Team Goemon
Ah, Goemon and his silly ninja pals. The last time North American gamers encountered Konami’s blue-haired ninja was in the N64 days, with Goemon’s Great Adventure the last game to get an international release.
That was nearly 20 years ago. In Japan, however, he’s somewhat of a mascot for the company, having starred in dozens of games across many different genres since the mid-1980s.
Ganbare Goemon: Tōkai Dōchū Ōedo Tengu ri Kaeshi no Maki : the most recent Goemon release.
In any case, it’s been a while; he and his buddies haven’t led a game since 2005. Their last release of any kind was for the slot machine “Ganbare Goemon Pachisuro 2.”
In general, it’s been a rough decade for Konami fans. People have been down on the company for pulling away from the classic series—that made the powerhouse they are today—and focusing on pachinko games and slot machines. Along with claiming YouTube videos for cutscenes, employees alleging a poor work environment, and divorcing from Hideo Kojima… it’s been hard to be a Konami fan these days.
But maybe not all hope is lost. Japenese Nintendo has reported that Konami Digital Entertainment has filed for a new Goemon trademark.
Could more goofy ninja adventures be on the horizon, or should we brace ourselves for another slot machine?
