An era of revivalism

Have video games tapped into the Hollywood notion of remaking classic films for a modern audience? With the growing number of franchise comebacks, the video game industry seems to be going through a revivalism phase. With a catalogue about 30 years deep, it is worrisome that the industry is turning to this so soon. It won't be soon before the industry begins to churn out the Hollywood-remake equivalent of "Planet of the Apes," "The Producers," "King Kong," or "The Pink Panther."

Some companies thrive off this business, with companies like Sega and Square Enix rereleasing old titles in compilations or with a few additions. This winter's "Chrono Trigger DS" looks to be the exact same game as its Super Nintendo (SNES) version, with the only significant difference being that it will be released for a portable handheld, the Nintendo DS (DS). With the advent of the Nintendo Wii's virtual console, developers are enjoying the money made from rereleasing old content without upgrading them. Unlike the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, there are fewer restrictions as to what can be released on Virtual Console, and, by extension, WiiWare, so developers are taking advantage of porting old games without changing much.

Reviving or reinventing old franchises is nothing new. "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" successfully captured what made the two-dimensional platformer popular while pushing forward the standards of its contemporaries. "Metroid Prime" turned an exploration-oriented platformer into a "first person adventure" eight years after the SNES's "Super Metroid." "Ninja Gaiden" returned for the Xbox after almost nine years to redefine hardcore action games for its generation.

There's a difference between resuscitating an old franchise and drawing off the nostalgia of loyal fans. Though nostalgia plays a large part in which franchises developers choose to resurrect, a distinction should be drawn between the mélange of old and new. Pretty much every title currently developed by Nintendo draws off players' nostalgia. The "Zelda" series has followed the same idea since "A Link to the Past" (with the exception of "Majora's Mask") while Mario has been busily saving princesses since his debut. Pretty much every current handheld "Castlevania" game hearkens to the Playstation's "Symphony of the Night." Gameplay elements are what changes with the passing of time. Eventually classically-inspired games like "Fallout 3," "Splatterhouse" and "Bionic Commando" will be judged by their gameplay elements, as opposed to how closely they stuck to their source material.

With the rise of digital distribution on the Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Network, developers are upgrading old franchises to meet contemporary quality standards, like high-definition graphics, while hoping that retro-revivals will appease hardcore gamers' discontent with the rise of casual gaming. Those pining for the "good old days" can find sanctuary in the likes of "Bionic Commando: Rearmed" or the upcoming "Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix" (SSFIITHDR). Developer SNK is considering releasing a high-definition of "Metal Slug." The true experiment comes in the form of "Mega Man 9." After 12 years, this game will be released on WiiWare, Playstation Network, and the Xbox Live Marketplace without a retail version. Although the game is a new entry in the series, it will feature Nintendo-era retro-graphics and even an option to recreate the hiccups and glitches prominent in the first entries of the series.