Everything Old Is New Again - Retro Remakes

[Jason Tandro]

== Preamble, Wherein JT rambles... a pre-ramble if you will ==

Friends, I have to confess to something.

Modern gaming has really not been something I have felt especially drawn to. I realize I am going full boomer on this not-at-all unique take, but I truly feel like the industry is... well not dying, but the mystique has been irrevocably altered. In the 90s and even early 2000s, video games and the internet felt magical. I'm sure a lot of that is just me rapidly approaching 40 but like I feel like the innocence is lost.

Now granted I got a kid who is absolutely in their "this time is magical" era. The kid's drug of choice lately has been Roblox, particularly a horror-esque thing called "Dandy's World". And they are absolutely in their element playing it, so I guess it's just a "we're getting old" thing.

And there have been some "modern" hits that I have loved. Tears of the Kingdom blew me away, totally valid criticism notwithstanding (highly recommend Skitty's critique video of it if you have not seen it.) Final Fantasy XVI was better than it had any right to be. Final Fantasy XIV, meanwhile, continues to impress me even with the mild content drought of Dawntrail.

But there are other titles which I am sure will be good but I just can't bring myself to drop between $50 and $80 to potentially enjoy myself. I know I will enjoy Baldur's Gate 3... but what if I don't? Expedition 33 is apparently another one of the next great things but again I don't feel the urge to grab it immediately. So I tell myself "yeah it's on the list" but ultimately that list means I will grab it when I can get a physical copy used from my own store (BG3 is digital only iirc, so that one I may have to just hunker down and buy).

So what the fuck have I been playing in those scant few hours each day I get to relax with video games? Well, Final Fantasy XIV. But BESIDES THAT...


== The point of the thread ==

I am absolutely the biggest slut that ever slutted over re-releases of classic games. I am one of those insufferable depressed millenials (aren't we all?) who is firm that gaming attained perfection in 2007. Here is what I've been working through lately.

Link's Awakening - Switch
Rating: S Rank

Just finished this one this morning, hence the post. I rented it from my store on a whim since my gf and I are doing a full series playthrough and holy shit it was gorgeous. The art style and QoL improvements are worth the price of admission alone. Some of the revamped minigames are greatly improved, arguably the biggest glow up being on the already stellar Fishing Minigame. And despite being maligned by the community, I really liked the totally new Dampe Dungeon Designer minigame. The 20ish built-in challenges were fun in their own way and I even had fun making some of my own. Though not being able to name your dungeon, set a theme for each room and share them online seems like an enormous missed opportunity. Here's hoping this was just testing the waters for an eventual Zelda Maker.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2
Rating: B Rank

Don't let the rating fool you, I play this one almost every day and will be getting 3+4 this weekend. I enjoy the multiplayer concepts, I like how they "aged up" the levels so it feels like time has passed rather than just being a remake of the old levels and the new level Skater Heaven is passable. My markdowns came mostly from the handling (admittedly this may be a Switch Port issue) and the level designer which for all its robustness feels like pulling teeth to use. I miss the limited but functional designers from the original games. Honestly why didn't they just bring back the one from THUG2, which is where the level designer peaked imo.

Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series
Rating: A Rank

Not even played the first one ever, but the remake of Klonoa 2 is just fucking gorgeous. Revisiting this one after... 17 years (my FUCKING heart) has been a roller coaster, and I really appreciate the tight gameplay more than I did. I'm not too far from done with this one, but I got distracted recently. Still if you've not had the privilege to experience this one, highly recommend it. Cannot say much for the first game obviously, but the 2.5-D platforming of this charming and very Japanese title is worth a revisit in this day and age.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Rating: A Rank

I mean what's not to love. 100% this thing when it first launched and Toys For Bob has absolutely done a service to all of videogaming by releasing it. The classic games play just as good as they ever did and they look gorgeous to boot. The only thing keeping it from an S Rank is I feel that in some cases their remastered graphics remove a bit of the charm and mystique of the original levels. Beast Maker's World is the chief culprit here. It looks gorgeous in the remaster. Way better without doubt. But there was a spookiness to the endless draw-distance mist that surrounded the edges of the map that I feel can't be recreated in this day and age. Still, a minor gripe barely worth mentioning.

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster
Rating: S Rank

Okay, this right here is that good shit. It makes even the dreadful Final Fantasy II enjoyable to play. But their Octopath Traveler treatment of the Opera Scene from FF6 is what totally won me over. I'm not gonna waste time explaining why you need to get these, but I will leave it at this. Quality Of Life. Each game allows you to set the growth rate, encounter rate and gil drops which means if you are - like me - a grumpy adult with shit to do, this is the most accessible way to play. And yes, I abused the hell out of these systems. I beat these games when they were fresh, I got nothing to prove lol. Get the whole I through VI bundle if you love Final Fantasy games.

Star Ocean: Second Story R
Rating: S+ Rank

There's others I could mention, but I'm gonna cap it here. This is the GOAT. This is the remaster that all other game remasters need to be striving to live up to. This remains faithful to the original release while adding more than enough to justify its own existence. Crafting guilds now exist to add additional rewards. Fishing was added and is incredibly addictive while remaining functionally simple. Tons of bonus boss fights (raids) were added to the overworld and in other locations to encourage exploration. Treasures and points of interest can be found in the beautifully restored overworld giving more reason to explore still. And there are numerous QoL improvements, most notable for me is the ability to craft up to ten items at once. The more I talk about it, the more I want to boot it right back up. As a side note: First Departure R was also fantastic, but I didn't ever play the original Star Ocean until that was released, so the impact of its growth is less apparent to me. But even so, this one is the one I will be crowing about til I die.


== Final Thoughts ==

I also have the Lunar 1+2 remaster which I bought months ago and plan to start soon (why am I like this?) I will eventually get the Oblivion remaster but again I'm holding off on it for a bit because of finances. I know I'm gonna enjoy that one though. And also, I do not count Final Fantasy VII Remake / Rebirth as proper "remasters" because, frankly, they have proven themselves to be their own product more than a strictly faithful remaster (and I fucking LOVE them for it).

So I guess, uh, that's my ramble for the day? Any thoughts on these? Recommendations for good ports / remakes / remasters you like?

[inferiare]

Oh definitely play Klonoa 1, it is SO GOOD and the remaster was amazing. The ending still makes me cry like 25 years on lol.

I myself had been feeling the urge to replay FFX so I popped in the remaster to play because man, this game is such a comfort game for me, but that's not really recent.

I'd probably say Grandia 1 + 2 remasters, and the upgraded Tales of Graces f has been great as well (I've been playing that one slowly with the husband when we have time). Hubs poured a shitload of time into Oblivion's remaster as well and loved it as well. Some big Lunar fan friends enjoyed the remaster and the new voices if that sells you on it - I did get to hear some too and loved them.

[psychokind]

man, I don't know where to start I could just sign off on all your preamble, the "we're getting old"-thing and the millenial feeling of the golden era of video games being over and being milked by corporations on our nostalgia...

that being said, games like BG3 invoke the old gaming flames from time to time, so I don't feel entirely dried out yet. expedition 33 I currently play, but it has a hard time keeping me away from Warframe.

adding to your list:

Secret of Mana - Steam
Rating: C Rank

it's pretty common knowledge that the remaster wasn't particularly well made, and what can I say, there's almost no reason not to just play the original on a well configurated emulator.

Trials of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 3) - Steam
Rating: B Rank

this was way better, and it should have been an easy A Rank - but they ditched the couch coop, and that was just unforgivable, so I have to rank them down.

Stardew Valley - Steam
Rating: S+ Rank

I know this is not a Harvest Moon (64) remake, but you have to give credit for staying so true to the original idea and looks while perfecting the game in every area it touched on and adding tons of more stuff on top of it.

World of Wacraft Classic - PC
Rating: A Rank

in the beginning, it was great. but then we optimized the fun out of the game, quite literally. there''s nothing blizzard could have done to prevent it, every player had to see for himself. we will, can and should never relive it again, that was made blatantly obvious by the release. I have to credit it for giving me closure by finishing a Naxx raid, which kinda closed a chapter of my life for good. that's fine. everythings fine.

Gothic 1 - PC
- soon to be released -