Q&A for Ben Judd's October 2018 BCB

My favorite indie metroidvania is hard for me since usually enjoy Igavanias the most. I don't have as much fun with those that are more like super metroid. So I guess Shantae: Half genie hero because it didn't feel like Metroid and had good music and artstyle.

Regarding HD remakes I enjoy a lot of the HD remakes that has come out recently, but those that came out when during the ps3 were not that good. But I quite like it when the HD remakes removes bad parts of the original and add on something for the ones who was a fan from the beginning. Radiant Historia Perfect chronology is quite good.

For a remake I would have to say Digimon world 2003. If I was asked 3 years ago I would have said the first Digimon world, but I got Digimon world Next Order in 2016 and I felt like it was a huge improvment on the original Digimon World. Regarding Digimon World 2003 the pixel art can stay the same, but if they just improved the 3D battle mode, put in fast travel between the towns in the beginning and have all the current digimon in it I would be quite happy. But I would also enjoy it if they just made the next Digimon world game similar to 2003.

For HD remakes, I'm just glad that they're having physical copies, as some HD ports tend to be digital-only, thus messing things up for gamers that may need to sell their consoles.

I'd love to see a remake of Getsu Fuuma Den, as it's such a fun game that needs to be fully unleashed upon the world.

My question: It has probably been answered already, but if you had to pick any three costumes(I went with three so it is not down to only one =p) to give to Miriam for Bloodstained, what would those three be?(IE Samus suit, etc, etc)
Favorite Metroidvania game: Hmm, this is a toughie, I would have to say for indie it would be either Axiom Verge or Song of the Deep(Second one is not indie but it feels like it)
How you feel about new remakes and HD titles coming out recently: For the love of god, stop making them PS4 exclusive only, as an Xbox fan we get hit pretty hard cause of it, I am highly thankful SOTN was on 360 lol.
If you could remake one non-Nintendo or SQ-EX game from PS2 or earlier, what would it be?: Another tough question, personally in my heart I would say FF8 so they did not lose it this time around, but if I really had to pick. But I would go with Dragon ball GT final bout, I would love to have something close to Fighter Z but in PS era graphics and such.

My favorite "indie Metroidvania" is Guacamelee. It would have been nice if it had weapons, but other than that, it had everything I wanted. Great game, and I need to play the second one.

I don't mind remakes or HD remasters, but if I've played the game already, I won't have much motivation to buy it again. Although if there's new content in the game, there's always a chance I'll buy it.

There aren't many games I'd want to remake, as I prefer completely new games. But The Guardian Legend is a game that I really love, and I do wonder how it would work if a sequel or even a remake was made today. I'd love to see another Shadow Hearts game, too.

Hello Ben i hope you read this answer and i cant wait for the Q&A on october!

In recent time my favorite Indie Metroidvania game has to be Hollow Knight. The game had tight controls, a pretty artstyle, interesting world and it had a great amount of challenge that after eventually ending victorious it would make feel accomplished.

Regarding the recent trend of new remakes and HD titles coming out, i welcome it for the most part. A well done remake is one where it introduces new people to an old game they might have missed out on that many people liked at the time it came out while adding a few more content for the returning fans to be more happy and have a new way of experiencing the old game. A game worth remaking is game that came out more than one generation of gaming console before the current one. However, since it is for the most part a game that came out before, i don’t believe it should be full priced anymore, especially if it’s just an updated graphics port. Remakes should also avoid changing anything of the core game so it still keeps a bit of the old magic, like gameplay or music, or at the very least offer an option to change it to the original version. A bad example would be the “Conkers Bad Fur Day” remake in xbox and a good example would be a the hd remaster is of “Final Fantasy X/X-2” since it included both games with extra content that wasn’t previously available to the US version of the original game and adding certain extrad and “cheats” to help you breeze to the gane if you are returning fan like me that wants to enjoy it stress free.

Finally, if i could remake one non-Nintendo or SQ-EX game from PS2 or earlier, it would definitely have to be the RPG game from Playstation 1, “The Legend of Dragoon”. It is one of my favorite rpg games, and yet it never got the attention i feel it deserved. It didn’t even get a sequel nor a spin-off. I think it is a good candidate for a remake because it was a good game that not that many people got to play, it has been plenty of time since the game came out and it has potential to be even better than before with the current technological advancements since it came out. If not a remake i feel it deserves at least a sequel.

Wait, has the original post been edited?

As for questions for Ben, I'd just like to know his answers to his own questions here. They're great subjects.

Favorite indie-vania: May be too early to say, but I'm certainly thinking Timespinner. It's got some very distinct Igavania flavor to it, much moreso than the others I've tried. The standard indie Metroidvania to me more often than not leans much farther Metroid or has some other more standard action-platformer considerations. I have a huge thread about that somewhere.

Trends of remasters and remakes: This is a mixed bag, sure, but I generally love it. I think it's often the only way that some bigger companies can come around to sneaking more traditional game design considerations into a "modern" game. Unless it's something like Dark Souls or a sequel to a longstanding more retro franchise, AAA games most often aren't about learning, and improving at, a game, or at best it's optional to do that. It's more about the experience to a wide audience, getting the largest player base possible, and keeping them on the hook with the game as a service and bit size deliveries of content. A game with older design considerations has its play value in taking you longer to get through because you have to surmount the challenge of it. Remakes and sometimes remasters can soften the edge of that, and I think that's fine usually, so long as the core of that game's ideas remains. To circumvent the process of figuring out and improving at a system someone else designed is a disservice to the thought and work the developers put into designing it, to me. That also ties into why I'm generally not one for looking up videos and guides of things I'm doing. Of course if you're mentally or physically incapable of doing something, that's another matter. I digress.

Non-Square PS2 era or earlier remake (lol great qualifiers here Ben!): That's pretty hard actually. A lot of the good/obvious ones have been done/are being done or are otherwise not feasible or good ideas imo. I agree with Metal Gear 1/2 and Breath of Fire 3 that I've seen posted here, though my own contribution might be...that isn't a Castlevania game lol...Dragon Force, the Sega Saturn game, Sega/Working Designs. Not too high on the "feasible" list though, probably.

edit: Wait a minute...what if Revolve 8 is like a Dragon Force game? Sega, "real time" strategy, about 8 main characters that are vying for map control at once...woah lol

1)gotta go with shantae series by way forward games. they are too adorable, quirky and downright fun. 100% completed risky's revenge and pirates curse

2)the HD remakes ive been enjoying to much are the kingdom hearts remakes. love that series, but i might be slightly insane because i actually understand the plot. (if you ask me to explain it im going to ignore you on the grounds my answers may incriminate me)

3)i have to pick a game that started on the NES because someone already started remaking my picks for the genesis (wonderboy the dragons trap)


highly underrated game. has exploration, secrets, and a good basis in mythology. move over kratos, this is the original god of war series!