Do you have that in Fighting game? at 2:55 PM

 

Hmm. Well played.

I want to congratulate Nintendo on finally releasing Little Big Planet on one of it's consoles and replacing all those creepy sackboys with Nintendo characters to the critical acclaim of everyone.

Not being facetious here, a game where you create your own Mario shit is such an obvious move,  like a PokemonMMORPG, that enthusiasts on the Internet beat Nintendo to the idea years and years ago. But at least Nintendo pulled through on this one, am I right?

Now, everyone is talking about Mario Maker, and kind of rallying around the idea of custom game makers. It's a good thing. I like that.

I already wrote at lenght about how I like creating my own characters, even when "my own" sometimes just means "a character I like from something that isn't in WWF Attitude." In fact, I bought Mortal Kombat Armageddon, arguably the most dissapointing Mortal Kombat game since Mortal Kombat 4, just because you could create a custom character, even though in my mind that was also too limited for my tastes.

So I think it's time we get a Street Fighter Maker is what I'm getting at.

Now, no, I don't necessarilly mean it has to be from THE Street Fighter series. Just a game where you, using simple menus, create your own fighting game, which involve the spectrum of abilities and capabilities from fighting games.

Now, tools exist, no doubt.  Mugen, Mugen's 3D cousin EF 12  and 2d Fighter Maker(The engine which powers The Pony Fighting Game and More) all are lowering the curb for how to make a fighting game. But tell me, do you have to use a tutorial to know fuck all about Mario Maker?  Do you need a list of programs to download just to get started? 

No. And that's what I want. Now, there have been attempts to do this before. The Fighter Maker Series by Enterbrain whover is probably the closest, with the capacity to rig your own fighting moves using an animation system onto poligonal bodies, so you can have their stock fighting game characters do as much crotch kickingas they want. That's...sorta what I would like? Not the crotch kicks, just the rest. 

But that series  A) never moved beyond PS2, B) Doesnt allow you to change bodies in any significant way C) Does not allow for projectiles or other extra physical attacks of any kind to enter play and D) Does not allow you to export the game at all.

I understand WHY programs like Mugen and EF 12 are so convoluted: to allow you more options. But I don't see why a more exhaustive version of Fighter Maker, with the option to import CG models hasnt ocurred yet from any of the bigger fighting names. I mean they've all delved into it somewhat. Capcom made  a SF game you could swap body parts in, but it was a terrible mouse only game. Mortal Kombat, as I said, had a create a character feature ONCE, put it away and never brought it back again. Soul Calibur at least kept it, even though the custom characters are only different cosmetically and, while the idea of a cinammon skinned  swordstress  wearing a knight's helmet is lovely, it's hampered when you  know it's all Mitsurugi's moveset, with no variation.

All these long standing series could take a break from  all the F2P and Extreme Vollybolleing vacationing none-sense to give themselves to the fans that have a great fighting game inside them just waiting to burst out. It might especially benefit  perennial second banana King of Fighters to try it. If you didn't care about Kyo Kusanagi before the year 2000, chances are you probably don't care about his new game. I know I don't. BUT, if they did a custom fighter using it's assets and characters, it MIGHT just be the thing to get a lot of people into it.

I don't know. Maybe it's just me. I've always wanted to make a fighting game, and while my attempts so far have yet to yield success, I can't help but see the way people react to these custom content things like Mario Maker, Minecraft and Little Big Planet and see how passionate people are about fighting games, and can't help but wonder why these two ideas haven't ever really been put together in a easy to use package. Even without it people wound up making fighting games about Mario, Sonic, Valis, Pokemon. Imagine this power, wieldable by anyone. Imagine.