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Could Mother 3 have been more successful on the SNES?

Mother 3 was an underrated JRPG from the mid 00’s that may have been released a lot sooner than it should of been. As many people know the legendary Earthbound series began in the late 80’s on the NES with the most high profile entry being released for the SNES back in 1994. Although, Earthbound/Mother 2 failed to be a huge success in terms of sales the game is still considered to be a cult classic while being recognized as one of the greatest RPG’s from the 16-bit era. While the world never got to see an N64 sequel to Mother 2 years following its release Mother 3 eventually appeared on Game Boy Advance exclusively in Japan back in 2006. While Mother 3 is also considered to be a critically acclaimed JRPG its often overlooked especially since it came out during a time period where people were turning away from the Game Boy Advance and began sinking their teeth into the Nintendo DS which came out in 2004. Some wonder whether or not Mother 3 could have been a bigger attraction during the 90’s for the SNES considering the fact that the game looked like it belonged in the 16-bit era of gaming.

However, Mother 2 was not much of an attraction as other RPG’s that appeared on the SNES during the 90’s and its highly unlikely that Mother 3 would have been any different. If Mother 3 was released for the SNES back in the 90’s it would of been too late since ’94 was the same year that more superior consoles such as PS1 and Sega Saturn were released. During the mid to late 90’s the Super NES was no longer the main attraction within the gaming world and 16-bit RPG’s were beginning to decline in popularity by that time. While there is no question that Mother 3 could have definitely worked on SNES during the 90’s its unlikely that it would have been more successful than Mother 2 from ’94. Earthbound 64 was the game that the gaming world was waiting to see following Mother 2 and the world never got to see it since development had ended abruptly around 1999. If anything Mother 3 could have been a slightly bigger attraction on Game Boy Advance anytime between ’02-’04 outside of Japan despite how popular the PokeMon series was within that country and places like America during that time period.

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Should Konami have released more DDR games for Dreamcast?

When we think about big video game franchises that started off in arcade centers around the late 90’s Dance Dance Revolution is one that many retro gamers from that era would most likely remember. The DDR series first began in ’98 and has her around for over two decades with various games from the series appearing in both arcade systems and on numerous consoles since then. There have been countless entries with in DDR series that we have seen in game systems such as PS1, PS2, GameCube, Xbox, Xbox 360 and there was even one installment that appeared on Dreamcast in 00’s entitled Dance Dance Revolution 2nd Mix. Unfortunately, DDR 2nd Mix was the only was the only installment within the series to be featured on Dreamcast despite receiving mainly favorable reviews following its release. As far as arcade style gameplay is concerned Dreamcast was far more superior than the 32 bit PS1. Despite, Dreamcast being a 128 bit console Konami may have went with the decision to release their DDR games mainly PS1/PS2 consoles due to their levels of popularity during early 00’s. While the original DDR was released in arcade centers in ’98 it was eventually ported to PS1 as Japanese exclusive the following year in April 1999.

Seeing that the Sega Dreamcast was available in retail during ’99 its possible that Konami could have ported DDR ’98 to the 128-bit game system within that year. Even though, the PS1 was far more popular than Dreamcast the original DDR game could have shined more in both America & Japan on Sega’s Final game system especially before the PS2 came out in late ’00. In fact, there were quite a few DDR games that were released exclusively in Japanese arcade centers during ’99 that were never ported to any game system. There were titles such as DDR: Best Of Cool Dancers along with different versions of DDR: 2nd Mix that could have been attractions on Dreamcast between late ’99- late-’00. Despite, its level of popularity the PS1 had its faults including lengthy loading times and the lack of optimal quality 3D gameplay which Dreamcast had in 1999 and 2000. By releasing more DDR titles for the PS1/PS2 its quite possible that the series was overshadowed by first party video games from the late 90’s-early 00’s. Its unfortunate that Konami only got to release one DDR game before the sales Dreamcast systems was discontinued in 2001.

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Retro Gaming 00’s- Need For Speed: Most Wanted (2005)

When we think about top-tier racing games to have emerged from the 00’s decade one of the few games that could be listed within category is Need For Speed: Most Wanted from 2005. For those who do not know Need For Speed: Most Wanted was developed by EA Canada & EA Black Box and was published by Electronic Arts prior to appearing on multiple game consoles worldwide. While Need For Speed Most Wanted appeared on the Nintendo DS, GameCube, Microsoft Windows along with the PlayStation Portable the game is best remembered on systems such as the: PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 during its peak in popularity within the mid to late 00’s. Need For Speed: Most Wanted was the successor to the critically acclaimed NFS: Underground 2 game from ’04 which reached over 8 million copies in sales within a short period and was considered arguably the best installment within the entire series. However, Need For Speed: Most Wanted was a game that was praised for mechanical improvements in terms of gameplay over its predecessors as it pertained to racing. In Need For Speed: Most Wanted players had access to more in-depth data regarding hot pursuits from law enforcement than they did in previous installments such as: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2.

Enhancements made to the police pursuit mechanic within Need For Speed: Most Wanted was impressive and allowed players to keep track of certain statistics regarding how many law enforcement units have been evaded. Also, players are able to determine the type of consequences that are associated with the heat level players accumulate when fleeing from cops based on the amount of offenses they have committed. While the pursuit mechanic was designed in a way that added more realism to Need For Speed: Most Wanted the in game modes such as Career, Challenge Series and Quick Race were all death that added to the fun factor of this racing classic. The Career Mode featured in Need For Speed: Most Wanted had a very good story full of twists and turns involving the player’s participation within an illegal street racing scene in Rockport as they attempt to become the number one Blacklist racer in the game. Throughout, the game players are assisted by a key character named Mia Townsend who is revealed to be an undercover cop later in the story as she helps out in defeating other street racers as the story progresses. The downside to starting the Career Mode off included having a limited choice on what they can choose to drive. However, players were able to acquire more vehicles as they defeated other Blacklist drivers within the competition and were able to customize, sell or upgrade their cars in the process. While NFS: Most Wanted did not sell nearly much as Need For Speed: Underground I & II from ’03-’04 its still considered one of the greatest street racing games ever made depending on who you ask.

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Retro Gaming 00’s- Metal Slug 3: (2000)

As many people know the 2D run and gun genre of gaming was popular mainly during the 90’s with games such as GunStar Heroes, Mega Man X, Contra III: Alien Wars, Sunset Riders and many others. It should also be noted that 90’s was the same decade the Metal Slug series began when SNK developed the very first game back in ’96 for the Neo Geo Arcade System. By the time we got to the mid 90’s the 2D run and gun genre of gaming was starting to decline in popularity; but despite the growing popularity of 3D from the mid 90’s onwards the Metal Slug series was still appealing to many casual gamers along with hardcore fans of the run and gun genre. Despite, the very first Metal Slug game coming out in ’96 a majority of gamers would argue that the best installment within the series came towards the start of the new millennium. Metal Slug 3 from ’00 was initially developed and published by SNK had received an arcade release that same year before appearing on the Neo Geo AES worldwide. Following its Neo Geo release Metal Slug 3 appeared on the PS2 in ’03 before coming to Xbox during 2004.

Metal Slug 3 is quite possibly one of the best run and gun video games of all-time as pertained to gameplay. In Metal Slug 3 players had the opportunity to utilize various assault vehicles throughout different levels of the game including a Slug Mariners, Ostrich Slugs, Elephant Slugs, Astro Slugs and others. Players were also allowed to engage in melee combat through actions kicking or utilizing a knife to destroy their opponents who were also skilled combat as well. As players plow through various enemies within each level of the game they have the ability to obtain numerous upgrades to their weapons before confronting a boss at the end of each stage. One of the most interesting features about Metal Slug 3 was its branching path system; players could take multiple paths in order to complete each level and included different sets of challenges depending on which route they took. The action within Metal Slug 3 was nonstop and saw players complete missions underwater, in the air and even in space as they gained access to various equipment that would allow them to do so. One of the more realistic elements of Metal Slug 3 is for players to become zombies after being infected by toxic chemicals which had an adverse effect their character’s movements. Becoming infected by toxic chemicals in the zombie state lead to death and made players think more strategically while trying to complete various levels within Metal Slug 3. Despite, not doing too great in sales the early 00’s was a time period where 2D gaming along with the run and gun genre were no longer mainstream; first and third person shooter games had become increasingly popular throughout the 00’s decade. If Metal Slug 3 were released anytime between the early to mid 90’s there is no question that the game would of became far more successful than it did in ’00.

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Did the racing genre of gaming reach its peak in popularity during 00’s?

Its no secret that the racing genre of gaming has evolved greatly since the 80’s and 90’s where titles such as Outrun, Ridge Racer, Scud Race and Daytona USA were very popular within arcade centers. While we did get to see quit a few racing games that were popular in arcade centers it felt those titles were released during a time period where the genre itself was not too popular. In fact, there were console games that were considered to be far more successful than arcade racing games from a sales standpoint that came out during the 90’s such as Super Mario Kart for the SNES and Gran Turismo which appeared on the PS1. But it was not until the 00’s where 3D racing games started to become more advanced in form of being realistic; the 00’s saw various racing games such as Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec and Race Driver: Grid where players could engage in career modes that allowed players to purchase and customize their vehicles in-depth. Also, some of most critically acclaimed 3D racing games came from the 00’s such as: Gran Turismo 3 & 4, Race Driver: Grid and Need For Speed: Most Wanted that many people in this current generation of gaming would probably enjoy today if they were re-released in high definition.

It should be noted that the 00’s was also the same decade that the Forza Motorsport & Project Gotham series began. The Project Gotham series was a huge attraction on the Xbox/Xbox 360 consoles between ’01-’07 with the second installment quite possibly being the best depending on who you ask. The Forza Motorsport games from ’05-’09 were also Xbox/Xbox 360 exclusives that caught the eyes of many gamers who owned either console. The first three Forza Motorsport games were also praised by critics and the series itself now rivals that of Gran Turismo which remains exclusively on PlayStation consoles. While we have not seen an entry from the Project Gotham series since ’07 Forza is still ongoing to this day. While Forza Horizon 4 from ’18 is considered to be the best game within the entire series it most likely would not have existed if the first couple of entries within the series flopped during the mid to late-00’s.

In addition, to the Gran Turismo and Forza games that we got within the 00’s there were also some pretty cool arcade like racing titles. We also got to see the release of high profile racing games such as: F-Zero GX, Mario Kart: Double Dash and Outrun 2 which were all titles that came out in ’03. While the titles just mentioned were not as popular as GT3, GT4 and others they were also enjoyable racing games with high replay values that would appeal to casual gamers who were fans of the racing genre. As far as optimal visuals and general gameplay is concerned the racing titles of 10’s decade definitely outshine the games of from the 00’s. But there is definitely a degree of accuracy regarding the 00’s being the golden era as pertains to the racing genre of gaming. Mario Kart Wii which was quite possibly the best selling racing game of all-time reached over 37 million in sales following its release back in April 2008. Its hard to believe that a Mario Kart game ended up surpassing every single Gran Turismo game ever made since ’97 including its best sellers GT3, GT4, and GT5; each Gran Turismo game sold between 10-15 million copies worldwide individually. We may never see racing titles from this era onwards sell nearly as much as some of the games that were released during 00’s decade.

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Could Persona 3 have worked on GameCube in 2006?

When we think about underrated RPG’s from the 00’s decade one of the few games that some think about is Persona 3 from 2006. As many people know the Persona series has been around since ’96 and Altus has kept a majority of their major installments on PlayStation consoles since its inception. Despite, the Persons series being around since the mid 90’s it seems like the series did not achieve mainstream popularity until late 00’s- early 10’s following the release of Persona 4 & P4 Golden for the PS3 and the PlayStation Vita between 2008-2012. Since then Atlus released Persona 5 back in ’16 which was highly regarded by most critics as one of the best JRPG’s of the 10’s decade. While Persona 4 & 5 became very popular on a mainstream level as it relates to gaming Persona 3 was not quite one the same level as those two installments. While Persona 3 was a great RPG that praised for its gameplay, visuals and intriguing storyline its possible that the game was overshadowed following its initial release. When Person 3 was first released it appeared on the PlayStation 2 in July 2006 months after the release of Final Fantasy XII in March of that same year.

As far as the 00’s are concerned FFXII was arguably the best Final Fantasy game of that decade and was critically acclaimed by fans and critics alike going on to sell over 6 million copies worldwide for the PS2. Some argue that Persona 3 could have been a bigger attraction on GameCube especially since there were hardly any JRPG’s like it on that console. However, one of the major problems with GameCube was the fact that the console’s hard drive had limited memory space in comparison to the PS2 and even with memory cards Sony’s console was still more superior in terms of saving data. Also, despite how cool GameCube was during the first half of the 00’s the console was not considered to be a commercial success since it managed to sell roughly under 22 million copies worldwide since late ’01. It quite possible that Persona 3 could have been somewhat of an attraction on the Nintendo Wii that console was more popular and successful during the second half of the 00’s decade. But considering how popular the PS2 was throughout the 00’s decade it would not have made any sense for Atlus to have Persona 3 on any other console than the PlayStation 2.

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Retro Gaming 00’s- Gradius V: (2004)

When we think about popular Konami games that came out between the 90’s-early 00’s titles such as Contra III: Alien Wars, Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night, Dance Dance Revolution and others. It seems like most of Konami’s best video games came out during the 99’s which is a statement that many would agree is accurate. However, in the early 00’s we did get to see some cool games that Konami was involved with such as: Silent Hill 2 and Gradius V which were titles that both appeared on the PS2. Gradius V was considered to be the sequel to Gradius IV which was an arcade exclusive in Japan following its release in February 1999. As people know the Gradius series started back in 1985 back when the scrolling shooter of genre was more popular. The side-scrolling shooter genre started to decline in popularity around the mid 90’s onwards and it a bit surprising that Gradius games were still being made between the late 90’s-early 00’s. Gradius V was an arcade line shooter with optimal visuals that allowed both single and multiplayer gameplay. Throughout, the game power-ups can be acquired through destroying enemies in game modes such as Score Attack.

The Weapon’s Array Screen allowed players to choose what type of power-ups they could utilize throughout different levels; players also had the option of customizing the Vic Viper ship using various different weapon combinations which made Gradius V intriguing. As far as sales were concerned Gradius V obviously did not do too well since the scrolling shooter genre of gaming had declined in popularity by the early 00’s. If Gradius V were released a few years earlier sometime around the mid 90’s between the ’94-’97 Time period it could have possibly of been a much bigger attraction than it was on the PS2. As a side scrolling intergalactic shooter game Gradius V was praised by various gaming publications including GamePro & IGN and was seen as game that looked like it belonged in the 90’s decade