Konami is not the Japanese juggernaut it once was. During the early years of the NES, Konami released so many games that they had to create a subsidiary, Ultra Games, to get around Nintendo’s strict release laws. They were at the top of their game until the HD generation.
It was here that things started to slow down. Now Konami seems more like a nostalgic name that occasionally exudes a simple console experience. What happened to them is a long story, but for now it’s time to remember some of their weirder titles. Can Konami make an effort to at least bring these games back?
8 The legend of the mystical ninja
The legend of the mystical ninja is part of the goemon series that was huge in Japan. Unfortunately, this game is one of the few that ever made it to the West. It is a combination of 2D side-scroller action and top-down adventure game similar to The Legend of Zelda.
This iteration also featured co-op for some added fun. It’s one of those classic SNES games that would be perfect for a Switch return, either on the free SNES application or as part of some sort of remastered collection.
7 Vandal Hearts
When it comes to tactical RPGs on the PS1, most remember that: Final Fantasy Tactics. While many still consider that the best tactical game, on any system, there were other choices for RPG fans on the PS1. For example, Konami made two games as part of the Vandal Hearts series.
They had a similar strategy gameplay, but with an even darker tone than Final Fantasy Tactics. Finding either game is now trying to find a needle in an RPG haystack, which is such a shame.
6 lifeline
lifeline is one of the wildest concepts to ever happen on the PS2. The main character was a waitress aboard a space hotel that is eventually invaded by alien insects. Players did not control her directly, but gave commands with a microphone that came with the disc.
The concept was for players to be safe in a security room, allowing them to see what everyone else was doing. The idea was interesting for a survival horror experience, but the voice command input didn’t work 100% of the time. It was ahead of its time, so it may now work better as a remaster.
5 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Konami has made some of the best? TMNT games on the NES, SNES and in arcades. Most fans don’t remember anything from the past Turtles in timebut Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the first in a trilogy of 3D brawlers for PS2 generation consoles.
Released in 2003, this first game featured two-player co-op, while the sequels thankfully include the more regular four-player co-op. All three of these games are better than what they were currently credited for. They still look great thanks to the cel-shaded artwork, but admittedly the gameplay can be repetitive.
4 Boktai: The sun is in your hands
Boktai: The sun is in your hands was another wild concept on the same level as lifeline. This was a GBA game where a solar panel was etched into the back of the cartridge. This was an action game with similar gameplay to Metal Gear Solid except that players battled zombies, vampires, and other creatures of the night.
Players were armed with a solar-powered cannon that had to be charged with the sun, hence the solar panel. Leave it to Hideo Kojima to think outside the box.
3 Shaman King: Master of Spirits
Konami helped usher in the era of Metroidvanias thanks to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. There are a lot of great Metroidvanias in that series beyond that first example, but Konami has also made several based on anime. An example is: Shaman King: Master of Spiritswhich had a sequel.
They were both on the GBA and had the main hero, Yoh, chasing ghosts in a side adventure. The world map was interconnected, but did not take place in one large castle, unlike most Metroidvanias. Still, they count as some of the most underrated games in the genre.
2 never dead
never dead was a wild ride between the announcement at E3 and the game itself. It was a third-person shooter with a zombie in the lead, which doesn’t sound that dramatic at first. When hit, the player would lose limbs to the point of just rolling a head on the ground.
Eventually, players were able to recall their body parts and jump back into the action. The game was filled with some of the cheesiest dialogue out there listening to some of the best zombie B movies. It wasn’t a masterpiece, but Konami and the developer, Rebellion, certainly threw the gates with this zombie game.
There are a few games in this series that have been overlooked upon release. The most recent was Metal Gear Surviveswhich has been criticized for the fallout between Hideo Kojima, Konami and Metal Gear Solid 5 hoursadded.
The game itself was a decent survival simulator with classic Metal Gear Solid action. There were too many microtransactions and other glitches, but it was better than it deserved to be. Some other examples are: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes on GameCube, both Metal Gear Acid games on PSP, and Metal Gear: Ghost Babel on GBC.
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