Konami, Hudson Team Up, Smash Bros-Style

Thanks to Nintendojo for the news that Konami and Hudson are creating a mascot-infested fighting game in the vein of Nintendo's classic multiplayer fighter Super Smash Bros. The title, called Dream Mix World Fighters, is being released for PS2 and GameCube in Japan this December, and the game will ship "...featuring such enigmatic characters as Bomberman, Peach Taro, Master Higgins, Bonk, Takao, Yugo, Rika, Simon Belmont, Dracula, and many more." But, as Video-Fenky points out, where are the Kojima-game characters?

An IP blender

[wrexsoul]

I'm not saying this sounds like a bad idea per se, but I can't see it as taking off either. It's just that Konami and Hudson don't have quite the stable of immediately recognizable mascots that Nintendo or Capcom have. I mean, it's not like they're going to bust out the Gradius pilot all Captain Falcon-style.

Let's think of the Konami games of fame I can think of (I'm not even counting Hudson because most of their stuff is so old it'd only end up evoking nostalgia):

Castlevania
Metal Gear Solid
Silent Hill
Zone of Enders
Gradius series
Contra
and the laughable were-beast fighter Bloody Roar

Now perhaps either I can't imagine what a game with that kind of cast would be like or I can and it's not what I'd consider a very cohesive kind of game. Add to that the fact that the list of characters mentioned above is nothing short of esoteric, and it means that they'd be selling a game full of random odds-and-ends intellectual property rather than what Nintendo and Capcom do in their super cross-over brawlers do which is grab people's attention with easily-recognized and still-famous characters.

Of all the companies out there that have the kind of pull to do this, I think Sega is probably the only one left I can think of. Square too, perhaps, but we all remember Ergheiz and Chocobo Racing were bad ideas. Or a great ideas, I can't decide. Let me just say that if I ever see a game where Solid Snake and Alucard are driving around go-karts is the day I stop purchasing video games.

I think this post took a harsh turn. Let's start over: I wouldn't pay money for it.

Re:An IP blender

[M3wThr33]

Wait, so even though Hudson had their own fairly successful console, they have no IP like Master Higgins, Bonk, ZONK, Bomberman or any other Turbo-Grafx 16 game they made? What about the Bomber Jetterz/Generations character? Max? Birdy? The Hige-hige Dan?

And I'm obliged to mention Hudson is the group behind both Sonic Shuffle AND Mario Party. They know how to make a fun game.

Also check out a game on the GBA by the name of Konami's Krazy Racers [gamerankings.com] featuring such hits as Ninja from MGS, Mystical Ninja Goemon, Dracula and many others. Looks like you stopped purchasing games when THE GBA LAUNCHED IN JAPAN OVER TWO YEARS AGO.

Re:An IP blender

[wrexsoul]

Well despite the fact that Hudson has that wide array of IP, I hope you're not arguing that those characters are recognizable or anything but esoteric nostalgia for the classic gamer. I mean you pretty much summed it up by mentioning the Turbo-Grafx 16. I'm sure they know how to make a fun game, but that doesn't change the premise of the game.

And you know, I joke about that kind of thing (Konami plus go-karts) because it's about as absurd as I can think of, yet something every company has done it seems. The fact that it was something they actually made just makes it sad.