Remasters and Remakes

👋 Hi there! Welcome to the latest edition of SUPERJUMP Weekly. This week, we're discussing remasters and remakes. Video games are a pretty unique art form in the way that their audiovisual expression has historically been so enabled (and limited) by the hardware they were developed for. Many publishers are now choosing to revive classic games through both minor updates (improved texture resolutions, faster frame rates, or simply compatibility with modern hardware) and major updates (entire ground-up remakes in modern engines). In this issue, we also showcase the works of Jade M. and feature On Your Tail in our latest On the Radar update.

We hope you enjoy this issue. Please consider becoming a Backer if you would like to support our unique brand of independent games journalism. Thank you.

IN THIS ISSUE

✍️ Story Showcase: Remasters and Remakes
⭐ Author Showcase: Jade M.
📡 On the Radar: On Your Tail
📅 This Week on SJP
🏆 Backers

Redefining the Remake

Remakes are helping to preserve - and enhance - celebrated franchises

SUPERJUMPJoe Richards

Resident Evil 4 Remake Is Anxiety-Friendly Horror

A comforting sort of horror

SUPERJUMPJames O’Connor

The Xenosaga Trilogy Deserves a Remastered Edition

This could be the right time for the overlooked RPG to find an audience

SUPERJUMPBrandon R Chinn

Final Fantasy’s Green New Deal

FFVII Remake casts a complex shadow over environmental justice

SUPERJUMPJames Burns

The Next Fire Emblem Echoes Game

Giving these games the same treatment as 2017’s Shadows of Valentia could do a world of good

SUPERJUMPBenny Regalbuto

What Was Silent Hills?

A deeper look at the Silent Hill Game that was stolen from us

SUPERJUMPJade M.

Why Do the Mortal Kombat Movies Keep Getting This Character Wrong?

Kitana’s rich backstory is ripe for a great film adaptation

SUPERJUMPJade M.

This Mobile Pokémon Clone Was Better Than Expected

Nexomon is a free to play game that rises above the low expectations of that label

SUPERJUMPJade M.

As detective games have evolved from an odd niche into a proper genre, they have really expanded in terms of mechanics and style. While most of these games have stuck with the grittier hardboiled style, On Your Tail goes in a very different direction, embracing a more vibrant aesthetic and a cozier story.

Borgo Marina is a rare gem - a traditional seaside Italian village untouched by mass tourism. To the young explorer Diana, it is almost a perfect summer destination, missing only a good mystery to take apart. Suddenly, a strange masked figure appears in town and everything starts going awry. As it turns out, Borgo Marina is a town with a history of secrets and plenty of shady figures, and Diana is determined to get to the bottom of all of it.

On Your Tail divides the investigation into evidence gathering and deduction parts, both of which are based around cards. Diana first collects cards by speaking with people in town and scouting around in various locations. Diana then attempts to recreate what happened in a diorama-like setup, playing unlocked cards to add suspects and elements until the mystery is fully unraveled.

But solving mysteries isn't the only thing to do in On Your Tail - the game has a simulation aspect as well. Diana can participate in a range of activities around Borgo Marina, including cooking, stargazing and bocce. Each side task has a connected minigame, and it seems like players will have the option to just meander around Borgo Marina if they want. This should make for a much more relaxed play experience than one gets from most detective sims.

On Your Tail will release on November 21, 2024.

💻 Created by Memorable Games
✍️ Andrew Johnston

An Off-Peak Conversation with Cosmo D

Understanding the madness

SUPERJUMPArtemis Octavio

Undertale Yellow and the Dangers of Music Copyright Management

The potential pitfalls of fan-made games

SUPERJUMPPriya Sridhar

Fort Solis Retrospective: A Year Later

Looking back on the sci-fi thriller that got me started on SUPERJUMP

SUPERJUMPLawrence Adkins

Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel Dawn of the Battle Royale: Flawed but Fun

Gotta Rush Duel ’em all

SUPERJUMPLatonya “Penn” Pennington

Astro Bot’s Beautiful Nostalgia Extends Beyond PlayStation

Getting the fundamentals right

SUPERJUMPJames O’Connor

Melobot: A Last Song

Save the world through song in a bite-sized package

SUPERJUMPBrandon R Chinn

Thank you to Berke, Brandon, CT, Cathie, Claire, Geena, Lexi, Nick, Oren, Peter, Troy, Radha, and Wes for supporting independent, cynicism-free games publishing.