Demakes: A RETROspective.

April 7, 2018April 7, 2018 zapiy

Over the years there has been loads of what we call classic games. Games that define a system or genre and more often than not these are the games that we ask ourselves what would it have been like on another system but what make it a Demake and not a Remake?

A Demake to me is a homage to modern games that re-imagine them as if they were on older hardware. Whether done officially by the original game developer as a form of promotion for their new game or bedroom coders, these fun prequels let you celebrate your love of retro games in a whole new way.

And these have to be some of the best demakes out there right now, I could have kept adding more but i’m interested on your views so please share them HERE

Original Game: God of War
Original System: Playstation
Demake Name: Greek Wicked
Demake Style: Game & Watch

The creator started to think about the differences between old and modern games : what are those differences? Mostly better graphics and sounds, but in terms of game mechanics old and modern games can be very similar. So, what if we take modern games elements and reduce them to their most simple form to create a very old fashioned electronic game like a Game & Watch they thought.

So they started working on it, Guillaume was playing a game that was the perfect modern and AAA game reference we needed : God of War.

This really is a fun game to play, go and check it out: HERE

Original Game: Halo
Original System: Xbox
Demake Name: Halo 2600
Demake Style: Atari 2600

Halo 2600 by Ed Fries (a former Microsoft games publishing executive) was a flash game originally launched in 2010, and is Fries’ vision of the seminal Xbox shooter if it had been built for the Atari 2600, this particular demake was released as a full boxed, cartridge release.

More info: HERE

Original Game: Half-life
Original System: PC
Demake Name: Codename Gordon
Demake Style: 16-Bit “Metal Slug”

The game takes place through dozens of levels inspired by Half-Life games, challenges players to a slew of puzzles, and showcases many of the familiar creatures in an all-new, two-dimensional playing field. Developed parallel to their work on PsychoToxic, Codename: Gordon features 6 chapters, 8 different enemies, 5 weapons as well as a fully functional buggy.

More info: HERE

Original Game: Borderlands
Original System: Multi-format
Demake Name: Borderlands
Demake Style: 16-Bit “Smash TV”

Gearbox Studios created an official browser-based 16-bit demake of its open-world shooter Borderlands.

Envisioned as a top-down Smash TV-style arcade game, you pick one of Borderland’s four leads to withstand wave after wave of foes. True to the original game, there are plenty of weapon drops and level upgrades, even if customisation has been removed.

Try it: HERE

Original Game: Resident Evil
Original System: Playstation
Demake Name: Resident Evil
Demake Style: NES

This is a another fantastic re-imagination of an all time classic, this time its Resident Evil in NES clothing.

More info: HERE

Original Game: Dark Void
Original System: Multi-format
Demake Name: Dark Void Zero
Demake Style: NES

Dark Void Zero is a platform video game released by Capcom for DSiWare download service. It was made as an April Fool’sparody of the video game Dark Void and it was later decided to make it an actual title.

More info: HERE

Original Game: Silent Hill 2
Original System: Playstation
Demake Name: Soundless Mountain II
Demake Style: NES

Soundless Mountain II is a ‘demake’ of Silent Hill 2 where you can relive everything from one of the most popular horror games for Playstation 2, only this time with the graphics and gameplay of a NES title. The game starts exactly like it does in the original, with your protagonist in a bathroom next to the highway, just about to enter Silent Hill (Soundless Mountain). The difference is that this time, instead of playing the entire story, the game will suddenly stop in the middle. The gameplay is as simple as you might expect: the arrow keys move your character from side to side, one button lets you interact with everything in the setting and attack, another button changes objects/weapons, and a third button accesses your inventory. Soundless Mountain II is a very slow game that will definitely dazzle fans of the Silent Hill saga. But if you don’t understand all the references, it’ll probably leave you out in the cold.

Try it: HERE

Original Game: Left 4 Dead
Original System: Multi-format
Demake Name: Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead
Demake Style: NES

Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead is a fan-made version of Left 4 Dead by independent video game designer Eric Ruth. It was his first attempt at creating an 8-bit styled remake of a previously existing title. The idea of making an 8-bit remake of Left 4 Dead originally took form when he suggested to his friend “wouldn’t it be cool if I re-made Left 4 Dead..but like, as an NES style game?”, which his friend with a straightforward “Hell yeah!”

Sadly no longer available from the official site but i’m sure you can find this with a little searching.

Original Game: Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball
Original System: Multi-format
Demake Name: Sexy Seaside Beachball
Demake Style: ZX Spectrum

This looks like a very good demake, if you can find it that is, please get in contact if you can help with that.

Beachball and boobs was what Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball is famous for so this ZX Spectrum demake with detailed graphics and realistic physics just like Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball, in this demake find the perfect excuse to continue watching girls in their underwear, while trying to star in a few games of beach volleyball.

Sadly no longer available from the official site but i’m sure you can find this with a little searching.

Original Game: Team Forttress 2
Original System: PC
Demake Name: Gang Garrison 2
Demake Style: 8-Bit 2D

Gang Garrison 2 is a free multiplayer ‘demake’ of Valve’s Team Fortress 2. With all 9 classes, many different TF2-inspired environments, and fast-paced, team-based, multiplayer gameplay, GG2 is the premier TF2 tribute.

It was originally conceived by mrfredman and MedO for the 2008 TIGSource.com ‘Bootleg Demakes’ competition, but is now open source, and many developers have since added new features. If you want to help us improve the game.

More info: HERE

Original Game: Tomb Raider
Original System: Multi-format
Demake Name: Retro Raider
Demake Style: Atari 2600