I, like many a gamer lately, have fallen in love with the retro revivals taking place.  Megaman 9.  Space Invaders Extreme.  Pac-Man CE.  Bionic Commando Rearmed.  Heck, even new downloadable games on XBLA, PSN, and WiiWare are using retro-themed gameplay mechanics and graphic cues to feed off of the epidemic.   The pixel-perfect jumps, 16×16 blocks conveying full emotion, and palette-swaps were all what made these games special.

With that in mind, I’ve plowed together a list of 10 game franchises that need retro revivals and sequels, utilizing these old-school cues in various ways.  The list is comprised of several games that I grew up playing, loving, and cherishing.  Suggestions were also made from my visitors to MakLink.

With that brief introduction, let’s have a go.

#10 (The Real) Mortal Kombat 4

Yes, yes, I know there was already an MK 4.  However that’s also when the series went 3D on us.  The first 3 games had some kind of incredible charm that was based in its mostly horrible green-screen graphics.  Even Johnny Cage’s silly eyeglass portrait was acceptable.  The few frames of motion and buckets of blood were all it took to entice lines upon lines of stacked quarters to magically appear from morning to close in all arcades.  Knowing Mortal Kombat II’s finishing moves made you a superstar.  Knowing that there were Bablities made you a hero.  And knowing how to count frames (and the seconds in between) made you a legend.  The modern MK games are pretty, but they’ll never be gloriously stop-motion.

Read on for the rest!

#9 Donkey Kong (3?  Jr 2?  CE?)

With the resurgence in popularity of Donkey Kong, thanks to the epic “King of Kong” film, and the return of Pac Man, Space Invaders, and Galaga, the “pre”-8bit games of the early 80s have become the norm to remake.  Why, then, hasn’t Nintendo remade the original DK?  The Donkey Kong Country games were fun, but were not DONKEY KONG.  Barrels, ladders, platforms and ropes:  these are the only ingredients needed to make a successful DK game.  A modern sequel should employ the same principle that PacMan: CE was based on: don’t mess with the gameplay, just add a dynamic mechanic to the game and a fresh layer of paint (but not too much).  Possibly a multiplayer option, with one player as Mario Jumpman and the other as DK, hurling endless barrels past a barely legible princess.

#8 Kung Fu

Kumg Fu was probably one of the first real action games early gamers played.  Run left, run right, punch, kick.   Guys throw knives at you with awkward animations.  And, that’s pretty much it.  Although the genre has survived, most action games now utilize fancy 3D engines (Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden Black) to do the same thing that this game did with two buttons and a little elbow grease.  I would love to see this game get minimal graphic update treatment, with leaderboards and “endless waves of zombie ninjas” skill levels thrown in.

#7 Super Mario Bros 4

I loved every Mario game growing up… When each one was released, it was an epic event.  To this day, I still remember my mind being blown when I watched “The Wizard” and it’s pseudo-debut of Super Mario 3.  Even Super Mario World was a fantastic, atmospheric game.  Since then, Nintendo has all but forgotten its Mario roots.  Now, New Super Mario Bros is an incredible game, but it doesn’t have that same feeling.  SMB was all about the perfect jumps, the multitude of secrets, the “incredible” graphics for an 8-bit system, and the ability to get groups of friends together to tackle levels.  Remember handing the gamepad around when you died or completed a level?  Remember beating SMB 3 about four hundred times each summer for 4 years?  That’s what makes a great Mario game.  So, with a legit 4th Mario game done up in 8-bit style that feeling can come back:  New Mario suits.  Level warps.  Secrets to getting endless 1UPs.  And of course, the hated Hammer Bros.

#6 Final Fantasy VII – 16-Bit

Everyone cries for an updated FF7 game for the PS3 or 360.  However, Final Fantasy saw some of its greatest adventures on the 16-bit screen.  Personally, a game as epic as FF7 with FFVI-era graphics would be a real treat.  The story-telling in many moder RPGs tends to take a back seat to graphic presentation.  Remaking this game might actually make the story more cohesive.  (Image from the abandoned 8-Bit fan remake)

#5 Crystalis 2

Crystalis was one of those games of the NES days that was nearly perfect.  A Zelda clone with sci-fi overtones, built into a forward-thinking RPG.  The game received a remake on the GB Color, but a true sequel is yet to be born.  And come to think of it: 16 bits is all this game would need to be an incredible and deep RPG.

#4 King’s Quest 9

Back in the 80s, there was one king (no pun intended) of adventure games:  Sierra.  Their flagship title, King’s Quest, spun 7 sequels… Each progressively worse.  Arguably, the first 3 games in the series received great reception from the critics, and it wasn’t until the move to better graphics processors that the series began to fall apart.  So much so, that Sierra has all but killed it off.  Now, there are countless fan remakes of King’s Quest (and Space Quest, Guest for Glory, and Police Quest) games but nothing that is canon or captures the naivety of the original trilogy.  While Sierra drips to death (thanks to the merger of Activision and Vivendi) only one thing can make the pain go away:  King’s Quest 9.  And if there is ever a time for a great game to break new ground, it could be KQ9… especially if released on its perfect platform:  the iPhone.

#3 Sonic The Hedgehog 4

This one should be a no-brainer.  Sonic the Hedgehog fans (are there any, really?) have been craving a TRUE Sonic sequel.  Face it: the 3D Sonic games have been (for the most part) completely horrible.  They never manage to capture the speed of the original games, and are now populated with a cast of unlikeable characters.  The upcoming “Sonic Unleashed” has potential, with a few pseudo 2D/3D levels, but is already getting some fans riled up.  A new 2D Sonic game with upped graphics would be a blast (processor) to play.  There is currently a fan remake of Sonic 2 in HD being made, which could whet our appetite for a real SEGA sequel.  Image courtesy Alchemist Defined.

#2 Legend of Zelda: Adventure of Link 2

This was the Zelda that everyone forgot: a side-scrolling RPG with an overworld full of dungeons, towns, and magic spells.  Zelda II created a departure from the first game, that was never repeated.  The closest thing to a sequel would be to play the single-player Super Smash Bros Brawl campaign’s side-scrolling levels with Link.  A nice, high-def version (well, maybe just a “nice-def” version since the Wii can’t do HD) would be a blast to play, especially if it had the high quality of animation found in the recently released Wario Land: Shake It.  The Legend of Zelda badly needs a fresh approach, and perhaps going to the past as inspiration could be the answer.

#1 Super Smash Brothers Retro

Super Smash Bros for the various Nintendo systems does a great job of giving fan service to us.  The recent Brawl even added two non-Nintendo characters, Sonic & Snake.  Fans instantly began clambering for more character additions, such as Mega Man or Simon Belmont.  Now, imagine taking all those characters in their original 8-bit/16-bit formats and dropping them into a 2D fighting arena, with retro sounds in tow.  This would make for a great special reward on the same disk as the next Smash Bros, or perhaps as a downloadable, where characters can be added weekly/monthly via DLC.

Fans would have heart attacks, rioting in the streets would ensue, and dogs and cats would live together, get married, get divorced, and appear on Talk Soup.

Come on, Nintendo…  if Capcom can do it with MM9, you can surely do it with Super Smash Bros Retro!

Honorable Mentions

I thought I would list a few more that didn’t quite make the top ten, but would be welcome additions to the gaming line-up.

• Baseball Stars (and even Base Wars, the all-robot version)
• Maniac Mansion
• River City Ransom
• Super Metroid 2
• Final Fantasy IV – 2 (more than just episodic cell phone games, dammit!)

Did I miss one?  Feel free to list in the comments.

I love great car sketches.  Recently, I put together two posts about great (and recent) car sketches.  Normally I use Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop to put together my sketches, so it was nice to see these designers and artists use mixed software and media to do the same.  Check out the full articles.  Both are hosted on my CarDesignFetish automotive design super-site.

Hot Sketches #1

Hot Sketches #2

With the recent announcement of the DSi from Nintendo, along with several new Wii announcements, I was left wondering about the possibilities of the DSi.  Why?  Well, Nintendo stated that the DSi will not have its own software (apart from downloads); it will rely on the DS software for the cartridge format.  To them (at least, in their marketing) the DSi is the next evolution of the handheld, but still a DS at heart.

So I thought: “What if?”  What if the DSi, with all of this new and possibly underappreciated technology, were utilized in a new, creative way?  With improved wifi, two cameras, on board and card-based storage mediums available the DSi can be used in innovative ways possibly beyond what Nintendo or third-parties might be thinking.

And so, I’ve put together this list of concepts that allow different aspects of the DSi to be used for better gaming experiences… Hopefully.

Read on for the list.

#10 Miis on the DSi

Kind of an obvious one.  With built-in storage (albeit an unknown number) the natural thing to do on the DSi is to add Miis.  In fact, making these Miis cross-platform with the Wii would be ideal.  Much like the Mii storage in the WiiMote, the DSi could act similarly.  Transferred to the DSi, a Mii can act in games that support it.

#9 Virtual Console Portable

Yet another no-brainer, and something that fans have been asking for since Day 1: a Virtual Console for handheld games.  The can should include Gameboy, GBC, GBA, GameGear… heck, even Lynx.  The system’s graphics chips are well-prepared to support this.  And while not directly announced yet, this is going to happen.

#8 iPhone-style Apps

Nintendo revealed several of the new features of the DSi, including its decidedly Wii channel-style interface.  Nintendo will continue to support the DSi in the same way.  With the Wii channels already functioning very much like iPhone/iPod Touch apps, we can imagine that the DSi’s store will reveal more than just new versions of Brain Age 2.  By allowing developers to create varied apps for the system, its lifespan will be incredibly increased.  If Nintendo doesn’t implement this, you’d better believe that the community of modders will jump at the chance to do so.

#7 Skype Phone / Video Chat

With the user-facing camera added to the DSi, it may be possible to add video chat functionality.  Couple that with a Skype-like service, and the DSi becomes a nice portable wifi video phone.  I wouldn’t doubt that the mod community is already salivating at the chance to try this.

#6 DSi as a Wii Camera

The DSi has a camera.  (Two, actually).  Guess what doesn’t?  The Wii.  With the PS3 and XBox 360 releasing camera peripherals, Nintendo is left out in the dark.  Well, with the wireless capabilities of the DSi it may be possible to sync the system to the Wii and utilize its camera as a web cam (much like the recent/upcoming sound channel that syncs with the DS to allow certain games to stream sound through the Wii).  Mount the DSi near the Wii, sync, and you can import your actual face on your Mii.

#5 Info Hub

Nintendo mentioned that they were working on better utilization of the DSi with public networks such as in baseball stadiums and subway systems to deliver information.  This, while already in development at the big N, needs to be fully realized… whatever that means.  Example: with Nintendo’s past relationship with McDonald’s, browsing an interactive menu from your table and placing an order can be an incredibly easy implementation.  Or perhaps spread this over to the business sector.  The improved wifi could (theoretically) be able to log in to business networks for increased sharing of information during meetings, allowing the user to take notes and quickly add to the presentation with technologies such as WebX or Go2Meeting.  Essentially, the DSi can be a versatile presentation PDA.

#4 DSi as a Portable HDD

It was revealed recently that Nintendo was going to somewhat allow the Wii to utilize the SD card slot as a more viable storage possibility.  With the DSi also incorporating an SD slot as well as on board storage it would be feasible to use the DSi as a sort of portable wireless hard drive.

DRM issues would be killer, but the idea is certainly there.

#3 Play Wii games on your DSi

The FF:CC:EoT announcement (that the game can be played both on the DS and the Wii) is a harbinger of things to come.  The link between the two will grow even deeper as the DSi’s onboard storage can allow for download of a game (or some portion of) from the Wii.  The user can then play the game whenever they want, regardless of having turned the DSi off or on as many times as they’d wish, something that is a limitation with the storage-less DS Phat and Lite.  Going on a trip and don’t want to put down No More Heroes 2?  Simply transfer some version of the game to your DSi for the trip, continue to play, and then transfer back when you return home.

#2 SD Cards Unite!

The fact that both systems utilize SD cards should allow for sharing of information between the two.  If a file is too big to transfer wirelessly from the Wii to the DSi, it can be transferred via memory card.  Simple, but effective (DRM’ed) file transfers.

#1 Nintendo moving to pure downloaded games on Dsi and Wii

The thought of going game tape-less is like a bludgeoning from a sledge hammer to each of our nostalgic gamer hearts.  However, it’s a future we can’t avoid.  By removing the GBA slot and focusing on the DS store for DSi-specific games, Nintendo is finally showing somewhat of an understanding of digital downloads.  Perhaps the next Nintendo handheld will be lacking a slot all-together.

So there you have it… a few ideas for what could be possible for the DSi.

Feel free to leave your comments and let me know if you agree/disagree.

I just finished up an article about the Local Motors method of critiquing.  It’s the traditional way of doing a crit, transposed onto an online community… and so far it’s very successful.

Here’s a snippet (and click the header for the complete article):

We often discuss the changes needed for automotive companies to be successful and “up-to-date” in an increasingly demanding technological world.  One of the ways design studios are starting to embrace technology is based on the tried-and-true method of critiquing the work of other Designers.  Group critiques, or “crits” as we affectionately call them, are a part of the design world that no other field or industry engages in.  It opens the floor to opinion from other designers, often leading to vastly improved products visually, increased effectiveness and appropriateness of a design, and market-leading products.  In fact without crits a design can end up short-sighted and a designer not pushed further towards a proper direction.

Go here for the complete article and let me know what you think:

CarDesignFetish

Nintendo, at their Japanese Press Conference, today announced PunchOut Wii.  Utilizing the same(ish) controls as WiiSports boxing and WiiFit Boxing, PunchOut will be available in 2009.

Also of note:

• Nintendo will be giving away 500 Nintendo Points (formerly Wii Points) to each person who gets a new Wii user to sign onto their internet-based WIi services.  The new user ALSO gets 500 points.
• Animal Crossing: City Folk will be compatible with Animal Crossing DS, allowing you to transfer content from your DS to the Wii, as well as utilize your Mii in the game
• Also announced: Sengoku Musou 3, Trace Memory Wii, and SIN & PUNISHMENT 2! (OM REALLY F G!)
• Nintendo will also be re-releasing certain Gamecube games under a “Playable on WIi” banner (Pikmin 1 & 2, Metroid Prime 1 & 2, etc) possibly with updated controls, a la RE4 Wii

The WIi will finally be getting the storage issue resolved.  Starting in Spring 2009 (my guess: March) the Wii will allow users to download content straight to the SD cards for use.  This will come in a firmware update.

Thank-freakin’-God!

Nintendo has just announced the much-rumored (and highly anticipated) successor to the DS, the DSi.

Here are the (translated) specs:

• Screens are slightly larger: now at 3.25″
• Front-facing camera (640×480) utilized for photos and games
• User-facing camera for video chat/games
• Onboard storage for game downloads
• SD card slot
• Music playback (MP3 AAC etc)
• 12% thinner overall, due to removal of GBA slot
• Will allow use of Wii Points (now being renamed to Nintendo Points) to buy games
• Games will be in four categories: Free, 200 points, 400 pts, 800 pts
• Built-in Opera web browser
• Increased interaction with kiosks
• Logging into to the DSi shop before March 2010 will get you 1000 points for free (thanks, Nintendo!)
• Increased interactivity with the Wii
• Will have “channel” interface that looks suspiciously like a marriage of the PSP’s XMB and the iPhone’s apps
• Will debut in Japan on Nov 1st for about $180 and come in white & matte black
• US in “2009″ (my guess: March)

Take a look at a couple of better images (From www.Nintendo.co.jp )

Just put the finishing touches on MakLink Podcast #21, the first Macedonian podcast on the web!

In this episode, we have a Top Ten list, 15 Seconds of Fame, a couple surprise phone calls, and pizza.

Oh yeah, and we get paid a visit by Baba Roga.

Recently Dustin, Arvind and I had the chance to sit down and discuss the production version of the Chevy Volt.  The conversation became one that we decided to document and place on the Fetish site.  It was an epic look at the car that is set to (hopefully) save the US automotive market.  In fact, it’s spawned a new series that we’ll be doing:  3-person critiques of vehicle designs.

Follow the link:

The 3-Man Critique of the Chevy Volt

I’ll be really getting into designing this blog tonight at the coffee shop.  I’m anxiously trying to figure out how to best represent different aspects of my design work, from web & graphic design to product and automotive.

Until then, check out some of the web design work I’ve done in the past, many of which included template manipulation and logos:

maklink.com/designs