Nostalgia: Game Remakes vs Game Re Releases

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Yesterday, Square Enix failed to celebrate the 20th birthday of what many consider to be the company's crowning achievement in videogame storytelling - Final Fantasy VI. I made a note of this to some friends who are game enthusiasts, and a lengthy discussion regarding the current state of JRPGs followed. Comments such as "Square doesn't care for good games anymore" and "Square has redeemed itself with Bravely Default" were tossed around, just as much in jest as in seriousness (we all know it was thanks to Nintendo that the masterpiece that is Bravely Default made it to US shores), until I finally volunteered that whatever else was in Square's plate, they needed to hire the team behind the now cancelled Chrono Resurrection and plan for a release of the game. It was at this point where my dearest friend wrote sarcastically "Sure... Because -yet another- revamp/rework/re-release is exactly what we need."

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My friend is clearly against remakes and re-releases. I assented only to partial agreement with her. I explained that while it was true that the last thing the JRPG fan community needs is another re-release of an SNES game with minor modifications, the whole scene would be revitalized by a full remake of some of the old classics. I explained that Chrono Trigger tells one of the more interesting stories found in videogame form, and that if it were re-released with updated assets it would both pander to a demographic in their late 20s and early 30s - those who grew up with these games on the SNES - and expose a younger generation to these classics. I took it even further by saying that Final Fantasy 6, the title which prompted this discussion, should receive a similar treatment. Should we get yet another digital re-release of these games? I think not. I'm not even sure that re-releasing the games with the same assets in HD would be a positive. In fact, I am openly critical of that horrible Final Fantasy 6 iOS "remake" that looks more like a cheaply made flash version of the game. However, I noted, Final Fantasy 6 and Chrono Trigger remade in the Crystal Engine (of Final Fantasy XIII fame) with a re-recorded soundtrack by the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra (who have proven themselves magnificent in recreating Final Fantasy music) and a revamped, or perhaps even completely new, battle system would hardly be the same as "just another re-release."

My friend replied with a good point. She said:

"Sorry not to get on your bandwagon, dear - I hate nostalgia. Rather than looking to the classics, I'd keep working towards other stories and concepts. I'll always welcome an HD remastery of an old game, but not -every- classic needs it. Some are fine as they are. Instead, let's learn from them - from the aspects that made them as timeless as they are - and apply that to new adventures."

A second friend, let's call her Chicken Wing (due to her passion for the food labeled as such) agreed. She wrote that:

"I agree. with the current Reboot/remake trend in movies and games, I'd much rather see new, innovative stuff. It's been quite a while since I've sworn loyalty to a franchise since yonder final fantasy games. It'd be nice to see some new stuff that isn't necessarily indie made but still innovative. I'll cite back to The World Ends With You. It was a whole new property that was good and innovative. We need more of it. That being said, I would like legit ports of the classics. I have chrono trigger for the ds and I for one am happy that it exists. I'd rather have a good port and new franchises over the same remade games any day."

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I began crafting a masterful reply, but it became too extensive (that is "pedantic" for "my rant became too long"), so rather than engaging them in private conversation, I thought I would bring the debate out into the public. 

The first order of business is to explain something about nostalgia. The concept of nostalgia isn't something that exists in isolation - it is not a "bandwagon" to jump on. Nostalgia isn't a switch that one can simply turn on and off. It is a concept that exists in a continuum. Everyone is nostalgic about something - the question becomes HOW nostalgic one is about a given artifact. 

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When taken to its extreme, I am the first to argue that nostalgia is at best irksome. When it comes to videogames, nostalgia is specially complicated. Because some of us grew up as videogames did likewise, memories of our childhood became inextricably intertwined with the childhood of the medium. This means that we all have fond memories of older games. I myself favor Shining Force. However, when one can't objectively look past this personal fondness, the sense of nostalgia overwhelms the commentator and the ideas uttered become nonsensical. 

An example of this can be seen whenever someone argues that "the best" Mario game is Super Mario Bros. 3, or that "the best" Final Fantasy is Final Fantasy 7. Certainly, these titles are important landmarks in the history of gaming. It can easily be argued that Super Mario Bros. 3 defined what it meant to be a platform game, and indeed we can see elements of its design in several titles since. Furthermore, there can be no question that Final Fantasy 7 is largely responsible for an enormous surge in the popularity of JRPGs in the west. However, there are several games that do platform gaming better than Super Mario Bros 3. (with Super Mario World and the more recent New Super Mario Bros titles as example), just as there are JRPGs that are by far superior to Final Fantasy 7 (Lost Odyssey and Ni No Kuni come to mind). It is one thing to say that these older titles are MORE IMPORTANT than the newer ones in the context of the history of gaming, but it is another one entirely to say that they are better. 

img via Kotaku

However, this doesn't mean that all new games are better than the older ones. It can be easily argued objectively that Final Fantasy 6 is superior to most other Final Fantasy titles in several aspects, just as it can be said that Tetris is, objectively, a better puzzle game than most other games of the same genre. Final Fantasy 6 has better sound design, more fleshed out characters, and a better written story arc than, for example, Final Fantasy XIII (which, granted, features a more robust battle system). Likewise, Tetris, in its simplicity, fosters a thinking process similar to chess while encouraging the player to test their reaction time. Unlike modern "puzzle games", Tetris does not rely on skinnerbox mechanics or shameless cash grabs. It is not an opinion clouded by nostalgia that Final Fantasy 6 is superior to Final Fantasy 13. It is an opinion based on knowledge of literary structures and theories of narrative and media. It is not nostalgia that makes me say that Tetris is "better" than Candy Crush, it is thought and analysis of the mechanics used in both games that have led me to this conclusion. Does that sound pedantic? Good. It's meant to, my dear. 

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With this settled, I would like to further explore the idea of nostalgia. When it comes to fondly remembering something from one's childhood, there are two ways of coping with said memories. The first one is to admire the object of nostalgia fondly while acknowledging its shortcomings. The other one is to say that the object of nostalgia can do no wrong. The second one we see when arguing that Super Mario Bros. 3 is the best game ever (it is not). This phenomena is present in all media. Film critics, for example, have heaped countless awards on Citizen Kane and labeled it as the best movie ever created. It is not. It may be argued that it is the most important film ever created, as it pioneered and revolutionized most of the techniques currently used in cinema. I would be inclined to agree that it is, at least, one of the most important films in the history of the medium. To say that it is the best film ever, however, would ignore how contemporary film makers have evolved and improved on the techniques clumsily pioneered in Citizen Kane. 

The "it's awesome but not perfect" type of nostalgia, however, is by far more bearable and more honest. This type of nostalgia acknowledges that the object is important "to me" and that it is great "to me", but also accepts that since the release of the artifact there have been technological and narrative advances that render the object largely obsolete. Oddly enough, it is the Chrono Resurrection camp that holds this type of nostalgia. 

People like myself who advocate for updated remakes of classics over " legit ports of the classics and HD remasteries" see the object of nostalgia - in this case Chrono Trigger - for what it actually is: a game with an excellent story, great writing, and compelling characters that was groundbreaking when released, but that has aged and is no longer what it was. Indeed, the story of Chrono Trigger is timeless story about an unlikely hero who has the fate of the world thrust upon him and which follows a fairly standard Epic formula (in a literary sense) minus the Epic Hero. If one subscribes to MatPat's ideas, it is as old as The Bible itself. However, 16 bit visuals are not appealing to everyone, and that old chiptune style of music is not the easiest to listen to. Anyone who argues that pixelated visuals and midi audio is superior to what current technology can create is, honestly, blinded by nostalgia. Do not misunderstand - pixelated 16 bit style is great. They are routinely used to create wonderful things even now in this post-HD world. However, they are not "better" or look nicer than what can be made using the Unreal Engine 4. Those who acknowledge this do want to see what their object of nostalgia would be like if it were rejuvenated, but more importantly they would see the acknowledged flaws of the game (not too dynamic combat, for example) fixed. We want this:

On the other hand, you have the "HD remastery" people who are, curiously enough, the ones blinded by nostalgia the most. This part is for you, my dear Chicken Wing. There are already enough ports and re-mastered re-releases of classics that do nothing to improve the experience. To stick to the games discussed, Chrono Trigger was released on the SNES on 1995, then re-released on the Playstation on 2001, then re-released on the DS on 2008, then re-released on the PSN on 2011. Likewise, Final Fantasy 6 was released on the SNES on 1994, then on the Playstation on 1999, then on Game Boy Advanced on 2006-7, then on the Wii Virtual Console on 2011, followed by a re-release on the PSN a few months afterwards, followed by a Wii U re-release on 2013, with an "HD Remastery" culminating on the iOS on earlier this year. Purists would say, to quote Generic Character from Final Fantasy Tactics when returning from a mission, that "This is the way!" But, really, was the game made any better by being placed on a new system? The answer is an unequivocal "no." The JRPG community does not need any more "legit ports of the classics." We do not need this:

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Now, if I may go back to my dearest friend, the first one who hates nostalgias, wagons, and bands: I actually agree with part of what you said. It's hard not to, really. I do think that developers should learn from the classics, figure out what made them timeless, and apply that to new adventures. Nintendo has been largely successful doing this. If one considers the Super Mario games, they all have a similar "feel" to their play. Super Mario Bros., The Lost Levels (the actual SMB 2), Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, The New Super Mario Bros, and Super Mario 3D Land / World all have a "Mario Feel". In each and every title, Miyamoto has taken the essence of what makes a Mario game a Mario game and tweaked it to create unique experiences that are all different but feel similar. The Zelda titles do likewise. The first Zelda game was about the exploration of an open world. A Link to the Past and Link Between Worlds follow its example. Ocarina of Time was the first Zelda in the linear tradition, and it worked. It also worked in Majora's Mask and Skyward Sword. The elements used in The Adventure of Link were not too successful, so they were scrapped. Finally, Pokemon manages to always keep the "Gotta Catch 'em All" formula fresh. And other games take notice sometimes, as my dear friend says they should. To some extent, games like Puppeteer and Rachet and Clank take cues from Mario's platforming. Certainly, Dark Souls borrows from the original The Legend of Zelda as far as game feel, and there can be no denying that Ni No Kuni borrows heavily from Pokemon (to this day, my kid calls it "The Pokemon Magic Game.") 

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However, sometimes companies lose focus of what makes their games great. This is unquestionably the case with Square Enix's JRPGs (and from what I hear some of their western-developed titles as well). As "beautiful" as the Lightning Returns Collectors' Box is, the game itself is just ok. The battle system is pretty cool, and the story is fairly decent, but the characters and the way in which they are developed is at best mediocre. Final Fantasy XIII-2 provided a neat idea (time travel, changing the outcomes, multiple worlds with new ones opening up rather than changing a single timeline) and featured a great battle system, but at the same time it gave the worst story in the XIII trilogy. Final Fantasy XIII featured  a halfway decent story that seemed to be heavily censored, somewhat likable characters that were never fully developed, and horrible world design. Most of the recent JRPGs, in fact, suffer from similar flaws - either poor narratives, unremarkable characters, simplistic mechanics, or bad design. All in all, they feel incomplete. 

Sometimes, it is worth it to revisit the old classics, not just to re-release them, but to remake them from scratch; to take them apart and peek under the hood, see what makes them tick, and - as you say - take what makes them timeless and use it to create new adventures. That's what remaking a classic does - it revitalizes a genre. And note that I don't mean just updating with HD, as is the case with Kingdom Hearts, but re-creating the entire thing from scratch. 

Still, what I found most troubling about your arguments (both of you, my Dear Friend and Chicken Wing) is the double false-equivalency that you set up. My Dear Friend, you set up the false equivalency of "remake or re-release", while you, Chicken Wing, set up an even worse one: (re-release new franchise) remake. There is no reason why there should not be remakes AND new titles. As a player, I want Bravely Default as much as I want Chrono Resurrection. I want Bravely Second as much as I want a "legit" Final Fantasy 6 remake. Not all classics need a remake, that is true. I cringe at what Remaking Secret of Mana, for example, would do to the game. But remakes aren't the evil you two make them out to be. In fact, if we look at two recent remakes - Duck Tales "Remastered" (remade, really) and Mickey Mouse: Castle of Illusion, you will see that the remakes make remarkable improvements over the already great (back when) titles. The effect of these games would not have been the same had the companies merely released a download of the original NES and Sega Master System versions. I understand why you're not so nostalgic about most of the old classics, I really do. As someone who began gaming mostly during the days of the PS1, I can't say that I'm surprised that you don't feel nostalgic. But do be aware that the one most excellent PS1 game from which you sang the theme song so often, Lunar, was a remake of an older Sega CD game. If it had not been for the re-release, you never would have been even aware of its magnificence. 

Now, on to nitpick about your comments:

"I hate nostalgia" and  "I'll always welcome an HD remastery of an old game" seem to me as mutually exclusive and an odd choice of words, specially when followed up by " not -every- classic needs it. Some are fine as they are." Do you welcome the HD re-release of an old game "always" or just "sometimes", whenever that game just happens to be one *you* are nostalgic about? More importantly, if the previous nitpick felt like my stretching your comment, your statement on how "Rather than looking to the classics, I'd keep working towards other stories and concepts" and how we should "let's learn from them [the classics]- from the aspects that made them as timeless as they are - and apply that to new adventures" are most certainly mutually exclusive. Either we look to the classics for inspiration or we don't. Which one is it?

As for you, my dear Chicken Wing, you say that you'd " much rather see new, innovative stuff." It may well be the case with *you* (although with you having recently completed your Nth playthrough of Final Fantasy 6 I find it a bit unlikely), but the gaming community, for all its lip service to "innovation", actually disagrees with you. Below a video for your information. 

But I do agree with you at an individual level. We do need more innovation. We need new franchises, and I for one am super eager for Watchdogs (and many other new IPs). But if we're talking about innovation, I should think that taking an old game, changing the system, revamping the music, and updating the visuals might yield a bit more innovation than just putting an old game in a new platform. I mean, maybe it's just me, but I certainly think that the latest Tomb Raider "reboot / remake" was certainly more creative than, say, putting Wind Wakers on a different CD and reselling it for another console (which I still got anyway), don't you think?