When It Comes To Classic Franchises, WayForward Can Do No Wrong
A lot of studios are really killing it when it comes to remastering classic games. Nightdive Studios is doing amazing stuff between Quake II Remastered and the upcoming Star Wars: Dark Forces; and there are countless others, including Empty Clip Studios, who seem to be doing awesome work with Gargoyles Remastered, which releases next month.
But let’s talk about WayForward for a minute. The studio, which got its start all the way back in 1990, has been absolutely killing it over the past few years. Original properties like Dawn of the Monsters, River City Girls and, of course, Shantae have been nothing short of spectacular. That said, however, it’s also doing some good stuff when it comes to classic games.
The company’s reworking of Clock Tower is coming next year; and yesterday, during the Nintendo Direct, it was announced that the studio would team up with Konami once again for Contra: Operation Galuga, the company’s latest effort in the series since the classic Contra 4. It’s good stuff, and the trailer below will show that.
But this isn’t the first time it’s worked magic on a classic franchise. Let’s look at some other key examples from over the years that clearly stand out in its overcrowded catalog. (I mean that in a good way, by the way.)
DuckTales Remastered
It’s absolutely insane how this game is ten years old already. DuckTales is a collaboration between Capcom and WayForward, a remake of the NES game that a lot of us grew up with. It’s a masterstroke in design, with beautiful animation, great level design, a remixed soundtrack by Jake “Virt” Kaufman, and solid controls. For good measure, it also has original Disney voices, including Alan Young in what I believe is his final performance as Scrooge McDuck before his passing.
This is a fan service title that has set the standard for remasters since. The only thing that bums me out about it is that we didn’t get remastered versions of Chip n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers or Darkwing Duck. Well, yet anyway. You never know.
Double Dragon Neon
Originally released in 2012 (man, I’m old), this take on Double Dragon is easily one of the most inspired. Featuring sharp gameplay with a new few tricks, entertaining visuals and a popping soundtrack with 80s inspiration, this is absolutely goofy beat-em-up fun. And even though we’ve gotten a number of Double Dragon games since then (with more on the way this holiday season), this is still a top-notch entry. Buy it for Skullmageddon!
A Boy and His Blob
Originally released in 2009, this is a charming little remake that debuted for Wii before arriving on Nintendo Switch years later. Featuring, well, a boy and his blob, this game eschews creativity and requires you to feed your blob different flavors of beans to make him do different things. The classic gameplay remains, but the new animations are a wonderful touch. This old favorite has never looked better. Plus you can hug your blob!
Bloodrayne Betrayal: Fresh Bites
Maybe not as noteworthy as the others on this list, I still got a kick out of Bloodrayne Betrayal when it first released. And Fresh Bites gives it a chance to shine on new platforms. This side-scrolling action title has some great visual effects, namely with its animations. But it’s also got blood-curdling action that’ll keep the red stuff gushing for quite a while. Definitely worth adding to your collection, especially if you’re a fan of the games.
I mean, I could go on for hours talking about WayForward and its work on The Mummy Demastered and Dawn of the Monsters. But the fact it’s now working its magic on a new version of the original Contra is something to look forward to. Hope their magic continues to grow for another 30 years.
And I’m still gonna push for that Chip n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers remake. Why not?
Have a good weekend, all!
