Remakes vs Remasters
What's Old is New Again
Introduction
If you’ve been following me for any period, you know I’m obsessed with older games, think Super Mario Sunshine or the original Metroid, all over 20 years old, with DOOM (2016) as my one exception. But let’s be real. Some of these games haven’t aged the best. Whether that be outdated, blurry graphics, or gameplay that doesn’t fit well with more sentiments. That’s where our subjects today come in. That’s where remakes and remasters come in, breathing new life into these relics with polished upgrades and a fresh audience. But what separates a remake from a remaster? How are they alike? And why are they really important? Let’s dig in and explore.
What is a remake? A remaster?
Let’s start by setting the ground rules for what we’re going to be covering. First, what is a remake? A remake is when a game is rebuilt from the ground up, incorporating many modern conveniences and flourishes while still staying true to the spirit of the original. The example that comes to my mind instantly: Resident Evil 4. Originally released in 2005, Resident Evil 4 is a game I have many fond memories of and remains near and dear to my heart. So, upon hearing about it getting a remake, I was ecstatic! Booting it up for the first time and seeing experience that new horror-focused experience combined with a new graphics engine was glorious. It encapsulated what a remake should be. It is REMAKING, the game to incorporate new technologies and quality-of-life features while not deviating from what made the original beloved.
Next up, we have remasters. What is it? A remaster isn’t aiming for something elaborate. Here, we take the original title, spruce it up with quality-of-life tweaks, and polish its rough edges. That’s the key word here: polish. A remaster is NOT looking to reimagine the source material. So, let’s look at a recent example. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is a remastered port of the original Wii U title released all the way back in 2015. It’s loaded with upgrades—autosaves, sharper graphics, new characters, extra story content, and more—all while keeping the core experience intact. It’s still XCX, just brought up for today’s standards.”
Where to they differ? Similar?
Now that we’ve set the stage, it’s time to pit these two head-to-head. First, what ties them together? One goal: dragging these games kicking and screaming into the modern era—Ditching the jank and bringing in needed quality-of-life improvements. The split comes with their methods. A remake is something new. Something that takes elements from the original and reshapes them into something that respects the original while charting its own path. A remaster? The same game spruced up. Let’s not beat around the bush here. Wind Waker HD? Still Wind Waker, sharpened like a dull knife back to a fine edge.
Why Are They Important?
Remakes and remasters are important for two key factors. First up is preservation. Let’s face it. Times change. Once upon a time, it may have been easy to run down your local game store and pick up a copy of Pokémon Emerald for the GBA. Now? Good luck finding one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Remakes, and specifically remasters, can give new gamers a chance to experience these older titles without having to dust off the old Game Boy. On top of that, many of these newer versions include enhancements like performance boosts and higher graphical fidelity than the original releases making them more enjoyable and palatable to a modern audience.
Second, is evolution and refinement. As we’ve established, times change. Tastes change. What may have worked 15-20 years ago may not fly today. Take the original NES Metroid: I played it recently for an Into The Backlog piece and struggled with the controls and lack of a map. But that doesn’t mean it is a bad game, just dated. That’s why I recommended the remake Metroid: Zero Mission. It retains the story and feel of the original title but brings with it better graphics, features (an in-game map, for example), and extra content to boot.
Conclusion
Remakes and remasters serve a tremendous purpose: transforming older titles into the best versions of themselves. That’s why the subtitle for this post, ‘What’s old is new again,’ fits so perfectly—it’s all about polishing and reimagining games for a new generation to experience and enjoy. With that said, what games do you want to see remade or remastered?
