BADCP - GPOW Tribute

Peace Through Strength

DATE:
25 YEARS AGO

GPOW 25TH
A N N I V E R S A R Y



PLAYSTATION 4	BAD	DRAGON'S CROWN PRO


			Dragon's Crown went under the radar. Even for fans of the genre, the game went largely unnoticed. Its native hardware (PlayStation 3) was one reason why, and its publisher was the other. It's been beaten to death how Vanillaware (developer of Dragon's Crown) was started by George Kamitani (previously at Capcom). Capcom's Dungeon's & Dragons side-scrolling fighter masterpieces are his most notable work. Dragon's Crown was similarly an instant masterpiece, but launched straight into obscurity. Headquarters introduced it to me, I was absolutely blown away. I trust him more than any "review" in the media, and when he said I'd love it, he was right. The PlayStation 3's best exclusive game was was immediately apparent. By far, it was the best out of all the games developed from the ground on the PlayStation 3. Headquarters had ruled that Dragon's Crown was the reason to own a PlayStation 3, and I could see why. Dragon's Crown was the best game on the PlayStation 3.

That being said, these lame sites that pass information around do just that and nothing more. Instead of questioning why Capcom didn't publish Dragon's Crown and demand they do so, they just drove into the ground the fact that George Kamitani was with Capcom for their side-scrolling fighter D&D games. Real questions were avoided, and with them potential course-changing answers that could have gotten it a more suitable publisher. With a more suitable publisher, the game would reach a wider audience. With a wider audience, the game yields more revenue, which keeps Vanillaware in business. Staying in business equals more masterpieces. The publisher I had in mind was Capcom. I don't have anything against Atlus, it's just that Capcom seems to be a better fit for obvious reasons. I'm not sure whose side it's on - Kamitani's or Capcom's - but it makes zero sense that Dragon's Crown (and its subsequent Pro release) weren't published by Capcom.

	01
	RED DRAGON
	Haven't we seen and fought this guy before?

	02
	WALKING DEAD
	These walking dead are actually dead.

	03
	HEAVY METAL
	The fighter will look familiar to Capcom fans from the 90s.

	04
	THE AMAZON
	Absolutely STACKED.

	05
	MAGICAL
	The Sorceress has some magic (mammaries).

If Kamitani wasn't aggressive-enough in cutting a deal for Capcom to publish it, then shame on him. If he was, but Capcom declined, then shame on them. So then, why is it that Capcom passed on Dragon's Crown not once, but twice with Dragon's Crown Pro? Perhaps the truth may never be known about what happened during those publishing negotiations, but more than Mr. Kamitani, Capcom surely must be regretting not inking a deal for Dragon's Crown after it was reported to be topping Japanese sales charts. Surely, quality couldn't have possibly been why publishing negotiations failed. Not only is it a shoe-in because of the success Kamitani and Capcom had together with the two Dungeons & Dragons games mentioned earlier, but also because Dragon's Crown is exactly the type of game Capcom needs to get back on the map. Topping those sales charts would have not only helped put Capcom back on the map, but would have made money in the process.

	06
	90s WIZARDRY
	90s Capcom fans will recall a certain iconic character...

Capcom was once on the map for side-scrolling fighting games, and it was games such as the ones Kamitani helped create (Dungeons & Dragons - Tower of Doom and Dungeons & Dragons - Shadow Over Mystara) which helped them get there. Seen by some (including myself) as Capcom's "Golden Age", the mid-90's and early 2000's saw the releases of some of the best games of all-time. Could you imagine Vanillaware making an Alien VS Predator game? I can see high-res, beautifully animated Predators and Aliens battling in screen-filling splashy effects and explosions. The slow motion boss defeats in Dragon's Crown were already from Alien VS Predator. If fans can see Vanillaware being acquired by Capcom and assigned to reviving Capcom's 2-D side-scrolling fighters, then why can't Capcom themselves see it?

	07
	SHE'S AN ELF?
	She's unlike any elf I've ever seen.

	08
	THE GOOMBA
	Every game has its share of beefcakes.

	09
	WHAT AWAITS?
	What's beyond?

	10
	PURE GOLD
	This game is gold.

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