Griselda
Smash Lord
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2019
- Messages
- 1,072
You know how in the early days of 3D consoles like PS1/Saturn/64 there was this stigma against making fully 2D games for the new generation of consoles? Like, nobody would want to buy a game that wasn't 3D because it would be 'old and outdated'? And many games that were 2D on those consoles remained Japan-exclusive because of that mindset?
..Picture a universe in which that mindset wasn't present, but instead developers/marketing/consumers are actually encouraged to continue to focus on 2D games to push them to their limits, at least in the early years of the 64. Nintendo still makes Super Mario 64 in order to show off the power of their new system, but the other Mario game that comes out is SMRPG 2. Not the half-3D Paper Mario, but SMRPG 2, because Nintendo and Square's relationship is only growing stronger and stronger, here. The game comes out with more detailed sprites and backgrounds, but the exact same 2D style presented in an isometric sort of view. For whatever reason. They don't feel confident in a fully 3D RPG so soon, they don't feel they need to try and make it 3D in the first place, etc. It's an explicit sequel and Geno returns right away, and even if he skips being a partner in one or two games in the SMRPG series that follows, he still has a presence not only in the RPG series but in other Mario spinoffs, as well. Maybe he misses Smash 64 (because almost everyone missed Smash 64, Peach and Bowser included), but he's one of the first newcomers announced in Melee, and he gets his own stage, based on whichever SMRPG installment was most recent. Mallow joins in Brawl, and some other universe-exclusive SMRPG character joins in Sm4sh. Ultimate rolls around and Boshi is an echo, but Smithy, the big bad from the original game who has grown very popular over the years, is nowhere to be seen, despite having appeared as a DLC costume in Sm4sh. The Fighters Pass comes and goes. The second one begins.
The date is 5/15/20. The 'Return of the Sinister Smith' SmashBoards thread is at over 2700 pages.
..Picture a universe in which that mindset wasn't present, but instead developers/marketing/consumers are actually encouraged to continue to focus on 2D games to push them to their limits, at least in the early years of the 64. Nintendo still makes Super Mario 64 in order to show off the power of their new system, but the other Mario game that comes out is SMRPG 2. Not the half-3D Paper Mario, but SMRPG 2, because Nintendo and Square's relationship is only growing stronger and stronger, here. The game comes out with more detailed sprites and backgrounds, but the exact same 2D style presented in an isometric sort of view. For whatever reason. They don't feel confident in a fully 3D RPG so soon, they don't feel they need to try and make it 3D in the first place, etc. It's an explicit sequel and Geno returns right away, and even if he skips being a partner in one or two games in the SMRPG series that follows, he still has a presence not only in the RPG series but in other Mario spinoffs, as well. Maybe he misses Smash 64 (because almost everyone missed Smash 64, Peach and Bowser included), but he's one of the first newcomers announced in Melee, and he gets his own stage, based on whichever SMRPG installment was most recent. Mallow joins in Brawl, and some other universe-exclusive SMRPG character joins in Sm4sh. Ultimate rolls around and Boshi is an echo, but Smithy, the big bad from the original game who has grown very popular over the years, is nowhere to be seen, despite having appeared as a DLC costume in Sm4sh. The Fighters Pass comes and goes. The second one begins.
The date is 5/15/20. The 'Return of the Sinister Smith' SmashBoards thread is at over 2700 pages.
