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A Case for Video Game Remakes
The MTV Games site has up a talk with Morgan Grey, the producer on the recent title Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Anniversary is a remake of the now-classic original Tomb Raider title and (perhaps not unsurprisingly) Grey makes an argument to Stephen Totilo that game remakes are a way of preserving gamer culture. "'We have all witnessed remakes of movies that have been modernized for us to digest that came out 50 years ago before we were born,' he said as a point of comparison. If games are to achieve the same timelessness, the classics need to be easily accessible. But anyone who has tried to play certain 3-D gaming classics from even just five years ago -- let alone tried to get someone who didn't play them at the time to put up with outdated controls, graphics or camera-work -- know that it's hard to appreciate them." Grey goes on to point out that this is less true of 2D titles; he's primarily talking about 3D games here. Any titles you'd like to see remade, like Anniversary, or even re-envisioned ala Prince of Persia?
Bards Tale, Wasteland, Ultima 4 and 5 would be cool. Some of the old TSR gold box games. all they would need to do is art and sound, the game/story/etc are all done. Mech Warrior too. man the list could go on and on
Wing Commander
Ultima IV-VII
Autoduel
Grim Fandango (Residual should take care of this)
Bionic Commando
Combat (on XBox Live!)
Mail Order Monsters (what's the last fighting game you remember that included tactical nuclear weapons?)
Archon
Your argument is somewhat flawed.
You improve the sound graphics and slightly tweak the controls and you end up with Super Mario All-Stars.
A sequel is where you add significant features that the core gameplay revolves around. Remakes may add new features or subtly tweak things but by and large the differences between the remake and the original should be fairly minor or not drastic.
To me, remakes are more like a new edition of a book. A lot of the recent remakes can easily be viewed in this way as they have been going through and fixing bugs, clarifying story elements or in some cases expanding the game play a little bit (or making minute adjustments for balance or to keep things interesting). That's something that's not uncommon in revisions of books.
Sequels are usually a continuation of the first or another story in the same "universe". What you're suggesting is that Two Towers is a remake of Fellowship of the Ring.
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Oooo... I'd almost love to see some of the classic Lucasfilm Games (NOT LucasArts..).... Zak McCraken for instance. Maybe also some of the ole' Sierra games like the Space Quest series.... And maybe a side of Search For the King for simple nostalgia sakes. ....Of course, Have to do the Sierra games with their original Typing interfaces since point-and-grope (oops... not LSL) interfaces take the intelligence outa the play requirements. Still think LucasFilm was the only company to ever do a useable Point-n-click interface in a graphic adventure...
I just had this discussion last weekend with a friend of mine about how I'd love to see an update of the X-Wing and Tie Fighter games to include a 3D engine. Definitely something I think alot of geeks (especially) would buy. Of course though, it would be yet ANOTHER way that George Lucas would get me to part with some of my money.
How about Duke Nukem? :P
Pffft. That'd take them forever...
This guy's the limit!
Master of Orion
I still play it all the time.
Out of the box it should play _exactly_ like the old game with shiny new graphics. Maybe fix the last remaining bugs (combat teleporters, ancient derelict event etc) but leave the gameplay unchanged. However, (big however), make the game as mod-able as possible (something like civ 4 maybe). Make it so we can add races, technologies, spacehip graphics as required, and you would have the ultimate game for me.
None of them can see the clouds; The polished wings don't care.
Another thing about remakes... I can go into any book store and pick up a copy of Romeo & Juliet. Want a copy of Dune? Go right ahead. The Hobbit? No problem. Can I go into Best Buy and pick up a copy of Xenogears? How about Ogre Battle? Or Earthworm Jim? That's right. You can't. Yet I can easily go to the DVD rack at Best Buy and find a remastered version of Gone with the Wind.
Part of games being taken seriously is going to require the industry being willing to take on some measure of preserving the classics. Digital distribution is a good way to do this (id just put their entire back catalog on steam) as are retropacks of classic games (sierra did this last year with most of the adventure franchises). Remakes are another way of preserving the past.
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But here's where it get's weird:
Metroid -> Super Metroid = Sequel
Metroid -> Metroid: Zero Mission = Remake
I'm sorry, but Super Metroid may as well be a retelling of the original Metroid, no less than Zero Mission was. Sure, they made some excuses for the same exact plot happening over again, but it was basically a retelling. Zero Mission was, once again, the same plot, and completely redesigned gameplay (and areas) from the ground up. The only difference is that ZM CLAIMED to be a retelling, where-as Super Metroid claimed to come afterwards, but that differences is mearly superficial, especially since plot is was not exactly a primary goal in the Metroid series until Prime.
I'm just pointing this out because I think it illustrates how superficial the arguement about sequals/remakes is in the game world. Especially in the 8-bit era, and into the 16-bit generation, as well, most sequels consisted of little more than the same game with a different level set, and maybe a new sentance added to the 3-sentance plotline.
Humans aren't usually comfortable with altering a timeline once it's been set, but we also like the security of building off of something we already know, which is why many game sequels are basically the same game, but explained that they're part of a series of repeating events.
Calling Mario Bros 3 a remake of Mario 1 may be a stretch, as the gameplay changed so drastically... but then, so did Zero Mission's. Where do you draw the line, and is there really a solid line to be drawn?
Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.