Preservation of the Pokémon video games

[Puddle]

I've been quite vocal over the past year about my concerns regarding DLC and the impermanence of digital content. Despite having already purchased the Sword Expansion Pass digitally, I was considering getting the physical bundle as a way of preserving it for the future.

But the recent reports of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire cartridges failing highlight how, in truth, buying games physically isn't a fail-safe way to preserve them. Any electronic media, in any format, can eventually wear out.

This is concerning for video game enthusiasts, and especially Pokémon fans I think. Many of us get very attached to past generations and regions, and like to revisit them.

What do you think the best solution is? Should Nintendo port the earlier generations to new consoles periodically, or are emulators the answer? I find this topic fascinating, and I'm looking forward to seeing what ideas Pokémon fans come up with for preserving their favourite games in the years to come. This fandom has already proved itself to be quite resourceful and innovative, creating its own online severs for the Gen IV and Gen V games.

A Google search for "video game preservation" brings up some interesting articles on the topic. There's even a Wikipedia page. Games are works of art, enthusiasts argue, and should be preserved in the same way that films, books and paintings are. I agree.

 

[TechSkylander1518]

I say saving ROMs and using emulators is the best answer- porting the games to new consoles sounds like a lot of hassle, and the only "benefit" is that Nintendo gets to sell them and keep control over who plays them.

 

[nickdt]

I say saving ROMs and using emulators is the best answer- porting the games to new consoles sounds like a lot of hassle, and the only "benefit" is that Nintendo gets to sell them and keep control over who plays them.

Its especially a hassle if said games make use of dual-screen mechanics.

 

[Kallyle]

I'd say downloading ROMs and using emulator, but Nintendo cracks down on that stuff hard. Sure, they might be able to/want to resell it as it is their IP, but not all games are that lucky. In addition, ROMs and emulators solution isn't necessarily full proof either, as there is always a chance that physical media utilized for playing those ROMs and handling those emulators will eventually fail as well. You also need to take into consideration that future hardware and operating systems could be used to ban ROMs and emulation altogether as a form of anti piracy. I mean, we already have online only DRMs; that would just be the next step for companies to take.

None of that even compares to how it seems the game industry in general is actively against video game preservation in the modern era, probably because it can hurt their newest content and remasters if older games just so happen to have higher quality compared to the newer ones. Jim Ryan, the current president and CEO of Sony Digital Entertainment, is a prime example of someone who doesn't see the value of playing older games.

It is going to be a lot harder to preserve the games as years go by, Pokémon included. A combination of physical media and ROMs + emulators will definitely help, but there isn't a perfect solution for preservation either.

 

[Norzan]

Jim Ryan, the current president and CEO of Sony Digital Entertainment, is a prime example of someone who doesn't see the value of playing older games.

It shows how completely clueless a lot of the higher ups in AAA companies are. Obviously i don't have evidence myself, but i find it hard to believe that no one wants to play old games. In fact i think a lot of people want to play old games.

Hasn't stopped these companies from digging into their old games and make barebones remasters while charging an insane price for them.

 

[Daenerys]

I have all my Gen 3 games backed up since they're my most precious possessions, plus I learned from the Gen 2 internal battery issue. I want to back up my Gen 4 games too but I don't know how. In the meantime I'm still really ticked off that some copies of OR/AS are malfunctioning.

 

[Welkamo]

I have all my Gen 3 games backed up since they're my most precious possessions

How do you back up games?

 

[Puddle]

Reselling games that are several decades old does seem rather exploitative. It's similar to what Disney does with its classic films.

It would be better if all games became available to download for free, legally, after a certain number of years have passed, but I can't see this happening in the forseeable future. The classic Pokémon games still have monetary value, as evidenced by the Virtual Console sales, so why would Nintendo relinquish that opportunity?

The current situation might not be ideal, but at least Nintendo has always ensured that at least one Pokémon game for each region can be accessed and played without too much hassle, thanks to the remakes and Virtual Console releases. I expect we will see ports of Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald one day, once working copies of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are more difficult to come by.

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl could be seen as a solution to the dual-screen logistical issue that @nickdt mentioned. Instead of porting Diamond and Pearl exactly as they were before, they're updating the games to work on a single screen, giving them a fresh coat of paint at the same time.

 

[Fairy Type Arceus]

We had rby and gsc on the VC recently so we know gamefreak still has access to older games files. It wouldn't be surprising if we got more releases like that for older games rse and maybe on the next console dppt. How would this work with the dual screen? They might need to rework the code a bit to cut out the dual screens and change them to button inputs (poketch would be scraped though) bw and bw2 doesn't use the dual screen for much, xy would need amie reworked and so would sm with refresh but thats it. Everything else would need to be reworked to button presses and pointers.

Besides even if game freak doesn't do that they remake every game anyway so they'll never fully disappear. Kanto just got a second remake based on its 3rd version. Hell they still have blue to remake lol. Crystal will probably get one after sinnoh and emerald one after they remake bw and xy. We'll be here in 2050 talking about sword and shields remakes. They aren't going anywhere.

 

[Phosphene]

Besides even if game freak doesn't do that they remake every game anyway so they'll never fully disappear. Kanto just got a second remake based on its 3rd version. Hell they still have blue to remake lol. Crystal will probably get one after sinnoh and emerald one after they remake bw and xy. We'll be here in 2050 talking about sword and shields remakes. They aren't going anywhere.

A remake isn't really preserving a game though. Remakes are inherently different from their originals, and will thus give a different experience. It's like the difference between an exact copy of the Mona Lisa, and a version of the painting where the titular subject is instead replaced with Nessa. If the Mona Lisa, all its exact copies, and all images or other records disappeared, the Nessa version wouldn't be a replacement for what was lost.

 

[Fairy Type Arceus]

A remake isn't really preserving a game though. Remakes are inherently different from their originals, and will thus give a different experience. It's like the difference between an exact copy of the Mona Lisa, and a version of the painting where the titular subject is instead replaced with Nessa. If the Mona Lisa, all its exact copies, and all images or other records disappeared, the Nessa version wouldn't be a replacement for what was lost.

But is it that much different that it doesn't still work, in pokemons case anyway. From what I've been told FF VII's remake is drastically different from its original so for a game like that this is true. But for Pokemon the biggest change in a remake we've had was megas in oras and go catching in LGPE. The story is mostly the same as is the music and the region layout. If we're looking to preserve the monolisa we do the best we can but if Theres a sudden freak fire that burns down the museum its kept in we have to do with copies or recreations. (Or photos of the original which we can consider youtube lets plays as) if the purpose is to keep the region and its character alive the remakes still pull that off well.

 

[Phosphene]

But for Pokemon the biggest change in a remake we've had was megas in oras and go catching in LGPE. The story is mostly the same as is the music and the region layout.

That's not exactly true. All remakes have several differences that make them distinct from the originals. Let's put it this way: if someone asked you to get them a copy of Pokémon Gold, you wouldn't give them Pokémon HeartGold because it's a fundamentally different game from Pokémon Gold.

Theres a sudden freak fire that burns down the museum its kept in we have to do with copies or recreations. (Or photos of the original which we can consider youtube lets plays as) if the purpose is to keep the region and its character alive the remakes still pull that off well.

Eh, a remake isn't an exact copy. That's why I brought up the Mona Lisa. Exact copies are fine, but if you substitute out the subject or make it watercolor, for example, then you have a fundamentally different painting. Similarly, a remake is a different experience than the original games. If the Mona Lisa got destroyed in a fire, you wouldn't replace it with a version that was done in colored pencil.

 

[Fairy Type Arceus]

but there have been no sudden freak fires, that's the problem. well, i suppose you could call the german oras cart fails that, but those are thankfully not widespread to every cart made.

On the contrary any original carts of rby and GSC have stopped working by now. Even with the 3ds VC its still a different expirence to play it on the 3ds over the game boy or gameboy color.

That's not exactly true. All remakes have several differences that make them distinct from the originals. Let's put it this way: if someone asked you to get them a copy of Pokémon Gold, you wouldn't give them Pokémon HeartGold because it's a fundamentally different game from Pokémon Gold.

Eh, a remake isn't an exact copy. That's why I brought up the Mona Lisa. Exact copies are fine, but if you substitute out the subject or make it watercolor, for example, then you have a fundamentally different painting. Similarly, a remake is a different experience than the original games.

True, Which then begs the question should remakes be like BDSP where they want to be as faithful as possible for the sake of preservation? The protags didn't get new redesigns this time, in fact every design looks in tact even down to npc designs. The region looks pretty close to the original except with a bit more 3d put into them.

I don't think its possible to preserve every game. Digital media will wear down like everything else one day the monolisa's paint will begin to chip away despite our best efforts. (So long as someone doesn't do to it what they did to that jesus painting we'll be good lol)

 

[swiftgallade46]

On the contrary any original carts of rby and GSC have stopped working by now.

I have a physical cart of red and one of Silver and both still work.

 

[Fairy Type Arceus]

I have a physical cart of red and one of Silver and both still work.

I think my Gold cart still works but doesn't save anymore. And really I thought the internal batterys would all be dried up by now. It hasn't been replaced at all?

 

[swiftgallade46]

I think my Gold cart still works but doesn't save anymore. And really I thought the internal batterys would all be dried up by now. It hasn't been replaced at all?

Nope they both still save

 

[TechSkylander1518]

But for Pokemon the biggest change in a remake we've had was megas in oras and go catching in LGPE. The story is mostly the same as is the music and the region layout.

You might consider that the biggest change, but it's far from the only change. ORAS also had several battle mechanics adjusted, including new types and new battle styles, new story elements like the Delta episode, and extremely different graphics.

 

[EmpoleonProd]

I think as long as remakes continue to be made, that is the pseudo-preservation of older games. I personally would never replay an original game over the remakes. RS are completely irrelevant compared to ORAS, only Emerald has enough content to be considered as a worthy alternative. Crystal on VC was nice but I wouldn't replay it again, HGSS are better in every way besides Crystal having Kris, the shiny egg and the Celebi event. There's really no reason to replay RBY considering FRLG and LGPE serve as straight upgrades to RB and Y respectively. BDSP is rumored to have some Platinum elements, and tbh DP was already a royal pain to play because it's so slow, Platinum is much nicer. The definitive Sinnoh game will either be Platinum or BDSP considering how good the remakes are.

Now what I really want are remakes, ports, or remasters of Colosseum and XD Gale of Darkness, I unfortunately never got to own either and now they're so expensive, I really wish I bought those when they came out.

 

[Norzan]

Yeah, the remakes don't give the same experience as the originals. FRLG has several things RBY don't have, same for GSC and HGSS, and same for RS and ORAS. And the latter two have Crystal and Emerald respectively, other two games the remakes don't give the same experience.

Regardless if you play either over the other, remakes are still not preserving the originals. That's presevation of the remakes instead if they are the only ones available to play.

 

[EmpoleonProd]

Yeah, the remakes don't give the same experience as the originals. FRLG has several things RBY don't have, same for GSC and HGSS, and same for RS and ORAS. And the latter two have Crystal and Emerald respectively, other two games the remakes don't give the same experience.

Regardless if you play either over the other, remakes are still not preserving the originals. That's presevation of the remakes instead.

I wholeheartedly disagree. I've played every game at least once thanks to VC, and I would never at any point choose a Gen 1 game over FRLG/LGPE or a Gen 2 game over HGSS. I have 4/6 VC titles and tbh I've only touched Yellow and Crystal, the original paired versions are almost made irrelevant because I own physical copies of every game since RS, so I'd just play remakes, unless I had saves I don't want to delete on all my remakes THEN I might play the originals.

Hoenn is my favorite region and I don't even touch my copy of Ruby or my two copies of Sapphire. Emerald and ORAS are strictly better games in every way, and to really solve the debate of Emerald vs. ORAS, we just need Delta Emerald lol. HGSS are hailed as the holy grail games of Pokémon because they were basically Crystal remakes moreso than Gold or Silver remakes.

I'm pro-porting Gen 3 to the Switch, but let's not overstate the significance of the originals, they are usually inferior to the remakes in every way with the exceptions going to third versions. An original game once in awhile is fine for nostalgia, but the gameplay of a remake will always be superior.