Gaming Coast to Coast
Okay, bear with me on this one folks, as I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to make this one work.
This year, I watched two different games come out. Both were fighters. Both were multi-platform. But one was published by a Japanese company, and the other by an American one.
It's obvious what I'm talking about: Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Warner Brothers' Mortal Kombat. Before I begin, I need to say this: My opinion on these two games couldn't BE more opposite. I jumped for joy when I learned of the new MvC. I shrugged my shoulders at MK. I awaited MvC3 with baited breath. I would forget the new Mortal Kombat existed. And to be honest, even now I'm STILL annoyed that my friends were more excited for MK than they were MvC. Bottom line, I'm a fan of Marvel vs. Capcom as a franchise. Mortal Kombat was just a joke. And yet, somehow, Warner Brothers created a far superior game in Mortal Kombat.
I feel I cannot understate this: I still won't play MK. I have no interest in it's universe. And MvC is still a brilliant concept. That doesn't stop the one I WON'T play from being better.
The approach to the way each game was created is emblematic of the differences between the way Western and Eastern games are created.
With Marvel vs. Capcom 3, what we're basically given is an arcade game on a console. There's no story. There's not much in the way of extras, only a handful of unlockables, and the main play value outside the game is in a mode that essentially...teaches you how to combo attack better. Even the endings aren't that much different from the ones we saw back in the day on an SNES Capcom game.
Mortal Kombat approaches things in a fairly different manner. Mortal Kombat creates a long, engaging storyline that gives you a reason to care about the characters you're playing with, even going so far as allowing you a chance to play with many of the huge list of characters in the game. The unlockables belong on a list a mile long, with my friends still not getting most of them, despite playing the game for three months or so now. And there are several alternate modes to spice up the gameplay, from the challenge tower to the slot machine that hands out stat bonuses/ailments.
MK is how games should be made going forward into the 21st century, while Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is how they've been made since there *was* a console. Even DLC, which should be offering new and different characters/stages to increase the replay value shows two different approaches to how one makes a fighting game. Mortal Kombat, so far, has gradually offered four different characters from different eras of MK, including at least one brand-new character.
Meanwhile, if the rumor is true, Capcom will be releasing "Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3"--a different version of the original with 16 new characters that's essentially a reason to bleed fans pockets of probably another $40. Brilliant.
This is why people claim Western developers are superior. Capcom's stuck in the days where they offered us five versions of the same game with minor tweaks here and there, while Warner Brothers is actually pushing the envelope.
And I don't want Japanese developers to create their own Mortal Kombat. That's boring. I saw (and had a friend point out) Arcana Heart 3--it looks like an incredibly fun video game with tons of replay value that's actually on the PSN. But I'd never heard of it before I hopped on PSN, and most people never will. The games that should be at the forefront get shoved off into a corner and we're fed the same old same old.
And I'm sure some people will tell you MvC3 is for "hardcore" fighting fans, but those fifty dudes can't support games on their own. Stop being hipsters and embrace the fact that improvements can be made. It's time out for this barebones approach.
This year, I watched two different games come out. Both were fighters. Both were multi-platform. But one was published by a Japanese company, and the other by an American one.
It's obvious what I'm talking about: Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Warner Brothers' Mortal Kombat. Before I begin, I need to say this: My opinion on these two games couldn't BE more opposite. I jumped for joy when I learned of the new MvC. I shrugged my shoulders at MK. I awaited MvC3 with baited breath. I would forget the new Mortal Kombat existed. And to be honest, even now I'm STILL annoyed that my friends were more excited for MK than they were MvC. Bottom line, I'm a fan of Marvel vs. Capcom as a franchise. Mortal Kombat was just a joke. And yet, somehow, Warner Brothers created a far superior game in Mortal Kombat.
I feel I cannot understate this: I still won't play MK. I have no interest in it's universe. And MvC is still a brilliant concept. That doesn't stop the one I WON'T play from being better.
The approach to the way each game was created is emblematic of the differences between the way Western and Eastern games are created.
With Marvel vs. Capcom 3, what we're basically given is an arcade game on a console. There's no story. There's not much in the way of extras, only a handful of unlockables, and the main play value outside the game is in a mode that essentially...teaches you how to combo attack better. Even the endings aren't that much different from the ones we saw back in the day on an SNES Capcom game.
Mortal Kombat approaches things in a fairly different manner. Mortal Kombat creates a long, engaging storyline that gives you a reason to care about the characters you're playing with, even going so far as allowing you a chance to play with many of the huge list of characters in the game. The unlockables belong on a list a mile long, with my friends still not getting most of them, despite playing the game for three months or so now. And there are several alternate modes to spice up the gameplay, from the challenge tower to the slot machine that hands out stat bonuses/ailments.
MK is how games should be made going forward into the 21st century, while Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is how they've been made since there *was* a console. Even DLC, which should be offering new and different characters/stages to increase the replay value shows two different approaches to how one makes a fighting game. Mortal Kombat, so far, has gradually offered four different characters from different eras of MK, including at least one brand-new character.
Meanwhile, if the rumor is true, Capcom will be releasing "Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3"--a different version of the original with 16 new characters that's essentially a reason to bleed fans pockets of probably another $40. Brilliant.
This is why people claim Western developers are superior. Capcom's stuck in the days where they offered us five versions of the same game with minor tweaks here and there, while Warner Brothers is actually pushing the envelope.
And I don't want Japanese developers to create their own Mortal Kombat. That's boring. I saw (and had a friend point out) Arcana Heart 3--it looks like an incredibly fun video game with tons of replay value that's actually on the PSN. But I'd never heard of it before I hopped on PSN, and most people never will. The games that should be at the forefront get shoved off into a corner and we're fed the same old same old.
And I'm sure some people will tell you MvC3 is for "hardcore" fighting fans, but those fifty dudes can't support games on their own. Stop being hipsters and embrace the fact that improvements can be made. It's time out for this barebones approach.
Comments
Post a Comment