The next couple of months are going to be great for classic game re-releases, and if you were a big fan of either the Sega Saturn, Dreamcast or Sony PlayStation, you’re going to have reason to get excited. A game I am stuper-stoked for, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD, is set to hit Xbox Live on July 18th and PSN sometime soon after. Essentially a graphically-enhanced remake of the original two Tony Hawk titles, HD brings back some of the series’ most iconic levels and memorable music.
Perhaps the best thing about THPS HD is that we’re not able to do certain tricks that came to the series after the release of 1 and 2. That means no reverts, no spine transfers and no wallplants. The reason I consider this to be a good thing is that it helps bring the series back to its roots, and gives people much more of a challenge to reach a high score. I am going to miss that revert though.
If you own, or have owned, a Sega Saturn, chances are extremely good that your game collection includes Nights into Dreams…. This game was such a big deal at its launch that Sega released a special Saturn gamepad for it. You play the role of two children, and the levels are in their dreams. The game features classic arcade action with an emphasis on replayability, and its remake due this summer should do well to rekindle those fond feelings you have for the game.
Like THPS HD, the Nights into Dreams… remake will feature enhanced graphics, although I’m not quite sure to which extent. Regardless, even a straight HD port of this classic would be welcomed.
Another true Sega classic is Jet Set Radio, another game that’s being remade this summer – and not just for XBL and PSN, but also for the PC via Steam. Judging from the first released screenshots, it’s not going to feature much of a graphics upgrade, but once again, it’s the port to HD that matters most – especially when our classic consoles are for the most part headache-inducing on current HD displays. Regardless of whether or not you’ve played this game before, pick it up when it hits XBL or PSN… it’s not going to disappoint.
Of course, if an RPG is more your style, there’s always the re-release of Final Fantasy VII due out soon. You can read more about that game from a post we made last week.