Monday, February 26, 2024

Thoughts on Video Game Remasters

Okay, so I want to get this off my chest, that I want to monologue about video game remasters. I originally said that remasters kill the charm the original releases have because of better elements and they plaster logos of defunct video game companies and old logos of existing video game companies with existing logos, but after learning about them being faithful to the original games' story and gameplay, I was wrong to think that they kill the charm with improved visuals and better lighting because I learned that they are also faithful to their charming environment used in 6th generation-era games, so they still count as oldies despite them being remastered to have improved visuals and better lighting and they will still be a part of Days of PlayStation Past. It's not the fact that the old songs my parents grew up on that got remastered still count as oldies. That's the example of remasters.

There was a point in time when I came across a black guy who spoke of full backwards compatibility on the PS5. I watched the whole thing and I was shocked about it. Especially the remastering engine, which can remaster any classic game that uses standard definition without killing the charm. Mark Cerny has hosted a special monologue where he monologues the specifications of the PS5. What got me is the backwards compatibility part. I saw the PS4 logo, but not those for previous systems. They haven't said anything yet since I saw space.

We were waiting if the PS5 can actually support full backwards compatibility, until Jim Ryan has confirmed that the PS5 can actually only play PS4 games through backwards compatibility and also added that the PS3's architecture makes it so. That's why we had to stick with playing our remasters of games that are originally released on the past Sony consoles. Especially the first three Crash and Spyro games that got fully remastered to have better visuals and better lighting, but they retain a charming environment. Most notably, the goddesses in subsequent Spyro games released on the PS1 that are the Sally Acorn and Bunnie Rabbot of Spyro remain charming despite having better visuals and better lighting. But the only thing among them that I'll miss seeing forever is the Sony Computer Entertainment America/Europe presents tagline and the Universal Interactive logo. I bought the PS4 version of the two remastered trilogies to maintain the nostalgia.

There was another point in time when I was playing PS1 releases of Crash and Spyro games on the PS3. That's when the PS1 releases get playable on the PSP, PS3 and PSVita. I felt that nostalgia. And now, since their original games got fully remastered to have better resolution, better visuals and better lighting and are compiled in a trilogy, they might instead be added to the PS Plus Premium catalog like others. Some of them PS3s are backwards compatible to PS1 games while some of them are backwards compatible to PS2 games. But none of the PS3s are backwards compatible to both PS1 and PS2 games and that's what makes the PS3's architecture so hard to work with as it contains a unique structure and that is the main reason why the PS4 couldn't play PS3 games. Not even the PS4 Pro. That's why they started developing remasters during the modern era.

After hearing Jim confirming that the PS5 can actually play only PS4 games, I was looking at the cases of Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy and Spyro: Reignited Trilogy in sadness that I miss the polygon models I won't be able to embrace again anytime soon. I gotta admit though. Their games do look insane as heck as they gotten modern visuals and fidelity. They are available on all platforms, but I bought the PS4 versions to pay homage to the original trilogies that got stunning new animations and graphics and retain the nostalgia.

Learning about remasters being faithful to the original releases' story, gameplay and charm has given me the liberty of adding Ty the Tasmanian Tiger to my PlayStation oldies as it will be a part of Days of PlayStation Past, along with its sequel, which I plan to buy, but won't play it until I beat the first game despite the fact that they got remastered. From the looks of it, I heard Shazza is the Elora of the franchise and it's more action-packed than the original and that's gonna be on my wish list for Spyro 4. It's also to better support his debut to Crash Team Rumble. So I am working on two dream logo combos, one consisting of Activision, Krome Studios, FMOD and Unreal Engine and the other consisting of EA Games, Sierra Entertainment and Krome Studios.

I guess it's for the better since I heard full PlayStation backwards compatibility could take up a lot of memory and I am inclined to agree with that statement. One of the articles stated that we don't expect any of the modern Sony consoles to play PS3 games anytime soon. But PS Plus Premium has given us access to playing classics, so who needs full PlayStation backwards compatibility when we have PS Plus Premium?

But the Xbox side of things is not the case because after I heard the Xbox Series X/S supports full Xbox backwards compatibility, the Xbox 360 has a straightforward architecture to get to the original Xbox. That's why the Xbox One X can play Xbox 360 and original Xbox games. Xbox fans can play both classic games and remasters of Xbox classics as a difference maker. I know already said this before, but I just want to inform you this, lest you get out of the loop. In fact, there is a Redneck Pudding video that has that part where he plays LEGO Star Wars on the Xbox One. It's facts.

While PS Plus Premium given us the power to revist classics, remasters are also added to the catalog of PS1, PS2 and PSP games, like Tales of Symphonia, originally released on the PS2, got a remaster, but still having that charm despite that among Ty the Tasmanian Tiger and others. But if Tales of Symphonia got a remaster and it is under the PS1, PS2 and PSP tab, should it also be under the remasters tab?

I know some people like to purchase the Premium tier to play classic games. But I prefer to buy them so that I can play them 24/7. I can't wait to see what March's additions are. I hope it involves a couple of classics I played before and the ones I never played or adding a remaster of a PS1 or PS2 classic. I want to see the Simpsons: Hit & Run get added to the PS Plus Premium catalog. I was playing it at my old stomping grounds when I was a teen. I told my brother and my dad about it and I liked the mission failed screen having the traffic part. Great game. I kind of want to see this get remastered, but Fox Interactive is no longer around and there has not been a new game based on one of Fox's animated shows.

Also, I think there is a consipiracy under the remakes part. Here, let's take Secret of Mana for example. It is an RPG game that was originally released on the SNES and it got a remake. But why the heck would they add Secret of Mana to the library of PS1, PS2 and PSP games? This is a remake of an RPG game originally released on the SNES, not a remaster and this does not count as a classic, so why add that? There is no reason to put Secret of Mana under the classics catalog when it is a remake that DOES NOT count as an oldie. Remakes are redesigns to video games. There is no purpose to this. It should be on the catalog of PS4 and PS5 games because Trials of Mana is on there.

Some existing companies had to add new content on remasters to meet up with the modern era. And then, the part when Activision fully remastered the first two Tony Hawk's games originally on the 5th generation-era systems is a miracle. Because when a 5th generation-era game gets fully remastered, there are improvements to visuals, better framerate, better resolution, better lighting and integrated menu. And sometimes better quality to the original music, which Crash and Spyro games have.

This is something that I want to get off my chest that after learning about remasters being faithful to the original story and gameplay, they are also faithful to the old-school charm despite having better resolutions, better lighting, better framerate and better visuals. There is a remaster of a classic game in the works and it is slated to release in two days. If any of the classics get remastered to be on modern consoles, the original releases will not be added to the classics catalog. Instead, remasters will be added as they are the same game, but with better elements.

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