Remake a game with modern settings

[civvver]

If you could remake one video game with updated graphics, controls/interface and/or smarter AI, but leave the rules of gameplay completely intact, what would you choose?

My two are Mechwarrior Mercs and Master of Orion.

Mercs was just an awesome game but the graphics are really far behind these days. There's only been one newer mechwarrior release that is the terrible online version. I would leave the gameplay exactly the same just maybe add better comms with your lance mates and smarter AI in general.

For MOO I prefer it over the sequel. I just like the simplicity of it but man could it use a facelift and the AI is beyond stupid in it.

Edit: Also had to mention MOO performs terribly on large and huge map sizes. The delay between turn calculations is insane. It doesn't make sense either playing on a modern machine, there must be something really bad done in the engine.

Actually, if I could remake civ5 so it just ran smoothly with minimal delay between turns, that'd be a huge improvement and it's not even old!

 

[Zack]

Pong.

 

[Sonereal]

Shadow President.

 

[ls612]

Transport Tycoon Deluxe. Yes I know about and have played openTTD but I would like to see something with a modern engine, modern UI, and slightly better game mechanics (hexes instead of squares maybe).

 

[Ailedhoo]

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri... although the greater effort would be to have more than 7 powers in the game at a time.

 

[H4run]

very good thread I must say. I cannot just mention 1 game for this because honestly there are so many game that I want it to be remake. Why remake a game?

1) Even in a very old and primitive graphic a good game have a strong re-playability. Not to mention if it build with a better graphic, interface by better technology, I cannot imagine to experience something like that.

2) Making a good storyline is not like reproducing clothes, toys, and other mass production products. It is something that even hardly come once in 5 year, so game with a good and strong story telling for me is a piece of art that deserve to be remake and retell to the mass audience with a better or more sophisticated (high end tech) medium.

3) Old school gamer always want to replay their memory and having a nostalgia, and doing this with a totally difference platform which is a better one and more advance technology will do nothing but increase the enjoyment (and it will likely highly invite many retried old gamer to try their old game, in totally different way, so it have both nostalgic sense and playing a totally difference game at the same time).

4) old school gamer sometime miss to play (don't had a chance) legendaries games in the old platform but cannot stand or bear the medium (old technology, poor game mechanic, poor fighting mechanic) even though they have huge motivation to try it.

5) relatively new gamer fully wondering with number 4 and oftenly tried to bear and play it, but mostly gave up for the same reason as in number 4.

6) I think this should be a new trend in gaming, because gaming history already expand quite old enough and have massive library and collections of good game to be retell and remake. Many game remake is not a risk at all as it have a valid and solid demand from the gamer.

Game that I want to be remake:

1) Breath of fire 2: best of breath of fire series, but unfortunately it have a poor graphic and game mechanic, and it had a flaw in the dragon transformation. This is a very underrated game, highly underrated game ever for me and one of my favourite jrpg.

2) Chrono Trigger: Many Chrono Trigger fans want a Chrono Trigger remake and sequel, if square soft not being a chicken they should already fulfil the demand. There are 2 projects made by fans for the remake, one is from the emulator as a sequel, second as a total remake, but both of the project fully stopped even it gain high applaud and support from fans because of legal issue. Even though in the terms of copy right it is understandable however in return square soft also not fulfil fans and public demand regarding Chrono Trigger remake, and this is frustrating.

Chrono Trigger resurrection (remake):


Link to video.

3) Baldur Gate 1/2: I heard about this games a lots, I really want to try it but cannot stand the mechanic and technology even though the story look very interesting.

4) Ultima 4: same reason as number 3.

5) Planescape Torment: ibid

6) too many to mention


This is a rage commentary about final fantasy 7 remake, even though there are so many ranting, swearing, and shouting, but I agree with many of the point that he making:


Link to video.

 

[sherbz]

See up until recently I would have said UFO Enemy Unknown every time, but this thirst has now been quenched by XCom.

I am going to say Alpha Centurai, Master of orion, shining force 2 and Doom.

Alpha Centuari – remains one the best turn based strategy games with a really good concept.

Master of Orion – Still IMO the best spaced based strategy game, which really is saying something considering how old it is.

Doom – FPS’s are all so serious nowadays. Doom was just fun, a little silly, and unrealistic. But that’s what made it good IMO. Some of the level designs in doom 2 were superb – Tricks and traps, barrel o fun, dead easy. Interestingly though, a good crack at redoing doom in its classical style has been implemented. Plutonia 2 can be played in fully rendered 3d with dynamic lighting etc.

 

[Rub'Rum]

Doom – FPS’s are all so serious nowadays. Doom was just fun, a little silly, and unrealistic. But that’s what made it good IMO. Some of the level designs in doom 2 were superb – Tricks and traps, barrel o fun, dead easy. Interestingly though, a good crack at redoing doom in its classical style has been implemented. Plutonia 2 can be played in fully rendered 3d with dynamic lighting etc.

I sort of miss the old level designs and the unrealistically fast-paced movement. Modern shooters often make me feel claustrophobic and stuck in thick jelly. Apparently, the new Shadow Warrior game is supposed to bring some of that back (although probably with more linear level designs still ). So does Serious Sam, but I can't quite get into that game somehow (the setting sucks, I think).


Anyway, I'd also vouch for Alpha Centauri, maybe System Shock 2 and the original Deus Ex. I probably have other examples somewhere in the back of my head.

 

[sherbz]

I sort of miss the old level designs and the unrealistically fast-paced movement. Modern shooters often make me feel claustrophobic and stuck in thick jelly. Apparently, the new Shadow Warrior game is supposed to bring some of that back (although probably with more linear level designs still ). So does Serious Sam, but I can't quite get into that game somehow (the setting sucks, I think).


Anyway, I'd also vouch for Alpha Centauri, maybe System Shock 2 and the original Deus Ex. I probably have other examples somewhere in the back of my head.

Agreed. Rarely does an FPS these days seem like games of old. I think that progressively during the 90s FPS’s turned from being games into sort of interactive movies. They have moved away from level design into a sort of seamless story (you probably have half life to thank for that). Its not that I don’t like games like this, its just that some good old fashioned level design would sometimes be a welcome change.

A lot of these games have been re created in someway, particularly if it’s a popular one. Doom has risen 3d and brutal doom (both of which you should definitely check out if you have not already), and system shock 2 has another sort of high rendering and re modelling type thing. Even more modern games life half life 2 have things like cinematic mod, which improves the graphics quite considerably.

 

[warpus]

IN order of preference:

SIM ANT, Alpha Centauri, Sim City, Sim Earth, Populous

 

[Leonel]

IN order of preference:

SIM ANT, Alpha Centauri, Sim City, Sim Earth, Populous

Oh God YES SimEarth

 

[Akka]

Master of Magic

I've waited years for this

 

[Synobun]

Birth of the Federation, Gran Turismo 2, Red Alert 2, Star Trek Elite Force. If those games could be remade I would be so happy.

 

[GrayingGamer]

Sim Ant was a great suggestion, I would LOVE a modern reboot of that.

MoM and MoO are both solid ideas as well (and often mentioned over the years).

I'm looking forward to see how Might and Magic X pans out - it looks like a nice update to the turn-based dungeon crawl type games.

I would love to see an Ultima Reborn type single player open world RPG that tried to update the U6 and U7 style games.

X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter (really the whole X-Wing line) was a fantastic game - a nice update would be great (and reasonably timed, given the new Star Wars movies coming up).

I'm also hoping the X-Com clone Xenonauts turns out good. X-Com EU was okay, but didn't excite me as much as most other folks around here =)

 

[civvver]

Yeah I almost put x-wing and tie fighter in my original post. Just make the same exact game with modern 3d models and it would be amazing. I wouldn't mind dark forces getting a facelift either.

It's kind of sad, many 4x space games have come out since MOO but none of them have been as good. It's really weird. I mean just in the last couple years there's endless space and stardrive and neither has gotten amazing praise.

 

[ls612]

It's kind of sad, many 4x space games have come out since MOO but none of them have been as good. It's really weird. I mean just in the last couple years there's endless space and stardrive and neither has gotten amazing praise.

Galciv III is coming out sometime this year, which has me hopeful for something good on that front.

 

[coanda]

Sim Ant... you could make a really amazing reboot of that game. I don't know if merely graphical upgrades would be enough though. It's got some game mechanics and limitations that would just seem simple-minded nowadays which were forced on it by lack of processor power at the time.

 

[H4run]

Do you consider the remake of colonization to be successful? if it not why?

 

[Justo]

I'd like to see Imperialism/Imperialism 2 remade. I wouldn't change too much over the originals (other than general graphical improvements, increase the scale of the game/map and enhancements of the current setup. I would probably change the battles to Total War style though.

 

[Darsnan]

Alpha Centuari – remains one the best turn based strategy games with a really good concept.

Another game I enjoyed was Star Legions, which was a planetary assault/ conquest game. Here is a brief blurb about it:

Designed as a spin-off of Star Fleet 2 by Trevor Sorensen, designer of Interstel's classics Star Fleet 1 and 2, Star Legions is set in the same Krellan universe-- but unfortunately legal complications forced the designers to rename the game to this obscure name. It's still a great and complex space wargame, with an even broader scope as you can now control tactical strikes on the planets' surface. Lead the Krellan to victory in an all-out attack. Highly recommended, especially to Star Fleet fans. Note: Dr. Trevor Sorensen, author of the game, has kindly provided additional information as follows: "Star Legions was never intended as Star Fleet 3. [It] was a spin-off of Star Fleet 2 and was to provide an interim product until SF3 could be completed. The basic premise of Star Legions, i.e., controlling planetary assaults and invasions, was a module of Star Fleet 2. Star Legions just improved upon the concept and made it a stand-alone game ".

When you started a game you went into a briefing room (see first pic below) where the specifics of the mission were spelled out, to include disposition of your assigned forces, the tech level of the local hostiles, and the planetary classification (temperate, icy, desert, etc.).

After the briefing was complete you went to the Orbital view (see second pic) which showed your ships in orbit around the planet. From here you could use your cruisers and destroyers to launch planetary bombardments. You could also change the orbits of your troopships to be more elliptical in order to optimize their launch windows for the dropships (i.e. the closer to the planet your troopships were, the shorter the timeframe before your troops would arrive on planet). But beware - more advanced civilizations possess planetary defenses and can shoot down your troop carriers, and the closer your ships come to the planet, the greater the odds your ships will be shot down!

Once you dispositioned your troops you went to a planetary overview where you personally directed the planetary assaults. This was the heart of the game, and because it was an RTS, it required intense concentration to keep things rolling in up to eight different battles at once. Once a planet was conquered you received awards, and because you were the Ultimate Intergalactic Bad Guys, why a lot of the awards were for things like overly aggressive brutality.

As the game progressed and you conquered more planets, the level of defenses presented by a planet increased, to include the afore-mentioned planetary defense grids. In addition , units from your enemy (the United Galactic Alliance) would start showing up in ever greater and stronger numbers. Very challenging as the game wore on!

All in all a GREAT game, and conceptually one that I think the gaming industry should look at re-visiting!

D