Pantsboard Responses - February 2003

February 2003's Burning Question: Which Rare franchise, old or new, would you most like to see brought back for another instalment on the Xbox (or GBA) - and why?   Hello Mr. Pants,      I am incomplete. I have Killer Instinct for the SNES, N64, and Arcade Unit. I purchased the arcade unit and have custom built the inside with Killer Instinct 2 running as well, so I have the best of both worlds. Now to complete my Killer Instinct would be the perfect sequel on the most perfect console. That console is the Xbox. You, me, everyone knows that if DOA and Tao Feng look that good on Xbox that you guys at Rare can surpass that big-time. So yes, Killer Instinct would be a perfect resurrection on the Xbox and I am not the only one who thinks that. Please complete my Killer Instinct.      Justin   For some reason, unknown to me at this moment, I feel that you should revive the Battletoads. I'm not sure if they're still signed to Tradewest/Rare, but I'm sure you could work something out, as the Toads kick booty. I had Battletoads Double Dragon and Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, and they were fairly entertaining games. So why not give their warty lips some much needed CPR, and give 'em one more crack?      Also, I know they're noted games that are returning, but I'm looking forward to PD0, Conker's Whatever Kind Of Day It Is, and the next Banjo installment. Keep up the good work or I'll headbutt all of you. ;)      Benn   I think that you should being back Knight Lore / Alien 8 / Nightshade / Pentagram for the GBA. The GBA is in need of such art.      Oh, and I think you should hurry up and release Sabre Wulf. That would pave the way for the above releases :)      Thank you.      John   Dear Mr. Pants,      The franchise I most want to see on Xbox is Jet Force Gemini. It was a superb N64 game (I loved the music, please put the MP3s back) with multiple paths and the toughest end boss I have ever played. And you got to play as a dog with a machine gun on his back which was surely the best thing ever.      It did get a bit tedious towards the end rescuing every Tribal and the framerate could have been better but I'm sure a sequel on the Xbox will rectify these problems.      Come on Rare, say the words I want to hear: "Now then, now then, what have we got here? A lovely little JFG sequel for you. Ooh-wer-ooh-werrr!"      Adam Obviously what you meant was "the second best thing ever". Ants Into Pants temporarily slip your mind, geezer?   I think, without a doubt, the franchise you need to continue on with is Conker's!      Very few platformers encourage me to give them a 2nd go and Conker's happened to be one of those few. For those that actually played Conker's, the fanbase is huge, though the game is still a bit of a dark horse. Shoot, I went out and bought the game BRAND NEW, far after all these new consoles came out - and I had already beat the game from renting it a long time ago!      I think it would be a disservice to NOT make a sequel to this game.      The crude humor is definitely what stood out, but it didn't take over the gameplay being fun. I think if you continue to stick with Conker's, you will see a HUGE fanbase continuing to erupt and more people latching on to becoming certified Conker's fans.      Don't let us down! Make another Conker's installment!!      ShaunH   I'd love to see another Blast Corps. The first had one of the most original concepts and it would be a shame to see such a brilliant game forgotten. There's nothing I like more than tapping my fingers to the sound of "Time to Get Moving."      BaronK      P.S. If you DO make another Blast Corps, put in more of Wesley giving the thumbs up. He made me feel better about myself in the original, having blown the Earth to bits five minutes prior. Also, would you mind calling it "Blow by Blow"? People knew the names of the Blast Corps characters? Not that I'm complaining, there's plenty of strong feeling for the game out there and surely a sequel would have room for a clapped-out Micra with a big pair of pants painted on the roof... no?   Killer Instinct of course! :)      I think a lot of people loved and still would love to play another RC-Pro Am, but I never cared for Battletoads myself, but it was still pretty damn popular.      Also only speaking for myself, I practically killed my NES playing the crap out of Who Framed Roger Rabbit way back in the day as a youth. I didn't know that you guys made that! Thanks for the fond memories... & make another RC-Pro Am! ;)      Take care.      Brad   Dear Rare,      I've played many of your games since the Nintendo days. I fondly remember the simple pleasures of Solar Jetman and Captain Skyhawk. But, if there's a franchise that DEMANDS to be brought back, it's Battletoads! Playstation 2 and Capcom got Devil May Cry, and you need to show them how it's done, with the classic enlarged foot-kick or fist! I'm dead serious though, a 3D Battletoads would be fantastic, especially if it was 3 or 4 player and had the returning characters Rash, Zitz, and Pimple. Throw in co-op, deathmatch, with some vehicles every now and then like the originals, and also weapons and hand to hand combat, and you got yourself a guaranteed million seller! So the series I would like to see come back are Captain Skyhawk, Battletoads, and Solar Jetman.      Steven Millard      PS: If you made Battletoads, could you do what a lot of other developers are doing, and include emulated versions of the other Battletoads games? They would take up next to no space! Plus, it would add tons of replay, cause they are also 2-3 player! Think of how Metroid Prime and Panzer Dragoon Orta did it! A NES and SNES emulator would be nothing on an Xbox! Hoopla! Nintendo emulation on Xbox. Nothing like some good old-fashioned irony, right? You were being ironic, right? Right?   Killer Instinct could be very cool in true 3D. The Xbox has the power to make it look just like the sprite games too. And of course you can't forget Maya and Orchid and a host of new female fighters with dynamically animated breasts, and lots of winning poses that involve them hopping up and down with glee.      Dynotaku   Dear Darth Pantius,      Apart from an overwhelming desire just to actually get you guys to release a game (yeah that's right... 5 games... 2 years...), never mind thinking about the next one. Well I suppose I would really like to see a new incarnation of Conker, that squirrel sure left an impression on me (gone... gone... classic!). I think the true roots of how enjoyable that game was for me, came from the timing (just when I thought my N64 had exhaled its last breath) and from a sense of balance between humour and an expansive adventure. We need more of that.      Wait, what was the question? Oh yeah so... Conker... Perfect Dark I suppose.... eh... Jet Force Gemini. Oh and can you bring out a racing game involving gorillas? You know...you could just call it Konkey Dong... heh heh... dong.      Elaborately crafted by,      John McMurtrie   Dr Mr Pants (if that is your real name!)      I would most like to see Blast Corps back for a second installment because the game was absolutely fantastic. Simple yet brilliant!      This time however, with the full power that is the Xbox (wish it was 'Cube, but hey!) behind the game you could have bigger more complex looking levels, better looking demolition machines and an even worse predicament for the Blast Corps team.      Don't let this opportunity slip you by. I know just as much as you do that Blast Corps was one of your most warmly welcomed games and quite rightly so!!      Matt Carr Sadly, my name will never be 'Dr. Mr. Pants' as I thought that turning up for my practical medical exams in a pink tie and G-string would leave a memorable impression. It's a shame that the hospital waiting room was the last thing those three poor, delicate old ladies would ever see, and to this day I regret not wearing the orange tie.   I'm so excited that your question is for the Xbox OR GBA. Although I know this could just be a nasty trick by you to get all us GBA owners excited before crushing our spirits into dust so small that dust mites tread on us if we find out you're not making any more GBA games, I'm still excited.      The answer to both Xbox and GBA (I own both) is the Banjo-Kazooie franchise. I've played Mario 64, Donkey Kong 64, CBFD, and even Banjo-Tooie but nothing has compared to Banjo-Kazooie. I've seen screenshots and video of Grunty's Revenge and it looks just as good as the original. Please keep doing amazing things with the GBA and please release Grunty's Revenge soon.      Ben (Australia)   WWF WRESTLEMANIA would be great. Any online wrestleing game with live support. I Smell a million seller. It would not even need the WWE characters to have mass apeal, Just the fact that it is online would be enough.      Kevin Dixon Hi, Kevin! Never write in again.   To the overly simple, y-fronts wearing humanoid.      Who deserves to come back? That question is as old as the written language. Some ancient religions based their whole way of life around that very question. Theologists have pondered it for generations and you expect us to answer it in a quick e-mail?      Well, first let's state the obvious - the big brown bear Banjo and his feathered flying freak Kazooie definitely deserve to return. The strangely suspect squirrel Conker also desperately wants to come back. Conker's Bad Fur Day was one of the most original platformers around. When I originally heard of your move over to, as some have called it, the dark side, my first thought was "the chances of seeing Conker again have grown ten fold!" Then I withered around the floor in spasms, but that's a story for another time. A new Rare-based Kart racing game would be cool too. The original *monkey-whose-name-we-shall-never-mention* Racing was far better than any other game in the genre.      Well, cheers and all that,      Peter Simpson   Perfect Dark Zero is a necessity, if Rare's going to survive it needs to launch its response to Halo, TimeSplitters 2 and 007 (let's show 'em what a REAL FPS is like, eh Rare?), don't worry about Conker for a while, better to make us wait for that one, take your time and make it extra... er, good. Also make an arcade flight combat game, dammit! It's something you haven't tried for ages, and I want to have a game with a whirling propeller in front of me! (And no sneaky 'propeller in front cheat' in other non-flight games to shut me up!) And at least give Mr. Pants another appearance in a game soon - if only to shut up those fanatics in Scribes!      Brok Power   Killer Instinct, because I have a deep running emotional attachment to Fulgore.      Or Battletoads, for somewhat of the same reasons (though not really, er and stuff).      Ryan E.   Funny question this one - but to be honest dreamt about a rebirth of Underwurlde on the Speccy the other day, same game, same graphics but in glorious 5.1 surround on an Xbox. That would be really fun, or imagine a 3D version with all those bubbles rising up and riding up them, with a world distorted when inside a bubble... that would be a challenge...      All the best,      Michael Wintsch Respect, Mr. Wintsch! However, you have to remember that not everyone's an alcoholic.   You NEED to make another Banjo game. I live just to play Banjo. I will kill for Banjo.      Dah, not really. I just really like the game. Banjo was one of the coolest games ever to hit any platform, and it was one of the most original. There were a lot of loose strings left at the ends of the games, and I'd like to see some answered questions, and more Banjo games. But as I hear, you're already working on a GBA Banjo game. Good luck on it. Have fun!!!      KJ555555   I'll huff--And I'll puff--And I'll bloooooow your pants down!!! All of course, while answering your question...      I would most like to see the Sabre Wulf game that had been in development come out for GBA, because it looked visually astounding, and my GBA needs a good game. I would also like to see a new Conker (since CBFD was so awesome), but NOT another Banjo. I think that Banjo lived his life, and that he should continue to be immortalized as the best game ever--forever, instead of ruined by an attempt to make another 'good' game out of him. OH! And something like DKR, but not DKR2, since you can't make that.... Oh well.      May the pants be with you (or still in your cabinet, maybe?)      SnorthDesand220   Do whatever you like! It worries me that you are asking what we think, Rareware should be producing whatever kind of game that the development teams are passionate about. Someone needs a good kick in the arse over there so that Rareware can continue its grand (grand!) legacy.      Jason Fowler Jason! Big fella! You're getting the wrong idea. This isn't the Final Word in what Rare does next - it's just a poll, man. Interesting, but not legally binding, you know?   Senor Pantalones,      Recently I dusted off the ol' N64 and gave Conker another run. I don't know that it's fair to say it's my favorite game ever... I think it's more like one of my favorite pieces of electronic media ever. The comedy and story-line are so amazing that I skipped right past some good movies for guys that like movies and old South Park classics just to relive the Conker entertainment.      I would probably be as/more excited about Conker coming to the Xbox than I can put into words. (And if in some comedic way he can either wear some Halo or Fulgore armor at some point... all the more fun/funnier.)      George Brenner   I suppose you expect me to say Perfect Dark, or Banjo and Kazooie, or God knows even Killer Instinct. While these are fine titles, and I think there is Xbox in their future, there is one title above all, that best represents everything that is Rareware. That my friends is Battletoads. These games have always been wildly entertaining. I do believe that Battletoads X the power of X would equal Totally Tubular Butt Whomping Fun. Of course if Rare wanted to throw a curveball, there's always Captain Skyhawk with Live support : )      Robert Headley Did you run some of that through a Swahili translator and back again?   Battletoads was one of the most frustratingly difficult games ever made. Please make another so I can feel the same anger in full 3D glory, causing my brain to explode and my Xbox to feel the full force of my unleashed anger. After so many people destroy their Xboxes in fits of rage due to feelings of utter gaming inadequacy Xbox sales will skyrocket, as everyone who has just dismantled their gaming lives will have to restock if they want to keep playing.      Rob   You smarmy rascal, you...      With an additional Joanna, Conker and Banjo game already on the way, you guys have pretty much cleaned up my list of major requests with a hot towelette (wink). However, let's see if I can reach into my magickal top-hat and pull out a complaint. AH! Here's an idea. A sequel to the highly lucrative Anticipation! No? Hell, we live in hope.      Speaking seriously, the sequels and or prequels in motion right now should be more than enough to quench our Rare nostalgia. I suggest you focus more on moving ahead and toying around with new game engines and genres. There's always time for another Battletoads or Wheel of Fortune along the way. Why mull around in the past when you have so much to contribute to the future?      Produce some new milk so that yours doesn't go sour.      Yours truly,      Mao Zedong My milk never goes sour, and I'm not fussy about who gets to manipulate my udders. Mr. Pants Country, here we come!   Hello Mr. Pants,      Snake Rattle 'n Roll. That my simple answer to the question. As for the 'why' part... I remember a certain mention of Snakes in Space after completing the bloody hard final level (not only that, it was supposed to be 'coming soon', although with Rare's track record 'soon' can be anything from 1 month up to over 10 years appearantly). I also don't think GB's Sneaky Snakes qualifies as a sequel, so please just create a new Snake Rattle 'n Roll (hey it's also about collecting foodstuff, and anything collectible is probably right up your alley).      A distant second would be Killer Instinct (although it should try to remain more Street Fighter/Mortal Kombat than Tekken/Dead or Alive in the gameplay department). Oh, and both should be Xbox versions (GBA would make it too easy to port the (Super)NES-ver... eh... never mind...)      Satisfied with the answer? If not, try different pants.      Vincent   Hi guys,      I would love to see a new version of Solar Jetman on Xbox. In my opinion it's the best NES game ever. You could do it in full 3D, with ability to change views, something like in Panzer Dragoon Orta.      Oh and a Live version of R.C. Pro Am would rock too! Thanks a pants!      Jere   Just like Peter Pan, or Michael Jackson, there are some franchises which should never, ever die. There are some franchises that should see the new light of a console formerly known as Xbox and now known as, The-Super-TotallySweet-Console-That-Will-Have-Rare-Games-And-Is-Totally-Ready-To-Rock. Much like me pant-less, playing Star Fox with a homemade rumble pack. The series to which I am referring to is known by some as Jet Force Gemini but I prefer to call it Hot Twins with Huge Guns.      This "Series" (where series refers to less than 2, and more than zero) was one of mine and countless other Rare fans' favorite games. It was such a spectacularly fun mix of platforming, adventuring, shooting, and killing Snuggles, the softest bear in the world. The boys and hopefully girls (or at least their wives or hookers or something) should work on a rendition of Jet Force Gemini with spectacular graphics and less backtracking. The game Crimson Sea has shown how well the Xbox can render thousands of characters on screen at once. To see Starship Troopers with a more interesting story coming alive on my screen would make me very happy indeed.      Jonathan   I would very much like to see the new Conker's Bad Fur Day come to the big green and black. I say this due to the main fact that Conker blew a whole wide open in Nintendo's repertois (or however you spell it). It really took my whole perception of gaming and launched it through a loop. It brought a whole new constituancy (if you will) to the gaming community.      Sir Fozz Yowp! Think yourself lucky we don't have Pantsboard Snippets, my dictionarily-challenged friend.   BATTLETOADS. On GBA. Please. For the love of god.      Anti-brian   Well, hello there you odd little sketch... thing. Er... may I ask a completely unrelated question? Are you at all related to Mr. Pants?...      Oh, hang on, you are Mr. Pants! Well I'd never have guessed it. How's it going old chap? You're looking in good shape, aren't you? Decided to cut down on the cream cakes, eh?      Right then, in answer to the question, I'd like to see two Rare franchises brought back. I suppose you would consider them to be fairly new-ish, really. Obviously Donkey Kong is out of the question (shame, that is) so I'd like to plump for Banjo-Kazooie and Conker! The only reasons I can give you are:      1. Grunty said she'd be back to kick Banjo's arse at the end of Tooie, remember?      2. Seavor hinted at a sequel to Conker.      ....      Oh, alright then! The real reason is that both Banjo-Kazooie and Conker were excellent titles, matching if not surpassing Nintendo's own adventure titles. Can't put it any fairer than that, really. Oh, that and I'd like to see where you (yes you, Mr. Pants) appear in Banjo-Threeie! Maybe you could team up with Grunty as her new sidekick, eh? So go on then, get working on those sequels!      I dare say we will speak again Mr. Pants. Tarah!      Kaptain Krem Heartbreaker! You lavish empty praise upon my waistline then try to get me in a sidekick role? No Actor in a Supporting Pant nominations for me, girly-man!   There are 2 games in particular that I would like to see again on the new platforms.      1) Blast Corps - XBOX      Probably one of the most underrated games of all time. The perfect blend of twitch, skill and luck. Imagine the beautiful landscapes, huge explosions and new vehicles! Can't wait, I hope you guys can do this one for sure.      2) Cobra Triangle - AGB      Another great game that required strategy and skill. Lots of variety from racing to the other missions. Would translate well to the GBA platform and would be a blast to play 4 players on a link cable.      Regards,      Craig   The only fighting game I truly got into was Killer Instinct. The music, sound effects, personality, and great combo system made that game the best fighting game ever. I actually spent 800 dollars buying an arcade Killer Instinct box which is now collecting dust in my parents' house halfway across the country. GOGOGOG KI      John "GOGOGOG KI"?   Dear Mr. Pants,      I have two franchises you need to bring back; Wizards and Warriors and Battletoads. I have so many fond memories of those games that I think it would be a shame if we didn't see a sequel for both on the Xbox. I know the GBA is a good platform but honestly I am more interested in games on my Xbox rather then my GBA. Battletoads had such a fun concept that I think it could do well on the Xbox and Wizards and Warriors, properly modernized, could floor everyone with its insane quality and high adventure. These games are both well known and unique and with your superb ability to make excellent games I believe these two titles could offer a unique experience that everyone would enjoy!      Todd      P.S. Where is Uncle Tusk? I hope he is coming back as there are a lot of us who are starving for a fix of his abuse!   Look, let's be honest. Goldeneye was the best game you have ever produced. But then it was one of the best games anyone has produced so you shouldn't feel too bad about that. Perfect Dark was cool too, but it got a bit lame towards the end. Multiplayer still amazing.      So some sort of Goldeneye/PD rehash (sorry "new instalment") would be very welcome. It'll have to stand up to Halo though...      Cheers,      Sam   Hey Monsieur Pantalons,      Two words: Anticipation 2 haha.      My friend has always been a Battletoads fan, and to be honest, I've never played any of the games staring the mean-green fighting machines... then when the GameCube was released (I'm a Nintendo fanboy--lol), I kinda told my friend that Rare was planning a big Battletoads re-make for the Cube, and he was like "I'm buying a Gamecube if they do".      So what I propose is that you (I guess) make a super awesome port of Super Battletoads for the Game Boy Advance and I guess a less stunning Xbox version (my other buddy has an Xbox... so I'll rent the new Battletoads game or something as I'm not going to buy a new console). Or maybe (since the GBA is powerful) a Battletoads Collection...      One last thing: Blast Corps LIVE would truly be a treat to the Xbox gamers out there. ATTENTION XBOX LIVE GAMERS: Imagine playing a two, three or even four player Blast Corps mission where the four of you must work together to stop the nuke from going off... sounds like fun to me...      Matt a.k.a SuperToad