Excellent article. I completely agree, I loved so much about Seiken Densetsu 3 when I played it back in the 90s. It was unlike anything else I'd played with the changing story and the classes. It was the perfect sequel to SOM, and may still be the best in the series, though I haven't played them all.
They tried and IMO failed to do something similar in Sword of Mana but the classes were just a couple of buffs.
I haven't played the remakes yet, but I do plan on doing a side-by-side playthrough of the original and remakes one day.
@DougalMcGuire Other youtubers are buying premade kits to mod their systems. Taki is actually developing the kits in conjunction with the manufacturers. He's the one figuring out how to make the needed components so that others can buy them to mod their switch lite.
@Friendly and not even offering those of us who don't care a flip about "the integrity of the original" to enable or even BUY the extra content they're choosing not to port.
Couple of clarifications and a question. Unless I missed it the video doesn't mention that you can only link up 2 Switch devices for the purpose of swapping all of your virtual game cards back and forth between them.
Also the article text states that when the virtual game card has been loaned out you can use the online license to play it on the original Switch. This isn't correct, you cannot use online licenses to play games that have been loaned out, it gives you a message that you'll need to collect the virtual game card to play it.
What I'd like to know is how easy it is to disconnect a switch device pairing and connect a different one. I've got an OLED and my kids have lite's if I pair one of them so I don't have the limitations inherent in the lending system, can I easily remove it and pair my Switch 2 when it comes in? What if my paired switch gets dropped in the lake or stolen? Can I still disconnect the pairing or do I need to go through Nintendo support and if so is there some "1 system per year" restriction like removing your account from a Switch you don't have anymore?
I just want them to let me buy the extra content from other versions! These are the definitive versions of the originals, but they've got extra content from many different versions that I would love to see. I need my extra FFV jobs!
The video you posted is exactly why I don't want an HD 2D remake. Because just like with Octopath Traveler, and slightly less with Live A Live and DQ3, it takes out all the bright vibrant color that is such a part of the game and makes everything dull. The reason I love the pixel remaster series so much is that it keeps those color pallets and sometimes even enhances them. I don't understand the fascination with dynamic lighting and contrast, it's made by an Anime/Manga creator, keep the aesthetic! It's supposed to look like a cartoon!
For me it's basically anything that breaks from the core gameplay loop. I understand wanting to add variety, but that can be done within the constraints of the established systems. Some examples:
The Sony Spider-Man games. Not a huge fan of chasing pigeons or stopping 1000 crimes to get the plat, but it's still more of playing the game. But why on earth am I forced to spend 20 minutes crawling around as MJ and forced to restart the second I'm spotted, when all I want to be doing is swinging around the city indulging my power fantasy.
BOTW. Same thing, forced stealth section in an otherwise open game. Can't find the master sword without slowly creeping behind a guy forever and starting over when he turns around suddenly and sees you.
Ratchet and Clank. This game is about exploring the planets, killing baddies, leveling up, boosting your weapons, finding secrets, etc. Why shoehorn in spaceship battles with no real progression
Kingdom Hearts (3 especially) - Same as above, only with a cutscene every 5 minutes and a bad minigame every 10.
Enter the Matrix - Stupid $#@^%$ driving levels!
Jedi Survivor - Growing a rooftop garden??
Sea of Stars - Random top down bullet hell boss fight. Also who uses tank controls in 2023? What the heck?
I think this gets my point across. Games like Vampire Survivors, Forager, Stardew Valley, and other indie games get the point and they stick to what they do best. Mario Odyssey making me decorate a face or race a koopa or walk in a perfect circle guarantee that I won't ever 100% them.
@EarthboundBenjy Lunar and Lunar 2 on PS1 are both fantastic games. They have fun, epic battles, great characters, really good voice acting and anime cutscenes. The PSP remake of Lunar 1 is not quite as good as the PS1version, but still a great game. Lunar Legend was kinda like FF7R, not really the same game, just sort of.
Lunar Dragon Song, to me, is the example of your first paragraph. A game so terrible that it holds the record of worst game I've ever beat. I preordered it, picked it up on launch day, and beat it despite hating every moment of it, just hoping for some hint of the greatness of its predecessors. And unlike Paper Mario, that was the last new game in the series.
I'm with @reapermelia, they're using remake as a term to describe what they did with FF7R, when really it just means making the same game with modern tools, maybe some extra content. The PSP anniversary editions of the first 2 FF games were remakes. A remaster is updating the graphics to look better on modern hardware, but primarily retaining the original code, like FF8 or kingdom hearts HD.
CC:FF7 Rebirth is exactly a remake, and I'm 100% here for it. I played the heck out of it on PSP and have been searching for a good way to play it again for ten years.
Really what's called Final Fantasy 7 Remake should be called Final Fantasy 7 Revised, or maybe Reinvented.
And since this is comment 42, it's officially the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
Comments 17
Re: Feature: Get A Job - 30 Years On, Seiken Densetsu 3's Class System Is Still One Of The Best
Excellent article. I completely agree, I loved so much about Seiken Densetsu 3 when I played it back in the 90s. It was unlike anything else I'd played with the changing story and the classes. It was the perfect sequel to SOM, and may still be the best in the series, though I haven't played them all.
They tried and IMO failed to do something similar in Sword of Mana but the classes were just a couple of buffs.
I haven't played the remakes yet, but I do plan on doing a side-by-side playthrough of the original and remakes one day.
Re: 18 Months And $200,000 Later, Modder Gives Switch Lite OLED And HDMI-Out - And A Switch 2 OLED Mod Is Next
@DougalMcGuire Other youtubers are buying premade kits to mod their systems. Taki is actually developing the kits in conjunction with the manufacturers. He's the one figuring out how to make the needed components so that others can buy them to mod their switch lite.
Re: Donkey Kong Bananza Gets An Eight-Minute Overview Trailer
The English version is available now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjq-2Fwb730
Re: Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster Controversially Cuts War Of The Lions Content
@Friendly and not even offering those of us who don't care a flip about "the integrity of the original" to enable or even BUY the extra content they're choosing not to port.
Re: How Do Nintendo Switch 2 Virtual Game Cards Work? - Game Transfer & Lending Guide
Couple of clarifications and a question. Unless I missed it the video doesn't mention that you can only link up 2 Switch devices for the purpose of swapping all of your virtual game cards back and forth between them.
Also the article text states that when the virtual game card has been loaned out you can use the online license to play it on the original Switch. This isn't correct, you cannot use online licenses to play games that have been loaned out, it gives you a message that you'll need to collect the virtual game card to play it.
What I'd like to know is how easy it is to disconnect a switch device pairing and connect a different one. I've got an OLED and my kids have lite's if I pair one of them so I don't have the limitations inherent in the lending system, can I easily remove it and pair my Switch 2 when it comes in? What if my paired switch gets dropped in the lake or stolen? Can I still disconnect the pairing or do I need to go through Nintendo support and if so is there some "1 system per year" restriction like removing your account from a Switch you don't have anymore?
Re: Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters Land New Update As Series Passes 200 Million Sales
I just want them to let me buy the extra content from other versions! These are the definitive versions of the originals, but they've got extra content from many different versions that I would love to see. I need my extra FFV jobs!
Re: Talking Point: HD-2D Or 3D - How Should Square Enix Remake Chrono Trigger?
The video you posted is exactly why I don't want an HD 2D remake. Because just like with Octopath Traveler, and slightly less with Live A Live and DQ3, it takes out all the bright vibrant color that is such a part of the game and makes everything dull. The reason I love the pixel remaster series so much is that it keeps those color pallets and sometimes even enhances them. I don't understand the fascination with dynamic lighting and contrast, it's made by an Anime/Manga creator, keep the aesthetic! It's supposed to look like a cartoon!
Re: Talking Point: What Are The Worst Parts Of Your Favourite Games?
@UltimateOtaku91 The game is amazing and well worth playing, and honestly even with that annoyance it's not hard, just jarring.
Re: Talking Point: What Are The Worst Parts Of Your Favourite Games?
For me it's basically anything that breaks from the core gameplay loop. I understand wanting to add variety, but that can be done within the constraints of the established systems. Some examples:
I think this gets my point across. Games like Vampire Survivors, Forager, Stardew Valley, and other indie games get the point and they stick to what they do best. Mario Odyssey making me decorate a face or race a koopa or walk in a perfect circle guarantee that I won't ever 100% them.
Re: 8BitDo Releasing Mod Kit For The Original N64 Controller, Adds Switch Support
@Mariotag I just preordered the joystick only to replace and use with the N64. It's brilliant!
Re: Soapbox: Paper Mario: Sticker Star Was When The Series Came Unstuck
@EarthboundBenjy Lunar and Lunar 2 on PS1 are both fantastic games. They have fun, epic battles, great characters, really good voice acting and anime cutscenes. The PSP remake of Lunar 1 is not quite as good as the PS1version, but still a great game. Lunar Legend was kinda like FF7R, not really the same game, just sort of.
Lunar Dragon Song, to me, is the example of your first paragraph. A game so terrible that it holds the record of worst game I've ever beat. I preordered it, picked it up on launch day, and beat it despite hating every moment of it, just hoping for some hint of the greatness of its predecessors. And unlike Paper Mario, that was the last new game in the series.
For more about how bad it was: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziVKOlMmsKM
Re: Lunar Genesis: Dragon Song
@Burn It's much more disappointing that it deserved them...
Re: Soapbox: Paper Mario: Sticker Star Was When The Series Came Unstuck
@EarthboundBenjy I'm guessing you're not a fan of Lunar, or you haven't played Dragon Song...
Re: Review: Return To Monkey Island - An Impeccable Encore For An Adventure Gaming Icon
@WoomyNNYes Unless there's a setting to change the graphics to "not butt ugly" then I don't think it really matters...
Re: Embracer Group Completes Acquisition Of Various Square Enix Studios And IPs
I just excited to see SE get back to focusing on the best IPs they have.
Re: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Is Apparently Much More Than A Remaster, But Not A "Complete Remake"
I'm with @reapermelia, they're using remake as a term to describe what they did with FF7R, when really it just means making the same game with modern tools, maybe some extra content. The PSP anniversary editions of the first 2 FF games were remakes. A remaster is updating the graphics to look better on modern hardware, but primarily retaining the original code, like FF8 or kingdom hearts HD.
CC:FF7 Rebirth is exactly a remake, and I'm 100% here for it. I played the heck out of it on PSP and have been searching for a good way to play it again for ten years.
Really what's called Final Fantasy 7 Remake should be called Final Fantasy 7 Revised, or maybe Reinvented.
And since this is comment 42, it's officially the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
Re: Video: Our Video Producer Got Stranded, So Became A World Record Speed Runner
The run is approved now, WR is official, congrats Alex. https://www.speedrun.com/toree_2#Any