by Abominae » Mon Jan 11, '10, 10:00 pm
For (section omitted for overly hostile language) it's a Phantasy Star "Phan" game!
And this whole "Street Fighter is the only fighter that matters" is complete utter nonsense. I enjoyed beating the hell out of Sagat and Bison back in the day just like everyone else but when do you stop living in that moment and realize that there are new, perhaps cleaner (more effective + versatile = fun) ways of making fighters.
I drove my copy of Super Smash Bros. into the ground. It was just way too much fun. Super Smash Bros. Melee was an absolute beast that kept me, and very often my friends as well, occupied for countless hours. Brawl was a monster like no other before it and there was something particularly gratifying about crushing your enemies in this game that the previous games didn't pick up on. To call SSB anything but a top-tier fighter is taking away from everything the series has given us.
I can't tell you how many fighting games I've played that play EXACTLY like SF2 and they SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! I used to own a copy of Primal Rage which was fun, but just didn't hold up (puking on your enemy was great). The streetfighter formula is tried and true, no doubt, but it's the streetfighter formula. You shouldn't try to emulate that game by wrapping skins over it and calling it something else.
It's like guys who still have their CD wallets loaded with Poison, Motley Crue, Queensryche, & Iron Maiden. It was great for it's time, but time has moved on, those bands have moved on and so should you. I still have my Crue, Maiden, Sabbath, Dio, Metallica, etc. cds... but I'm enjoying other bands right now.
Nostalgia is a cruel mistress if you never let go of the past.
(I know it seems like I'm bashing you, Lucas, and it's because I am. You're missing the point of fighting games if you're still hung up on SF2)
You want to make a Phantasy Star Fighting Game? Great. But let me give you some pointers to keep things smooth.
1) Fighting games these days run on a fast/very fast speed because the speed of games from back in the day was just too slow for most gamers. That's one thing that made SSB great. 4 people could beat the hell out of each other in less than 2 minutes with 3 lives to each person (I've done it. I R Mighty!!!). People enjoy whatever thrills a game has to offer, just remember not to make the game too fast or many gamers won't be able to keep up.
2) Shirtless/bikini clad/etc. is all well and good, but how will you justify this? Most fighting games featuring jiggling, floss adorned babes appeal to the gamers sex drive to make them want to play the game and often, there are sacrifices made to the game to allow for this marketing angle. If you're going to include this, do so without unneccessary sacrifice.
3) BALANCE YOUR CHARACTERS!!! Nothing sucks in a fighting game quite as much as a fighter who's obviously more dangerous than the rest (can you guess which fighting game I'm referring to? I'll give you a hint, it's got super heroes).
4) Put a team together and research everyone you consider. You might find out things about those people that they'd never tell you... things you need to know about a person before you give them your trust.