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Neglected Classic Games That Deserve Remakes?
Thanks to GameSpot for its feature discussing neglected videogames that nonetheless deserve remakes. The "games that may have been forgotten but were at least pretty well known in their day" include Roadwar 2000 ("[an] innovative adventure set in the ruins of American civilization"), Biomotor Unitron ("an exceptional game... [that] had the poor luck of being released on the profoundly underappreciated NeoGeo Pocket Color in 1999"), and Xenophobe ("a lighthearted and memorable arcade game... [that] takes itself less seriously than the average alien shoot-'em-up.")
from the Amiga 'nough said
I suspect that only a minority of Slashdot-ers will recognize what I'm talking about, but any game in the trilogy deserves a remake on it's own; the whole trilogy deserves a remake, even more.
Lucky for us, that's already in the works. In fact, it's being simultaneously ported for Linux and Windows as well as OS X, AND it's an Open Source project. If I had any programming skills (alas, I don't), I'd be in on the project. As it stands, I'll have to wait until Pfhorge (pronounced "forge," for the uninitiated) comes out to make any contribution.
Anyhow, for those interested, the project is called Aleph One; the main site can be found here, and the SourceForge site can be found here.
~UP
Eat the Path.
I was greatly disappointed when Duke Nukem got redone as 3D but Commander Keen
didn't. Keen was a much better game than Nukem in almost every respect and
had a lot more vertical action, which would have made for a lot of interesting
possibilities in a 3D version -- platforms up above your head and all that
would make the game play like more than just another Doom clone, as you'd
have to be alert to things going on above (and below) you. Plus, the light,
cartooney spirit of Keen is something the FPS world could really use; I mean,
aren't you tired of seeing skulls and blood all the time? Wouldn't it be nice
to see some weird slugs and neon green slime for a change?
Plus, it would probably be the first FPS to include a pogo stick with
exaggerated bounce. Bonus points if you also get to fly the Beans-with-Bacon
rocketship.
I don't buy a lot of games, but I think I'd buy Keen3D, if it were done well.
Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
I'm still waiting for Spacewar! 2.
qntm.org
Qix was indeed a great game. However, I wouldn't really call it neglected. It had a pretty good following back in the day. Moreover, I can't imagine how they could remake it without totally destroying it. I'd imagine that one of the requirements would be that it's 3D, and this would probably end up making it looking way cheesy. With games like Qix and Tempest -- where their simplicity is part of their beauty -- it's probably best to play the originals though MAME...
I know god exists. I read it on the internet, so it must be true.
As much as like the idea of remaking classic games. Why dont we try and concentrate on innovating new ones? The Article says that remakes are good because they excite consumers with "names" they already know.
Thing with remakes, what we a really looking for is good gameplay back in the day it was far more important to have good gameplay than have great graphics. It was often the case that some games had great graphics but dire gameplay, other games had excellent gameplay but dodgy graphics. Those that got the balance just right were hits.
As far as remakes go though, a new Populous game would be much appreciated. And I also wish that David Braben would get the new Elite out the door. And has anyone ever done a Spy Vs Spy for the next generation ?
nicki..
Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
I'd like to see Paradroid remade. I spent many hours playing that game. It would make a pretty FPS. Take over another robot and be able to use their weapons, be kinda neat to also use thier sensors.
If Mr. Edison had thought smarter he wouldn't sweat as much. --Nikola Tesla
Just kidding!
How about a spinoff/remake of Moon Patrol:
Mars Patrol: Avoid glitches! Grind rocks! Examine patches of mud!
In my opinion, modern remakes of classic games seldom capture the magic of the originals. Instead, they exploit our nostalgia for marketing/licensing purposes, and often piss on the legacy of the original game.
Nintendo is one of the main offenders here, shoe-horning a Mario-themed game into every possible genre without regard for the gameplay of the original Super Mario. Personally, I can't stand any 3D Mario platformer (not to mention any Mario sports and puzzle games). Super Mario 64 may be a decent game in its own right -- but it's not really Super Mario as far as I'm concerned.
I don't even think Super Mario World (considered by some to be the best Mario game) recaptured the awesomeness of the original Super Mario.
The key to many classic games is simplicity. Adding tons of slick graphics, new moves and power-ups, and worst of all, 3D perspective doesn't improve game play, it ruins the perfect balance achieved by the original.
On another note, a GTA 1/2/3 pack for the GBA would be super sweet (with GTA 3 made to play in the top-down 2D mode of the originals).
Darn this no 'edit button' crap. But yeah, Paperboy. Sure, why not. With nifty Max Payne-ish 'bullet-time' so you can hit those front door steps without slowing down! And it doesn't even have to be Paperboy. Just call it Special Delivery and you've got a little more room to work around with. Start as a paper boy, go on to small parcel delivery, or if you choose the darker path, drugs, or even Mafia involvement! It's genius!
:D
You're a delivery boy in a decent sized consistent city, delivering parcels from place to place while doing other mini-adventures along the way. You can't miss with this!
Jeffool.
What about M.U.L.E.. I can still hear the game music in my head on quiet nights. Mule Midi version here
And they should make a Kid Icarus 3 while they're at it.
Star Control 2 was, at the time, the greatest game ever written. Gameplay, depth, graphics, sound, in every part, the game was so far ahead of the competition that there could be no realistic challenger. Indeed, the ending left so many strings for a sequel that quite literally from the month it came out, there was anticipation for Star Control III.
Then came Star Control III. Ugh. Accolade took the game to new developers and it was clumbsy, uninteresting and not fun to play. The sub-plots were meaningless and the story was unengaging. Gameplay took a step backwards.
You can help!
Sign the Petition Ask Accolade to re-make Star Control III with the original developers at Toys for Bob.
The site Retro Remakes catalogs remakes of classic games and games inspired by classic games that you probably never knew about. Most of them are free. Granted, most often it's not the original game company doing a full-blown 3d version of some classic 80's space shooter, but there's enough stuff on the site to keep anyone entertained for hours.