"
If the above terms are foreign to you, 'tis a shame. The Castlevania series has never stood toe to toe with the likes of Mega Man, Samus, or even Dante, but now in its 21st anniversary (and counting) the series has never been in a more primed position. What started as a simple left-to-right action platformer has now turned into a regular foray into Dracula's castle, occasionally spilling out into the beyond, with a heavy focus on exploration - courtesy of Metroidal inspiration - and a myriad of modern RPG elements such as upgradable skills, rewarding sidequests, a balanced (or broken if you will) levelling up system and enough weaponry to hack, slash and shoot Dracula to hell and back a billion times over. What's even more brilliant is the transition to the portable medium; the "Metroidvania" series is a perfect fit for Nintendo handhelds as proven by five successful titles thus far.
1:Tekken -> Tekken 6
The uninitiated may see Tekken 6 as nothing more than an extremely good looking fighting game - HD graphics and all. But look back to the original King of Iron Fist Tournament and you'll notice a remarkable evolution that has taken place. In little over ten years, not only has the character roster doubled - from less than twenty to now nearly forty - with every fighter having an incredible array of unique moves and animations to call their own, but series conventions have shifted - from a simple exchange of blows on a linear plane (with no respect for gravity) to full 3D movement via side-stepping/walking, precision frame-based tactics, advanced gameplay styles including multiple stance switches, counters, parries and stylish throw escapes, the introduction of walls and a brief fling with terrain undulations. It's disappointing that the popular Tag element is still MIA, but we can't have everything, right? Nonetheless, the Tekken series has shown an incredible evolutionary shift that deserves nothing but the number 1 spot in my surprise Top 10 list of 2008.
With the move to HD I can only hope that more franchises will be invigorated in the years to come. We've already seen some notable evolutions that just missed the cut including Metroid Prime, Final Fantasy X+, Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver, Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics), Call of Duty 4, and too many fighting games (and their multiple "upgrades") to count. Coming soon we have got Street Fighter IV which looks to improve on the original success story in a whole new way, and Bionic Commando looks quite promising despite the original sucking as much as many NES games do. Did I miss something? Do let me know - I always welcome feedback so long as it is readable. It's amazing to see how far gaming has come in such a short time, isn't it? Take it easy. As long as great games are being made, I'll always be here. Hopefully.
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