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View Full Version : Remake after remake after remake after....


bovine_university
06-29-2007, 04:47 PM
A remade version of the original Final Fantasy just came out on the PSP, which I believe makes this the fourth time this game has been released, the original on the NES, the PS1 package with Final Fantasy II, and the GBA remake, again packaged with FF2. Between this, the announced DS remake of Final Fantasy IV (again the fourth release), the recent Wii version of Resident Evil 4, and other things, I just wonder sometimes when (if ever) we should say enough already with remaking a previous gaming title.

This is nothing new of course, I mean what was Super Mario All-Stars besides the NES Mario games with a fresh coat of paint and the Lost Levels? There was a brief period where it seemed like Nintendo was going to remake a plethora of original NES games for the GBA, but that never took off. The Playstation on top of remaking FF1, 2, 4, and Chrono Trigger with a few bells and whistles, also was notorious for releasing director's cuts of various Resident Evil titles, a practice that went into the next generation with the Gamecube REmake.

That does bring up a counterpoint though, that remakes can be very fun when done right. I loved the remake of Resident Evil 1, between adding new strategic elements to the gameplay and staying true to the frightful roots of the original, this was a joy to play. And I admit, I am curious in trying out the remake of Final Fantasy VI on the GBA, and the Wii version of Resident Evil 4. In the end, it I guess it does feel like a game-to-game issue, but what do you think? Do you feel there should be a threshold for how many times a company like Square or Capcom (and as you may have noticed from my post, they are pretty notorious for it, though they certainly aren't the only ones) will redo an old game for a new generation?

SubSane
06-29-2007, 09:03 PM
RE4 on the Wii is more of a port than a remake.

Remakes in general come about because the original was good, and any remakes I've played have been enjoyable enough. You don't see remakes of bad games for a reason.

kupomog
06-29-2007, 09:47 PM
Probably the only time I notice/dislike it is when Squenix does it. Mostly for FFI, FFIV, and all those "Final Mix" and "International" games they release all the time for Japan. The new FFXII one coming out makes me feel like they just gypped us out of the full game the first time around to do this shit. I wish they would just cool it already. And not only with that, but with making 10 billion sidestory games to one series like they're doing with FFVII and FFXIII. Especially when I will never be able to play certain ones, cough. It has never bothered me with RE.

BigButtSkinner
06-30-2007, 12:22 AM
I agree. Metroid: Zero Mission, which is half remake/half reboot of the first Metroid, is one of my favorite handheld games. I loved Super Mario All-Stars, I mean yeah it was just buffed & polished versions of the same games, but hey it was four games in one (five if you got the one which included Super Mario World).

Strangely enough, Nintendo has never made a remake of a Zelda game. Yes I am aware of the LttP/Four Swords game on GBA, and the Collector's Edition for GCN, but those were re-RELEASES, not remakes. I would love to see a Zero Mission-style remake of the original Legend of Zelda for the DS.

Jims
06-30-2007, 07:34 AM
Well, we've reached the point where a lot of video game companies have all those older games on their list of assets, and they're figuring out a way to keep cashing in on them. I would guess that these remakes are, on the whole, cheaper to make. So there's much less risk involved. Also, they usually sell pretty decently overall. Business-wise, these frequent remakes aren't surprising at all.

The age factor definitely plays a role too. There are always going to be new kids growing up, who haven't played these older games yet. They'll end up getting a bunch of sales from (1) people who never played the original, and (2) major fans who enjoy nostalgia. It's not a bad way to introduce new players to certain franchises also.

I wish they'd stop doing so many remakes, much like I wish the movie industry would stop doing sequels. I wish companies would just focus all of their resources on producing new titles. Sadly, I doubt that'll happen, since these remakes keep selling pretty well.