I've been a member of Game Informer for a little over three years now. That may not seem like much to some of the users who've been with the site since before the redesign, but I kid you not, it's the longest I've ever stuck to a site. What can I say? I love the community here, have always liked the various staff to come through GI (have been reading the magazine for quite some time now), and I really like a lot of the features like Test Chamber, Stress Test, the old Reiner and Phil show, and my favorite, Replay. However, like most Replay fans, there's one thing I love to watch more than the standard Saturday Replay show, and that's Game Informer's Super Replay. The show that made Overblood a legend, that made screaming something like LAMP STAMP perfectly normal and not insane, that made GIO obsess over Hassy, that took us on an adventure where we witnessed vengeance against an evil blue pig and saw the unnecessary deaths of Ric Flair and Hagrid, and has made many of us sit through episodes of absolutely nothing happening (Overblood 2 and Mega Man Legends come to mind), but for some reason we still line up to see what happens next. Despite its flaws, there's no denying how great Super Replay has been. So, outside of making a countdown of my favorite ones, what better way to showcase my appreciation for the show, than to make a list of future Super Replays that I'd like to see? Let's get to it.
Psychonauts
Who Should Play It: Dan Ryckert
If you read my last blog, you'll know that I recently bought Psychonauts and have been enjoying it tremendously. It's funny, it plays well, and at the risk of going on too long, it's altogether just a great game. I have no problems saying Psychonauts is slowly creeping its way into my top twenty or so games of all time. But I digress, how much I'm loving Psychonauts is not the subject of this blog. I can't recall precisely when he said it, but I remember Dan not that long ago saying that he would love to play the game, and correct me if I'm wrong, seemed to be considering it as a candidate for one of the Super Replay showdowns. Supposing I remembered all of that correctly, I ask, why not do a Psychonauts Super Replay? While I love seeing the Replay crew torture themselves playing more obscure and mediocre games as much as the next fan, I do enjoy watching a good game being played almost as much, and quite honestly, I can't think of a better game to add to that legacy than Psychonauts. I'll admit that it might wind up lacking in the crazy Super Replay moments we've come to expect, but I definitely feel it's a game that deserves one.
Mr. Bones
Who Should Play It: Tim Turi or Andrew Reiner
The Replay before last, and one of the most entertaining ones I've watched in a while. For some reason, with its balance of the cool (in the nineties sense of the word) guitar and drum playing protagonist and absolutely horrendous looking gameplay, Mr. Bones kept on striking me as Super Replay worthy the more and more I watched of it. I know part of the fun of the show is the gratification of finishing the games, and that's technically ruined by the fact that the guys used a code to unlock later levels and cutscenes, but I still think Mr. Bones could make for a pretty good entry. And who better to play Mr. Bones in its entirety than GI's very own resident gaming masochist, Tim Turi? While it didn't look to be a very enjoyable experience, I doubt it could be nearly as bad as Cyberia, which in my opinion, both because of Tim's suffering and the game itself, was straight up painful to watch. Failing that, maybe "First Treiner" Reiner can be at the sticks, given that he seemed to be enjoying Mr. Bones.
Also, who wouldn't want to see a title sequence using the game's Lethal Weapon-esque cheese rock?
Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero
Who Should Play It: Any one of the guys that was on the episode (that being Dan, Tim, Ben Reeves, and Bryan Vore)
Truth be told, I'm not sure how good of a Super Replay this would make. I've maybe played five minutes of the game at most (when I was a kid), and have no inkling of how long or short it might be. But the Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero Replay has always been one of the best, and is personally my favorite. I'd like to see a Super Replay of it for no other reason.
Sentient
Who Should Play It: Dan
Who Would Actually Wind Up Playing It: Tim
The Roulette to the SSX Tricky Replay, Sentient certainly was a strange one. Character models looked almost frighteningly weird, controls seemed like they were awkward, the dialogue system seemed confusing as all hell, and at times it seemed rather random and aimless. Perfect candidate for a Super Replay, right? I think so. Honestly, I never believed there would be another Super Replay as painful to watch as the Cyberia one was. Then I decided to rewatch Sentient and realized it could easily give the aforementioned game a run for its money. The question is, who would be subjected to the abject torture this Super Replay could potentially provide? More than likely, Tim would be the one to do it, as he's always chosen to play the bad games. But if there's one thing I never forgot, even going on almost two years after watching the Sentient Replay Roulette, was how uncomfortable the game made Dan. Whether it was the flashing lights and irritating alarm, or the floating head at the end, you can't tell me a Sentient Super Replay wouldn't be hysterical with Dan at the controls. Make it happen, guys!
Chrono Trigger
Who Should Play It: Considering this would never happen, does it really matter who would play it.? Eh, it could be anybody, because who doesn't like Chrono Trigger?
A full blown rpg some how working as a Super Replay is about as unlikely to happen as Square Enix announcing at some point next week that Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross are getting HD remakes, followed by a new entry in the series. That being said and despite my preference for the sequel, if there was ever an rpg deserving of one, it's probably Chrono Trigger. Likewise, of all the games that used to be shown on the old Super Replay title sequence, I, for some reason, always thought it would get one. But again, the issue of too many episodes arises. Personally, I think part of the problem could be solved by using a New Game + file. It would eliminate grinding from the equation, which could significantly cut down on the final time. You have Super Replay fans that are sticklers for tradition though, and they would more than likely cry foul over such a decision, no matter how much sense it would make. Once again, this one would probably be unlikely to happen, but it would still be neat to see.
Killer 7
Who Should Play It: Tim
I normally don't let it bother me when the Replay crew sucks at a game. Numerous times they've played games they have only the vaguest recollection of, and let's be honest, watching someone else be inept at something always makes for some sort of entertainment. But I'd be lying to you if I told you I haven't got frustrated watching a Replay at least a few times. The two biggest examples that pop into my mind, and make me just shake my head in shame, are Glover and Killer 7. Now I'd love to vent about the Glover Replay, but frustrating Replay moments are not what I'm focusing on. Instead I'll talk about Killer 7, a game I can envision working out as a Super Replay. Truthfully, the Killer 7 Replay wasn't as bad as I'm making it out to be. Tim got as far as I'd expect someone with only the barest understanding of the game's mechanics to go. Still, it's tough to rewatch. I loved Killer 7, and once I understood it, it was relatively easy to play. To see someone just fumble their way through the opening level, when you remember exactly what's supposed to be done is just...well I'd guess most Replay fans know the feeling. In essence, you could say that's why I'd like to see a Super Replay of Killer 7. Naturally, Tim, the iron man of Replay and, as you already know, the person who played the Replay, should be the one to take on the Grasshopper Manufacture title. I guarantee that if he became more acclimated to the game, he'd be a monster at it. Combine that with some of the crazy sh** I remember happening in Killer 7, and you might get a surprisingly good Super Replay.
Other Ones That Might Be Nice To See
Haven: Call of the King- I remember really enjoying the Haven episode and at the time wouldn't have minded seeing it as a Super Replay. Upon rewatching it, I can't say I share the same enthusiasm to see it as I did earlier this year. For all I know, it could wind up pretty entertaining.
Countdown: Vampires and Martian Gothic- Back in 2011, Replay fans were asked to vote for a Super Replay. The choices were Galerians, Countdown: Vampires, Martian Gothic, and Dracula: The Resurrection. Galerians wound up winning out. Being that crappy survival horror always seem to make good Super Replays, I still would like to see Countdown: Vampires and Martian Gothic get their moments in mockery, too. I remember Dracula: The Resurrection being horribly boring, so quite frankly it can go f*** off for all I care.
Now this would make for an interesting Super Replay!
I wish I could come up with more, but I'm having a hard time thinking of what games could make good Super Replays. You probably don't agree with some of the ones I'd like to see, but, I don't know, for some reason I think they could work. So what games would you like to see done? Any ones you can think of that can rival Overblood and the like?
Take care and thanks for reading!