Battle Royale: The Last Generation Of An SNES-CD Saga
- Thread starter RySenkari
- Start date
Yeah, this is definitely one of those double edged sword type of situations where some things improve from OTL but other things get worse. We'll see how the Supreme Court rules.
Well, the hoverboards of TTL are the same as OTL's hoverboards:
Self-balancing scooter - Wikipedia
The big difference from OTL is that Sega also starts making them around the same time, and unlike all the others, Sega's hoverboards are high quality and never catch fire. They're also more expensive, but that's to be expected. With all the recalls and controversy, Sega has a monopoly on these devices for a decent amount of time.
Yeah, Carrey plays Eggman in the TTL Pixar movie.
No, it's butterflied away.
Probably.
Outside of Nintendo ITTL, their doesn't seem to be any big name game franchises for Apple or Google compare to OTL where Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony all have at least 3 franchises and their main characters. Is this something that Apple and Google are looking into?
Apple has Sonic, Commander Keen, Panzer Dragoon, Virtua Fighter, Phantasy Star, and Bayonetta, among others.
Google has The Covenant, Miraculous Ladybug, Techno Angel, and Forza...
If anything I’d say franchises outside Nintendo are much stronger ITTL. Sonic is even more relevant than he was in the 90s, Commander Keen is really big, Pixelworld is just as big as Minecraft, The Covenant seems to be doing better than Halo was at this time, Miraculous Ladybug is huge, and Techno Angel seems to be doing a better job at staying relevant than Gears of War
AeroTheZealousOne
Monthly Donor
Well, the hoverboards of TTL are the same as OTL's hoverboards:
The big difference from OTL is that Sega also starts making them around the same time, and unlike all the others, Sega's hoverboards are high quality and never catch fire. They're also more expensive, but that's to be expected. With all the recalls and controversy, Sega has a monopoly on these devices for a decent amount of time.Self-balancing scooter - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
I figured as much they were the same things from OTL, I was being partially silly.
Still though, for Sega (IIRC still owned by Apple now?) to go from video games to self-balancing scooters that don't have a comparable design flaw to OTL's Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is pretty crazy and is probably in my top ten examples of creative butterflies.
All I hope is for one day this timeline does a post on NCAA Football, just so I can take solace in the hope that the Alabama Crimson Tide is not the inexorable juggernaut of that league.
Apple only bought SEGA's game division, their toy division (OTL's SEGA-Tomy) is still its own company under the SEGA name.I figured as much they were the same things from OTL, I was being partially silly.
Still though, for Sega (IIRC still owned by Apple now?) to go from video games to self-balancing scooters that don't have a comparable design flaw to OTL's Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is pretty crazy and is probably in my top ten examples of creative butterflies.
Billboard #1 Hits Of 2015
Billboard #1 Hits Of 2015
January 3: “You're Just Too Much” by Genesis Rodriguez
January 10: “You're Just Too Much” by Genesis Rodriguez
January 17: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
January 24: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
January 31: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
February 7: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
February 14: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
February 21: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
February 28: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
March 7: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
March 14: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
March 21: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
March 28: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
April 4: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
April 11: “I'll Never Know” by Ed Sheeran
April 18: “I'll Never Know” by Ed Sheeran
April 25: “Party Speaker” by Seven Angels
May 2: “Party Speaker” by Seven Angels
May 9: “Party Speaker” by Seven Angels
May 16: “Objection” by Nathan Benz
May 23: “Walk” by Jeanne
May 30: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
June 6: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
June 13: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
June 20: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
June 27: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
July 4: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
July 11: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
July 18: “Beast Mode” by Wiz Khalifa
July 25: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
August 1: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
August 8: “Cheerleader” by Omi
August 15: “Cheerleader” by Omi
August 22: “Cheerleader” by Omi
August 29: “Lie” by Nirvana
September 5: “Cheerleader” by Omi
September 12: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
September 19: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
September 26: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
October 3: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
October 10: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
October 17: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
October 24: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
October 31: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
November 7: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
November 14: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
November 21: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
November 28: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
December 5: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
December 12: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
December 19: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
December 26: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
January 3: “You're Just Too Much” by Genesis Rodriguez
January 10: “You're Just Too Much” by Genesis Rodriguez
January 17: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
January 24: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
January 31: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
February 7: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
February 14: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
February 21: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
February 28: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
March 7: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
March 14: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
March 21: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
March 28: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
April 4: “Around” by Chloe Wang ft. Bruno Mars
April 11: “I'll Never Know” by Ed Sheeran
April 18: “I'll Never Know” by Ed Sheeran
April 25: “Party Speaker” by Seven Angels
May 2: “Party Speaker” by Seven Angels
May 9: “Party Speaker” by Seven Angels
May 16: “Objection” by Nathan Benz
May 23: “Walk” by Jeanne
May 30: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
June 6: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
June 13: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
June 20: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
June 27: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
July 4: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
July 11: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
July 18: “Beast Mode” by Wiz Khalifa
July 25: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
August 1: “The Drop” by Kendrick Lamar
August 8: “Cheerleader” by Omi
August 15: “Cheerleader” by Omi
August 22: “Cheerleader” by Omi
August 29: “Lie” by Nirvana
September 5: “Cheerleader” by Omi
September 12: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
September 19: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
September 26: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
October 3: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
October 10: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
October 17: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
October 24: “Shade” by Big Bellamy ft. Wiz Khalifa
October 31: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
November 7: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
November 14: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
November 21: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
November 28: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
December 5: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
December 12: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
December 19: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
December 26: “The Clinic” by Syera Jack
Summer 2015 (Part 6) - Age Of Aquaria
The Elder Scrolls: Aquaria
The Elder Scrolls: Aquaria is a handheld WRPG exclusive to the Apple Gemini, and is a spinoff of the main Elder Scrolls series, intended to bring a full Elder Scrolls experience to a handheld and to take advantage of the Gemini's impressive power. The game focuses on a mythical archipelago known as Aquaria, ruled by a merman king. The realm of Aquaria starts out isolationist, but as the game begins, Aquaria finds itself drawn more into the affairs of the Empire, and the main plot mostly focuses on whether or not Aquaria will remain isolated or whether it will enter into a relationship with the Empire (favorable or otherwise). The protagonist is an emissary sent by the Empire to talk to the people of Aquaria, though they soon become caught up in other affairs, as the powerful coastal city of Nurimor seeks to gain control over the vast sea that the Aquarian archipelago inhabits. Aquaria features swimming in a major way, with large parts of the game taking place either on the water or under the water. The game world itself is about half the size of the world in Kythera, but this allows for more graphical detail, making for a much better looking game (especially on the Gemini's smaller screen). The protagonist can be either male or female, and can be one of a number of different races, including human, elf, or even Aquarian (if Aquarian is chosen, the player's backstory is that of a refugee who is returning home for the first time). Aquarians are able to use water magic and to breathe underwater immediately (otherwise, the player will need to go on a quest to acquire an underwater breathing item before they can explore the depths of the sea), and can also swim faster, but are somewhat weaker on land, balancing these abilities. There are only three major cities in Aquaria: Nurimor, Lapidia (the Aquarian capital), and Blackcoral (an isolated island city made up of Aquarians who have rejected their ruler), but there are plenty of towns and villages to round things out, including towns in underwater caves. The game's combat system also allows for full combat underwater for the first time in the series, allowing players to get up close and personal with sharks, water dragons, and other strange aquatic beasts. Like previous games in the series, Aquaria is fully voiced by a talented cast of voice actors, and for the first time, the protagonist is voiced as well, with a different voice actor for a male or female protagonist, and enhanced dialogue options that will help the player to feel like they're truly part of the story.
The game's plot sees the player make their way to a chartered boat off the shores of Aquaria, but they won't begin their journey by going out on the sea, as they'll first need to start out at a fishing village to collect supplies. It's possible to go to the Aquarian capital right away, but without swimming gear or the underwater breathing item, it'll prove an extremely tricky proposition, so it's recommended that the player do the requisite 2-3 hours of quests they'll need to do to reach Lapidia normally. The king of Lapidia tells the player that Aquaria faces attacks from both sides: the greedy humans of Nurimor, and the traitors of Blackcoral, and the next few quests focus on heading to one of those cities and taking care of things for the Aquarian king. However, it's possible to side with Nurimor, which seeks to gain prominence as a city-state independent of the Empire by seizing the Aquarian Sea. Meanwhile, Blackcoral has strong grievances against the Aquarians, and their prince wishes to wed the Aquarian princess, who seeks to overthrow her father. The player can help to resolve this love story either peacefully, tragically, or selfishly (by wedding the Aquarian princess themselves), or they can focus on the Nurimorian conflict, either to that city's benefit or its ruin. The Empire itself wishes to form an alliance with Aquaria, but if the player takes certain steps, the Empire will instead align with Blackcoral to overthrow Aquaria (the Empire will never align with Nurimor, as they want to bring that city back under its heel). The game's main antagonist in all questlines is Typhor, the god of the sea, who wishes to destroy all three cities for their hubris, and who will make his presence felt more strongly as the storyline progresses. No matter what steps the player takes, Typhor will be the final boss, it's just a matter of which city's forces will end up siding with the player in the end, and who's left alive when all is said and done. The end of the quest leaves one city in control of the Aquarian Sea: either the Aquarians themselves, in the city of Lapidia, as a client state of the Empire or as an independent entity, the city-state of Nurimor, which is now powerful enough to be an Imperial rival, or the rebels of Blackcoral, who have retaken Lapidia and, like the Aquarians themselves, can either serve the Empire or assert their independence. As for the protagonist, who has changed the destiny of the Aquarian Sea forever, they can either remain in Lapidia/Nurimor or they can return to the Empire, once again depending on the actions the player took.
The Elder Scrolls: Aquaria, is released in September 2015. Though not as epic or vast as previous games in the series, it's an epic and ambitious adventure nonetheless, and is unlike any other game in the series, either IOTL or ITTL. It's one of the most graphically impressive games ever released on a handheld, and is considered by most to be superior to Kythera, standing up with classics such as Morrowind or Oblivion in the Elder Scrolls mythos. While players on other consoles would be hungry for a port, the game is exclusive to the Gemini, at least for a year or two, though it would be released to iOS mobile devices capable of handling it (which, at the time, is only the latest current iPhone and iPad models). It's considered to be one of the best handheld games of the year and becomes another selling point for the Gemini, though it doesn't lead to a very big spike in that handheld's sales. After the release of Aquaria, many game pundits consider the Gemini to have had a better year than the Connect, and though the Connect is still ahead in both overall and current sales, that gap has begun to narrow, with many believing that a few more killer apps might just help the Gemini secure a come from behind win in this latest round of the portable console wars...
The Elder Scrolls: Aquaria is a handheld WRPG exclusive to the Apple Gemini, and is a spinoff of the main Elder Scrolls series, intended to bring a full Elder Scrolls experience to a handheld and to take advantage of the Gemini's impressive power. The game focuses on a mythical archipelago known as Aquaria, ruled by a merman king. The realm of Aquaria starts out isolationist, but as the game begins, Aquaria finds itself drawn more into the affairs of the Empire, and the main plot mostly focuses on whether or not Aquaria will remain isolated or whether it will enter into a relationship with the Empire (favorable or otherwise). The protagonist is an emissary sent by the Empire to talk to the people of Aquaria, though they soon become caught up in other affairs, as the powerful coastal city of Nurimor seeks to gain control over the vast sea that the Aquarian archipelago inhabits. Aquaria features swimming in a major way, with large parts of the game taking place either on the water or under the water. The game world itself is about half the size of the world in Kythera, but this allows for more graphical detail, making for a much better looking game (especially on the Gemini's smaller screen). The protagonist can be either male or female, and can be one of a number of different races, including human, elf, or even Aquarian (if Aquarian is chosen, the player's backstory is that of a refugee who is returning home for the first time). Aquarians are able to use water magic and to breathe underwater immediately (otherwise, the player will need to go on a quest to acquire an underwater breathing item before they can explore the depths of the sea), and can also swim faster, but are somewhat weaker on land, balancing these abilities. There are only three major cities in Aquaria: Nurimor, Lapidia (the Aquarian capital), and Blackcoral (an isolated island city made up of Aquarians who have rejected their ruler), but there are plenty of towns and villages to round things out, including towns in underwater caves. The game's combat system also allows for full combat underwater for the first time in the series, allowing players to get up close and personal with sharks, water dragons, and other strange aquatic beasts. Like previous games in the series, Aquaria is fully voiced by a talented cast of voice actors, and for the first time, the protagonist is voiced as well, with a different voice actor for a male or female protagonist, and enhanced dialogue options that will help the player to feel like they're truly part of the story.
The game's plot sees the player make their way to a chartered boat off the shores of Aquaria, but they won't begin their journey by going out on the sea, as they'll first need to start out at a fishing village to collect supplies. It's possible to go to the Aquarian capital right away, but without swimming gear or the underwater breathing item, it'll prove an extremely tricky proposition, so it's recommended that the player do the requisite 2-3 hours of quests they'll need to do to reach Lapidia normally. The king of Lapidia tells the player that Aquaria faces attacks from both sides: the greedy humans of Nurimor, and the traitors of Blackcoral, and the next few quests focus on heading to one of those cities and taking care of things for the Aquarian king. However, it's possible to side with Nurimor, which seeks to gain prominence as a city-state independent of the Empire by seizing the Aquarian Sea. Meanwhile, Blackcoral has strong grievances against the Aquarians, and their prince wishes to wed the Aquarian princess, who seeks to overthrow her father. The player can help to resolve this love story either peacefully, tragically, or selfishly (by wedding the Aquarian princess themselves), or they can focus on the Nurimorian conflict, either to that city's benefit or its ruin. The Empire itself wishes to form an alliance with Aquaria, but if the player takes certain steps, the Empire will instead align with Blackcoral to overthrow Aquaria (the Empire will never align with Nurimor, as they want to bring that city back under its heel). The game's main antagonist in all questlines is Typhor, the god of the sea, who wishes to destroy all three cities for their hubris, and who will make his presence felt more strongly as the storyline progresses. No matter what steps the player takes, Typhor will be the final boss, it's just a matter of which city's forces will end up siding with the player in the end, and who's left alive when all is said and done. The end of the quest leaves one city in control of the Aquarian Sea: either the Aquarians themselves, in the city of Lapidia, as a client state of the Empire or as an independent entity, the city-state of Nurimor, which is now powerful enough to be an Imperial rival, or the rebels of Blackcoral, who have retaken Lapidia and, like the Aquarians themselves, can either serve the Empire or assert their independence. As for the protagonist, who has changed the destiny of the Aquarian Sea forever, they can either remain in Lapidia/Nurimor or they can return to the Empire, once again depending on the actions the player took.
The Elder Scrolls: Aquaria, is released in September 2015. Though not as epic or vast as previous games in the series, it's an epic and ambitious adventure nonetheless, and is unlike any other game in the series, either IOTL or ITTL. It's one of the most graphically impressive games ever released on a handheld, and is considered by most to be superior to Kythera, standing up with classics such as Morrowind or Oblivion in the Elder Scrolls mythos. While players on other consoles would be hungry for a port, the game is exclusive to the Gemini, at least for a year or two, though it would be released to iOS mobile devices capable of handling it (which, at the time, is only the latest current iPhone and iPad models). It's considered to be one of the best handheld games of the year and becomes another selling point for the Gemini, though it doesn't lead to a very big spike in that handheld's sales. After the release of Aquaria, many game pundits consider the Gemini to have had a better year than the Connect, and though the Connect is still ahead in both overall and current sales, that gap has begun to narrow, with many believing that a few more killer apps might just help the Gemini secure a come from behind win in this latest round of the portable console wars...
Summer 2015 (Part 7) - An Indie Assessment
As this current console generation heads into its peak, and Google and Apple roll out their VR solutions, it's also important to note that indie games are playing an increasingly important role in each console's software lineup. Most indie games are of course multiplatform, as it's more profitable to maximize your potential player base. However, some companies still opt to release their indie exclusively on one console, either as a timed exclusive or as a permanent exclusive, and indeed, three of this summer's biggest indie hits were locked to their respective console of release. We'll use these titles to assess each console's strengths and weaknesses in terms of indie game releases, in order to see which console remains the friendliest for indie titles this year.
The Nintendo Reality is probably the least prominent console in terms of indie exclusives, as Nintendo and Sony have spent more time and money pushing their major first party titles rather than focusing on snapping up indie developers or signing them to exclusive deals. Still, there are plenty of strong indies on the Reality, and Anna and Trent proved to be no exception to this rule. The game focuses on two explorers, and plays somewhat like Google's upcoming Pitfall reboot, though obviously at somewhat of a lower budget, taking an approach more like last year's The Talos Principle than a modern triple-A game. The titular adventurers stumble upon an ancient treasure, and must solve puzzles and dodge deathtraps to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. The game makes great use of the Reality's VR for its puzzle solving, with some nice 3-D effects despite the game's fairly modest budget. It also saved money by eschewing voice acting and simply placing all the dialogue on the screen in the form of some really snappy motion comics (which also pop in full 3-D in the game's VR mode). Anna and Trent is a great example of a game that takes full advantages of the Reality's strengths to produce a really solid adventure game, though with the Virtua and Google releasing their VR solutions, this game may pop up on another console later on, as it's only a two year timed exclusive.
Apple has been really aggressive in courting indie developers, and has even bought up some indie studios over the past few years, allowing the system to have a lineup of first party exclusives with strong gameplay at budget prices. It's forged great synergy between the Virtua platform and the iOS mobile store as well, with a lot of games ending up on both. One of the most popular games of this year exclusive to Apple is Old Man Rivers, in which players must awkwardly maneuver an elderly man through a series of obstacles and platforming challenges. The cantankerous old man mocks both the player and other characters all along the way, much like the classic Cranky Kong character of the Donkey Kong Country series, making him a somewhat acceptable target of ridicule and dodging potential claims that the game pokes too much fun at the elderly. It's a hilarious and challenging game and one of the year's most highly reviewed platformers, and playing the game with the Virtua's motion controls is a surprisingly fun chore. The game has also proven popular with streamers, whose viewers love seeing them rage at Rivers' antics. Old Man Rivers is a somewhat surprising indie hit for the Virtua, and has continued the console's reputation as a home for somewhat unorthodox games.
The Google Nexus has been home to a wide array of popular indie games, and Google has probably done the best job of courting indie developers, forging relationships with Android game devs and encouraging them to make full Nexus titles by funding those endeavors. Such has been the case with Ori And The Blind Forest, perhaps the year's most hyped indie game. A 2-D platformer with a gorgeous art style and Metroid-like gameplay, Ori focuses on a young guardian spirit and their companion. who must restore their forest by helping the elements return to prominence. It's a challenging but fair indie title that both charms and captivates the player, and it's received excellent reviews from critics and fans alike, who call it a breath of fresh air in a genre that's largely been done to death. The player can use the Nexus' second screen to interact with Ori and organize their collected items, or simply to look at a map of the world and figure out where to go next. Ori And The Blind Forest has topped the Nexus' digital marketplace in the weeks since its release in early August, and shows no signs of slowing down as word of mouth has grown.
In terms of overall indie game sales, the Google Nexus leads the Apple Virtua by a decent margin, while both consoles have beaten out the Reality comfortably. In terms of multiplatform indie sales, the Reality, Virtua, and Nexus are in a virtual tie, showing that exclusives do play a major role in this generation's digital game sales. Nintendo has lagged behind in terms of indie game promotion, though Nintendo has announced its intention to make indie titles a higher priority going forward. We've not spent much time talking about indie titles on the handhelds, but games such as Shot Rain, a Gradius-style arcade shooter with 3-D graphics and blistering challenge, have performed quite well in terms of sales, especially on the Connect, where Shot Rain was the #2 digital title on the handheld's online store last week. The handhelds are also a popular landing spot for indie games that proved their sales worth on the main consoles, with ports usually lagging a year or two behind. There's no denying that indie games have seen an overwhelming groundswell of support this generation, and will continue to do so as long as gamers keep buying them. With indie game announcements getting increasingly prominent spots at trade shows such as E3, the feedback loop of sales and awareness should continue unabated throughout the rest of this generation and likely beyond.
-from an article on Games Over Matter, posted on September 22, 2015
The Nintendo Reality is probably the least prominent console in terms of indie exclusives, as Nintendo and Sony have spent more time and money pushing their major first party titles rather than focusing on snapping up indie developers or signing them to exclusive deals. Still, there are plenty of strong indies on the Reality, and Anna and Trent proved to be no exception to this rule. The game focuses on two explorers, and plays somewhat like Google's upcoming Pitfall reboot, though obviously at somewhat of a lower budget, taking an approach more like last year's The Talos Principle than a modern triple-A game. The titular adventurers stumble upon an ancient treasure, and must solve puzzles and dodge deathtraps to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. The game makes great use of the Reality's VR for its puzzle solving, with some nice 3-D effects despite the game's fairly modest budget. It also saved money by eschewing voice acting and simply placing all the dialogue on the screen in the form of some really snappy motion comics (which also pop in full 3-D in the game's VR mode). Anna and Trent is a great example of a game that takes full advantages of the Reality's strengths to produce a really solid adventure game, though with the Virtua and Google releasing their VR solutions, this game may pop up on another console later on, as it's only a two year timed exclusive.
Apple has been really aggressive in courting indie developers, and has even bought up some indie studios over the past few years, allowing the system to have a lineup of first party exclusives with strong gameplay at budget prices. It's forged great synergy between the Virtua platform and the iOS mobile store as well, with a lot of games ending up on both. One of the most popular games of this year exclusive to Apple is Old Man Rivers, in which players must awkwardly maneuver an elderly man through a series of obstacles and platforming challenges. The cantankerous old man mocks both the player and other characters all along the way, much like the classic Cranky Kong character of the Donkey Kong Country series, making him a somewhat acceptable target of ridicule and dodging potential claims that the game pokes too much fun at the elderly. It's a hilarious and challenging game and one of the year's most highly reviewed platformers, and playing the game with the Virtua's motion controls is a surprisingly fun chore. The game has also proven popular with streamers, whose viewers love seeing them rage at Rivers' antics. Old Man Rivers is a somewhat surprising indie hit for the Virtua, and has continued the console's reputation as a home for somewhat unorthodox games.
The Google Nexus has been home to a wide array of popular indie games, and Google has probably done the best job of courting indie developers, forging relationships with Android game devs and encouraging them to make full Nexus titles by funding those endeavors. Such has been the case with Ori And The Blind Forest, perhaps the year's most hyped indie game. A 2-D platformer with a gorgeous art style and Metroid-like gameplay, Ori focuses on a young guardian spirit and their companion. who must restore their forest by helping the elements return to prominence. It's a challenging but fair indie title that both charms and captivates the player, and it's received excellent reviews from critics and fans alike, who call it a breath of fresh air in a genre that's largely been done to death. The player can use the Nexus' second screen to interact with Ori and organize their collected items, or simply to look at a map of the world and figure out where to go next. Ori And The Blind Forest has topped the Nexus' digital marketplace in the weeks since its release in early August, and shows no signs of slowing down as word of mouth has grown.
In terms of overall indie game sales, the Google Nexus leads the Apple Virtua by a decent margin, while both consoles have beaten out the Reality comfortably. In terms of multiplatform indie sales, the Reality, Virtua, and Nexus are in a virtual tie, showing that exclusives do play a major role in this generation's digital game sales. Nintendo has lagged behind in terms of indie game promotion, though Nintendo has announced its intention to make indie titles a higher priority going forward. We've not spent much time talking about indie titles on the handhelds, but games such as Shot Rain, a Gradius-style arcade shooter with 3-D graphics and blistering challenge, have performed quite well in terms of sales, especially on the Connect, where Shot Rain was the #2 digital title on the handheld's online store last week. The handhelds are also a popular landing spot for indie games that proved their sales worth on the main consoles, with ports usually lagging a year or two behind. There's no denying that indie games have seen an overwhelming groundswell of support this generation, and will continue to do so as long as gamers keep buying them. With indie game announcements getting increasingly prominent spots at trade shows such as E3, the feedback loop of sales and awareness should continue unabated throughout the rest of this generation and likely beyond.
-from an article on Games Over Matter, posted on September 22, 2015
Speaking of 2D Metroidvania platformers. Is Hollow Knight butterflied or will it still make an appearance ITTL?
Hollow Knight seems doubtful since Dark Souls has been butterflied. If it does come out it will be a very different game like TTL’s version of Bloodborne.