Is Metal Gear Solid still a classic? (pic: Konami)
The Tuesday letters page considers the possibility of a Super Mario Bros. or Zelda remake, as one reader laments Charles Martinet’s retirement.
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Changing times
I’m sure Konami deciding not to change anything in Metal Gear Solid has more to do with cost-cutting than artistic integrity, but I do wonder how any of these games are going to stand up in terms of not just the script but gameplay and basic plot.
Hideo Kojima always had weird pervy stuff in the games and I’d say Metal Gear Solid 5, the most recent one, was the worst, with that ridiculous explanation for why Quiet was half naked. Although the worst thing was how proud of the excuse he was, and that he clearly didn’t see anything wrong with it.
My memory of Metal Gear Solid 3 is that it was the most awesome game ever made but I’m not sure how it’s going to stand up almost 20 years later. I’m tempted to give that a go just on its own but given how Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2 were kind of clunky even at the time, I’m not sure about that.
They were clever and innovative, but they were definitely never perfect and very much products of their time. I really think these games need remakes to bring them up to modern standards, not just remasters, and while they may have been good back in the day I think you’d have trouble convincing anyone of that today, that didn’t play them originally.
Crossky
It was he, Mario
Sad to hear of Charles Martinet being pensioned off but since he’s pretty old I guess it was inevitable soon. I do hope they don’t get rid of Mario’s Italian accent though. I much preferred when he was going on about spaghetti and ravioli when idle but now he seems just that bit more bland and generic.
At the very least if they’re going to take things out of his personality they’ve got to replace them with new quirks. If he’s not from Italy or New York then where is he from and what’s that like? Paper Mario: The Thousands-Year Door gave the best look of everyday life in the Mushroom Kingdom but we’ve never had anything like that since.
If Nintendo want a follow-up to Super Mario RPG than a proper Paper Mario that’s still an RPG would be the best thing as far as I’m concerned.
HBR
I’m #1 so why try harder
Crazy to see how well the PlayStation 5 is still selling while a) Xbox pulls out all the stops and b) Sony does absolutely nothing. Maybe they do know what they’re doing: if you’ve got nothing to say just keep your mouth shut.
I do wonder how much Starfield is going to change the situation though. I’m sure we’ll get lots of stuff from Microsoft about console sales going up 300% but 300% of nothing is still nothing, so unless they give actual numbers it’s meaningless.
As a PlayStation 5 owner I had hoped that Xbox’s resurgence would force Sony’s hand but they’re still not doing anything, I guess because they see the sales figures and think why bother. I get it, but it’s getting kind of annoying.
Miles Prowler
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The remake fad
There’s one company that’s never really got into the remake fad and I wonder if Nintendo would ever consider changing their mind? They’ve done a few remasters and I guess Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp counts as a remake but that’s about it that I can think of.
Personally, I’d be really interested in seeing the first Mario and Zeldas recreated using something similar to HD-2D or maybe 3D Dot Game Heroes, if anyone remembers that. They could keep the gameplay 2D, and kind of retro looking, but add tons of effects and special features.
Perhaps more interestingly they could have a go at fixing Super Maro Bros. 2 and Zelda 2 to make them a bit more coherent. It seems like an obvious money maker to me and I’d definitely be interested in seeing them.
Onibee
Don’t Rush
Not surprised to hear that Bomb Rush Cyberfunk doesn’t really work as well as people will have been hoping. I played Jet Set Radio on my old Dreamcast about six month ago and was upset to find it was almost unplayable. It’d be easy enough to fix the camera and controls but I’m not sure what you’ve got left after that.
The problem with games that old is that them just existing was half the appeal at the time and there often wasn’t much room for complex gameplay. I mean, this was only four years after Super Mario 64! A agree a remake or a modern sequel is what’s needed, being purposefully retro like this isn’t going to help anyone.
Gadfly
Different times
Following your Baldur’s Gate 3 review, can we take it at face value that you think Divinity: Original Sin 2 is the better game?
It might be obvious because of the scores but I’d be interested in any quick comparison notes. I’m facing a bit of a dilemma in terms of which to play when I’m done with Zelda.
I already own and have partially played Divinity (just past the first chapter) so it makes sense to pick it back up and prioritise it after several years on the shelf. But there are a few things I need to weigh up, such as the fact my gaming time is currently more valuable to me than my gaming budget, so having to buy the newer game is less of a deterrent.
Plus, I’m considering restarting Divinity because I wasn’t the biggest fan of the party I ended up with. I was also considering jumping from the PlayStation 4 version to the Switch version (which I don’t own) so I could play in portable mode, which might get me more invested.
But other than maybe some superficial elements like the graphics and the official Dungeons & Dragons affiliation, would you say Baldur’s Gate 3 does anything better than Larian’s predecessor (especially for computer role-playing noobs) or is it a clear cut answer for you?
Panda
GC: Review scores don’t work like that, not for a six-year-old game. We will say it’s more consistent, though, if nothing else.
Flip a coin
I just have a quick question about Switch 2. I was going to buy Pikmin 4 but after a year of not using it my Switch will not power on, it isn’t having any of it.
So, the question is do I buy a Switch now or wait for Switch 2, assuming backwards compatibility with the original game cards?
Mitchell
PS: I know Peter Cushing’s estate gave permission for the CGI travesty but that doesn’t make it right.
GC: There’s no way to answer that. We try to avoid predicting Nintendo at the best of times, but we definitely don’t want to when people are making spending decisions.
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Give me an excuse
I’m not one for writing letters usually, and I do wonder why I’m responding here. But the discourse around Baldur’s Gate 3 has got me thinking about elements of modern pop culture discourse that I find slightly maddening.
I read your Reader’s Feature from Don, who made his case for why Baldur’s Gate 3 was such a bad game, despite apparently never having played it. He mentioned Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom in his comment, as if that and Baldur’s Gate 3 could not both be good at the same time.
Similarly, I saw letters from readers along the lines of ‘Baldur’s Gate 3 hasn’t got a perfect score, so it’s obviously too good to be true/not worth bothering with.’ This is also a strange mindset as we’re talking 4/5 or 9/10.
I do not really understand this sort of, ‘All or nothing, my team’s better than yours’ mentality that seems to run through everything these days. It’s perfectly possible for Baldur’s Gate 3 to be a good game and not your cup of tea. It’s also possible for it to have flaws and bugs and still be a fun game to play.
I should stress that I’ve seen similar all or nothing thinking among BG3 supporters too. Can’t we just enjoy BG3 for what it is, celebrate the quality of games being released this year, and let Larian have their newfound success? Not everything needs to be a competition.
Mark
GC: In a lot of cases people will be looking, consciously or otherwise, for an excuse not to get a game, especially one in a franchise or genre they are unfamiliar with. Given the costs involved, and the inability to resell it digitally, we think that’s perfectly understandable.
Inbox also-rans
I’ve been using the internet for decades and I genuinely think this Starfield menu argument may be the dumbest thing one I’ve ever heard. Just think of the brain cells wasted on discussing it!
Winston
I wonder if the declining quality of The Witcher TV show will affect interest in The Witcher 4 when it’s eventually unveiled. There must be a lot of people now that only know it from Netflix.
Focus
This week’s Hot Topic
The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was suggested by reader Simon, who asks what is your favourite level or set piece in a video game?
Many games nowadays don’t have levels as such, but any distinct section of a game will do, including areas or missions in an open world game. What was it you enjoyed so much about the level and how did it compare to other elements of the game, especially the sections immediately before and after it?
Have you played a game where one level was significantly better than any other part of it and did you still feel the game was worth playing just to experience that?
E-mail your comments to: [email protected]
The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.
MORE : Weekend Hot Topic: Your next video game hardware purchase
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The Tuesday letters page considers the possibility of a Super Mario Bros. or Zelda remake, as one reader laments Charles Martinet’s retirement.
