Video game graphics in the HD era have been heavily focused on visual fidelity and ever-growing polygon counts. With the release ofOctopath Travelerin 2018 however, Square Enix presented a modern take on pixel graphics that changed perspectives on what games could look like.
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HD-2D,as it’s known, is an exciting visual aesthetic that takes pixel based graphics to the next level, rendering them with HD textures and lighting, as well as polygonal assets and backgrounds. While it’s only been used for 5 games so far, the aesthetic has a lot of potential, andpresents a hopeful future for many sprite-based projects.
7Earthbound/Mother
ConsideringNesswas one of the starting rosterfor the originalSuper Smash Bros, one would expectEarthboundto be a much bigger property for Nintendo. However, the series has somehow evaded proper appreciation in the west. Known asMotherin Japan, all 3 games are critical darlings, but the most beloved amongst them,Mother 3has yet to receive anEarthboundlocalisation.
Fans have debated for years over why this is, but have received no solid answers. IfMother 3should ever becomeEarthbound 2, perhaps a HD-2D rendition could help justify the wait. Or, ifMother 1/Earthbound Beginningsreceived a remake, HD-2D could help make it more palatable to modern audiences.
6Chrono Trigger
With the surprisereveal of aLive A Liveremake, Square Enix made it clear that they are not against using HD-2D to breathe new life into old games. Knowing this, there are a whole host of Square Enix owned games that could use an introduction to the new generation of gamers. Arguably one of the most deserving of these isChrono Trigger.
A lot of people these days have likely never playedChrono Trigger, but in its heyday, it had a strong reputation, and is still considered one of the best JRPGs ever made. It also happens to have a similar, time-travel focused plot toLive A Live. Especially if voice acting is added, an HD-2DChrono Triggerremake could easily become the definitive version of the game.
5Digimon
Playing perpetual second fiddle toPokemoninthe monster catching genre,Digimonhas often gone where its predecessor has. It has targeted home consoles way more however, with releases likeDigimon WorldandDigimon Cyber Sleuth. In many ways,Digimonhas managed to make better use of 3D technology thanPokemonhas.
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There is a small collection of pixel artDigimongames however, with titles such asDigimon World DawnandDigimon World DS. Revisiting the pixel plane could make for another fun twist on the series, helping to represent the series' digital aesthetic in a high definition environment.
4Fire Emblem
Most of the series on this list have suffered somewhat after switching to 3D assets.Fire Emblemhowever, has never really had that problem. It first explored the third dimension withFE Path of Radianceon the Gamecube. Long after most series had made the switch, but the swap went fairly well visually.
Fire Emblemhas actually had its greatest successin the 3D plane, especially withFE Awakening. However, the series still has a deep history with pixel art. If another remake likeFE Echoes: Shadows of Valentiawas ever produced, HD-2D might be a great way to pay homage to the series' history.
3Mega Man
Mega Mangames are a lot more few and far between than they once were. The blue bomber unfortunately took the 3D era badly, never truly finding his feet in the new dimension. Recently,Mega Man 11has managed to reinvigorate the series somewhat, with new gameplay elements, a classicMega Mangame loop, and a new art style using 3D assets on a 2D plane.
If the 3D era had never happened though, what wouldMega Mangames look like today? HD-2D so far hasn’t been applied to any games withMega Man’s level of speed and action. Applying it to a newMega Man Xgame might result in the most impressive HD-2D experience yet.
2Final Fantasy
Being the massive franchise it is,Final Fantasyhas already spanned several genres, consoles and art styles. The first 6 games have also received recent remasters that attempted to polish their visuals. However, many fans aren’t pleased with the new sprite work.
It’s quite bizarre that Square Enix chose not to use HD-2D for any of these remakes. They’ve already committed to an HD-2DDragon Quest 3remake, showing thatthey’re willing to apply the style to their bigger franchises. An HD-2D remake of the first 6Final Fantasygames seems likea no-brainer, but it would appear that Square might not want to let their biggest series use this new style quite yet.
1Pokemon
While the series has been living in the realm of 3D sincePokemon XandPokemonYin 2012, many fans still yearn for the sprite art ofPokemon’sfirst 5 generations.Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlreceived some backlash for their chibi,3D interpretations ofPokemon DiamondandPearl.
So, with remakes ofPokemon BlackandWhitemost likely in the pipeline, HD-2D could present a visual style that would satisfy fans. This would require a deviation from the series' current path, as it wouldn’t be able to reuse established 3D assets. However, if the goal is capturing the magic of the original pixel art, the change is likely the best the series can hope for.
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