Dear Nintendo, please greenlight Switch sequels to these games

Now that the Switch is not only a reality but a runaway success, I can't help but daydream about all the games Nintendo could greenlight for it.

I say greenlight here rather than make, by the way, because I know Nintendo doesn't develop all of the games it publishes. The Kirby series, made by HAL Laboratory, is a good example. Game Freak's Pokémon series is another.

We already know new Kirby and Pokémon games are being prepped for Switch, of course, so no need to beg for them here. New Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, Metroid, and Yoshi Switch game are in the works, too.

What more could a Nintendo fan and Switch owner want? Plenty. Personally, I'd like to see sequels to all the following games come to the hybrid console at some point in its lifetime.

Balloon Kid--Nintendo can be so weird sometimes. How else would you describe the company's decision to follow up 1985's classic Balloon Fight with 1990's great-but-should-have-been-even-greater Balloon Kid--and then never again return to the helium-supported series? Given that, I can't imagine Nintendo's prepping another Balloon Fight--or, better yet, another Balloon Kid--game for Switch, but I'd sure love it if that were the case.

Drill Dozer--Here's another surprise. I mean, I doubt this Game Freak-made platformer set the sales charts on fire in the months following its 2005 release (in Japan; it came out a year later in North America), but it's become a bit of a cult classic in the ensuing years. As such, I could see a good number of Switch owners welcoming a new Drill Dozer with open arms. The question is: does anyone want to make such a game? (Note: I'll accept a "no" answer if it's because Game Freak's busy producing another Pocket Card Jockey title.)



Endless Ocean--One of the great tragedies of the Wii era (in my personal opinion, of course) was that Endless Ocean didn't become even a tenth of the worldwide hit Wii Sports and Wii Fit became. Considering the console's casual-leaning ownership base, I really thought a game that tossed players into the ocean and then set them free to explore to their heart's content was a million-plus-seller in the making. Well, not only didn't Endless Ocean sell millions, but it sold so poorly Nintendo decided against paying developer Arika to produce a sequel for the Wii U. Here's hoping the company's bigwigs come to their senses and give the thumbs for Switch title.

F-Zero--Now that Nintendo seems interested in Metroid again, could it similarly revitalize its long-ignored F-Zero series? I have my doubts. Still, I can't help but hold out hope the Switch is home to the first F-Zero title since GP Legend and Climax hit the GameBoy Advance in 2003 and 2004.



Hotel Dusk--What's less likely than an F-Zero Switch game? A new Hotel Dusk for the hybrid system. That's mainly because CiNG--the developer behind that 2007 point-and-click adventure (read some of my thoughts on it here) and its 2010 sequel, Last Window--filed for bankruptcy seven years ago. Still, some of that company's former employees recently came together to make Chase: Cold Case Investigations ~Distant Memories~ for the 3DS. Although most who played that eShop title considered it a disappointment (myself included), I'd give its devs another shot if they could rope Rika Suzuki (Hotel Dusk's and Last Window's writer) into the project.

Ice Climber--I may very well be the only living soul who'd like to see Nintendo release an update to this masochistic Famicom and NES game. Sadly, I think an Ice Climber sequel would've fared best on the dual-screened DS (imagine it: pixel-based graphics, a jumping mechanism that doesn't make you want to yank out all your hair, and mountains that go on for days), but since that failed to happen, I'll ask for it to be made for Switch. To be honest, I'm not even sure how such a game would play out, although one thing's a must: Nana and Popo would have to be easier to control this time around.

Kid Icarus--I've wanted a "real" Kid Icarus sequel since I first played the original NES game as a kid. Uprising was nice and all (not that I've played it), but what I'm talking about here is a two-dimensional side-scroller that takes the 8-bit title's blueprint and expands upon it. Sure, a SNES sequel à la Super Metroid would've been perfect, but the same could be accomplished on the Switch, so that's what I'll wish for here. (For more on why I love Kid Icarus, read my "10 Most Influential Games" post devoted to it.)

Luigi's Mansion--Considering 2013's Dark Moon seemingly met with sales success all around the globe, I have to imagine Nintendo's already hard at work on a follow-up for Switch. If not, I hope they get on it soon, as I thoroughly enjoyed what I've played of the series' first two titles.

Mole Mania--Nintendo's failure to give this GameBoy classic a second chance is right up there with its failure to properly follow up Balloon Kid and Drill Dozer, in my humble opinion. Of course, the original release was met with disinterest around the globe, so I guess I can't criticize the hesitation too harshly. Still, Mole Mania's now widely considered an overlooked gem, so why not throw its many fans a bone by giving them a Switch sequel? Even an eShop-only effort would suffice, if you ask me.

Panel de Pon--For some dumb reason, the powers that be at Nintendo think the masses--outside of Japan, especially--would rather play Tetris Attack or Puzzle League than the syrupy sweet Panel de Pon. Is the assumption here that Westerners hate games that are slathered in pastels and star adorable fairies? If so, I respectfully disagree. I'll forgive the company its trespasses, however, if it offers up a new Panel de Pon for Switch that harkens back to the Super Famicom original.

BONUS ROUND: Tomato Adventure--Now that nearly everyone is burned out on the Mario & Luigi series, Nintendo should give developer AlphaDream a break and have it produce another Tomato Adventure. This time, though, they'd better release the game outside of Japan.

This video of Super Mario Maker's adorable Ice Climbers costume just made my week

I don't own a Wii U. I also don't own a copy of Super Mario Maker. I wish I owned them, though, because if I did, I'd be all over both when the Ice Climbers costume showcased in the following video  is added to the latter.

That's supposed to happen later this week in Japan, by the way. Most folks think it won't be long until it's made available to Super Mario Maker players in other regions, too.



In the meantime, you could do worse than spend some time reading up on the Famicom (or NES, if that's more your kind of thing) game that inspired this drool-worthy bit of DLC. Here's my rather pithy review of Ice Climber, for instance, and here are a couple of photos of (as well as a few thoughts on) that same title's gorgeous Japanese packaging.

If you're still begging for more, check out these write-ups about the Famicom Disk System version of Ice Climber: 'For the sixth game of Christmas, the UPS man brought to me...' and 'Reason #401 I could be considered an eccentric (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer'

See also: 'I think I've changed my mind about Ice Climber'

I've already spent $5 on Nintendo Badge Arcade; how about you?

Did I say $5? What I meant to say was $10.

What on earth prompted me to hand over $10 of real-world money to play the just-released 3DS application-cum-bottom-line-stuffer called Nintendo Badge Arcade?



I'll give you three reasons, with the first being the BOXBOY! badges Nintendo plopped onto its claw machine-esque app in early November, and the second and third being the Pikmin and Pushmo badges that followed closely behind.

Thankfully, I've since come to my senses and I haven't plunked any more of my hard-earned cash into Nintendo Badge Arcade for at least a couple of days now.



All bets are off, though, if Nintendo cruelly decides to tease me with some Ice Climber or Kid Icarus badges in the coming weeks.

Strangely, despite my unhealthy fascination with the Nintendo Badge Arcade and a good portion of its offerings so far, I've yet to do a whole lot with the spoils I've yanked from the app.

In fact, at the moment, I've simply got a handful of adorable Pikmin creatures traipsing along the top of my favorite 3DS icons. (Previously, I used my BOXBOY! badges to conjure up a slightly more creative scene, but I quickly replaced it because I found it too busy.)

How about you guys and gals? Have you put any time into Nintendo Badge Arcade? If so, which of its many digital pins have most attracted your attention?

Reason #401 I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer

Let's make this one simple, shall we? Thanks to my recent acquisition of the Famicom Disk System version of Ice Climber, I now own three copies of this Nintendo-made platformer.

Why on earth do I need three copies of one game? Well, I wouldn't say I need them, for starters. Also, all three copies aren't exactly the same.

That said, two copies of the game are pretty much the same. You see, the first copy I bought was a "loose" one--consisting of just the Japanese Famicom cart. The second copy, picked up in early November and detailed in this previously published post, on the other hand, is of the "complete in box" variety.

The third copy (seen at right), though, is of the Famicom Disk System version of the game. That makes it different from the others in format, of course, but did you know the disk version differs from the cart version in other ways, too?

For instance, the FDS iteration features an animated intro screen--seen at the start of this video--that shows Popo and Nana chipping the words "Ice Climber" out of a block of ice (or something like that). It also includes a stage-select screen, level layouts that differ from those found in the cartridge version, occasional weather effects (wind and snowstorms that impede your progress through a particular stage) and more. (More info on the differences between these versions can be found in the description of this YouTube video, by the way.)

Does all of the above make me any less bat-shit crazy for owning three copies of a game I used to despise? Probably not, but I don't care. Now please forgive me while I attempt to get past this version's fifth stage...

See also: Other reasons I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer and previous Ice Climber posts

For the sixth game of Christmas, the UPS man brought to me ...

... the Famicom Disk System version of Ice Climber.

Why did I buy yet another version of this classic, confounding game? Because this version differs from the Famicom/NES version in a number of ways. (The main ones: It includes all-new stages that don't appear in its cartridge-based counterpart, some of which feature weather effects that make the game even more challenging than it was originally.)



Another reason I bought this version: The banana-yellow disk seen in the photo above. (One or two more photos of the game can be seen in my Flickr photostream.) Oh, and it was less than $10.

See also: Previous '12 Games of Christmas' posts

The Great Gaymathon Review #46: Ice Climber (Famicom)

Game: Ice Climber

Genre: Platformer

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

System: Famicom

Release date: 1985

It could and should go without saying that Ice Climber is unlikely to be everyone's cup of tea. Hell, it wasn't even my cup of tea until a month or so ago. Why? For me, it began and ended with the game's frustratingly stiff, Mario Bros.-esque jumping mechanism.

If you've never played this early Nintendo-published title, that's a problem because the point of Ice Climber is to help its parka-wearing, mallet-wielding protagonists--Popo is the guy, Nana is the gal--make their way from the base of some 20-odd mountains to their peaks. You do this by forcing them, via your controller's A and B buttons, to bound from platform to platform while bashing, or even avoiding, pesky enemies like tottering seals ("Topi"), swooping birds ("Nitpickers") and sunglasses-sporting polar bears. (For some weird reason, a blood-red condor stole Popo and Nana's cross-eyed vegetables and stashed them atop said snow-covered bluffs.)

Is the game's stilted jumping mechanism a deal-breaker? It will be for some, and it was for me originally, but it doesn't have to be. The key is to embrace and accept it. After that, things become much more manageable. You'll still struggle, of course, but it won't be a pull-out-your-hair kind of struggle--or at least it isn't for me.

That's because there's a lot to like about this game once you get over Popo's and Nana's leaping abilities (or lack thereof). For instance, there's the game's rather jazzy soundtrack. Its graphics are pretty nice, too, although a bit repetitive. My favorite part of this classic platformer, though? Those aforementioned veggies. What can I say? I like games with produce.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

Queer pixels

One of my favorite gayming-related tumblogs, Video Games Made Me Gay, recently turned me on to a similarly themed (and similarly fabulous) tumblog called 48 Pixeles.

I'm not yet sure why it's called 48 Pixeles, to tell you the truth, but it really doesn't matter. What does matter: It shines a light on gay-positive illustrations that were created by the tumblog's proprietor (or is it proprietress?) by combing--and sometimes slightly editing--game sprites.

This Yie Ar Kung-Fu image perfectly exemplifies the content of this wonderfully fun--and totally gay--tumblog:

This Final Fantasy V-inspired illustration is pretty darn magnificent, too, don't you think?

I'm also quite fond of this Bomberman-inspired one:

Other games currently represented on 48 Pixeles: The Adventures of Link, Harvest Moon, Ice Climber, The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Ganbare Goemon), Maniac Mansion and Tetris.

See also: 'Another great gayming tumblog: Games With Boys' and 'Video games made him gay'

Behold: My complete-in-box copy of Ice Climber

I'm sure it seems silly that I used the word "behold" in the headline above. Honestly, I couldn't help but use it, as I really like the art that appears on the box and cart covers of my latest acquisition: A "complete" copy of the Famicom version of Ice Climber.

You know what else I really like? This game! I know that's kind of a shocking admission--after all, I've said in the past that it was frustrating to the point of annoyance--but I've truly had a change of heart when it comes to this classic platformer. Now if I could just make it past the fifth stage...

Oh, and in case you're wondering: Yes, it's impossible for me to take a straight-on photo of a game. I try to do so every once in a while, but the resulting shot either bores or otherwise displeases me.

Anyway, if you'd like to see a few more photos of this particular copy of Ice Climber, check out my Flickr photostream at your earliest convenience. Also, check out a few previous blog posts--such as this one and this one--for more of my thoughts (both good and bad) on this chilly title.

I think I've changed my mind about Ice Climber

I don't know how you spent your weekend, but I spent a good chunk of mine playing Ice Climber. Why? Well, mostly because I wanted to make sure I didn't completely waste my hard-earned money when I bought a copy of the Famicom version of this Eskimo-centric platformer the week before.

So, what's the verdict? Given my previously expressed opinions of the game, you could be forgiven for supposing my answer would be something along the lines of, "What have I done?" In fact, though, I'm feeling pretty darn good about my purchase.

I don't know what changed, but after years of dismiss- ing this Kenji Miki-designed title as a difficult-to-control turd I'm starting to think it's actually a difficult-to-control treasure.

OK, so treasure is likely too strong a word to use in regards to Ice Climber, but so is turd. Yes, the stiff, Mario Bros.-esque jumping mechanism can make things mighty frustrating (to put it mildly), but after you accept and get a hang of that fact the game becomes a lot more attractive.

After all, said jumping mechanism, while a smidge maddening, is, in my mind, the only negative aspect of this rather ancient release (it hit store shelves all the way back in 1985). Its title and end-of-stage tunes, composed by Akito Nakatsuka, are surprisingly and appealingly jazzy, for instance, while its graphics--its parka-wearing protagonists, Popo and Nana, and the cross-eyed vegetables they're tasked with rescuing, especially--are undeniably cute.

All that said, I won't hold it against anyone who refuses, for whatever reason, to join me in standing behind this strange little game.

See also: 'Second chances: The New Zealand Story' and 'Why I'm not yeti a fan of Ice Climber (har har)'

Uh, I bought a copy of Ice Climber, too

You know how I said (in this post) that I used a portion of my Xenoblade Chronicles refund to pick up a cheap, complete-in-box copy of Hello Kitty World? Well, last night I used another chunk of that refund to buy a complete-in-box copy of Ice Climber.

As was the case with the above-mentioned Balloon Kid clone, I wasn't planning to pick up a copy of Ice Climber anytime soon. While keeping an eye on the Hello Kitty World auction, though, I came across an auction for the Famicom version of Nintendo's early, Eskimo-themed platformer and couldn't help but throw my hat into the proverbial ring for it.

Who could pass up such an awesome cover? Not I.

In the end, I won the auction and walked away with a complete-in-box copy of Ice Climber for a fraction of the price I was expecting to pay for it. (Most such copies of the Famicom version of the game go for $60 or more on eBay. I got it for less than half of that.)

Why did I waste my money on a game that I've bad-mouthed in the past? I'm embarrassed to admit it, but my main reason for buying it is that I really like its cover art (above).

Tingle's Ice Climber

In early 2007, Nintendo of Japan released a Club Nintendo-exclusive game called Tingle's Balloon Fight. It's basically a re-skinned version of one of the company's classic Famicom/NES titles--starring that odd Legend of Zelda character, Tingle, rather than the nameless, titular "Balloon Fighters" of the original, of course.

I played a bit of Tingle's Balloon Fight while on vacation last week. The experience took my mind to some crazy places. Case in point: The following doodle--of Tingle in Ice Climber drag.

Two similar drawings can be seen in my deviantart gallery and in my Flickr photostream.

Wouldn't it be cool if Nintendo released a bunch of these re-imaginings? Along with a Tingle's Ice Climber, they could make a Tingle's Wrecking Crew, for instance, or even a Super Tingle Bros. Hmm, I think I now know the subject of my next few doodles.

Speaking of Ice Climber ...

... I came across the following flyer while searching for some art that could accompany my previous post.

It's a bit crazy, no?

I'm particularly fond of the "Haf! Haf!" that seems to be coming from the mouth of the Eskimo in the pink parka. I mean, what in the hell is that supposed to mean?

(Via gamingsanctuary.com)

Why I'm not yeti a fan of Ice Climber (har har)

This past weekend I surprised myself by spending a bit of quality time with a game I hadn't played in years: Ice Climber.

I didn't own this Kenji Miki-designed game as a youngster, but I definitely rented it once or twice. Unfortunately, I can't remember whether I liked it or not. If I had to guess, though, I'd say I was a bit torn about it. After all, I obviously liked it enough to rent it a few times but not enough to actually buy it.

Well, that still pretty much sums up how I feel about Ice Climber after playing it again a few days ago.

On the one hand, there's a lot to love about this antique platformer, what with its bright and charming graphics and jazzy soundtrack. On the other, there's plenty to hate about it, too--like its horrendous, Mario Bros.-esque jumping mechanism.

Unfortunately, said mechanism all but kills my ability to enjoy the game. I say "all but" because, despite the fact that the above-mentioned shortcoming causes me to swear like a sailor every time I play the game, I keep going back to it like a moth to a flame.

The question is: Is my undeterred interest in the game due to its redeeming-despite-its-difficulty qualities or is it, quite simply, due to the fact that I'm a masochist?

So, where's the Kuribo's Shoe plushie?

Deviantartist Michele Legendre (aka misscoffee) recently posted to her gallery a number of her handmade, game-inspired plushies. My favorite: The artist's absolutely adorable Tanooki Mario figure.

Misscoffee's Frog Suit Mario plushie is pretty fabulous, too, but I had to dock it a few points due to the fact that I've always hated the frog suit. (My least favorite of Mario's many power-ups? Possibly.)

BTW, if you're an Ice Climber fan, you have to check out (here) misscoffee's plushified versions of Popo and Nana.

(Via tomopop.com, by way of 4colorrebellion.com)