Konami has become something of a punchline in modern game development. They’re a pachinko company, they’re too busy with their health clubs, yadda yadda. They have still had modern hits, such as Metal Gear Solid V, and their soccer games, the PES series. But let’s be honest, the Konami of yesteryear is not the Konami we see today. Everytime someone mentions Silent Hill, people look wistfully at their PS4 still sporting their copy of P.T., grasping at conspiracy theory straws that Hideo Kojima is secretly the game development studio, Blue Box, and secretly working with Konami to make a new horror title. While that would be cool, and interesting in this internet leak and AR games-age, I would prefer to see Konami back as the company that cranked out quality RPG’s, I would love to see them be the company they were in the PS1 era.
Suikoden is one of my favorite video game franchises of all time. I played every mainline game religiously, and every one but Suikoden IV I have beaten multiple times. The first and second entries in the series play like studies in amazing 2D RPG design. Suikoden II iterated off of the systems of the first game, improved the graphics and improved what was already a compelling story. It is really one of the greatest RPG’s, if not one of the greatest video games ever made. Konami’s 3D offerings of this franchise on the PS2 in the forms of Suikoden III, IV, V, and Suikoden Tactics were games of good, if varying quality, and definitely not as steady, or polished as something like Suikoden II. This long-dormant franchise will probably never see a new entry, unless Konami decides to sell the rights to the IP, which I would love. In the meantime, we are getting a game funded initially by Kickstarter, called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. This game looks fantastic (Disclosure: I backed it on Kickstarter), and really seems to be brimming with the spirit that made these games great. With Suikoden veterans Yoshitaki Murayama and Junko Kawano being part of this project, I am hopeful for the joy something like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night brought, as opposed to the sorrow that Mighty No. 9 delivered.
While Suikoden gets a lot of love, even today from all RPG corners, Konami had other RPG brands that found success on the PS1. Vandal Hearts was a tactics-RPG from Konami that I remember mainly for the fountains of pixel-blood that would shoot out of the enemies upon their death. Like Suikoden, Vandal Hearts got 2 entries on the PS1, and would even get an XBLA/PSN prequel: Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment on the 360 and the PS3. While I liked the first game, I admit I never played the second, and I hated the 360/PS3 entry. Vandal Hearts is a series not nearly as revered as Suikoden, but this was a Konami that was willing to cover a lot of the RPG bases.
The final game I want to talk about here is no doubt the biggest of the three groupings, and probably the most important for video games as a whole. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was initially released on the PS1 in 1997 in America, the same year as Final Fantasy VII. This game pretty much changed the trajectory of Castlevania titles for years to come, and helped birth the “Metroidvania” genre, and all the subsequent games to come out in that style. While writing this, I am actually watching a Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow Randomizer race on Twitch, which shows how vital this game was, and is, even in 2021. The game has been ported to all manner of later systems, I think you can even play it on phones. I have spent hundreds of hours playing this game, and it is one of my favorite titles of all time. Intricate 2D sprites, mixed with great castle design with just the right amount of secrets and backtracking make for one of the greatest RPGs ever made. SotN informed Konami’s entire handheld output afterwards, releasing mainly Metroidvania games, as opposed to more classically-styled Castlevania games. While later console games were not in this vein, and have their own strengths, I would argue the strongest Castlevania titles post-SotN are almost all Metroidvania style games. Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is fine, but everything on the GBA/DS is far superior compared to the 3D console offerings. This game is still widely available on modern systems, as well as Android, and iOS, and it is totally worth giving it a try if you never have; find out why the “vania” part was added to “Metroid”.
I really don’t know what Konami’s plans are in the short, medium, or even long-term. I couldn’t guess what they think is their future in games, or even their ability to deliver quality, new experiences. I am totally fine with them porting SotN, and I would love for them to make Suikoden 1 and 2 available on modern platforms. Hell, I would love for them to pull a Sega and get all PC port-happy. Unfortunately for us old-timers who love collecting 108 Stars of Destiny in Suikoden, or seeing fountains of pixel-blood coming from enemies in Vandal Hearts, the only ways to do so are old systems, or emulation. The Konami of the PS1 era was really a special company, willing to take risks, and not just ride the success of something like Metal Gear Solid. Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to poke pipes through fences in Metal Gear Survive and weep openly for a time long past.
-Ray McGill