Remakes: To be or not to be?

We have reached a point in this generation of gaming consoles where we see that the graphical prowess of games cannot be pushed much further. I remember back when the playstation one was new and I would sit in awe when a cutscene began because the graphics were so much better then when in gameplay. Now, in games such as bioshock and mass effect, you notice that the cutscenes and gameplay graphics are the same and everything melts together. Sometimes when you play games, you will sit for a few seconds after a cutscene wondering if it had ended yet or not. The generation of consoles after this (other than nintendo's) will not see much graphical enhancement other than small details and how much can be handled on screen at once. And sound! Sound has been perfected in games ever since around the ps1 days when they had enough capacity on the platform to where they didn't have to use music that sounded like midi files. So what's my point? Where am I going with this? Why the hell is this article titled remakes? Because at this pinnacle of gaming, it is the perfect time to produce remakes. I don't mean ones where you just make games over again, add extras and stick 'em all together on one disk/cartridge like say Super Mario All-Stars. I don't mean remake as in let's put Chrono Trigger on ps1 and add pretty cutscenes. I mean true, legitimate remakes such as Metroid (the original) when it was made into Metroid Zero Mission on Gameboy Advance.


Remakes that not only fix the little problems with the old version of the game but also make it up to today's graphical and sound standards, and maybe even add a little bit more to it (but don't mess with the main story).

When the ps3 was released, a short movie was made to "show off" the power of Sony's new pride and glory. (videos of each at bottom of post) It was the introduction movie for Final Fantasy 7 and it was remade for the ps3. Fanboys everywhere were jumping off of their rocker because they thought an FF7 remake was in order. Alas, it never came and still today, people ask Square to be smart and remake the game. Perhaps it is just because I don't fully comprehend the cost of making a game, but for certain titles I wonder how a developer could not see certain remakes as being profitable. Speaking of Square, just in the two little paragraphs I have here, there are two games that would sell off the store shelves if they were remade onto today's consoles, that being Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 7. While the idea might make some say, nah, I'll play the ps1 version on my ps2 or ps3; it makes people like me (who by the way have the ps1 versions) jump for joy.

I've tried to go back and play through FF7 and Chrono Trigger on my ps1 version but it's just not the same knowing the kind of games that you can play now.

I don't even think it would cost that much for FF7 either. Yes, it is a ridiculously long game but the next gen character models have already been made by the Advent Children movie. All they would need is to get their voice actors back and get the art team together and have at it because I believe that the old school battle scheme and materia would be safe for keeping the same. A few top programmers to sew it all back together with all of the songs that have been orchestrated in the advent children movie. The only "all-new" things that they would really need are sound effects, and only certain ones really need replacing. FF7 is widely known as one of the best RPGs of all time, I don't see how Square could afford not to remake it.

Sorry for going off on a tangent with FF7 but that bothers me a lot. Anyway, there are several games that I am sure that we would all love to see remade so that you can play through them again and see them in an all new light. Who wouldn't mind seeing a remake of the original Legend of Zelda game that would come with more direction to the story so that you don't accidentally find the 8th dungeon when you should only be at the second and so you don't have to get so confused at the ridiculously poor translations of text, and would look gorgeous on screen and with vibrant orchestrated versions of the original music? What about games that you may have overlooked when you were younger and can't play the older versions of now that you want to such as Earthbound?

What about the older Resident Evil games (I know they were remade on gamecube) without the tank-like controls and something more like Resident Evil 4 for style and control and next gen graphics even better than Resident Evil 4 (and who could forget the miserable voice acting that plagued the first few games)?

There are games as recent as Metal Gear Solid (the first one) that I would love to play again with say the gorgeous graphics and sound of Metal Gear Solid 4 which comes out this June.

With so many great classics out there, it is hard to believe that developers aren't scrounging around with them so that they could make even more money off of them. Companies should look at how far we have come in the graphical arena and realize the money that could be made with old titles. I think that especially companies like Sega who keep ruining their flagship titles by trying to reinvent them (a'hem Sonic anyone?) that they could go back to old best sellers (like the original sonic) and remake them on the consoles that are out now and make a boatload of money off of 'em.

Well, that is my cry out to the developers of the world... What do you guys think?

-CA

PS3 version


PS1 version