If you play enough online multiplayer, you transcend the basic tenancies of toxicity and talking smack, and enter a new idealized form of stirring the pot. It leaves the confines of gamechat and enters every facet of your life.
This is what happened to me, and you will now bear the brunt of this transformation. I have played enough video games and had enough of the worst discussions known to man that all I know is how to produce crystallized gutter filth. For the part of you that isn’t filled with anger and disgust, I hope it achieves some level of enjoyment.
1 . GoldenEye 007 Is Massively Overrated
Perhaps the coldest take of the bunch, GoldenEye 007 gets a big nod for popularizing the FPS genre on consoles. That same acknowledgement is its downfall; GoldenEye never held a candle to the PC classics such as DOOM or Quake, and it was left in the dust even by its spiritual successor Perfect Dark, and FPS quality on consoles has long since taken off into the stratosphere.
Whatever quality that people believe still remains in GoldenEye 007 is purely powered by the nostalgia of an era long gone. I tip my cap to those who do amazing work making mods for GoldenEye as it makes up for what the original game lacks: timeless quality.
2. Multiplayer Games Are Better Than They’ve Ever Been, But At The Expense Of A Casual Experience
The quality of multiplayer games in every genre, whether in the free-to-play model or the regular retail priced titles, has skyrocketed in recent years. Games with a solid multiplayer foundation have much better longevity, and the commitment to a game’s multiplayer scene through developer updates and patches has led to an unparalleled increase in quality. Games will be active for so long that players who grew up playing a game could go on to help work on it. It is truly the golden age.
The drawback of games being constantly tuned and updated for years is that the casual player, whether a newcomer or someone who drops in after long periods of time, has an increasingly difficult road to get into the game. The learning curves and amount of failure a player has to put up with to get into a game that grows a year older becomes exponentially steeper.
Games are increasingly offering different modes and ways of appealing to a more casual or part-time playerbase, but even still, more work needs to be done so the on-ramp for a game is sufficient to keep up.
3. The Wii U Is An Underrated Console
Confusing name? Yes. Not quite sure what the gamepad is all about? Same here. There are even more reasons to ask why the Wii U even exists, and it’s only because of the success of the Nintendo Switch that we finally understand why.
Nonetheless, the Wii U was a fine console for what it was, allowing some semblances of playing high quality games on a handheld device while also boasting a small but impressive library of great games, such as Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, Nintendo Land, several Zelda remasters and more.
There are many reasons why the Wii U was doomed to fail, but overall quality isn’t one of them. The Wii U walked (or stumbled, tripped, flew into a ravine) so the Switch could run.
4. Major Game Studios Provide A Necessary Countervailing Force For Game Development
Let me preface this by saying that big game studios have done more than their share of damage, whether it’s through the destruction of quality of beloved IPs, or introducing predatory business practices through loot boxes and microtransactions. One look at EA Games shows that too much corporate influence is very, very bad.
At the same time, companies that can provide substantial funding while allowing good room for creativity and still providing pushback when need be lead to titles that are innovative, polished and enjoyed by a wide variety of people.
My go-to example is Hideo Kojima. The Metal Gear Solid series, particularly the earlier games in the series, were groundbreaking and extremely well-made without becoming overindulgent. Kojima’s genius coupled with the checks and balances of Konami led to some of the most acclaimed titles in the history of video games.
Kojima’s first outing with his own development company, Death Stranding, is filled with the highest of highs that Kojima’s vision can bring, along with the lowest of lows that desperately needed some serious pushback. While in some ways it’s refreshing to see the famed video game director free from the constraints of formula, it becomes clear that some restraint is needed to make his ideas palatable.
5. Diddy Kong Racing > Mario Kart 64
The drinking game Beerio Kart has done tremendous damage to public discourse because now we have an onslaught of drunken fools making outlandish claims that Mario Kart 64 was, or even still is, better than Diddy Kong Racing.
Letting slide the implied insult that saying one of the low tier Mario Kart games is better than the Diddy classic, let’s look at the facts: Diddy Kong Racing brings multiple vehicles, more tracks, and an adventure mode with boss encounters and extra challenges, on top of the time trials and grand prix that Mario Kart 64 offers.
If nothing else, do yourself a favor and listen to the Diddy Kong Racing soundtrack and accept its place as the superior N64 kart racing game.
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