PixlBit

**NOTE:  This is the start of what will be a long re-uploading and re-releasing/tweaking of my previous articles.  This doesn't mean I won't have new material coming out as well, but if you see something strangely familiar, don't be alarmed - I'm simply getting my article archive put back out on the web for everyone's enjoyment :D

 

While there are many beloved franchises that everyone wishes would come back, some game developers simply don't exist anymore, or the intellectual property belongs to someone who couldn't care less about rebooting an old DOS title, considering that the younger generation of gamers probably isn't even aware of what DOS is.

My name may be "Dingo" but I pilot a large mech and kick ass.

First, in a series of my ramblings about which of my favorite obscure games should be remade or rebooted, is a game that holds a very dear place in my heart.  Zone of the Enders.  Now before you ravenously jump up and say "BUT WAIT! HIDEO KOJIMA SAID HE WAS WORKING ON ONE!"  Yes, this is true, but I still have to rant about it.

While people like me were patiently waiting (mind you, I waited 12 years for Starcraft II) for a new Zone of the Enders game after playing ZoE:2nd Runner, Hideo Kojima was toiling away, and we hoped for a ZoE announcement.  But it didn't happen.  Hideo Kojima was FAR too busy cranking out titles for the already tired series, Metal Gear.  Don't get me wrong, I know why:  Ravenous fanbase, killer sales, and yeah, the storyline is pretty good, albeit at this point, it's getting old (insert Solid Snake aging pun rimshot here).

I'll be able to fire HOW MANY fucking lasers? From my BACK?! YEAAAAAAAH!

Why does Zone of the Enders deserve a reboot/sequel when Metal Gear has proven to be a giant piggy bank?  Three words.  Perfect. Mech. Controls.  Of course that isn't the only reason, but I'll be damned if there isn't a mech game with better controls than ZoE 2.  Yes, yes, Armored Core exists, and while I absolutely love the franchise for its customization and generally fun gameplay, the controls have been clunky since the PSX, and sadly, it doesn't look like it's getting better, but Zone of the Enders: 2nd Runner finally gave the mech gamers what they've been clamoring for - sleek, smooth, and intuitive controls.  Using the button cluster to ascend and descend, is the first thing done right.  The second was assigning the melee/grabbing to square and circle, meaning you can ascend and descend while staying combative with the enemies.  Assigning the turning to an analog stick was rudimentary, as well as assigning ranged attacks to the shoulder buttons, leaving it up to the intuitive targeting/lock-on mechanism to handle any trickiness that would go along with aiming.

On top of that, the graphics were wonderful for a PS2 title, and I know as much as anyone, that with todays powerful current gen (and hell, who knows, by the time Kojima is done with any other Metal Gear titles he may want to crank out, next gen) consoles, we could have yet another awe inspiring mech game from Konami, with the same intuitive controls, perhaps even expanded upon, to provide a continuation to the interesting story behind Zone of the Enders, while packaging it with the amazing controls and combat that made it such a wonderful game.  Also, while the versus mode was very trimmed down compared to what it could have been, it was still a blast to pit Anubis against himself in a perfectly fair and rounded match, to see who of my friends could better utilize that monster of a scythe.

Now of course we have the ZoE HD Remake, which I currently own, and it's fantastic to have them both in one place and in HD, but it's still not ZoE 3, and that makes me sad.  And angry.  Sangry.

TL;DR?  Metal Gear is stale, Zone of the Enders rules and needs to come back with a giant mech piloting vengeance.