Game Series' That Could Do With a Reboot

[Goafer]

I normally dislike the idea of reboots, but 2 games that I've played recently have made me rethink my stance a bit: DmC and Saints Row 4.

 

DmC is just a case of a reboot done well that I am enjoying so far. It may help that I've never been massively into the games and am not particularly precious about the previous games' stlye.

 

Saints Row is a game that I think is due for a reboot. The game has always been a silly version of GTA, but with the addition of super powers and becoming the president in SR4, there's nowhere for it to really go without being too much or more of the same.

 

Any opinions? Any other games series' that you think could do with a reboot/new phase*?

 

*such as System Shock/Bioshock

[Grazza]

Landstalker.

 

It's not a series, admittedly, but I think it should have been turned into one. I played A Link to the Past on the SNES and I loved it, but then I played Landstalker on the Megadrive in 1993 and I felt even more transported to another world. There is a sign at the beginning that warns you about stepping into that land (the game is set on an island), and it made such an impression on me I've never forgotten it (I was actually going to put this in the "Moments That Blew You Away thread"). Once you were through that cave, you would be in a mysterious and dangerous world. All this suggested just with words.

 

Anyway, I digress. The point is I've rarely played anything since that conveyed as strongly the feel of visiting a mysterious island (perhaps one reason I love Wind Waker so much). Landstalker used isometric 3D to provide more immersion than the top-down view favoured at the time. To be honest, it does cause problems when you revisit it nowadays, but I happily put up with it back then because it was so amazing.

 

In the modern day, however, Landstalker could be a wholly fluid 3D experience - textured polygons, 1080p, 60fps. Not only could it be great in its own right, I honestly think it would keep Nintendo on their toes with Zelda. If there was a similar, top quality game in exactly the same genre, it might make them realise they can't do things by halves.

 

Unlikely it may be, but I hope one day I can once again explore a strange land, with the same sort of atmosphere and a fairy assistant in my backpack.

[Jonnas]

The first thing I would do is not call them "reboots". That's pretty much saying that the new iteration is replacing the "old" one for the forseeable future, it becomes easy to alienate the fanbase they're so eager to please (what with using the same brand name).

 

That said, spiritual sequels and revivals are still good. But I can't think of any series that could need them.

[Rummy]

I haven't had any Mario in a while. stay calm folks, it's just a joke

[Hero-of-Time]

Resident Evil could do with a reboot/revival. The series has become an absolute mess and needs a break and then a kick up the butt. I wish they would just take it back to basics and remember why it became so popular in the first place.

[M_rock]

I want to see Chibi-Robo make a triumphant return to the home console with a full and big adventure. The first one was such pure magic. Recently the series is only used to make small handheld titles (that don't even get localised).

 

Wii U needs games, and I just think a quirky skip title would add alot to the lineup, and that it would actually please alot of WiiU owners. The series also could do some neat things with the gamepad.

 

Oh and also Crystal Chronicles! The wii entry was so different from the original one. I want a true sequel to the gamecube version with the same gorgeous art style and music direction

[ChloboShoka]

One of my favourite snes games was Tuff E Nuff (Known as Dead Dance in Japan). It's considered to be a street fighter clone by Jaleco, but I really liked the story behind it. They omitted a lot of stuff from the original Japanese version to the english version such as the dialogues and character epilogues which was a shame because they look awesome. I would have liked to have known more about their characters and back-stories. And the soundtrack is awesome.

 

Some of the character's designs are awesome. The final boss' design is a bit cheap in my opinion, but I think everything else is awesome. I think I like Dead Dance more because I think it's got that more edge, but it really captivated me when I was younger with the English version.

[flameboy]

Castlevania as in a proper 2D return to roots game.

[S.C.G]

Ninja Gaiden...

 

The original NES trilogy is brilliant so I'm not talking about those although I would love another 2D Ninja Gaiden someday but more the recent 3D titles, the first of which was a really solid title which laid the foundations for the sublime Ninja Gaiden II which is basically the pinnacle of the newer titles.

 

Ever since they released Ninja Gaiden III it all seemed to go downhill, probably in part due to Itagaki leaving Team Ninja... the new Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z seems to have fared even worse.

 

So yeah... time for a drastic rethink on where the series is going before it's beyond redemption.

 

Until then... *hugs copy of Ninja Gaiden II*

[nekunando]

FIFA/PES could both do with being completely taken apart in an attempt to rediscover the essence of what actually makes a football game entertaining.

 

The latest iterations of both lack dynamism and, more importantly, fun! I've been harping on about this for years now to the point where everyone must be sick of hearing it but the fact is that I miss the joy of looking forward to the latest football game. The last time I felt that was back when PES was coming to Wii for the first time and I was really looking forward to finally getting my hands on it It was a breath of fresh air and I was genuinely looking forward to the next edition to see what they would improve. PES 2009 was a far superior game to the previous game as it managed to expand on the groundwork created by PES 2008.

 

I had an absolutely epic game of Pro Evolution Soccer 6 on PS2 with my brother this evening It ended 4-4 but the last 10 minutes were just something special. My brother was 2-1 up but reduced to 9 men on the 75 minute mark after having played well with 10 since a sending off in the 16th minute. I was relieved to get the equaliser with Gerrard on 83' to avoid the embarrassment of losing to a severely depleted Man United after having a goal disallowed for offside 3 minutes earlier..

 

Fast forward to only a minute later and my brother had regained the lead taking it to 3-2 meaning I had to fight back again. The 87th minute came and.. he scored AGAIN Surely the humiliation was over now at 4-2 but straight from the kick off, I managed to dribble through his midfield and defence to smash another one in. As my brother kicked off, he decided to pass the ball around to see the game out after some hilariously frantic action. Seconds away from the referee blowing the final whistle, he misplaces a pass from his left back and Sturridge is running towards the box with defenders retreating. I couldn't find an opening to get through as I dribbled to the other side of the pitch before cutting back and playing a pass towards an on-rushing Gerrard who evaded a desperate challenge before firing a bullet into the roof of the net from just inside the box. It was explosive

 

What a game! The point I'm sort of making, though, is that more recent football games seem to be severely lacking this intensity and I wish someone would come and deliver something special again as both PES and FIFA are becoming extremely stale

 

At least I'll always have PES 6.. and ISS 64

[Sheikah]

Zelda. In the sense that OoT was like a reboot in some ways and was amazing. It'd be so cool if they could reinvent it as something fresh and awesome.

[ChloboShoka]

I loved what they did to Oot. I think it would also be nice if the original Zelda games got a reboot like the first and second zelda game.

[Rummy]

Zelda. In the sense that OoT was like a reboot in some ways and was amazing. It'd be so cool if they could reinvent it as something fresh and awesome.

 

My greatest dream, which is probably less likely now ALBW has happened, was for them to try and take the top-down game but transform it into a 3D explorative game. Obviously it'd be a huge amount of scope and take a lot of work - but I'd just have loved to see what they managed to do with it really. Can ship it with a LttP-esque top down map too.

[Sheikah]

My greatest dream, which is probably less likely now ALBW has happened, was for them to try and take the top-down game but transform it into a 3D explorative game. Obviously it'd be a huge amount of scope and take a lot of work - but I'd just have loved to see what they managed to do with it really. Can ship it with a LttP-esque top down map too.

 

That reminds me a little of this

 

[Hogge]

The Legend of Zelda

Nintendo need to start with a blank slate. Since the turn of the millenium, Zelda has lagged behind, going from trailblazer to left in the dust.

To catch up and make Zelda the success we all want it to be, Nintendo need to say "OK, the experiments are over, this is the direction the franchise is going" and then just keep on improving the experience. Pick a graphical style that reflects the epic nature of the franchise, a set of gameplay mechanics and then only make changes that you desire to make permanent (no more wolf, loftwing, sailing, trains atless you intend to keep it in the sequel). Stop making a bunch of rooms and corridors and make them look like a forrest, instead make a truly open world. Red Dead Redemption is the perfect example of how it should be.

[Sheikah]

I like the idea of making it not just a bunch of distinct interconnecting rooms with doors. I know some areas aren't like that but it would be interesting to see the game as a fleshed out, seamless world.