Old Games Are Like Old Movies

There is a general consensus as of late to remake Final Fantasy VII with updated graphics, voice actors, and enhanced sound. It’s the graphics which many modern gamers really bash Final Fantasy VII for. This was not always the case. When the game first came out in 1997 its graphics were lauded as a technical masterpiece. Never before had people seen 3D rendered so beautifully, with great backdrops, all along with an intriguing story and memorable characters. It was hailed, by many, as one of the best games ever made. But over the years, Final Fantasy VII hasn’t withstood peoples’ criticisms. What was once hailed as a gaming masterpiece is now looked at as almost archaic by some. “The graphics need to be updated,” people cry out. “They need to remake Final Fantasy VII” are the words promulgated on many message boards. But why? When did people start caring so much about graphics? True, new games should make as much use of the new strides in computer graphics as possible, but why can’t an old game just be appreciated for the way it was originally programmed? The fact of the matter is that even the games of today will look dated in the near future. Graphics change rapidly. Even back in the 80s it’s amazing how EGA graphics on the PC became smoother and less blocky by the latter half of the decade. By the early 90s VGA graphics, with 256 colors, came into place, - a huge leap from EGA – blowing anything people had seen before out of the water. Aside from the advancements of the PC, Super Nintendo and Sega graphics and sound were amazing compared to original Nintendo. Then Playstation and the Nintendo 64 would come along making further advancements. Now with even greater computers, and the Wii U, PS 4, and Xbox One, graphics and sound seemed to have reached their pinnacle, even though in the future that may not look like the case. In the future should today’s games be thought of as inferior when new games come out with better graphics and other better technical specifications? Should games continually be remade to satisfy those who love high quality graphics? It doesn’t stop at Final Fantasy VII, as message boards are full of people asking for Elder Scrolls 1, 2, and 3 to be remade. In fact, some people have made mods to enhance the graphics of Morrowind and even Oblivion. King’s Quest games also haven’t been immune to people wanting remakes, with many remaking King’s Quest I-IV, with VGA graphics, voice acting, and new scenes and characters, and in the process making a more complicated story from what was a simpler one. It seems most modern gamers have become, for lack of a better word, graphic snobs, in which they cannot appreciate a game unless it has the highest caliber of graphics and other technical specifications possible. Too often there are posts on message boards, or YouTube comments, stating that they can’t play an old game because they can’t get past the graphics. Imagine if this same mentality was applied to movies. Most people throw up their hands in exasperation when old movies are remade, or black and white movies are recolored. For example, colorizing beloved black and white classics like It’s A Wonderful Life and Casablanca? Absolute blasphemy! Adding CGI special effects in the original Star Wars trilogy? Most cry out foul, claiming disrespect to the originals. Remaking Clash of the Titans with better special effects? Loads of critics and audiences pan it, saying it lacks heart compared to the original. This begs the question of why can’t most gamers have the same mentality about classic old games that film lovers have about classic old films? Why can’t gamers love Final Fantasy VII for its blocky character sprites and other outdated graphics, just as movie lovers love original classic movies in their own format? When did gamers become such graphic snobs? The real question to ask oneself about old games is not if the graphics have withstood the test of time, but is the gameplay and the enjoyment still there. In the case of some of the aforementioned games, such as Final Fantasy VII, the gameplay is still wonderful. VII still has wonderful gameplay, allowing the player to customize the characters, using materia, anyway they see fit. The game’s side-quests with Chocobos, and mini games in the Flying Saucer are, according to many Final Fantasy fans, better than the side-quests and mini-games in Final Fantasy X. VII’s story is still strong, ripe with symbolism and archetypes, and the character growth is still excellently conceived, allowing us to feel emotion ranging from happiness to sadness as the characters grow. The same can also be said for games such as Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, a game with dated graphics, but one of the biggest maps to explore in video and computer game history and loads of quests, making it still highly enjoyable. Even Final Fantasy I can be enjoyed in its original Nintendo form, and, in some ways, is more charming than the GBA remake. And while Super Mario Bros 1-3 were re-released with updated graphics on the Super NES and then the GBA, they seemed to lose something with enhanced graphics and sound. In a way, the original Mario look from the first game has a charm to it, kind of like the old Disney cartoon Steamboat Willie has its own charm compared to the later Mickey cartoons. While there have been loads of people who have praised the Metroid remake, titled Metroid Zero Mission, I for one have been less than thrilled with it. Yes, the game is squeaky clean looking, with enhanced graphics, but it all felt so superfluous, devoid of the beautiful simplicity which made the original so grand. Though, in all fairness, they did include the original NES version on the Gameboy Advance remake. On another note, games that are made with just good graphics in mind usually don’t withstand the test of time. Altered Beast is a case in point. Altered Beast was popular when it came out, but it was more so for the graphics, rather than the enjoyment of gameplay. As the years have passed, this game hasn’t really withstood the test of time, as people have begun to recognize how weak it really is. However, games like the first Super Mario Bros, are still being played fondly, even by a new generation of kids. While updated graphics in games can be fun, gaming really isn’t about the graphics. It’s about the gameplay and the enjoyment it offers gamers. If the gameplay is solid and enjoyable, what do graphics, or sound for that matter, really matter if they grow dated? Games like Super Mario, Final Fantasy series, Elder Scrolls series, King’s Quest, Metroid, and so forth should be looked at and appreciated the same way old, classic movies are appreciated. Now, in order not to look like a hypocrite, though I have berated gamers for wanting old games to be updated, I myself have loved some remakes. Yes, there are exceptions to the rule. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two Monkey Island remakes, the Pokemon remakes, and the Duck Tales remake. Granted, many would disagree with me, and others would say the games I bashed for being remade didn’t deserve my criticism. It’s all a matter of opinion. So, yes, there are games I love being remade, which others have hated being remade, and vice-a-versa. Maybe it’s not games being remade that I hate so much as I hate people always complaining about old games lack rather than appreciating them for what they have. That said, I certainly love it when companies include the original version to play alongside with the remake. I just can’t help but feel that games like Final Fantasy VII don’t need the updated graphics, voice acting and superior sound added to be better. Even with its blocky sprites, and other flaws, it still stands the test of with its excellent storyline, intriguing characters, and mesmerizing gameplay. In the end, that’s all that matters. Sadly there are many modern gamers who say they won’t play an old game due to its older graphics, and in the end they are guilty of missing out on the magic of some of these older titles.