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Remaster VS Remakes: What actually is the difference?

Remaster VS Remakes: What actually is the difference?

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With the Internet often interchanging words it can be difficult to actually understand what 2 similar words actually mean, especially when their definitions are so close to begin with. To help differentiate between a Remaster and a Remake we will look at a few examples and explore why they’re labelled differently.

To start this conversation we need to understand the differences between a Remake and Remaster.

A Remaster is where the studio focuses on enhancing the game’s visuals and removing bugs, but otherwise keeping the mechanics, story and features the same throughout, Remasters focus heavily on giving the player a sense of Nostalgia. The idea is to ensure the game is visually understandable and mechanically playable, whilst still keeping it as close to the original version as possible.

Whereas a Remake is answering the question of what would you do differently if you were to create the game again. Remakes often come with visual, mechanical and a narrative upgrade, which sometimes changes the characters and plot points throughout the game.

Most developers and publishers will choose one or the other, however some do choose to create both a Remaster and Remake of the game. Although the original developer of SystemShock, Looking Glass Studio, no longer existed at this point the IP still held value and eventually made its way into the hands of Night Dive Studios. In order to keep the game playable they initially released an update to enable the game to be played on newer consoles; called SystemShock: Enhanced Edition, on the 22nd of September, 2015. This release also increased many of the original technical aspects and mechanics; such as increasing the resolution from the original 320 × 200, to an improved 1024 × 768. The Enhanced Edition also comes with the original renamed to SystemShock: Classic so players can replay the original if they desire to. This Remaster got quite a positive reception with many saying it was a great way to experience the series if players hadn’t tried a SystemShock game yet.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhRp4HT40PE

Classic Playthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4i5CqIddlg&list=PLaxNnb3i_nS4cTdf_1H09g7gtzAaOpsM4

Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/410710/System_Shock_Enhanced_Edition/

SystemShock Enhanced Edition

In 2015 Night Dive Studios started on a different version; after quite a few set-backs and restarts an official Remake of SystemShock was released in 2023 – 5 years after its original release date. This Remake received mixed, but mostly positive reviews; with most critics viewing it the same way the devs did: a faithful Remake of the original. Some critics have said that the mechanics seem a little too faithful; claiming that they could’ve modernised them to help the Remake appeal to newcomers as opposed to the existing fans.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDAppJ8HuIM

Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/482400/System_Shock/

As we have demonstrated above the differences between a Remake and Remaster are drastic, with SystemShock: Enhanced Edition keeping the same pixel art style feel to the game. A player familiar with the series would automatically be able to look at gameplay and trailers and understand what franchise it belongs to. Whereas with the drastic change to 3D, in depth lighting and a more grungy vibe it would take some people by surprise that it is another addition to the series. Though this isn’t the first time such a dramatic change happened, with the new DOOM games doing the same 3D grungy feel. Thankfully when playing the games it can still feel like the original, especially if you still have big guns to mow down your enemies!

Just remember if Nostalgia is the main focus, it’s a Remaster; if it isn’t then it’s a Remake!

If you want to have a more indepth look into some other Remakes or Remasters here is a great list of the more memorable games:

The reasons why a developer may choose either one is entirely dependent on their vision for the game and its franchise as well as the target audience they’re aiming for. To reiterate the differences between the 2;

A Remake is

  • Redesigning the game from the ground up
  • New visuals
  • New game mechanics
  • Often have a changed narrative

A Remaster is

  • Refurbishing the original game
  • Updating the visuals to work with current technology
  • Removing bugs and small quality of life changes
  • Allows people to experience nostalgia and to replay the game from their childhood without the “downsides” of an older game

When looking at creating a Remake or a Remaster of a game there is no right decision, it is up to those developing the game and what they believe they and their audience want from this experience.

Whilst this is just one example of developers wanting to honour a videogame in more than one way, it is certainly still a bit of an outlier. Many developers and publishers will generally just choose to either a Remake or Remaster instead of both. Furthermore it is more likely to be fans of the game or series that will create a mix of Remakes and Remasters that fit their expectations and beliefs.

With Metroid: Samus Returns and Another Metroid 2 Remake being the main comparison and centre of this conversation, it is only fair that we take into consideration what people actually want when an older game/series gets brought back. Using MSR and AM2R is great because overall they’re both considered great games in their own right, despite being quite different from the other.

To start off with a brief introduction to the original Metroid 2 game:

A sequel to the original Metroid game released in 1986; Metroid II: Return of Samus released in 1991 as an action-adventure game, continuing to follow the bounty hunter Samus Aran. Players control her as she hunts and attempts to eradicate the Metroids from their home planet of SR388, before the Space Pirates can obtain them. The Space Pirates are the primary enemy from the original Metroid game, with them creating the Metroids and then weaponising them due to their new abilities to evolve into different and far deadlier forms of themselves. This was also the first of the Metroid games to be developed for and released on the Game Boy.

The game introduced new mechanics and was praised for its story, setting and gameplay; but was criticised for its graphics and audio quality.

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF1C0xZxBOw

Metroid: Samus Returns is a 2017 action-adventure game and is a Remake of the original 1991 GameBoy game Metroid II: Return of Samus. The remake follows the same story and structure of the original, however it features updated graphics, controls and user interface, with some new gameplay mechanics that had not yet been seen in any previous 2D Metroid titles.

Metroid: Samus Returns received positive reviews upon its release, many complimenting it on its visuals and mechanical improvements over the original, as well as being considered a solid return to form for the Metroid series. It received multiple awards and accolades including “Best Handheld Game” at the Game Awards 2017 and “Handheld Game of the Year” at the 21st D.I.C.E Awards. With the success of the Remake developers MercurySteam went on to make the next well-loved Metroid game- Metroid Dread for the Nintendo Switch.

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fw1pDgbQ8I

Another Metroid 2 Remake or AM2R is also an action-adventure game developed by an Argentinian programmer named Milton Guasti (DoctorM64) and released in 2016 for Metroid’s 30th birthday. AM2R is a fan-made/unofficial Remake of the original 1991 game Metroid II: Return of Samus using the visual style of Metroid: Zero Mission (2004).

Like the original, players play as Samus Aran hunting down and eradicating the parasitic Metroids. Unlike the original though, AM2R adds in several features such as new graphics, music, areas, bosses, a map system and alters some of the controls. AM2R takes a lot of inspiration and mechanics from newer 2D Metroid games to enhance and update the original.

Another Metroid 2 Remake saw a positive reception upon its release and many journalists called it a standout among the many other fan-made Metroid games. Due to AM2R releasing well before the official Remake, Jonathan Holmes from Destructoid said that AM2R does a good job at filling the “void” left by Nintendo’s lack of new 2D Metroid games.

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCMeKM1w1UM

As you can see the official and unofficial Remakes of Metroid II: Return of Samus are 2 very different takes on a Remake of the same game with many fans enjoying both as well. If you want to look into more of a comparison between the unofficial and official Remakes take a look at this great read/video by Game Maker’s Toolkit.

https://youtu.be/8WkEoYvlUF0?si=ni1bldqTSG5-N-fv

Though; I will like to mention that due to AM2R’s success Nintendo felt threatened enough by it that it sent a DMCA to the developer, Milton Guasti, which was quite a controversial move and made many fans feel unwelcome to create fan works of the Metroid series or other Nintendo IP. They were also very quick to send notices to websites hosting the game and to the developer as well, only giving the game 1 day of full release. Although many fans continue to allow the game through “pirating” software such as Torrent, it is still easily accessible through the right means. Although a disappointment, it isn’t surprising with Nintendo being one of the strictest (alongside Disney) for any fan-made works/art or even YouTubers and Streamers playing their games live, especially if that’s their full-time job.

On a slightly different note, Modding is quite similar in this vein; where a player often feels something could be improved – with this often being small changes. Or they add additional content to increase options for the player or add whole new cities or overhaul story elements. Whilst not being a full Remake or Remaster of the game, they have definitely helped to keep some old games feel lively with ensuring that the game is able to keep up with modern technology. However, because players can mix and match as many or as little Mods as they want it doesn’t really count as either a Remake or a Remaster. Though I think this is a great topic to look into a bit later this year!

Keep an eye out for that in the near future!

To recap what was discussed, a Remaster is where the studio focuses on enhancing the game’s visuals and removing bugs, but otherwise keeps the mechanics, story and features the same throughout. And a Remake is where they still update the visuals but change the mechanical and narrative from the original. This often changes the game and does take away from the Nostalgia that a Remaster focuses on keeping.

Whilst I do believe that this topic is much deeper than what I have gone over here, the definition is also muddied a bit when people try and aim for a mix of the 2. I’ll have a bunch of links below to all the websites and information I found on all the above topics if you want to really explore the rabbit hole!

References:

What’s the Difference Between a Remake and a Remaster?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Shock#Sequels_and_remakes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Shock_(2023_video_game)

https://metroid.fandom.com/wiki/Another_Metroid_2_Remake

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AM2R

https://metroid2remake.blogspot.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metroid:_Samus_Returns

https://metroid.fandom.com/wiki/Another_Metroid_2_Remake#:~:text=downloading%20the%20game.-,Shutdown,any%20download%20links%20be%20removed

Categories
Game Related

Fun Facts About Critter Capture Critters!

Fun Facts About the Critters from Critter Capture

Whilst we try to keep it rather serious around here at Mammoth HQ, sometimes we are here to just have fun and educate you about some little critters that you can capture yourself 👀.

Snails

Whilst they are kinda gross and slimy, they are also some of the cutest little guys around; with their mobile homes and eye stalks.

  • There are more types of snails than you think
    • Land Snails
    • Freshwater Snails
    • Sea Snails –  some known as Whelks or Limpets
  • There are more sea snails than the other 2
  • Similar to trees, the rings on a snail’s shell indicate its age.
  • Snails have the most teeth of any animal, despite being tiny snails can have up to 20,000 teeth depending on the species.
  • Snails don’t have jaws; you know those existential huge worms with gaping mouths and rows of teeth? Yeah that’s a snail mouth too (not quite)… also known as a radula
  • Snail Mucin is used in many cosmetics and was discover in the 1980’s
  • Snails are born with shells and cannot be replaced like Hermit crabs.
  • China has the smallest snail in the world from the soil of a cliffside in Guangxi. Known as the Angustopila Dominikae (Dominika), you will most likely need a microscope to  see it as it can fit through the eye of a needle. It was named after the wife of the scientist who discovered it (Barna Páll-Gerely).
  • The Giant Whelk is the largest snail, reaching up to 70cm in size and is in Australia, which dwarfs the next largest snail; the African Land snail, which is only a third of the Giant Whelks size.
  • Snails aren’t insects (but they are critters ;)).
  • Snails have one muscular foot that they use to move.
  • The Cone Snail (Conidae family) can kill humans with its venom and in fact has. It is also found in Australia… unsurprisingly
  • Snails can slip stream off another’s slime trail to go fast like sonic… snonic.
Roly Polys

More commonly known as Roly Polys or Pillbugs, Isopods are cute little friends who I remember finding under the rocks in my backyard as a kid.

  • Other common names are Woodlice, Pill bugs or Rolly-Pollies
  • Their job in the ecosystem is to break down organic matter and recycle nutrients back into the soil; in other words they’re detritivores and primarily feed on decaying organic matter, similar to many fungi! – terrestrial only
  • They’re crustaceans, and have a segmented exoskeleton – this allows them more manoeuvrability and to turn into a ball when threatened; which protects their vulnerable undersides
  • Live in various biomes from rainforests to deserts and even in deep-sea ecosystems
  • They breathe through specialised gills located on their abdominal segments
  • They have quite the range of colourations
  • They can regenerate lost limbs through their molting process – similar to many other crustaceans; with crabs being the most well known
  • Researchers are looking into potential medicinal uses from isopods as they have some antimicrobial properties that could help us develop new antibiotics.
  • There are variety of feeding habits between different species, free-living predators (cirolanids), scavengers (Giant isopods), grazers (idotea spp.), detritus feeders as stated above and parasites (species from family cymonthoidae) also more commonly seen as the one that eats the tongue of fish and take its place. Yikes.
  • There are about 20 isopods species that are commonly known as Giant Isopods, due to their enormous size. These are abundant in the cold, deep waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
    • They can be split into 2 different categories; Giant Isopods who grow to between 8 and 15cm long and Supergiant Isopods who grow to between 17 and 50cm long.
    • These are a great example of a phenomenon known as Deep-Sea Gigantism
    • Some East Asian cuisines uses the Giant Isopods as a novelty and is often described as similar to crab or lobster in taste, but firmer and chewier in texture.
  • Helleria Brevicornis are considered to be some of the biggest terrestrial isopods that also curl into a ball for protection; they get as big as 27mm!
  • Platyarthrus hoffmannseggii is an example of one of the smaller species of isopods. They; along with many other “dwarf” species only get to around 5mm long
  • This particular species can be found around ant nests and tend to feed on the ant droppings or mildew; because of this they are blind, this may be due to primarily living within the ant nests and rarely reaching the surface
Spiders

Arguably the scariest for our crittery friends, the spider is a formidable hunter and actually provides a lot of support to the environment and your home. Having a few spiders helps to keep the more pesky and annoying bugs at bay. Though with a common phobia and some deadly venom, it’s best to keep your 8 legged roommates at a distance.

  • Some Male spiders want to be eaten
    • Black Widows are known for cannibalising their mates, but this isn’t a guaranteed occurrence, however the red widow species in as exception where the male will force feed himself to the female by placing himself between her mandibles and will continuously go back till she eats him, if she keeps attempting to spit him out.
  • Some Jumping spiders specifically can see into spectrums that us humans cannot, with a few having proven to be able to see both UVA and UVB light!
  • Some new-world tarantulas can fling tiny irritating hairs to deter potential predators, similar to a porcupine using its quills as a defense
  • Most spiders are solitary creatures, some form communities, ranging into the thousands of members. They often work together to build large communal cobwebs, catch prey and then share their harvest.
  • Some spiders such as the ogre-faced spider will weave a net betweens its front legs and then waits till its prey passes underneath and then it scoops them up like they’re using a fishing net. In similar fashion Bolas spiders create a lasso with a long line of silk with a spot of sticky glue at the end, where they fling it at nearby moths to catch them
  • Some spiders mimic ants (looks and pheromones) to help hide from predators, however some do it to help them prey on ants
  • The biggest spider by mass is the Goliath Birdeater, a type of tarantula that can be found in South America and is quite lovingly compared to the size of a small puppy. These spiders are ambush predators where it primarily eats worms, beetles, mice (and other rodents), snakes, frogs and lizards. It can and has been seen eating birds, however it lives in a burrow on the ground and therefore doesn’t run into many birds.
    • It isn’t venomous, but does provide a painful bite and has urticating hairs that make it difficult to handle. Furthermore, it also isn’t poisonous and is considered a delicacy in some Southern American cuisines, the taste is often compared to shrimp. Hmm!
  • The Giant Huntsman, while not the biggest, has the longest legs and often appears bigger than the Goliath Birdeater. Currently it is only known to reside in a cave in Laos, but many other large Huntsmans can be found globally in any warm and temperate regions.
    • They are known for the male’s loud ticking sound.. Lovely!
    • They can deliver a venomous bite that may require hospitalisation
  • All potential options for the smallest spider are from the Symphytognathidae family.
    • Patu digua – Found in Colombia, males had a length of 0.37mm
    • Patu Marplesi – Somoan Moss Spider, found in Samoa, as small as 0.4mm
    • Anapistula Ataecina – Frade Cave Spider, only females have been found, males tend to be smaller, found in a cave in Portugal, body length of 0.43mm
    • Anapistula Caecula – Dwarf Orb Weaver, only females have been found, males tend to be smaller, found on the Ivory Coast, size of 0.48mm
  • Sometimes these leggy guys make friends with frogs!
    • Frog: Chiasmocleis ventrimaculata or the Dotted Humming Frog
    • Has befriended the burrowing Tarantula Colombian lesser black tarantula
    • This is a special relationship with the frog living in the burrow alongside the Tarantula, the frogs have a clear benefit from this relationship where the Tarantula provides the frog protection from its predators, a stable food source due to eating the spider’s leftovers and shelter to protect from climate variations. On the other hand, the frog’s foraging is believed to help protect the spider’s eggs from ants – this is still a hypothesis. Research is continuing into their relationship and many other similar ones that can be found within other frogs and Tarantulas of the same family/genus.
    • This relationship is clearly special, due to the Tarantulas catching and eating similar frogs, but avoiding the Dotted Humming Frog specifically.
Ladybugs

Quite cute and cuddly these little friends are quite colourful and found across the world. The loveliest of bugs and ladies combined we can only see that they are beautiful, except when you’re a farmer and lose hundreds if not thousands of crops each year; rude.

  • There are approximately 5000 species of ladybugs or lady beetles across the world
  • They are omnivores and eat both insects and vegetation
  • Ladybugs are coloured to tell predators that they taste awful and will secrete a foal tasting oil when threatened
  • The biggest ladybug is the large Leaf-eating ladybug (Henosepilachna guttatopustulata) and can get up to 7 – 9mm
  • Most are quite small and only get up to 0.8 – 18mm on average
  • Most are red with some who are orange or yellow. With the rare blue, pink, grey or white
  • Most have black spots, some have coloured, some are striped and others have no markings at all
  • They do sometimes play dead when they feel threatened
Honourable Mentions

Bees:

Some bees have little saddlebags called either Pollen baskets or Corbiculae and as the bees get pollen across their bodies they push it to their little pockets  on their hind legs.

The internet has loving called them pollen pants 🤙🤙

Weevils:

Females will lay a single egg in a rolled up leaf

Whelk, that’s all we have for today folks, love to share our love for the little and a little too big guys around the world!

References:

Snail

https://facts.net/snail-facts/

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artsep01/rhsnail.html

https://factsaboutsnails.com/

https://facts.net/nature/animals/20-facts-about-isopod/

https://australian.museum/blog/amri-news/are-isopods-on-the-naughty-or-nice-list/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_isopod

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helleria_brevicornis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platyarthrus_hoffmannseggii

https://www.si.edu/stories/eight-strange-true-spider-facts

https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/meet-5-of-the-biggest-spiders-in-the-world

https://www.thoughtco.com/biggest-spiders-in-the-world-4172117#:~:text=The%20Goliath%20birdeater%20(Theraphosa%20blondi,that%20of%20a%20wasp%20sting.

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/smallest-spider

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiasmocleis_ventrimaculata#:~:text=Commensal%20relationship,-This%20frog%20is&text=It%20is%20clear%20the%20dotted,to%20protect%20from%20climate%20variations

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/ladybug

https://www.treehugger.com/why-do-bees-have-pockets-4864396#:~:text=When%20you%20see%20bees%20flitting,including%20honey%20bees%20and%20bumblebees

Giraffe weevil