I’m one of those gamers stuck in the NES/SNES era. I could probably live the rest of my life without playing a game that one of those systems couldn’t run. I don’t know exactly what the magic appeal of old school games are, but it’s there and it pulls me in every time. Apparently I’m not alone, as loads of programmers are cranking out demakes and backports, modern games squished into the confines of a legacy gaming system. This usually means nothing more than turning a 3D game into a 2D one, but the results never fail to charm me.
Here are a few demakes worth checking out. If you know of any more, please share! And seriously, when will someone create a 2D Game Boy demake of Shadow of the Colossus?!
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children
The first Final Fantasy game to make the leap to 3D is a natural candidate to be stripped down and stuffed into an 8-bit shell. This “China-exclusive unofficial, unlicensed remake” does just that, creating a from-scratch FF VII Famicom game using recycled sprites and music from other FF NES titles. Not a completely faithful port, but still pretty darn cool. The ROM may or may not be available, as I’ve read accounts swearing both are true. But I’m sure if you’re vigilant enough you can uproot this oddity. Otherwise, try this YouTube video for more eye candy.
GoldenEye 2D
What was the defining first person console shooter for many, GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64 is still worshipped in many small countries and tiny mountain towns. Here we have a 2D incarnation of the dam level colored like an old Game Boy title. The mission is the same, but the gameplay has been tweaked to create a more Contra-esque experience.
Game Boy Demake Mockups
Not games themselves, just fifty or so screenshot mockups created by forum members at WayOfThePixel. There’s some really great stuff to look at here, including Cave Story and Out of this World.
