Whether it is wrong or not to reboot (revive) a classic in order to "do it justice" or to be "done right" is up to every one of us individually. Sit at a table with film fans or gamers and spark this conversation and you will see what I mean.
Whether it is the films being brought back (Batman, Godzilla, the Zombie genre revival with The Walking Dead etc.) we are finally understanding that the originality well should probably be removed from the ground and placed in a museum as an exhibit. Understandably this sounds like a bad thing. Yet not all revivals are bad, and not only to the youth who had not experienced these names in their "original" glory.
Oh happy times! For some...
This article was sparked by the announcement that the classic motorbike-brawler Road Rash (released in 1991) is being revived by Ian Fisch via Kickstarter under the name Road Redemption. Carmageddon (1997 release) is also being revived as we speak (fittingly called Carmageddon: Reincarnation) and early access is available through Steam. Is bringing those games back a bad thing? There are people who did not experience them and quite frankly I believe they should because both those games were brilliant in their time and perhaps could shine even more due to the technological advancement we have experienced as a species in the last decade.
Here's the first footage of Road Redemption:
Interestingly enough both of the above titles belong to the racing genre yet both come with a twist (yes, violence but still...). In a way, their genre was revived even back then when they were first released so we can't really complain about rehashing at this point. Personally I would love to see Road Redemption hit the road (p-p-p-p-PUN!) with chunky multiplayer capabilities and I am there on day 1 when Carmageddon exists once more (no early access for me, I'd rather get my hands on the finished product).
Story of Thor. Nothing to do with the Norse god however it was filled to the brim with substance, quality and huge amounts of FUN!
I am sure a lot of you who experienced many legendary 16-bit titles have your own "wishlist" of games you want to see revived. There are titles that cannot be revived really like the, now 20 years of age, Story of Thor. Even back then it was a free-roaming fantasy adventure with an excellent story. Better graphics won't really do it much justice since the gameplay even back then was fresh and ahead of its time (the gold armlet and the elemental summoning, the insane combat system and its combos etc.).
The arcade version never really made it through (graphically at least) yet the essence was there. Bring it back!
A game I would like to see revived is Pit-Fghter (1991). I understand that Def Jam Vendetta was a spiritual successor to this brilliant fighting game yet this genre has been left to rot in a corner for many years now with only those embarrassing Kinect titles to show for (excluding the Tekkens, the MK's and the Vs. titles). There is need for a new fighting game and I would love to see Pit-Fighter given a modern revival with all the violence and brutality making it through!
Are there any games you would like to see revived?
- Frixos Masouras 2014