Square Enixhas always been port, remake, and remaster happy. However, it seems like they’ve cranked up their workload to re-release as many games as possible from the past. They have even gone so far as to not only port and translate a SNES game for the first time in over two decades,Trials of Mana, but they also remade it a year later.
RELATED:The Best Selling Square Enix Franchises Of All-Time, Ranked
The point is no matter what some may say about their business practices, Square Enix is pretty good about re-releases in some form. That said, they still have a lot of classics backed up from the PS1 and beyond. Let’s take a look at what games they should tackle next, which will look at titles from both companies predating the merger.
Updated April 18th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: There have been a lot of incredible games produced by Square Enix in the modern age but there was a time when the two companies were busy doing their own thing. Square had its hands in the development side of things, working on crafting Final Fantasy titles and some truly engaging RPGs, while Enix was deep in the publishing realm, helping to bring new visions to life for aspiring companies. There were a lot of games released prior to the two giants merging with one another and some of them absolutely deserve a modern-day remaster. To show even more potential games from Square Enix’s past that deserve to be remade or remastered in some way, the following list has been updated with additional entries.
13Final Fantasy 9
When it comes to Final Fantasy games, many players point to Final Fantasy 7 as perhaps one of, if not the, best titles in the entire franchise. It marked the leap to 3D for the series, and it stands as one of the most engrossing and lengthy RPG releases of its time, birthing characters that are so beloved that they still show up in crossover titles and other series in the modern age. Due to Final Fantasy 7’s dominance in the era, there are many players that don’t view Final Fantasy 8 or Final Fantasy 9 in the same light.
That said, Final Fantasy 9 is easily one of the best releases that Square Enix (Squaresoft at the time) ever produced. It captures the pure magic that the Final Fantasy series is known for, with interesting combat mechanics, a stronger story, and some of the best visuals in the franchise, even for its age.
12Illusion Of Gaia
In the early 1990s, Enix had its hand in producing Illusion of Gaia in Japan, a title from developer Quintet that gained quite the cult following over the years. Later on, Nintendo would take over the reins to help release the SNES exclusive to both North America and Europe. Although it didn’t remain an exclusively Enix-published release, it stands as one of the most entertaining RPG releases to ever hit the SNES, complete with engaging gameplay and a lengthy story for players to sift their way through. The blend of action and a top-down view is reminiscent of early The Legend of Zelda games, and players applauded the title for its great visual design and depth. It would be awesome to see an updated or upgraded version of this release in the modern age.
11Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars
It’s hard to imagine Nintendo working much with other studios in the modern age, considering they can crank out high-quality releases on their own but back in the 90s, they combined forces with Square to bring forth one of the most entertaining and beloved Mario releases to ever hit the gaming market. Super Mario RPG was perhaps one of the most interesting adventures for the Mushroom Kingdom and it’s arguable that it helped to birth the popular Paper Mario series. Although Nintendo definitely holds the cards when it comes to a re-release concerning this classic, it would be amazing to see the two companies work together again to bring a modern version of the game into the new age.
10Final Fantasy Tactics
There have been many remakes and remasters in theFinal Fantasyseries.This PS1 gamefrom 1998 even got updated for the PSP in 2007. That was more like an enhanced port though, which was still rough around the edges due to some load issues. If Square Enix is not keen on making a proper sequel then thisPS1original should get a remaster and or better yet, a remastered collection with all three games.
9Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Of The Starry Skies
Dragon Quest IXreleased in 2010 in North America on theNintendo DSwhich was a year after it did in Japan. It didn’t get celebrated in either territory with a remaster or even a port when it turned ten which is a shame. This was the first mainline entry to integrate multiplayer into the gameplay system. That on top of the proto StreetPass system made it a must playfor Nintendo DSfans.
8Chrono Trigger
Square Enix just celebratedDragon Quest’s30th anniversary, unveiling tons of upcoming projects including an HD 2D remake of the third entry. It’s the team that madeOctopath Traveler. This seems to be based off of the SNES version of the game which can make one’s head race of what otherSNESclassic should get this treatment. The easy answer isChrono Trigger.
RELATED:Every Final Fantasy (& Other RPGs) Squaresoft Released On The SNES
It redefined RPGs on the console and still remains as relevant today thanks to its battle system, storytelling, and art. That art then could look more stunning with an HD 2D upgrade.
7Front Mission 5: Scars Of The War
Front Missionhas never been that popular in the West for whatever reason. It should be though given that it combines tactical RPGs with mechs. Whatever the reason is, the fact remains that many entries in the franchise have remained trapped in Japan. Front Mission 4 came toPS2, but this sequel didn’t. Now is as good a time as any to remaster one of these lost gems viaFront Mission 5from the PS2.
6Parasite Eve
There aren’t that many horror RPG series out there, butParasite Eveis among the best. The sequels have some issues but thisfirst PS1 classicstill holds up after its 1998 release. There might be some issues to doing this though as Squaresoft, at the time, licensed the name off of a book. They then lost the license which is why the PSP game is calledThe 3rd Birthdayinstead.
5Dawn Of Mana
It seems inevitable that Square Enix is going to remaster every game in theManaseries. IfTrials of Manacan get translated twenty plus years later from the SNES and then get a remake on top of that, thenDawn of Manacan get a simple remaster. The one glaring problem that needs to be fixed is the camera. There were a couple other issues but that was the big one that got reviewers down back in 2007 on PS2.
4Drakengard
NieRis as big as it will ever get thanks toNieR: Automata. The first game got remastered recently, which is all well and good, but that actually was not the beginning.NieRwas a spinoff from theDrakengardseries which released in 2003 in Japan. There were two gameson the PS2followed by one on PS3. A complete collection of all three of those games should get remastered next.
