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professorfandango β SMASH 150 - 081 - CAPTAIN FALCON
#bros #captain #falcon #fzero #smash #super
Published: 2018-01-23 22:30:35 +0000 UTC; Views: 3720; Favourites: 151; Downloads: 30
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It's Captain Falcon! Or as he's known to anybody who plays Smash like I do - Captain-Captain-Captain Falcon.Captain Falcon in Smash
By this point, sadly, we almost have more Smash games than F-Zero games (I wonder if that's why they were so hesitant to reveal the Captain this time around?) so Falcon certainly is heavily associated with SMash, perhaps more so than his own series!
I like using him too. I don't do so as often as I used to - for some reason I can never nail the dash grab spacing - but I love the huge, over-the-top personality they gave him and his moveset, while entirely made up, is still lots of fun.
Captain Falcon in the F-Zero series
It's a shame, then, that there hasn't been a new F-Zero game since the Gamecube (or the GBA) so we don't even get to see Captain Falcon in the series these days!
There have been a few articles about the series recently. One included a question as the likelihood of an F-Zero game on Wii U, and the response was that they hadn't figured out a way to incorporate the gamepad in a significant way. Some would argue that they didn't need to include those controls at all, but I'd have to disagree.
It's even easier to see this in retrospect, but by integrating those gimmicky play styles directly into the console, Nintendo had to use them as much as possible so as to justify the console even existing (more on that later.)
Then, more recently, Miyamoto was asked why there have been no new games. His response was something along the lines of "We would need to do something new with the series. We don't want to just remake an old game or do a straight sequel. What kind of things can we do with the series that fans want?" I'm paraphrasing but it sounded almost accusatory when I read it, as if it was our job to come up with a new idea for the series. But it can't be that difficult, right? They keep doing it in Mario Kart, and those changes are usually fairly small, and Fast RMX managed to make a spiritual successor to F-Zero with a new Ikaruga style two-colour shield/boost system.
What I'm thinking about is maybe broadening the entire game genre so there's something to do other than racing. Captain Falcon is supposed to be a bounty hunter, so why don't we see him collecting bounties? It would be nice to see more of the characters outside their machines because they're so weird and wonderful. Maybe this could actually be a series that starts to focus on story-driven gameplay?
It's just an idea. I'd be more than happy with just a new racing game and now that the Switch doesn't rely on motion controls and the system is knocking out all sorts of quality instalments for first party franchises, maybe there's a better chance of the Captain and company making a big comeback?
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Comments: 31
π: 0 β©: 0
Fun fact: Mario Kart 8 was made that way and given F-Zero DLC because the dude in charge of the game wanted to prove that F-Zero can be done on Wii U and there's still a ton of fan interest. Additionally, since 2007, Nintendo has been contacted repeatedly by Capcom, Platinum and Sega about making a new F-Zero game, and Sonic Team even figured out and DEMONSTRATED how the gamepad can be a steering wheel and the graphics engine used for Sonic's running could allow them to make the cars' speed look more intense than ever.
Miyamoto still said no every time.
π: 0 β©: 2
That sounds like pretty damning evidence, but where are you getting this information?
I hadn't heard about any of this but it would be a terrible shame if it was true.
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Which information?
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I dunno, a variety of sources, mostly various game news sites, as far back as 2007 in some cases. Pretty common knowledge by now in particular is that gauging/proving interest in a new F-Zero is the reason why the F-Zero stuff was added to MK8.
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I should think so, unless they can figure out how to keep F-Zero fresh there is no real point in reviving it.
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Yes there is. It doesn't need to be super flexible and please absolutely everyone. If they can remake Star Fox 64 multiple times instead of actually continuing the story and keep making Metroid despite it actually being a VERY niche title in Japan, they can give the world the new F-Zero it's been demanding for 15 years.
π: 0 β©: 1
Metroid is niche in Japan but a huge hit everywhere else. Every Star Fox and Metroid game is similar but has something that differentiate them and make them unique. F-Zero meanwhile is niche everywhere and unlike Star Fox and Metroid none of itβs games have sold very well nor have been very different from each other.
π: 0 β©: 1
Dude, F-Zero GX was literally one of the GameCube's highest-selling and highest-rated games, and F-Zero X was a pretty big success too. Falcon didn't end up in Smash for nothing.
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Are we talking about the same F-Zero GX and X? Their reception was strong, but neither sold well at all (the former of which was also expensive to make). The only F-Zero game to sell well was the first one. Also keep in mind how much GP Legend and Climax bombed. Nintendo tried their darnedest to keep F-Zero alive, but to no avail.
Like I said I would love to be proven wrong, but at best F-Zero is being fitted for a coffin right now.
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GP Legend failed because it was tied to a frankly shitty anime and no one cared about Climax because it had like no actual connection to the other games.
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Actually the anime was quite good and a lot of people still care about it. Even if they didnβt itβs still a strong F-Zero game. What does connection have to do with it? It was still F-Zero, one that many consider to be just as good as GX and a game fans still want to get here.
With three financial flops in a row, itβs no wonder F-Zero is down for the count.
π: 0 β©: 1
Oh yeah, it was so good that no one talks about it aside from one memeworthy scene. I especially love how absolutely no one was portrayed correctly, visually OR character-wise, they shoved in lame new characters that don't feel like they belong, and all the women had the exact same copypasted body, and then it got a shitty 4Kids dub for good measure. :V
And if many consider Climax to be just as good as GX, why does no one ever praise that and beg for a rerelease of it like they do with GX?
And again, how in the hell was GX a flop? It straight-up wasn't.
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Whether you like it or not, itβs still a cult classic people enjoyed
They do and they have been
It sold badly, plain and simple. You can deny it all your want but GX was a critically praised financial failure. Like I said: the only F-Zero game to sell well was the first one.
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Whatever you say, dude.
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Awwww yeahhhh, the legend has arrived! Capt Falcon is an excellent example of taking an idea and running with it for this game series, especially since it's hard to find a character from a racing game that translates well into a fighting game. He's been a fave since the first generation thanks to that over-the-top ridiculous energy, and I don't think that's changing in my mind.Β
Terrific job on his dynamic pose and cocky demeanor. Well done overall, pal.Β
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Yes, let us hope he never changes!
Thanks very much!
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The problem F-Zero always seems to have is that it isn't as flexible as Mario Kart, Nintendo's other major racing franchise. Mario Kart can enter a variety of odd spaces and add in off-the-wall new mechanics and everyone is alright with it. F-Zero has a very distinct feel to it and very specific gameplay that is hard to add onto without being gimmicky or incorporating entirely new mechanics that we haven't already seen Mario Kart. To make matters worse F-Zero's audience is much more niche than Mario Kart's due to its greater difficulty curve, less spectacular multiplayer, and often unforgiving levels.
I do hope F-Zero gets another game someday, but right now it would be very VERY difficult. Miyamoto really hit the nail on the head with that statement.
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He really didn't though, because at this point, the fans would gladly accept a remastered F-Zero GX over nothing at all. He clearly has no clue what F-Zero fans want.
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What is there to remaster? F-Zero is such an inflexible franchise. Just have GX released on the online store.
And like I said: F-Zero is super niche. Mario Kart can supply what it has and appeal to more people.
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Oh, really? Mario Kart can supply mach-speed, high-stakes sci-fi racing, can it?
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Well yes actually, the 200cc mode is basically F-Zero Light
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I think you're right about the narrower audience it gathers, it's much more profitable for them to make another Mario Kart , and I still wonder if we'll get a 'proper' Mario Kart on Switch, since they've said they do one per console, but I don't think it would be fair to pass off MK8 Deluxe as the single Switch instalment.
However, considering they've already taken some steps to appeal to 'core' players in some of the Switch titles, maybe they will offer F-Zero as alternative racer to Mario.
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You mean that Captain Falcon WASN'T a character made exclusively for Smash?! 
However, I can see where Miyamoto is coming from: what with Mario Kart, the F-Zero franchise needs to be different now, unless they add Falcon to Mario Kart and have the Falcon Punch compete with the Luigi Death Stare.Β
I remember there was a video on YouTube in which the user had a competition for a Nintendo crossover game, and one of the winning ideas was a story in which Samus meets up with Captain Falcon and, after the mandatory misunderstanding and inevitable fight, they team up when they find out that they've been given the same mission. It would have been a beat em up/shooter game. The enemies would have been the likes of Ridley, Samurai Goroh, Dark Samus and Blood Falcon. It seemed like a cool idea.Β
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Yeah, it's not a bad idea.
There was an event battle in Melee with Samus and Falcon under the pretence that they're both seeking the same bounty and I think it would be pretty hilarious to see Samus's stoic seriousness played off against Falcon's flamboyant confidence!
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Uh, I read that interview and it didn't come off as accusatory at all. It came off as him wanting to do more with the series so it and Mario Kart would go in opposite directions.
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I certainly hope that's the case.
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Well, they did have an F-Zero mini game in Nintendo Land and the Mario Kart 8 DLC, but I would not count that either,
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That's right. I did mean to mention that there have been a couple of references and re-releases so the franchise ought to still be fresh in their minds.
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