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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Top 5 Ports/VC of Pre-Wii era games I want to see on Switch

This is ignoring any games which already re-released on Nintendo consoles since.

1. If you don't see Final Fantasy 6, Chrono Trigger, or Earthbound on here, it's not that I don't want them there too, but they already have a precedent for release. Same deal goes with newer games like Mario Galaxy and Xenoblade Chronicles X.

2. These games can include games from other consoles if there is a good reason to bring it over (For example, much of the Xenogears team now works for Nintendo, so that's going to be on my list! In fact, while this is in parenthesis, you can ignore this!)

 

1. SKIES OF ARCADIA

This game first launched on Dreamcast, and then was ported to the Gamecube. In my opinion, this is still TONS of fun to play. It was one of the very early examples of a fully 3D RPG that felt modern and open and free. While FFX was visually stunning, it felt very cramped and corridorish... Like you had a trail to go along and certain paths off to the side; it worked very well for pacing, but it completely lacked that feeling of vastness that Skies of Arcadia had. Anyone looking forward to Xenoblade Chronicles 2, this is a game that might interest you.

Unfortunately, this one is often overlooked by Sega. It met with very poor sales... It was one of the major victims to Dreamcast piracy.  Everyone and their grandmother had pirated this game. I recall an article which said that the game was pirated over 1 or 2 million times. Unfortunately, I can't find that article because of the theme of the game... which is, coincidentally, piracy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAOYom5f94c

2. XENOGEARS

This one makes logical sense. It was largely developed and shaped by Tetsuya Takahashi, Soraya Saga, Kunihiko Tanaka, Masato Kato, Yasonori Mitsuda, and Yasayuki Honne. All either currently working for Nintendo or primarily with Nintendo. I don't think it's a stretch to say this game belongs on a Nintendo console. Tetsuya Takahashi is now a very big celebrity designer among Nintendo fans, and they're beginning to get to know Soraya Saga as well.

A lot of people are unfamiliar with the game in the Nintendo camp. It was, at the time, one of the most ambitious projects ever devised in the videogaming universe. It ultimately failed to reach its original vision - as is generally true with ALL of Takahashi's projects - but as is also true of all of Takahashi's projects, his failures are solid gold. It's a case of shooting for the stars, and still blowing up Pluto.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSc59wy4aT4

3. TERRANIGMA

This game didn't get a western release until the end of the SNES lifecycle. All the hype was behind the N64, and so it was largely overlooked by everyone. There were those of us who were massive fans of RPGs and adventure games, and for those of us who played it, Terranigma was the ultimate result of 16-bit era epic fantasy games. It is the spiritual sequel of two other excellent games: Soul Blazer, and Illusion of Time, though some will include ActRaiser in this bunch as well. Those three games are much better known, but Terranigma is to them as Final Fantasy 6 is to Final Fantasy 4... perhaps even wider in the quality gap.

The game begins with a single village in a dark world. First you ressurect the Continents. The next chapter has you landing on a primeval Earth, and going through adventures to ressurect life (if you've played another one of Enix's games, E.V.O. Search of Eden, you'll find some similarities). Then it gets to primitive human civilization, and you adventure on, bringing up their civilization. Exploring further, watching as civilization crosses from anrtiquity into the Medieval period, then the early enlightenment period (you actually help in the Revolutionary struggle, and bring democracy to France). There is an epic story that goes along with it, massive twists and surprises, history transcending conspiracies, and more. In my opinion, still one of the greatest games not yet released on a Nintendo console (or any console) since before the Wii era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NFmgQqLmSo

4. TURTLES IN TIME

I honestly don't have much to say on this one. It was a beat em up that had strong 80s cultural influences, but made with the best artistic talent available in early 90s console gaming. This game was fun, and I really wanted this to be more of a "5 RPGs I want on Switch VC" list, but RPGs are my favourite genre by far, and the only thing that comes close are adventure/simulation games with RPG mechnics and similiarities in style and appeal (Like Illusion of Time, Zelda,  Rune Factory, etc...).

This game, IMO, was the best classic beat-em up game. There might be better ones available from a mechanical standpoint, better looking games, longer games... but this one hit well in so many different areas, and it came together in such an enjoyable package that I think it earns a spot. Wii fans were highly disappointed in not seeing this classic game on Virtual Console. We continue to be disappointed not seeing it on SNES classic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6IRNfXkMAc

5. FINAL FANTASY VII

This is a sore spot for Nintendo fans. Many, including former Nintendo President and CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi decided to disparage the game... and the people who liked the genre: 

"People who play RPGs are depressed gamers who like to sit alone in their dark rooms and play slow games."
-Hiroshi Yamauchi, 1999

He's a dick! But may he rest in peace.

For us depressed darkness loving gamers, We've been WAITING for 23 years for this game! It was promised to us during the SNES era, and we all took it for granted that Final Fantasy 7 would be coming to the N64... until it wasn't... Thanks for the low-density cartridges and 4KB texture cache Yamauchi!
And while the remake would be nice, I think having the original work, without any alterations )aside from graphical touch-ups so it doesn't look like grainy crap at 720/1080p) is an absolute must. I have a feeling that much of the emotion, feeling, and atmosphere of the game and its characters will be lost in the remake due to a drastically different art styles, gameplay styles, pacing, and vantagepoint as a player.

Some of us Nintendo fans sided with Yamauchi, but a good number of us bought playstations so we could play specifically this game. It's not that we stopped being Nintendo fans, it's that Nintendo seemingly stopped catering to our needs as RPG fans, and Yamauchi's firm statement was the final nail in the coffin. Luckily, Nintendo went back on that statement and released plenty of RPGs on GBA and DS just a few years later. But we never saw FF7.

I've waited for a day when Nintendo has this play as a big surprise during one of their presentations. I would flip my shit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFX594xk4A4

 

Sorry, I didn't proofread this, and I am using the excuse that English isn't my first language for any mistakes I have made!



I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.

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Terranigma is such a good game I consider the lack of a re-release a crime against humanity. I might start sending bomb letters to Squeenix if a port doesn't happen soon.



Holy crap. A list in which I can agree with each item. Are you human? :D



Xen said:
Holy crap. A list in which I can agree with each item. Are you human? :D

My DNA tests show I am part neanderthal. But otherwise, mostly human.

 

forest-spirit said:
Terranigma is such a good game I consider the lack of a re-release a crime against humanity. I might start sending bomb letters to Squeenix if a port doesn't happen soon.

Psst! I know a guy:

 



I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.

Skies of Arcadia and Turtles in Time... damn right.



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Skies of Arcadia should get a sequel on Switch the most appropriate console for this amazing game one of the best games I've ever played.

Final Fantasy 7 ? meh it should have released on the n64 but it didnt happen so let's just hope we can get the remake instead... Can you imagine though PS4, PC and maybe even XBO getting the remake and Switch gets the original or pc version of FF7 because reasons lol that would be the typical 3rd party - Nintendo logic



Jumpin said:

This is ignoring any games which already re-released on Nintendo consoles since.

1. If you don't see Final Fantasy 6, Chrono Trigger, or Earthbound on here, it's not that I don't want them there too, but they already have a precedent for release. Same deal goes with newer games like Mario Galaxy and Xenoblade Chronicles X.

2. These games can include games from other consoles if there is a good reason to bring it over (For example, much of the Xenogears team now works for Nintendo, so that's going to be on my list! In fact, while this is in parenthesis, you can ignore this!)

 

1. SKIES OF ARCADIA

This game first launched on Dreamcast, and then was ported to the Gamecube. In my opinion, this is still TONS of fun to play. It was one of the very early examples of a fully 3D RPG that felt modern and open and free. While FFX was visually stunning, it felt very cramped and corridorish... Like you had a trail to go along and certain paths off to the side; it worked very well for pacing, but it completely lacked that feeling of vastness that Skies of Arcadia had. Anyone looking forward to Xenoblade Chronicles 2, this is a game that might interest you.

Unfortunately, this one is often overlooked by Sega. It met with very poor sales... It was one of the major victims to Dreamcast piracy.  Everyone and their grandmother had pirated this game. I recall an article which said that the game was pirated over 1 or 2 million times. Unfortunately, I can't find that article because of the theme of the game... which is, coincidentally, piracy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAOYom5f94c

2. XENOGEARS

This one makes logical sense. It was largely developed and shaped by Tetsuya Takahashi, Soraya Saga, Kunihiko Tanaka, Masato Kato, Yasonori Mitsuda, and Yasayuki Honne. All either currently working for Nintendo or primarily with Nintendo. I don't think it's a stretch to say this game belongs on a Nintendo console. Tetsuya Takahashi is now a very big celebrity designer among Nintendo fans, and they're beginning to get to know Soraya Saga as well.

A lot of people are unfamiliar with the game in the Nintendo camp. It was, at the time, one of the most ambitious projects ever devised in the videogaming universe. It ultimately failed to reach its original vision - as is generally true with ALL of Takahashi's projects - but as is also true of all of Takahashi's projects, his failures are solid gold. It's a case of shooting for the stars, and still blowing up Pluto.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSc59wy4aT4

3. TERRANIGMA

This game didn't get a western release until the end of the SNES lifecycle. All the hype was behind the N64, and so it was largely overlooked by everyone. There were those of us who were massive fans of RPGs and adventure games, and for those of us who played it, Terranigma was the ultimate result of 16-bit era epic fantasy games. It is the spiritual sequel of two other excellent games: Soul Blazer, and Illusion of Time, though some will include ActRaiser in this bunch as well. Those three games are much better known, but Terranigma is to them as Final Fantasy 6 is to Final Fantasy 4... perhaps even wider in the quality gap.

The game begins with a single village in a dark world. First you ressurect the Continents. The next chapter has you landing on a primeval Earth, and going through adventures to ressurect life (if you've played another one of Enix's games, E.V.O. Search of Eden, you'll find some similarities). Then it gets to primitive human civilization, and you adventure on, bringing up their civilization. Exploring further, watching as civilization crosses from anrtiquity into the Medieval period, then the early enlightenment period (you actually help in the Revolutionary struggle, and bring democracy to France). There is an epic story that goes along with it, massive twists and surprises, history transcending conspiracies, and more. In my opinion, still one of the greatest games not yet released on a Nintendo console (or any console) since before the Wii era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NFmgQqLmSo

4. TURTLES IN TIME

I honestly don't have much to say on this one. It was a beat em up that had strong 80s cultural influences, but made with the best artistic talent available in early 90s console gaming. This game was fun, and I really wanted this to be more of a "5 RPGs I want on Switch VC" list, but RPGs are my favourite genre by far, and the only thing that comes close are adventure/simulation games with RPG mechnics and similiarities in style and appeal (Like Illusion of Time, Zelda,  Rune Factory, etc...).

This game, IMO, was the best classic beat-em up game. There might be better ones available from a mechanical standpoint, better looking games, longer games... but this one hit well in so many different areas, and it came together in such an enjoyable package that I think it earns a spot. Wii fans were highly disappointed in not seeing this classic game on Virtual Console. We continue to be disappointed not seeing it on SNES classic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6IRNfXkMAc

5. FINAL FANTASY VII

This is a sore spot for Nintendo fans. Many, including former Nintendo President and CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi decided to disparage the game... and the people who liked the genre: 

"People who play RPGs are depressed gamers who like to sit alone in their dark rooms and play slow games."
-Hiroshi Yamauchi, 1999

He's a dick! But may he rest in peace.

For us depressed darkness loving gamers, We've been WAITING for 23 years for this game! It was promised to us during the SNES era, and we all took it for granted that Final Fantasy 7 would be coming to the N64... until it wasn't... Thanks for the low-density cartridges and 4KB texture cache Yamauchi!
And while the remake would be nice, I think having the original work, without any alterations )aside from graphical touch-ups so it doesn't look like grainy crap at 720/1080p) is an absolute must. I have a feeling that much of the emotion, feeling, and atmosphere of the game and its characters will be lost in the remake due to a drastically different art styles, gameplay styles, pacing, and vantagepoint as a player.

Some of us Nintendo fans sided with Yamauchi, but a good number of us bought playstations so we could play specifically this game. It's not that we stopped being Nintendo fans, it's that Nintendo seemingly stopped catering to our needs as RPG fans, and Yamauchi's firm statement was the final nail in the coffin. Luckily, Nintendo went back on that statement and released plenty of RPGs on GBA and DS just a few years later. But we never saw FF7.

I've waited for a day when Nintendo has this play as a big surprise during one of their presentations. I would flip my shit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFX594xk4A4

 

Sorry, I didn't proofread this, and I am using the excuse that English isn't my first language for any mistakes I have made!

Almost my exact same choices except I would replace FFVII with Baten Kaitos.



Good list. I just wished the battles in Skies of Arcadia weren't so slooooooooooooow.



Skies of Arcadia was such a good game. I played both the Dreamcast and the GC version of the game. I do hope they fix the combat though.



Ka-pi96 said:
Snoorlax said:

Skies of Arcadia should get a sequel on Switch the most appropriate console for this amazing game one of the best games I've ever played.

Final Fantasy 7 ? meh it should have released on the n64 but it didnt happen so let's just hope we can get the remake instead... Can you imagine though PS4, PC and maybe even XBO getting the remake and Switch gets the original or pc version of FF7 because reasons lol that would be the typical 3rd party - Nintendo logic

It would actually be the opposite. Usually the other platforms get the best version and Nintendo gets the cheap knock-off version!

lol. Honestly i don't think most people today other than core FF fans would care for the original because of it's outdated graphics and turn based battles i would like to try the remake myself.