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twistedtummies2 · 7 months

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Top 15 Mickey Mouse Appearances

“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing: that it was all started by a mouse.” Today marks the official 100th Anniversary of the Walt Disney Company. Having counted down my Top 15 favorites among their animated features, I think the time has come to take a look at the company’s mascot, and arguably their most famous and iconic character creation: Mickey Mouse. The exact origins of Mickey are somewhat shrouded in myth and speculation, but regardless of all the details behind how he was created, why he was created, and just who, specifically, should get the majority of the credit FOR his creation, one thing is certain: Mickey is quite possibly the single most popular cartoon star in the world, alongside or perhaps even surpassing Bugs Bunny. For some, he is a representation of innocence and optimism; for others, he’s more simply a pop culture phenomenon or a spokesperson for merchandise. Whatever you think of him, this little rodent isn’t going away anytime soon, and remains the avatar of Disney itself, partially because he was originally voiced by the company’s chief founder, Walt Disney. I thought it would be fun, on this auspicious day, to look back on Mickey’s history over the years, and list some of my favorites of his more noteworthy appearances. Several of these appeared on a very old list I made on DeviantArt several years ago; that list is severely outdated, however, in several places. So for those of you who might remember it, don’t worry about it: this countdown will be more accurate, expansive, and up to date. I won’t be counting down any of Mickey’s classic theatrical cartoons, I should point out; you won’t be seeing “The Mad Doctor” or “Steamboat Willie” here. This is simply because…well…there are a LOT of Mickey Mouse cartoons, and picking the ones I love most is a mammoth undertaking I don’t want to really attempt at the present. Instead, we’ll be talking about all of Mickey’s other major appearances: video games, movies, TV shows, and maybe - just maybe - we might even cover a comic or two. With that said, let’s waste no time! Slap on your circle-eared headbands, and tell the club to begin the march! These are My Top 15 Mickey Mouse Appearances!

15. Castle of Illusion.

This is one of the most well-known and lauded video game appearances Mickey has had over the years. “Castle of Illusion” was originally made for the SEGA Genesis in 1990; many years later, in 2013, it was remade for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC gaming stations. I never actually played the original one, but I AM more familiar with the remake, and I think it’s a splendid remastering of an old cult classic. “Castle of Illusion” tells the story of Mickey going on a typical fairy-tale-esque adventure, as he tries to save his beloved Minnie from the evil witch, Mizrabel (who is sort of a cross between Maleficent and the Evil Queen). To do this, Mickey must travel through a series of worlds, created from illusion magic within the witch’s castle, facing Mizrabel’s many minions along the way. There’s nothing too complex here, but the game is nevertheless a worthy time for tiny ones, with some colorful visuals, fine music, and easy-to-grasp gameplay. The original game was so popular that it not only spawned this remake, but also three sequels. It was also the inspiration for another famous Mickey Mouse game…but that’s another story.

14. Mickey’s Christmas Carol.

Me placing this classic short adaptation of one of my favorite stories of all time, Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of “A Christmas Carol,” so low in the ranks? “Who are you, and what have you done with the writer?!” some of you may be yelling. Well, no, I assure you I am myself (as far as I’m aware), and I haven’t COMPLETELY lost my marbles. Yet. As much as I love this fabulous cartoon rendition of the Carol story, when it comes to Mickey’s actual presence in the cartoon, his featured name in the title is somewhat misleading. In the cartoon, Ebenezer Scrooge is played - appropriately enough - by Scrooge McDuck, and as anyone who knows the story is aware, he’s honestly the main character. Mickey plays the role of Scrooge’s clerk, Bob Cratchit. Granted, it’s a perfectly fitting role for Mickey, as he fits the part of Cratchit perfectly. His natural sweetness makes an already sympathetic character seem all the more loveable, allowing all the moments of humor, warmth, and even heartbreak powerful, even when he isn’t the most dynamic character in the story. However, because Mickey’s role is comparatively small, when you look at his part here and other appearances on this countdown, I feel it must get lower ranking. Sorry, Mickey’s Christmas Carol; I still love ya.

13. Dream-Along With Mickey.

Now, I’ll be forthright here and now and confess I haven’t seen this stage show live; and considering it was discontinued in 2016, I suppose I never will. But thank God for the Internet! A kid’s show put on at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, in front of the Cinderella Castle, this cute and simple spectacle has Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy all throwing a party, when it is revealed that Donald…(GASP!)…DOES NOT BELIEVE IN DREAMS! (slams fist on the table) THE DEVIL TAKES MANY FORMS!!! Ahem…sorry. Anyway, to try and show Donald the importance of dreams, Mickey and the others each reveal dreams and wishes they’ve always longed for, and they are quickly brought to life…at least in a way. Minnie wishes to be a princess, and lo and behold, classic Disney Princes and Princesses appear and have a little ball. Goofy wishes to go on a pirate adventure, and Peter Pan and Wendy show up, along with a group of friendly pirates to join in the fun. This is where things go wrong, as Captain Hook and Maleficent show up soon after. It’s revealed the villains plan to take over the Cinderella Castle, and turn the Magic Kingdom into “The Place Where Nightmares Come True!” With help from Peter Pan (and the audience), Mickey and his pals are able to defeat the villains, as Hook and Maleficent retreat. Donald is thus shown the values (and dangers) of dreaming. Ultimately, “Dream-Along” was a fairly cute and simple children’s show, by Disney standards, but even as someone who never saw it live, it was fun, and probably one of Mickey’s best stage appearances. To be blunt, any chance for Mickey Mouse to take on the Mistress of All Evil is appreciated.

12. The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse.

I have to confess I resisted the urge to watch this cartoon series for a while. I guess my old man syndrome kicked in, because I wasn’t particularly fond of the brand new art style at first, and worried it would just turn Mickey and his pals into a Cartoon Network Crazy-Show ripoff (for lack of a better way of putting it). But, when I found out the series was actually being rather well-received, and there was even a ride being made based on it, I decided to open up my mind and give the show a chance. (Admittedly, a certain episode involving the Big Bad Wolf may have had something to do with it, too. Ahem.) This cartoon show attempted to both update Mickey and his pals, while also conversely returning them to their roots: slapstick shenanigans of the toony variety. In that effort, I’d say it largely succeeded: this series brought Mickey out of the well-tread comfort zone of the sweet little straight man, and tried to bring him back to a more mischievous, zany, at times downright PSYCHOTIC personality from back in his very earliest shorts. The cartoons are fast-paced, energetic, and absolutely INSANE in every respect; they feel like a cross between something like “Adventure Time” and “Eek the Cat” more than what you’d generally expect from Mickey Mouse. The only reason this doesn’t get higher on the list is simply because it IS very new to me, and while I appreciate how they amped up the hilarity, I’ve always had a sort of iffy relationship with this particular STYLE of visual humor, if that makes sense. Sometimes it REALLY makes me laugh, and other times I literally just cannot keep up with it. Again, just call me an old man or something; I guess I’ll generally prefer straight man Mickey to this lunacy…but for what it’s worth, this lunacy is something I can definitely see myself returning to many times in the future.

11. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas.

This Christmas special was an anthology film featuring several Yuletide tales with the classic characters from the world of Mickey Mouse. Much like with “Christmas Carol,” Mickey gets top billing in the title, but he’s actually only the star in one of the featured stories. Namely, he and Minnie are the headliners for an animated adaptation of the classic story “Gift of the Magi.” In the short, Mickey has a treasured harmonica, while Minnie has a pocket watch she loves dearly. Each wants to get the other a Christmas present related to their most precious items: Minnie wants to buy Mickey a fancy case for the harmonica, and Mickey wants to get Minnie a gold chain for her watch. However, cash is tight for the pair. When their separate plans to get enough dough to afford each of their presents go awry, both mice have to make a choice on what is most precious to them: their most valued heirlooms, or each other. I won’t give away the twist ending, but if you know the story…well…you know, and if you DON’T know, you can probably guess. It’s a sweet, fun little story, and the anthology concludes with all of the characters featured throughout coming together for a musical finale, including Mickey and Minnie, of course. Overall, both this specific segment and the special as a whole are sweet, wholesome, and very fun, especially for kids. There WAS a sequel to this, called “Twice Upon a Christmas,” which I guess shows how successful the first one was…but that sequel happens to be made of moldy cheese, so we won’t talk about it here.

10. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in The Three Musketeers.

Apparently, a lot of people really disliked this little animated adventure when it first came out, and I’m honestly not exactly sure why. Indeed, over time, this direct-to-video and TV musical movie has gained a substantial following, and I guess I’m among those who follow it. Inspired by the classic swashbuckler of “The Three Musketeers” (it can’t really be called an adaptation as the events of this story apparently take place AFTER that story in this universe), the movie features Mickey, Donald, and Goofy as a trio of servants at Queen Minnie’s castle. All three want to someday become famous Musketeers, going on adventures and protecting the kingdom. However, they are stymied by the fact that Donald is a coward, Goofy is…well…Goofy, for lack of a better way of putting it, and Mickey is considered too short for the force. However, the three get their chance thanks the wicked machinations of the treacherous Captain Pete, who assigns them as bodyguards and lets them join the ranks specifically in the belief they’ll be too incompetent to do their job, giving him a perfect chance to enact his evil schemes against the Queen. You can probably guess where things go from there. While not a brilliant picture, it’s not bad either: the animation is solid, the characters are well-used and well-portrayed, and the soundtrack - largely made using melodies from various famous ballets, operettas, and pieces of classical music - is catchy and has its moments of real cleverness. I wouldn’t by any means call it one of the greatest animated pieces of all time, but if you’re in the mood to see some swashbuckling with a slide of slapstick, it’s a fun time.

9. Runaway Brain.

This 1995 half-hour-long short is a parody of various classic horror films. It is widely regarded as possibly one of the scariest (and certainly one of the CRAZIEST) cartoons Mickey has ever appeared in. In this animated freak show, Mickey is tricked by a mad scientist, Dr. Frankenollie (ha ha, I see what you did there, Disney) into taking part in a batty experiment. The result of the experiment is that Mickey’s brain is swapped with that of a monster named Julius (basically Pete as the Frankenstein Monster). Julius ends up becoming smitten with Mickey’s girlfriend, Minnie Mouse. This leads to a darkly comedic story filled with psychotic shenanigans, as Mickey (in Julius’ body) and Julius (in Mickey’s body) constantly vie for Minnie’s affections, with widely comical results. The whole thing feels like a bizarre blend of Popeye, Frankenstein, and King Kong, all rolled into one. Incredibly bizarre and madcap in its nature, it has become something of a cult classic among Disney aficionados, and for good reason. If you ever wanted to see Mickey Mouse turn into a feral beast…first of all, I don’t know WHY you would want that, but second of all, this is the cartoon for you.

8. Wizards of Mickey.

This is the only comic I decided to include on the list, primarily because, to be honest, I’m just not super familiar with Mickey Mouse comics in general. I’ve read a few from various parts of Mickey’s history - everything from the first appearance of the Phantom Blot to an adaptation of Dracula with Mickey as Jonathan Harker and Goofy as Van Helsing (yes, that is a thing, and I ALMOST included it on this list; consider it 16th place). However, I’m by no means an expert on the subject, and I wasn’t sure what should be or should not be counted among those ranks. Maybe when I read more Mickey comics, I can do a separate, specific list of my favorites there. With all that said, of all the Mickey comics I’ve read, I think this series - which has been collected into several TPBs - is probably the best so far. Originally published in Italy (which has a LOT of really great Disney comics), “Wizards of Mickey” is a fantasy-style reimagining of the Mickey Mouse universe, inspired by “The Lord of the Rings.” In it, Mickey is a young wizard-in-training, who teams-up Donald Duck and Goofy - a pair of bungling magicians - to enter a tournament, where he plans to try and get hold of a bunch of magic crystals to help his village. Things take a turn for the worst, however, when Mickey finds out his mentor has been captured by the Phantom Blot: in this universe, a dark wizard who has his own plans for the crystals. Mickey must face the Blot’s minions, known as Team Black Phantom (led by Pete), and win the tournament to save not only his master, and not only his hometown, but the entire world. I really love the way all the different characters are used and depicted in these comics; I’d genuinely love to see them adapted to some other medium, such as a movie, TV show, or even a video game! It’s unlikely to happen, but hope springs eternal; if you’ve never really read many Disney comics, this series is a fun place to start.

7. Fantasmic!

Arguably Disney’s most popular and spectacular stage show, Fantasmic is essentially “Dream-Along” ON STEROIDS. There is basically NO plot to this show…or at least, none till about halfway through. The first half is just fun randomness, as Mickey “dreams” various adventures, love stories, and general happy times, all while dancing and performing magic tricks. However, things go wrong when the Evil Queen gazes into her Magic Mirror, who declares that as long as Mickey has control, “love will always survive,” and the Queen will never again be Fairest in the Land. Enraged, the Queen first transforms herself into The Witch, and then summons various Disney Villains to help her “turn that little Mouse’s dream into a Nightmare Fantasmic!” This results in possibly the biggest climax of any live Disney show, and possibly any live show ANYWHERE, as Mickey is forced to do battle with Maleficent in order to take back his dream and restore order to the Disney universe. Unlike “Dream-Along with Mickey,” I have actually seen this show live at Disneyland (it has been retooled since I saw it, mind you), and I can safely say it has well-earned its stellar reputation. There have actually been a few different versions of the show, including a now-defunct rendition for Tokyo’s DisneySea, and a longer version at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World. However, the Disneyland version is generally considered to be the best. It remains one of the most influential live shows of any theme park, and there’s even a kicking metal song (by the band Nightwish) named after it! (pauses) No, that is not a joke, and the song is awesome, LISTEN TO IT. I am highly tempted to put this in the top five…but spectacular as it is, there’s not much in the way of plot and character, so I don’t feel justified putting it that high. Still, if you ever get a chance to see this show in any of its forms – particularly live, so you can get the full impact - you most definitely should.

6. House of Mouse.

In hindsight, this show was actually pretty weird and a tiny bit tricky to explain. Basically, this series was intended as a showcase for the Mickey Mouse Works short series, along with many older Disney cartoons. It ran between 2001 and 2003, with frequent reruns since then. The premise is simple, but also rather odd: basically, Mickey and the gang are in charge of a nightclub where all sorts of Disney characters – sourced practically every movie, various cartoons, and even a couple of rides – just…well…kind of hang out and watch cartoons. Yeah. That was basically it. Every episode had an overarching story of some kind, but the purpose of the series was showcasing the cartoons, often tied around a theme set in the main story of the episode itself. These stories ranged from the typical to the absolutely insane. Many focused on Mickey and Co. having to deal with Mickey’s two featured rivals: Pete, who wanted to shut the place down, and the scheming and conniving Mortimer Mouse. However, some episodes used major Disney film characters in wacky ways. This is especially true of the villains: for example, in one episode, Mickey plays cupid for Hades and Maleficent. In another, Jafar, of all characters, is called on to save the club with his magic, and sings a villainous version of “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo.” Even in this show’s weirdest moments, it was a lot of fun. It’s a bit like Roger Rabbit as an animated series; just having all these Disney characters mingle together and interact leads to lots of crazy shenanigans, oddball stories, and snappy side jokes. The cartoons it showcased were often a lot of fun, too, both new and old. It even got two TV special spin-offs: “Mickey’s Magical Christmas,” and a Halloween special called “Mickey’s House of Villains,” both of which I consider guilty pleasures. It’s definitely a highlight in Mickey’s illustrious career on TV.

5. The Prince and the Pauper.

This half-hour short, produced in 1990, is an adaptation of the classic Mark Twain story, and was the first time Mickey had been seen onscreen in roughly a decade, following “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.” This cartoon has since been aired on T.V. a few times, and released to video and DVD (though I’m not sure if it has a Blu-Ray release yet). In this adventure, Mickey is cast as not one, but TWO characters. One is the wealthy, spoiled, but frightfully bored Prince, who longs to escape the humdrum life inside his palace and explore his kingdom. The other is the Pauper; a timid young beggar who longs for fame and fortune. When the two accidentally meet up, they decide to swap places for a day, which leads to both cartoonish hijinks and some surprisingly powerful emotional moments, with the Prince and the Pauper each having to learn important lessons, facing probably the most intimidating and villainous version of Pete out there, and even having the Prince’s father die pretty much right before Mickey’s eyes. Yeah, this one gets pretty heavy. It’s big on laughs, but also big on heart. Even though it’s only a half hour long, it has the production values of an out-and-out Disney feature film, and is just as good and as memorable. If you haven’t seen it already, look it up when you get the chance; two Mickeys for the price of one is a deal you don’t come by often.

4. Kingdom Hearts.

Mickey Mouse as a Yoda-like swordmaster and sorcerer. Frankly, when you hear those words, your first reaction is probably something along the lines of “WHAT?!” But, to be honest…just like other entries here, crazy as it is, it’s a lot of fun! Quite frankly, Mickey Mouse in this series is probably one of the coolest freaking characters in the games, as well as one of the most powerful. Referred to as “King Mickey,” he is the ruler of Disney Castle, and a frequent ally of Sora and perhaps especially Riku, whom he has formed a particularly close bond with. While just as optimistic and loveable as ever, this Mickey is actually…well…if you’ll pardon my language, HE’S A BAD@$$. When I say “Yoda-like,” I mean it very literally. Seeing this little mouse go bouncing off the walls with a keyblade is both incredibly funny and really freaking awesome. And while he’s got all the qualities we expect from Mickey, he can be a surprisingly serious and even dangerous character. Just to give you one example, at one point in “Kingdom Hearts II,” it actually seems like Goofy is killed. Yes, you read that correctly; he gets hit in the head with a rock, passes out, and everyone thinks he’s dead. And while I never expected he really was (as Goofy says when he pops up later, “Gawrsh…I get hit in the head all the time!”), the reactions everybody in the scene had were surprisingly powerful…ESPECIALLY Mickey. Why? Because at first of course he’s all sad…but then suddenly his fists clench, he glares to one side, and Mickey Mouse says, deathly serious, in that adorable little voice: “THEY WILL PAY FOR THIS.” I don’t care who you are; when Mickey Mouse says those words, dressed all in black and holding a giant key, you are either going to burst out laughing, mutter “Oh, it’s on now,” or both. I did both. King Mickey has only become more and more prominent in the series as it has gone on, with a few games going into his origins in this universe, and is definitely one of its most popular characters. But then again, when you have Mickey Mouse as a magical, acrobatic swordsman, would you expect anything less?

3. Mickey and the Beanstalk.

Originally featured as part of the package feature “Fun and Fancy Free” (which, as many of you will hopefully know, is one of my personal favorite Disney movies ever made), this short was once planned to be a full-length movie on its own terms. However, budget constraints at the studio due to WWII meant that it was lumped together with another short subject, “Bongo”: the story of a loveable little circus bear who longs to venture in the wild. Since then, however, “Mickey and the Beanstalk” has been viewed and released more than once on its own terms, separate from the rest of the movie it first appeared in. In this adaptation of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” trouble begins when the lunkheaded Willie the Giant (who is less “evil” and more…well…a complete idiot child with a bad, BAD temper) steals a magic harp from a little kingdom in the magical land of Happy Valley. Without the harp, the kingdom begins to fall into ruin. When Mickey ends up coming across some magic beans, he ventures up the beanstalk with Donald and Goofy to confront Willie, take back the harp, and save Happy Valley. Mickey was an experienced giant hunter by this point; he’d appeared in an earlier adaptation of the story of Jack called “Giantland,” and faced a different giant in a different fairy-tale in the classic cartoon “The Brave Little Tailor.” However, of all his exploits facing titans as silly as they are terrifying, it’s this outing that is the most lauded and well-remembered, and for good reason. It’s still one of Mickey’s best appearances and among his most iconic.

2. The Sorcerer's Apprentice. While only about the length of a typical Silly Symphony, and featuring absolutely no dialogue, “The Sorcerer's Apprentice” - first featured in the classic compilation picture, “Fantasia” - remains quite possibly Mickey’s most influential and well-recognized appearance, aside from perhaps “Steamboat Willie.” Based on the timeless fable of the same name (which the music illustrates), the sequence features Mickey as the poor apprentice of the wizard Yen Sid. Bored of doing menial chores around the sorcerer’s tower, he steals his Master’s magic hat and uses it to bring a broom to life. Mickey then has the broom carry water for him, planning to make it do allt he chores. Sadly, things go horribly wrong when the broom - unable to stop its work - begins to flood the sorcerer’s tower. The harder Mickey tries to stop the madness, the more the situation spirals out of control. It’s a cautionary tale with a couple different themes, and many people love to read into the story, as well as the characters: Mickey, of course, has often been seen as synonymous with Walt Disney himself. The character of Yen Sid – whose name, you will note, is “Disney” spelled backwards – was a caricature of the man himself, too. As noted by film historian Brian Sibley, one can see Mickey and Yen Sid’s powers as a parallel to Walt’s own sort of “inner magic;” it’s hard to see the scene of Mickey dreaming of rewriting the cosmos and happily making the ocean dance at his heels, and not think of Walt Disney’s ability to make the possible impossible, and the man’s desire to see his dreams come true. However, the fact Mickey cannot control the magic, no matter how hard he tries, is also noteworthy, especially in hindsight. This is not only due to the fact Fantasia didn’t work out the way Walt planned and hoped, but the controversies that continually crop up about the man’s life, and even the Disney company in general to this day. Taking all that out of the picture, if you just take the cartoon at face value, it’s still charming, sweet, funny, and enchanting; all the things a good Mickey Mouse piece should be. It makes a dazzling centerpiece for one of my all-time favorite Disney films.

1. Epic Mickey.

There are many, MANY reasons why I love Epic Mickey. Practically from the moment this game was announced, I was EXTREMELY interested. A game where your choices helped determine the ending was nothing exactly new, but when that game used a particularly interesting combat/gameplay system, and had a focus on story and characters, with an interest in forgotten Disney lore? Well, for me, personally, that was a HUGE source of interest! An immediate success, the game spawned two sequels – “Epic Mickey 2: Power of Two,” and “Power of Illusion,” a handheld spin-off inspired by the aforementioned “Castle of Illusion.” There were plans to have a third/fourth game to finish things off, but, for whatever reason (I seriously don’t know), the project was canceled. Disappointing as that sad fact is, the games we got were still pretty interesting, ESPECIALLY the first one. The plot is a rather meta story in which a mischievous Mickey accidentally wreaks havoc upon a world created by Yen Sid. The sorcerer has conjured up a sort of pocket universe, where forgotten Disney Dreams go to live and retire in peace. Mickey’s meddling unintentionally creates the terrifying Shadow Blot (a drastic reimagining of the Phantom Blot). The Blot is a ravenous ink monster, who transforms the happy world into a Wasteland. Years later, Mickey – now a cartoon star who has completely forgotten about his little accident, and knows nothing about the fallout – is kidnapped by the Blot and his second-in-command, the treacherous Mad Doctor. They wish to steal Mickey’s heart so they can escape the Wasteland and take over the world beyond. Using Yen Sid’s magic brush, Mickey goes on a quest through the Wasteland (a twisted version of Disneyland) to defeat both the villains and escape. The story is engaging and genuinely touching; the use of so many forgotten, abandoned, and underrated elements of Disney’s past is really fascinating, as well. The music is INCREDIBLE (seriously, this is one of my favorite video game soundtracks out there). As for Mickey? Frankly, I love how this game manages to make Mickey an action hero, without going into Kingdom Hearts territory. Make no mistake, I’m pretty sure Kingdom Hearts inspired parts of this – the concept of “action hero Mickey” certainly seems reminiscent, as does the focus on hearts and how they work – but this one handles Mickey in that role in a way that I would argue is better. KH had to reimagine the character in many ways, this one doesn’t really reimagine him at all; his appearance, his voice, his personality…all of it is classic Mickey Mouse, and whether you make him an impish rogue or a fun-loving hero, you can still root for him and believe him every step of the way. The game’s head creator, Warren Specter, said that a big draw for him on this project was a chance to present Mickey AS Mickey; not as a cute, cuddly squeaker for toddlers, nor as an over-serious action hero, but just as he always has been: the everyman and occasional prankster. And to that end, I think the game succeeds. It earns its title easily and very well, and for that, “Epic Mickey” definitely takes the top spot on this list of My Favorite Mickey Mouse Appearances.

#disney #list #countdown #top 15 #mickey mouse #films #movies #tv #animation #video games #comics #cartoons #disney theme parks #disney 100 #disney 100 special

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bro3256 · 6 months

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Predictions for Nintendo Switch Online

I think it goes without saying that the Nintendo Switch Online (or NSO) service has been controversial to say the least. The fact that we now have to pay for what used to be free online and the lack of benefits you get to subscribing has led to this service being received very poorly at least at launch. It's been about 5 years since NSO launched and a lot of that controversy has seemingly dried up either by new additions to the game library or simply the fact that we're just used to it at this point.

Now don't get me wrong there are still detractors to NSO, but it seems as if this service has been accepted for what it is despite its flaws, although I do have to agree with some of the things said by folks regarding how the service launched and how it currently is.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I want to lay down some predictions regarding the future of this service as I've seen some wild things being proposed by fans that sound completely unrealistic and nothing Nintendo would ever regularly do. Starting with the obvious, what future platforms will Nintendo add to the game library?

First things first, GameCube is not going to happen at least for a long time. I suspect Nintendo may add it once the Switch's successor is out but at this very moment it is laughable to consider GameCube right now. The biggest main issue is the fact that Nintendo themselves has been rereleasing GameCube games as full price Switch games. Metroid Prime Remastered and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door come to mind. I know for the most part the whole "things releasing outside of NSO means it will never come to NSO" myth has more or less died at this point but GameCube tends to be a special case here since these games still feel modern enough to resell as new games.

Another thing is to completely throw out any consideration of any mainline Pokémon games appearing on the Game Boy apps. The spinoffs sure, but actual mainline games is a bit silly. If they were somehow to be added they would need to do a lot of backend stuff to get these games properly working and so players don't cheat with the regular tools NSO offers such as rewind and restore points. It's not impossible but I see this as too much work to be worth it if simply putting these out as digital eShop releases sounds much easier. Besides if every version was put out on NSO then you'd lose the magic of Pokémon just like that, and that wouldn't be fun would it?

Okay so what do I actually think NSO is gonna add to its game library? Well unless Nintendo puts out a Virtual Boy or a Game & Watch app then I suspect we will probably see more third party apps. One consideration I don't see a ton of people talking about is the PC-Engine and TurboGrafx-16.

Games from these consoles have appeared on Virtual Console in the past on Wii and Wii U and a very limited number of PC-Engine games did release on 3DS only in Japan. I wouldn't doubt that Nintendo would add this as apart of their Expansion Pack, heck maybe even regular NSO if we're lucky. I would just love to see more NEC love (or well Konami love now).

But why stop there when the Mark III and Master System could be added too? Sega is already on board with NSO with their Mega Drive and Genesis apps so this would be a great addition especially since these games have not been given enough love even by Sega. SG-1000 would also be cool but that might be a bit too niche for a service like NSO but who knows.

As for games, while there is quite a bit already on the service there are certainly omissions that are quite baffling so let's get some of the more obvious ones out of the way and in no particular order.

Gomoku Narabe Renju, Mahjong, Golf, Urban Champion, SimCity, Mario Paint, Super Smash Bros., Ridge Racer 64, Banjo-Tooie, Super Mario Land, Qix, X, Balloon Kid, Mole Mania, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, Pokémon Pinball, Densetsu no Stafy 1-3, Mother 3, and Rhythm Tengoku just to name a few.

So lets start with one that might not be interesting at a glance but would be a great addition to the service.

Tetris for the NES (no, not the Tengen version) is one of the more iconic versions of this beloved puzzle game, but why go back to this version specifically? I mean we already have Tetris on the Game Boy app and plenty of other Tetris games on Switch so what's the deal here?

Well for one, this version has never seen any kind of rerelease... kind of. This version in terms of how it played was ported over to Tetris Effect: Connected as a side mode but unless you knew about it I'd imagine not a whole lot of folks have dabbled with it and it's still technically not the original game.

But secondly, the main reason why this mode even exists and also why I personally would like to see it on NSO is purely to make the game accessible to a wider audience considering the competitive scene of this specific classic version of Tetris.

Being able to play this on NSO would mean a ton more people get to experience how this version plays and more importantly gives players another option of playing this without resorting to unofficial PC emulation. Obviously pro players are going to stick to original hardware but if you just wanted to practice or wanted a taste of this version then it's no wonder that having it on Switch would be a dream. Hopefully with the Game Boy version already being on the service this will increase the chances of this one happening.

So this next one is already planned to release for NSO in Japan but there's no word on it releasing internationally but regardless...

...Kaeru no tame ni Kane wa Naru or as its unofficially known as The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls. It's an action RPG that's often compared to Link's Awakening to the point where in said Zelda game there's a cameo appearance featuring Prince Richard from Bell Tolls. This is one of the more well known Nintendo developed games that never left Japan and as of writing has never seen an official English localization of any kind and unfortunately there seems to be a trend with international NSO releases having Japanese games that have not been translated. So the likelihood of this not only releasing outside of Japan but getting a new localization for NSO is very unlikely but it's more than possible given Nintendo puts in the work to translating this in English. I'd imagine a remake of this game being far more likely to getting an international release if that were to happen and hey if it's in the style of the Link's Awakening remake that would be pretty cool.

So let's move away to one that might actually happen.

This one's pretty straight forward and don't be scared by this being Japan exclusive as outside of some story cutscenes this one's perfectly playable as its mainly a puzzle game. It has seen rereleases in the past on Virtual Console and if it were to release on NSO it's very likely that it would release internationally since the benefit of Nintendo not putting in effort to localize these games means they can just drop this on the SNES app no problem. Also good time to mention that this also includes the original Wrecking Crew so it would be funny to see Wrecking Crew on the service twice.

So let's end this game prediction saga with one that probably will never happen but if it were to happen I'd be curious how it would be implemented.

So let's get this out of the way, this is an M rated game. For a while it was believed that Nintendo would shy away from more mature games from appearing on the service but GoldenEye 007 on N64 at least in Japan indicates that Nintendo's solution is purely to bump up the rating of the overall app. So I'd imagine if this were to drop on NSO we'd not only see a rating bump for the N64 app but hopefully some kind of parental control option to stop players under 17 from playing this one. While it would be cool to see this on NSO in terms of being able to play it on a Nintendo platform again, I purely would like to see this get added just to see what they'd do to the app in response to this M rated addition to the service.

And there are my NSO predictions as of November 2023. I do wonder when the next Nintendo platform releases if we'll see an uptick in support for the service but its likely that this slow trickle of games will continue as usual. I'd normally would wish for more platforms to be represented on NSO but the problem is that some of the ones already on the service are very lacking especially Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. Hopefully those libraries get beefed up soon.

#nintendo #nintendo switch #nintendo switch online #nso #virtual console #prediction

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conarcoin · 1 year

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hi guys this is honey the cat she is only in One (1) sonic game and its a spinoff called sonic the fighters but also she wasnt even playable in the original 1996 arcade release. she was just hidden in the files because she was a test character based on a character from fighting vipers, which stf used the engine from. in 2012 they finally made her playable when making the remastered version and even gave her part in the story because players hacked her into a rerelease and she became a fan favorite

why am i telling you all this? i just really like honey the cat and want you to know

btw she later appeared in both comic runs <3 but in idw she is banished to classic sonic universe bc of sega mandates ☹️

#sth

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incorrectpuyotris · 8 months

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Lo and behold, hate reblogs!

Anyway this dude is spouting bullshit based on outdated and biased information that I’ve addressed before, so I won’t get into much of the specifics. Announcement at the end.

is a bad source of info

I cited the original tweet, what the hell else do you want from me?

repeatedly bullied or sexually harassed minors in the fandom

This is just blatantly dishonest and a loaded accusation. The “or” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, equating something that’s only mean to do and something that’s morally reprehensible.

The only reason why people assume that I “sexually harassed minors” is because someone younger whom I met when I was 16 proposed to me first, and people rushed to assume the worst once they found out.

It also bears mentioning the concept of “Romeo and Juliet laws”, laws in some US states that rule that, if two people were both minors when they met and close enough in age (usually 5 years), statutory rape does not apply. It was made to correct this kind of stupidity happening, where two minors started dating and one turned 18 first so they’re called a pedophile.

has forged a leak for Fever1&2 remakes to rile up the fandom against Sega (she ADMITTED to this)

The fact that I edited box art for Puyo Puyo Fever Box (a remastered compilation for Fever, Fever 2, and 15th) has nothing to do with “riling up the fandom against Sega”. The only purpose for that fake leak was just to make a fake leak and see if the fandom wanted that game to be real as much as I did. I always planned to reveal that it was fake after a handful of days.

has harassed the members of Precise Museum and spread false rumors about them

Nope, no idea what this is about.

created hate subreddits entirely dedicated to slandering fandom members she dislikes

What are you on about? You mean the “cringe” subreddit? That was for everyone to post whatever they deem cringy in the fandom, including themselves in self-deprecation. People loved it when they could laugh at themselves sometimes.

has re-spread lore misinformation to further her headcanons while countering the spread of the correct info

This is the direct opposite of what happened. I countered the spread of lore misinformation in order to counter non-canon headcanons about the genders of the characters, in an attempt to further the spread of correct information, even if that correct information is “we don’t know for sure”.

Speaking of spreading correct information, it was I who dug up an unused set of lines within the data files of Puyo Puyo Fever 2 that seem to be a scrapped version of Amitie’s HaraHara cutscene with Klug. You guys verified that I was telling the truth, right?

has slandered meme tumblr accounts and their mods for the “sin” of using questies in their memes

I’ve never called it a “sin” to use obscure characters when a character from a main game fits the bill better. Re-editing the memes with those alternative characters is not “slander”, it’s making a derivative, the natural lifecycle of a meme.

is also a Transmedicalist Terf

Holy contradiction, Batman! It doesn’t help your case when you use buzzwords with no regard to what they actually mean.

A transmedicalist is someone who posits that being transgender is principally a physiological and psychological condition whose symptoms can be managed with the right healthcare. This shouldn’t be considered a bad thing, since it advocates for the right for trans people to get the care and resources they need to lead a better life, and to prevent people who would be harmed by the necessary harsh chemicals from getting harmed by them.

A TERF, however, is someone who doesn’t believe that trans people actually exist. To a TERF, a trans woman is “a trans-identified male”, a man who’s pretending to be a woman. This is incompatible with any view that defines transgender people in any way other than “they aren’t real men/women”.

“A transmedicalist TERF” makes as much sense as “the only choice”; if there aren’t at least two options, there isn’t a choice to make, making it not a choice. It makes as much sense as “a triangular square”; a shape can’t have 3 sides and 4 sides at the same time, nor can it have internal angles that add up to 180° and 360° at the same time.

has harassed minors for being nonbinary

I did no such thing. Just because someone makes fun of some ridiculous statement that happens to be said by a person who considers themself to be nonbinary, it doesn’t mean that said person “harassed” them to be “for being nonbinary”.

Sadly, lots of people still use their race, gender, or other minority status as a “get out of criticism free” card, and interpret any disagreement as being hostility towards their entire identity. If you disagree with the things I say, I won’t even think that you’re racist against Japanese people, sexist against women, nor transphobic against trans women, unless your dissent directly involves my being that minority.

Bonus hate reblog:

What makes you assume that they won’t start now? SEGA just revamped the whole app; what makes you think they won’t voice the cutscenes like in other competing gacha games?

Announcement

Anyway, I’m getting sick and tired of being unfairly gatekept out of the fandom of a game that I grew up with and still care a lot about. But I think it may be time for me to let the trolls win and stop caring about it, if it means I don’t have to be constantly talked over by self-appointed e-vigilantes who barely know how productive I’ve been and how many friends I made in a new community I’ve created for myself. (It’s a certain trivia game that I’ve programmed, written, and voiced myself.)

I’ll no longer be posting to this blog, because it’s impossible to overpower all this hostility in this so-called fandom. If anyone else wants to carry the torch, please DM me at @haleyhalcyon. Mention my name (Mod Klug) and we’ll start discussing.

So long, and thanks for all the dancing bare-legged fish.

—Mod Klug

#puyo puyo #mod klug #not incorrect quotes #discourse

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