How Would You Handle A Gaiden Remake?

[Jotari]

I see quite a few recurring threads about remakes in general in the series or asking which game should be remade but strangely I can't recall many threads specifically talking about one particular game. Anyway I haven't played any games prior to Holy War and since 1/3 got their own remakes that means Gaiden is the only story so to speak that I haven't experienced in the series. I've tried but the archaic UI and lack luster translation really put me off. I'll probably give it another shot when the current translation is finished. Anyway despite not having played it, the game and its mechanics do interest me a lot. I just haven't actually had proper experience with them to make any sound judgements. So for those of you who have played Gaiden (or attempted to play it like myself), which of it's mechanics would you like to see removed or expanded if it were to receive a remake?

Also while I've opened the floor, I might as well ask, why can Dread Fighter Promote back to villager? That just seems really odd to me.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Jotari

[Magical Glace]

All I really want is a UI update tbh. I had the same problem you did, I want to play the game but it's just a chore with the old UI.

And no 3DS style avatar/marriage in any remake please. Just use a GBA/FE9 type system.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Glaceon Mage

[Punished Dayni]

Just update UI/graphics and drastically improve the game's speed for a straight remaster.

A remake messing around though.... Probably a bit of change wouldn't kill the game.

[Fire Emblem Fan]

I'd just update the UI and graphics, maybe touch up the gameplay a tad so it doesn't feel dated. A lot of what's already there would be cool with some very minor updates. Maybe add support conversations, but no marriages or avatars.

[Augestein]

The accuracy. My god the accuracy.

[Replica Model]

This is just a crazy idea I came up with but by today's standards Gaiden is a pretty short game, it can be completed in about 20 hours (if you're playing on Easy Mode) and there's not much customization besides the villagers so there's not much of a reason to replay it besides to replay it again for the sake of it. As this game is a sidequest to Marth's story why not make a bundle with FE1, 2, and 3 on the same cart to completely experience the story of the King of Tippers? It would also mean that FE 2 and 3 would get localized if this were real. Besides, this game is too short to warrant it's own release. What do you guys think of this idea?

As for the gameplay, keep infinite use weapons, 5 range archers, don't let me select "Move" on the world map every time I want to move (make it like the Sacred Stones where you select the location you want to go) and when visiting villages treat it like it's My Castle although they got to put more into the villages.

I'm not sure what they could do in terms of customization except allow reclassing for every character at a certain level, say Lv. 10 regardless of tier with the use of a Second Seal or through a Shrine. And no avatars or marriage, Gaiden doesn't need it.

Edited November 16, 2016 by Replica Model

[Topaz Light]

I'd personally make a point to keep all the unique gameplay mechanics, because those are kind of Gaiden's main distinguishing features. The UI does definitely need an update, though; as much as it's not a deal breaker for me personally, the NES Fire Emblem UI is kinda really clunky and slow.

Adding supports, and maybe a few more playable characters and classes (to grant the player axe-ess to Axes and maybe the Dark Magicy spells too), would be nice, too. Also, map revisions. Seriously, some of those maps are just horribly-tedious slogs.

As far as supports and marriage goes, I'd be just fine with and in fact in favor of having paired endings along the lines of what FE7 and Sacred Stones had, but having 3DSFE-style marriage would definitely be really out of place.

[The Draco Knight]

Fleshing out the characters more would be nice, just like an update for the UI.

Oh, I was about to forgot, but make the game faster in general: really, one of my biggest problem with Gaiden is how slow it is.

As for the avatar, I can see him working as the 4th and new villager present in Alm's village and being able to choose to follow Celica or Alm in the split route.

[Oshimos]

Honestly, a Gaiden remake would have to do so many things to make it playable by today's standards that it wouldn't be Gaiden by the end. The story is barebones to nonexistent most of the time, and the characters are barely people, so you'd have to make up a ton of dialogue just to make up for that. As was mentioned earlier, it is pretty short, so a remake would probably stick in more maps and ease up on the difficulty curve, for better or worse.

IMO, Gaiden is fun and has a lot of charm, if you like janky old NES games, but that's really its biggest selling point, and a remake probably wouldn't do much more than drain that out of it.

[sirmola]

Also, maps get reused 3-4 times each for different locations. A remake would have to make new maps for seperate locations, which would change how half the chapters play, by which point it is almost a different game

Edited November 16, 2016 by sirmola

[Emperor Hardin]

The story is barebones to nonexistent most of the time.

Going to have to disagree there, Gaiden has quite a story for an NES game.

[Oshimos]

Going to have to disagree there, Gaiden has quite a story for an NES game.

I'm not saying the story wasn't there or good, but at least half the time you just walk to a new map and start fighting immediately without a single word being said. If there were to be a remake, they'd probably change that to make it more in line with every other entry in the series. The topic's about things that would change in a remake, and I can't see them leaving it like that, for better of for worse.

[Jotari]

I'm not saying the story wasn't there or good, but at least half the time you just walk to a new map and start fighting immediately without a single word being said. If there were to be a remake, they'd probably change that to make it more in line with every other entry in the series. The topic's about things that would change in a remake, and I can't see them leaving it like that, for better of for worse.

I don't think that would necessitate a lot more dialogue. Just bring back those chapter intros the series has inexplicably abandoned. Half of Marth's stuff in Shadow Dragon was basically "And then Marth headed here, but this one army was waiting for him!" Wouldn't be too different to just have "And then Alm headed here, but he was ambushed by pirates/witches!" Character stuff is more optional but they went out of there way to do it in New Mystery so it's not at all outside the realm of possibility.

[Pixelman]

-Every location you travel to should have dialogue, like if you were starting a new chapter. That'll be a lot of dialogue though

-Make it so maps aren't reused, and generally update maps

- Fix preexisting dialogue, add supports. Doesn't matter if support system is FE13/14 or FE7/8 styled, just dont add children through stupid shenanigans. In fact dont add children at all.

-Make locations like villages/headquarters/shrines/etc 3D

-Add more classes and change some characters' classes, specifically into axe wielders

-Rebalance characters, weapons

-Update UI (no brainer kek)

-Keep most interesting features (spells learnt through level-up, weapons have infinite uses, spells cost HP, etc.)

- Pull a Zero Mission and throw in the old game after beating the main campaign

- Make Rudolf's motives less bullshit and overall make story better. Flesh out motives, all that fun stuff.

-Make Doma not bullshit (as in, dont let him be only defeatable by Alm)

-Make final chapter cooler (???)

-Make Judah more important (???)

-Maybe add a My Unit but make him start out as like, a rebel or prisoner of war or someting.

And that's all I got now. Sorry if my thoughts are a bit jumbled I'm too lazy/tired right now, but if you want me to go into further detail just ask.

[Kirie]

I really love Gaiden. It's such a unique and fun game. I think it I were in charge of remaking it, I'd probably change as little as possible outside of updating the graphics and user interface. I think it would be nice if there were a bit more narration/characterization, but otherwise changing too much else would probably break what makes the game so unique.

[Knight Falchion]

Aside from the obvious update of the UI, I would keep the unique mechanics and attempt to make the maps better and repeat as few as possible. Some more characterization for Alm and Celica would be nice too, and maybe a few conversations between characters that have established relationships (i.e. Zeke and Teeta). Essentially, a remake in the same vein of Shadow Dragon.

[Baldrick]

Gaiden was actually quite an ambitious game, and I think a remake should refine the unique mechanics it had. For example, enemy squads. For those who haven't played Gaiden, they were enemies that appeared on the map similar to SS and Awakening, that you could fight like a random encounter. The twist was, they moved, and could ambush you and even appear in plot battles. For the most part, they were just another bunch of enemies to kill, but they could be designed to subtly change how each chapter plays and improve the map design without directly changing the maps or chapters.

[Jotari]

What about Gaiden's strange Chapter system where the chapters are more like Parts in Radiant Dawn with several battles in each. Could you imagine it with a more traditional set up? Or does it really matter what's called a chapter at all?

[OliKad]

What about Gaiden's strange Chapter system where the chapters are more like Parts in Radiant Dawn with several battles in each. Could you imagine it with a more traditional set up? Or does it really matter what's called a chapter at all?

That's one of the many things that made Gaiden positively different for me, so I don't want this to be changed. :)

[geraq]

I love Gaiden, it's my favorite game in the series, so I wouldn't have any aspect of it modified. Well, maybe a couple of head-scratching mazes, if you played it you'll know what I mean...

But yes, the UI really needs some improvement.

I've looking for a remake for sometime, I don't understand why this game is so neglected in comparison with FE1 or FE3. Hell, even FE4 is getting fan-made remakes.

Anyway, I wrote a review for Gaiden a while ago on GameFAQs, feel free to check it out and tell me what you think!

[Topaz Light]

What about Gaiden's strange Chapter system where the chapters are more like Parts in Radiant Dawn with several battles in each. Could you imagine it with a more traditional set up? Or does it really matter what's called a chapter at all?

Just puttin' this out there, but what if the game was split up similarly to Radiant Dawn's Part system, with Chapters being equivalent to Parts and say, Maps or Battles or something being equivalent to individual Chapters in most Fire Emblem games. Important/fixed story battles would have special names, but random map battles would just be identified by the name of the map location.

[geraq]

I think the conversion of battle maps to traditional chapters should be straightforward, with random battles being like the monster skirmishes in Sacred Stones, as Topaz Light said. As Jotari said, the point here is what we call a "chapter" or a "part", and how "chapter" is used in a different sense in Gaiden compared to other titles.

In my opinion the world map is a big plus, and it convinces the player the game is not so linear as it really is. I wish other games could also have a world map, like Sacred Stones did even if it is not as cool as it is in Gaiden.

And the way the bad guys eventually sent squads to take you down. Man, that was great! It felt much more realistic instead of them waiting forever for you to arrive. It gave more pressure, not to mention it was a nice way to rack up experience.

Edited December 11, 2016 by geraq