Enhanced remake

In the video game subculture, an enhanced remake (also called updated classics) is an updated version of a video or computer game that was originally developed for a less advanced system. They are also known as "Super Mario All-Stars format", because an early occurrence of the idea was Super Mario All-Stars. Remakes with resolution upgrades are called high-resolution remakes. The practice of updating old games began in the 16-bit era but was popularized during the 128-bit era.

Related Topics:
Video game - Computer game - Super Mario All-Stars - Resolution - 16-bit era - 128-bit era

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The basic features of an enhanced remake are graphical and audio enhancements (or "facelifts"). The methods of graphical enhancement include re-touching, decompression, polygon upgrade, texturization or texture resolution upgrade, and two-dimensional to three-dimensional transformation (hence three-dimensional remakes, or the "Wild Arms: Alter Code F format"). Audio enhancements include new music, better sound quality, and remixes of the old music. Sometimes extra levels or other features are added, and the game engine may be improved. In most cases, however, the majority of gameplay itself is left unaltered.

Related Topics:
Graphical - Audio - Decompression - Polygon - Texturization - Level - Game engine

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Enhanced remakes occur mostly on video game consoles. They have occurred mostly during the 128-bit era. The system that the game is being enhanced from is called the source system, and the system it is been enhanced for is called the target system. The earliest enhanced remakes are 16-bit remakes of 8-bit games. Also, occasionally games that were originally released only in Japan are remade and re-released in the West, most notably ' and Final Fantasy II of Final Fantasy Origins. (See also Fan translation.)

Related Topics:
Video game console - 128-bit era - 16-bit - 8-bit - Japan - Final Fantasy Origins - Fan translation

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Some examples of enhanced remakes include Super Mario All-Stars (from NES to Super NES) and Final Fantasy Origins (from NES to WonderSwan Color to Sony PlayStation). The enhanced remakes of Dragon Warrior I-IV were Japan-only, but later unofficially translated into English.

Related Topics:
NES - Super NES - WonderSwan Color - Sony PlayStation - Dragon Warrior I - IV - Japan - Unofficially translated - English

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Sometimes, a publisher makes an unauthorized copy of another publisher's game. This "remake" is called a "clone". Making and publishing a clone is legal if no copyright or patent covers any essential aspect of the game (for example, Tetris), as long as the clone is published under a name that is not confusingly similar. Most clones, however, do not fall under this rule and are illegal. Some are even pirated versions of the game they are supposedly remaking.

Related Topics:
Clone - Copyright - Patent - Tetris - Pirate

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