Should Christian Whitehead and/or Andrew Spinks (Redigit) remaster and enhance the classic 2D Super Mario titles in HD with improvements?

[Dr. Peach]

The thread speaks for itself.

As we all know, the classic Sonic games were remastered by Christian Whitehead on mobile devices, and Whitehead is well known for making Sonic Mania, all of which use his Star/Retro Engine, while Andrew Spinks (a.k.a Redigit or Demilogic) is known for making Super Mario Bros. X and later Terraria. With both of them being experienced in making 2D sprite-based games on modern hardware, I think it's time the two team up and remake/remaster some of the classic 2D Mario games in HD, such as Super Mario Bros. 1, The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World.

I think that would be a great idea. Whitehead has done a fantastic job remastering the old Sonic games while Spinks is good with adding multiplayer in Super Mario Bros. X. Redigit would make a modern HD remaster of Super Mario Bros. 2 even better than the original NES, SNES All-Stars, and GBA Super Mario Advance versions, by adding things like multiplayer with 4 players like in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U/U Deluxe while retaining the enhancements of both the All-Stars and Super Mario Advance versions while also utilizing Whitehead's Star Engine to recreate the game. Super Mario Bros. 3 would be based on the SNES All-Stars version with the stuff from the GBA version like voice acting being in the game. In Super Mario World's case, the game will still look like the SNES version but with the enhancements of the GBA version Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World, such as voice acting and whatnot, including a better Peach sprite than the original SNES version. SMB1 will have the option to switch between the classic NES art style or the SNES art-style of the All-Stars versions.

What do you guys think, would you want that to happen?

 

[Xiahou Ba]

No. What Whitehead does is very specific, and just because he knows very well how to tinker with 2D Sonic platformers doesn't necessarily translate nicely to Mario. Sonic and Mario are two entirely different game series that focus on two different types of physics. Sonic is much more physics based, with a heavy amount of slopes and the usage of speed to cross many types of terrain (like loops and hills, especially when curled as a ball; enemies and obstacles are also designed and placed with that in mind). Mario on the other hand is slower, precision-based platforming with a blockier level style to accommodate for it. Sonic is also much more path-based than Mario is, with levels having different "steps" of platforms to cross through, making the game's levels very replayable, while Mario games are more in a single path. Power-ups also serve entirely different purposes between games. Whitehead is also occupied with smaller-scale IP projects such as Freedom Planet 2 and has his own studio, Evening Star Studio, that would likely focus on making their own titles.

As for Redigit, he's likely a better shot at developing a remaster like that, but he's far too busy with his own game, Terraria, to even think about it and I say that's for the better. Just because he could do it doesn't mean that he likely will, especially since Terraria and his own studio. Re-Logic, is a more important project than remastering another IP he doesn't own.

To sum it up, both are indie game devs who are making their own games and projects and that's why they shouldn't work on another IP's game unless Nintendo contracted them to work on their IP but I doubt that'll ever happen considering how Nintendo looks at fan-projects like Super Mario Bros. X.

 

[Dr. Peach]

Don't get me wrong, but Super Mario Bros. 2 is longing for another great remake and Redigit can make an even better remake than what Super Mario Advance tried to do but have 4 players + online in a 2D sprite-based form kinda like Castlevania: Harmony of Despair or Super Mario Maker 2 in the case of Mario. I feel that would make a nice quality of life improvement over the original SMB2 on NES, the All-Stars remaster on SNES and SMA on GBA. We can also see improvements to Peach's speed just as with 3D World + Bowser's Fury, making her better than the older versions and especially in the item pickups where she is slow for that and not that great for most bosses except for Wart.

 

[Mcmadness]

They don't need to be remade.

 

[Dr. Peach]

They don't need to be remade.

Yeah, but it would be nice for them to be redone and enhanced for modern systems with higher fidelity and resolution. Super Mario Bros. 2 can use some enhancements like 4 player co-op as a big improvement over any other version of the game which are single-player only. That would bring it up with today's Mario games which have 4 player co-op as well as online now.

 

[Alex95]

As we all know, the classic Sonic games were remastered by Christian Whitehead on mobile devices

I didn't even know Sonic had mobile games.

 

[zel]

sonics had mobile games for a while even
but yeah just because these guys have worked a really good sonic game doesnt mean theyll be able to successfully work on a mario game. im not suggesting any kind of mario and sonic rivalry but im just talking about the fact that these games have a lot of differences so skill from working on one wont necessarily translate to another if that makes sense. so basically exactly as blof said! im pretty sure weve talked about this before

 

[Fawfulthegreat64]

I just want a 2D Mario that looks like the 2D promo art. Like smooth and fluid animated sprites in that style. Instead of a bunch of pre-rendered tilesets and 3D character models running on them.

 

[Mcmadness]

Yeah, but it would be nice for them to be redone and enhanced for modern systems with higher fidelity and resolution. Super Mario Bros. 2 can use some enhancements like 4 player co-op as a big improvement over any other version of the game which are single-player only. That would bring it up with today's Mario games which have 4 player co-op as well as online now.

They don't need to be remade.

 

[Mike Wheeler]

I don't really have a lot else to say except that I don't want there to be more hype over yet another version of 2D Mario as opposed to some sort of new Mario game we haven't seen before, regardless of who makes it.