The recent PSN update of Elevator Action prompts the VGH crew to discuss rules and regulations for remaking classic games. We’ve also got sexy poutine, Deus Ex memes, the obligatory Monster Hunter segment and some amazing new music by DJ FINISH HIM!
Episode Timeline:
Intro: 0:00
Viewer Mail: 2:16
Hangover: 5:50
Rules for Remakes: 27:00
Last Call: 62:40
Outro: 70:29
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This Week’s Music:
“Unleashed” and “Phantombs” by DJ Finish Him, from the upcoming They Bleed Pixels, by Spooky Squid Games
Links:
What a Shame: The Movie
Deus Ex: The Recut
Planet M.U.L.E.: Free online M.U.L.E.
Universe Sandbox (Steam link)
Dan Dixon – Creator of Universe Sandbox
Impossible Mission
Here are the rules I would follow for a hypothetical true sequel to ActRaiser, one of my favorite games ever. 😀
1. The music score has to be composed/arranged by Yuzo Koshiro, and the score has to meet or exceed the quality of the first ActRaiser. This is really important! The music played a major role in setting it’s atmosphere, it has to set the tone with whatever environment The Master is in.
2. The game world has to be BIGGER/ It has to take around a week to finish. One of the flaws of the original ActRaiser was that it was just TOO short. I can finish that game in one sitting! It has to have a larger world, with more stages, and more monster. Perhaps even some secret regions that pop up from under the ocean, and all regions of the game world have to interact with each other. The original game was great with the item offerings i.e. bridges, the dog fleece, music, etc etc. that allowed the Master to help specific regions without specific resources, and I’d like to see more of that, but in a much bigger way. Perhaps with more than one way to help out a troubled region, or maybe limiting item offerings for use with only one region, and creating a consequence for not helping them out, and gaining their trust back by fighting more monsters!
3. It has to be 2.5D, and it has to look AMAZING. The original ActRaiser has some of the most gorgeous backdrops and graphics early in the SNES lifespan, and to this day the game still looks amazing. I want this sequel to look ultra-amazing… godly, even. It has to stand the time of time the way the original ActRaiser did.
The Chaos Engine
– The original had levels that looked amazing for their time. Futuristic and gritty, metallic blended with organic elements. This could so be brought to life nowadays so that the same art style could actually come alive.
– Music/Sound in the original was one of the best aspects of the game. An electronica inspired soundtrack was also rocking things like full speech when you picked up power ups/extra lifes etc. I would keep the same voice, but then get someone like the Crystal Method to update the soundtrack.
– Like freaky I’d have a 2.5D game. Original was overhead shooter type game so I would keep the same just HD it up. Also I would make it a dual stick shooter aka Super StarDust as that did limit you to just firing and one special ‘move’ in the original. Modern day controllers mean that multiple weapons/multiple specials could be employed.
– I think co-op could also be updated. The original was actually 2 players throughout the entire game. If you didn’t have a real 2nd player you would be assigned a CPU player. I would update this to have up to 4 player co-op but instead of requiring a CPU player I would just have it adjust difficulty on the fly. Online and offline coop naturally.