Square Enix's SNES JRPG 'Live A Live' Is Coming To The West After Almost 30 Years

The Switch library is just getting better and better. Awesome news!

I have always had the fan translation on my back burner... I might buy this one to give it a shot for real at last.

Gotta admit, it looks very interesting. Might check it out.

I'll be very happy to walk into this one having no knowledge of the original.

That being said, where is the obvious FF6 HD-2D??

This was so unexpected!

Unfortunately for me I already know the big story twist due to a video I watched as I was convinced this would never be released here. Still going to play through it though.

abhorr the voice acting and the hd 2d artstyle (feels overly-animated when it comes to effects, surroundings tend to look like a bad shadowbox) but, if it gets more people to play a fantastic and clever game, so be it. always happy to see one of my favorite games escape limbo

Never heard of this game, but funnily enough, I recognised the music, from a romhack of all things. Kind of interested to see where it came from. Not gonna lie though, I saw the enginenand though we were gonna hear more about the Dragon Quest 3 remake.

whoisthisgit and me is very happy.

It's not a different art style for each Era but Hd-2D will do for Live A Live.

Wait...is that voice acting I hear?

Speaking of, don't check out whoisthisgit if you're sensitive about spoilers.

Have to give it to Square, I didn't expect them to make the next HD-2D game a remake of a niche Japan only RPG. Really interesting.

Still got my import copy for my SNES a long time ago, can't wait to play the remake for Switch especially since they are remaking it as a 2D HD game like Dragon Quest III, Triangle Strategy, and Octopath Traveler.

Yeah, this was a highlight for me. I'm not a big fan of super storybased games generally, but this one I really, really liked. Can't wait to listen to that godtier soundtrack again. The new visuals look very nice too and voice acting is a nice plus that I was not expecting.

Actually an insane surprise, pretty crazy how this didn't get only a remaster but actually a "2D-HD" treatment. And published by Nintendo, no less, meaning it's at the very least a timed exclusive. I didn't think I'd see the day when Live-A-Live would even see the light of day again.

I'd actually never heard of this game. This was a cool announcement. I definitely want to play it.

Even though this was originally made by Square it's giving me more Enix vibes.

Really nice surprise! Can’t wait !

Triangle Strategy, Chrono Cross, Front Mission, Live A Live, DQ 3 remake…Square bringing it

I just recently learned about this game due to following the music of Yoko Shimamura and was looking a repros on eBay. This was such a shock to be revealed.

The seconda most exciting reveal for me, really a big surprise.

@Mallow Yeap, had they not screw up Kingdom Hearts I wouldn't be so harsh on them.

Wow, that looks super cool, I want it!!

If there's a physical option, I might pony up. In fact, I'm surprised Squeenix even bothered to remake this.

Looks cool. Might check it out

I think we can all agree that this was the least expected announcement of the Direct.

Voice acting is horrible but otherwise nice to see a classic getting an official English remake.

I only heard of this game because of whoisthisgit.
Looks like it might be pretty good!

My interest has absolutely hit its peak with this one, hopefully if this get a lot of sells, it will tell the companies to translate more games!

This is an amazing get. I played this when I was little but woo to play it in english and new graphics! Can't wait!

Never heard of this, but it looks REALLY good. Loved the Octopath engine anyway, now a classic RPG with that look... great.

This looks incredible. It makes me want a HD-2D REMASTER of Chrono Trigger even mode. I'm almost certain to get this day one.

Never heard of it, but seems very similar like Octopath, and I am a fan with game like that. Let's go!

This was my surprise Game of the Direct. Yes Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and FE Warriors Three Hope's will be amazing but this game completely floored me. Please have a physical edition 🙏

I used to read SuperPlay in the early 90s and always wanted this to get and English translation. This announcement has made an old man very happy.

If you pause the video at the title screen at 0:23, you'll realize that the game is actually called "A Live Evil".

@TheWingedAvenger That's what I thought too when I first play it on Super NES but the actual rom is called Live a Live. I always thought it's call Live a Evil.

This one certainly intrigued me. Never heard of it before now, but I like the premise. Definitely keeping an eye on it.

Never EVER heard of this by am extremely interested. I love me some SNES RPG gems.

Even I am excited for this release. Banzai!!!

this is a good day indeed

Looks interesting. I'm admittedly a sucker for this new HD-2D art style.

I'm just wondering is it a traditional JRPG? The trailer kind of made it seem like a bit of mashup of genres to me- which could be a nice change. I'll keep my eye on it aka Wishlist-ed!

... Wun can only hope.

This game has always interested me, I'm excited to try it out.

However, this game must have a cult following in Japan for a nearly $200 collectors edition.

lol just coming? This has been translated about 2 decades ago...smh

I'm not usually one for 'HD-2D' but this looks alright and seems interesting. (Maybe because it doesn't seem to throw 100's of particles, lens flares and other light effects at your retinas)
Would prefer physical though.

I do like that SquareEnix is not only bringing an old game like this out in the west finally but they are also fully remaking it in there new favourite engine for that kind of thing too with DQ3 also using the same one. More 16-bit rpgs remade in this style will suit me fine.

Square Enix has struck absolute gold with this "2,5D-HD" type thing.

I am so happy they decided to give love to some old and nearly forgotten franchises. I gave this game a go a looooong time ago and am defintely getting this. If not for the game itself, then at least for the increased chances of something like Bahamut Lagoon and Final Fantasy 6 getting the same treatment.

@wuntyme8 From what I remember, it's a traditional JRPG gameplay wise, but the world isn't a standard fantasy world, as you can see from the trailer. I think each character came from a different time period or something like that.

@__jamiie If you read Super Play, how can you call yourself an old man? We're still in our twenties, right? RIGHT?!?

Question for those who have played it - is this totally old-school, no sign-posting or hand-holding or more linear?

@Orochilocka It's been a while since I played it, but I don't remember there being much handholding. There was at least one time where the game didn't explain at all what you were supposed to do.

@G-Boy sounds good! Think I’m down for that.

I tried out a bit of the fan translation of Live A Live like 20 years ago, but never got too far into it

Will definitely give this version a shot though.

Played a translated version of this on snes a loooooong time ago. Hope they keep bringing out some more classics.

@Captain_Toad immediately thought of him when this was announced

I’m a sucker for the HD-2D. Even if I don’t love the gameplay for some old JRPGs, it’s almost enough to keep me going through the game.

Will definitely get this and am hopeful for a physical release.
Had the fan translated on my radar but never got to actually playing it
I understand this as being somewhat similar to saga frontier, but with a proper narrative tying everything together, which would be everything I ever wanted from said saga game and came back disappointed...

The only time I'd heard (of) this game before was thanks to the inclusion of its track 'Megalomania' in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, which is an incredible piece of music. I was miffed to learn it was a Japanese-exclusive game, so it's really nice to hear it's coming over at last. I wonder how they'll redo the music score...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rf8Dj7PRAI

@Fizza basically, you have seven short separate rpgs with a grid-based battle system, each with their own (albeit rather cliched, but that's the charm--it makes sense in context) story and characters, which all come together in the end

@wuntyme8 they're mostly straightforward rpgs but each one has another genre twisted in--one is (VERY LOOSELY) a survival horror, another a stealth game, another takes inspiration from mech anime, and another has fighting game inspiration

they all use the same top-down overworld and grid-based combat, at least in the original, though

What would you recommend to a newcomer to Live A Live? To play the original or to wait for the remake?

@somebread sounds interesting. Good to know! I hope Squeenix releases a demo to try it out.

@LokiKatze i think it'll be hard to determine that until it comes out honestly, and at the end of the day there'll be a lot of preference involved (i.e.: preferring how the original looks/sounds, the fan translation versus official and the little things they did to it like having each character have a unique font, versus even the japanese), so ultimately if you're really itching to give it a try you won't really lose anything playing the original (since the gameplay will likely be the same) but otherwise it might be worth it to wait to see how the remake shakes out

Predecesor to Octopath? Looks pretty neat though.

An absolute masterpiece of a game that I've already pre-ordered. Bring on July now!