DISCLAIMER: I am aware of the Turok reboot of 2008 -- but Turok fans know that wasn't the reboot the series truly deserved!
Do you remember the first truly great console FPS?
It wasn't Call of Duty.
It wasn't Halo.
It wasn't even Goldeneye 007.
It was Turok: Dinosaur Hunter on N64. (Okay maybe it was Doom, but Doom's legacy really rests with the PC)
Given the state of the gaming market today, most who have never heard of Turok probably would have a hard time believing it could really exist.
Wait -- A Nintendo console had a 3rd party, Mature, insanely fun, very technically accomplished (for its time) FPS that sold millions and had successful sequels? When did that happen?
It was the 90s -- a time when some of you on this site weren't even born yet!
Which is why I personally believe now more than ever is the right time for a new Turok game.
Think about the thematic depth of most shooters today: Apocolypse. Zombies. Aliens. Futuristic military conflict. Assasinations. That describes most shooters today -- even the good ones. And while Turok's plot does involve some kind of aliens, let's be honest: it's the dinos that have made Turok such an interesting IP.
And while gameplay like this is still awesome to me,
It clearly hasn't aged well!
I think a next gen version of Turok is needed. And to repeat myself: yes, I am aware of the Turok reboot of 2008 -- but Turok fans know that wasn't the reboot the series truly deserved!
These are just some of my own ideas for a 'next-gen' Turok.
Imagine...
-Firing a rocket launcher from the wings of a pterodactyl down at a T-rex.
-Trying to knife down a velociraptor with a machete after you failed to stealithy take him down with a magic bow and arrow.
-Evading the charge of angry triceratops with a nuclear missile on it's back.
-Climbing to the top of bronchiosaurus's head to get the perfect sniper shot.
So what's stopping it?
Disney is sitting on the IP doing nothing with it. The sequel to the Turok reboot of 2008 was cancelled before it was even ever announced. Last year, some gameplay and scans leaked of that game's development. Given that there have been no announcements made in the last several years, I think Disney (who own the IP) would be open to sell the IP.
It'd be a great IP for any platform if done right -- but I think it's an especially unique opportunity for Nintendo.
Here's why:
-In gaming world offering more of the same, Nintendo offers something very different
-Bulk up the Wii U's mature gaming credentials
-It's a mature IP that really actually makes a lot of sense on a Nintendo platform (much more so than Bayonetta 2 or Devil's Third)
And let me stir the pot just a bit more!
The Turok series of games on N64 were developed by Texas-based developer Iguana Entertainment. Several Iguana Entertainment employees later left to form Retro Studios. I don't think it's an accident Metroid Prime was such an incredible game -- it was made by the some of the same people who made Turok so fantastic!
Are you interested in a new Turok game? Do you think it could be a success -- even if it were WiiU exclusive? Would it make you want to buy a Wii U if you didn't already have one? (For surprisingly many people, I think it would)
I predict NX launches in 2017 - not 2016