I will always have a spot in my hype meter for the 3D Marios, Metroids, Fallouts, and so on. However, there are a couple of games and ideas I would love to see. So, I came up with a list of games I want to see. A few known IPs are mentioned here, but it will mostly be new ideas and concepts. I hope you enjoy this one. Let’s see what you think would be a game concept you would be down for.
Castlevania by From Software
Okay, so we’re kicking off the list with an existing IP, which we are all missing - Castlevania. Castlevania was a huge franchise during the pixel eras of 8-bit and 16-bit, but lost its hype and influence slowly but surely when gaming made the jump to 3D. Despite this, I think the lore and concepts of the series are amazing and are right up my alley. I believe part of the reason for Bloodborne’s success is that it’s the closest we’ve come to that first Castlevania experience when it comes to atmosphere and setting. So, why not a From Software made Castlevania entry?
You can build your member of the Belmont family however you seem fit and get ready to storm Dracula’s castle. You’ll have all the typical Souls mechanics and gameplay, leaning more towards the Bloodborne style over the Dark Souls style. The castle would be massive and have a bunch of doors that lead to new areas and potentially wrap into some of the land, so you can still find swampy and snow-covered parts. The bosses would be massive, and of course, it all ends with a battle against Dracula. I think this game, done right, would be one of the best things any Soulsborne fan could get hold of. I’m down for any new Castlevania title, but one like this made by From Software would be legendary stuff.
Nintendo Hero Shooter
Anyone who knows me knows how surprising this one is. I am not a multiplayer guy and don’t care for live service titles. However, I do like my pick-up and play Nintendo multiplayer games like Mario Kart. If anyone could make an interesting and cool hero shooter, it’s Nintendo. I’m actually surprised the company hasn’t considered it, to tell you the truth. Look, I love my Smash Bros., but the series is kinda starting to get a little stale. I think Nintendo should release an upres version of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (maybe add a couple of new characters and stages) for the Switch 2 and let the competitive scene take it from there. A Nintendo hero shooter would be more enticing for me, and I think they would have another massive hit on their hands.
First of all, since it's Nintendo, the guns would be more like lasers, and you obviously wouldn’t have things like bullets and blood. After filling up a meter, the characters could be given special abilities similar to Final Smash. Maybe Kirby gets on his warp star and obliterates the field. Like Smash Bros., you can announce a lineup of characters to a lot of excitement and different stages as well. If Nintendo doesn’t want to do a traditional live service title, they could treat it as an evolution of Smash Bros. or have updates and events similar to Splatoon games. I’m telling you, with the way Gen Z is when it comes to these types of games, I think this game would print money.
The Chronicles of Narnia
Possibly one of the most famous stories of literature and a big part of my childhood, yet no proper AAA adaptation has been made. With the success of movie IP games and Harry Potter, I think the world of video games could be very good for C.S. Lewis’ classic series. You could follow the story of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, but make some changes to make it grander and more personal. Players can become teenagers or children and have access to roam around Narnia. You can meet Caspian, sail the waters, and take down enemies as you explore and expand. The White Witch would be a major villain in the game, though I would prefer the Shift from The Last Battle to be the game's true final boss. I imagine this one is closer to Hogwarts Legacy. It is most likely a teen-rated game, but one I can see family gamers playing.
Hollywoodland
It’s the late 1920s, Hollywood, and you’ve been called into a reported murder in a rich, fancy mansion. When you arrive, you realize it's a famous director, and the list of suspects is longer than a casting sheet. Now, you must talk to everyone from studio bosses to angry actors to actresses that may or may not have been secretly meeting with the director, and only one could be the murderer. Along the way, you have to deal with all the whaciness of early Hollywood, from circus animals to a potential serial killer to organized crime.
This is a concept I came up with when I first heard about the still unsolved case of William Desmond Taylor, a director found mysteriously shot to death at his place, with potential suspects all over the place. If you take inspiration from this and research to see some wild 1920s Hollywood stories, you can have a solid film noir-style game here. The setting could be done with great detail and pop for history nerds like me, and the missions and stories you can tell are plenty. There could also be nods to real life studios, political figures, and actors of the time. Maybe investigate a case similar to Fatty Arbuckle, and the game lets you decide where you stand on his innocence. I would be stuck in this world for months if this were released.
A Real Western Game
Okay, before you start throwing tomatoes, yes, I am aware of the Red Dead Redemption games, and no, I am not saying I don’t like them. I loved what I’ve played from both of them. So why am I saying a real Western game? Well first of all, as much as I loved Red Dead Redemption 2 I came away feeling like I played GTA in a western setting. The characters and stories feel more like a GTA game than the Western movies I would watch with my abuelo (that’s grandpa for the non-Latinos reading this). As for the first game, I haven’t really truly played it, but I am aware of its story, and I will say that its central story is closer to the kind of thing I’m looking for. So what exactly do I want from a Western video game?
So, I want a game with much of the same gameplay formula and progression as RDR2, yes, even the cleaning of guns and all that. Here is where we start cooking. I want a story where you can either be the hero or the outlaw. You’ll go through some stuff throughout the game, and your choices steer you to either hero or outlaw status. The central campaign story would be something closer to the Western and John Wayne movies I watched as a kid. If you choose to be an outlaw, the story starts leaning closer to more of an RDR2 path. I myself would be a hero and try to take down as many outlaws as possible, get in a romance, and finish off the last bad guy, as a young kid would yell my name as I leave on my horse to end the game. This is what I mean when I tell people what my perfect Western video game would be.
Fairy Tales and Classic Books
I admit, this one is technically cheating as it's more of a concept for multiple games instead of just one game idea. I think it's high time for the industry to look at adapting classic fairy tale stories. We’ve had some flirtations with this thanks to games like the American McGee's Alice games and somewhat with Lies of P, but we need more. Considering the imagination and visuals a video game can use, it’s downright criminal that we haven’t gotten big AAA games based on classic fairy tales and literature. Treasure Island sounds like a story that could make for a good video game. Moby Dick could make for a great short visual novel experience. How about a game that mixes as many fairy tales as possible in one world? I think the vast potential for these adaptations is high, and it baffles me that we haven’t received more of them.
Mario and Sonic in an ACTUAL adventure
I'm not trying to dunk on Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games series, but that is not the dream team-up I had in mind when these two icons finally came together. My ultimate dream game has always been a single-player big 3D game where you take turns playing as Mario or Sonic. The Mario sections would obviously play slower and similar to the sandbox style 3D Mario games, as Mario looks to take down Dr. Eggman, who makes a deal with Bowser to switch out who to go after to prove it can’t be that hard. Bowser would throw his minions at Sonic, which has the fast gameplay we know Sonic for. Each area could introduce interesting ideas that mix and match the two gameplay styles. It ends with Mario in superstar mode and Super Sonic taking down Giga Bowser or some form of a corrupted monstrous Bowser. This is and will always be my dream game.
Be Nice to All
Castlevania by From Software feels like a no brainer!
A PvP shooter but with Nintendo all stars? Insert Futurama take my money gif!