Shmups Most in Need of a Remake

[Jonpachi]

All the cool AAA games are doing it, so why can't we?

We've gotten plenty of great re-releases and collections over the last few years thanks to the likes of M2 and Hamster, but I can't think of any instances of a shmup truly being rebuilt on modern hardware. M2 have given us a few titles that come close, such as the GG Aleste games being rescued from old handhelds and given the option to run at unrestricted speeds, but a true remake in the style of Metal Gear Solid Delta has yet to be seen.

Some thoughts:
- R-Type Final: Imagine this running at a locked 60fps in 4k. I don't even need more than that.
- Gradius V: Treasure's most unknown shmup project, and one of the best in the series (if not the best). It was already stunning on PS2, and would be unbelievable on UE5.

[copy-paster]

Playing R-Type Final on latest PCSX2 nightly + Hardware renderer + 4K upscale is pretty much remaster of the game we asked for. Not to mention the game runs at fullspeed/zero slowdown at all, but that also means bosses like Subkeratom's last form (st4.0 boss) becomes impossible without one hit kill wave cannon because his projectiles have Psikyo/Raiden bullet speed and quite little gap to dodging/react so you'd better grind the ship unlock until you get Ragnarok II to deal with this mofo.

Final 2's DLC stages also contains some stages in RTF1. IIRC it is the first stage, second stage and the fourth stage (not sure if 6.0 got a remake) and they're not 1:1 recreation. For example the first boss have completely different attack patterns, and to change the environment in stage 2/twisted ecology you need to shoot either red or blue orb on the entrance.

[BulletMagnet]

Hmm...out of curiosity, for this topic would you accept, say, games that you'd like to see receive better home ports than they actually did, as opposed to a full remake, or would you prefer to stick to from-the-ground-up rebuilds here? A good amount of fertile ground either way, to be sure, but if you open up the "just finally give us a decent consumer version" front, things get really crowded, heh.

[Jonpachi]

Hmm...out of curiosity, for this topic would you accept, say, games that you'd like to see receive better home ports than they actually did, as opposed to a full remake, or would you prefer to stick to from-the-ground-up rebuilds here? A good amount of fertile ground either way, to be sure, but if you open up the "just finally give us a decent consumer version" front, things get really crowded, heh.

I did have eyes on the future, as it seems were in relatively good hands in terms of having the past resurrected. We'd all like a better Dodonpachi or Ibara, but you're right that list just goes on and on if you open that door

That said, what would a REMAKE of a classic Cave title look like? Perhaps we could imagine rendering all the original pre-rendered assets in real-time 3D?

[XoPachi]

I don't really need a lot of touch ups. But as far as games that just need to not be trapped on their platform anymore and have a definitive, "future proofed", and accessible home port?
SDOJ is the big one. I know 360 is "recent", but that's it's only availability. It's a little laggy and it's VERY hard to get today while also going up in price. I would really like a solid PC port of that yesterday. Same for Futari. Aside from just cleaning up the performance, I'm fine with the exact ports. I just don't care to have to use my 15 year old 360 anymore. It almost doesn't want to read Futari today.

[Air Master Burst]

Sigma Star Saga seems like fertile ground, and the original's gameplay was middling enough there's a lot of room for improvement.

Change Air Blade with a full suite of modern online features.

Metal Black with modern 3D graphics and even more focus on beam duels.

[soupbones]

Would love to see:

• Recca Summer Carnival 92' remade without all the flicker - maybe even a beefed up color palette.

• ThunderForce V - give me cleaner looking models all around. No game needs a facelift more than this atrocity.

• Space Megaforce - eliminate the slowdown and let this one shine

[soupbones]

Change Air Blade with a full suite of modern online features.

Great call - would love to get this online.

[Jonpachi]

• ThunderForce V - give me cleaner looking models all around. No game needs a facelift more than this atrocity.

I almost listed VI in my original post, but V is perhaps even more in need. One of the best TF games (my favorite at least) but visually it's ROUGH, especially the Playstation's "Perfect System" version.

[Air Master Burst]

• ThunderForce V - give me cleaner looking models all around. No game needs a facelift more than this atrocity.

I almost listed VI in my original post, but V is perhaps even more in need. One of the best TF games (my favorite at least) but visually it's ROUGH, especially the Playstation's "Perfect System" version.

I actually think these would benefit more from a really classy demake. Thunder Force feels better with sprites.

[Samildanach]

• ThunderForce V - give me cleaner looking models all around. No game needs a facelift more than this atrocity.

I almost listed VI in my original post, but V is perhaps even more in need. One of the best TF games (my favorite at least) but visually it's ROUGH, especially the Playstation's "Perfect System" version.

I actually think these would benefit more from a really classy demake. Thunder Force feels better with sprites.

Either of these options would be great as I agree with TFV being the shmup being the most in need of an update. But then the Tec(h)nosoft games have all been neglected far too much I feel. A lovely compilation would be a dream release of mine (and not just on the Switch!!)

[PerishedFraud ឵឵]

Would love to see:

• Space Megaforce - eliminate the slowdown and let this one shine

Just overclock it on snes9x. Out of all the stuff here this comes really easy.

My answer: Blazing Star, full 3d but keep the gratuitious effects. I need to see this.

[BulletMagnet]

That said, what would a REMAKE of a classic Cave title look like?

Off the top of my head the ones I'd most like to see redone are Guwange, which could sell the "painted scroll come to life" aesthetic even better, and a new Dangun Feveron that truly went all out on the disco theme.

Sigma Star Saga seems like fertile ground, and the original's gameplay was middling enough there's a lot of room for improvement.

That one was a really interesting hybrid, though as you say a pretty janky one; I do imagine it would take a lot of time and effort for a dev to meld the two halves in a way that could satisfy aficionados of both, and the result would be impressive as hell if they could pull it off, but that sort of project being greenlit really would require living in a different timeline, heh.

Space Megaforce - eliminate the slowdown and let this one shine

I seem to recall that Super Aleste is one of the few SNES shmups where slowdown wasn't a major issue, but regardless I can't say I'm not curious how a modern version might render those gloriously trippy visuals.

While we're in SNES territory I'm tempted to say that Axelay might be an even better remake candidate, since its presentation was such a major part of its appeal; imagine making your way through the massive abandoned space colony or the bioluminescent cave with all the new fancy bells and whistles. My one concern would be the temptation to expand the story, when the brief opening cutscene of the original was frankly more than epic enough to carry it.

Elsewhere, it'd presumably have to be a relatively small-scale digital release or something, but dismantling the huge battleship in Omega Fighter might be neat to see in updated form.

I'd also be down to see what a talented crew might do with certain "epic fantasy" themed titles like Lords of Thunder or Dragon Saber if they had a fresh crack at them.

Finally, yeah, I know they already remade Cho Aniki. Do it again.

[PerishedFraud ឵឵]

Remake? They promised Axelay II, damn it...

Finally, yeah, I know they already remade Cho Aniki. Do it again.

hahaha yes

[Creamy Goodness]

Probably the Star Soldier series, but not full blown 2.5D HD. I am thinking more along the lines of the Devil Blade art style.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

It's sure be nice if Konami were to give the classic Hudson Soft/Compile stg of Gunhed/Blazing Lazers a "modern-day" remake/facelift and "trim down the excessive fat" of having nine stages distilled down to at least a more manageable & proper five or six stages (that'd hit the "sweet-spot" indeed). A GH/BL remake with pre--rendered sprites astethetic would suffice just fine. Could a modern-day techno BGM gel well with this particular GH/BL remake though? Get some top-names signed up and let the magic happen.

To see the multi-body rendered in fine form would cool to see/behold. Get some original dev team members that created GH/BL back together again and really "pull out all the stops" to make it the best as it was meant to be (with no hardware restrictions/limitations this "second time around" -- throw in some classic visual nods/tributes as a reminder of it's original roots). As a proper bonus, release this GH/BL remake as a true Hu-Card or Arcade CD-Rom2 format release as a "final farewell thank you gift" to PCE/TG-16 fans worldwide.

The PCE/TG-16 release of Hudson Soft/Compile's classic Soldier Blade as a remake complete with proper tate would be awesome -- the million dollar question is, would Konami get it done though?

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Jonpachi]

While we're in SNES territory I'm tempted to say that Axelay might be an even better remake candidate, since its presentation was such a major part of its appeal; imagine making your way through the massive abandoned space colony or the bioluminescent cave with all the new fancy bells and whistles. My one concern would be the temptation to expand the story, when the brief opening cutscene of the original was frankly more than epic enough to carry it.

100% THIS. Thinking of Axelay redone in the style of the Natsume remakes like Pocky and Rocky: Reshrined...

[Lemnear]

I wouldn't want remakes (if they're 3D maybe HD version is enough).
Anything that has never been published outside of its original platform.

[frelanhardware]

Sign me up for an R-Type Final remake at 60fps! My reflexes wouldn't know what hit them. Gradius V in UE5 sounds insane too...

[BulletMagnet]

Thought of another one: Dimahoo. The "collectathon" elements were really unique but a somewhat awkward fit in an arcade game, and I can see a modern refresh of the concept really giving it room to breathe; off the cuff I remember a rumor (presumably proven false) that completing various item sets would increase player stats or offer other bonuses, well now you can totally do stuff like that and really encourage players to figure out where all the shiny stuff is and grab the whole lot in one go. Throw in a long-overdue port of the original and you've got a nice solid package; go the extra mile and graft on some sort of supplementary "dungeon crawling" side mode that can more capably immerse players in the, uh, Mahou Daisakusen-verse, and things get even more interesting.

[Air Master Burst]

Thought of another one: Dimahoo.

Kingdom Grand Prix probably has just as much room for iteration, too. Preferably they could figure out a way to emphasize the racing even more. Some sort of risk/reward boost system like Podracer/Motorstorm maybe?

[pablumatic]

PS2 era shooters like Gradius V that are stuck in 480i hell need to be updated. At the very least to be playable on modern hardware and actually be progressive scan. Preferably widescreen and with updated models.

[BulletMagnet]

Kingdom Grand Prix probably has just as much room for iteration, too. Preferably they could figure out a way to emphasize the racing even more. Some sort of risk/reward boost system like Podracer/Motorstorm maybe?

I had thought of KGP as well, but figured that one was really more of a "shmup worlds you'd like to see in other genres" kind of situation.

[Jonpachi]

Thought of another one: Dimahoo. The "collectathon" elements were really unique but a somewhat awkward fit in an arcade game, and I can see a modern refresh of the concept really giving it room to breathe; off the cuff I remember a rumor (presumably proven false) that completing various item sets would increase player stats or offer other bonuses, well now you can totally do stuff like that and really encourage players to figure out where all the shiny stuff is and grab the whole lot in one go. Throw in a long-overdue port of the original and you've got a nice solid package; go the extra mile and graft on some sort of supplementary "dungeon crawling" side mode that can more capably immerse players in the, uh, Mahou Daisakusen-verse, and things get even more interesting.

This is super interesting and makes so much sense. In a way, it would be a return to Compile’s console roots (many of whom moved to Raizing). Guardian Legend 2 should probably be a thing we got at some point in the 16-bit era if this world was fair and just.

[Some-Mist]

make mars matrix more crisp

maybe gemini wing?

[Lethe]

off the cuff I remember a rumor (presumably proven false) that completing various item sets would increase player stats or offer other bonuses

That's real. I don't know why people were always so skeptical about it in particular amongst all the other bullshit being thrown around back in the day. I guess it took a while for anybody to actually play the game.

It would only take a romhack to tighten up Metal Black's gameplay, no need to give it plastic 3D graphics. We've already had Dariusburst cover that.
Shippu/KGP sequel would be cool.

[Air Master Burst]

It would only take a romhack to tighten up Metal Black's gameplay, no need to give it plastic 3D graphics.

It couldn't possibly be as ugly as the original. I adore Metal Black but those digitized sprites are fucking dire.

[Lander]

Rayforce, on the condition that it's true full fuck-you budget with cutting-edge visual tech, and a level of presentational panache akin to Platinum at their best.
Not just the 'high end shmup' standard of 3D models and modern effects; actually equivalent or better than what the original was in its own time. Anything less wouldn't be worth the bother.

I guess you can apply the same logic to other shooters with similar accolades; Radiant Silvergun, for instance, has a flashiness and progression that could translate really well to a high-spectacle modern rendering.

Though, an adjacent curiosity: Could you achieve Wonderful 101 or Bayo levels of action drama without introducing any characters to carry it? I'd want the original tone intact where applicable: Cool spaceship versus everything, no people.

[BulletMagnet]

That's real.

Huh, seriously never knew that - is there any indication of this that's visible to the player, or is it one of those "need to hack into the code to know it's there" situations? If the letter I'm honestly curious why they'd even have bothered with it...

Radiant Silvergun, for instance, has a flashiness and progression that could translate really well to a high-spectacle modern rendering.

I'd actually thought of RSG as a candidate for this thread as well, but the more I dwell on it the more I see the game as such a quintessentially in-your-face "this could only have been made in the 90's" project that I'm not sure any subsequent attempt could come close to recapturing the vibe. Not to mention the whole "just get Ubusuna out the door, no additional distractions" angle lurking in the back of my head, heh.

Guardian Legend 2 should probably be a thing we got at some point in the 16-bit era if this world was fair and just.

Not exactly the same thing, but this might be of interest to you if you haven't already seen it.

[Warp_Rattler]

- Gradius V: Treasure's most unknown shmup project, and one of the best in the series (if not the best). It was already stunning on PS2, and would be unbelievable on UE5.

It's absolutely criminal that this game has languished for 20 years(!) without any sort of update for modern systems. (Apparently it got a digital re-release for PS3, a platform which I skipped and which is also not a modern system). I keep thinking that I need to dig my PS2 out of the garage and give this a go once more. As I recall, it was one of the few PS2 titles to ship on a regular CD (with the blue back) instead of a DVD, and as my PS2 got older it refused to read PS2 and PSX CDs at all (PS2 DVDs were still fine) and I eventually had to rig up a HD loader setup.

I'm not sure I'd like it to follow in the trend of using these off-the-shelf engines like UE or Unity for these sorts of projects, though. They seem to add a lot of performance overhead to most projects, and while suitably motivated developers seem to be able to optimize the engines for smooth performance regardless of system, it also seems that not many (both in the indie and AAA space) can actually be bothered to do so. I don't know if having Treasure[Maegawa] at the helm would ensure a more polished outcome, assuming they'd be involved at all.