Flojomojo
Patron of the Nerdly Arts
What does EA Replay mean to me?
Unfortunately, I don't share the shining hope and optimism reflected here. It strikes me as a cynical cash-in. It's an emulation of a second-rate port, bundled with other intellectual property from the era that happened to be ready to go. It's not a comprehensive collection, and the quality of the emulation remains to be seen. It shares shelf space, a release date, and a budget price with other retro collections (namely "Activision Hits Remixed," a collection of Atari VCS games, and the "Sega Genesis Collection," which is a similar, better-known 16-bit collection like EA Replay).
The little development effort that went into this project was very likely spent on packaging, distribution, and marketing. Personally, I would prefer to see some game design work on my retro collections whenever possible. A good example of this would be Namco Museum Battle Collection, which adds new modes and styles of play to the familiar emulated games. Failing that, it would be nice to have the best possible version of the game on display, like the Capcom Classics Collection Remixed, which was never previously possible on home consoles. EA Replay is too little, too late. Are we so hungry and desperate for Wing Commander that we'll take any scrap that's thrown our way?
I liked the Super Nintendo when it was new, and I really wanted to like Mindscape's take on Wing Commander, but it's easily the weakest version available. I knew it then and I know that it will not have aged gracefully. As much as I'd like to see a portable space shooter, this isn't going impress anyone. Reviews and young people will not be kind to the crude graphics and animation in this 15-year-old game, and I suspect it will be relegated to the bargain bin soon after the holidays.
You might think I'm being a little negative about this game. That might be true, but at least I'm paying attention to it, which is more than the bulk of the PSP-buying public is likely to do. I'll probably buy it eventually, even though I have the cartridges and can play the Genesis games anytime I want on my GP2X.
Best case scenario: EA Replay sells enough to justify its release, and emboldens EA to release other emulation packages with no risk and some potential reward. Will they look at the numbers and realize that space shooters are still popular with a certain segment of their audience? As much as I'd like to think so, all rational signs thus far point to NO.
Unfortunately, I don't share the shining hope and optimism reflected here. It strikes me as a cynical cash-in. It's an emulation of a second-rate port, bundled with other intellectual property from the era that happened to be ready to go. It's not a comprehensive collection, and the quality of the emulation remains to be seen. It shares shelf space, a release date, and a budget price with other retro collections (namely "Activision Hits Remixed," a collection of Atari VCS games, and the "Sega Genesis Collection," which is a similar, better-known 16-bit collection like EA Replay).
The little development effort that went into this project was very likely spent on packaging, distribution, and marketing. Personally, I would prefer to see some game design work on my retro collections whenever possible. A good example of this would be Namco Museum Battle Collection, which adds new modes and styles of play to the familiar emulated games. Failing that, it would be nice to have the best possible version of the game on display, like the Capcom Classics Collection Remixed, which was never previously possible on home consoles. EA Replay is too little, too late. Are we so hungry and desperate for Wing Commander that we'll take any scrap that's thrown our way?
I liked the Super Nintendo when it was new, and I really wanted to like Mindscape's take on Wing Commander, but it's easily the weakest version available. I knew it then and I know that it will not have aged gracefully. As much as I'd like to see a portable space shooter, this isn't going impress anyone. Reviews and young people will not be kind to the crude graphics and animation in this 15-year-old game, and I suspect it will be relegated to the bargain bin soon after the holidays.
You might think I'm being a little negative about this game. That might be true, but at least I'm paying attention to it, which is more than the bulk of the PSP-buying public is likely to do. I'll probably buy it eventually, even though I have the cartridges and can play the Genesis games anytime I want on my GP2X.
Best case scenario: EA Replay sells enough to justify its release, and emboldens EA to release other emulation packages with no risk and some potential reward. Will they look at the numbers and realize that space shooters are still popular with a certain segment of their audience? As much as I'd like to think so, all rational signs thus far point to NO.