Top Six Characters that Need to Come Out of Retirement

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FamilyFriendlyGaming
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"Cordova, TN; May 5, in the year of our Lord 2013 -- Pato Banton sang a song with UB40 – Baby Come Back. There are plenty of video game characters who have been retired for one reason or another. Some of them we would like to see again. If absence makes the heart fonder, then I am as fond of these characters as I can be. So please join me as we explore the Top Six Characters that Need to Come Out of Retirement. Maybe just maybe someone out there reading can help bring these characters back.

Leafos (Viva Pinata)

LeafosViva Pinata came into the video game industry like a hurricane. Leafos is one of those wonderful characters who was extremely helpful. I miss her, and I want Microsoft Game Studios to bring her back. We need to get back into gardening Pinatas. Microsoft Game Studios needs to bring back Leafos and all of the rest of the Viva Pinata crew. If you read our What Happened to Viva Pinata story then you know how we feel about this franchise.

Alex Kidd

Alex KiddSonic the Hedgehog has always overshadowed Alex Kidd. One of the biggest reasons is Alex Kidd was not the Mario killer Sega was looking for. That is not the characters fault though. Sega is the one who put forth a JV level effort in a Varsity game. Alex Kidd could be great if Sega put the thought process, power, and intellect into it. Yes Alex Kidd has been in recent Sega tennis, and Sega racing games. But I want to see a real platformer action adventure game starring Alex Kidd.

Blinx

BlinxWhat ever happened to the time traveling Blinx? He was even considered as a mascot for the Xbox. Mainly because Halo was way too violent to be a mascot, and Microsoft had little else. But that does not mean Blinx would have been a bad mascot. In fact he would have been a decent one for Microsoft Game Studios. Not only was Blinx snubbed for the mascot spot, he was retired by Microsoft. He needs to come back. His retirement was never needed, and we miss Blinx. Various games have implemented ideas from this franchise. Time has come for Blinx to show the industry how it is really done.

Bubsy the Bobcat

Bubsy the BobcatBubsy the Bobcat had a nice run in the 16-bit era to the start of the 32-bit era. He started as a 2D side scrolling action adventure game a lot like Mario and Sonic. Bubsy had more character, chatter, and entertainment value than Mario or Sonic. He tried to make the transition to 3D and fell flap on his cute little face. After that failure he was retired into the history of the industry. The time has come to bring Bubsy the Bobcat back. He has the potential of bring bigger than Mario and Sonic combined. If he is only given the opportunity.

Bonk

BonkSpeaking of characters bigger than Sonic and Mario we come to Bonk. This character had an oversized head, and was the mascot for the Turbografx-16. Bonk was a mega superstar character in the industry. There was a role playing game planned for him, as well as all of his action adventure side scrolling titles. Bonk brought so many new and interesting ideas to the video game industry. Some of them have been used by other franchises since then. Bonk was actually supposed to return in the year of our Lord 2011, but the game was canceled. It is a true shame that a character as fun, fresh, and intriguing as Bonk has been left out of the industry. The Playstation gaming generation has no idea what they missed by not being able to play Bonk.

Max (Shining Force)

Max Shining ForceAnother franchise the Playstation gaming generation most likely missed was Shining Force. Max the coolest leader of this amazing turn based strategy role playing game. Think Final Fantasy Tactics is the best turn based strategy role playing game? Then you have obviously not played any of the Shining Force games. Players are allowed to amass huge armies of characters. Characters that all can be used in the battles. No limiting you to just five. The cut scenes, the strategies, the battles, the art, and the characters were all awesome. Max is a heroes hero. He does the right thing, stands up against evil, and he leads. Sega has done all kinds of odd things with the Shining series. They need to bring back Max, and the turn based strategy role playing game.


- Paul Bury
- Family Friendly Gaming
"

NOTE: Images did not copy across.
This came from wanting a couple of characters to return, and fleshing it out. Yes I know technically Alex Kidd has been in recent games. Really want him to star in his own though.
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ccgr
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Bonk is the only one I clearly remember
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FamilyFriendlyGaming
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ccgr wrote:Bonk is the only one I clearly remember
I miss Bonk.
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Nate DaZombie
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Can't say any of those characters really warrant a comeback in my opinion.
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Nate DaZombie wrote:Can't say any of those characters really warrant a comeback in my opinion.
Who would you like to see come out retirement? Gex? BattleToads?
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Nate DaZombie
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I suppose I'm not really rooting for anyone. What I'd much rather see is a developer taking a IP in a direction that wasn't expected. Rayman Origins, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, and Luigi's Mansion are all great examples of this, even if they weren't universally loved. If some team out there can put a new spin on freakin' Glover (yeah, that Glover) then, by all means, do it. Just let it be something fresh.
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Nate DaZombie wrote:Can't say any of those characters really warrant a comeback in my opinion.
I agree with Nate here. Especially towards Bubsy.
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Gex!
My name is ChickenSoup and I have several flavors in which you may be interested
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I would definitely like to see more of Blinx! For one, I love platformers, 2ndly, that game made me want an Xbox, 3rdly, I love the topic of time travel.

The first game is a little rough around the edges ( I really want to try out the 2nd game too ), but more polish could make some great additions to the series. Sadly, the game was one of the best examples of the decline of platformers and the rise of first person shooters (since Halo basically took its place for mascot role).
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I want to thank everyone for their feedback. Working on a Part Two - Picked By You to this story.

From feedback here, Raptr, N4G, and emails have:
Gex, BattleToads, Glover, LocoRoco, Crash Bandicoot, Lost Vikings
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Crash Bandicoot would be awesome to see come back...just more of a Classic style Crash, and not the tatooed one. And yeah, I don't want to see him riding monsters, either.
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Okay part two has made it through Proofing.

http://www.familyfriendlygaming.com/New ... 20Two.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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"
Top Six Characters that Need to Come Out of Retirement Part Two



Picked By You

Cordova, TN May 8th, in the year of our Lord 2013 - - Top Six Characters that Need to Come Out of Retirement was such a huge success, and there was such a plethora of feedback that we decided to do a Part Two. Part Two is what was picked by you. We gave each family friendly character (so-so in a few cases) a vote based on how many people told us they wanted them to come out of retirement. Every person is going to have their own list, and different people will want different characters back. So we won't hit every character that everyone will want back. We also thank all of the feedback agreeing with characters on our list. None of them will be included in this story. They already got mentioned. Here we go:

Gex

Back in the day of platformers, and iconic characters there was Gex the Gecko. He was a TV addict who taught us the dangers of sitting in front of television too long. He enjoyed amazing success across multiple different home console gaming machines. His games were memorable for their storylines as well as his snide little comments along the way. Gamers reacted to his jokes in one of two ways: disgust or laughter. Gex the Gecko was controversial in his day – for advertisements and in game commentary. Behind all of that were solid platform titles that hardcore gamers still enjoy to this day. You have told us that you want Gex to dust off his tux and come out of retirement.

Crash Bandicoot

Speaking of iconic characters with attitude, there is also Crash Bandicoot. Sony wanted and needed a Mario killer. So everything good from the Mario games and applied it to an iconic character with a consistent bad attitude - Crash Bandicoot. Sony's advertisements were in your face, and offended Nintendo fanboys. In the process Sony used Crash Bandicoot to help them create the Playstation gaming generation. A generation who appreciated the rebellious attitude of Crash Bandicoot, as well as the game play. Crash Bandicoot eventually went multi-platform and fizzed out. If any of these characters have a shot at returning it is Crash Bandicoot. You told us you want Crash back.

BattleToads

The BattleToads had the opportunity to be as big as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But for some reason it never happened. They are not as violent as they sound either. There were TMNT type fighting levels in BattleToads games, and there were also driving levels. Those driving levels stick with me to this day. The difficulty was set so high that any gamer would wind up getting frustrated at some point. The BattleToads even teamed up with the boys from Double Dragon at one point. There have been multiple attempts to bring back the BattleToads, but none of them have succeeded. We are giving you the opportunity to let game developers know that you want the BattleToads back.

LocoRoco

When I think of games that sound good, look good, and are unique experiences; LocoRoco is always on that list. LocoRoco almost made it onto my Top Six list, so I am so happy that you our wonderful readers have brought him/her up. LocoRoco is sort of a blob character that grows as more of them are found. He/She can separate to make it through certain parts of the levels as well. Players rotate the world around to move LocoRoco from point A to point B. The singing happy nature in LocoRoco sticks with gamers to this day. This is one character that needs to come back to the world of gaming. You told us you want to see LocoRoco make a triumphant return.

Lost Vikings

Action adventure puzzle games have thrilled gamers for some time now. The Lost Vikings were three characters who players would guide to the end of the level. All of the characters had to make it for a level to be completed. Cooperative game play was the order of the day for this franchise. Players would use the unique abilities of the different vikings to progress through the levels. The Lost Vikings had a limited amount of health, and could take damage multiple ways. So these games had a bit of bite to them. There was also a certain kind of humor in Lost Vikings that many gamers back in the day appreciated. We listened when you told us you wanted the Lost Vikings to make a come back.

Glover

I personally would have never thought of Glover. But this game was brought up, and a little caveat was mentioned – “do something different with him. Like was done with Luigi in Luigi's Mansion.” Glover is one of the most interesting entries mainly because he is one of the most interesting characters in the entire video game industry. He is a glove. That is right – a glove. We have plumbers, hedgehogs, bats, mice, and whole slew of other things. So why not a glove? There are all kinds of possibilities playing a game with a main character who is a glove. Glover has been retired for some time now. You told us you want Glover back.

- Paul Bury
- Family Friendly Gaming"

Again pictures were not copied across.
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LAVA89
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I vote for Crash Bandicoot. When I get a system for a video game character, I know I'm a fan. To me, Crash Bandicoot 2 is the best 3D Platformer. Sonic Adventure was awesome, but it did have problems and I have a hard time playing Mario 64 with its horrendous camera (it hasn't aged very well, but I also didn't grow up with it and played it many years after it came out).

Crash 2 and 3 really suffers from none of that. Not only that, the 2nd and 3rd game has alot of style. Its really cartoony, almost comedic style hasn't really been matched.

Now, the ironic part is that I felt Crash 4 was just a lame retread of the 2nd and 3rd game (and its story was lack luster). But after giving Crash tattoos and making him ride monsters...a next-gen retread might actually be a breath of fresh air.
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I think there might be a new crash game coming. I'm not much of a fan crash but I am a fan of a crazy kangaroo of that series. :D
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Nate DaZombie
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Wait, did someone seriously vote for Glover?
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