Port Begging

Port Begging for: Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Square Enix

Original Platform: Nintendo DS

Port it to: iPad, Consoles

So in the past couple of days an emulator for the Nintendo DS got hacked around a bit.to make the games run in "HD" - being that it will run any 3D polygonal content at a higher res.

And there are a ton of games that looked awesome like this, but one I found looked amazing was Final Fantasy XII - Revenant Wings - effing beautiful!

Port Begging for: Final Fantasy VI

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Square Enix

Original Platform: SNES

Port it to: Xbox One, PS4, PS4, Xbox 360, Vita, iPhone (but well)

So this week on iOS and Android Final Fantasy VI was released. Well known as one of the best Final Fantasy games out there, it’s one of the long line of iOS ports that Square Enix have done.

Howeveer, the actual port it’s very nice. The game has been given a complete graphical overhaul, made to look “HD”, but by doing so has lost a lot of the charm of the original game. Backgrounds look nicer, but almost all the character sprites are just super ugly now. On top of that, the user interface is ugly as sin, with some of the ugliest UI design I’ve seen in a long while.

Similar to my Chrono Trigger, I decided to give a shot at making HD versions of the original game, with it’s classic sprites, but now in widescreen, and I like the results!

By doing so I found what one of the issues was - the fights were altered to be zoomed in instead of widened. The original game’s battle screens were small and unmoving, and were somewhat “widescreen” already, so instead of expanding the background to fit the width of a new resolution, the battle is more zoomed in.

But by doing so the menus have no real place to sit, making them appear on top of the battle as a big ugly mess. I’ve photoshopped some of the scenes to have a wider battle arena, very basic, but obviously a true artist would have a better shot at it.

Port Begging for: Fantasy Zone Collection

Publisher: Sega

Developer: M2

Original Platform: PS2

Port it to: Xbox One, PS3, PS4, 3DS, Vita, Xbox 360, PC

Fantasy Zone has always been one of those weird franchises - well known, had a bunch variety of versions out there, but ultimately not that popular, at least now, but has a been a big part of Sega’s history.

Cartoony and colorful, Fantasy Zone follows Opa-Opa as you shoot and bomb your way through screens of enemies, flying left and right Defender-style as you clear the place of enemies, while upgrading yourself through the shop with new weapons and new abilities. It’s had a ton of released through the Megadrive, Arcade, Master System, Game Gear and everything inbetween.

Back in 2008, through Sega’s Ages series, M2 did a fantastic job creating the ultimate collection of the titles - Fantasy Zone, Fantasy Zone II, Super Fantasy Zone and all sorts of obscure games that have the character in it. Exclusive to this version was Fantasy Zone II DX - a remake and reimagine of the second title, previously a Master System game which had simpler graphics, to an actual arcade game using actual arcade technology. It’s basically the “definitive” Fantasy Zone game.

Not Port Begging for: Binding Of Isaac

Publisher: Indie

Developer: Edmund McMillen & Florian Himsl

Original Platform: PC

Do Not Port It To: iPhone

We’re doing something a little different for today’s installment of Port Begging - in fact, it’s the opposite. Why something shouldn't come to the platform. Not that this’ll turn up much, but it’s fun for me to write.

Binding of Isaac was one of my favorite games of 2011 and got me into the “roguelike” style of insta-death and replays, just as Spelunky has currently sucked me in. Being so popular, it was interesting to try and ponder what the game might look like on the iPhone, if a version was ever considered.

While relatively simple game play wise, there’s a lot of functionality in BOI that needs to be available at all times - your Bomb ability, Q slot items and activated items. So that’s three separate buttons that need to be in close vicinity of your controls. For example I nicked the sticks from one of my games - placing the bomb in an “always above the right stick” spot, and the two use items in close proximity, but these are far from being all that good.

In the mock-ups I attempted to maximize the space on the screen, but in doing so loses some of the Zelda-esque HUD stuff that was kind of cool. You also have to realize that absolutely no HUD elements can be in the middle of the top, bottom, left or right of the screens, as there’s a chance of doors spawning there.

From this point you can see one of the major problems - the controls themselves. With a static screen, controls would end up covering the bottom half of the screen pretty by quite a bit, and even more if those controls moved along with you. There’s always a chance that something’s going to kill you in that corner, and fighting the bosses would be a nightmare. You don’t want this.

The second mock-up is for an iPad version of the game, which apparently might happen, but still isn't that great. A flipped UI allows for more usable space to not cover enemies and spots around you.

Port Begging for: Shadow Complex

Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Chair / Epic Games

Original Platform: Xbox 360

Port it to: PC

Shadow Complex was one of the first titles to come out on the Xbox Live Arcade that proved that this whole “small, digital download” type game could be a thing.

After the comparatively lame Undertow, Chair Entertainment blew everyone's expectations away by making a fantastic large map action platformer with fantastic gameplay, unique weapons and a great style, though the main character was a little boring.

But it’s a shame that after everything, the game will continue to sit just on the Xbox 360. The Unreal Engine itself has come so far since the original 2009 release that even a bump to today’s standard would be a welcome improvement.

Port Begging for: MDK2 HD

Publisher: Interplay

Developer: Overhaul Games

Original Platform: PC

Port it to: Xbox One, PS4, Wii U

Before the Mass Effects and Dragon Ages of the World, Bioware was a developer building games on other properties - Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars, and oddly enough made a game called MDK2.

A sequel to the original game made by Shiny, MDK2 follows Kurt, Max and Dr. Hawkings in a rather goofy action shooter fighting against the evil Shang Shwing. The game originally came out on the Dreamcast to critical acclaim, and later on the PC, and was a ton of fun.

The past few years saw the game come back into the limelight courtesy of Overhaul Games. Wanting to bring the game back in HD, they reworked the graphics entirely with new models and lighting effects, widescreen support and everything else.

Unfortunately the new release came out on only two platforms - PC, where it looks fantastic, and… Wii. At the time of this creation, both MIcrosoft and Sony were kind of jerks when it came to releasing games on their digital platforms, and made it a massive pain when it came to bringing games to Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 without a publisher.

Port Begging for: Chrono Trigger

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Square Enix

Original Platform: Super Nintendo

Port it to: Xbox One, PS4, Wii U, Vita, 3DS

Chrono Trigger has for years been known as one of the best RPGs ever created - a fantastic romp through time and space with Chrono, Marle and Lucca and a whole bunch of characters. Originally released for the SNES, Chrono Trigger featured beautiful graphics, an amazing soundtrack and awesome gameplay that’s been tough to live up to since.

The game has since been ported to a few consoles, with it’s best variant being the Nintendo DS, which featured some extra bits to the original game, keeping to the classic pixel art style intact.

Since then the game has been ported over to Android and iPhone devices and is a less than stellar experience. The graphics are bluury as all hell, the redesigned menu system and fonts are of a higher resolution than the original and looks completely out of place, just a mess.

Port Begging for: Wario Land VB

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo

Original Platform: Virtual Boy

Port it to: Nintendo 3DS

Screens thanks to: Planet VB, Renegade Kid

Suggested by: magnum-driller

Nintendo has generally been pretty good with their Virtual Console, at least on the Wii - Wii U is another story. The 3DS is a little in the middle - plenty of Game Boy games, but still no GBA titles.

For a little while Nintendo were doing 3D Classics remakes, taking original NES games like Kirby’s Adventure, Kid Icarus and (ugh) Urban Champion and giving them some new colours and 3D effects.

But if there’s one game that should be given a remake treatment, it’s a game that would have to have Nintendo acknowledge one of their gravest errors - Wario Land VB for the Virtual Boy.

Wario Land VB is a direct sequel to Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land, one of my favourite Game Boy games - featuring similar gameplay elements, such as special hats that give Wario powers. shoulder charges, and is apparently quite fun. Out of all 14 games that got released for the system in North America, this is probably the one to play.

The game includes some fantastic uses of 3D, courtesy of the Virtual Boy’s dual layer graphics system, allowing Wario to travel into the background, or have swinging balls come towards the player. Unfortunately it’s palette of strictly shades of red don’t help it at all.

Port Begging for: Golden Axe: Revenge of Death Adder

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega

Original Platform: Arcade

Port it to: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Vita, 3DS

Screens thanks to: Hardcore Gaming 101

For the most part Sega’s been pretty good with their Arcade Legacy - We see Space Harrier, Hang On, Altered Beast, After Burner and more come out on 3DS recently with fantastic results, and their last Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network releases were great.

Golden Axe got a great package back in 2012 with the three Genesis titles. But there’s one game that always seems to get skipped whenever the brawler gets brought up: Golden Axe: Revenge of Death Adder.

This title is the only Golden Axe game that allowed for 4 players at once, featuring 4 brand new characters including a centaur and a giant, huge sprites, tons of effects, and is said to be the best Golden Axe game of the lot.. well, for those who ever got the chance to play it.

The game was made on the System 32 Arcade board - a rather obscure board that, while emulated now in MAME, has yet to see an official release from it’s catalog, requiring extra work for whoever would wish to port it. Which sucks!

Port Begging for: Plants Vs Zombies 2

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: PopCap

Original Platform: iPhone

Port it to: PC, Xbox One, PS4

Now look, we all know the original Plants Vs Zombies came out first on PC, and was a big hit. Then it went over to the iPhone, and it was an even bigger hit - so big that it became the lead, and only, platform for its direct sequel.

But a lot happened between 2009 and 2013 - the freemium boom hit and Plants Vs Zombies went along with it. It’s done quite well since its release as a free game.

Still, there are plenty of other platforms that it’s not been released on. While Freemium works in the culture of phone games, it’s not really so on PC, Xbox Live or PlayStation 4, and the powerups, usually involving touch based gestures, don’t work on mouse and controller systems either.

Port Begging for: My LIfe As A Darklord: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Square Enix

Original Platform: WiiWare

Port it to: iPhone, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4

Square Enix’s dealings with digital platforms has had it’s ups and downs over the years, and while a lot of them have been pretty great, it’s always bizarre how many of them only come out for one platform.

While their not-so-great Final Fantasy tower defense game Crystal Defenders got ported across all sorts of platforms, some of Square’s best got stuck only on WiiWare platforms. Today’s game is My LIfe As A Darklord: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.

This unique tower defense game has you play as the bad guy - having to create the floors of a tower as you fight off heroes attempting to take the dark crystal at the very top.

Gameplay wise it’s basic, but quite a lot of fun, and out of the lot of digital games Square-Enix have released it’s one of the best looking - even here at 1080p it could very well be a XBLA or PSN title.

The only thing that’s really keeping it on Wii platforms is the connection to Crystal Chronicles, but outside of the artstyle it has little to do with that part of the Final Fantasy series. I’d love to see it released, complete with DLC, on other platforms.

Port Begging for: Patapon!

Publisher: Sony

Developer: Japan Studio

Original Platform: PSP

Port it to: PS4, Vita

It took a while for the PSP to find its place in the world, and a game that could define it. Patapon was one of those titles that really broke through the console with a beautiful, simple art design, extremely addictive musical battles and just a ton of stuff to do.

I own the first two, I don’t think I ever got the third, but I always wanted to see what the game would look like on the PS3. Via emulators we can now tell that how the game was originally made (sprites) means it doesn’t really hold up with a straight up-res, and would be a lot of work.

Port Begging for: Chu Chu Rocket!

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sonic Team

Original Platform: Dreamcast, iOS

Port it to: PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Vita, 3DS

Back in 1999 Sonic Team were on a roll - revealing their “Enjoy 4” game announcement - Samba De Amigo, Phantasy Star Online, Sonic Adventure International, and… Chu Chu Rocket!?

Chu Chu Rocket is a simple puzzle game involving the everlasting battle between Mice and Cats.. but in space! There are two major parts of the game - Puzzle, requiring the player to place arrows around a maze in order to get all the Mice hope, and leave the cats for dead. The other - an incredibly frantic and fun multiplayer game throwing 4 players into the mix, fighting to get the most mice while avoiding cats, all in one of the Dreamcast’s first online titles.

It was a blast to play back then and many remember it fondly - it has since come out on the iPhone, which makes sense, but I still feel that what’s missing is a digital release on consoles and PC. That version also feels rather sloppy and half finished, though it was probably completed on a shoestring budget.

Port Begging for: Ninjatown

Publisher: Southpeak Games

Developer: Venan Games

Original Platform: Nintendo DS

Port it to: iOS, PC

Perhaps not the classic game you might expect from the blog, based on previous posts.

Back in 2008 amongst the many Nintendo DS games I played, one of my favourites was a tower defense game called Ninjatown. Based on the Shawnimals line of toys, Ninjatown was an excellent tower defense game in a world where the genre was just finding itself, and just before the genre exploded on the iPhone, which had barely come out.

It’s a fairly classic styled TD title - placing your Ninja houses on a map as they defend against the evil Mr. Demon. With a large variety of Ninjas, enemies, and ninja powers to use, it was a fun challenge, and well worth the price.

So it seems rather odd to me that instead of bringing the game to the iPhone at a later date, Venan games decided to create Ninjatown: Trees of Doom! A vertical climbing title for the iPhone. Still a quality title, but I feel this game, or at least it’s genre, would work perfectly on an iPhone or iPad, with the ability to zoom in and out of maps and use your powers more effectively.

Going back to it now, so much of what makes Ninjatown great is almost snagged directly from Kingdom Rush - another tower defense game I (and many others) enjoy. Houses, ability to place where your Ninjas position themselves, and the types of tower in use.

Port Begging for: Volgarr The Viking

Publisher: Indie

Developer: Crazy Viking Studios

Original Platform: PC

Port it to: Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3

A lot of the titles we’ve spoken of have been classics for previous systems lost to time. This is a little different.

Volgarr The Viking is a very recent release, coming out only back in September 2013. Defined as a return back to the classic ways of 16-Bit video games, it’s an incredibly difficult game that, as shown by Giant Bomb’s Breaking Brad videos, defines brutality.

Port Begging for: Crazy Taxi

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega

Original Platform: Dreamcast, Arcade

Port it to: Xbox One, PS4, Wii U

Back in 2010 Sega began begun to bring their classic catalog to the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC. Their first four titles were Sonic Adventure, Space Channel 5 Part 2, Get Bass Fishing and today’s game - Crazy Taxi.

It was great to finally play Crazy Taxi again, hell I got all 200 Gamerscore in the XBLA version, but at this point Sega Shanghai, who ported it over, didn’t really do a great job.

For one, the version’s “widescreen mode” was poor, merely stretching the main game’s HUD and it looked terrible. The worst part was the complete lack of The Offspring and Bad Religion in the soundtrack, instead putting in a poor substitute, claiming that getting the original soundtrack was basically impossible.

But what is this? Years later a game pops up on the iPhone App Store! It’s Crazy Taxi and guess what? It fixes everything! The game looks fantastic with a for-real widescreen mode, fixing all the HUD issues, and also includes ALL the original music for the game! Hallelujah!

The game works pretty well on the iPhone, I’ve completed all the Crazy Box levels so far, but it’s so sad that they didn’t actually do right by the original game in the first place, instead deciding to get real cheap about it.  I hope that, when the company decides to get nostalgia again, they’ll do right by the game, and have a true definitive version. Maybe even redo the textures and models to be of a higher quality.