Re-Releases and Definitive Versions

[Mig-21]

What do you think of re-releasing games with only small improvements and additions to the original version?

I find this a bothersome practice because often only insignificant changes are made to the original version and it is little more than another way for companies to squeeze as much money out of a product as they can. I think the only time when it is worthwhile is if the game was never released in a particular market, or if the game is now being released on a system that is more accessible to more people. Another problem people may have is that with so many different versions of the same game out, which one should they get? For FFIV, there are currently FOUR versions out; the one for SNES, the one for PS, the one for GBA, and the one for DS...I think thats ridiculous. I mean, did we really need a remake of the original Wild Arms?

My second part of the question is which games do you think have actually benefitted from a re-release and what are the definitive versions of games with more than one version?

I actually give credit to SNK for re-releasing collections of Fatal Fury and Samurai Shodown games for PS2 as these games are hard to find and were only for the rare SNK systems.

[EverPhoenix]

i agree, i think games should be re-released if they were on an older platform (like snes), but then they should receive all the minor updates like graphics, bug fixes and the odd bonus extra dungeon. re-releasing new stuff on the ds or virtual console is nice, because it allows those who made the mistake of selling their old console to buy the game and play it properly.

also, cross-platform ports like ff anthology work, because not everyone has both a playstation and a snes.

as for games that have actually benefited from a re-release, i cant think of any at the moment. i guess ff4-6 would have, as they received fmvs (yay) and were ported to a completely different console.

rare games would be good ports to ds, as it would let more people play them.

[inferiare]

Mig-21 wrote:

What do you think of re-releasing games with only small improvements and additions to the original version? I find this a bothersome practice because often only insignificant changes are made to the original version and it is little more than another way for companies to squeeze as much money out of a product as they can. I think the only time when it is worthwhile is if the game was never released in a particular market, or if the game is now being released on a system that is more accessible to more people. Another problem people may have is that with so many different versions of the same game out, which one should they get? For FFIV, there are currently FOUR versions out; the one for SNES, the one for PS, the one for GBA, and the one for DS...I think thats ridiculous. I mean, did we really need a remake of the original Wild Arms? My second part of the question is which games do you think have actually benefitted from a re-release and what are the definitive versions of games with more than one version? I actually give credit to SNK for re-releasing collections of Fatal Fury and Samurai Shodown games for PS2 as these games are hard to find and were only for the rare SNK systems.

FFIV actually has seven versions. Three for the SNES (hard and easy types and a sort of Easier-type for the US release), one for the GBA, one for the PS, one for the Wonderswan Colour, and then the DS version. But for FFIV, I was a little glad they decided for a remake. There's some extra bits of story that had to be left out of the original SNES release due to space on the cartridge, and they got to use it in this remake. I don't mind it too much, as long as nothing is changed too drastically or there's HUGE changes to how things played out in the original (unless it was a translation error or something).

And hey, I liked Alter Code: F. I just wish they were going to remake WA2 along with WA. I'd so buy it. I have all the games in that franchise, and wish to keep it that way.

As for games that benefitted from the remake, Final Fantasy 3, the real FFIII, since it never saw the light of day here originally. I would say Tales of Phantasia, but the localization was crap, and we would have done better with the PSP release instead of the GBA version.

[Jason Tandro]

Mig-21 wrote:

What do you think of re-releasing games with only small improvements and additions to the original version?

Four words. Super Mario All-Stars. Nuff said.

Mig-21 wrote:

My second part of the question is which games do you think have actually benefitted from a re-release and what are the definitive versions of games with more than one version?

Of the Final Fantasy's... anything released on the PSOne.

[tay120n64]

Jason Tandro wrote:

Mig-21 wrote: My second part of the question is which games do you think have actually benefitted from a re-release and what are the definitive versions of games with more than one version? Of the Final Fantasy's... anything released on the PSOne.

Ummmm... WHAT?

The PSX Final Fantasy collections (Origins, Chronicles, Anthology) weren't that good. The load times were horrendous. Yeah, the cutscenes were nice, but I think the Advance ports did more good for the game, even if the audio took a bit of a hit.

And anyone who thinks the PSX/GBA/DS re-releases were half-assed, take solace in the fact that they were ALL made by TOSE, not Square.

[Ratty Randnums]

Well, I recently bought the Origins collection and the loadtimes aren't that bad. -Non-existent really if you want to set your PS2's disc spinning to "fast".
I think it's worth it for the improved graphics (8bit is great but 16bit is better and more immersive for an RPG) and game mechanics. Some of the broken/primitive aspects of the first game for example are fixed, the inventory/menus for one.

And for another the infamous game flaw of having one of your party attack thin air (the cause of many a controller toss in the NES version) has been fixed.

These improvements were in the GBA version too of course. But not the original steep difficulty curve which *was* preserved in Origins, supposedly even making some of the bosses tougher to compensate for them (the aforementioned improvements) + the new dash button.
All this, the improved MIDI music AND the fact it's not a handheld I think make Origins at least worth it.

PS- yeah the flaw where you have to hit your own party members in FFII is still there, but it's a testament to trying something new and it just not working out. The pangs of innovation.