Downloadable games on Rev will be improved!

[lazyfatbum]

Enhancing the Classics
Nintendo's president says Revolution's download service may do just that. Full details inside.
by Matt Casamassina

June 22, 2005 - At the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2005 in May, Nintendo revealed that its Revolution console would not only connect wirelessly online, but would also enable users to download classic titles for play on the machine. The company said that hit software from its previous consoles, including NES, S-NES and Nintendo 64, would be available to download for a small fee.

According to a new EGM interview with company president Satoru Iwata, there may be more to the story, though. The executive told the magazine that these classic titles could actually be improved on Revolution.

"We are doing several experiments, including working with the original Super Mario Bros., with the new technology," Iwata said. "The game itself and the gameplay shall be identical, but the look will be different -- it's possible that with Revolution we may be able to see the old games with new looks."

Iwata did not reveal exactly how the graphics for classic titles would be enhanced, but we expect that more on the subject will be announced before the end of the year. Nintendo has stated it plans to divulge more on Revolution, including the controller, by the time the holidays roll around.

Readers can read the full interview in the latest issue of EGM, available now.

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This is what I was hoping for, this could mean Super Mario Bros. with Sunshine graphics. Still in 2-D but with 3-D graphics, we usually call this "2.5-D". The same could be said for OoT and MM which could use the Wind Waker or the new Zelda graphics or even more. I'd love to see a 2.5-D Super Metroid or the original Starfox and Starfox 64 using the graphics of Dinosaur Planet's arwing levels or Assault's graphics (as long as they dont kill the draw distance like they did in Assault!). We could see 4 player NES Legend of Zelda or Metroid and of course the biggest question is, will we see Nintendo classics with online support.

But reading the quotes you cant help but wonder if he's talking about true stereoscopic 3-D...

[Dark Lord Neo]

I"m thinking the graphic improvements won't be that big, due to cost. I'm thinking it'd be more like hey let's make this nes game look like a snes game

[Dark Jaguar]

That would still be pretty costly.

This is a surprise, but let's not be hasty.

For all we know, the improvements they speak of are along the lines of the improvements we saw playing Metroid 1 in Metroid Prime (as in, a lovely smoothing filter applied to it, that could actually deal with the worries regarding the games looking way too blocky on a super sharp and super high res screen).

For all we know, they could actually be reworking these games in the vein of Super Mario All-Stars, but without SNES limitations either. If they take SMB and actually make it look like Kirby 64, only with Sunshine graphical quality, that would be neat, though there are certain things I want maintained. I want the clouds to be big cloud blocks with faces on them :D. But at any rate, they may not go with 3D, but rather the very best 2D they can give us, with like 30 layers of paralax scrolling backgrounds.

At any rate, whatever they do, the chances of them actually translating never-released-in--the-US games suddenly jumped by just a bit.

Oh yes, DLN, specifically regarding SMB. If it's just to SNES level, they could just avoid the work and give us Super Mario All-Stars where that's already been done.

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, I heard about this a day or two ago. I hope that this either isn't true or doesn't have much impact on the games, as these "improvements" in old games have been for the worse probably more often than they have been for the better, but if it has to happen I guess that if anyone is going to do it, it should be Nintendo because at least they have a chance of getting it right... but I'd still probably rather see the real originals. At least as another option. :)

It's not certain, though... the reports aren't exactly specific and clear that this is definitely going to happen.

For all we know, the improvements they speak of are along the lines of the improvements we saw playing Metroid 1 in Metroid Prime (as in, a lovely smoothing filter applied to it, that could actually deal with the worries regarding the games looking way too blocky on a super sharp and super high res screen).

Oh, I do hope for stuff like optional resolution increases, filters, screen display options, etc (like you'd get in an emulator)... but I wouldn't really call that improvements in the sense that I take Nintendo to mean. Those are emulation issues, not ingame ones... and Nintendo seems to be talking about changing the games, and not just the way that they are displayed.

[EdenMaster]

This is what I was hoping for, this could mean Super Mario Bros. with Sunshine graphics. Still in 2-D but with 3-D graphics, we usually call this "2.5-D". The same could be said for OoT and MM which could use the Wind Waker or the new Zelda graphics or even more. I'd love to see a 2.5-D Super Metroid or the original Starfox and Starfox 64 using the graphics of Dinosaur Planet's arwing levels or Assault's graphics (as long as they dont kill the draw distance like they did in Assault!). We could see 4 player NES Legend of Zelda or Metroid and of course the biggest question is, will we see Nintendo classics with online support.

Much as I'd love all the things you mentioned, some may seem less that feasible. Especially your idea of a remade OoT, I'd be thrilled, but that would be a huge undertaking to remake the game with enhanced graphics.

I'm thinking ABF is right. I would imagine they'll just bump up the graphics a gen or two, like making an NES game with the look of an SNES game (I'd be fine with SMB remade to have SMW graphics)

[A Black Falcon]

I'm thinking ABF is right. I would imagine they'll just bump up the graphics a gen or two, like making an NES game with the look of an SNES game (I'd be fine with SMB remade to have SMW graphics)

They did that already, you know... :)

But yes, Lazy is just asking for way too much, unless he wants them to cost full price ($30 to $50).

[Dark Jaguar]

I mentioned that too EM. It's Super Mario All-Stars, and it was a pretty popular game because it was graphically redone SMB1-3 and Lost Levels, with no gameplay changes except the save system and an added battle mode option in SMB3. The Mario Advance games actually did change the gameplay, but all the graphics and music were taken directly from All-Stars.

So they don't need to do it, they just need to let you download All-Stars.

[Weltall]

Oh, I certainly would not mind even All-stars being improved upon... using more colors, maybe a limited amount of pseudo-3D, and definitely high resolution graphics.

[Great Rumbler]

Any improvemtents are welcome just as long as they don't charge a bunch more for the games.

[A Black Falcon]

I just want the original versions available too... sure, improved versions can be interesting too, but isn't there also something to be said for playing it the way it originally was?

And as I said, these things go wrong probably more often than they go right...