And for no reason, I will now look at the sequel viability of several Nintendo videogames, part one of whatever. Enjoy…or not!

Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong, despite being one of the most well-known names in gaming, is not exactly a major franchise anymore. Or, at least, not since the days of the Donkey Kong Country series. Since Rare left, Nintendo has not been entirely devoted to releasing a steady stream of DKC-esque platformers, instead opting for more experimental stuff (like the Jungle Climber games) or going back to the original arcade games in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong line.

Despite what some gamers might say, this isn’t entirely a bad thing. To be honest, the Rare games, while still fun, were highly derivative, and just wouldn’t stand out in the modern game environment. Jungle Beat, which I will admit is a favourite of mine, was a breath of fresh air for the franchise, and for Nintendo as a whole (they really haven’t made many arcade action games this past decade, aside from stuff like Sin & Puinshment). It would be great to see more games in the same style, but I’m not expecting it or anything.

I think it was also a good idea to make more games like the old Donkey Kong, because people often forget about the series’ roots, and how utterly enjoyable those roots are. Having released a new Mario vs. Donkey Kong as a downloadable game last year, I think they’re pretty good for now, though. But, if you want to ‘revive’ the franchise, here’s a thought: combine Jungle Beat with the older games. That would be an exciting idea.

F-Zero
The last major F-Zero (not counting the cartoon spin-off games on the GBA, as most people don’t) came out in 2003, so there’s been a pretty decent gap. Things have also advanced a bit since the GC days: Nintendo, for one, has embraced online play, to a degree. So: been a while since the last game came out, online play is now possible, what’s stopping them from releasing a new F-Zero?

Well, perceived level of interest for one. Fans are clamoring for it, but they always are, and they barely make up a majority of the market. That’s just being realistic, though, and that’s not what this post is all about in the end. So on to the fantasy developing!

As much as online play would add to the game, I can’t help but feel that it would still need more in order to feel like a satisfactory sequel. It could be cool, then, if they released a graphically-enhanced, online-enabled remake of F-Zero X on WiiWare. It could give the fans something to look forward to, distracting them while you consider how to improve the concept further. Unfortunately, as cool as idea would be, the distraction probably wouldn’t last long, as fans would tune into it pretty quick and complain how lazy it would be compared to making a ‘real’ sequel. Fans are picky like that.

On the other hand, chances are they’d take a graphically modern, online F-Zero as a retail game, even if it didn’t have much else added (which would indeed lead to an eventual backlash). So really, they are only selectively picky. Or completely bipolar. Whichever term you prefer.

I don’t have many ideas myself about how the series could go. Part of me thinks that, in order to keep the series’ pretty well-respected legacy intact, they really shouldn’t make a new game unless it will really add something to it, no matter how much the fans beg. Rather not rush out a sequel just to satiate the hordes…especially when they’ll just complain it’s not as good as previous games and turn against you.