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One time I wrote a song called "Classic Games are Underrated." Okay, not really, but I might as well have because I'm someone who spends half their RPG-designated money buying ports of old games. I mean, we've all been there; Mom threw out your old NES and Dragon Warrior I and eventually nostalgia took over. Before you knew it you found yourself at GameStop purchasing the Dragon Warrior I&II combo for GameBoy Color.
However, this editorial (unfortunately) isn't about the wonders of classic games. Instead, I'm focusing on the dangers of companies consistently porting straight copies of said games onto other consoles. Im using this as a medium to proclaim my full support of the 'remake', where I can finally see my favorite games evolve into something more than just a quick repackaging.
"What!?" you ask, "But you just mentioned going out and buying a near straight port of an old 8 bit RPG!" Yes, this is true. And don't get me wrong, I was in no way dissatisfied with the games themselves. They were still the wholesome games that led me to fall in love with RPGs in the first place. Bust as I played through, having a jolly old time, a thought occurred to me: it's the same game.
Yep, it was Dragon Warrior I&II in the flesh, except this time my character could walk a little faster. That's right, I had just paid 30+ dollars to walk a little faster. Well, that and a kind of weak 'graphic overhaul' that did little else but make my slime enemies look more Hershey Kiss like. When my nostalgia was satisfied, I felt a little ripped off. Something inside of me longed for a union between the past and the present; the same basic storyline and characters of the first two DWs mixed with today's cinematics, new forms of gameplay, and those new-fangled graphics.
Let me go a little more in depth in terms of the problems involved with releasing straight ports of old games. This generally occurs when companies feel the need to introduce a new audience to a game in the hopes of enlarging a fan base and making more money. A few things are thrown in to appease the old fans, stuff like official character art or new cutscenes. But little else is done to the games, leading me to believe that those of us who are often times led around by nostalgia are getting the short end of the deal. Companies ignore dated graphics and battle systems, concluding that if they throw two old games together, no one gets ripped off.
A good example is the game Chrono Trigger, which is considered one of the best RPG games ever made by many gamers. CT was re-released on the PS1 with FFIV (FFII American), a classic game for the NES, under the moniker "Final Fantasy Chronicles." CT is definitely my favorite RPG of all time, and I was very very excited to get a chance to play it again. Like with Dragon Warrior I&II, I soon realized I had just paid a good deal of money for two games I had already played. My only extra reward: A couple of new anime cutscenes and a 'system file' which allowed me to listen to the game music and look at character art, but only after I had beat the game over and over to unlock them. It also can be noted that the anime cutscenes were ridiculously short and of considerably low quality considering this game was on the PS1. I was left with the feeling that Squaresoft had simply done as much as
it had to do to make an easy profit. What they could have done instead was make a few more optional endings, perhaps added some new characters and/or music...the options were nearly endless. Instead, FF Chronicles is basically a straight port. To add injury to insult, CT suffered from ridiculous load times, something that hadn't even plagued the original!
Frankly, I am tired of seeing companies milk franchises to the last drop without putting hardly any effort into it. As gamers, we need to stand up and demand a little more from those whom we buy from. When we stay content with simple ports of old favorites, companies assume they can throw a couple of 8-bit games on a playstation disc and make money! The best thing we can expect is perhaps a 'Director's Cut' version of a game.
Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, there aren't too many examples of a 'remake' of a game, especially in the RPG genre. However, an up and coming example can be found in Wild Arms 1, which is being remade under the moniker Wild Arms Alter Code: F. Sony claims that its remake of WA1 will have a completely rewritten script, voice acting, new character designs and updated graphics, and a remodeled battle system, among other things. Now, we have yet to see whether or not Sony will successfully fulfill their promises, but the odds are looking good that this game will not disappoint. Hopefully, if Sony delivers and we gamers respond, we can use the game as an example that we prefer remakes over simple ports. If no one else's mouth waters at Sony's claims, then there is something wrong with the world...
To conclude, I wrote this editorial not only to vent my concerns about simple ports of my classic favorites, but also to inform and/or convince you fellow RPG and video game enthusiasts that there is something better we can waste spend our money on. I want my hard-earned cash to go towards a new experience; I'm not interested in seeing my childhood simply put on a new and shiny disc.
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