Demakes

In case you're at a loss as to what I am referring to, it's basically the notion of taking contemporary games & converting them onto an older game system, and/or converting a contemporary game into an older graphical and/or gameplay style (i.e. turning a game with advanced HD-3D graphics with action gameplay mechanics into a simpler 2D pixel art with turn-based model).

That said, what is your opinion regarding this? Do you see this as an opportunity to explore features without bloated budgets on pure aesthetics, and perhaps able to add features as a result? Using this as a means to invoke nostalgia for past gameplay experiences, and/or an opportunity to explore gaming history during a time a particular graphic/gameplay style was considered cutting edge? Or perhaps do you consider this idea as purely anachronistic, and do not provide any meaningful gameplay experience for yourself?

As for myself, I think it's a bit of both perspectives of nostalgia & being able to do more within the budget. In addition, I find such experiences to exhibit less noise, thus making the experience more tolerable in the long-term.

Bonus question: what games would you like to see receive a demake?

I really like it, I used to do a lot of pixel art at one point and one of my fave things was recreating new Pokemon in the GSC style.

I think the concept is pretty cool, I remember seeing some screens of The Last of Us in a pixellated art style, it would have been really awesome to experience that in a side-scrolling, 2D style game.

Aside from just really liking the art style personally, it would offer a different way to see the world and a completely different play style.

Especially via an abstract & larger scale maps, as opposed to a constrained, localized experience I typically feel when I play games that utilize 3D models, and focus obsessively on advanced graphics.

I'd like to be able to play skyrim on my Nokia 3310.

I would LOVE to see them demake the 3D Zelda titles into 2D ones, with a visual style similar to Link's Awakening. This harks back to a time that Zelda was actually enjoyable for me, and having seen a fanmade trailer of what Breath of the Wild would look like on Gameboy, I'd love to see that made into a reality.

Demakes are such a cool idea, especially when I get to hear a downgraded version of a game's music.

Dawn said:

This harks back to a time that Zelda was actually enjoyable for me, and having seen a fanmade trailer of what Breath of the Wild would look like on Gameboy, I'd love to see that made into a reality.

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Watching the linked trailer helped me put into perspective just how far gaming has gone in the past 20+ years, for better or worse. But yeah, that would be a good example of how I would define a "demake".

Phosphophyllite said:

Demakes are such a cool idea, especially when I get to hear a downgraded version of a game's music.

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I believe we have an example of this known as GB Sounds in Pokemon HGSS, to which I wish Gamefreak would find a way to make this a staple feature in every ("core series") game.

Oh! I forgot about the sound aspect, I also really like hearing chiptune versions of video game tracks (or anything, really - I remember hearing chiptune Game of Thrones music, it's fun when people do that with tracks of other mediums, too).

I saw this the other day, reminded me of this thread:

It's an interesting concept, but as mentioned it's a slippery slope if you don't actually...put them on the console they're supposed to. That being said, do you think it's as easy as being able to convert any game that way? I don't think it necessarily is, you have to stick to something fairly simple such as LoZ or Pok?mon in my eyes to not get slammed with limitations.

However, I would love to somehow see it work with Pok?mon Colosseum!

I would like to play this video game.
It is such a great idea.

Considering demakes are by their very natured based on already existing games, actual commercial examples of these are exceedingly rare. That said, I do wonder how Crash Bandicoot would have looked like back in the SNES days...