Summary
Konamiis one of the most popular video game developers operating right now. The ugly breakup with Kojima left a bad taste in many players' mouths, but the company slowly regained its reputation and is currently on the upturn, against all expectations.
This is something that Konami is familiar with.Some of their best video gamesshattered all expectationsto let players enjoy incredible video games that fans will remember long after going through these incredible experiences.
The remake ofSilent Hill 2didn’t have the highest expectations attached to it. Fans didn’t know what to make of Bloober Team spearheading this project, especially since the developer hadn’t exactly proven itself as worthy of handling such a legendary IP.
However, Bloober Team and Konami knocked expectations out of the park with their work on theSilent Hill 2remake, which serves as a faithful adaptation of the original game. Barring the lack of a fixed camera thatenhanced the original game’s cinematic tension, the remake is a step above in every way and is now the best way to experience James Sunderland’s adventures.
As promising asGround Zeroeswas, its short runtime didn’t sit right with many. However, the gameplay was excellent, and fans could only hope thatMetal Gear Solid 5:The Phantom Painwould help unlock this unfulfilled potential.
Kojima delivered this in spades, withThe Phantom Painestablishing itself as one of the greatest video games ever made. From stealth to combat to open-world design, Kojima outdid himself. Fans had no idea just how incredible this open-world game would be, making it clear just how malleable the Fox Engine is.
TheCastlevaniaseries had its fair share of fans, but no one knew the impact thatSymphony of the Nightwould have upon its release on the PS1. The snappy movement of Alucard, coupled with a focus on simple RPG systems and a steady sense of progression, turned this title into one of the greatest games on the original PlayStation.
Symphony of the Nightmade the most of the extra space afforded by the CD-ROM, adding the iconic Reverse Castle and letting players enjoy some of the hammiest voice acting in video games. All of this ensured thatSymphony of the Nightwould co-create a whole new gaming genre alongsideSuper Metroid, which is a level of impact fans never expected from this title.
Before the advent ofMetal Gear Solid, stealth gameplay hadn’t exactly been explored in mainstream gaming. As a result, fans had no idea what to expectwith this PS1 entry.
This game served as a window into Kojima’s brilliant mind, with the amazing stealth gameplay and mind-bending story standing in a class of their own. The iconic encounter against Psycho Mantis is just one of the many moments that blew fans' minds and let them enjoy one of the best PS1 games that shattered all expectations.
Dance Dance Revolutionis one of the most impactful games of all time. The simple gameplay of this title sparked the onset of the rhythm game genre and turned it into one of the most popular arcade franchises in the world.
DDR’s legacy speaks for itself, although fans at the time had no idea just how much of a legacy this title would have. The series is still going strong to this day, and it remains perfectly designed for arcades where players can go all-out as they dance to their heart’s content and attempt to master higher difficulties.
It’s a shame thatZombies Ate My Neighborsdidn’t sell all that well. It didn’t seem like fans expected a lot from this title, which is puzzling given LucasArts' stellar work on other classic games of the era.
Zombies Ate My Neighborsis bursting with humor and charm, with the tough yet fun gameplay being more fun to experience with a friend in co-op. This title slowly became a cult classic, with more people appreciating its muted brilliance over time.
The idea of playing a hack-and-slash spinoff based on theMetal Gearseries was not exactly what many were expecting from the franchise, but fans still had no idea what was coming fromMetal Gear Rising:Revengeance. Raiden’s adventures were being developed by PlatinumGames, a studio notorious for not being consistent with their releases, while intermittantly creating some of the best action games on the market.
Thankfully,Metal Gear Rising: Revengeanceturned out to be one of Platinum’s better titles, with the bombastic boss battles and amazing soundtrack being way better than fans expected. Cutting apart enemies to grab their spines and heal Raiden is a badass mechanic that never ceases to be engaging.
Gradiusis a legendary shoot-‘em-up title that needs no introduction. Fans loved the simple yet engaging gameplay of this title, and most players assumed thatParodiuswould just be a phoned-in version of this series’ gameplay with a few hilarious oddities along the way.
However, the incredible charm and surprisingly riveting gameplay ofParodiusturned it into one of Konami’s most memorable titles. Players who want to take things a step further can playSexy Parodius, although the name should make it evidently clear that this title is NSFW-coded.
