Square Enix has been making waves with its HD-2D graphical style, an aesthetic that mixes 2D sprites with HD polygonal graphics for a unique and striking look. First utilized in Octopath Traveler and being used again in the upcoming Triangle Strategy, Square Enix has also announced that it will remake Live A Live - a previously Japan-exclusive title - in the HD-2D style for all regions. A remake of Dragon Quest 3 in the 2D-HD style is also in development.
With these announcements, many fans of old school RPGs have been asking for remakes of their favorite RPGs in this style. Some are unlikely, such as the two Seiken Densetsu titles (Secret of Mana, Trials of Mana) that have already been remade in 3D recently. Others would be very possible and would be in line with the previous titles that have had the 2D-HD treatment. Many have been calling for the classic Final Fantasy titles to be remade in this style, but there are plenty of titles from the SNES alone that deserve this remake treatment.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
A fan favorite, Super Mario RPG is the title that introduced Mario to the RPG genre. It starts off with a familiar premise. Mario is saving Peach from Bowser when a giant sword named Exor falls from the sky and crashes into Bowser's castle, breaking the Star Road in the process. With the help of Mario's new and old friends, he must recover the pieces of the Star Road and defeat the evil Smithy gang who have overrun the world.
It's very interesting to see the Mushroom Kingdom as well as Mario's world re-contextualized for the RPG genre. The battle system is in the typical turn-based JRPG style, but to add more agency for the player, timing a button press or mashing the button at the correct time will result in additional damage or defense. The world also has numerous little mini-games to participate in as well as a lot of tried and true platforming sections and areas Mario fans will be familiar with. It's a great beginner-friendly title that could use a proper facelift, as it could push a new generation of gamers to try out other 2D-HD titles. Perhaps it could also build interest in a Mario RPG sequel.
Romancing SaGa
The Romancing SaGa titles have seen several remakes and re-releases as of late, but the original has curiously been left out. Much like the other SaGa titles, most recently demonstrated in the remaster of SaGa Frontier, the game has the player take control of eight protagonists over a non-linear narrative. Each have their own story but are ultimately drawn to recover the Fatestones, which are needed to defeat the evil God Saruin.
Combat is turn based, but characters are set up on a grid that impacts attack power and defense. The game doesn't use experience points, choosing to give characters random stat increases. Abilities are learned after using specific weapons numerous times, and the party shares Battle Points in order to use them. The original SNES version has never seen a release in North America, so while a 2D-HD remake wouldn't be the exact same as the original, it would still resemble the original much more than the PlayStation 2 remake did.
Secret of Evermore
The story of Secret of Evermore follows a boy and his shape-shifting pet dog who are transported to the world of Evermore, which comprises several realms that resemble real life times and places. They must rescue others who have been transported to Evermore and ultimate save Evermore from destruction. Gameplay resembles the Secret of Mana almost to a tee, with the weapon charging mechanic and action ring system completely intact. Despite its name and gameplay style, it has nothing to do with the Seiken Densetsu series.
Secret of Evermore is a strange title from Squaresoft. It was the only game developed by Square's North American designers, and it never got a Japanese release. As a result, it tends to get forgotten when SNES RPGs are discussed. A remake in the 2D-HD style could be a return favor for the originally Japanese only Live A Live. Not only would a long forgotten SNES RPG get another moment in the spotlight, but a whole new audience could experience it for the first time.
Bahamut Lagoon
Bahamut Lagoon is another title that never saw a North American release. The game follows Captain Byuu of the Dragon Squad fighting a war in the sky with dragons. Many twists and turns play out in the story, as the game's development staff included key members from the Final Fantasy series. Combat is turn-based but also features a grid-based strategy layout. As well as human characters, players can fight alongside dragons, who follow commands given by the player. Dragons in turn can be raised and evolved by feeding them various weapons, armor, accessories, and items.
This game is one that often gets mentioned when talking about the greatest RPGs on the SNES, and it's long overdue for a North American release. A 2D-HD remake would be a terrific way to introduce players to another game in the vein of Triangle Strategy and could finally allow North American players to enjoy the classic title.
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is legendary. It was created by the dream team of Hironobu Sakaguchi of Final Fantasy fame, Yuji Horii of Dragon Quest fame, and Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball fame. The game follows Chrono and his friends who travel through time in order to prevent a global catastrophe. Combat is turn-based but features onscreen enemies in the world, and there's no battle screen that the player is transported to. Characters can also combine their techniques to cause massive damage. The game also features many side-quests that are important to the main story and multiple endings.
Chrono Trigger hasn't seen a re-release since its release on Steam four years ago. A proper remake of Chrono Trigger would be highly successful, especially if it maintained its sprite look and went with a 2D-HD style. Many fans are protective of the game, and this particular graphical style is possibly the only way they would be happy with a remake. It would also do a lot for the style itself and could potentially make the 2D-HD style the new standard for doing pixel graphics in the future, beyond RPGs. Aside from Final Fantasy 7, it could be the biggest re-release for Square Enix from its back catalog, and with its sequel seeing a remaster, the timing would be perfect.