The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => General Castlevania Discussion => Topic started by: AlexCalvo on June 09, 2019, 09:09:12 AM
Title: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: AlexCalvo on June 09, 2019, 09:09:12 AM
I am ever the optimist. Who is with me? I know there is that supposed leak where everything so far has come true but a new game... I'm hoping. We'll probably at least here something about Grimoire of Souls, maybe netflix season 3, or last minute Bloodstained info. At least I know Blasphemous will be there.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: whipsmemory on June 09, 2019, 09:31:11 AM
Super Castlevania R on Switch? One can dream, tho i totally lost hope last year when pretty much all of the rumors went true except for the new title one, at this point i don't believe its ever gonna happen. hope (not really) to be proved wrong.
Anything else, like porting Grimoire or other collections, Im not really interested in tbh
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Foffy on June 09, 2019, 12:08:34 PM
Seems like Contra might be the E3 property Konami is leaning in on, despite the fact we had rumors for over a year they wish to counter Bloodstained.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: The Puritan on June 09, 2019, 03:56:14 PM
Can't find a source right now, but it's also been a year since some Konami game was allegedly shown to reporters behind closed doors. One of thems was asked if it was Castlevania and he couldn't answer.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Kamirine on June 10, 2019, 08:13:58 AM
I’m always hoping. Hoping and lurking , hiding in the bushes outside Konami’s office building.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Dracul_Belmont on June 10, 2019, 09:08:23 AM
I believe that last night I saw on facebook that Konami has a conference press today at the E3. Hope it's true and relevant
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: whipsmemory on June 10, 2019, 10:43:34 AM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D8ky0lUWwAIDQ8j.png)
We'll see...
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: RichterB on June 10, 2019, 12:25:51 PM
HEADLINE: "E3 2019: Konami Is Making a 'Special Announcement' on Tuesday" http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2019/06/e3_2019_konami_is_making_a_special_announcement_on_tuesday (http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2019/06/e3_2019_konami_is_making_a_special_announcement_on_tuesday)
After Castlevania Anniversary Collection, I still think a new game announcement is possible. If it's going to happen, it feels like now would be the right time. If not now, then at least an announcement by the fall.
That said, other choices for this announcement could be...
-Metal Gear Solid Collection -Castlevania Anniversary Collection 2 -Konami ReBirth Games Collection -Pro Evolution Soccer -New Contra -New Metal Gear
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: whipsmemory on June 10, 2019, 12:46:20 PM
HEADLINE: "E3 2019: Konami Is Making a 'Special Announcement' on Tuesday" http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2019/06/e3_2019_konami_is_making_a_special_announcement_on_tuesday (http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2019/06/e3_2019_konami_is_making_a_special_announcement_on_tuesday)
After Castlevania Anniversary Collection, I still think a new game announcement is possible. If it's going to happen, it feels like now would be the right time. If not now, then at least an announcement by the fall.
That said, other choices for this announcement could be...
-Metal Gear Solid Collection -Castlevania Anniversary Collection 2 -Konami ReBirth Games Collection -Pro Evolution Soccer -New Contra -New Metal Gear
I hope that would be a ReBirth collection, i think there was a rumor about the rebirth games coming to switch last year by the way?
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: shelverton. on June 10, 2019, 03:50:13 PM
Wouldn’t a ”special announcement” have to be something rather more ”special” than just another collection of old Castlevania games (or the ReBirth games for that matter)?
Special for Konami would have to be MGS6 or a new attempt at a AAA Silent Hill game (because of the bad press Konami got from cancelling Silent Hills. It’s an opportunity for redemption). Or POSSIBLY a Castlevania game based on the Netflix series, but I’m not holding my breath.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Guy Belmont on June 10, 2019, 03:52:58 PM
I'm hoping for a new game full stop, no re release, no re makes , just a new game. its a bit much to hope for, but I'm hoping that bloodstained being so close to release will send Konami into some sort knee jerk reaction, to sabotage it. and TBH id as a CV fan i don't really care what happens to IGA or bloodstained, I just want a new CV game. I mean it shouldn't be one or the other, but knowing Konami they can be very nasty. And so doing something like this would not shock me at all.
So fingers crossed.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: shelverton. on June 11, 2019, 09:14:43 AM
Sooo... it was PES 2020?
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Foffy on June 11, 2019, 09:55:24 AM
It's Contra, and it looks bad.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Kamirine on June 11, 2019, 10:02:27 AM
Wait, I thought the announcement was suppose to be at 5:30PDT on Twitch? Contra got announced at the direct and PES has a stream at 12 PDT? So is there still hope?
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Foffy on June 11, 2019, 10:11:05 AM
Wait, I thought the announcement was suppose to be at 5:30PDT on Twitch? Contra got announced at the direct and PES has a stream at 12 PDT? So is there still hope?
Assuming these are all different announcements...hmm.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Kamirine on June 11, 2019, 10:20:03 AM
Assuming these are all different announcements...hmm.
Yeah, Konami’s Twitter already has stuff for both games. So if this is a completely new announcement, it may be something else. Though after seeing Contra I’m a bit scared...lol.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: whipsmemory on June 11, 2019, 10:35:55 AM
Curse of the Moon sells like hot cakes on Switch, Netflix Series renewed for Season 3, Simon and Richter make it into Smash... that'll mean... NEW SUBPAR CONTRA GAME. GG Konami ! (Y)
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: AlexCalvo on June 11, 2019, 10:44:03 AM
Well, as this is a hope thread at heart, we know that there is much more interest at the moment surrounding Castlevania than Contra, and more importantly so does Konami. This at the very least makes some kind of Castlevania announcement much more possible. Or it could just be their Contra equivalent to GoS.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Guy Belmont on June 11, 2019, 01:54:23 PM
Contra, looks bad, I mean REALLLY bad, shame. as i was playing it the other day. But back on to topic. lets just say what where all thinking why can't it be Umbra of Sorrow , come now Konami do the decent old boy.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: AlexCalvo on June 11, 2019, 04:39:18 PM
So we are less than an hour away and dare I say it, I feel some butterflies. I knew that hope would pop up at some point, it does every e3. I remember following these releases in the heyday from just after SoTN all the way through HD and Rebirth... and to a lesser extent (for me) LoS. It's hard to believe it has been so long. Really hope this is the year. If not, my thread title was right, so I win anyway lol. I'm sure I will get optimistic again this time next year as well. :'( *clears throat* So who's ready for Bloodstained?
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: DragonSlayr81 on June 11, 2019, 05:35:22 PM
Pack it up, kids. TG16-Mini.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Kamirine on June 11, 2019, 05:37:46 PM
I’m laughing and crying at the same time. Legitimately.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Foffy on June 11, 2019, 05:46:05 PM
Current mood. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXTZsiwk-ik)
I went in expecting nothing because this is current Konami, and fuck me senseless did they somehow go even lower than the bar I had set for them.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: aensland on June 11, 2019, 05:52:42 PM
It doesn't even has rondo on it
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Kamirine on June 11, 2019, 05:58:19 PM
Current mood. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXTZsiwk-ik)
I went in expecting nothing because this is current Konami, and fuck me senseless did they somehow go even lower than the bar I had set for them.
I admit, when I saw the schedule prior to the announcement, I started to get excited: Contra was shown at 11, PES had it’s own announcement, and Yu-Go-Oh went right before the announcement. So for a brief moment, I had legit hope. I literally played that Price is Right loser music in my head as the announcement was made.
At least Bloodstained is next week and I have the CV collection and Cat Game (on that Devolver Bootleg game) to tide me over! ;D. (WHY KONAMI?!)
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Foffy on June 11, 2019, 06:14:20 PM
Why are two of the playable characters messed up looking teddy bears?
Why does the girl have a demon face on her stomach?
"Rogue Corps" doesn't even work as a pun.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: RichterB on June 11, 2019, 07:40:52 PM
Rogue Corps is ironically headed by the creator of Aliens Wars, Hard Corps, and Neo Contra.
About that non-Castlevania announcement, though...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKECiyIsq3I (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKECiyIsq3I)
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: DragonSlayr81 on June 12, 2019, 09:13:08 AM
First post should be edited to say: "Abandon hope all ye who enter here!"
The future of CV DOES seem to rest with Bloodstained.
Til next week, ya'll...
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: whipsmemory on June 12, 2019, 10:38:14 AM
Theres' still Netflixs' presentation left , could Konami or some other third party studio reveal a tie-in based on the adaptation? This is our last chance ! :D
edit: i would hate it to be honest so I hope thats not gonna happen tho
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: DragonSlayr81 on June 12, 2019, 02:11:06 PM
Theres' still Netflixs' presentation left , could Konami or some other third party studio reveal a tie-in based on the adaptation? This is our last chance ! :D
edit: i would hate it to be honest so I hope thats not gonna happen tho
A post at ResetEra regarding Contra Rogue Corps said it all. It was "I wish for a new Contra game" and there was a animated gif of the Monkey's Claw finger reacting. That's where it seems we are at. Unless something miraculous happens, like a stark change and Komani actually starts to give a damn about their franchises, the golden age of yesteryear's over. I hate saying that, but yeah, the Konami that gave us awesome CV games, awesome Contra games, MGS, Gradius, Goemon, among others is dead.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: GuyStarwind on June 12, 2019, 04:10:51 PM
Yeah I was hoping. Honestly this E3 was just ok for me.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Foffy on June 12, 2019, 04:35:16 PM
We got Bloodstained and the community now, I'm sure Konami would underdeliver compared to either group.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: mgfcortez on June 12, 2019, 05:39:41 PM
people need to buy Castlevania Anniversary Collection 1st. and if the numbers are there maybe next year at e3. lets hope anyway
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: AlexCalvo on June 12, 2019, 09:49:57 PM
people need to buy Castlevania Anniversary Collection 1st. and if the numbers are there maybe next year at e3. lets hope anyway
I'll certainly be here, and optimistic next year too. With Bloodstained and Blasphemous under my belt, and hopefully some other new spiritual successor as well.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Kamirine on June 13, 2019, 08:53:52 AM
I'll certainly be here, and optimistic next year too. With Bloodstained and Blasphemous under my belt, and hopefully some other new spiritual successor as well.
Yeah, I can’t help but be optimistic that something will come along eventually, what with Contra getting a new game and them releasing the TGM. They know the want and love for CV is there, so they can’t ignore forever!
And while E3 was a bust for Castlevania, it wasn’t for games that have a Castlevania related feel/gameplay lean to them. As well as finding that Blasphemous game you mentioned, there’s also Brave Earth Prologue and because of that, I found a completely under the radar game called Crypt Stalker on Twitter, though both are more classicvania leaning. Either way, it’s nice to see spiritual successors starting to come out in hopefully full force.
I'll certainly be here, and optimistic next year too. With Bloodstained and Blasphemous under my belt, and hopefully some other new spiritual successor as well.
Have you tried "Timespinner"? It scratches my "Order of Ecclesia" itch.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: AlexCalvo on June 16, 2019, 09:43:42 PM
They got enough pressure as is, no need to weigh on em further with breaths :p
I have more faith in them than Konami, if I can be perfectly honest. It just takes longer to see that faith manifest as it's a project that can only be tackled with free time, not one's primary focus.
I think Konami's banking the future of the IP on how well the Anniversary Collection and how well Grimoire of Souls does, and the latter of which is concerning as Castlevania as a series lacks the depth of characters that make those kinds of gacha games profitable in the first place...probably the reason they've let a mobile game stay dormant for over a year now, which is absolutely not the norm
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Guy Belmont on June 17, 2019, 11:37:41 AM
We got Bloodstained and the community now, I'm sure Konami would underdeliver compared to either group.
I disagree 100% even the worse CV will be better then any part of bloodstained. TBH i only really started careing after zangetsu becmae playable 1 cos david hayter. 2 cos hes the clsost thing we going to get to julius belmont for some time.
I mean i need CVs game play, I need to lash the vampire Killer , I need the belmonts. If i could save only one game from being delete.
a Full castlevania game that only lasts for 5 mins or bloodstained. Id pick CV eveytime, every time. Why have a faux when you can have the real thing.
Don't get me wrong theres nothing bad about basing your gameplay and other conepcts off of CV but i don't see the point of tossing up CV just to play an imitation. TBH looking at the gameplay it looks like a lack luster SoTN, but i'm sure it will play better. But as a CV fan i just can't see why anyone would pick BloodStained over even the smallist part of CV. I mean maybe its just as an avid CV fan I don't know but pick Bloodstained over CV just seem wrong.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: shelverton. on June 17, 2019, 12:09:04 PM
I disagree 100% even the worse CV will be better then any part of bloodstained. TBH i only really started careing after zangetsu becmae playable 1 cos david hayter. 2 cos hes the clsost thing we going to get to julius belmont for some time.
I mean i need CVs game play, I need to lash the vampire Killer , I need the belmonts. If i could save only one game from being delete.
a Full castlevania game that only lasts for 5 mins or bloodstained. Id pick CV eveytime, every time. Why have a faux when you can have the real thing.
Don't get me wrong theres nothing bad about basing your gameplay and other conepcts off of CV but i don't see the point of tossing up CV just to play an imitation. TBH looking at the gameplay it looks like a lack luster SoTN, but i'm sure it will play better. But as a CV fan i just can't see why anyone would pick BloodStained over even the smallist part of CV. I mean maybe its just as an avid CV fan I don't know but pick Bloodstained over CV just seem wrong.
I don’t necessarily pick Bloodstained over Castlevania, but I most definitely pick IGA over whoever is still making games at Konami. Bloodstained is Castlevania in everything but name IMO. If Castlevania means Lords of Shadow or Grimoire of Souls I’d take just about anything else over it though. Belmonts and vampire killers mean nothing to me if they appear in terrible games. I care about how a game plays, not what the main character is called.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Foffy on June 17, 2019, 12:44:56 PM
I disagree 100% even the worse CV will be better then any part of bloodstained. TBH i only really started careing after zangetsu becmae playable 1 cos david hayter. 2 cos hes the clsost thing we going to get to julius belmont for some time.
I mean i need CVs game play, I need to lash the vampire Killer , I need the belmonts. If i could save only one game from being delete.
a Full castlevania game that only lasts for 5 mins or bloodstained. Id pick CV eveytime, every time. Why have a faux when you can have the real thing.
Don't get me wrong theres nothing bad about basing your gameplay and other conepcts off of CV but i don't see the point of tossing up CV just to play an imitation. TBH looking at the gameplay it looks like a lack luster SoTN, but i'm sure it will play better. But as a CV fan i just can't see why anyone would pick BloodStained over even the smallist part of CV. I mean maybe its just as an avid CV fan I don't know but pick Bloodstained over CV just seem wrong.
In regards to the bolded, it's because Konami wanted to get away from Castlevania as it was, turn it into a God of War imitation, and then let it die in slot machine paradise. Igarashi left Konami because they weren't interested in making the games he was known for, hence why Bloodstained's a thing in the first place. He even said in an interview he could have used everything from that series besides the Belmont name but chose to distant it somewhat by keeping the idea of whip wielding vampire hunters and Dracula as an antagonist aside. He could have added 30 years to Bloodstained's storyline and bam, it exists in a period with no Belmont users. It's so on-the-nose Ritual of the Night takes place in 1793; Rondo of Blood takes place in 1792.
People are excited for it because this is the closest we've seen a game come to representing Castlevania pre-reboot in over a decade. You don't see why people are even slightly interested...?
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Guy Belmont on June 17, 2019, 01:03:23 PM
the People are excited for it because this is the closest we've seen a game come to representing Castlevania pre-reboot in over a decade. You don't see why people are even slightly interested...?
well no not really, if konami came out with a new CV even if like i said it was only 5 mins. It would still be better then anyhting that Bloodstanied could do. again. As a CV fan id take any piece of CV over a imitation as again I mean that in the best way, but at the end of the day that's all it is. and id take that any day. but that just must be me.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: shelverton. on June 17, 2019, 01:22:22 PM
well no not really, if konami came out with a new CV even if like i said it was only 5 mins. It would still be better then anyhting that Bloodstanied could do.
Then you must think Konami makes really really good video games still? I wish I understood this logic better, but each to their own.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Guy Belmont on June 17, 2019, 02:17:41 PM
Well, after Contra I wouldn’t be surprised if Konami actually has a new CV coming. Possibly with a panda bear as the lead character. Panda Belmont!
And I Love CV that much that even that would be good enough for me at this point in time. #diehard CV fan
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: VladCT on June 18, 2019, 07:43:47 AM
even if it's full-priced online multiplayer-only lootbox bullshit? at this point I won't be surprised if they'd do it
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: X on June 18, 2019, 09:46:34 AM
I would not want to see a playable panda in CV. Castlevania's not that kind of game. Neither is Contra for that matter even though it has been going in the over-the-top direction for the last few games. Why... (https://media.tenor.com/images/fe40d38bf37f6c6ad149b2dd5b0c2495/tenor.gif)
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on June 19, 2019, 12:57:00 AM
I would not want to see a playable panda in CV. Castlevania's not that kind of game. Neither is Contra for that matter even though it has been going in the over-the-top direction for the last few games. Why...
Why... because KONAMI.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: BLOOD MONKEY on June 19, 2019, 09:49:09 AM
I would not want to see a playable panda in CV. Castlevania's not that kind of game. Neither is Contra for that matter even though it has been going in the over-the-top direction for the last few games. Why... (https://media.tenor.com/images/fe40d38bf37f6c6ad149b2dd5b0c2495/tenor.gif)
What's your op on the first Hard Corps then?
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Lumi Kløvstad on June 19, 2019, 05:07:08 PM
I mean, would a Panda actually be so out of place?
How quick y'all are to forget this bundle of joy, who appeared in two games and was fully playable in one of them (complete with Red Licorice Whip!).
Honestly, if Konami wanted to include a Panda as a bonkers bonus character, I don't see why they shouldn't. This is still sort of the same company that in the Konami Wai Wai World games put Simon Belmont front and center next to their Corporate Superman Expy "Konami Man" and his cyborg ninja girl sidekick.
Lunacy was clearly never off the table, and I even welcome it as a sort of return to 1980's and early 1990's playfulness that has been sadly lacking.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Belmontoya on June 19, 2019, 05:33:30 PM
Yeah no that new contra looks like hot trash.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: AlexCalvo on June 19, 2019, 07:46:51 PM
Honestly, if Konami wanted to include a Panda as a bonkers bonus character, I don't see why they shouldn't. This is still sort of the same company that in the Konami Wai Wai World games put Simon Belmont front and center next to their Corporate Superman Expy "Konami Man" and his cyborg ninja girl sidekick.
Lunacy was clearly never off the table, and I even welcome it as a sort of return to 1980's and early 1990's playfulness that has been sadly lacking.
Come on man. A wacky Halloween themed character at least fits thematically as a cartoonish play on the game's ideas and style. A panda is just completely random nonsense. While pumpkin was certainly a silly/fun addition, he was far from completely random nonsense. A little sillyness =/= anything goes.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: theplottwist on June 19, 2019, 08:02:08 PM
Come on man. A wacky Halloween themed character at least fits thematically as a cartoonish play on the game's ideas and style. A panda is just completely random nonsense. While pumpkin was certainly a silly/fun addition, he was far from completely random nonsense. A little sillyness =/= anything goes.
Armed Panda is not too far away from the Contra universe. There's a gun-toting werewolf, a samurai in the far future, a reptile-man, a literal talking dog (https://i.warosu.org/data/vr/img/0027/72/1446514394171.jpg), and running-on-helicopter-blades. It is an absurd world.
But, to be fair, the Panda sucks major ass in comparison to Brad Fang. Despite the sillyness that already exists in Contra, the Panda really feels out-of-place for some reason. Maybe it's the game's apparent lack of quality in general.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: X on June 19, 2019, 10:55:31 PM
Quote
What's your op on the first Hard Corps then?
Contra: Hard Corps for the Genesis? Awesome game. Some might think it over-the-top with the character Brad Fang but story-wise he was the only person on Earth to legally undergo gene splicing, unless you count Colonel Bahamut's scientist doing it to others utilising Red Falcon's DNA. It didn't feel forced because of the way it was handled. That and it was the first time seeing that in a Contra game. I also think the time in which the game came out also played a part in it. Werewolves were popular during those years. It had the virtue of having never been tried.
If it's Hard Corps: Uprising you're referring to then in some ways it is a little over-the-top, but it doesn't do anything really drastic that would constitute a mess as the recent titles/title coming out has demonstrated. Neo-Contra was definitely over-the-top and not as serious as it could have been (like it's predecessor Shattered Soldier). Animal Contra (the talking dog) was a bit much though Bill Rizer's comment to him was amusing: "You Dog! You're gonna sacrifice your own men!"
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: RichterB on June 20, 2019, 12:29:30 AM
For better or worse, Contra's been on this over-the-top kick for a while. Contra ReBirth had an undercover cross-dressing Lance Bean, an alien lizard enemy leader who decided he wanted to be a Contra soldier (who was partially referencing Metal Gear's Solid Snake), a tiny robot that looked like a little girl with pigtails, an enemy robot boss that gets hit with its own head, robotic purple camels, a robot ninja surfing a missile, and goofy movie references like this (http://www.klustr.net/contra/images/articles/trivia/contra_rebirth_victory.png (http://www.klustr.net/contra/images/articles/trivia/contra_rebirth_victory.png)) that made the characters look like goofballs. That was just some of it.
We need to be more honest about this series, perhaps.
I'm not sure the "core" of Rogue Corps is that far removed from the Contra series as a whole. Even as far back as the NES games, you had camera shifts to behind-the-back or overhead perspectives on stages. Oddball characters with unique weapons started in Contra Hard Corps on the Genesis (or to a lesser extent, the Contra Force spinoff on NES), and selecting different loadouts before missions and having additional 3D-type perspectives was in the unexpectedly enjoyable Neo Contra on PS2.
This looks like an evolution from Neo Contra, adding more of the classic elements back in, like the rolling-jump platforming. (Seeing that is a huge step in the right direction alone.) As a Contra fan, I think it shows a lot of promise, despite being somewhat unconventional and [somewhat unfortunately] even more over the top in its humor than Contra ReBirth or Neo Contra. But that same off-the-wall attitude is giving us a rolling spherical version of what looks like an old-school Contra foe, and that's amusing and interesting from a gameplay perspective.
I am glad to hear longtime Contra producer Nobuya Nakazato is overseeing this one. He's been involved with the series since Contra III, and while he sometimes takes things too far, he knows about the extreme scenarios Contra presents and is good at giving them unique spins. I hope this gets an honest try by fans and newcomers, because this will be a good learning experiment, if nothing else, and only solid sales will allow this series to continue to grow. Contra requires a 360-degree action component that most (if not all) FPS and/or modern 3rd-person cover shooters can't deliver; this Rogue Corps is a compromise to provide a little bit of everything the franchise is known for. I think there are other, likely better, options for this franchise in the next-gen realm, but it's not like it should be a copy off of Halo or Gears of War. Neither of those has the all-around hectic craziness and personality that Contra demands. (And to that point, I'm very curious how aerial enemies will be handled in Rogue Corps.)
I hope the music is as good as the last few Contras, especially Neo Contra. As much as Contra 4 and Contra ReBirth were touted--and they both had amazing standout moments--I felt they did have a certain amount of staleness to them and couldn't quite top the 16-bit era they were emulating overall, so I appreciate the effort to try to evolve Contra's level design. It looks like there's a good mix/balance of shooting, platforming, and bosses. (When there are too many mini-bosses, it breaks things up too much.)
Anyway, all in all, I'm not ecstatic yet, but I am hopeful, and feel that everyone needs to keep the franchise in perspective versus comparing it to, say, Contra 1 on the NES, or just a few of the games. That's unfair in some ways, and sort of shortsighted in terms of what the franchise could come to be. I'm not saying the 2D era has to be completely replaced, but having 2D and 3D Marios and Zeldas works fine and is healthy, and I'd like that for franchises like Contra. This right here, with all its potential issues, is an attempted culmination of the whole franchise, both the classics and the fun, underrated gems. Again, I think the tone could and should be more balanced, but there's a fine line before it becomes overly westernized, as it was always a Japanese take on western scifi-military action tropes.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: X on June 20, 2019, 09:34:02 AM
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For better or worse, Contra's been on this over-the-top kick for a while. Contra ReBirth had an undercover cross-dressing Lance Bean, an alien lizard enemy leader who decided he wanted to be a Contra soldier (who was partially referencing Metal Gear's Solid Snake), a tiny robot that looked like a little girl with pigtails, an enemy robot boss that gets hit with its own head, robotic purple camels, a robot ninja surfing a missile, and goofy movie references like this (http://www.klustr.net/contra/images/articles/trivia/contra_rebirth_victory.png (http://www.klustr.net/contra/images/articles/trivia/contra_rebirth_victory.png)) that made the characters look like goofballs. That was just some of it.
I had almost forgotten about all that. Lance cross-dressing? He never did that in the entirety of the series till this game came along. And from a story perspective it did feel forced.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: Foffy on June 22, 2019, 08:02:49 PM
I would not want to see a playable panda in CV. Castlevania's not that kind of game. Neither is Contra for that matter even though it has been going in the over-the-top direction for the last few games. Why... (https://media.tenor.com/images/fe40d38bf37f6c6ad149b2dd5b0c2495/tenor.gif)
I know some people kinda already called out how Contra has had absurd characters, but this is the same series with time traveling super soldiers who try to hide as drag queens during an invasion into the past. I'm not even kidding.
The Tencent Contra game seems to be the inspiration for some of these out-of-the box designs. In fact, the most absurd is the hybrid woman-alien character, not a robot panda. This new Contra is the second Contra game with a playable character that has the design of a bear. Snowbell, the panda from Contra Return, is a literal panda trained as a soldier.
Title: Re: Mandatory E3 False Hope Thread.
Post by: X on June 23, 2019, 10:22:29 AM
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In fact, the most absurd is the hybrid woman-alien character, not a robot panda.
They had something like this in Shattered Soldier. Lucia was built by Dr Mandrake during the events of Contra Hard Corps but he wasn't able to complete her before he was killed by one of his own creations. I have no doubt that her designs also incorporate biological components from Red Falcon's DNA as well. This would explain why she was the only one and why no other copies of her exist. Having an alien-human hybrid isn't something I'd be really concerned with as it seems to fit in with the world of Contra on a whole, but a regular panda bear being trained as a soldier with no genetic modifications or cybernetics at all? That is taking things a bit too far, lol.