Now just give me a kiss
[Art byHakuramen]
Back in the 1980’s, rock band Aerosmith and rap group Run DMC did a cover of Aerosmith’sWalk This Way. It was an older song, but the novelty, evocative quality, and skills present in the cover made it a much bigger hit than the original. Later, the song would help inspire a new genre of music called “Rap Metal”. That… didn’t go as well.
There may be parallels between rap-rock mash-ups and the current climate at Nintendo. Just this year we’ve been givenSonic inLegend of Zelda,Toad inKirby, andLink inDynasty Warriors. By the end of the year we’ll also haveStar FoxinBayonetta,Toad inKirbyagain,Link inMario Kart, and in Japan,Animal CrossingandMetroidinMonster Hunter. And that’s not even countingSmash Bros.
It makes me wonder if and when these mash ups will stop beingWalk This Wayand start being Rap Metal.WhenTekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Editionwas announced, the internet held a collective yawn when they sawTekkenfavorites dressed as Nintendo characters. Tepid sales of the game would reflect that lack of excitement. There seems to be a lot more interest in a few more unexpected Nintendo mash-ups coming down the pike, likePokken TournamentandShin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem. Still, the dam has got to break sometime. Would you be happy to see these Nintendo mash-ups continue at this pace, or would you rather save them for once or twice a year?
