Which Classic Games Would You Like To See "Souped Up" Using Today's Graphics?

[Alexander]

Hi Everyone.

Are there any classic games that you'd like to play in today's graphic capabilities?


1. FF VII
2. DK Jr.
3. Dragon Warrior III

[retroguy]

I'd love to see Fallout 1 and 2 remade using the same engine that was used for Fallout 3 and New Vegas. It would give the fans something to do while Bethesda drags their feet making Fallout 4.

[FieryReign]

Not a big fan of the hyper photo-realistic graphics of modern consoles. We're going to hit a wall here pretty soon. How much more detailed can they get?

If we're talking good old fashioned hi-res spritework, I'd like to bust some chops on a new Streets of Rage game.

[Alexander]

Not a big fan of the hyper photo-realistic graphics of modern consoles. We're going to hit a wall here pretty soon. How much more detailed can they get?

If we're talking good old fashioned hi-res spritework, I'd like to bust some chops on a new Streets of Rage game.

Nice to meet you two. I agree about the wall. How much more realistic graphics can we keep churning out before we hit the wall?

[Tanooki]

I don't think much of any of the 8/16bit games would benefit from souped up modern graphics. Part of their charm was is the limits. Games now lack one huge thing, personal imagination. There's so much power even in the tablets you can create a level of 'reality' that leaves no real room left to have any imagination in what you're playing because the detail is there and the vision can be met. There was no way in hell with SMB (NES) or SMB4(SNES) those systems had the power to make such a hyper realistic level of cartoon that Zelda Wind Waker approached on Gamecube where the imagination was taken away. You were limited to a few dozen to a couple hundred colors and X amount of sprites and backgrounds, that's it. Your imagination had to fill in the blanks and create a world in your dreams and even as you played to bring it to a real level of appreciation of the design. The modern Mario game is like a living cartoon on the 3DS/WiiU, you don't need to think of the what if anymore, the detail is already there where the game look as nice as the hand drawn art and rendered stills in magazines, things the 80s and 90s console couldn't do.

So no, I wouldn't want to see an old game souped up to todays graphics as it would make part of them now a cheaper more hollow experience. Now if we were talking the 2600 like crusty graphics of the 1st gen console 3D games, then you have a case because even by the standards then they looked bad if you had a fairly decent computer/video cart/ram combination in the back half of the 90s.

[Alexander]

I'd love to see Dragon Warrior III remade. That's one of the best rpgs I've ever played. Graphics certainly are an important thing for many of today's gamers but myself, if the title has a good storyline and playability I love them. Anyone who has played DW III knows where I'm coming from I think.

[celerystalker]

I don't think much of any of the 8/16bit games would benefit from souped up modern graphics. Part of their charm was is the limits. Games now lack one huge thing, personal imagination. There's so much power even in the tablets you can create a level of 'reality' that leaves no real room left to have any imagination in what you're playing because the detail is there and the vision can be met. There was no way in hell with SMB (NES) or SMB4(SNES) those systems had the power to make such a hyper realistic level of cartoon that Zelda Wind Waker approached on Gamecube where the imagination was taken away. You were limited to a few dozen to a couple hundred colors and X amount of sprites and backgrounds, that's it. Your imagination had to fill in the blanks and create a world in your dreams and even as you played to bring it to a real level of appreciation of the design. The modern Mario game is like a living cartoon on the 3DS/WiiU, you don't need to think of the what if anymore, the detail is already there where the game look as nice as the hand drawn art and rendered stills in magazines, things the 80s and 90s console couldn't do.

So no, I wouldn't want to see an old game souped up to todays graphics as it would make part of them now a cheaper more hollow experience. Now if we were talking the 2600 like crusty graphics of the 1st gen console 3D games, then you have a case because even by the standards then they looked bad if you had a fairly decent computer/video cart/ram combination in the back half of the 90s.

I very much agree here. I've said it in another thread, but a lot of 8-bit games took on an extra sense of isolation with those stark black backgrounds, and as Tanooki said, imagination is so important to engagement in gaming, and the creativity that blossomed from those limitations is far superior to cookie cutter realism.

[Emperor Megas]

I'd really enjoy a modern, fully 3D version of Forgotten Worlds, and maybe a stealth action re-imagining of the original Rolling Thunder in the vein of Metal Gear Solid, but without the completely over the top shit.

Games now lack one huge thing, personal imagination. There's so much power even in the tablets you can create a level of 'reality' that leaves no real room left to have any imagination in what you're playing because the detail is there and the vision can be met.

I don't have that problem with modern graphics really. I appreciate and love the charm of retro, sprite based games, but I love modern 3D games as well. I wasn't a fan of early 3D games because I thought that they looked like shit, but the modern stuff delivers experiences as amazing as many of my favorite retro games. Modern games can finally deliver what the 32-bit generation was promising.

Games like Child of Eden, Dead Space, The Last Of Us and Bioshock capture my imagination as much as anything from the 8 or 16-bit days did. Sure, I can see every rivet and bolt in the architecture of Rapture, but just how large IS that underwater city? How was it built ,and what was it like to immigrate there? What's it like to live in a deep space colony with a crazy Unitologist bunk mate, and supervisor, and Captain? And what the hell is constantly scratching behind the walls on the USG Ishimura? Is it in my head or what? Are those gorgeous constructs swimming, floating, and flying around Eden's network actually 'alive'? Are they merely avatars, or do they possess individual or collective self-awareness? And I can't tell you how many questions and curiosities I have about the cordyceps infection and the 20 years leading up to and between the revealed events in The Last Of Us. I spend WAY more time than an adult probably should trying to imagine what happened there, and what everyday life is like in that world.

I think modern games still leave plenty to the imagination; well, mine anyway. Some more than others, of course.

[celerystalker]

There are still some great games, for sure, but they catch my imagination primarily with story versus gameplay and graphics. There's definitely room for both, but I like to let the classics be the classics and the new be its own thing. I can see where some games with strong concept but poor execution might be okay for this sort of treatment, though... or just cool but flawed games. Maybe Air Fortress for NES, though it gets crazy good atmosphere out of the NES when you're escaping fortresses.

Abadox. A thoroughly fucked up remake of Abadox in all of its grotesque glory would be something to see.

[Flojomojo]

I want Activision Remix. Take all their old VCS games and make them look like the box art, with subtle 3d effects at 60FPS. Mix them up into one big WarioWare type meta game.

Bit Trip Runner is a nice step in this direction.

[Tanooki]

I'd really enjoy a modern, fully 3D version of Forgotten Worlds, and maybe a stealth action re-imagining of the original Rolling Thunder in the vein of Metal Gear Solid, but without the completely over the top shit.



I don't have that problem with modern graphics really. I appreciate and love the charm of retro, sprite based games, but I love modern 3D games as well. I wasn't a fan of early 3D games because I thought that they looked like shit, but the modern stuff delivers experiences as amazing as many of my favorite retro games. Modern games can finally deliver what the 32-bit generation was promising.

I never said I disliked or liked 3D less. I said that it lacked making people use their imagination which is completely true. Limiations of the day or even today people going with the style limit it so you need to fill in the blanks, and a realistic looking one like an Uncharted or Mass Effect while fantastic are so bloody realistic in so many ways it's like an interactive movie as it's all there in high detail given to you. They capture the imagination the way a movie will or a good tv program, but they never will in the way an old game or a modern more minimalist (retro city rampage, hotel miami, shovel knight) do. The new stuff have that kind of imagination going, the world is already 100% made for you as the artist could fully envision as the hardware is there to do it much like a movie camera or cartoon studio can do, but it doesn't have the hard limits blocking that where the user has to fill in the blanks. That was the point.

I thought the 1st 3D gen console games looked pretty terrible too since I PC gamed along side of them and found myself liking that and the Turbo Duo of all things more. It got me into buying older games aside from the N64 dry spells.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I'd love to see a modern 1080p 60fps remake of SNES Star Fox. I guess with Argonaut no longer with us that's not going to ever happen, but can you imagine it? All of the simple polygon enemies replaced with highly detailed models that share the same rather primitive retro-looking designs. Arranged soundtrack, updated planetscapes. Maybe even competent voice acting.

[Steven]

Burning Rangers. Always felt like it was a bit too ambitious for the Saturn. Good idea, pretty good execution but some rough looking visuals. It really could benefit from some glorious HD 3D.

[Graham Mitchell]

Generally this kind of overhaul would most benefit early 3D (PS1 or Saturn) games that had low-res textures, camera angle and control issues. I thought the reissue of Jet Set Radio was fantastic. I always loved that game, but when they fixed the camera shit with the dual anologue stick and cranked up the frame-rate, it became a masterpiece, IMO. Loved it to death.

That said, here are 2 of my votes:

Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future: Amazing game, totally ahead of its time, but was way too much for the Dreamcast to deal with. I put up with it 15 years ago, but now the framerate drops so bad it's unplayable.

Starflight 1 and 2 and the Star Control series: I know this genre is getting revived but I'd love to see these stories and these gameplay mechanics souped up to the level of Mass Effect. None of the modern space-opera games are funny. I always found these games hilarious.

[sfchakan]

Not a big fan of the hyper photo-realistic graphics of modern consoles. We're going to hit a wall here pretty soon. How much more detailed can they get?

You know, back in 1999, I thought the same thing when the Dreamcast came out. Obviously, graphics have continued to improve, especially on PC.


I agree with early 3D games. Most of those first few waves of PS1 and Saturn games look very rough now.

[Tanooki]

Graham kind of what I was saying with the lousy visuals of the N64/PS1 era stuff, it would benefit.

I have to agree though with Satoshi -- Starfox (even Starfox 2) would greatly benefit. I don't think argonaut really matters. It doesn't matter if they exist, Nintendo owns the games. They did re-do Starfox 64 on 3DS after all and look how nice that one turned out.

[WCP]

Ground Zero Texas


I think it would be totally awesome if there was a modern day FMV game that really tried to be a decent game. Using all of todays modern technology. Blu Ray quality video, 7.1 sound, almost instantaneous video switching, etc, etc. I think it would be fascinating to see what could be done with a modern day FMV game. Imagine Michael Bay and Barry Zito getting together to do a new Digital Pictures production...

[Graham Mitchell]

Ground Zero Texas


I think it would be totally awesome if there was a modern day FMV game that really tried to be a decent game. Using all of todays modern technology. Blu Ray quality video, 7.1 sound, almost instantaneous video switching, etc, etc. I think it would be fascinating to see what could be done with a modern day FMV game. Imagine Michael Bay and Barry Zito getting together to do a new Digital Pictures production...

The new tex Murphy game, tesla effect, kinda does that. The old actors from the original games reprised their roles. The game is still an adventure game, but in the first person instead of the point and click interface of the originals.

It's not an FMV game per se, but it gives you a taste if what it would be like on modern hardware.

[The 1 2 P]

Let's see, the first two Double Dragon's, Ninja Gaiden 1-3(the Nes ones), Konami's first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nes game, Prowrestling and Gun.Smoke(the Nes versions).

[Niku-Sama]

I'd like them to redo ridge racer 4 on a modern system.
the game looked hella good for a PSX game but if they kept the game play exactly the same and updated visuals only I think it would be a decent download title