Konami pre-E3: Transfarring, NeverDead, and stuff you've probably played before

Have you ever met someone who tells the same joke over and over? That's kind of like my personal relationship with Konami.

I stopped by the company's pre-E3 event here in San Francisco to see what it's been up to, and I was plenty surprised when I entered the showroom of new titles; all of them were small budget, yet big fun. But then the big screen at the front of the room began to play a reel of trailers, and I slowly began to remember why it has been years since I last pulled Konami's finger.

Transfarring: Making the real world less of a bother

I didn't spell that wrong -- it really is "Transfarring." Metal Gear-creator Hideo Kojima explained the concept: Basically, Transfarring is a glorified file transfer system. Do you need to leave the house, however you’re in the middle of that boss fight in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater with the Russian that shoots bees out of his ass? Simply transfer your save data to your NGP and pick up where you left off. Tell real life "Kiss my ass! I’ve got a cavalcade of cut-scenes and nonsensical exposition that I just can’t miss!"

Thank God he used a visual aid. Chaos math, this stuff is.

NeverDead (AKA: AlwaysAlive, ForeverFunctioning, KeithRichards)

I’m usually not one to judge games until I play them, but this one made me think "Huh?" NeverDead focuses on Bryce, a demon hunter who has been "cursed" with immortality by...a demon. The first thought that entered my head was, "Why would a demon give his enemy eternal life?" That's like a baby seal giving a poacher a club.

Speaking of immortality, it's a key gameplay component. Your character actually can’t die. Sure, comedic moments await when you’re forced to retrieve lost limbs, but where will the challenge be? How do you create suspense when you know there are no real repercussions for careless actions? Guess we'll find out!

Stump or no, he's still a crack shot.

NeverDead could be good, certainly, but its first impression on me was peculiar. The overall concept for starters, but also little things, like when a female character screamed, "I hope you get cursed for all eternity!" To which Bryce gruffly replied, "Already been done, kid. Already done." Yeah....

Metal Gear Vapor: Bullet America Kill Testosterone Balls

So much to say about this franchise, yet so little web space: Metal Gear is an eclectic compilation of memorable cinematography and tepid storytelling. Don't get me wrong -- I think it's a decent series. But I'm worried that this franchise is in danger of making like the Soviet Union and crumbling beneath its own stagnancy.

It has only been around for 24 years, yet it already includes more damn incarnations than the James Bond films it's somewhat inspired by. And here come a few more: a 3DS version of Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater, and Metal Gear Solid: The HD Collection (which includes Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Snake Eater, and Peace Walker) for Xbox 360 and PS3. My favorite quote from the 3DS game presentation: "We’re looking for a new kind of experience." Of course you are, boys.

Here you go, Jimmy. Another sweater from grandma. Merry Christmas.

Play it again, Snake

Like the popular “Aristocrats” joke, Konami delivers the same punch line with new dressing: High-definition remakes of its most popular franchises, and not just Metal Gear. Are you a Zone of the Enders fan aching for a new installment? Sorry, bud. But you can buy the old ones again in crisp HD! Silent Hill also gets a nice touch-up, just in case your old copies have withered away from all that time rot.

Really, most of these games aren't even a decade old, yet they're already getting a George Lucas-style remastering. I find it quite ironic how repetition is the hangnail on the thumb of gamers, yet so many will fork over the cash to play the same exact games they did the last generation.

Tags: Silent Hill, Metal Gear, Konami, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Nintendo 3DS, Zone of the Enders, NeverDead, E3 2011

Problem? Report this post

Samir Torres

June 04, 2011

Looking forward to all that HD fog in early Silent Hill games.

Report | Reply

Dewan J. Haque

The levels of saracsm here are dripping off the charts. I'm personally excited for NeverDead simply for the story aspect- it looks like we'll be playing the main character at multiple points in his life, going by the trailer. I don't know about you, but dying in a video game doesn't really cause suspense to me- I know I can just load the last save. But what if you got yourself into a bad situation... and you can't die? You have to dig yourself out of that grave, so to speak. They also mentioned how there will be 'benefits' of some sort, at the least a differing kind of combat, when you're missing your limbs... or perhaps your torso.

I'm also kind of excited about the MGS HD collection, if only for a console version of Peace Walker, which was particularly good.

They did also announce a new SIlent Hill rather than just the collection- Silent Hill Downpour, and teased a Contra announcement.

You have to keep in mind, this is all pre-E3. Kojima isn't going to even be there, so they got the MGS and ZoE announcements out of the way.

Ryan Perez

June 05, 2011

The only HD collection I'm looking forward to is the one from Team Ico. Shadow of the Colossus was a masterpiece, and I've never played Ico, so I figured this would be the perfect excuse to do so.

I get a bit agitated when I see companies -- especially ones that are great at what they do -- produce nothing but the same games, over and over. To me, it creates a slush pile of experiences that I know I've already had. I've had fun with MGS games in the past, but they're all pretty similar in spirit. Heck, if I eat the same thing three days in a row I get pretty grumpy.

If that collection was released for the 360 I'd eat it up too- I just don't have the system it's releasing for.

I can forgive the MGS and ZoE collections because they're doing more than simply emulating and porting them. They're reworking menus at the very least and adjusting them for HD televisions. They also said there was major working being done to Peace Walker (I'm guessing they're piecing together areas that don't need to be seperate due to PSP memory limitations). Just playing through them with achievements and such will be a new experience enough for me to purchase them again... but I'm also assuming they won'y be releasing at a 59.99 price point. That'd keep me from continuing my support for these releases.

I can't really blame you for wanting variety though- the MGS series just happens to be near and dear to my heart.

Jonathan Oyama

June 06, 2011

Wow. I thought Konami was up to releasing other new games, but I guess I'm wrong. I wish the big Japanese developers would try more new tricks, for once. At least Metal Gear Solid games are coming to the Xbox 360, but they could at least try new Castlevania games. Anything that's much more fresh than what their current game plan.