These days, it feels like we’ve seen just about everything there is to see in gaming. On consoles, world maps and graphics are getting bigger and better all the time; in online gaming markets, interaction and multiplayer options are so immersive they spawn entire communities of competing gamers; and in a recent article we detailed how even old, classic arcade games like Pac-Man remain alive through adaptations in new formats.
With all this going on, it’s hard to think of things a gamer could still want! But we went ahead and gave it some thought anyway. Just for the sake of conversation, here are some games we’d love to see that never quite materialized.
Pokémon Mobile
Game Freak will only bring Pokémon to mobile if it solves a ‘problem’
This one just seems like a no-brainer. Pokémon was one of the biggest sensations in video game history, and yet its games are so simple and old school they’re ideal for mobile screens. According to iDigitalTimes, Nintendo is actually partnering with DeNA to branch out onto mobile platforms, and the Big N is making all of its IP available for new gaming ideas. However, there’s no specific word just yet of a new Pokémon game (or a reboot of an old one). Hopefully we’ll get that word before long, but for now, it seems like “Pokémon Mobile” may be the best and most lucrative video game that doesn’t exist yet.
Civilization: Console Edition
Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution – Xbox 360 (Greatest Hits)
Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise is a favourite for a lot of gamers, and many think it’s still the best strategy game series out there. It’s also full of pretty modern versions and updates, such as the three Civilization V alternate versions you can download from Sid Meier’s site. Maybe it’s best not to mess with a great thing… but maybe it’s also time for the Vic games to move to consoles and employ live action. If you’ve played these games before, can you imagine combining the strategic process with live action war scenes and a bigger map and longer timeline? It could be something like Assassin’s Creed-meets-Civ. That sounds like a game anyone would love to play.
Super Mario 64 II
Let’s Play Super Mario 64 Co-op -2- (w/ Multiplayer Mod 1.2) W41
There have been a ton of great Super Mario games, and it’s hard to describe in words what sets Super Mario 64 apart. At the time, the game was pretty advanced, and its 9.8 rating on IGN is among the highest in pretty much any popular gaming franchise. And yet, despite other games employing similar themes, gameplay, and so forth, there’s no clear-cut sequel to arguably the best Mario adventure of all time. Nintendo’s next major console needs to hit the shelves with a bang (given that Wii U has become an afterthought next to PS4 and Xbox One), and a sequel to Super Mario 64 would be a great way to do it.
300: The Video Game
This one is truly baffling. 300, despite the fact that its sequel was horrendous, was one of the most exciting and original action films in years. Even so, it never got a live action game worth playing. Among other pop culture-referencing titles, there are 300-inspired games like one called 300 Shields that’s quite clearly based on the film. It uses Spartan warrior imagery and certain 300 themes and concepts to provide a different spin on a slot machine game, and does so to pretty good effect. There are a few cheesy 300 app games as well, but they come with great graphics and, sigh, useless gameplay. But can you imagine a full-blown 300 console game (ideally with Gerard Butler’s voice involved)? Given how much people love machine-gunning endless waves of the undead in zombie games, it’s hard to imagine there wouldn’t be an appeal to punching, slashing, and kicking droves of Persian “immortals” as a small band of Spartan warriors! Perhaps
The Avengers Video Game
The Avengers – Video Game Gameplay Footage
Marvel’s Avenger characters aren’t exactly hurting when it comes to video games. There are plenty of options, in app form, in LEGO console games, and perhaps most notably in a terrific MMO. And yet, even with the capability of modern consoles to create enormous, beautiful worlds and mind-blowing action, it seems strange that there isn’t an open-world action game based on The Avengers. Most gamers love having options in action titles—different types of characters, weapons, etc.—and Marvel would most likely have an instant hit on its hands by allowing players to embody the various Avengers (or even villains). This one feels like it has to be coming at some point… Right?