Remake Collections

Remake Collections are a series of game remakes published and developed by Non-Physical Publications.

The purpose of the remake is to collect all game associated with a particular IP, in relation to common themes and storytelling, in order to provide the closest approximation of a complete story experience.

Each game is considered a chapter in a larger tapestry, like the idea of a novel series receiving an omnibus collection, with each book being considered a time period or era making up the larger and more complete story.

This includes gaiden games, spinoffs, and games relegated to portable and mobile devices, which are remade in the same engine as the main games, and are considered side quests or expansions that can be experienced within the game, if compatible with main narrative, or from the menu.

The menu for each collection is updated to include new entries in the series, and other modules and expansions. The menu presents each game in order of continuity, with sub-games available underneath the main entries, or within the game itself.

For example, a remake of Dragon Quest IV includes Torneko's Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon and "Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko's Great Adventure 2 - Mystery Dungeon as sidequests within the main game, or as sub-games accessed from the menu.

When selecting a game entry on the menu, there is typically an options menu that allows for the enabling and disabling of features. These features include custom and default settings in order to create an options profile for the game, with the intent of recreating or simulating the features of multiple editions of a game within the game being played.

For example, selecting the first Final Fantasy brings up an options menu before starting the game. This menu includes settings to recreate the experience of Final Fantasy on the NES, PS1, GBA, and PSP, with some options enabling features from older versions or disabling features from newer versions. Selecting an options profile that enables the NES feature of "missing" a hit if the target is not selected, while disabling options introduced in later versions, such as receiving extra gil for completing a minigame, allows for the game experience to more accurately simulate the NES version experience.

This options menu ties in to an achievements systems. Completing the game with certain options profiles will reward the corresponding achievements.

In addition to increased or decreased difficulty settings, New Game+ and hardcore modes, joke, experimental and bonus modes, the options menu allows for features to be enabled that are otherwise exclusive to certain versions or ports.

For example, in a remake of Dragon Quest III, the options menu allows for enabling of features present in the SNES version, and the GBC version, such as the Gran Dragon side quest. This allows the game to be played with a feature that previously would be exclusive to only certain versions of the game, even if the game is played in a modern 3D presentation.

There are several presentation modes that allow the game to be experienced depending on the originating presentation. This includes presenting the game as a 2D game with redrawn graphics in high resolution, a 3D game that presents a retro-pixelated style that can be viewed as 2D or 3D, a 3D game with high resolution models and textures that preserves the 2D gameplay experience, or a 3D game with high resolution models and textures that translates content from a 2D game. In some cases, a retro-mode allows a newer game in 3D to be played as if it were an older version, either sprited based or 3D simulating sprites.

If the game is 3D to begin with, then the remake focuses on high resolution models and textures, redone graphics, sound, controls, physics, camera, and other 3D elements, while polishing game play to modern standards, addressing bugs, missing features, dummied and cancelled content, and issues brought up by players and reviewers. This process also applies to 2D games that are remade as 3D games.

In addition to gameplay features, different graphics may be selected, corresponding to the art style of different game versions. For example, a 3D remake of Space Quest I includes the option to play with the high resolution remade graphics of the 3D remake, or, select graphics that are based on the art style of the EGA version or VGA version, in the high resolution 3D remake environment, or as retro pixelated versions in 3D.

While the game engine is able to select between these different modes within the game without a problem, some games require the game mode to not be changed in the middle of game in order to ensure the integrity of a particular game achievement.

In addition to the menu system, options menu, and game engine, there is an online component that checks for updates, patches, expansion modules and bonus features. This update system allows for bugs to be patched even after release, and allows for new games to be added to the menu, including new entries in the main game menu, and new expansions and modules, even when they are released after the remake collection. This ensures that new games, including expansions, DLC, or other features are still included in the remake collection, to provide the total game experience.

The online system connects to a content delivery service for official and approved unofficial modifications to the game, including new levels, maps, game modes, mods, and fan games using the same engine.

Note that the online service also includes backwards compatibility for the emulation of older games within the game remake engine, and this is usually displayed on a 3D virtual display emulating the original game. The original game be played on this virtual display from within a game environment. The original data from maps, levels and mods can be played on this display, and can also be played in the remake environment as if it were made for the remake.

In addition to levels and maps, the online service is a multimedia content provider interfacing with a multimedia player within the game engine, that allows for the viewing of various supplementary material including manuals, texts, short stories, novellas, novels, official art, fan art, 3D models, packaging, game soundtracks, fan created music, fan created fiction, and "All there in the manual" supplementary material including manga, anime, cartoons, web animations, comics, novelizations, translated radio and audio dramas, ARG content, content exclusive to certain versions or compilations, and content exclusive to bonus discs and websites.

These bonus materials are also displayed on the game menu when they are known to influence the main plot and provide a more significant content experience to the overall story tapestry. These materials can be viewed from within the game engine, and these materials may be remade as expansion modules in order to become an interactive experience within the game environment.

Due to the continually updating nature of these remake collections, there is continual online support to ensure the game experience does not suddenly become offline or defunct. This continual online policy allows for the perpetuation of online features from single player games, and the continual existence of browser, phone, mobile, multiplayer, massively multiplayer, MUD, telnet, and other online game types, even when the previous version has been considered offline or defunct.

This policy of continual support for online and offline games also includes cancelled and defunct games. These entries are included in the remake compilation menu as if they were released games, and both cancelled singleplayer, multiplayer, and massively multiplayer games are released in an uncancelled state, and are remade for the remake engine as additional content.

The overall experience of cancelled game can be experienced whether that game was cancelled before, during, or after its release. This includes games that have since gone offline or are no longer supported.

If for some reason the remake collection does not cover a certain game to be played, that game can be experienced in the Video Game Heaven realms, which are a huge waste of time, but you can experience it if you want.

In addition to preserving the gameplay experience of existing games, there are attempts to remake bad games into what can be considered acceptable or otherwise good games. This process involves taking liberties with the source material in order to provide a game experience that is considered up to the standards of good game design. Once this is accomplished, what are considered bad features of a previous version may be enabled as a difficultly option for extra challenge, if the experience is acceptable as a form of challenge, which will enable the appropriate achievement when complete.

If a bug or bad feature is not acceptable as a gameplay feature, it is removed from the game. However, certain bugs that are considered a classic gameplay element or nostalgic feature of a game can still be enabled in the options menu.

In some cases, game compilations are also considered expansions to each other, in relation to a shared continuity or multiverse. If there are multiple compilations attempting to cover an entire series, those compilations can be combined to display one menu with more chapters available, with an indicator of what era a particular compilation is referencing.

This expansion feature tends to cover games related to the same franchise, however, some compilations can link together in reference to a shared continuity. This forms a menu where a series of games are considered a world in a greater multiverse.

What links a game series to another may be tenuous, such as a reference or cameo appearance, but once two or more remake compilations are completed, it is common for compilations to link together when any part of the story of one series references another.

This point is further emphasized by the meta menu for compilations, which handle linking between compilations. The meta menu typically includes bonus games, game modes, expansions, and other features that are unlocked when certain achievements are completed within the main games.

This content within the meta menu serves as a motivational feature to complete certain tasks within other games. This enables features within the meta game content, and enables bonus options within the main games. Completing achievements with these bonus options further enables content in the meta game menu.

Typically, the meta game menu includes content that reflects the main games, and may appear as a bonus challenge mode, side story, side quest, or be further developed as an expansion, module, DLC, another game in itself, a series of bonus games, or a fully developed series of new games.

Meta game content also considers achievements when viewing the multimedia library, experiencing multiplayer, online, and MMO achievements, bonus online game modes and online game features, approved maps and levels from the custom map and level service, and achievements found in custom level, map and game editors.

When two or more compilations are linked, it is typical for meta game content to reference the linked compilation by including story or game content that refers to a shared continuity or multiverse displayed with a multiverse map, a playable crossover environment, or an expansion, module, campaign, series or levels, new game or series of new games referencing and expanding on the shared universe aspect of one or more game compilations.

For example, when the Space Quest and King's Quest compilations link together, they reveal part of a multiversal map that is further expanded when linking with the Police Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, and Quest for Glory compilations, while the meta interface for these games appears to have additional content related to the crossover or multiverse aspect of each game world.

This linked compilation environment provides further single player, multiplayer, and massively multiplayer experience, linking to a persistent online world that keeps track of unlocked bonuses, achievements and features throughout all compilations associated with a user profile linked to the MMO environment.

The MMO further keeps track of achievements in other games linked to the user profile, including other single player, multiplayer and massively multiplayer games played from the digital distribution environment, and achievements unlocked within the virtual machine interfaces within the MMO environment.

The MMO provides further experiences within itself by hosting single player, multiplayer and massively multiplayer games within the game environment, and achieevements in these games are kept track of as if they were installed and played on the user profile.

The virtual machines, which emulate these games, are displayed on 3D objects within the virtual world environment of the MMO, which can be displayed as a sci-fi, cyberspace, or virtual reality environment, depending on the in-game location and setting, and the user profile's own hardware, accessed by PC, console, mobile device, or VR.

Installed compilations can be played in the MMO game environment as if they were installed on user profile's device. The MMO itself is considered a game platform supported by the game engine, whether in singleplayer, multiplayer or MMO mode.

Activated achievements, bonuses, and installed modules from the compilation interface are also active in the MMO so they do not have to be played twice. Certain games supported in the compilation interface have a more developed virtual presence within the MMO environment, so there is more interactivity presented when playing within the MMO, such as game hardware and plug and play devices being represented as 3D items, CCG cards being shown as inventory items, and game packaging and manuals being displayed as items.

Playing directly from the compilation interface is typically the more direct game experience, as there is less overhead present for the virtual world environment.

List of Remake Collections

 * King's Bounty Collection: King's Bounty, Quest for the Dragon Bone Staff, King's Bounty: The Legend, King's Bounty: The Armored Princess, King's Bounty: Crossworlds, King's Bounty: Legions, King's Bounty: Warriors of the North, King's Bounty: Dark Side.
 * Might and Magic: Ardon Collection: Crusaders of Might and Magic, Warriors of Might and Magic (PSX/PS2/PC/GBC), Shifters of Might and Magic.
 * Might & Magic: Ashan Collection: Might & Magic X: Legacy, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements, Might & Magic: Heroes Kingdoms.
 * Might & Magic: Heroes - Ancient Collection: Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest , Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars, The Price of Loyalty, Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia, Armageddon's Blade, The Shadow of Death, Heroes of Might and Magic IV, Heroes of Might and Magic IV: The Gathering Storm, Heroes of Might and Magic IV: Winds of War.
 * Heroes of Might and Magic (GBC).
 * Might & Magic: Heroes - Ashan Collection: Heroes of Might and Magic V, Hammers of Fate, Tribes of the East, Might & Magic: Heroes VI, Pirates of the Savage Sea, Danse Macabre, Shades of Darkness, Might & Magic: Heroes VII.
 * Might & Magic: RPG - Ancient Collection:
 * Might and Magic Book One: The Secret of the Inner Sanctum, Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World, Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra.
 * Might and Magic: World of Xeen (Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen, Might and Magic V: Darkside of Xeen), Might and Magic: Swords of Xeen.
 * Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven, Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor, Might and Magic VIII: Day of the Destroyer, Might and Magic IX: Writ of Fate.
 * Legends of Might and Magic.
 * Might & Magic: Heroes Chronicles Collection: Warlords of the Wasteland, Conquest of the Underworld, Masters of the Elements, Clash of the Dragons, The World Tree, The Fiery Moon , The Final Chapters (Revolt of the Beastmasters, The Sword of Frost).