Playing the excellent Super Mario RPG remake last night, Karen asked me how I would approach remaking EarthBound.
My first response was that I wouldn't. Part of what makes the Super Mario RPG remake work (to use Karen's words) is that clearly if they could have made that game, with it's pre-rendered and shrunken 3D graphics, look like the remake, they probably would've. EarthBound on the other hand I strongly believe was always meant to look the way that it does; a bright, colorful Super Nintendo game. I think some might argue that it could have a clay/stop-motion look like the concept and marketing art, but I feel that the art for the NES/SNES Mother games inspired the clay model art, not the other way around*.
After thinking about it a little more, I added a second answer: make it look like a television cartoon special from the 1970s. Something like The Point or Really Rosie with the battle screen more like Yellow Submarine. If the goal was to be Americana nostalgia, that'd be the closest I feel in capturing though vibes - though again, ultimately the best answer is no change to the art at all, similar to how flashbacks in the later Metal Gear Solid games use footage from the old games rather than remaking those scenes in the new engine or using footage from other remakes re: Twin Snakes.
How about you? How would you remake a game if you had the chance? Feel free to interpret the question however you like!
*I didn't look into this too deeply so I might be wrong about it! If there's sources out there you know of that claim otherwise, let me know!
My first response was that I wouldn't. Part of what makes the Super Mario RPG remake work (to use Karen's words) is that clearly if they could have made that game, with it's pre-rendered and shrunken 3D graphics, look like the remake, they probably would've. EarthBound on the other hand I strongly believe was always meant to look the way that it does; a bright, colorful Super Nintendo game. I think some might argue that it could have a clay/stop-motion look like the concept and marketing art, but I feel that the art for the NES/SNES Mother games inspired the clay model art, not the other way around*.
After thinking about it a little more, I added a second answer: make it look like a television cartoon special from the 1970s. Something like The Point or Really Rosie with the battle screen more like Yellow Submarine. If the goal was to be Americana nostalgia, that'd be the closest I feel in capturing though vibes - though again, ultimately the best answer is no change to the art at all, similar to how flashbacks in the later Metal Gear Solid games use footage from the old games rather than remaking those scenes in the new engine or using footage from other remakes re: Twin Snakes.
How about you? How would you remake a game if you had the chance? Feel free to interpret the question however you like!
*I didn't look into this too deeply so I might be wrong about it! If there's sources out there you know of that claim otherwise, let me know!