Round Table: Other Pipe Dreams

A few other staffers weigh in with some of their personal dream games.

By Nintendojo Staff. Posted 08/02/2013 10:00 1 Comment     ShareThis

You’ve already seen a couple of our dream games this week, but we’re not quite done yet. A few more Dojo staffers gather together to share their personal “pipe dreams,” from unique Zelda spin-offs to sequels to some of N64’s forgotten gems. Check them out below!


Katharine Byrne

The Pokémon wagon has long since driven into the distance for me, but that still doesn’t mean I don’t dream about a full-blown 3D Pokémon home console game from time to time. Whether it takes the form of an MMOG or a single player third-person adventure game, this is something that really needs to happen. Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Colosseum were great fun, but they never really gave you a sense of a living, breathing world like the handheld games did and turn-based battles felt too stilted in the face of such gorgeous 3D character models. I want to be Pikachu, not wait patiently for my opponents to kick me into the middle of next week. To be able to run and dodge and do all the things Pokémon do in the TV show… that’s my dream Pokémon game.

I’d also love to see a spiritual successor to Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It would probably be the least popular Zelda game ever made, but man, I’d buy that game in a heartbeat!


Kyle England

Besides the new Banjo game that I wrote about earlier this week, I always have a few ideas about games in my head that I know will not be fulfilled.

How about a real Legend of Zelda RPG? I mean something along the lines of Paper Mario or the Mario & Luigi games, but set in the Zelda universe! Hyrule would be a perfect setting for this type of RPG. The exploration and puzzle-solving of the traditional Zelda games would definitely be left intact, but with a revamped battle system– preferably a turn-based affair with fun action commands. This game wouldn’t be very innovative by any means, but I can still see it being a bit of fun.

How about more crossover games in the vein of Super Smash Bros.? Nintendo Kart, anyone? The idea of having a game as fun as Mario Kart with even more nostalgia and character variety thrown in is amazing. There could be stuff like Metroid and Pokémon themed tracks and items. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is one of the best kart racing games ever, and it has all sorts of Sega goodness; I’d love to see this from Nintendo.

I have one more idea, but it’s not so much a Pipe Dream as it is a really weird game idea. I have this vision, it’s a role-playing game kind of like EarthBound, and you play as a kid in the 1990s. This kid is a huge fan of Nintendo games, and you are really immersed in the gaming culture of the time. It’s a very obscure concept, I know. After playing a little bit of Attack of the Friday Monsters on 3DS, I’m really interested in games capturing the feel of what it was like to live in a certain time. I’m also obsessed with N64 era stuff, and would like to see more love aimed at that time than at the (probably better) NES days. I told you this one was strange, because even I have no clue what I’m talking about anymore.


Robin Wilde

I’d love to see a sequel to Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Not a continuation of the original story, but a proper recounting of Luigi’s journey in the Waffle Kingdom. it was hilarious in the collectible books and, given that it’s Green ‘Stache’s year, would be pretty topical too. Unfortunately, because Nintendo have a crippling fear of money, they won’t be making this.

Secondly, I’d love a Zelda-based MMO. Instead of playing as Link, players could choose one of the different races and a job type. Think about it – they already have their own unique towns, lore and characteristics. It’d be fantastic! I can envisage a Monster Hunter-eque gameplay style, but with the addition of all the typical Zelda items.


Maurice Tyler

Since I’m dreaming, I might as well dream big… I’d like to see a next-gen version of Blast Corps. This game was my addiction and guilty pleasure back in the day. I loved the frenetic pace and dire consequences even though it was frustratingly difficult in later levels. It also had puzzle element that was buried neatly in an action/driving game context. Who can deny that blowing stuff up is fun?

Another wish that may not be so much of a pipe dream is a true HD entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise. I’ve always been a graphics whore and seeing games like Uncharted got my mind wondering what Link traversing a photorealistic dungeon would be like. I know and recognize how important gameplay can be, but good graphics can make a game much more immersive.


Andy Hoover

I’d love to see a spiritual successor to Donkey Kong 64. Much has been said about the demise of the 3D platformers that dominated the 64-bit generation, and while one could argue that many open world games have incorporated elements from these games, few have made a concerted effort to revive the genre that I think peaked with DK 64. The game definitely had its detractors, but it remains one of the few games I can think of where the most common criticism was that there was too much stuff to collect and too many ideas thrown into a single title. One could argue that Rare’s “everything and the kitchen sink” approach might have left the game needlessly dense with overly tedious collectathons ideas that don’t quite pan out, but I totally love the ambition they showed in creating such massive worlds filled with incredibly diverse gameplay ideas and then giving you five very different playable characters that you can explore them with.

Hopefully the success of Donkey Kong Country Returns will not only give this idea some hope of seeing the light of day, but also help guide whatever team is tasked with developing it. Retro did a brilliant of updating DK’s world for the modern gamers, delivering us gorgeous and varied vistas bursting with color and character, and I would love to see that realized in a massive, open, and fully explorable 3D space. Heck, even if it ended up being an open world game instead of being segmented into separate levels I’d be fine with it, so long as the game delivers the same level of variety as DK 64 with the lush visuals that Wii U can deliver.

Though as far as I am concerned Nintendo can leave the DK Rap out of the picture.


Marc Deschamps

I love that the only part of Donkey Kong 64 that’s still around is that awful DK Rap. What a horrible legacy to have left behind!

In addition to Pokémon Snap 2, which I discussed earlier in the week, I really want to see a follow-up to Pokémon Pinball. I know we got a great sequel on Game Boy Advance, but we are long overdue for another one. Marvel Pinball on 3DS is great, but no portable pinball game has come close to touching Pokémon Pinball.

Another game I’d like to see get another lease on life is Mario Kart: Double Dash!! I think the changes to the Mario Kart formula scared a lot of people, but there was a real nice bit of strategy, especially in the multiplayer mode. Having two racers working together was a great concept, and it’s probably my personal favorite Mario Kart title to this day. It’s a shame that Nintendo never brought that back.


Now that you’ve seen our dream games, what are some of yours? Are you still holding out hope for a massively multiplayer Pokémon RPG? Or maybe you’d like to see a new type of Zelda game? Do you just take offense at Andy and Marc’s comments about the DK Rap? Share your thoughts in the comments!

One Response to “Round Table: Other Pipe Dreams”

  • 745 points
    OG75 says...

    This Roundtable is awesome as I love almost all the “dreams.” However, Kyle’s suggestion of “Nintendo Kart” is my biggest pipe dream. With Nintendo’s huge stable of characters, locations, and overall gaming history, the possibilities are endless.

    As a huge Mario Kart fan who has been playing since the original’s release on SNES, I’m slightly disappointed each time a new Kart is revealed and we’re supposed to get excited for that iteration’s new “innovative hook.” Sure I like “two per kart,” hang-gliding, underwater driving, motor cycles, and now magnetic racing(?) But a “Nintendo Kart” would be epic. And although it’s a fighting game, the Smash series proves the whole franchise crossover concept has appeal. That being said, I LOVE Mario Kart regardless.

    I also agree with the comments on DK64. My first thought when I realized how much collecting I had ahead of me as I started playing was “I definitely got my money’s worth.” I loved the Banjo games and to me, DK64 was “kind of” like a Banjo game on steroids (albeit not half as charming). There was so much to do (not “too much” in my opinion) and I LOVED exploring the worlds Rare used to create with 64 bits.

    If I was typing this a year ago, I would have said “an update/remake/or sequel to Ducktales.” I’m looking forward to this one.

    Virtual Console Dreams: I don’t care which VC (Wii, 3DS, or WiiU), but I’d like to play the original SNES Starfox and Yoshi’s Island again. Also, some other random old NES games: original NES Contra (I know it can be unlocked in Contra 4, but Super C is on the virtual console, why not Contra?), Rush’n Attack, Bionic Commando, Karnov, and Rygar (The NES versions of these games are all superior to their arcade counterparts in my opinion.) Sure I can still play these games, but I don’t enjoy blowing in the cartridges! There are too many others to list, but Earthbound would have been on here if it weren’t released recently. How about some Virtual Boy love on the 3DS Virtual Console?

    A new 2D Metroid

    Shenmue 3

    Jade Empire 2 and KOTOR 3.

    Dragon Quest 10 to come west.

    For Donkey Kong to jump and/or charge with the press of a button (not shaking the Wiimote!) Is this happening in Tropical Freeze?

    Lastly, (and this is truly a pipe dream with my tongue firmly planted in cheek) I’d like Nintendo to buy/take over the current development of the Oculus Rift and they could make it a Virtual Boy 2! Would love to literally get lost in a virtual Hyrule, or feel motion sickness (okay maybe not) as I jump around the Mushroom Kingdom.

    Thanks for the great feature!

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Log In 0 points Log in or register to grow your Ninja Score while interacting with our site.
Nintendojo's RSS Feeds

All Updates Podcast
News Comments
Like and follow usFacebookTwitter Friend Code Exchange + Game with Us Join the Team!