DC games that need to be remade on Wii

Sorry I haven't posted for a little while now, but blogger has hated me for the last month, only letting me post small topics until now, it seems. Last month about this time, I waited at GAME from opening time for about an hour and a half with a collection of wifes. Finally, the boxes were sent in. For the first time in Southend for a while, the Nintendo Wii was in stock. A whole twelve of them, in fact. They sold out within the hour, but I was second in line, so it was all good. It's the first console to really excite me since the Dreamcast, to be honest. Everything in-between was pretty boring.

The Wii is now sitting pretty next to the Dreamcast. Don't they just compliment each other nicely? These two consoles actually seem to have quite a lot in common, actually.

1) Most obviously, they're both white and sleek, very nicely designed consoles. They both also have a lovely glowing light when you turn them on (Only the Dreamcast one actually stays on, whereas the Wii only lights up when you get messages, which is quite spooky when the room's dark).

2) They are both the first time either Sega or Nintendo have stripped their brand name from the name of a system. The Dreamcast (with the exception of America) was only officially known as the Dreamcast, not the Sega Dreamcast, and the same is going on with the Wii, making it a brand of its own. Maybe Nintendo took a leaf from Sega's book?

3) They can both play downloaded NES, SNES, Mega Drive and Turbo Grafix games. Of course, on the Wii it's legal and you have to buy them, and on the Dreamcast it's not and you don't. The Dreamcast has the advantage of being able to play (some) PSone games, and the Wii has the advantage of playing N64 games (without its infamous fog).

4) They both can browse the internet. The Wii's browser is compatible with Flash and YouTube, which is nice. Setting it up is a bit more complicated than the Dreamcast one was, though, when done wireless.

5) They both rock, and dare to be different. So there.

6) They both have Sega making games for them, although in the Wii's case, Sega haven't got enough going for it, hence why I'm making this topic...

Moving on, I've decided to put together a list of the top 5 games on the Dreamcast that I believe would work really well if remade for the Wii, control wise. I may even consider sending Sega some of these ideas, as I'd love to see them get off their lazy arse's and make some games for the Wii other than Sonic and Monkey Ball. The Wii has the potential to be Nintendo's Dreamcast, and I don't mean that by sales fiures, but I mean that by just how pioneering it can be, but if everyone just keeps porting PS2 games over, we will never know.

5: REZ

While I can't see anyone (let alone Sega at the moment) pulling off a sequel to this well, the Wii remote would suit this game mighty well. Pointing at the screen would be your aim, and the B trigger would be the shooter, which you hold down than let go of. Pretty simple control then, but where the remote would be great for this game is the built in speaker and rumble. The game is all about how it responds to your actions in both of these departments. Even if it was just a direct port of the PS2 version, this would be great, as the game is pretty darn rare now too.

4: CHU CHU ROCKET

A no brainier, this. The Wii remote pointer could be used as the cursor, the d-pad could be used to place the arrow blocks, and the B trigger used to remove arrow block. This would be a much faster and simpler control scheme than the system used on the Dreamcast, which would make the multi-payer mode much more frantic and fun. If not a full fledged retail release, this could be a direct port with these new controls available on the Virtual Console (The Dreamcast cast is a very small file size). From a financial point for Sega, this would be instant cash as it would be dirt cheap to develop and publish online. Also, use the online features, like the Dreamcast one did, to exchange levels and play against others, this time without that annoying delay.

3: SPACE CHANNEL 5

Before reading on, watch this Youtube clip of a dancing mini game in Wario Ware Smooth Moves, followed by this YouTube clip of how it's actually played. Now, image this, but with Ulala on the screen instead, with the quality 'Simon says' style game play. Is this not a Wii game just begging to happen? It'd be the ultimate "look-like-a-tit-and-love-it" game. Rather surprisingly, no one has yet tapped into the potential of dance and rhythm games on the Wii (although Konami do have a DDR planned for it). No longer will you need to buy dance mats or press buttons, when you could just dance for real in front of your telly with nothing more than a Wii remote.

Imagine the game with visuals like this artwork above. How sweet would that be? It wouldn't be impossible, just look at Monkey Ball on the Wii.

What's more, a new chapter of one of Sega's main unique and under used franchise is exactly what the market needs right now. The Dreamcast was Sega at their creative peak, and they really need to start using some of the franchises created during that time more. You have a lot more properties under your belt than Sonic and Monkey ball you know, use them!

2: JET SET RADIO

While this may not seem obvious right now to many, I've thought about an entire control system for this, using both the Remote ad Nun-chuck. The Nun-chuck analogue would be used to move your character, and flicking it upwards would make you jump. Once you land on a rail, the remote could be titled left and right to keep your character in balance. The A button on the remote would be a new punch button, that will help you slow down the police.

But the real fun would come from how you spray graffiti. When making small graffiti while grinding, you simply use the B trigger if they are at your right, and the Z button on the Nun-chuck if to your left. When you approach a wall where you want to make a big graffiti, both the remote and Nun-Chuck become left and right spray cans. That's right, two cans at the same time. Instead of the Dreamcast games' analogue rotating, patterns and shapes will be displayed on the screen which you have to create using either the left or right cans, or both at the same time. I've even made a mock up above.

The Wii is capable of better graphics than an X-Box, so a leap in graphics from JSRF would be no problem. We don't want realism though, Jet Set Radio (like a lot of the games in this chart) is all about style. Forget the futuristic anime style of JSRF, go back to the more cartoon-y style of the Dreamcast original, then take that cartoony-ness up to a new level. How about making everything bouncier, like an old Betty Boop cartoon? This is probably just a cartoon fanatic talking here, but I would really like to see more games really attempt to be cartoon-y, like Florigan Bros and Wind Waker, and Jet Set Radio could be a good place to start. While the other systems are trying to push for the most life like graphics, the Wii could be all about artistic style.

Speaking of which, this may be just me, but I wanna see a game use the fish eye lens effect that was being used in the canceled Sonc X-Theme. maybe Jet Set radio on the Wii could take advantage of it? Distorted perspectives would be very funky.

1: SAMBA DE AMIGO

This should of been obvious from the start. As soon as the controls were revealed for the Wii, this was one of the first games I thought would work for the system. hell, this game is perfect for the Wii. It simply must be done. Not only would the controls be exactly the same, but they may actually be more accurate with the Wii remote if done right. Due to it's high price of the maracas and rarity of the games, not many people got to experience Samba De Amigo, but on the Wii the game could be easily released as a standard £35-40 game that any one could play with the Wii remote. Even if they just directly port the game it could be a hundred times more popular than it ever got the chance to be on the Dreamcast.

While there's nothing quite as daft as shaking two bright red plastic maracas about, a Wii mote and a Nunchuck, or even two Wii motes so you don't get that pesky wire, would be the next best thing. Wih these, the game could be played exactly how it was on the Dreamcast. The built in speaker on the Wii mote could recreate the rattle of the maracas. Take the control system from Ver.2000, all the songs from the Dreamcast games, add bunch of new songs, and possibly even include down-loadable extra songs, as well as a bunch of mini games, and you already have the perfect follow up.

Simply put, Sega could have the new Guitar Hero on their hands with this. The Wii has given them the perfect opportunity to see the full potential of this forgotten franchise. If Sega really want to be seen as a great game developer again, they need to stop publishing out sourced crap and retro collections and make real games again (I won't even go into the recent Sonic 360 disaster). This one would hardly even take a lot of work to develop, and could be an instant profit for the flawing company. Three words, Sega: MAKE. IT. HAPPEN.

35 comments:

Caleb said...

"The Wii is now sitting pretty next to the Dreamcast. Don't they just compliment each other nicely?"

-When you fall asleep at night they secretly hump.

You might have a good point on the Samba game. Sadly I have never played it. But I keep hearing everwhere from youtube to IGN that this needs to happen.

Same with Rez, never played it.

Chu Chu, ditto.

Playing Channel 5 is embarrassing as it is. If they make a motion controlled version I hope they include a roll of tape to fasten the curtains shut so nobody can see you play...

..on a side note is it possible to use the lightgun to play Space Channel 5?

I totally agree with the Jet Set Radio idea. It would be cool to tag stuff with motion.

fatherkrishna said...

Fucking holy shit!!!

Gagaman(n) I can't comment too much on this post other than to say it is SUBLIME!

I have wanted a Wii for some time but now more than ever...

This is the most relevent post on the DCJY for a good while!

I love the idea of the Wii being Nintendo's Dreamcast!

In fact I love the union of Nintendo and Sega which would have been an impossible dream back in the day...

Great post!!

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with regard to getting Samba on the Wii. I was fortunate enough to just happen to be in the right place at the right time (A local Target when a shipment of Wiis came in the day after Christmas) and have enjoyed Nintendos latest ever since. It is a very good system and is the spiritual successor to the "fun" of the Dreamcast (albeit a successful one versus the "not so much" of the Dreamcast). I wuld most certainly be there on release day to pick up a copy for me and the family. Great match.
Now if only they would release Saturn games on the virtual console all would be well with the world.

Anonymous said...

Uh... That's supposed to be "would". Though I suppose "wuld" gets the point across.

Anonymous said...

DAMN YOU LACK OF SPELL CHECK!!! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!!!!

It was also supposed to be Pierre LaStank. Lasyank loses all of the subtlety...

Caleb said...

Vote for Samba de Amigo now at the Sega homepage!!!!

racketboy said...

I was thinking of these for a while.

Samba De Amigo is such a no-brainer, I don't know why Sega didn't make it a launch title for the Wii!

Anonymous said...

they sould also remake house of the dead 1,2 for the wii

Anonymous said...

they complement each other nicely

they do not compliment each other

Unknown said...

what about Nights?

Anonymous said...

Go fucking look at a dictionary, Anonymous.

Anonymous said...

Ikaruga needs to be at the top of that list. its a simple game but deserves more attention.

Anonymous said...

Nights is officially announced by now (;

I'm not sure how easy samba de amigo controls would be to implement. The wiimote only has accelerometers. It can detect acceleration, or movement, but not so much the distance to the ground. Even if it was calibrated at the beginning of each song (by telling the player to put the maracas next to his/her waist or something), there would either be considerable "drift" or a tremendous amount of ingenious math would need to be involved.

JSR on the other hand would be awesome, and Space Channel 5 would also be loads of fun.

I actually had a plan to use a dance pad and a P5 Glove (6DOF motion recognition via IR) to play it... dance pad for up down left right and the glove for "CHU!" and "HEY!"... one would make a fist and a forward movement with the hand for a "CHU" and an open hand and backward movement for "HEY"

Of course, that only would have been possible with an emulator, but still.

Chu Chu would indeed be a great cash cow, maybe it could serve as kind of a first step to gather the money for more "experimental" games (samba and SC5).

I don't agree with REZ though. The wiimote would make it too easy (because you can move the cursor as fast as you want, as opposed to the original's fixed speed). Also, you've got a point with the wiimote speaker, but REZ is best played LOUD, and then the wiimote speaker would just be too soft to be noticed I think.

Keine Stijl said...

I was a bit too young to actually notice the DC but I recently have been considering buying one.

The only thing stopping me is your article. Most good DC games will find their way to Wii.

BTW, I'm a huge JSRF fan. An online version would be great, considering how important (life)style is in this game.

Anonymous said...

The fact that people keep talking about porting older-than-lastgen games to the Wii just shows how much of a joke it is as far as hardware goes. I recently recall people talking about Crisis Core getting ported. I would find it somewhat shameful; your hopes for ports are games that originated on portable systems. Ludicrous. Go ahead and give the "it's fun!" argument and I'll just enjoy all these ancient games I burned on to $0.10 CD-Rs on the Dreamcast I purchased for $25. I guess people are willing to pay a higher price to play the same game on a $250 console just because it would then involve the gimmick-mote.

Don't people want original, new games instead of hand-me-downs?

Anonymous said...

GunValkyrie. This Sega Dreamcast game was cancelled (came out on the X-Box). The wiimote & nunchuckles would make it twice as fun as the X-Box game.

WerdNord said...

I don't think your point #2 is entirely accurate for either brand (read: Game Boy, Gamecube, Genesis).

A similarity that strikes me is that both are strong "party" systems.

Ashlar Nova said...

Hello, just wondering about Cosmic Smash Totally Dreamcast and totally Wii-able. If I ever saw 21st Century pong it was with Cosmic Smash.
P.S. Gotta love the monotone voice, "Welcome. To Cosmic Smash."

XStylus said...

Segagaga needs to be ported too. That game alone would make me go out and buy a Wii!

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

[quote]The fact that people keep talking about porting older-than-lastgen games to the Wii just shows how much of a joke it is as far as hardware goes. I recently recall people talking about Crisis Core getting ported. I would find it somewhat shameful; your hopes for ports are games that originated on portable systems. Ludicrous. Go ahead and give the "it's fun!" argument and I'll just enjoy all these ancient games I burned on to $0.10 CD-Rs on the Dreamcast I purchased for $25. I guess people are willing to pay a higher price to play the same game on a $250 console just because it would then involve the gimmick-mote.

Don't people want original, new games instead of hand-me-downs?[/quote]

The fact that you think the DC is two generations back shows the irrelevance of said points.

Slagathor skullsmasher said...

A better choice is the xbox360.
It's more powerful, and has a better controller.

Anonymous said...

What about Shenmue? I think it could be ported to the Wii and adjusted to work with the Wii remote and nunchaku.

Andrew said...

Brilliant. That's all i have to say about this...

Anonymous said...

Oonga Boonga. The best party game on the DC. Boar polo with Abe Lincoln and the Leprechaun rocks.

Anonymous said...

they need to release some of the JAP games like Ikaruga!

Unknown said...

Ikaruga is already on the gamecube, idiots. Motion controls in an ARCADE shooter would feel awkward, much less a game as hard as Ikaruga is.

No Chu Chu Rocket. The control scheme stated sounded good, but with how small the squares will be on the TV, it will be really hard to aim, leading to nothing but frustration.

As fun as all these games sound though, I want new, innovative games. The Dreamcast was way before it's time, but right now it's at the point where it's past it's time. The only reason I'm saying this is because I'd rather Sega put some good ideas into works with the Wii instead of reviving dead/rare games like these that people might already own.

Animated AF said...

The point I'm trying to get ahead is that the Dreamcast WAS ahead of it's time and because of that so many people never got to experience most of these amazing games that still feel fresh today. Ports, sequels, remakes, whatever, with Wii controls for games that feel under the radar, they could get a new lease of life. As I pointed out, Samba De Amigo NEVER got the chance to shine it deserved thanks to the expensive, low-production maracas. Also, if Sega haven't got the money to make risky new ideas, games like this could help boost their earnings so they can in the future make those brand new games.

Mike: Now why didn't I think of Cosmic Smash? I think about 10 people must of played that game in total.

As for all the Anonymous people, why can't you at least put your names in? Or do you think we're gonna hunt you down and rob from your biscuit tin? =P

Anonymous said...

I like the idea of remaking these games for the Wii ALOT. What troubles me is the Wii itself, not just the fact that they would ruin any decent games if they were remade. I cant stand the Wii... Its marketing totally infuriates me, and the fact people are actually buying it adds to my pain. Microsoft and Sony are out there making a substantial loss and Nintendo is making a profit from such a low price. I greatly understand affordable gaming but I am not prepared to waste my money on cheap, shitty (I meant "innovative") hardware.

Anonymous said...

OMG no one has even mentioned Ecco the dolphin defender of the future which totally rocked on the DC. yes I am aware that this game was ported to PS2 and I am trying to forgive sega for this so lets not bring it up ok. I for one would be incredibly greatful if allapaloza would not only port this timeless ecco game to the wii but possibly make a whole new game for the wii based on one of my favorite video game characters of all time.

Anonymous said...

Ha! Rock! Samba De Amigo, coming for the Wii! House of The Dead coming to the Wii, Nights out for the Wii... Only a little more time and we can get Shenmue!

Anonymous said...

I totally agree annomynous of Ecco*
I truly feel Ecco the Dolphin on the Dream Cast was the best game EVER!, theres nothing out there like it, and im tired of playing a human,I do that enough in real life!
It would be a dream come true to see Ecco the Dolphin the Dream cast version out on the Wii!, this would create some seriously mind blowing game play and you would feel it, if it was on Wii, for people who love Endless Ocean,and A LOT DO!, well to game creators out there?, creating games on the Wii like Ecco defender of the future,and other games where you could be an animal, is THE BEST, as we in real life cant be, so if more games gave us that, I would be happier.Im still waiting for someone to create a game were you are a Gecko sticking to walls,and buildings and jumping from trees in 3D, I think that would be so cool*, but then I love Geckos! lol
To be honest if I knew how to make games,I would create games where you only play an animal, or you can morph into different animals, if only!.

Anonymous said...

To the last Anon, they already have come out with a Gecko game. Look up the Gex series and you'll see. Though I'm pretty surprised they haven't revived it yet. And as for Samba De Amigo...It's here! It's actually here! They haven't forgotten it! Yay! kk nuff said.

Anonymous said...

I never played any of those dc games. But if there's any dreamcast game that deserves to be remade, whether for the wii or the 360, It's Ecco the dolphin: Defender of The Future. I loved that game to death. I know it's already been done for the ps2, but honestly, let's forget about that. The graphics for this game were amazing on the dreamcast, I can only imagine how great they'd be on a newer system like the wii or 360.

Anonymous said...

Hurrah for the samba de amigo game that was released for the wii

But I'd really like to see a sqeul to JSR/F they were both excelent games, but it, along with other great sieres', were pushed aside for new sonic games

One sonic game a year is enough!! we dont need 10 XD