As many people know Marvel vs Capcom 3 was one of the most popular crossover fighting games of the 10’s. Ever since its release Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds has remained exclusively on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Unlike, its predecessors Marvel vs Capcom 3 never received an arcade release and was still a huge success in countries such as America and Japan due to the fact that the game was at least a decade in the making. If Marvel vs Capcom 3 was released in arcade centers back in the early 10’s the game could have definitely been somewhat of an attraction.
But ever since online multiplayer gameplay became popular back in the mid to late 00’s it almost seemed like there was no point whatsoever on having an arcade version Marvel vs Capcom 3. The arcade era of gaming ended a long time ago somewhere between the late 90’s and the early 00’s. As popular as Marvel vs Capcom 3 was in the early 10’s an arcade version of the game would not have been as exciting as the online multiplayer experience that people had for the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360.
SM64 is considered to be one of the most legendary 3D Super Mario games of all-time especially since it was the very first that we got to see within the series in general. Super Mario 64 from the mid 90’s was remembered for its critically acclaimed gameplay, graphics and soundtrack making it the second best selling video game for the Nintendo 64. Since its release back in ‘96 Super Mario 64 had reached over 9.8 million copies in terms of worldwide sales before the N64 was ultimately discontinued in 2001. As far as soundtracks are concerned Nintendo arguably produced some of its best work with Super Mario 64 with legendary soundtracks for different levels such as: Koopa’s Road, Bomb-Omb Battlefield and Dire Dire Docks. The soundtracks in SM64 seemed far better than anything from the 2D Mario installments from the NES/SNES era of gaming. Also, there are hardly any 3D Mario games that came after SM64 that had a memorable soundtrack that was on the same level in terms of quality with Super Mario Galaxy from ‘07 possibly being an exception.
The soundtracks in SM64 blended naturally with each level and the amount of creativity that went into the game itself added to its overall replay value. While the soundtrack for SM64 was awesome it should be noted that Nintendo had produced many memorable music scores especially during the 90’s in general. In fact, some would put Mario Kart 64 above SM64 in terms of having more memorable soundtracks with likes of Rainbow Road, Toad’s Turnpike and Raceways. There was definitely a magical aura that some of the N64 Mario games had back then that we rarely see nowadays and its something that long time fans of the series still cherish to this day. While everyone has their own respective opinion on which Mario game has the best soundtracks there is no doubt that SN64 would have to be in the top five on many people’s list.
When people think about some of the most popular pro wrestling games from the 00’s titles such as WWF No Mercy, WWE Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain, WWE Day Of Reckoning 2 and SvR 2006 are all titles that come to mind. In fact, the games just mentioned are among the greatest pro wrestling games ever made depending on who you ask. There are many people who would definitely agree that THQ had produced more memorable pro-wrestling titles in the 00’s than 2K Sports has during a majority of the 10’s decade. While games such as Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain & No Mercy are considered to be legendary Smackdown vs Raw 2007 does not get mentioned in the same light as those two games despite being better terms of overall quality. The graphics for SvR 2007 were incredible and we saw more advanced gameplay than what was included in WWE Here Comes The Pain & SvR 2006. The roster for SvR was deep and included a large list of main event superstars & legends that could be utilized in various game modes including Exhibition & GM Mode. Also, the season mode in SvR 2007. Players were allowed to create their on wrestler and use them in various game modes; including Season Mode which was one of the many strong positives of SvR 2007.
The storylines included in the season mode of SvR 2007 were highly creative and original and added to the overall replay value of the game itself. Players were placed in certain storylines based on what show they were on; and whether or not they world champions within certain parts of the season. The voice acting within the Season Mode of SvR 2007 seemed better than its ‘06 predecessor despite there being minor issues in relation to commentary. The soundtracks in SvR 2007 were also pretty fun to listen to and players had seemingly endless match options to choose from in Exhibition mode including: Royal Rumble, Hell In A Cell, Elimination Chamber, Buried Alive, Parking Lot Brawl and the Money In The Bank ladder match. There were also many unlockable items within SvR 2007 that could be obtained by winning various trophies throughout the game; giving players plenty of things to do after they have gone through season mode multiple times to see various storylines. SvR: 2007 was such a great game because it found a nice balance between arcade-like gameplay and realistic pro-wrestling which is something that is not seen too often nowadays.
SvR 2007 is a game that does not seem to get the type of credit that it deserves and is one that generally flies under the radar as far as best pro wrestling games ever are concerned. The amount of content included in SvR 2007 along with its high replay value, awesome soundtracks and optimal quality in terms of graphics & gameplay makes it an underrated gem in the eyes of many people who are fans of pro wrestling. There are many people would probably agree that the THQ era of pro wrestling games from the 00’s was epic and SvR 2007 along with many others titles from that decade were the reason why. While some feel that SvR 2007 is highly underrated other believe it was one of the best pro wrestling games to come out of that decade overall. While 2K Sports had produced some decent pro wrestling games such as WWE 12, 13, 2K14, 2K16 along with 2K19 there are retro gamers who are still fans of the older THQ titles from the 00’s decade.
As many people know the F-Zero series was very popular back in the 90’s and the 00’s with games appearing on consoles such as: Super Nintendo, N64 and Nintendo GameCube. The very first F-Zero games from ‘91 for Super Nintendo was arguably the most popular installment within the series due to its unique visuals & gameplay with the use of Mode 7. The soundtrack for the original F-Zero game was also pretty unique and was followed by a critically acclaimed 3D sequel in ‘98 entitled F-Zero X for the N64. The last major installment within the F-Zero series that we got to see was GX from ‘03; a game that rivaled the likes of Mario Kart: Double Dash for GameCube in terms of high replay value. Since the early 00’s we never got to see a high profile F-Zero game for consoles such as: Nintendo Wii, Wii-U or the Switch console. While Nintendo may have given up on the F-Zero series over fifteen years ago there are some retro gamer would love to see another entry within the series.
The question is whether or not a new F-Zero game be a huge attraction in the 2020’s decade? One of the closest things that we got to a new F-Zero game was racing title from 2017 entitled Fast RMX for the Nintendo Switch. Fast RMX was a game that was critically acclaimed for the most part since it was reminiscent of older 3D F-Zero games. However, Fast RMX was a racing title that was completely new while also lacking a storyline which detracted from the quality of game in terms of being on the same level as the likes of F-Zero GX. If Nintendo made a brand new F-Zero game similar to GX with emphasis on improved gameplay, high definition cinematic cutscenes and a compelling storyline than it would definitely be a huge attraction. But since Nintendo has shown no interest whatsoever on developing a new F-Zero game it seems very unlikely to happen. The F-Zero has been dead since the 00’s and the racing genre of gaming is not as popular now as it was during that decade.
As many people know Donkey Kong is one of the most iconic names within the gaming world. Ever since the very first Donkey Kong arcade game from ‘81 Nintendo has produced numerous titles within the series that were considered to be classics as it pertained to the platform genre of gaming. However, many people would argue that some of the most successful and high profile games within the entire series came due the 90’s within the SNES/N64 era of gaming. As far as 16-bit platformers are concerned games such as the Donkey Kong: Country trilogy from ‘94-‘96 were considered some of the best titles that Nintendo had produced for SNES. In fact, the Donkey Kong trilogy had reached roughly under million copies worldwide in terms of sales; while each game could give the likes of Super Mario World or any of the three Sonic the Hedgehog games for the Sega Genesis a run for their money. Also, we got to see Donkey Kong 64 for the Nintendo 64 a game that was also successful since it reached over 5.2 million copies in sales since its release in 1999. The success of Donkey Kong 64 was followed after the release of Diddy Kong Racing from ‘97; not only was it the first racing game within the DK set but it too also ended up becoming one of the best selling games for the N64 overall.
Diddy Kong racing reached roughly under five million in sales before the N64 was ultimately discontinued in retail back in 2001. It should also be noted that the Donkey Kong title from ‘94 for Game Boy reaches over three million in sales and is a memorable classic that retro gamers enjoyed as well. If anything the DK series may have reached its peat in popularity during 90’s mainly because the platform genre of gaming declined following that decade. While games like Donkey Kong Country Returns & Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze were attractions on the Wii/Wii-U console during the 10’s decade the series itself was not nearly as popular as it was during the 80’s & 90’s. While everyone has their own respective opinion on which DK games were among the very best many would definitely argue that the most memorable titles within the series came out during 90’s.
One of the biggest news in related to gaming that people have been talking about as of late is the return of G4 TV. As many people know the gaming channel was originally launched back in April 2002 and was ultimately closed down five years ago in late December of 2014. G4 TV was a popular gaming channel which mainly appealed to young adults primarily males between the ages of 18-35; the channel focused on news, reviews and commentary in relation to popular trends within the gaming world. As it currently stands G4 TV has been teased for a return sometime next year on a date that has yet to be revealed. However, its mainly unknown what shows are going to be featured on G4-TV following its upcoming launch in 2021. In fact, we have no idea whether or not G4-TV will reappear as a Twitch stream or a VOD service as of yet. Either way, the return of G4-TV has trending a few dats ago on Twitter and had many people in various gaming communities around the world buzzing.
Back in the early 00’s G4-TV started off as a paid television channel and was very popular when it presented to viewers within that format. While Twitch & YouTube are far more popular nowadays due social media some would argue that making G4-TV as a paid television channel would not be a big of an attraction. However, the COVID-19 pandemic can indirectly contribute to the success of G4-TV next year especially since its not going to die down anytime soon. Many gamers are more likely to check out G4-TV especially since social activity in countries like America are limited due to the ongoing pandemic that the country currently faces. Hopefully, we will learn more details on what to expect from G4-TV within the next few months before its upcoming launch in 2021.
One of the few upcoming games that people are talking about right is a title scheduled to appear on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch sometime this year entitled Hotshot Racing. For those who do not know Hotshot Racing is a upcoming arcade styled racing title developed by Lucky Mountain Games & Sumo Digital Ltd with Curve Digital as the publisher. While the official release date for Hotshot Racing has yet to be revealed a full version of the game is expected to appear on Steam before the ended of Summer 2020. Based on what we know Hotshot Racing has a look that somewhat resemblesold 3D racing games from the arcade era of gaming such as Virtua Racing and Sega Rally. There are several screenshots of Hotshot Racing online giving retro gamers a sense of nostalgia as base 3D polygons are utilized in the level designs along with the vehicles themselves.
Based on what we know Hotshot Racing is a single player game that will feature Online PvP, and Online Co-op gameplay. It should also be noted that additional gameplay features such as: Shared/Split Screen PvP & Co-op gameplay will be featured in Hotshot Racing as well. Despite, not being on the same level as Forza Motorsport or any of the games from the Gran Turismo series Hotshot Racing can still be a big attraction in retail within 2020-2021. This upcoming racing game is one that looks very exciting especially since the genre in general could use more arcade styled racers. Hotshot Racing is one of the few retro-like titles within it genre that the world is looking forward to seeing this year; aside from Inertial Drift which is set to be released on August 7th for multiple game systems. Hopefully, we will learn more information about the official release date for Hotshot Racing as it pertains to the PS4, Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch.
One of the few stories that has been making headlines as of late concerns the Mass Effect Trilogy from 2012 and how a new art book will available in retail sometime in the near future. The Mass Effect Trilogy was released back ‘12 for game systems such as PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 and included downloadable content based on what version of the game players purchased. Based on what we know the new art book for the Mass Effect Trilogy is expected to appear in retail in February 2021; but the game is currently available for pre-order at Amazon for $29.47. Based on what we know the Art Of the Mass Effect Trilogy is expected to include new concept art for DLC content that appeared in each game. Also, The Art Of The Mass Effect Trilogy: Expanded Edition will most likely have around 90 pages of brand new content which is something that will definitely arouse the interest of long time fans of the series.
While many people are excited about the up Artbook for the Mass Effect Trilogy the question people are asking themselves is whether or not EA will make a remaster version of all three games or not. In fact, there are some who wonder whether or not we will see a Mass Effect 4 in the future. Its common knowledge that the Mass Effect series has been on a hiatus due to the controversy surrounding the ending of Mass Effect 3 since it was considered to be a let down by critics and fans alike. There is no word on whether or not Electronic Arts plans on remastering the Mass Effect Trilogy or possibly coming out with a potential Mass Effect 4 game; the Mass Effect Trilogy Artbook that we are going to get next year is something that is definitely worth checking out.
One of the most highly anticipated games that people are looking forward to seeing one the Xbox One/Xbox Series X in the future is Fable 4. For those who are unaware the Fable series began back in ‘04 with the very last installment within the series Fable III appearing on the Xbox 360 back in 2010. Out of all of the Fable games that we got to see since 2004 many people would go on record and argue that Fable II was the best installment within the entire series. Since its initial release back ‘08 Fable II reached at least 3.5 million in sales; arguably becoming the successful installment within the series despite the very first Fable game having a lot of strong points as well. The teaser trailer for Fable 4 has given us insight on what to expect in terms of gameplay with the inclusion of mythical creatures such as fairies along with elements of magic.
The storyline for Fable 4 is also supposed to be very intriguing considering the fact that Albion has seemingly faced destruction from an asteroid wished into existence by a King who takes over Tattered Spire from Fable II. Its also been discovered that Guild & Theresa are on a different planet while hiding from all of the madness brought in by the King; players will be able to gain access to the planet with the use of a demon door. It should also be noted that Fable 4 will also feature multiplayer gameplay along with the main story that is single player as well. As it currently stands there is no official release date for Fable 4 but its expected to appear on the Xbox Series X sometime between 2021-2022. Hopefully, we will learn more information about Fable 4 before the end of 2020 regarding the actual gameplay along with new features that we may see in this upcoming installment.
One of the few games that the world is looking forward to seeing is NFL Madden 21 which is scheduled for a release this upcoming month in late August 2020. The PlayStation 4 & Xbox One version of NFL Madden 21 is expected to appear in retailers on August 28th while the PS5 along with the Xbox Series X version of the game are expected to be released during Q4 of 2020. The official release date for the PS5 & XBX versions of the game have yet to be revealed and we are still waiting to learn more about NFL Madden 21 than what we already know. There were many people who were thrilled after seeing the reveal trailer for the game and since then we have learned some basics on what to expect in NFL Madden 21. It has been revealed that new gameplay mechanics will be a huge part of Madden 21 along with modifications to certain features that were present in Madden 20 from ‘19.
The gameplay features that have been the key focus in relation to Madden 21 included ball stick carrier controls, better tackling, enhanced pass rush controls along with more celebration options than what the layers got in Madden 20. Also, Madden 21 will feature a new game mode entitled Rise To Fame which is considered to be a documentary-like career mode as player try to enter the Hall of Fame. Long time fans of the Madden series will be happy to one that X-factor feature will be making a return in Madden 21; along the introduction of new abilities that will provide players with a more satisfying gaming experience. While its also be confirmed that Franchise Mode will be returning in Madden 21 people were initially disappointed by what they saw and demanded a complete overhaul that differs from what we have seen in previous games. Hopefully, patches to the Franchise Mode in NFL Madden 21 will be made in a timely manner and we get a well polished football game by the time it comes out during late August 2020.
One of the few upcoming games that the world is looking forward to seeing this in Fall 2020 is NBA 2K21. NBA 2K21 will be published by 2K Sports and developed by Visual Concepts and released for multiple game systems including PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch along with mobile devices as well. The Standard version of NBA2K21 will priced around $59.99 for the PS4 & Xbox One. It has also been rumored that the Standard Edition for the PS5 and the Xbox Series X will be priced around $69.99 since they are both next-generation game systems. It has also been revealed that a special edition of NBA2K21 known as Mamba Forever will include the late-great Kobe Bryant and will be available for game consoles for roughly around $100 as well. The Mamba Forever Edition will come with a whole set of features including 10,000 MyTEAM Points, 100,000 Virtual Currency, 60 MyCAREER Skill Boasts, 40 MyTEAM Promo Packs, 30 Gatorade Boasts and more.
As it currently stands we have hardly seen any official gameplay footage for NBA2K21 and many people are wondering what 2K Sports has in store for long time fans of the NBA 2K series. While some are hoping for the return of mini-games from NBA 2K20 that utilized slot-machines, pachinko and roulette wheels in this year’s installment; those were subjected to controversy by critics along with looting. There is no word right now on whether or not those mini games will return in NBA 2K21 but there is no doubt that MyTEAM along with MyCAREER has already been confirmed to return to 2K Sports upcoming basketball game. Depending on what console you purchase NBA 2K21 for players will be able to get the standard version of the game with either Damien Lillard or Zion Williamson pictured on the cover. We are most likely going to learn more details about NBA2K21 along with seeing more footage of the game this upcoming in August 2020.
