Konami used to be a heavy hitter in the console market, but in recent generations they’ve been losing their stature and also continue to make poor decisions. Hideo Kojima, one of the masters of the industry, was let go by the publisher before Silent Hills came to be. Their newest idea is to make Metal Gear into a zombie playground, which I’m sure I’ll still get but that’s a different story. I honestly long for the olden days when buying a Konami game meant hours of fun. I figure Konami could make some cash either selling these IP’s or leasing them out to certain developers that would most likely bring the magic back. It would bring them a lot of money and also help invigorate fan interest in not only these IP’s but maybe it could also help make Konami relevant again.
5) Zone of the Enders – From Software
Many Dark Souls fans don’t know that From Software made a lot of mech games for the PS1, PS2 and PS3. Once the Souls cash cow hit they steered away from anything mech related. That has left a huge gap in the industry for mech games, which was already a small niche genre in video games. Titanfall is the only mech game that comes to mind and it just doesn’t fill that void for me. I enjoyed Zone of the Enders on the PS2 and would love to play in that world one more time. I think that From Software has the foresight, experience and history to make an amazing third entry in the series. I’m sure Sony could pull some strings and get Kojima over for a few days as well, just for a bit of input. I would happily buy a Zone of the Enders game that’s as difficult as Dark Souls–as long as I could co-op it! Let’s get to building a mech!
4) Contra – D.I.C.E.
The last time Contra was good was on the Nintendo DS and that is sad for a franchise that’s added so many memories to my childhood. Hours would pass as my buddy and I entered the Konami code and trashed those damn aliens trying to take over our world. After playing through the campaigns of Battlefield: Hardline and Battlefield 1, I learned that D.I.C.E. can pen a pretty good tale. With this newfound story ability and possibly the humor of Battlefield: Bad Company I could see a great next generation campaign from the studio. Nothing is more interesting than two friends taking on an alien swarm and saving the world! Co-op would have to be a big part of the campaign and with all the technological advances we’ve seen with this console generation, I think the A.I. could be grand if you can’t find a buddy to play with. I think a ‘Horde Mode’ multiplayer in the vein of Gears of War would also be a welcome addition. Let’s wait though and let D.I.C.E. decide what they want to put in the multiplayer. It’d be a shame if we never got the Contra that I know they could develop for us.
3) Silent Hill – Tango Gameworks
Tango Gameworks’ only release was one of the best survival horror releases of this decade. Shinji Mikami returned to the genre as the true master of horror and I would love to see him take a trip to Silent Hill. If you played through The Evil Within you know just how scared Mikami can make you–plus you get to experience his love of chainsaws. The Evil Within has many psychological elements in the story and they were all effortlessly weaved across the many levels of the game. Silent Hill is one huge psychological mess. My interpretation is still that Silent Hill could be anywhere and if you’re mentally unstable enough you get a free visit there. I’m sure my interpretation may differ from yours, but that is how I’ve always seen it. Mikami is the man to bring this ailing franchise back from the fog and into the limelight.
2) Suikoden – Square Enix
Square Enix has a vast vault of JRPG’s that they can play with, but Suikoden needs some love from someone. I figured since Square has over thirty years experience crafting compelling and gorgeous games why not give them Konami’s flagship JRPG? I mean, they haven’t used it since the PlayStation 2. I haven’t played very much of the games. I have them downloaded onto my PS Vita and I am slowly succeeding boss after boss, but so far I really enjoy the world they created. The world is full of danger but still gorgeous to behold, even as a 16-Bit adventure. What I always thought was cool was the ability to carry over your save from game to game. It may seem normal now but this certainly wasn’t the case at its release. I like games that continue the first tale with the character you have grown over the course of 40 hours or so. It’s like raising a son and getting them to high school when the games let you transfer saves, or at least that’s how it feels to me anyway.
1) Castlevania – Platinum Studios
Platinum Studios has been impressing us with their insanely fast battle action for quite a few years. I cannot think of a better developer for one of Konami’s flagship titles. I enjoyed what Konami tried to do with Lords of Shadow, but it didn’t feel right. The difficulty would spike and make the game insanely aggravating. Platinum somehow has mastered dialing the difficulty to perfection within the level design and the boss battles. My first epic experience with Platinum’s design was Vanquish. The game was so fast and furious that at times I would have to pause playing and relax a bit. The game was so fast and flashy that I would need a break. I would like to see Platinum put some fast moves onto Simon Belmont and breathe some new life into this beloved Dracula themed series.
Did I get them all or did a mis-match a few? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @SuperJerry13. You can also follow me on Twitter and check out what I’m playing or in the middle of reviewing!