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[Arne]

I've been trying to think of a game (and maybe a few movies/tv series too) which retain a lot of the qualities the original had, while making a next-gen leap, adding stuff that would've been great in the original but wasn't possible at the time. This could be improved visuals, UI, world size, persistence, enemy count, AI, variation, and such things.

Story, Gameplay, Design/Style/Atmosphere and Bestiary should be mostly intact and/or altered along their vector in a positive direction.

Games like NES Megaman (2-6) and the Japanese SMB 2 stayed pretty true, but they didn't make a generation leap. Blizzard have been pretty faithful it would seem though?

Of course, there's a lot of games which competely betrayed the original and went in a new successful direction, such as Dune II, and that's just dandy. Anyways, I just wanted to ask if you guys could think of any faithful generation leaping game sequel/remake.

[PoV]

I'd almost say that for Heroes of Might and Magic 5 (the first with 3D graphics).  It's enjoyable like the originals, and balance seems good (with all the patches).  Just the AI is bad, and they conveniently omit a way to play co-op (outside a single map).  But this is the game industry after all.  I've been there, I know how we do things.  Shame on me for expecting more.   

[Alex May]

I'm not sure if I've got this entirely right, but here are some mainstream examples I just thought of:

2D Mario -> Mario 64
Retains all the favourite enemies and platforming action. I suppose it's not really the same game though.

Zelda LTTP -> 3D Zelda
The Zelda series has retained the progression and dungeon design throughout the ones that I've played, I think. Some weaker games and some stronger games but they always seem to be pretty faithful and the leap from 2D to 3D made some stuff possible that couldn't have been done in 2D. I haven't really played OOT much but there's certainly stuff in Wind Waker and Twilight Princess that couldn't have been possible in a 2D Zelda.

GTA 2 -> GTA 3
They really did a good job with this IMO. GTA 3 was a complete surprise for many. It retains the mission-based gameplay and openness that the earlier GTA games pioneered, while adding proper physics, true 3D graphics and ever-more gigantic play areas. The GTA 3 series of games simply couldn't have been realised previously, and were tremendously worthy sequels.

[axel]

The nintendudes certainly did a good job on the Metroid Prime games, in my opinion.

Haha, I wonder what Cave Story would look like in 3D?

[shinygerbil]

...probably like a decent 3D game. In QVGA. Not sure whether I'd like that.

[handCraftedRadio]

The elder scrolls series is a pretty good example, I think. The only major differences between them are the story and the graphics.

[Mr Peckerston]

There are a lot of series' that kept their main game mechanics the same and used the increased hardware power to throw more objects around and so on such as Super Smash Bros Melee, Mario vs Donkey Kong (although I prefer DK '94), the Dreamcast port of Bangai-O and hundreds of arcade games (e.g. Gradius V, Dodonpachi Dai Ou Jou, Guilty Gear XX, Initial D arcade stage, Soul Calibur).

Would Half-Life 2 count as a faithful sequel? I don't think the HL1 engine could have managed Ravenholm or the gravity gun.

The most faithful 2D --> 3D sequel I can think of is GTA2 --> GTA3, but that's already been mentioned.

[AdamAtomic]

Re: zelda, the only zelda games that I think of as next-gen updates of LttP are Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, and I'm not entirely sure that PH does things that LttP couldn't, aside from the input.  That's how it looks to me anyways!


Metroid Prime is a really great update to Super Metroid (but not, of course, to the original Metroid); its practically fan-service.


PoP:Sands of Time is a remarkable update to the original Prince of Persia, and is better I think in every regard.  Still love the classic though!

[Derek]

I've heard that Rygar: The Legendary Adventure (PS2), does a good job of capturing the "spirit" of the original, but I haven't played it...



Anybody?

[FARTRON]

Half-Life 2 is hardly a generational change, but it does suggest some possibilities in the Wolfenstein->Doom->Quake lineage.

[Derek]

Actually, having spoken with you, Arne, I feel like you're not going to find any of the games suggested thus far to be faithful (by your criteria).

But... Final Fantasy 9?



Strider 2?

[fish]

bubsy 3D.

[Alex May]

Actually, having spoken with you, Arne, I feel like you're not going to find any of the games suggested thus far to be faithful (by your criteria).

I had that feeling 

[jaredbloom]

Oddworld: Abe's Exodus to Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath. The one in between, Munch's Odyssey, wasn't very good, but Stranger's Wrath is quite well done.

Also, the older Metal Gear games to Metal Gear Solid.

[fish]

i dont think the oddworld games work here.
each oddworld game was an entry into a planned quintology.
each main entry was to have its own spinoff sequel.
only abe's odyssey got his spinoff in abe's exodus.
munch's odyssey was the 2nd entry and was a bit of a departure from the originals.
didnt work that well. so munch nevver got his sequel and they skipped right to the third entry, stranger. which had a completely new style of gameplay.

the 2 next planned entries, i believes were called hand of odd, and in odd we trust. i remember seeing the logos in some magasine YEARS ago. one was to be a 3d RTS and the other somekind of multiplayer game.

so each of the 5 main entry in the oddworld quintology was to be of a completely different genre, starring a new hero. only the oddworld setting and story tied them together.

man i miss oddworld.

[Terry]

How about Metal Gear Solid? It's the same basic game idea as the MSX version, except that it jumps to 3D and elaborates the story side of the game.