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V. Amoleo

HD Remasters (or Rereleases)

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I could have swore we had a thread about this floating around on here but after a quick search I couldn't find it. So I thought I'd make another.

 

With the release of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD the Friday just gone it made me wonder about the whole 'HD remasters' situation that has been going on the past few years.

 

Publishers are re-releasing old games and I was wondering how people feel about it.

 

Release of a game never initially released in Europe

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is a weird one because we never got the original PSP version but when you play it you do get the impression that it wasn't originally for the platform. Ultimately though, it means that I get to play it where previously I couldn't. So how could that be a bad thing? Ni No Kuni would fit into this category too.

 

Final Fantasy Type-0

Originally available in Japan on the PSP in 2011. Released later on in 2015 for the PS4 and Xbox One worldwide.

 

 

 

Re-releases of games already available in HD

Then there's games like The Last of Us, Halo 3 & 4 in the Master Chief Collection and the recently announced God of War 3 remakes. These games can't strictly be called a 'HD remaster' because they already were HD, but I'm including them because they're still just prettier versions of games that already exist. I really can't justify these beyond being filler to expand a platform's library. I would probably include collections like Splinter Cell HD and Prince of Persia HD in these as they were both playable in HD on the PC and haven't received much of a facelift. But some of you may include them in my next category. Additionally there's the Final Fantasy X collection which can be included in this category for the PS4 rerelease of the PS3 rerelease of the PS2 original.

 

The Last of Us

Released in 2013 for the PS3, then released in 2014 for the PS4.

Halo 3, 4 & Halo CE Anniversary

Released in 2007, 2012 & 2011 for the Xbox 360. Released as part of the Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One in 2014.

God of War 3

Released in 2010 for the PS3, then released in 2015 for the PS4.

Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Released in 2002, 2004 & 2005 for the PC. Released as Splinter Cell HD on the PS3 in 2011.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within & Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

Released in 2003, 2004 & 2005 for the PC. Released as Prince of Persia HD on the PS3 in 2010.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster

Released in 2014 for the PS3, then released in 2015 for the PS4. Had these been released on the same day I would have labelled them a port rather than a re-release.

Gears of War/

Released in 2006 for the Xbox 360, then released in 2015 for the Xbox One as Gears of War Ultimate Edition. Includes chapters previously exclusive to the PC version (2007).

 

 

 

HD releases of games previously unavailable in HD

There are also games which get ported from an older (or less capable) platform with very few tweaks. This would be games like Ico Collection, God of War Collection, Soul Calibur 2 HD, The House of the Dead: Overkill, Silent Hill Collection and, for some, Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia. Other than the resolution and frame rate, not much is changed. These collections seem to exist to fill in the void left by not having backwards compatibility. In some cases, I'm looking at you Silent Hill Collection and Zone of the Enders, the games actually play worse than the original.

 

Ico & Shadow of the Colossus

First released in 2002 & 2006 on the PS2, then released on the PS3 in 2011 as Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection.

God of War & God of War II

Released in 2006 & 2007 on the PS2, then released on the PS3 in 2010 as God of War Collection.

Soul Calibur II

Released in 2003 on PS2 and Xbox. Released on the Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2013 as Soul Calibur II HD. This release also added online play.

The House of the Dead: Overkill

Released in 2009 on Wii, then released on the PS3 in 2011 as The House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Cut. This also included two extra levels.

Silent Hill 2 & Silent Hill 3

Released in 2001 & 2003 on PS2, then released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 (broken!) in 2012 as The Silent Hill Collection.

Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Released in 2002, 2004 & 2005 for the PS2. Released as Splinter Cell HD on the PS3 in 2011.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within & Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

Released in 2003, 2004 & 2005 for the PS2. Released as Prince of Persia HD on the PS3 in 2010.

Zone of the Enders & Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner

Released in 2001 & 2003 for the PS2. Released as Zone of the Enders HD Collection on the PS3 in 2012.

Resident Evil

Released in 2002 for the GameCube, based on the earlier 1996 release for the PlayStation 1. Released as Resident Evil HD Remaster in 2015.

 

 

 

Re-releases of games with very little graphical changes but other changes which make the game significantly different

This category will perhaps be the most controversial as some could see them as just being ports rather than 'rereleases' but with the time difference between them I feel they count. There are some games which are released later on with changes that can make them feel like whole new games. This includes games such as Resident Evil 4 Wii and Okami Wii. You could also argue that Metroid Prime Trilogy would fit into this.

 

God of War: Chains of Olympus & God of War: Ghost of Sparta

Released in 2008 & 2010 on the PSP, then released on the PS3 in 2011 as God of War Origins Collection. Moved from handheld to console.

Resident Evil 4

Original released in 2005 for GameCube and PS2. Then released in 2007 on the Wii with pointer/motion controls.

Okami

Released in 2007 for the PS2, then released in 2008 on the Wii with motion controls.

Xenoblade Chronicles

Released in 2011 for the Wii, then released in 2015 on the new 3DS. Moved from console to handheld.

 

 

 

 

Remasters of games.

Then finally we have the full on remaster like The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, Resident Evil Remake and Halo 1 Anniversary Edition. These games appeared years earlier and have been remade from the ground up to fit onto their new platforms.

 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

Released in 1998 for the N64 and then released in 2011 on 3DS.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D

Released in 2000 for the N64 and then released in 2015 on 3DS.

Resident Evil Remake

Released in 1996 for the PS1 and then released in 2002 on GameCube.

Halo 1 Anniversary Edition

Released in 2001 for the Xbox and then released in 2011 on Xbox 360.

 

 

 

Personally I can see that it is an easier way to get a game to market for the publishers, and it does mean that an older game could attract a new audience but on the other hand I do worry that it'll stifle creativity if we keep looking backwards.

 

I can take or leave HD releases of games previously not available in HD, when it comes down to it the game is the same just a bit prettier, but it would take a lot to get me to buy a game that has already had a recent HD release.

 

As this is a Nintendo forum I should probably ask another question too: would you buy a HD Super Mario Galaxy? The game was really pretty as it is and if they just made it HD... I wouldn't rush out to buy it. If it supported more traditional controls, I'd be more likely to get it as I don't feel it really benefited from the Wii control scheme.

 

If there has already been a thread like this feel free to merge my post into it!

Edited by V. Amoleo

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I don't mind re-releases/re-masters.

 

Recently bought DmC Definitive Edition and while graphically nothing really changed the game really benefits from 60fps: Combat is smooth and even more fun than I've remembered from the PS3-Version.

 

Also bought the Metroid Prime Trilogy for my Wii U even though I own the first to for my GC. It's a convenient way to have them all on one system (which I don't use :laughing:)

 

The recent announcements/rumours of GOW 3 and Gravity Rush for PS4 made me giddy with excitement.

 

Tomb Raider, GTA V, The Last of Us. All amazing games by itself but benefit greatly from a remaster.

 

 

Would I buy Mario Galaxy HD? Only if it came as a Mario Galaxy HD Collection (i.e. both installments).

 

Also: Where is my fucking Super Mario Sunshine HD Remaster, Nintendo? I need this :(

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It's an interesting discussion, great thread!

 

I bought The Last of Us remastered, Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, Metro Redux and GTAV, all on PS4. Personally, I'm very, very, very grateful that they were all remastered/re-released because I didn't own a PS3 or 360 last gen, so the only way I could play these would be to pick up another piece of hardware to give them a go. In this instance, if you never got a chance to play them first time around, then it's pretty cool to then be able to play the absolute best versions of these games on the latest piece of hardware.

 

I doubt I'd have bought any of these had I already played them on the PS3. I don't necessarily think they're a bad idea in itself, provided that the actual upgrade is worthwhile. I wouldn't pay full (or even half price, I guess) to play the same version of an older game.

 

Would I buy Super Mario Galaxy HD? To be honest, no. Mainly because I've already played the original and am not really in a rush to play it through again. It's also on a console that I'm not really fond of.

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F-Zero GX, remaster in full 1080p at 60fps, with full online and amiibo support.

 

Instant Purchase! :awesome:

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I prefer a remaster to a re-release. Like the recent Resident Evil remaster was brilliant and I also enjoyed Wind Waker on Wii U as I never got round to playing it on the original release.

 

Regarding the current list of 'remakes' like The Last of Us and Tom Raider and GTA, I cant help but feel it's a way to cash in from the developers. Whilst I don't exactly blame them, I'd much prefer to see a new release instead. I still thin the Ps4 could do with more original content outside of indies. Part of the reason I haven't turned mine on since Christmas day when I got it. That, and I prefer my One.

 

I'd happily take a Galaxy remake but I don't know if I'd play it again so soon after playing it originally. I like that Nintendo tend to remake games for different platforms like with the N64 Zelda games to 3DS and the Pokemon games. They often make playing through them old games massively enjoyable as they've left it long enough to take advantage of the newer hardware, more so than these current remakes.

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It's an interesting discussion, great thread!

I bought The Last of Us remastered, Tomb Raider Definitive Edition, Metro Redux and GTAV, all on PS4. Personally, I'm very, very, very grateful that they were all remastered/re-released because I didn't own a PS3 or 360 last gen, so the only way I could play these would be to pick up another piece of hardware to give them a go. In this instance, if you never got a chance to play them first time around, then it's pretty cool to then be able to play the absolute best versions of these games on the latest piece of hardware.

 

This is why I believe that this category of games is replacing backwards compatibility. Yes they wouldn't have been spruced up like the re-release but the same core game would have been available to play if backwards compatibility was present.

 

F-Zero GX, remaster in full 1080p at 60fps, with full online and amiibo support.

 

Instant Purchase! :awesome:

 

Would you not also buy a new F-Zero game though? Would it have to be a remaster of GX?

 

I'd happily take a Galaxy remake but I don't know if I'd play it again so soon after playing it originally. I like that Nintendo tend to remake games for different platforms like with the N64 Zelda games to 3DS and the Pokemon games. They often make playing through them old games massively enjoyable as they've left it long enough to take advantage of the newer hardware, more so than these current remakes.

 

On a whole I do agree that the Nintendo rereleases have been on the better end of the scale. But I'm still not sold that Wind Waker was the best Zelda game to do a HD remake of. The art design of that game was so good that the original GameCube one still holds up really well while Twilight Princess would have benefited a lot more.

 

What you've all reminded me is that there is a lot more re-releases than I initially remembered. GTA V, Tomb Raider, Devil May Cry, Metro Redux.

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I'm strongly in favour of HD remasters - if nothing else, it's a good way of reformatting a classic game so it fits an HDTV. Dragon Quest VIII and Twilight Princess would be welcome - anything with a good story and strong atmosphere.

 

Would I buy Super Mario Galaxy HD? No. To me, Mario games are a test of skill, like racing games. I prefer to master the latest edition and then move on.

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I don't see why people would have a problem with them since they are usually handled by another company to the ones making the games in the first place. The only thing I object to is when you get minimal effort remasters of a certain age being sold for £18 (or whatever the Wii titles are currently going for).

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Would you not also buy a new F-Zero game though? Would it have to be a remaster of GX?

 

Of course, but it's unlikely to happen, so I'd settle for a F-Zero GX remaster because that game is near perfect and we probably won't ever see a game of that calibre ever again due to the nature of how it was developed.

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It's a little 50/50 with me. I'm happy with some of the remasters/re-releases of some games like The Last of Us and Sleeping Dogs. These were two games that i missed out on, either because i didn't own the console (The Last of Us) or just missed in the last generation (Sleeping Dogs). Games like Tomb Raider and GTA V (which are two other last gen games i re-bought for PS4). I'm happy they re-released them, but both didn't exactly need to be redone as i've played them before and i can still play them via the 360. But it benefited both companies, as they've made a lot of money on sales on these games on this generation of consoles.

 

Nintendo however, i believe are doing the remasters correctly. They re did Majora's Mask with new stuff for the 3DS, basically rebuilding from the ground up. To be fair, they needed to do that seeing as it needed the expansion pak to make it work. Wind Waker HD, looks stunning and i much prefer it on the WiiU over the Gamecube. Mainly with it's extra features they added.

 

Now, if they re did Mario Galaxy and released it again, i probably wouldn't get it right away as i played it late last year.

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I'd love a new F-Zero game as much as anyone, but if Nintendo were to bring one of the previous titles into the current era, I'd actually prefer to see F-Zero X get remade for either Wii U or 3DS :smile:

 

As amazing as F-Zero GX undoubtedly is, I don't feel it would benefit anywhere near as much from an HD uplift as its predecessor, a game which is obviously showing its age. The music was also much better in F-Zero X and there'd be the tantalising option of providing the 64DD track editor in a remake :hehe:

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Why not have both? ;)

 

N64 F-Zero on 3DS

GC F-Zero on Wii U

 

Plus...

 

F-Zero track editor for mobile

 

Followed by...

 

F-Zero NX launching the next platform.

 

Oh and while you're at it Nintendo...

 

F-Zero Climax for Wii U VC

 

But I digress... :heh:

 

In short, any F-Zero remake/release or a brand new game would be more than fine by me. : peace:

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Of course, but it's unlikely to happen, so I'd settle for a F-Zero GX remaster because that game is near perfect and we probably won't ever see a game of that calibre ever again due to the nature of how it was developed.

 

That actually raises another good point. If a company isn't up for making a completely new game, a hd remaster would be a cheaper way to get another entry into the series.

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In most cases, I prefer to see games re-released exactly as they were, warts and all. I just don't like the idea of a game being changed after it has been released originally (unless it is specifically advertised as being something different that isn't intended to replace the original - like with DmC Definitive Edition, Kirby Superstar Ultra or Wind Waker HD for instance - or if they release it exactly as it was with no changes at all outside of improved performance and maybe additional content/features that fit the game it stars in - like Bayonetta Wii U, or Xenoblade 3D).

 

With most of these re-releases, there's almost always something that the people porting these games (be it the original developer or another developer doing the porting in their stead), always seem to can't resist changing. The worst example of this for me are the XBLA ports of Banjo Kazooie, Tooie and Perfect Dark; where 4J Studios made a whole manner of small changes that utterly infuriate me. They're no longer the same games as the ones I love on the N64 and I would always choose to play the original cart versions of these games instead, despite the poor image quality and crappy framerates that come with them. I hate the George Lucas approach to re-releasing things!

 

The ideal scenario for me would be to have the original games just emulated in higher resolution, like on the VC. That way, you know you are getting the exact original experience as it was intended.

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The ideal scenario for me would be to have the original games just emulated in higher resolution, like on the VC. That way, you know you are getting the exact original experience as it was intended.

 

I totally agree that there is a place for faithfully emulated games. I'd maybe even go so far as to say that a higher resolution should be optional too and that the ability to play games from specific regions should be possible (50hz vs 60hz for example).

 

But that isn't a remaster/remake in the way that publishers are currently releasing as they don't aim to emulate an earlier console.

 

You mentioned Xenoblade Chronicles 3D has made me remember that I've actually played a bit of that since it was being released. It's definitely my fourth definition of a Remake because it's still the same game from the Wii but it feels different playing it on a handheld. Not sure how I feel about it yet.

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That's been rumoured for quite a while now so I'm not surprised. I think we'll see a lot of these kind of remakes from games that are carrying on from one gen to the next like we are seeing with Batman, Uncharted (hopefully Mass Effect!). That's also why I think we'll see a new God of War announced at E3 now we're getting the God of War 3 remaster. They take much less work as they are given to other devs and will work as good advertising for the new games.

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