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Today's hot topic involves remakes and ports. We can't stop them; we can't even hope to contain them. They are coming whether we want them to or not, so we might as well make the best of them. It's not as if companies such as Square Enix are just porting old games and not putting out new content. Look at their upcoming list of games and you will see more original titles than ports or remakes for once. They are not going to stop, so there is no need to complain. Also, just for the record, I do not want to get into a debate about the difference between a remake and a port. So for just this little while I might use the terms remake and port interchangeably when referring to a game regardless of whether it contains new content or a is complete remake. Forgive me and overlook it. For now, let's look toward the world of the Final Fantasy remakes.
Had you asked me this time last year my thoughts on a remake of Final Fantasy VII, I would have told you that it was not time. Back then we had just received Final Fantasy IV Advance and still had Dirge of Cerberus, Advent Children, Final Fantasy XII, FFV Advance, FFVI Advance, and FFIII DS on the way. The time just didn't seem right. Now is that time. Things have changed and how quickly they change. I've never considered myself to be someone that was mindlessly in love with Final Fantasy VII, so this isn't the rumblings of a fanboy (oh, how I hate that term) claiming that FFVII is the greatest game ever or some sorts. No, it is just that the older games have had their turn, in some cases as many as five times. Yes, I'm looking at you PSP version of Final Fantasy I. Simply put, it's remake time for the PlayStation Final Fantasy games.
I'm not limiting this to Final Fantasy VII, though it should be first on the list. All three of the main games are now ready for remakes. I'm fully aware of the possibility of a direct emulated PSP port from the PlayStation Store or via homebrew emulation, so that's not what needs to happen. These games need additional content, bonus dungeons, extra playable characters, something that makes them more than just a copy of their original versions. I'm not too picky about the platform, though due to my own personal bias I would like them on a portable system.
What spawned this talk of remakes? The PSP emulator of PS1 games did. I was thinking of how cool it would be to just play Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX perfectly emulated on my PSP and began to realize that as good as those games are, additional content is always a bonus. What about a quick save feature like all of the current Final Fantasy ports have had? That is a must. Let's not stop there. We should get as much as possible out of it. We've seen enough of just porting the same game over and over with prettier graphics. Yes Final Fantasy I, I'm still looking at you. The Dawn of Souls remake was nice since we got extra dungeons, but now we once again have another cleaned up port coming our way. Just in this case it is a port of a port. Well, before I start off on a whole new topic, Square Enix, if you are listening, Final Fantasy VII fans have been ready and the rest of the world is going to be getting on the bandwagon soon.
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