@justin258: I've never had it in me to blame Nintendo for anything they've done with Metroid, even when I don't like it, solely because of the sales numbers you cite. It's just never been a reliable seller for them, despite all its critical acclaim, and it's always a shame when that happens. (I'd bet the answer to the "Why doesn't Nintendo bring back X franchise?" question is usually "Because it doesn't sell enough.") Nintendo just seems confused on the whole Metroid situation, and I wouldn't be surprised if they've just throw their hands in the air and said "Screw it!" at this point. Totally agree with you and @bisonhero that I'd like to see western studios take a crack at Metroid if/when it ever comes back. My understanding is that it was always more popular in the west anyway.
On another note, your take on the different Metroid games is pretty on par with mine. It's crazy how well Super Metroid still holds up today. What a game.
@cav829:Thanks! Another 2D handheld Metroid seems like the "obvious" way to go right now, but as you said, with how many of those kinds of games are currently coming out it's a weird position. At the same time, I don't know how many of the modern games in that style have completely nailed it like Metroid did at its peak. Overall Metroid just feels like it's in limbo a little, and nobody at Nintendo seems to have a good idea what to do with it.
@bisonhero: I remember thinking about 3 years ago that it had been 3 years since Other M, and still no word of a 3DS or Wii U Metroid. That signaled to me that they weren't even thinking about Metroid, and that there was nothing in the pipe. That was 3 years ago, and nothing's changed on that front (Federation Force seems like a Metroid game in name only).
Nintendo actually has a rich history of taking extended breaks on franchises. Hell, they've done it with Metroid before during the 90s (the N64 came and went without a Metroid also). Not to mention Kid Icarus, Pikmin, and plenty of others that eventually came back. And then there are the F-Zeros that people are still waiting on... So at this point who knows, maybe one will just pop out randomly one day, or maybe not. I'm not even sure what they would do with a new Metroid honestly. That's a tough problem to solve, as it is with a lot of long-running franchises, and is probably why Nintendo does take these kinds of breaks.
@packerman120:Thanks! I'll really be diving into the guts of Metroid starting with part 2, today's was a bit introductory by design. And now I'm thinking about Metroid guts...
@csl316: Ha, yeah, I'm sure I'd play and enjoy more Dark Souls if (when?) they make it. But I agree that DS3 was such a nice end, and it would be even better if something actually ended when they say it will.
@golguin: I do think that some of the references in Dark Souls III were a little on the nose without much real merit. The archers for example, that was really just a big "I bet you remember these guys!" But I definitely agree that in the end, it was a really strong sense of closure. That bridge moment for me, and then the final boss + music as you mention; easily two of the highlights. Nostalgia wielded correctly can be powerful, and I really like the way it all wrapped up.
@slag: Thanks Slag! No worries on avoiding the spoilers, that's why I gave the warning :)
I'm not sure where From goes from here, but the success of Dark Souls proves they have talent in that studio, and I would love to see what else they could do. Maybe they'll never make anything close to this good again, but we won't know if they don't try. They really created something special in this series, something bold that flew in the face of conventional wisdom and ended up influencing a lot of game design from other companies as a result. And while it's tempting to see them stick to that, I'd prefer to see them go off and be bold with something new; they seem to be one of the few "AAA" companies willing to stick their necks out there. I think they can be more than a Dark Souls factory.
As for me, the future's full of possibilities! Most of my life until now has been focused on getting through school and getting a job I really like. Now that I'm there, I kind of have a blank canvas to work with, so to speak. I'll certainly keep working hard at improving at my job, and keep pursuing my passions (video games and tennis). Otherwise I'm free to explore life and see what's out there! I like traveling, I'd love to learn how to make video games, and who knows what else I can get into- one step at a time! :)
Great write-up! I had tried for years to get into driving games, but Burnout 3 was the first driving game I played that finally clicked for me. Paradise, then, took that game's core and expanded it into something broad (but dense) and magical I could have never anticipated. Easily my favorite driving game ever, for many of the reasons you expertly dissect, and I agree it should be considered among the best of last generation for all the wonderful stuff it introduced.
I have not found another driving game since Paradise that I've really enjoyed, and I've kind of been down on the genre in general (the 2012 Most Wanted was close, but at best an "almost but not quite" retread of Paradise). That drought has only gone on to intensify my appreciation for Paradise. What a game.
Nice write-up... that's a lot of Fire Emblem! I appreciate having a side-by-side-by-side comparison of the 3. I just finished Conquest (also on hard/classic) this past weekend, and while I need a FE break right now, I'm pretty sure I'll be up for at least one of the other 2 down the road. I was originally leaning Revelation, as on paper it sounds like the more interesting melding of gameplay styles, and also story (Birthright comes across as super straight-forward there). But from what you say that one may be kind of a mess, and Birthright may actually be the more solid game in general.
Anyway, I also liked Conquest a whole lot, pretty much for the same reasons you did. The story/characters were mostly a lot of nonsense, but the map design and other gameplay tweaks put it up there with the best FEs I've played (that's all the NA released ones and nothing else). I really like not having weapons degrade, and the new attack and guard stance mechanics are super slick- it's interesting how the enemies use them too. I also appreciated the challenge quite a bit, and tend to prefer not grinding in FE games, so that omission from Conquest sat just fine with me. All in all I'd say Conquest has become one of my favs in the series, and it's a series I like a lot. Good stuff!
(Also, as an aside, I've seen numerous people say Conquest chapters 17 and 25 are among the toughest. Maybe I'm just weird, but those didn't give me hardly any trouble, while others gave me a ton. Chapters 20 and 23 were among the toughest ones for me off the top of my head (damn that wind), along with chapter 10, which WAS tough. Anyway, kind of interesting how different chapters are harder for different people. /aside)
@dankempster: Thanks Dan! Hope you enjoy Axiom Verge- I obviously liked it a lot :) I'll be extra curious about that as you continue, given you mention you don't have much experience with such games.
It was definitely a strong year with tons of solid games. I thought I did a pretty good job keeping up this year, and I still have a lot of stuff to get to yet! I hope you enjoy some of those other big ones as you get to them... I think you have some good gaming ahead of you :)
Nice list Dan, and nice work on all your award bogs! MGSV is the one "big" game this year I didn't get to... it was easy to skip as a non-MGS fan, but from everything I've heard I may need to give it a shot someday. Ironically, this year was also the first time I jumped into Monster Hunter, via 4 Ultimate. I've been surprised at how much I'm liking it, even though it is a big grind for the most part. I've played a handful of the "older" games on this list as well (such as Zelda, Uncharted, and The Wolf Among Us)- all great picks!
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