The Nintendo Direct has given us a gift, and one in the form of exciting information about the most squirrel-filled RPGs in history. Can you really claim 108 characters when five of them are flying squirrels with different colored capes? Never mind all that. Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars have new release dates: March 6, 2025.
I'll get into more detail in a minute, but as was discussed in the Slack chat earlier, I'd like to first share with you the differences between the European PS1 cover of the 1995 JRPG:
And the one from the American release:
Really, amazing stuff.
The remaster was originally supposed to release last year after being announced by Konami at Tokyo Game Show 2022, but never came to fruition. Today, we finally got a new date via Nintendo Direct. Here's the latest trailer:
Watch on YouTube
The game's Steam page highlights the following details:
・All background illustrations have been upgraded to HD
・Updated effects breathe new life into pixel art animation
・New environmental sound effects to immerse you in this fantasy world
・Battle sound effects are now also in HD, adding a new level of realism
・Newly added auto-save
・Fast forward battle
・Conversation log
There's a bit more detail on some of these in Nintendo's trailer. Battles can now be 2x or 4x, and there's also a one-button auto-battle option – though I swear this was already in the original's menu. Another detail the Steam page doesn't mention: getting both of these in one package means games that retain your save will be pleasantly painless. It didn't have too much of an impact, but there are a few secrets you can unlock in the second game if you've fully completed the first.
As Brendy will tell you when I tried to include a piece of Suikoden in his list of the best JRPGs despite them not being released on PC yet, these games are incredibly special to me. Everything I've seen so far seems positive. I'm not really sure what an “emulator” is, but it seems like a much easier way to play them on modern hardware than relying on an emulator.
If you need something to tide you over until next March, there's always its spiritual successor Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. “A turn-based JRPG that's suitable for those who know Suikoden or those who don't know what a Suikoden is,” Edders wrote in his review. “Embrace the old-school quirks and you'll have a wonderful journey here.”
Eiyuden director and Suikoden co-creator Yoshitaka Murayama sadly passed away earlier this year, though I find it encouraging that he was able to see how much Suikoden meant to people when Eiyuden surpassed its Kickstarter goals.