The last few Simple revivals only lasted a couple games apiece, so I wouldn't get too excited just yet.
It should also be noted that D3 continued to publish Simple games in all but name and would even rename otherwise-unaffiliated games using the "THE ____" nomenclature, like so: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/the-card-battle-eternal-destiny-switch/
@gsk D3Publisher indeed released several THE ____ games as package before, such as THE Taikan! Sports Pack or THE Variety Game Daishūgō, but not under the Simple Series brand and not at such a low price (¥2800 with taxes), which is higher than the PS2 generation but same as the DS generation.
I think the days we’ll see hundreds of volumes on one console are long gone in any case, but at least the local market domination of Switch software resembles PS1 and PS2 more than any other home console before. The biggest issue I see is the competition of Nintendo eShop. Not sure how D3P can compete with all those games sold so cheaply. And the first title they are releasing is basically a lower quality version of a popular game already sold at a budget price by modern standards.
Yeah, that‘s been the big hurdle for a while—there’s never been such a surplus of games from all over the world that can and do scratch whatever personal might previously have been serviced by the Simple series, and I don't think anyone can seriously argue that they were particularly adept curators without selectively ignoring huge portions of their library.
what about a strategy game? I’d nominate Suzerain: about 6-8 hours (although replayable), stylish, lots of interesting ideas, not-quite-finished feeling that = had a great time but wanting more/more fleshed-out
@JoJoestar i’ve never played it, but i did listen to all the commentary in the game (via youtube), and i’m pretty sure it’s to self-aware to count (i could give more details, though that could maybe count as a spoiler, so…)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/528730/Crypt_of_the_Serpent_King/
Here’s an occasion where I’ll admit I’m not sure if I get it completely. I love Simple Series but I’m not familiar enough to fully encompass the vibe and flavor. I’ll throw my hat in the ring anyway. An extremely generic and low budget elder scrolls style first person action dungeon crawler. Was $1.99, now only fifty cents. Available on NS and Steam. Maybe it’s missing that weird factor, the random inspired zaniness. I haven’t beaten it yet, maybe I’ll watch a speedrun to see if there’s anything real creative in there.
What‘s missing for me from modern Simple Series attempts is that sense of "here’s a bit of money, try to make anything." My feeling may be unfounded since I‘ve not directly spoken with any of the simple series devs about this, but it felt like they were given free reign to do pitch wild that would look interesting on a box, and then they’d have to back it up with some sort of game, which usually wound up interesting for about 20 minutes and then repetitive, but you'd still like the idea. EDF being the big exception.
I feel like that structure could still work, maybe there could be a Simple Subscription. every month you get a new game based on a new idea that someone has had 6 months to develop, or something like that. So less board game and variety, more "The Shrinking Man," a game about getting shrunk down all tiny and having to get to an objective while avoiding big feet and cats. Or something!! maybe this is not the most lucrative idea, ha ha.
I do think it could work but I think it‘d be an inordinate amount of work for most publishers, hence why it hasn’t been copied a hundred times over.
Level-5's Guild series for 3DS was an interesting attempt at capturing the idealised vision of the Simple series, I thought, but it clearly didn't take because they only did two of 'em. Perhaps 3DS just wasn't the place to do it.
What about Metal Dogs? Certainly looks budget and limited in scope like the Simple games but also like the dev just Went With It like the Simple games.
@Chopemon plus there’s an easy parody song for the title screen waiting to be made
@exodus shibas head banging along
Another contender, this time from the OGs; D3.
Ed-0: Zombie Uprising.
That made another couple spring to mind.
School Girl Zombie Hunter. Extremely gross with school girls having their clothes torn off by zombies but it fits the topic because it is D3 and trashy (obvs not all Simple games were trashy but some definitely were)
Also, Dead or School. A metroidvania made by a three person team. I love it. It is too long and has some jank but has some heart and you can tell that the team Went For It as much as they could.
Developped by Lancarse so it should at the very minimum be a serviceable experience. Good idea for Simple Series-style offerings to try the Early Access model, by the way.
@Chopemon having spent a few hours with Metal Dogs, I think it fits the Simple lineup but not as one of the good ones like EDF.
All of the levels are combinations of angular rooms and corridors. There are three weapon types with very few meaningful stats on each type. For example, the rocket launchers are all homing rockets that explode on impact. There aren’t direct fire rockets or rockets that explode mid air then drop cluster bombs or anything like that.
There are a few enemy types but not many. There are tens of missions (not sure how many but I’m well into the double digits) and no variety in them. Occasionally there are bosses.
So it’s a bit like Oneechanbara before they made the good Oneechanbara games. Fun concept, bikini samurai women killing zombies/dogs with guns strapped to them killing robot hippos, but all the stages are the same, the inputs don’t have the wiggle room for interesting mastery and every enemy takes too many hits to kill as they are padding out the game.
I don’t think I’ll see it to the end but I sure did have a fun time looking forward to it and buying it hoping it was actually going to be a budget treasure.
Sky Ride is the most fun a person can physically have for only 2$.
Edit: I just found out that the developer of the game has two other products that genuinely look like a good time:
FLIP OVER FROG and Goonya Fighter
Edit 2: I LOVE this trailer
Goonya Fighter‘s interesting inasmuch as it was a high-profile examples of a Japanese indie using excessive discounts to boost the sales/visibility of their game and it kicked off a lot of very critical discussion about the whole bargain bin/race-to-the-bottom mentality and how it could be dangerous for the industry, to the point where the head of the studio (which does a lot of contract work for high-profile clients) was being privately contacted by his industry buddies with complaints. I don’t mean ten years ago, either, we're talking like… 2019?
They also put out an arcade version, which in turn led to them adding DLC characters from Virtua Fighter and Border Break.
@gsk Heck yeah Goonya Fighter looks like absolute trash but observing it from a distance it’s actually interesting and the writing of that trailer just mildly blew my mind
Like I definitely got FLIP OVER FROG because it’s 2$ but there’s no way I’m actually gonna play Goonya Fighter
Your friends and mine, D3, have announced Samurai Maiden after the existence of it was leaked a little while ago. Just a teaser video so far but it looks quite nice and has an anime girl with a sword. More information is coming on Tuesday.
