Each video game that is released is like a relic in time but games can also wear with time and become outdated. Game companies had to figure out ways to make old games that may be outdated new and update them for younger audiences to play. This is how the remake, remasters and ports came to be because they are a way for game studios to make old games accessible to others without emulating them. Though the names of each type of game sound similar, they are different from each other.
“My personal thoughts on remakes are that they can be really good in moderation,” senior Austin Lamb said. “What I mean is that a lot of games stand the test of time but maybe need an update and a new release so that they can be easily enjoyed by the audience of today. However, when companies use remakes to make up for a lack of good original games is when it becomes a problem. We should absolutely enjoy the art of the past but we also still need to make the art of today.”
Remasters are the simplest form of updating a game because a remaster is usually very faithful to the original version of the game. Remasters usually update the graphics and might update the game a little bit but generally stay true to the original game. An example of a remaster would be “The Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker HD” a Wii U game which was a remaster of “The Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker” which was a game for the GameCube. The remaster didn’t change the gameplay too much but the game updated the graphics to HD graphics while also updating the lighting system to make the game look fresh while keeping it similar to the original game.
Remakes are taking an old game and rebuilding it from the ground up. Remakes will pretty much change or update the gameplay to make it something new for audiences who may not have gotten to play the original game. Sometimes, remakes can feel like a completely new game that holds the name of the original game. An example of the ladder is the “Final Fantasy VII Remake.” This game is a remake of the game of the same name but it differs since it changes the gameplay and story of the original game and makes it pretty much its own game with the same name and characters.
“My favorite remake is probably “Resident Evil 2”,” senior Jackson Crone said. “In my opinion, it’s one of the best remakes ever made.”
Ports are the easiest way of getting a game to new audiences. A port is a game that is from an old console that is put on a newer console. Ports usually use the same assets and graphics of the original game and are updated a bit and put on a newer console for people who may not have been able to play it. An example would be “New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe” which was a port of the game of the same name for the Wii U. While it changed a bit of the gameplay, the game was pretty much the same.
“Remakes and remasters are amazing when done right,” senior Nate Stachula said. “They can allow a new audience to play older titles that were still very good, especially games that were on less successful systems like the GameCube and the Wii U. A great example of this would be the Nintendo “New Play Control” games which gave new life to games that didn’t get them before. Games like the recent “Metroid Prime” trilogy, “New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe,” “Risk of Rain Returns,” “Pikmin” 1-2 on switch and “Final Fantasy VII” Remake are all remakes and remasters done right.”
