There was a core group of companies in the 80s and 90s that almost guaranteed quality upon every release. This would include first-party Nintendo titles along with gamesmade by Capcom, Namco, and Konami. They were kings in the Japanese market and while most are still strong, Konami has fallen a bit behind.
They don’t make or publish as many games as they used to. While that may be true, they have still earned their place in history thanks to their high volume of quality titles. Some of them are so important that they even inspire others. These are some of the best examples from Konami’s past.
Everyone knows the Konami Code: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, A, B, Start.Contrais the game that popularized it although it is not the first game Konami used it in. That would be the classic arcade shoot ‘em up,Gradius.Contrais the game and franchise that would have a greater legacy in pop culture though from sequels to games mirroring the run-and-gun style thatContrahelped solidify but not originate.
More so than that,the Konami Code has been featured in non-Konami games as recently asStarfield. It’s been referenced in movies likeWreck-It Ralphand companies have used alternative codes on Twitter and Twitch. The Konami Code may as well be a character on the level of Mario as that’s how recognizable it is.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleswas the first brawler Konami made based on the license.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time, a later sequel, is the game that everyone remembers though, and a brawler that many modern games seemingly take inspiration from. It’s easy to see its influences in games like Castle Crashers. Konami and Capcom were two of the biggest names inthe brawler scenebetween the 80s and 90s.
For Konami,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleswas just the tip of the iceberg. They also madeThe SimpsonsandX-Menarcade adaptations. Even outside of the arcade scene, Konami had its hands onTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfor a good decade if not longer.
Another giant arcade hit wasDance Dance Revolution. It was a bigger deal in Japan since arcades were, and still are, more prevalent than in North America. Eventually, the games came to consoles and found a new life via dance pad controllers and thenthe dance genretruly exploded.
This idea of dancing at home for fun and exercise had to have inspired franchises likeJust DanceandDance Central. Those two examples went beyond following arrows on screen and for the better.Dance Dance Revolutioncould also be thanked for bringing music games likeGuitar Heroto the forefront. It may be gone, butDance Dance Revolutionis not forgotten.
Super Metroidwas released in 1994 which perfected what Nintendo started in 1986 withMetroidon the NES. The interconnected map and power-up systems were fine-tuned. A few years laterCastlevania: Symphony of the Nightwas released and added something new tothe Metroidvania formula: RPG elements. The hero, Alucard, could level up, get new powers, equip gear, and so on.
There seem to be moreSuper Metroid-style Metroidvanias around now likeAxiom VergeandShadow Complexwhich is to say more simplified gameplay mechanics.Castlevania: Symphony of the Nightdoes have its hands deep in the cultural zeitgeist too with games likeTimespinnerandTouhou Luna Nightswhich share that RPG flair. Together,Super MetroidandCastlevania: Symphony of the Nightare seemingly influencing a large majority of the indie scene.
Some fans may not have realized at the time thatMetal Gear Solidwas not the first game. There were technically three before it although the third game,Snake’s Revenge, was a Western exclusive spinoff for the NES that Hideo Kojima did not have a major hand in. So,Metal Gear Solidwas not the first stealth game but it had a lot of good ideas.
From the gadgets to the radar system to the Codec messages, there was a lot of innovation from within Konami thanks to Kojima and his crew. More so than anything,Metal Gear Solidupped the level of storytelling on the PS1. This allowed players to get more engaged with the world on a deeper level to fully liveas Solid Snake.
Silent Hillwas Konami’s answer toResident Eviland they played the horror angle differently. It was more of a puzzle game and a psychological thriller than anaction game with zombies.Silent Hillwas a good proof of concept but the sequel was at its peak.
James Sunderland, as a protagonist, was flawed. He wanted to find his wife but something didn’t add up. Without going into spoilers,Silent Hill 2allowed the protagonist to fail in more ways than one. It was therapeutic then and ultimately helped the game industry grow especially in the moody horror market like withAmnesia: The Dark DescentorOutlast.
