The VG Resource

How do you feel about these?

inb4: Scifi clones are the best! My clones can do things so I don't have to.

I mean clones of video games. Like for example, everyone knows Super Mario Brothers came first, but a lot of similar platformers came out soon after, such as the Great Giana Sisters on the Commodore 64. Another example is the Legend of Zelda, and then another game that came later Golden Axe Warrior on the Sega Master System. Do you give them a chance? Why or why not? For those who don't, why not find out of it's a GOOD clone or not? You'll never know until you try. For those who do, what about the game attracted you to do so?

I always give them a chance. Just because Mario or Zelda came first, that doesn't mean other games that follow a similar setup can't be just as good. Being first doesn't automatically make something better. We all know this from people yelling first when they post. That post usually gets hammered, and not praised for being first. Why should it be any different for video games? Sure, the first sort of "sets the stage" for future games, but that doesn't mean it can't have it's share of flaws.

DISCUSSION! I COMMAND YOU TO COMMENCE!

Well, I don't usually dismiss all clones, since they have the potential to implement some of the core concepts of previous titles better or may have added some innovative improvement to the existing formula.



Except, they usually don't.

Even so, sometimes I have fun playing clones anyways. I can say unironically that my favorite Mario game is New Super Marisa Land.

If they're not a blatant rip-off (Final Combat) I'm willing to give them a chance.

It's quite hard to be truly original these days, but you can always try to surprise people.

I see the word clone as "a game that exists simply because the developers were like "I wanna make a game like that" and had no original ideas, resulting in the game being exactly like the original (except maybe the graphics are sorta different)", hence a clone. Therefore I hate clones, unless I haven't heard of the original. Even if I haven't played the original, just knowing that a game copies it is annoying.

However games that are based off an original but actually put effort into being different or innovative, they're good. I mean you could see Braid as being based off Mario (you jump on Monstars, "the princess is in another castle", etc) but the crux of the game is nothing like Mario.

Everything made by Zynga and Gameloft.

"It is better to fail in originality, than to succeed in imitation." - Herman Melville

While I can't really decide how I really feel about clones, I like to refer to this quote whenever I'm in this sort of a conversation. But I must say that more of the same is not always bad.

I give everything a chance to surprise me. I'm fond of saying that the Dead Space games are better sequels to Doom II than Doom III ever was, and Soul Reaver was top-notch Metroidvania.