Aside from perhaps Rareware, Konami is the developer gamers typically point to when it comes to epic falls from grace. While the company does still crank out some decent software, it's been a far cry from their glory days of hits like Contra and Castlevania. This stigma of decline seems to have only been further cemented following the departure of Konami's own personal "Miyamoto," Hideo Kojima, in late 2015.
Indeed, the Japanese developer was once known for a slew of iconic classics that could stand with the best of the Nintendo, Sega, or Sony titles of old. These days? Konami seems to be known more for its poor publicity - which includes unfair treatment of its employees and of Kojima, along with strange E3 presentations and unappealing software. Still, one can't deny their significance in the industry, especially with their plethora of thrilling titles that permeated the 80s and 90s gaming scene.
So come join us as we reminisce on some of the very best titles of Konami's turbulent history. We'll also take a look at 5 of the best examples of Konami games gone wrong in one way or another.
10 Got Completely Wrong: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
The legendary Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise is nearly as closely associated with early Konami as, say, Contra. But while the company produced some totally radical Turtles titles during the 8 and 16-bit eras, there were a few duds even at this time. Look no further than this NES debut for a prime example.
Sure, the gameplay itself actually wasn't bad as a whole, and the soundtrack was certainly great. But this was a far cry from the superior beat-em-up sequels that followed - which pummeled you with endlessly appealing action and cool themes that stayed true to the show and action figures. This game instead pummels you with frustration, excruciating "beeping" sounds when low on health, weird random baddies, and wonky mechanics.
9 Best: Contra III: The Alien Wars
Many fans of this adrenaline-charged co-op shooter will point to the NES efforts when it comes to memorable Contra romps. But while those games helped establish a formula of sidescrolling shooting insanity, this SNES follow-up spruced it up to perfection.
Not only are the aesthetics prettied up, but the mechanics have also been refined, the situations are diversified, and the environments are more fleshed out and epic than ever. The game includes satisfying feats like tank driving, awesome new weapons like flamethrowers, and some flashier Mode-7 overhead shooting missions. You might want to lock and load with a friend though, as the gameplay can be insanely tough!
8 Got Completely Wrong: Silent Hill: Book Of Memories
Spin-off games tend to be a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's possible to take an established franchise and work it into a different genre and make it work. The top-down Tomb Raider spin-off, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light comes to mind here. On the other hand, you have this dud of a dungeon crawler, known as Silent Hill: Book of Memories.
This PS Vita title feels more like a mediocre Diablo imitator than a game based on one of the most renowned survival horror IPs in gaming history. The distant overhead view, uninspired story, bland environments, and stock, dull monsters water down virtually any sense of atmosphere, and with it, the palpable horror the Silent Hill series is known for.
7 Best: Silent Hill 2
Shifting gears from the lowest point of the SH series to its peak, the PS2 follow-up to the breakout hit is truly survival horror at its best. The game is rich with an absolutely eerie atmosphere and frightening baddies, which is particularly impressive given the PS2's somewhat limited horsepower.
The game balances a compelling narrative with intense survival horror gameplay, interesting puzzles, creepy claustrophobia-inducing locations, and thrilling scares. Silent Hill 2 surely competes with its Capcom counterpart, Resident Evil 4 for the title of best survival horror game ever.
6 Got Completely Wrong: Castlevania Judgment
Everybody thinks of a Soul Calibur-esque fighting game when they think of Castlevania, right? Apparently, this is what Konami believes comes to the minds of Wii gamers. Konami was likely caught off-guard by the rapid success of the Wii, leading to a relatively easy-to-make game and quick cash-in of the Castlevania IP. Yes, even this classic gothic-themed action adventure series succumbed to the Wii bug of shoddy third party software.
It's cool to see some familiar Castlevania enrivonments and cast members duking it out, but that's where the novelty ends. The game is riddled with shoddy visuals, wonky camera movement, and shallow fighting mechanics. Thankfully, now we've got a superior way to wail on opponents as Simon Belmont, with his Smash Bros Ultimate appearance.
5 Best: Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Sure, the Castlevania series has seen a few odd missteps, but the franchise as a whole has been renowned for its stellar quality and cool horror themes. You know you're dealing with a true gem when you've got a game that's helped inspire a whole subgenre of gaming; the "Metroidvania."
While Belmont's adventures on NES helped break new ground with their rich Gothic themes and intense, grueling gameplay, this Playstation classic polished and fleshed everything out to perfection. Symphony of the Night is at once more dynamic while also staying true to the satisfying action elements. It's also aged quite well thanks to its crisp and stylistic 2D aesthetics.
4 Got Completely Wrong: N3II: Ninety-Nine Nights
N3 is more known for its meme status thanks to its odd E3 2010 showcase than its actual content. You know that must be a good sign, right?
It's quite the head-scratching move to bother making a sequel to a mediocre Dynasty Warriors clone, even for the standards of modern-day Konami. When the most you can do to boast about this game's features at E3 is to harp on "online leaderboards" and your opposition army's "one million troops!", that's a bit of a red flag.
While producer Tak Fujii raved about N311 being an "extreme!" hack 'n' slash title, its only real "extreme" aspect is how extremely derivative its gameplay is. The game seems to compensate for its lack of quality or depth with an endless barrage of foes flung at you. But hey, if repetitive action slaughter-fests are your thing, maybe you'll get a kick out of it.
3 Best: Metal Gear Solid
SNAKE? Yes, Snake!
Metal Gear Solid manages to be both an enjoyable, well-crafted title, and a true game changer for the industry at large. Konami managed to take this rather standard overhead action experience on NES and flesh it out into a full 3D cinematic action/stealth thriller.
Despite its archaic blocky exterior, the "solid" mechanics - and yes that lame pun is intended - cinematic qualities, and intense gameplay has caused it to age like fine wine. While this would go on to spawn a number of similarly great sequels, the original still shines as the definitive MGS experience to most fans.
2 Got Completely Wrong: Metal Gear Survive
Looks like Kojima got out at the right time...
This is basically Metal Gear Solid in name only, and fans that expect the enthralling cinematic elements or tense stealth gameplay will be disappointed. Survive is a weird mesh between chore-like micromanaging tactical gameplay and derivative survival elements.
One may forgive a spin-off for straying from the formula of its mainline franchise, so long as the gameplay is good. The issue is, even as a survival romp in its own right, Survive mostly falls flat, with convoluted menus, stock enemies, and an abundance of grinding. If this project wasn't enough of a mess, Konami pushes microtransactions to a new level of absurdity by charging users for an additional save file!
1 Best: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time
Much like Konami themselves, their patented TMNT action games have seen their ups and downs. The first couple of entries held a potential not fully realized, while their more modern efforts tend to feel bland and lazy. But the early 90s was truly the prime of this iconic pizza-powered franchise. Turtles In Time represents the absolute pinnacle for TMNT, never to be matched.
Despite its somewhat basic beat-em-up style and short length, this thrilling sidescroller just never gets old, proving that ultimately, excellent gameplay - like these turtles - transcends time. Something as simple as tossing baddies right at the screen offers a sense of satisfaction that's virtually untouched in gaming. Everything here is "tubular"; from the charming tunes, to the imaginative environments, to the tight mechanics.