(AfroGamers.com) In gaming today, bringing back old games is just as popular as coming out with a brand-new game for some strange reason. Maybe it is because we know what we are getting with the old games or maybe it’s just nostalgia. Either way, Nintendo has a massive number of games that I would like to not only see get remade, but the series get rebooted into something with more modern touches. Here are 5 RPGs that Nintendo either has sitting in their vault or that they should get the original developers to reboot for their system.
Secret of the Stars- 1993
Alright, here me out on this one. This game is not the most critically acclaimed, highly thought of, or even well-known RPG of its time, but there are a lot of things that this game has that I would love to see come back or even modern RPGs copy.
While the story wasn’t something that was groundbreaking or even very memorable, and the battle system wasn’t anything special, they did something that I absolutely loved at the time, and I wish that more RPGs did today. They had two separate parties and forced you to level up and play with both. There were eight playable characters in the game I think, and you had four on one team and four on the other. One team had certain strengths and abilities and the other team did as well.
I really liked this dynamic because it gave you time to develop all the characters and get attached to what they can do and how they fit into your playstyle. In most RPG games, you play with the same characters and the other characters are basically on the bench the whole game, especially if they join later in the game.
Another aspect of this game that I loved that you see more of it in modern games but not enough is city building. You start in a city that has nothing and you must go out, do quests and get people to move into your city and start shops and other utilities for you and your heroes. There are games like Ni No Kuni that do this better, but games that have this aspect are few and far between.
Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen- 1993
I have no idea how the Ogre Battle series died after three games. I think that if it was rebooted today, it would be an absolute hit. While Tactics Ogre is still great and Ogre Battle 64 was fun in its day, the original still hold a special place for me, mainly because of the gameplay loop and battle system.
I remember tinkering with certain party combinations and loadouts for hours (this was long before the internet where you could get someone to tell you what the best stuff to use is). The day and night system in the game was great where certain enemies would come out at night that didn’t show in the daytime. Also, I love the way that lore was presented in the game where you had to go out to every castle and town to see what people were saying and sometimes go and come back at another time of day or the next day. There were even times that the people in certain towns or castles would give you hints to somewhere you might want to visit or an area that you might want to explore to get a special character.
Robotrek- 1994
This game was a fun game that I played when I was younger that I didn’t fully appreciate at the time. While my brother played way more of this game than I did, I think that there were things in the game that I found so fun that I would always pick it back up again and again to see what else I could do.
There was an aspect of “build crafting” in the game that would be simple by today’s standards but back then was great. You could do missions to find different parts for your robots and kit them out to do exactly what you wanted them to do. The difficulty of the game was a little much for my young self, but it is a game that I wish that I had stuck by because the story was starting to get better when the gameplay started to get harder.
While I don’t think that this game is worth the full blown, Nintendo remake like the other games on the list, I think that it would be worth getting an indie studio to remake the game and give it an upgrade. I really think that Nintendo fans would love this game and shell out at least $40 for it, if not more.
Earthbound- 1994
This JRPG was one of my favorites when I was younger. Some called it Earthbound, some called it Mother or Mother 2 (I never understood the difference) but whatever you called it, make sure that you called it good. This game had basic RPG elements for the time but where the charm came in was at the story level and how you got through the game.
This game had a lot of tongue in cheek and fourth wall breaking moments in it and it really felt like a game that me and my brother would have wrote while we were growing up. That sort of relatability in a game adds to the fun factor.
I’ve heard many JRPG enthusiasts throughout the years ask for a remake if not a reboot of this game and im right along with them.
Golden Sun- 2010
The most modern game on this list and one that Nintendo should be locked up for. Golden Sun was a staple of every JRPG lover that had a Gameboy Advanced. They had a three game run with the series but if you look at some of the games that they are remaking and rebooting today, you have to ask yourself, why not Golden Sun?
The game had a great battle system, a great story, great graphics, the game was just great. Nintendo would be printing even more money today if they announced a new entry into the series or even that they were going to be remaking the first three games and putting them into a bundle.
There isn’t much more that I can say about this game other than it is a classic and I think with the recent announcements and release of the Advanced Wars remake, which was another game that helped define the GBA era of games, a new Golden Sun game isn’t completely out of the question.
Staff Writer; Tardell Swift
This brother is new to writing yet has many different interests such as gaming, hip hop, wrestling, and manga.
You can follow him on Twitter; PhirewoodGaming and keep up with his thoughts there as well.