On our board we have several discussions on remakes like Maze of Galious, SD-Snatcher and Roadfighter. I'd just like to know how you feel about these re-makes.

Hmmm.

The question is..... why to remake?


Are those remakes enhanced versions? ( I don't know really)

I find it quite a challenge to create te same atmosphere, playability and fun in a remake.. it's less easy than you might think. In many cases, things get too 'nice', spoiling the oldskool-impact.

However, I enjoy making a whole new game far better

Remaking sucks... IMO.. You might as well play the original.
What you CAN do, and what I personally like to do, is create a new game based on the old one. It's a lot more legal too
It's basically what companies generally do when creating a sequel Adding new elements, yet preserving the original feel of the game.

Developing software is - to me - the art of creating something new. Creating a remake doesn't seem very challenging to me, but since I never created one I could be wrong. However, when I see the RoadFighter remake I'm thinking.. 'wow, nice'. Then I think... Whoa 1.6MB for a game that was originally something like 16kB or 32kB.... Where is the challenge in that?

I think it depends on they way the remake is done. Some of them lost the look, atmosphere and/or playability, so I prefer the original. But others are enhanced version with better gfx, musics, fx, etc.

When I decided to make the remake of "La Abadia del Crimen", I chose to keep the original feeling. So I "only" changed graphics rutines, fixed some bugs, improved graphics, maps, etc.

IMHO this kind of remakes are really challenging, since you need to reverse engineering most of the original code, and write new rutines that work with the old ones.

It sounds to me what you did is PORTING the game from MSX1 to MSX2.

Yes, some people say it is a remake, and other that it is a port

My 2 cents are somewhat different I guess, and I think that's because gamedeveloping is my professions. For one, I would like to make remakes, I enjoyed recreating some MoG graphics when that was available, and arranging the music. I enjoyed the Ys remakes on PC. Remaking an old game, or porting it if you want to call it that, is something that I am all for since it is fun to do. It's fun to take something that exists and upgrade it, see if you can take that 2 color sprite, make it a 16-color sprite but still be recognizable. Make Usas with parallax layers and full audio music, smooth animation and nice cutscenes instead of 1 color sprites It's fun because there is little to design, only the changes you want to make. The gameflow, and play is already there you only have to recreate it.

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It's fun because there is little to design, only the changes you want to make. The gameflow, and play is already there you only have to recreate it.

Ofcourse to some that's exactly what makes it no fun at all

I'm still somewhere in the middle on this issue

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Ofcourse to some that's exactly what makes it no fun at all

I'd say: if you like the game it's fun! If you don't it's another fuckin' job.

Personally I prefer the original game rather than the remake, despite the enhanced graphics or better sound... I think this is due to the "original atmosphere", to improve graphics/sound doesn't seems to make a game better...

However, eg. the remake of MoG is superb, it has the old and the new graphics!