Do Remakes, Refresh the Series?

[Jirohnagi]

By this i mean, are remakes needed to keep the series fresh?

I'd say yes because it gives access to the older games such as OOT and MM as well as LA or LoZ but at the same time terming it as "remake" seems kind of insulting to the devs of the original game who created it as saw it as good to go, for some game such as OOT the graphic get touched up but something is lost in it ditto for MM.

It's good that the older games are getting some love because some sorely need it but at the same time if they are remaking a game we don't know whats lost in the change, some things mare get replaced and others removed completely and new issues can (and likely will) be introduced.

 

[Spirit]

I'd say yes, especially if the games are ages old like Link's Awakening, which is 26 years old.

Likewise remakes often iron out a lot of kinks and shortcomings of the original which often make them better experiences.

I've never been against the idea of remakes but i think an option to play the original too should be included.

 

[Vanessa28]

To refresh "old" games is never a bad idea. Especially with the amount of console changing Nintendo does. But I may hope they don't forget to work on a new game once in a while

 

[Jirohnagi]

To refresh "old" games is never a bad idea. Especially with the amount of console changing Nintendo does. But I may hope they don't forget to work on a new game once in a while

Part of me does wonder why nintendo feels the need to intersperse remakes with new games but then, money

 

[Dio]

It gives people a chance to play older games and old fans a chance to play games they used to enjoy but might not be able to anymore because they are on an old console. Remakes can also fix some of the issues of the older game and update things to more modern standards.

 

[Farore's Chosen]

That depends on how well its done. What adds and what takes away.

For example, Super Mario All stars made the NES trilogy prettier, but the controls are wonky.

Wily Wars isn't a very engaging game and the controls felt off too and its...kinda ugly.

Leaf Green is a minimal, but nice update.

Alpha Sapphire is fun and adds neat features. But it feels a little too easy. Even for a Pokemon game.

Link's Awakening DX added color, an extra dungeon and a cute, optional sidequest with the mouse. The overall package is quite charming.

Dixie Kong's Double Trouble was treated shamefully on the GBA, bad controls, annoying mini games, graphical downgrade, completely changed the amazing soundtrack.

There are remakes where I either haven't played the original or rm, so I can't comment on games like the original A Boy and His Blob, (holy **** ABaHB is deceptively hard!) Metroid: Zero Mission, Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland, the original Ocarina of Time, the original Majora's Mask, or the original Return of Samus.

Sometimes, you don't need to do much of anything and I'd sooner welcome a good port.

 

[Mido]

I think that remakes have the ability to refresh the series, but I only find that this works if the series has undergone some level of growth and evolution throughout its timeline. whether through gameplay, art style, storytelling, or otherwise. Remakes in these scenarios then serve as a reminder of what the series once was, introducing newer players to a series's origins and taking older players down a trip through memory lane (barring whatever updates are made to the remake). Ultimately, I think remakes are at least somewhat subject to timing as a result of a series's evolution over the years.

 

[Princess Niki]

Yes, it's nice to see how much they update them with newer hardware.

 

[LegendOfMeesh]

I think remakes are a great idea. As long as the updates are tasteful and don’t take away from the original game, and as long as new games are worked on as well. Then I’m all for ‘em!

 

[Vaati101]

In some cases, remakes can be oppotunities for gamers to experience a game that was made either before their time or was only released in Japan. by making remakes of such games, you could potentially be making a new game, not realising it's actually a remake of a game that was made yonks ago.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is a very good example of a refreshing remake. As Fire Emblem Gaiden was the second game in the series, like Zelda II, it took a different approach to the way the gameplay played out. So when Shadows of Valentia came out, not only was it a faithful remake of the NES game, but to western gamers, the game felt more like a brand new experience and was different enough compared to Awakening and Fates to be called a brand new game.

Of course there are remakes out there that simply made to make quick cash (Most notable majority of Wii U to Switch to 3DS games), but overall, remakes are not only good to relive the nostalgic days, but they are also oppotunaties to allow younger generations of gamers to play those games and to experiment with different gameplay mechanics that could potentially make their way to newer games.

 

[A Link In Time]

I think remakes can refresh a series if they are brought to the standards of modern installments in the franchise. Vaati gave a good example above with FE Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. It has a different structure than other games in the franchise, so it feels fresh, and also adds new things to Fire Emblem like full voice acting. During a time when Zelda fans had grown tired of newer games in the franchise at the start of the decade, OoT 3D and MM 3D did a good job bringing back a Classic 3D Zelda experience without the baggage of TP or SS and with a much more intuitive upgraded interface.

Lazy remakes that are basically glorified ports do nothing for a franchise. All these 360/PS3 games being slapped onto the PS4, Xbox One, and now Switch with little to no extra features and not even updated UI are uninspired cash grabs that come across as such.

 

[the8thark]

Do Remakes, Refresh the Series?

No. They do a have a different and great role though. They allow the old games to be played by a new generation.

Nintendo are famous for not caring about the hardware so much but instead wanting more and more people to experience the great games. Other companies do this too in different ways. This is tough when the games are quite old. Very few people play decades old games outside nostalgia sake. The younger generations we not around when these games were in their heyday. I new coat of paint or a move to 3D or some kind of remake really makes these older games so much more accessible to these new generations.

Link's Awakening is a good example. Almost no one will play the GB version outside nostalgia. The GBC version? Some might play that but not too many. The Switch version? I think a lot of people will play that and it'll be their first experience with the game. It's a great method of video game preservation. Sure just dumping the GB and GBC roms is preservation. That's nice but what's the point if noone plays the games anymore. The Switch remake will get so many people playing the game. It's still the same 1993 game at it's core, it's just better. A great way to get the newer generation into the great older games. That way they can experience the classics too.

The remakes don't really refresh the series for the old folk who played the originals. They just get another nostalgia hit and a better version of the game they liked. The remake is essentially a new game for the younger generations who were not around for the original versions. So it's new and wow to them.

Breath of the Wild refreshed the series. That was the change in direction that was totally needed to move away from the complcency the series had been drawn to over the years.

*****

So in conclusion, remakes provide nostalgia to the old folk and a new gaming experience for the younger generations.
New games that really rock the boat - in a good way refresh the series.
in my opinion.