Strider
Strider is yet another Sega fighter from the days of yore that deserves a pick-me-up on Nintendo's handheld. To be clear, we're not rooting for Hiryu out of loyalty and fond memories alone. Capcom's hack-and-slash platformer made innovative use of the arcade joystick, assigning moves and attacks to eight different directions and using button controls for added ass-kickery. Thanks to that handy 3DS nub, it would be easy to faithfully recreate Strider's arcade style in the eShop, and those crisp, clean graphics would look mighty fine with a 3D kick.
With only Kirby and Kid Icarus left to prop up the action genre in the 3D Classics section, Nintendo could use some extra muscle (even if it just so happens to come from an old nemesis).
Tecmo Super Bowl
Long before EA made Madden NFL it's yearly bitch, Tecmo Super Bowl was the king the 8-bit field. To this day, purists continue to flock to the sport game's tight controls and surprisingly deep management system. As a 3D Classic, not only would Tecmo Super Bowl benefit from a cool visual upgrade (those fancy cutscenes included), but it would provide armchair 3DS coaches with a satisfying addition to the 3DS eShop sport category - a genre that's currently being fueled by riveting gems such as Tennis, Baseball, and Golf.
Adding Tecmo Super Bowl comes with the caveat that it must be outfitted for wireless multiplayer, otherwise there would be little point (semi-decent AI notwithstanding). It would also have to make full use of the 3DS's duel screens to provide on-the-fly coaching and playbook interaction. Done right, Tecmo Super Bowl could rival its Madden-day competition.
Rad Racer
The main reasons for uploading Square's old school racer into the 3D Classics store are simple: a) It's Rad Racer, and b) It's so bad. Obligatory "The Wizard" references out of the way, Rad Racer is primed for a three-dimensional revival primarily because it was designed for 3D support from the very start. Back when it was released in 1987, Square shipped it with a pair of red-and-cyan 3D specs and included the option to switch between static 8-bit races to super-rad Anaglyph 3D racing with the press of the select button. Even the game's narrowing perspective lends itself nicely for 3D elements, be it the scaling of rival cars or the distant city skylines that peak out in the distance as the race progresses.
Rad Racer's moderate success on the NES spawned a sequel, Rad Racer II. Perhaps Nintendo could go the distance and include both of Square's racers in an ultra rad Rad Racer collection? Because you know, that would be so...generous.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
Why pick Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game over the 1989 original? For one, the arcade-inspired sequel made room for multiple ninjas on the same screen. For another, it was mercifully devoid of underwater mine levels and very rarely made us want to smash in our NES. Don't get us wrong, the first TMNT game for consoles swallowed a huge chunk of our childhoods; however, it wasn't until Konami retooled this quarter-munching hit for NES that we realized what a great TMNT video game looked like. The sequel turned Leonardo and the team loose in a fast-paced, multiplayer brawler, and set the franchise down a much more enjoyable direction in doing so.
As a member of the 3D Classics team, TMNT II: The Arcade Game would strike the same nostalgiac chord it did when it re-released for Xbox Live in 2007. It would also give 3DS owners the opportunity to group up and hit the streets in side-scrolling environments with actual depth and distinguishable items. The on-screen action would be less crowded and the levels would take on realistic toy box quality. Considering the next TMNT movie is taking the live action route, this could be the classic TMNT fix we've been craving.
Vectorman
Sega's globular action hero is a perfect candidate for Nintendo's 3D library, if not because BlueSky Software's run-and-gunner was a decently crafted action game, but because the developer's reliance on pre-rendered 3D models laid the foundation for a truly stand-out experience on the 3DS. Technically, we know it would take some mad design skillz to turn Vectorman's pseudo-3D graphics into actual 3D graphics, but Nintendo could have a 3DS eShop showpiece on its hands if it put in the effort.
Remember, Vectorman has already been polished off for the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console. Give those Nintendo interns something new to work on, and by extension, give 3DS owners a 3D Classics action game with a little more edge.
Dragon Warrior
Though most remember the original Dragon Warrior as That game we got for subscribing to Nintendo Power, the world knows Dragon Warrior (aka Dragon Quest) as one of most respected JRPG series for both consoles and handhelds. 3DS's virtual selection is sorely lacking an old-school RPG we can really sink our claws into, and given Dragon Warrior's history with the Nintendo family, this is a reunion that needs to happen.
But wait a second. A 3D RPG? What's the point? It's a bit of a stretch, sure, but we envision Nintendo applying its three-dimensional magic to Dragon Warrior's overworld map or turning the static fights screens into 3D dioramas. True, the main changes would be largely aesthetic, but in this case they would breathe new life into much loved Nintendo staple.
Did we miss anything?
That's a rhetorical headline. Of course we missed something. There are a ton of old-timey hits that would make ideal 3D Classics, so we know our list is just scratching the surface. Thankfully, the 3DS 's digital shop is still in its infancy, so we're hopeful its support for 3D Classics is just warming up.
While we wait for one of the eShop to blow our minds, drop us a line in the comments below to let us know if you agree with our choices or have something better in mind...
