Enhanced remake

In video games, an enhanced remake is a new, or more realistic, version of a video game that was originally developed for a less advanced game system (especially the Nintendo Entertainment System), or an updated version of a computer game on a PC or Macintosh, or a collection of such. It is also known as a "Super Mario All-Stars format", because of the idea was originated by Super Mario All-Stars. Enhanced remakes occur mostly on game consoles, and they are mostly role-playing video games. The game system that the game was being enhanced from, or previously developed for, is called the source system. The game system that the game has been enhanced for is called the target game system. The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is the source game system for many enhanced remakes. The earliest enhanced remakes were enhanced for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The basic features of an enhanced remake are graphical and audio enhancements (or facelifts), making classic games more realistic. Graphical enhancement is sometimes known as "eye candy", and audio enhancement is sometimes known as "ear candy."

Some examples of enhanced remakes include Super Mario All-Stars (from NES to Super NES) and Final Fantasy Origins (from NES to Wonderswan Color to Sony PlayStation). The enhanced remakes of Dragon Warrior I-IV were Japan-only, but later unofficially translated into English. The earliest enhanced remakes are 16-bit remakes of 8-bit games.

Enhanced remakes are sometimes called "updated classics." Some gamers find that enhanced remakes achieve the same level of quality that the original versions did, but others (mostly Final Fantasy fans) oppose the idea on grounds that games lose something vital (nostalgia) in the transformation to newer technology, specifically for the Final Fantasy series. Proponents of the enhanced remake idea may have a problem with those who oppose the idea. Most gamers are neutral in this case. There are also gamers who support the idea of enhanced remakes, especially those who prefer the enhanced remakes over their originals, believing that they gain something vital, such as enjoyment and interest. The truth about enhanced remakes is that it is better to update a classic game than to develop a new game that would create controversy among long time gamers. Therefore, transformation to newer technology does not actually spoil a game. Enhanced remakes also generate revenue for computer and video game companies. Enhanced remakes with resolution upgrades are called high-resolution remakes, featuring anti-compression. Enhanced remakes that receive transformation from 2D (old school) to 3D (new school) are called 3D remakes. Final Fantasy VI has been considered to be likely to get a 3D remake. The methods of graphics enhancements are re-touching, anti-compression, polygon upgrade, texturization, and new school transformation.

The original versions of the remade games are usually not included with the enhanced remakes on the same disc. Makaitoushi SaGa, the first game of the SaGa series and the game that was known in the U.S. as Final Fantasy Legend, was enhanced-remade for Wonderswan Color, and the original version is included in the same Wonderswan cartridge.

Sometimes, a publisher makes an unauthorized enhanced remake of another publisher's game. This remake is called a "clone." Making and publishing a clone is lawful in cases where no copyright or patent covers any essential aspect of the game, such as Tetris, as long as the clone is published under a name that is not confusingly similar. An authorized enhanced remake is called an "updated classic", that is, when the enhanced remake is from the same publisher as the original version.

List of enhanced remakes

This list does not include direct ports of original games, nor does it include clones.

Game Title	Original Platform	Remake Platforms
Castlevania	NES	Sharp X68000, Sony PlayStation, Super NES
Crystalis	NES	Game Boy Color
Dr. Mario	NES, Game Boy (Monochrome)	Super NES, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube
Dragon Warrior I	MSX, NES	Super NES, Game Boy Color, cellular phone
Dragon Warrior II	MSX, NES	Super NES, Game Boy Color
Dragon Warrior III	NES	Super NES, Game Boy Color
Dragon Warrior IV	NES	Sony PlayStation
Dragon Warrior V	Super NES	Sony PlayStation 2
Final Fantasy I	NES	Wonderswan Color, Sony PlayStation, cellular phone
Final Fantasy II	NES	Wonderswan Color, Sony PlayStation
Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening	Game Boy (Monochrome)	Game Boy Color
Makaitoushi SaGa	Game Boy (Monochrome)	Wonderswan Color
Mythri	Game Boy Color	Game Boy Advance
Ninja Gaiden	NES	Super NES
Ninja Gaiden 2	NES	Super NES
Ninja Gaiden 3	NES	Super NES
Phantasy Star	Sega Master System	Sony PlayStation 2
River City Ransom	NES	Game Boy Advance
Seiken Densetsu	Game Boy	Game Boy Advance
Super Mario Bros.	NES	Super NES
Super Mario Bros. 2	NES	Super NES, Game Boy Advance
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels	NES	Super NES
Super Mario Bros. 3	NES	Super NES, Game Boy Advance
Tengai Makyou II	NEC TurboGrafix PC-Engine	Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube
Ys	NEC PC-88	Windows, Sony Playstation 2
Ys II	NEC PC-88	Windows, Sony Playstation 2