Avideo game remake is avideo game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game with updated graphics for newer hardware and gameplay forcontemporary audiences. Typically, aremake of such game software shares essentially the same title, fundamental gameplay concepts, and core story elements of the original game, although some aspects of the original game may have been changed for the remake.[1]
Remakes are often made by the original developer orcopyright holder, and sometimes by thefan community. If created by the community, video game remakes are sometimes also calledfangames and can be seen as part of theretro gaming phenomenon.
A remake offers a newer interpretation of an older work, characterized by updated or changed assets. For example,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D andThe Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D for theNintendo 3DS are considered remakes of their original versions for theNintendo 64, and not aremaster or aport, since there are new character models and texture packs.[1][2][3]The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD forWii U would be considered a remaster, since it retains the same, albeit updated upscaled aesthetics of the original.[4][5]
A remake typically maintains the same story, genre, and fundamental gameplay ideas of the original work. The intent of a remake is usually to take an older game that has become outdated and update it for a new platform and audience. A remake will not necessarily preserve the original gameplay especially if it is dated, instead remaking the gameplay to conform to the conventions of contemporary games or later titles in the same series in order to make a game marketable to a new audience.[1] One such remake wasOpenBor's remake of the gameSpider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage, which features now different character sounds and edited sprites. A sequel titled Maximum Carnage Returns was also released by the author of OpenBor, and this expanded a global video-game remake franchise.
For example, for Sierra's 1991 remake ofSpace Quest, the developers used the engine, point-and-click interface, and graphical style ofSpace Quest IV: Roger Wilco and The Time Rippers, replacing the original graphics andtext parser interface of the original. However, other elements, like the narrative, puzzles and sets, were largely preserved. Another example isBlack Mesa, a remake built entirely from the ground up in theSource Engine that remakes in-game textures, assets, models, andfacial animations, while taking place in the events of the originalHalf-Life game.Resident Evil 2 (2019) is a remake of the 1998 gameResident Evil 2; while the original usestank controls and fixed camera angles, the remake features "over-the-shoulder"third-person shooter gameplay similar toResident Evil 4 and more recent games in the series that allows players the option to move while using their weapons similar toResident Evil 6.[6]
In the early history of video games, remakes were generally regarded as "conversions"[7] and seldom associated with nostalgia. Due to limited and often highly divergent hardware, games appearing on multiple platforms usually had to be entirely remade. These conversions often included considerable changes to the graphics and gameplay, and could be regarded retroactively as remakes, but are distinguished from later remakes largely by intent. A conversion is created with the primary goal of tailoring a game to a specific piece of hardware, usually contemporaneous or nearly contemporaneous with the original release. An early example wasGun Fight,Midway's 1975 reprogrammed version ofTaito'sarcade gameWestern Gun, with the main difference being the use of amicroprocessor in the reprogrammed version, which allowed improved graphics and smoother animation than thediscrete logic of the original.[8] In 1980,Warren Robinett createdAdventure for theAtari 2600, a graphical version of the 1970s text adventureColossal Cave Adventure.[9][10][11][12] Also in 1980,Atari released the first officiallylicensed homeconsole game conversion of an arcade title, Taito's 1978 hitSpace Invaders, for theAtari 2600. The game became the first "killer app" for avideo game console by quadrupling the system's sales.[13][14] Since then, it became a common trend toport arcade games to home systems since thesecond console generation, though at the time they were often more limited than the original arcade games due to the technical limitations of home consoles.
In 1985,Sega released a pair of arcade remakes of older home video games.Pitfall II: Lost Caverns was effectively a remake of both the originalPitfall! and its sequelPitfall II: Lost Caverns with new level layouts and colorful, detailed graphics. That same year, Sega adapted the 1982computer gameChoplifter for the arcades, taking the fundamental gameplay of the original and greatly expanding it, adding new environments, enemies, and gameplay elements. This version was very successful, and later adapted to theMaster System andFamicom. Both of these games were distinguished from most earlier conversions in that they took major liberties with the source material, attempting to modernize both the gameplay as well as the graphics.
Some of the earliest remakes to be recognized as such were attempts to modernize games to the standards of later games in the series. Some were even on the same platforms as the original, for exampleUltima I: The First Age of Darkness, a 1986 remake of the original that appeared on multiple platforms, including theApple II, the system the game originated on. Other early remakes of this type includeSierra's early-1990s releases ofKing's Quest,Space Quest andLeisure Suit Larry. These games used the technology and interface of the most recent games in Sierra's series, and original assets in a dramatically different style. The intent was not simply to bring the game to a new platform, but to modernize older games which had in various ways become dated.
With the birth of theretrogaming phenomenon, remakes became a way for companies to revive nostalgic brands.Galaga '88 andSuper Space Invaders '91 were both attempts to revitalize aging arcade franchises with modernized graphics and new gameplay elements, while preserving many signature aspects of the original games. The16-bit generation of console games was marked by greatly enhanced graphics compared to the previous generation, but often relatively similar gameplay, which led to an increased interest in remakes of games from the previous generation.Super Mario All-Stars remade the entire NESMario series, and was met with great commercial success. Remake compilations of theNinja Gaiden andMega Man series followed. As RPGs increased in popularity, games in theDragon Quest,Ys andMegami Tensei series were also remade. In the mid-'90s, Atari released a series of remakes with the2000 brand, includingTempest 2000,Battlezone 2000, andDefender 2000. After Atari's demise, Hasbro continued the tradition, with 3D remakes ofPong,Centipede, andAsteroids.
By 1994 the popularity ofCD-ROM led to many remakes with digitized voices and, sometimes, better graphics, althoughComputer Gaming World noted the "amateur acting" in many new and remade games on CD.[15]Emulation also made perfect ports of older games possible, with compilations becoming a popular way for publishers to capitalize on older properties.
Budget pricing gave publishers the opportunity to match their game's price with the perceived lower value proposition of an older game, opening the door for newer remakes. In 2003,Sega launched theSega Ages line forPlayStation 2, initially conceived as a series of modernized remakes of classic games, though the series later diversified to includeemulated compilations. The series concluded with a release that combined the two approaches, and included a remake ofFantasy Zone II that ran, via emulation, on hardware dating to the time of the original release, one of the few attempts at an enhanced remake to make no attempts at modernization. The advent of downloadable game services likeXbox Live Arcade andPlayStation Network has further fueled the expanded market for remakes, as the platform allows companies to sell their games at a lower price, seen as more appropriate for the smaller size typical of retro games. Some XBLA and PSN remakes includeBionic Commando Rearmed,Jetpac Refuelled,Wipeout HD (a remake not of the originalWipeout but of the two PSP games),Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram andSuper Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.
Some remakes may include the original game as a bonus feature. For example, the 2004 remake ofMetroid,Metroid Zero Mission contains the original game as a bonus after beating the game once. The 2009 remake ofThe Secret of Monkey Island took this a step further by allowing players to switch between the original and remade versions on the fly with a single button press. This trend was continued in the sequel, and is also a feature inHalo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and later inHalo 2 Anniversary as part ofHalo: The Master Chief Collection.
Remasters and remakes on theNintendo DS includeSuper Mario 64 DS,Kirby Super Star Ultra,Diddy Kong Racing DS,Pokémon HeartGold andSoulSilver,Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon,Final Fantasy III andIV,Dragon Quest IV throughVI, andKingdom Hearts Re:coded. TheNintendo 3DS's lineup also had numerous remasters and remakes, includingThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D,Star Fox 64 3D,The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D,Pokémon Omega Ruby andAlpha Sapphire,Metroid: Samus Returns,Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions,Luigi's Mansion, andMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey. Remasters on both the DS and 3DS includeCave Story,[16]Myst[17] andRayman 2: The Great Escape.[18]
Games unsupported by therights-holders often spark remakes created byhobbyists and game communities.[19][20] An example isOpenRA, which is a modernized remake of the classicCommand & Conquer real-time-strategy games. Beyond cross-platform support, it adds comfort functions and gameplay functionality inspired by successors of the original games.[21] Another notable examples arePioneers, a remake and sequel in spirit toFrontier: Elite II;[19]CSBWin, a remake of thedungeon crawler classicDungeon Master;[22] andPrivateer Gemini Gold, a remake ofWing Commander: Privateer.[23][24]
Skywind is a fan remake ofMorrowind (2002) running onBethesda'sCreation Engine, utilising the source code, assets and gameplay mechanics ofSkyrim (2011). The original game developers, Bethesda Softworks, have given project volunteers their approval.[25] The remake team includes over 70 volunteers in artist, composer, designer, developer, and voice-actor roles. In November 2014, the team reported to have finished half of the remake's environment, over 10,000 new dialogue lines, and three hours of series-inspired soundtrack. The sameopen-development project is also working onSkyblivion, a remake ofOblivion (the game betweenMorrowind andSkyrim) in theSkyrim engine, andMorroblivion, a remake ofMorrowind in theOblivion engine (which still has a significant userbase on older PCs).
The termdemake may refer to games created deliberately with an artstyle inspired by older games of a previousvideo game generation. The action platformerMega Man 9 is an example of such a game.[26] Although remakes typically aim to adapt a game from a more limited platform to a more advanced one, a rising interest in older platforms has inspired some to do the opposite, remaking or adapting modern games to the technical standards of older platforms, usually going so far as to implement them on obsolete hardware platforms, hence the term "Demake". Such games are either physical or emulated.[27]
Modern demakes often change the 3D gameplay to a 2D one. Popular demakes includeQuest: Brian's Journey, an official Game Boy Color port ofQuest 64;Super Smash Land, an unofficial Game Boy-style demake ofSuper Smash Bros.;D-Pad Hero, a NES-esque demake ofGuitar Hero;Rockman 7 FC andRockman 8 FC, NES-styled demakes ofMega Man 7 andMega Man 8, respectively;Gang Garrison 2, a pixelated demake ofTeam Fortress 2;Bloodborne PSX, aPS1 demake ofBloodborne; andHalo 2600, anAtari 2600 demake of Microsoft'sHalo series.[28][29][30] There are alsoNES-style demakes of theTouhou Project gamesEmbodiment of Scarlet Devil andPerfect Cherry Blossom. Some demakes are created to showcase and push the abilities of older generation systems such as the Atari 2600. An example of this is the 2013 gamePrincess Rescue, which is a demake of the NES titleSuper Mario Bros.[31]
While most demakes arehomebrew efforts from passionate fans, some are officially endorsed by the original creators such asPac-Man Championship Edition'sFamicom/NES demake being printed onto Japanese physical editions of theNamcot Collection as an original bonus game.[citation needed]
For much of the 1990s inChina,Hong Kong, andTaiwan,black market developers created unauthorized adaptations of then-modern games such asStreet Fighter II,Mortal Kombat,Phantasy Star IV,Final Fantasy VII orTekken for theFamicon,[32][33] which enjoyed considerable popularity in the regions because of the availability of low-costcompatible systems.[34]
Aport is a conversion of a game to a new platform that relies heavily on existing work and assets.[35] A port may include various enhancements like improved performance, resolution, and sometimes even additional content, but differs from a remake in that it still relies heavily on the original assets and engine of the source game.[1] Sometimes, ports even remove content that was present in the original version. For example, the handheld console ports ofMortal Kombat II had fewer characters than the original arcade game and other console ports due to system storage limitations but otherwise were still faithful to the original in terms of gameplay.[36][37]
Compared to the intentional video game remake or remaster which is often done years or decades after the original came out, ports or conversions are typically released during the same generation as the original (the exception beingmobile gaming versions of PC games, such asGrand Theft Auto III, since mobile gaming platforms did not exist until the 2010s going forward).[38] Home console ports usually came out less than a year after the original arcade game, such as the distribution ofMortal Kombat for home consoles by Acclaim Entertainment.[39] Since the 2000s as arcade releases are no longer the original launch platform for a video game, publishers tend to release the video game simultaneously on several consoles first and then port to the PC later.[1]
A conversion that contains a great deal of remade assets may sometimes be considered aremaster or apartial remake, although video game publishers are not always clear on the distinction.DuckTales: Remastered for example uses the term "Remastered" to distinguish itself from the original NES game it was based on, even though it is a clean-slate remake with a different engine and assets. Compared to a port which is typically released in the same era as the original, a remaster is done years or decades after the original in order to take advantage of generation technological improvements (the latter which a port avoids doing). Unlike a remake which often changes the now-dated gameplay, a remaster is very faithful to the original in that aspect (in order to appeal to that nostalgic audience) while permitting only a limited number of gameplay tweaks for the sake of convenience.[1]
Games that use an existing brand but are conceptually very different from the original, such asWolfenstein 3D (1992) andReturn to Castle Wolfenstein (2001) orTomb Raider (1996) andTomb Raider (2013) are usually regarded asreboots rather than remakes.[citation needed]
There is a version that just works, without an emulator, and it's free. [...] A madman by the name of Paul Stevens spent six months, eight hours a day, writing 120,000 lines of what he calls "pseudo-assembly language" to rebuild it in C++. And then released the game and source code for free. Can he do that? I've decided that yes, he can, which legitimises my promoting it to you.