History Sandbox / RacattackForce

* ''VideoGame/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' often gets single-handedly blamed for UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983, with people claiming that its poor quality lead to terrible sales, prompting Atari to bury the unsold cartridges in a landfill. However, this is isn't entirely the case, and just a small part of the entire story. For one, while the landfill does exist and there was mountains of unsold stock, this wasn't because the game was a failure; it was actually one of the best-selling Platform/Atari2600 titles (selling a million copies), and contemporary reviews were mixed rather than universally negative. The actual problem was that Atari vastly overestimated demand and produced more copies than the number of [=2600s=] that had been sold, resulting in retailers sending back a massive amount of unsold copies. Second, ''E.T.'' wasn't the only game to suffer from such high expectations; the prior year, the console's ''VideoGame/PacMan'' port sold a then-unheard of 7 million copies in its first year, but Atari was still stuck with dumping millions of unsold copies into the aforementioned landfill. Finally, there were other factors outside of Atari, including an over-saturation of poor titles flooding the market, competition with the growing home computer market, general inflation, and loss of publishing control due to an overwhelming number of third-party publishers being created to follow in Creator/{{Activision}}'s footsteps. To sum up: While ''E.T.'' certainly was a contributing factor to the crash, it was quite far from being ''the'' reason.

The '''Creator/{{Nintendo}} [=GameCube=]''' (officially abbreviated as GCN) was Nintendo's entry into the [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames sixth generation]] of the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars, was released in late 2001.

The [[UsefulNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames previous generation]] of consoles was a game changer, and for Nintendo, it may have been for the worse. For the first time since they entered the gaming business, their home console wasn't number one worldwide, as they were unceremoniously dethroned by a new rival of their own making: the Platform/PlayStation, born from the ashes of a [[Platform/{{SNESCDROM}} failed SNES CD add-on]]. To call it a fight would be generous. The [=PlayStation=] outsold the Platform/Nintendo64 3:1, thanks to marketing towards a young adult audience and grabbing all the third-party developers that scoffed at the [=N64=]'s use of cartridges over [=CDs=]. Enter the new millennium: with Creator/{{Sony}} gearing up to release [[Platform/PlayStation2 a follow-up]] to that runaway success, Sega mounting [[Platform/SegaDreamcast their final stand]], and [[Platform/{{Xbox}} a new kid]] eager to prove themselves, it was time for Nintendo to prove that last time was a mere miscalculation and that they were still a major player in the industry. And the end result was that, by some metrics, this would end up being [[EndOfAnEra the last time Nintendo would compete directly]] with its competitors in the video game console market. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

----

[[folder: Another Code]]
* AlreadyUndoneForYou: Subverted. On the one occasion where you have to chase after a character, they actually unlocked one of the doors needed to reach a new location while leaving, and in order to actually get to where they are, you have to take an entirely different path.
* BatmanGambit: Sayoko had one from beyond the grave in the form of the RAS. [[spoiler:She knew that Ashley would inevitably be a target even after she was memory-wiped, so she secretly developed the RAS, a device that would allow Ashley to remain lucid while under the effect of the ANOTHER and thus counteract any mental tampering it may be doing to her.]]
* BrainUploading: [[spoiler:Copying one's memories into liquid memory turns out to do this, creating a copy of the person that continues to grow and age over time. Sayoko was the only person to realize this was occurring, hence ]]
* ByTheEyesOfTheBlind: D originally posits that ghosts like him are [[InvisibleToAdults only visible to children]], because kids are more innocent and have a less rigid belief in what is and isn't possible. At the end of ''Two Memories'', it turns out that anyone with an open mind about the supernatural can see ghosts, as [[spoiler:the Captain casually greets him when coming to keep up Ashely and her family]].
* CollectionSidequest: ''Recollection'' has Richard's origami cranes, which are scattered through both games in locations that he frequents, from the various rooms in the Edward estate to his friends' offices at work. Finding and scanning them with the camera app on the DAS gives you journal entries where Richard discusses [[StoryBreadcrumbs everything that has occurred prior to Ashley's visit]], as well as any other stray thoughts he may have about his family and his past.
* ConvenientPhotograph: One of the photos in Michael Crusoe's scrapbook features "John Smith" and a local elderly woman, providing Matthew and Ashley one of their leads regarding the man's disappearance.
* DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou: Richard's absence for the past six months (a full year in the original Wii game) was because [[spoiler:a former colleague alerted him that someone has gotten a hold of ANOTHER's source code and is trying to revive the project]]. He joined J.C. Valley to help prevent this.
* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:Ryan died fifteen years ago as child, after his father forcibly used him a human test subject for ANOTHER. The Ryan that Ashley interacted with through the game was actually a construct created by the LivingMemory of Ryan using ANOTHER to alter peoples' perceptions, though Ashley is the only one he can't completely control the memories of.]]
* DeepCoverAgent: While "John Smith" pretends to be this, [[spoiler:his informant with J.C. Valley, Ian, actually is this, working for the FBI to investigate if the company's work with human memory could be weaponized.]]
* DoesntKnowTheirOwnChild: Goes both ways in the sequel. Despite coming back into her life, it turns out that Richard has barely spent any time with Ashley during the TimeSkip due to being busy with a new job at J.C. Valley. Him not being aware of things like her interest in music, and her knowing little about him beyond the fact he's a neuroscientist, only contributes to their already strained relationship.
-->'''Ashley''': But I met someone who knew Mom. He said on the outside I look like Mom, but inside I'm more like you.\\
'''Richard''': ''(proud)'' Is that right?\\
'''Ashley''': I don't really get what he meant. I don't even know you that well.\\
'''Richard''': ''(saddened)'' Is that right...
* GhostlyGoals:
** In ''Two Memories'', D is unable to enter the afterlife until you help him remember his past and the events that led up to his death. Unfortunately for him, it is possible to complete the original Nintendo DS release of the game without accomplishing this.
** In ''Journey into Lost Memories'', [[spoiler:Kelly is unable to pass on until Matthew remembers her death, allowing her to assure her brother that the accident wasn't his fault]].
* GrandTheftMe: A variant. [[spoiler:Ryan's goal is to completely overwrite Ashley's consciousness with that of her mother Sayoko, so they could see Sayoko one more time before dying.]]
* IdentityAmnesia. Downplayed. [[spoiler:When Sayoko's memories were erased by the prototype ANOTHER to remove her knowledge of the project, she also lost her memories of the past few years, which included those of her daughter.]]
* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler:The final chapter sees Ashley shunted into her own mind during the memory overwriting process, where she meets her mother, who guides her in protecting her memories by helping her delete the invading ones.]]
* TheKenBurnsEffect: Flashbacks and memories are still images, as well as slideshows, with film grain, a vignette effect, and the occasional pan.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: [[spoiler:The liquid memory spill into Lake Juliet was used to invoke this on the residents of the town, with Judd manipulating their thoughts in order to protect J.C. Valley and his memory research via security cameras.]]
* MercyMode: If you fail at inputting the security code to [[spoiler:any of the security doors and gates in J.C. Valley]] five times in a row, the game will pity you and just remove the timer altogether.
* ObliviousToHisOwnDescription: One of Elizabeth's complaints about Sofia potentially becoming her step-mom is that the woman is a drama queen. Ashley sympathizes before mentally backspacing and wondering if Elizabeth has any room to talk on that front.
* ParentChildTeam: Ashley and Richard become one of these in the final chapters of ''Journey into Lost Memories'' to stop the revival of the ANOTHER project. The former finds the whole situation they're in weird, but realizes she enjoys working with her father in this capacity.
* PointOfNoReturn:
** In ''Two Memories'', you are unable to return to the rest of the mansion after entering the lab.
** In ''R - A Journey into Lost Memories'', you are unable to return to town after entering J.C. Valley. In ''Recollection'', the cutoff point is jumping off the bridge to reach the abandoned sewage pipe leading to the old Crusoe Resort office.
* PopQuiz: Done at the end of each chapter of the original games, justified by way of Ashley trying to keep track of everything that's going on. In the ''Recollection'' remake, there is only a single question given towards the end of the game: "Who killed Sayoko?"
* PreciousPhoto: While he has several different pictures, Richard always keeps a specific photo of [[spoiler:his late wife Sayoko holding an infant Ashley]] framed on his work desk, both at Blood Edward Island and J.C. Valley.
* ReplacedWithReplica: Ashley does this when she and her dad are held at gunpoint in Chapter 7. [[spoiler:When Sofia demands the disc containing the ANOTHER source code, she hands over her band's demo disc instead.]] The switcheroo grants just enough time for Richard to wrestle the person to the ground and allow Ashley to escape with the data.
* TheReveal: The pendant that Ashley wears not only contains memories that were deleted from Sayako's mind 13 years prior, but can be used to forcibly overwrite those memories into .
* TraumaInducedAmnesia: Matthew developed a case of this five years prior to the events of the game as a result of [[spoiler:witnessing the death of his younger sister who fell off the top of the clock tower]]. Discovering a note Matthew's late mother wrote to his father helps him remember the full events of that day.
* YouCantThwartPhaseOne: [[spoiler:Ryan succeeds in kidnapping Ashley and beginning the memory transferal process, while her father and Rex are helpless to stop it.]]
[[/folder]]

'''Ashley''': ''(uncertain)'' I don't really get what he meant. I don't even know you that well.\\

* MercyMode: If you fail at inputting the security code to [[spoiler:escape from the Liquid Memory Storage room]] five times in a row, the game will pity you and just remove the timer altogether.

** In ''R -

* ByTheEyesOfTheBlind: D originally posits that ghosts like him are [[InvisibleToAdults only visible to children]], because kids are more innocent and have a less rigid belief in what is and isn't possible. At the end of ''Two Memories'', it turns out that anyone with an open mind about the supernatural can see ghosts, as [[spoiler:the Captain casually greets him when coming to keep up Ashely and her family]].

* AlreadyUndoneForYou: Justified. All the puzzles are either locations on the mansion grounds that have never been touched, or were used to hide the ANOTHER keys.

* DoesntKnowTheirOwnChild: Goes both ways in the sequel. Despite coming back into her life, it turns out that Richard has barely spent any time with Ashley during the TimeSkip due to being busy with a new job at J.C. Valley. Him not being aware of things like her interest in music, and her knowing little about him beyond the fact he's a scientist, only contributes to their already strained relationship.

'''Richard''': ''(happy)'' Is that right?\\

[[folder: NDcube]]

* ''VideoGame/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' often gets single-handedly blamed for UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983, with people claiming that its poor quality lead to terrible sales, prompting Atari to bury the unsold cartridges in a landfill. However, this is isn't entirely the case, and just a small part of the entire story. For one, while the landfill does exist and there was mountains of unsold stock, this wasn't because the game was a failure; it was actually one of the best-selling UsefulNotes/Atari2600 titles (selling a million copies), and contemporary reviews were mixed rather than universally negative. The actual problem was that Atari vastly overestimated demand and produced more copies than the number of [=2600s=] that had been sold, resulting in retailers sending back a massive amount of unsold copies. Second, ''E.T.'' wasn't the only game to suffer from such high expectations; the prior year, the console's ''VideoGame/PacMan'' port sold a then-unheard of 7 million copies in its first year, but Atari was still stuck with dumping millions of unsold copies into the aforementioned landfill. Finally, there were other factors outside of Atari, including an over-saturation of poor titles flooding the market, competition with the growing home computer market, general inflation, and loss of publishing control due to an overwhelming number of third-party publishers being created to follow in Creator/{{Activision}}'s footsteps. To sum up: While ''E.T.'' certainly was a contributing factor to the crash, it was quite far from being ''the'' reason.

* Many people talk about the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast as though it single-handedly killed Creator/{{Sega}}'s console business, or at least was the biggest individual factor in them pulling out of that market. The Dreamcast actually sold respectably well, moving 11 million units in just over two years, compared to 9 million in four years for the Saturn. In actuality, the poor decisions made ''prior'' to the Dreamcast, much of them centered around the international failure of the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn, destroyed the company financially to the point that the Dreamcast and its software would have had to sell unrealistically well if they ever wanted to get out of the red.

* The fact that ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'' (amongst other demanded games) isn't on the Wii's UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole seems to lead to people pointing fingers at Nintendo. One would honestly think that fans would actually be bothered to ''look'' at the developer ''and'' publishers for the Nintendo 64 game... Creator/{{Rare}}. Sure, they were second-party at the time of ''Conker's Bad Fur Day'', but in 2002, they were bought out by Microsoft. Which is why there is a ''Conker'' game on the Xbox, not to mention ''VideoGame/KameoElementsOfPower'' and ''VideoGame/PerfectDark Zero'' as launch titles, and the original ''Perfect Dark'' later rereleased on Xbox Live Arcade. Nintendo had no involvement with ''Conker's Bad Fur Day''.

* Xbox Live's userbase has been misblamed for the creation of the "juvenile and unfriendly" gamer. Within UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade, games like ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' and ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' get disproportionately blamed for this. Apparently people haven't heard of the theory of [[ForumSpeak G.I.F.T]], which has been in existence long before the Xbox. Live just brought the issue to light if anything. And when it's not Xbox Live that gets all the criticism for this, it's always something like ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'' or ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}''.

* The North American version of the ''VideoGame/DeathSmiles'' UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} port got a lot of flak for [[DifficultyByRegion having less slowdown than the Japanese versions]], and some decided to point fingers at Aksys Games, who did the localization. In a [[http://www.aksysgames.com/forums/topic/732 forum post on the official Aksys website]], an Aksys employee clarified that all of the programming for the North American version--the reduced slowdown included--was Creator/{{Cave}}'s doing.

[[caption-width-right:350:The little lunchbox that could... [[UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} and did when you duct-taped two of them together.]]]]

The [[UsefulNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames previous generation]] of consoles was a game changer, and for Nintendo, it may have been for the worse. For the first time since they entered the gaming business, their home console wasn't number one worldwide, as they were unceremoniously dethroned by a new rival of their own making: the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, born from the ashes of a [[UsefulNotes/{{SNESCDROM}} failed SNES CD add-on]]. To call it a fight would be generous. The [=PlayStation=] outsold the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 3:1, thanks to marketing towards a young adult audience and grabbing all the third-party developers that scoffed at the [=N64=]'s use of cartridges over [=CDs=]. Enter the new millennium: with Creator/{{Sony}} gearing up to release [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 a follow-up]] to that runaway success, Sega mounting [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast their final stand]], and [[UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} a new kid]] eager to prove themselves, it was time for Nintendo to prove that last time was a mere miscalculation and that they were still a major player in the industry. And the end result was that, by some metrics, this would end up being [[EndOfAnEra the last time Nintendo would compete directly]] with its competitors in the video game console market. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Finally, since it didn't seem to hurt them last time, the [=GameCube=] was made the most powerful system of its generation once again. The system's graphical capabilities were more than capable of surpassing the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, and its performance was on-par with the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}; ''Franchise/StarWars: VideoGame/RogueSquadron III'' actually holds the sixth-gen record for polygon count at 20 million polygons. So naturally, all of this resulted in the Nintendo [=GameCube=] coming in third place, behind the Xbox and far, ''far'' behind the [=PlayStation 2=]. Alright, what happened?

By far one of the biggest difficulties Nintendo tried (and mostly failed) to surmount was their reputation as a "kiddy" company being "kiddy" games, which had solidified during [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 the previous generation]]. Sounds like early message board console warring, sure, but the reality was that the most profitable demographic in gaming was now teenage and young adult males who wanted "mature" games. Games that Nintendo themselves certainly didn't make, and that their overseas branches (namely Nintendo of America) had outright discouraged other publishers from releasing on their systems for well over a decade, censoring content for games on their system to make them as family-friendly as possible, even if the ESRB had already slapped an M rating on the box. In fact, [=NOA=] ''doubled-down'' on their family-friendly position during the 1993 Congressional hearings that resulted in the ESRB to begin with. In short, Nintendo trapped itself the gaming equivalent of the AnimationAgeGhetto, and releasing what looked like a purple lunchbox didn't help. Although they tried to shed that image by green-lighting more teen- and young adult-oriented games (as well as some [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130819010845/http://www.notenoughshaders.com/2013/08/15/the-struggles-of-marketing-the-gamecube/ brow-raising marketing decisions]] from NOA), these efforts were still deemed too tame to be meaningful, especially compared to the libraries of the [=PS2=] and Xbox.

had been a thing for years by this point. still just a fraction of Its The [=GameCube=] was the first Nintendo console to have fewer buttons on its controller than its predecessor; this was due to the introduction of a second analog stick to replace the N64's C buttons, though this C-stick was smaller than the primary analog stick; Nintendo wouldn't release a proper dual analog controller until the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} Classic Controller five years later.

The [=GameCube=], like the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast before it, is a perfect case of VindicatedByHistory. During its lifetime, the [=GameCube=] was outsold by both of its competitors, and was Nintendo's worst-performing home console until the UsefulNotes/WiiU.[[note]]This is not as bad is it sounds. The [=GameCube=] came in at a close third place, trailing only a couple million units behind the Xbox; meanwhile the [=PlayStation=] 2's [[CurbStompBattle utter dominance]] led to it outselling both systems ''combined''. The Dreamcast, for its part, sold about half of what the [=GameCube=] did, though this may be due to its limited lifespan as much as anything else. In the U.S., at least, Creator/{{Sega}}'s last hurrah had just a year and a half between its launch and its discontinuation.[[/note]] By 2004, the already comparatively low sales for the system completely imploded once people realized that Nintendo didn't have any more tricks up their sleeve in regards to their home console lineup. Up until the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} became a record-breaking success, the idea of Nintendo exiting the home console market altogether and limiting their hardware development to handhelds (given that the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance and UsefulNotes/NintendoDS were still smash successes) seemed like a realistic possibility. This is, of course, ignoring the fact that Nintendo was the only home console maker at the time to actually make a profit off of their system, but to many, the low market share alone seemed like a good enough motivator.

By far one of the biggest difficulties Nintendo tried (and mostly failed) to surmount was their reputation as a company that made only children's games, which had solidified during [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 the previous generation]]. This image was downright lethal in the early 2000s. For one thing, the industry's demographics had shifted, and young adults now made up the bulk of gamers. In addition, developers, gamers, and the gaming press had by this point begun to advocate for video games to be taken seriously as a new art form. In other words, Nintendo was trapped in a video game equivalent of the AnimationAgeGhetto (and some consider that they still are). Although they tried to shed that image by green-lighting more teen- and young adult-oriented games (as well as some [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130819010845/http://www.notenoughshaders.com/2013/08/15/the-struggles-of-marketing-the-gamecube/ brow-raising marketing decisions]] from NOA), these efforts were still deemed too tame to be meaningful, especially compared to the libraries of the [=PS2=] and Xbox.

While the [=GameCube=] was capable of online like its rivals, it was extremely underutilized. Only 5 games with online support were ever created, only one of which was first-party, and an adaptor was required to hook up to the internet. The only online games to be released internationally (and take up most of the list) are the 3 versions of ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'', which were ported from the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast with extra content. ''Phantasy Star Online'' on the Gamecube were also infamous for having an exploit which, by setting the port into a locally connected and specially configured PC, one can access homebrew and eventually offload dumped disc images. ''Homeland'' is also notable for being the only [=GameCube=] game to ever receive [[DownloadableContent DLC]]. Online was rapidly gaining traction during this generation, which made the [=GameCube=] and its borderline nonexistent online less appealing, especially when compared to the newcomer Xbox and its robust Xbox Live online service.

Additionally, the [=GameCube=]'s controller was also a case of VindicatedByHistory. The unorthodox layout of the face buttons, and the fact that it had two fewer buttons than the controllers from its competitors, (to be precise, it was one shoulder button and one "Select"-type button less) were common criticisms during its day, to the point that many third party developers considered it a liability for porting some of their titles. However, it has been consistently praised from day one for its comfortable design, which was ergonomically friendly for nearly all demographics. As with many other aspects of the console, the controller is now deemed one of the most, if not ''the'' most comfortable game controller ever designed (its limited versatility though is still a point of contention). The enduring popularity of the [=GameCube=] controller among ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' players eventually led to Nintendo re-releasing the controller specifically for ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'' and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', complete with a [=GameCube=] controller adapter for the UsefulNotes/WiiU and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch (compatible with only ''Smash'' on the Wii U but with considerably more games on the Switch including ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'').

Oh, and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUHJUJkbv-k slow, haunting theme]] that plays when you turn the thing on and go into the menu? It's the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F_vTOZQLxY start-up theme]] ''(EpilepticFlashingLights warning)'' for the old [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom Disk System]], slowed down a whole bunch. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1m6j38CDOc Pretty neat]].

''Metroid Prime 4'' is an upcoming [[FirstPersonShooter FPS]]/{{Adventure|Game}} game for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, developed by Creator/RetroStudios and published by Creator/{{Nintendo}}. Serving as the 7th entry within the ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' franchise's ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy Prime]]'' sub-series, the title is currently scheduled for a 2024 release.

* Both Sony and Superbot Entertainment of ''VideoGame/PlayStationAllStarsBattleRoyale'' got much ire for its roster that omits much-requested characters like [[Franchise/MetalGear Solid Snake]] in favor of more contentious choices like [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry reboot Dante/"Donte"]] and [[Franchise/MetalGear Raiden]]. However, many of these characters are from franchises that, while almost exclusively released on the Playstation line, are owned by third party publishers. Even if Sony and Superbot wanted to add the original Dante or Solid Snake, Capcom and Konami [[ExecutiveMeddling would use copyright laws to ban their inclusion]]. In fact, the inclusion of Raiden was made by none other than Creator/HideoKojima himself.

** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'' gets a lot of blame for its rather absurd storyline placed on the translator/localizer, Agness Kaku. While [[https://web.archive.org/web/20120125211117/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/metalgear/agnesskaku.htm she has her own personal gripes with the game's story and themes]], she didn't do anything to alter the original plot whatsoever in the process of localizing it into English.

* A planet such as the [[VideoGame/MetroidPrime3 Pirate Homeworld]]?

* The [[GatlingGood Gatling Beam]], a beam designed for rapid fire, which when charged, would fire a long burst of beams, much like the [[VideoGame/MetroidPrime3 Hyper Mode's Phazon Beam]].

For GodNeverSaidThat, in the event that this does become an unchecked rumor.
*** Ironically, this would pop up again years after the show's conclusion, with some fans spreading the idea that the creators [[WhatCouldHaveBeen wanted Mabel to die in the second season]], but Disney vetoed it. This comes from head writer Michael Rianda discussing abandoned story ideas on Twitter after the latter stumbled upon a collection of his old ''Gravity Falls'' writing; one of them being an outline for an alternate Season 2 ColdOpen where a future Dipper warns the Pines Twins of a BadFuture where Mabel dies. Not only would the plot have focused on ''preventing'' Mabel's death, but since Hirsch and Rianda couldn't figure out how such a StoryArc would end, they scrapped it before the rest of the writing staff could see it (much less any Disney executives).

A Character Check is when a character displays or makes reference to a personality trait that hasn't been bought up in the narrative for quite some time. Very common with {{Jerkass}} and/or antagonist characters who have since TookALevelInKindness or a turn for the comedic, this is the writer quickly establishing that despite recent developments, what used to be a defining trait of the character is still very much present even if it doesn't come up in the story as often as it used to. Alternatively, if the check is themselves or someone else pointing out or realizing that they ''don't'' act that way anymore, it can serve as a declaration of how much a character has changed. Finally, it can also just serve as a fun CallBack to [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness the early days of a work]], when the writers were still trying to figure out the personalities of their creations.

Can sometimes result from DependingOnTheWriter, as one writer may emphasize some facets of a character that another may ignore. Can overlap with AuthorsSavingThrow if the fans missed the old characterization to some degree. See also ForgotFlandersCouldDoThat, for when a character displays an old skill or talent, rather than behavior, that the audience may have forgotten about.

''The Noble Girl With a Crush on a Plain and Studious Guy''

The previous generation of consoles was a game changer, for better and for worse. As far as Nintendo is concerned, it may have been for the worse. For the first time since they entered the gaming business, their home console wasn't number one worldwide, as they were unceremoniously dethroned by a new rival of their own making: the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, born from the ashes of a [[UsefulNotes/{{SNESCDROM}} failed SNES CD add-on]]. To call it a fight would be generous. The [=PlayStation=] outsold the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 3:1, thanks to marketing towards a young adult audience and grabbing all the third-party developers that scoffed at the [=N64=]'s use of cartridges over [=CDs=]. Enter the new millennium: with Creator/{{Sony}} gearing up to release [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 a follow-up]] to that runaway success, Sega mounting [[UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast their final stand]], and [[UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} a new kid]] eager to prove themselves, it was time for Nintendo to prove that last time was a mere miscalculation and that they were still a major player in the industry... this would end up being [[EndOfAnEra the last time Nintendo would compete directly]] with its competitors in the video game market. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Next was courting back their old third-party partners, and what better way to accomplish that than by giving the keys to the castle? While Nintendo was no stranger to licensing out their IP for small edutainment games, the [=GameCube=] was the beginning of the company allowing others to develop major installments in their biggest franchises. [[note]]Under supervision, of course: no need to have a repeat of ''VideoGame/HotelMario'' or the "[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaCDiGames Unholy Triforce]]".[[/note]] And none wasted the opportunity. [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Namco]] thought up the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKonga'' series and produced ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault''; Creator/{{Konami}} gifted us with ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolutionMarioMix''; Sega (now out of the hardware game) delivered ''[[VideoGame/FZero F-Zero GX]]''; and Creator/{{Treasure}} gave us ''VideoGame/WarioWorld''. To say nothing of all the multi-platform games whose [=GameCube=] releases boasted appearances from various Nintendo characters.

By far one of the biggest difficulties Nintendo tried (and mostly failed) to surmount was their reputation as a "kiddy" company being "kiddy" games, which had solidified during [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 the previous generation]]. Sounds like early message board console warring, sure, but the reality was that the most profitable demographic in gaming was now teenage and young adult males who wanted "mature" games. Games that Nintendo themselves certainly didn't make, and that their overseas branches (namely Nintendo of America) had outright discouraged other publishers from releasing on their systems for well over a decade, censoring content for games on their system to make them as family-friendly as possible. Even if the ESRB had already slapped an M rating on the box; speaking of, [=NOA=] ''doubled-down'' on their family-friendly position during the 1993 Congressional hearings that resulted in the ESRB to begin with. In short, Nintendo trapped itself the gaming equivalent of the AnimationAgeGhetto, and releasing what looked like a purple lunchbox didn't help. Although they tried to shed that image by green-lighting more teen- and young adult-oriented games (as well as some [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130819010845/http://www.notenoughshaders.com/2013/08/15/the-struggles-of-marketing-the-gamecube/ brow-raising marketing decisions]] from NOA), these efforts were still deemed too tame to be meaningful, especially compared to the libraries of the [=PS2=] and Xbox.

[[folder]]
Creator/NDCube
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nd_cube_logo_2.png]]
%%[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]

[=NDcube=] Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer and a subsidiary of Creator/{{Nintendo}} that was founded in 2000 as a joint venture company between Nintendo and Dentsu, one of the largest advertising firms in Japan (hence the ND). Despite operating since 2000, the studio saw very little developmental output during its first decade. After releasing a handful of games during its first three years, the only ones to avoid NoExportForYou being futuristic sci-fi racing games ''[[VideoGame/FZero F-Zero: Maximum Velocity]]'' and ''Tube Slider'', the studio went dormant for the remainder of the decade.

Towards the end of the 2000s, the studio saw an influx of Creator/HudsonSoft staff, which culminated in 2010, when [=NDcube=] not only saw its first new release in seven years with ''VideoGame/WiiParty'', but found itself a fully-owned subsidiary of Nintendo, who purchased all of Dentsu's stake in the developer. Today, [=NDcube=] is best known for developing exclusively PartyGame titles, and has serving as the development studio for the ''VideoGame/MarioParty'' series from the ninth entry onwards.

!!Games developed/co-developed by [=NDcube=]
* ''[[VideoGame/FZero F-Zero: Maximum Velocity]]'' (UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance; 2001)
* ''EZ-Talk Shokyuuhen'' 1-6 (GBA; 2001)
* ''Dokodemo Taikyoku Yakuman Advance'' (GBA; 2001)
* ''Card Party'' (UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube; 2002)
* ''Pool Edge'' ([=GameCube=]; 2002)
* ''Tube Slider'' ([=GameCube=]; 2003)
* ''VideoGame/WiiParty'' (UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}; 2010)
* ''VideoGame/WiiPlayMotion'' (Wii; 2011)[[note]]Project management/oversight for other developers[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/MarioParty9'' (Wii; 2012)
* ''VideoGame/WiiPartyU'' (UsefulNotes/WiiU; 2013)
* ''VideoGame/MarioPartyIslandTour'' (UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS; 2013)
* ''VideoGame/MarioParty10'' (Wii U; 2015)
* ''Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival'' (Wii U; 2015)[[note]]Co-developed with Nintendo EPD[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/MarioPartyStarRush'' (3DS; 2016)
* ''VideoGame/MarioPartyTheTop100'' (3DS; 2017)
* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingPocketCamp'' (UsefulNotes/{{Android}}[=/=][[UsefulNotes/IOSGames iOS]]; 2017)
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioParty'' (UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch; 2018)
* ''VideoGame/ClubhouseGames51WorldwideClassics'' (Switch; 2020)
* ''VideoGame/MarioPartySuperstars'' (Switch; 2021)
[[/folder]]


[[folder:Misc]]
For GodNeverSaidThat, in the event that this does become an unchecked rumor.
*** Ironically, this would pop up again years after the show's conclusion, with some fans spreading the idea that the creators [[WhatCouldHaveBeen wanted Mabel to die in the second season]], but Disney vetoed it. This comes from head writer Michael Rianda discussing abandoned story ideas on Twitter after the latter stumbled upon a collection of his old ''Gravity Falls'' writing; one of them being an outline for an alternate Season 2 ColdOpen where a future Dipper warns the Pines Twins of a BadFuture where Mabel dies. Not only would the plot have focused on ''preventing'' Mabel's death, but since Hirsch and Rianda couldn't figure out how such a StoryArc would end, they scrapped it before the rest of the writing staff could see it (much less any Disney executives).
''The Noble Girl With a Crush on a Plain and Studious Guy''
[[/folder]]
----

----

* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingPocketCamp'' (UsefulNotes/{{Android}}[=/=]UsefulNotes/{{iOS}}; 2017)

----

* TroubledProduction: In 2017, ''Metroid Prime 4'' was announced as entering development under an [[BTeamSequel unknown, new development team]] before development troubles had Nintendo [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLIv_UXI_So publicly announce]] in early 2019 that they'd be restarting the project from scratch and returning the reins to Creator/RetroStudios. [[https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-02-08-yes-namco-bandai-is-working-on-metroid-prime-4 Many sources]] claimed the original team to be Creator/BandaiNamco's Singapore branch, with one journalist elaborating that their sources said the game was being made in an "[[https://twitter.com/imranzomg/status/1088857688027480065 experimental ad-hoc development process]]." By the time a new trailer for the game was unveiled during the February 2023 Nintendo Direct, [[VideoGame/MetroidDread a whole other]] ''Metroid'' game had been announced and released.

* SugarWiki/AndTheFandomRejoiced: The game was this upon its initial announcement. After the major AudienceAlienatingEra that started with ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'', continued with ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeFederationForce'', and was compounded by Creator/{{Nintendo}} taking down the FanRemake ''VideoGame/AnotherMetroid2Remake'' via DMCA claims, the mere announcement of this game and ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'' went a long way to restoring much of the fanbase's faith in the series and Nintendo. And despite the reveal teaser being under a minute long and only showing the game's logo, it was one of the most publicized games at E3 2017 by gaming news sites, being second only to ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins'' in terms of [[https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/react-e3-live-blog-2017/ social media discussion]].