Feature

The Definitives: Six Remakes That Left the Originals in the Dust

When tweaking a game helps it reach its pinnacle.

By: Kat Bailey January 15, 2013

The definitive version.

It's a phrase that you've probably heard hundreds of times through reviews and previews. It's an easy way for writers to distill a truly great collection or remake into terms that people will immediately understand. It's definitive; it's the only version you should be playing.

What makes for a definitive update or remake? It's more than just prettier graphics or some bonus content; it's taking the original idea and finding a way to substantially improve upon it. Sometimes that means fixing a great game that was extremely flawed in some way, and sometimes that means taking a true classic and finding a way to make it even better.

Most of the time, I feel like remakes are a waste of time. More often than not, the original was enough. But in this age of quick and dirty HD Collections and other quick cash grabs, these updates more than earn the right to be called "definitive."

Persona 4 Golden

Best Part: The new online features

How do you improve on Persona 4? It had a great setting, a deep and likable cast, and a battle system that improved on that of its predecessor in many significant ways. Maybe the yellow color palette could have been toned down a bit, but other than that, it was pretty excellent. Atlus, of course, took that as a personal challenge.

The result is Persona 4 Golden, which improves on the original in many ways, both large and small. The high-definition graphics are, of course, much appreciated, as are the intriguing new social links. But in the end, it's the little changes that jump out the most. The ability to choose which skills are passed on to a new Persona during fusion, for example. There are a million of them, and they are all very useful.

The impression I get from Persona 4 Golden is that Atlus decided to use the remake to experiment with some ideas for future updates. In particular, the Vox Populi function, which offers a glimpse at the decisions that other players have made on a given day, is a fascinating idea that should absolutely be in Persona 5. Such innovations end up being so numerous that it makes the original Persona 4 feel like something of a beta release -- a basic sketch of Atlus's original intentions. It's such that even those who have finished the original game ought to seriously consider getting a Vita and picking it up. Yes, it's that good.

Pokemon Emerald

Best Part: Fixes all of the flaws of the original and throws in the terrific Battle Frontier to boot

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire managed to piss off a lot of longtime fans when they arrived in 2003. Not only were they not compatible with the original games, meaning that everyone had to start from scratch, they lacked a large number of monsters. Past favorites such as Gengar and Blastoise were locked away and replaced with pale knockoffs like Banette and Beautifly, and fans were not amused.

It was the obligatory third version, Pokemon Emerald, which ultimately washed away a lot of the bitter taste from that generation. It brought back all of the monsters, animated them, and included a vast theme park loaded with postgame challenges. It also featured both Team Magma and Team Aqua in an expanded story, making Emerald's version of events the definitive one.

For the most part, I'm not a big fan of alternate releases like Yellow and Platinum myself. Really, they aren't much more than expansion packs that add in a few new perks for competitive battlers while sweeping up any holdouts from the original transition. The exception is Emerald, which took the underwhelming third generation and made it genuinely great.

Of course, even years later, Nintendo was still selling Ruby and Sapphire at full price, often with Emerald sitting nearby. Somewhere in Japan, I have to imagine some unwitting fan got a very raw deal without realizing it. Pokemon is sneaky like that.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence

Best Part: The much improved camera

I really enjoyed Metal Gear Solid 3 for what it was -- a creative and occasionally brilliant stealth action game that happened to be close to unplayable at times. I blame the fixed camera, which offered a painfully limited field of view and often made it difficult to spot off-screen enemies. "Unplayable" may be a bit harsh, but the camera was definitely a pain.

Subsistence fixes that issue with a 3D camera that can be manipulated with the right analog stick, which immediately makes the original game obsolete. There's simply no reason to play without it. I only wish that it had been Subsistence and not the original version that I borrowed from my friend in 2008.

I should mention that Kojima Productions, much like Square Enix, has a bad habit of treating all of their initial releases like mulligans and releasing much improved versions down the line. They did this with the special edition of Zone of the Enders as well, and even Peace Walker, which got a vastly easier to control (but also much easier) console update. How long until Metal Gear Solid 4: Submission comes along? Sure it's been almost five years, but you have to feel like it could happen at any time, right?

TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM

Best Part: Resolving all of the previous cliffhangers

The mid-'90s equivalent of the HD remake was the CD-ROM Edition. Along with voiced dialogue (a huge plus in those days), it would usually throw in some pre-rendered cutscenes, and maybe some extra content. Of them all, TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM was by far the best. It was also evidence that LucasArts could be every bit as sneaky as Nintendo when it came to releasing updates to their games.

You see, the original TIE Fighter had ended on a cliffhanger, as had the expansion pack. If you had already invested in those two games, and you wanted to see the real ending, you were out of luck. The actual conclusion could only be found in the Enemies of the Empire expansion, which was exclusive to TIE Fighter CD. Like I said, sneaky.

Luckily, TIE Fighter CD was well worth owning. Apart from kicking the graphics up into Super VGA -- the high-definition of the day -- it added the obligatory voiced dialogue and neat little touches like rotating turrets. And yes, seeing fan-favorite Grand Admiral Thrawn outwit the traitorous Zaarin was well worth the wait. It was an irritating double dip by LucasArts, but in the end, a worthwhile one.

Note: TIE Fighter CD should not be confused with TIE Fighter Collector's Series, which replaces the original, rather elegant gouraud shading and iMuse soundtrack with ugly textures and Redbook Audio. That version is pretty atrocious. Unfortunately, it's also the only version that's really available anymore, to the endless consternation of many, many Star Wars fans.

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

Best Part: The ability to explore all of the story paths that Tactics Ogre has to offer

Labor of love, pet project, call it what you will. More than a decade after Tactics Ogre's first appearance on the SNES, Yasumi Matsuno returned to make an updated version for the PSP. For U.S. RPG fans, this turned out to be a boon.

After all, the original Tactics Ogre never made it to the west, except in the form of an inferior PlayStation 1 port. So this remake was also the first opportunity for many fans to play the RPG some have argued is even better than Matsuno's seminal Final Fantasy Tactics. In pretty much every way, it lived up to expectations.

What sets Tactics Ogre apart for me, at least, is its story. A shade more mature than the one found in Final Fantasy Tactics, it's full of complex characters and difficult decisions. For that reason, I was delighted to find that I could go back and explore the various story routes without having to restart the adventure from the beginning. Frankly, it's a feature that most RPGs should have.

Sadly, the PSP isn't the most popular portable machine among U.S. gamers, so not everyone has the means to play Tactics Ogre. If you sprang for a Vita though, it can be found in the PSP section of the PlayStation Store. While you're at it, download a copy of Persona 4 Golden too.

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition

Best Part: GGPO Netcode

Street Fighter fans spent ages pining for Super Street Fighter II HD Remix, but when it arrived it was just a little bit underwhelming. Much better is SFIII 3rd Strike Online Edition, which rejuvenates an often underappreciated fighting game while doing its share to make it somewhat comprehensible for newcomers.

Given that Street Fighter III is easily the most esoteric and inaccessible of the Street Fighter games (which is really saying something), this is no mean feat. But 3rd Strike Online Edition patiently walks you through all of its eccentricities, taking the time to explain the timing of the Parrying System and everything else. It doesn't make 3rd Strike any less intimidating -- not when it has one of the oldest and downright craziest fanbase around -- but at least it speaks something resembling the language of the common gamer.

For the fighting game elite, 3rd Strike Online gets the balance right, which is not something that SSFII HD Remix can claim to do. And in a nice touch, it uses the popular GGPO netcode, which goes further than most in reducing precision-killing lag. For those who still love 3rd Strike, it's a faithful update that is in large measure successful in bringing it into the current generation intact.

It's a tricky balance, improving the original game without losing the essence of what made it popular in the first place. Plenty of "definitive" versions, from the aforementioned TIE Fighter Collector's Series to Final Fantasy IV DS, have struggled with that in one way or another. It's what separates the cash-ins from the truly worth updates.

In one way or another, all of these games take a great idea and find a way to improve on it substantially. And that's one reason they will all be remembered well into the next generation and beyond.

Comments (39)

I can't help but think something's missing.
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Arad

...I can't help but question the absence of the King of Remakes: Super Robot Wars Original Generations for the Playstation 2.
Original Generations was a remake of the GBA games Original Generation 1 and 2, and so much more. In addition to the GBA games' storylines revisted (and in a few rare cases, revised for the better), new missions were added that bridged the gap between 1 and 2, and bonus missions after 2 were added to lead into Gaiden.
Characters and machines that hadn't been seen outside of the GBA or previous consoles were given voice, animation and some of the most amazing remakes of their personal soundtracks. (Need an example? Youtube search Ash to Ash GBA, then Ash to Ash OGs) New characters were added, new machines were added, and a few current characters were expanded upon (my personal favorite was Wodan Ymir given two attacks inspired by a comic book).
Arguably the best addition that Original Generations was turning the prolog of OG2 into a playable mission, where you find out just what the villains of OG2 were running away from...
Of course that's just my opinion.

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I agree with this list, but...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Arad

...I can't help but question the absence of the King of Remakes: Super Robot Wars Original Generations for the Playstation 2.
Original Generations was a remake of the GBA games Original Generation 1 and 2, and so much more. In addition to the GBA games' storylines revisted (and in a few rare cases, revised for the better), new missions were added that bridged the gap between 1 and 2, and bonus missions after 2 were added to lead into Gaiden.
Characters and machines that hadn't been seen outside of the GBA or previous consoles were given voice, animation and some of the most amazing remakes of their personal soundtracks (Need an example? Youtube search for Ash to Ash GBA, then Ash to Ash OGs). New characters were added, new machines were added, and a few current characters were expanded upon (my personal favorite was Wodan Ymir given two attacks inspired by a comic book). OGs took everything from OG1 and 2 and made it BETTER, as well as adding more of just about EVERYTHING.
Arguably the best addition that Original Generations was turning the prolog of OG2 into a playable mission, where you find out just what the villains of OG2 were running away from...
Of course, that's just my opinion.

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Nuuu
Posted: userComment.createdDate by sprode

People should probably get over the whole Ruby/Sapphire thing.
I so badly want to play Persona 4 Golden, but I don't have any regrets about investing in a 3DS over a Vita and I won't spend that kind of money for one game. At least I can play Tactics Ogre :3

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Sf3 OE
Posted: userComment.createdDate by ubersaurus

I generally liked your list, but I do take umbrage with SF3's inclusion primarily because, well, OE didn't do ANY rebalancing. At all. Capcom considered it, but ultimately decided not to touch the game after the backlash they received over HD Remix (very unfairly, I think; HDR was fantastic). All they really did was add the online play, slapped in some new character portrait art, and all those other little extras. I just can't really put it on par with any of these other games, simply because there's just not much of anything different.

If I'd have gone with a fighting game "definitive version" I'd have chosen something like KOF 98 Ultimate Match, Samurai Shodown V Special, or maybe even the US version of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. They all kept the same basic feel and systems of their original versions, but made a number of ultimately positive changes and additions. That's just me, though.

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What about Resident Evil 4 for the Wii?
Posted: userComment.createdDate by fatima_jasper

Great article, I was gonna mention Metal Gear and Pokemon, but it was already mentioned for me!
If I were to add anything, it would be the Resident Evil 4 remake for the Wii. While it didn't REALLY add much to the original winning formula, the motion controls make for a much more enjoyable and immersive experience, at least in my opinion.

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good game
Posted: userComment.createdDate by rs2account

want to join the game players

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Resident Evil REmake
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Dominican12007

I would have to include Resident Evil REmake on this list. Although it was changed so much that if felt like a completely different game, rather than a remake, it imo was way better than the original. I will admit that the horrible voice acting was part of the originals charm, but REmake made the game what it was always intended to be. A serious and scary game with a great plot.

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- I can't comprehend why that isn't on here
  Posted: 01/18/2013 by almostautumn
  
  REmake is, outside of being what is in my mind the most notable remake of an entry ever (more so than P4:G), it's also just one of the most enticing games to play... period. The first RE is just an amazing game, and REmake did what remakes should; retain the experience prior, maximize it, and offer a good slew of something new.
  It really should be on here.
  
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Damn Tactics Ogre
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Lonecow12

I just can't get into that game. I've restarted it like five times and it just doesn't draw me in for some reason. I usually love these types of strategy games, and the characrters all seem cool and the story and writing all seem top notch, but for whatever reason it just doesn't grab me.

I hate it because everyone talks about how amazing it is. I wish I could figure out what isn't doing it for me.

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- hmm...
  Posted: 01/18/2013 by asrealasitgets
  
  I was wondering where in the game do you give up? I feel like the first part of the game is the hardest. I have noticed that a lot of people who start the game give up really fast because in the beginning they are really underpowered and the game defeats them. But also, if you get through the first bits in the beginning the game gets easier. In my opinion the game is hard at first, like climbing a steep hill but then kind of flattens out. That was my experience. Also, I played the game over a long period of time where I just chipped away at it. Don't give up...
  
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- Alternatively, you might enjoy it more if you cheat!
  Posted: 01/18/2013 by ButterPeanut
  
  I'm like you--well, maybe less persistence, I only started and restarted the game, without doing it 5 times. But the third time I just said "to hell with it" with playing the game the way I was supposed to. It took an hour to set up, but I moved over a start-of-game save file (downloaded from GameFAQs I think?) with almost every single item in the game already in the inventory and jacked up to 99, including classmarks.
  I'm sure this'll kill a bunch of the fun later on with some of the end-game content in terms of low payoff and meaningless quest rewards, but honestly I get the most joy out of just managing my little army by learning skills, changing equipment, etc. It was a lot of fun playing through the game in a different way than usual by using a dual-wielding pirate version of Denam (yarrrr mateys). Also, I haven't gotten to that point in the game yet, but I'm sure it'll also kill some of the less-joyful parts of the game like trying to recruit Deneb with the special Wicca class, or getting some of the rarer classes. I think this is stuff I'll want to see, but damned if I'm going to spend hours loitering around in the Palace of the Dead or whatever grinding for special items I need.
  Anyways, just wanted to provide this idea in case you still find the game frustrating early on, I'm sure other folks may express outrage (!!) at doing something like this on your first -complete- playthrough, but it certainly didn't kill the experience for me. I feel like people with limited free time who play video games for -fun- shouldn't necessarily have to do something that feels like work in order to get a big big payoff later on; I do that with some other video games, but to me it seems crazy following something like this like a black-and-white rule.
  
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- yeah cheating!
  Posted: 01/18/2013 by asrealasitgets
  
  I see Lance Armstrong has joined the discussion.
  
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- Yea, the difficulty in the beginning really turned me off.
  Posted: 01/18/2013 by Blackdawn06
  
  I'm having the same problem...getting into the game that is. But thats because of what one of the above people posted. It's pretty brutal in the beggining. Very easy to get 2 shot...and heals arent very effective...along with the complete lack of any range...or rather...any range that does significant damage.
  I'm sure I'll get into it eventually...I just have to sit down, do a little grinding...then I'll be able to move on.
  
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- Busted
  Posted: 01/19/2013 by ButterPeanut
  
  I admit it, I've been juicing. I've been doing it for years, going all the way back to Smash Bros on the N64 when I had to beat the one-player game in 5 minutes in order to unlock Captain Falcon. I justified it in my mind thinking that it was something all of the video game players were doing, in order to stay competitive in their thing-they-do-for-recreation. My lowest low was when my charitable organization asked me to step aside, however. Anyways, the point is, while I tried to moderate my original post by mentioning how I could be wrong, I realize now that I am just a bad person for doing what I did. I'm sorry for hurting everyone else by my actions. I just hope this doesn't prevent me from competing clean when Killer is Dead is released.
  Blackdawn06-- if I understand, you were saying that ranged attacked aren't effective? I found that archers were consistently doing some of the highest damage for me, esp. with Tremendous Shot. I haven't reached the point of unlocking it yet, but later on they get a second skill letting them fire two ranged shots in a row, which is pretty powerful! Also, on healing, I recommend outfitting your Clerics along with additional classes like Valkyries with Lobbers ASAP. It kinda reminded me of FFT, where you had White Mages as healers you had to unlock, but Chemists generally remained much better dedicated healers. In a way Tactics Ogre does the same thing but is even more generous, because any character can equip the passive skills for advanced healing medicines while quite a few fighter types, many of them effective fighters, can use in lieu of a shield/2H weapon a Lobber that makes them fulfill the same function as an FFT-Chemist. Clerics are great healers, esp. for hitting multiple guys at once, but Lobbers made the difference for me.
  
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That MGS video ending LMAO
Posted: userComment.createdDate by ButterflyMAC

I'm just laughing so hard, I'm beginning to cough! I love how the end of the video was due to the alarm going off; thus abruptly introducing "the jig is up" atmosphere. Love it

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Good List
Posted: userComment.createdDate by xuicsus

Can't argue with much of what you wrote. P4G is easily one of the games that I think is a definitive version of a game. Also on the Vita, Disgaea 3's remake includes all of the DLC from the original (something like a 70 dollar value) so that is definitely a definitive version as well (although the one downside to D3 was that it didn't try to do too much).
For me (in addition to P4G of course), I also think it's worth noting Resident Evil 4 for the Wii. We're talking about a game that was redone for many systems, but only the Wii made it perfect. The point and shoot, the slashing of your knife with your hand, the slick controls of it all made the game even more memorable than it already was. That's the one I would add to the list.

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Some Extra Remakes...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by asrealasitgets

RESIDENT EVIL (Gamecube) Remake was frighteningly gorgeous.
TOMB RAIDER ANNIVERSARY was terrific as well.
METAL GEAR SOLID 3 (3DS) was my favorite metal gear 3. Was this a port? or remake? I felt it was superior to the ones before it on console.

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LOL WUT
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Ikki14

"Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition
Best Part: GGPO Netcode"
It's getting a long overdue update for a reason.

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This was a great list...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by SuperSmashSolidSnake

but I disagree with your opinion of Super Street Fighter 2 HD Remix. I felt the balance was right and that it perfected a game after it had been out for 15 years.

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On the subject of Tactics Ogre:
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Otaku_Hanzo

It did make it to western shores before the terrible PS1 butchery. Ogre Battle: March Of The Black Queen for the SNES. And it was a glorious thing indeed. It hooked me for many sleepless nights. I remember you could not save the game once on the battlefield and battles in that game could take some time, especially if you wanted to find everything. The only good thing about the PS1 version was it allowed for saving in battles, but the lag it brought everywhere just was shit. Love the SNES version still today.

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- Ogre Battle...
  Posted: 01/16/2013 by cartman414
  
  ...was the predecessor to TO.
  
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You forgot...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by tgraffam

Metroid: Zero Mission

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A lot of these aren't really remakes.
Posted: userComment.createdDate by jellishot

They're more accurately classified as upgraded ports or enhanced editions. In my mind, a remake would be something along the lines of Resident Evil for the GameCube, or Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes, or Final Fantasy III DS--where a game is totally rebuilt from the ground up.

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- True but
  Posted: 01/16/2013 by VeryMadMage
  
  They are all great examples of new versions with great improvements.
  
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Tie Fighter
Posted: userComment.createdDate by ZetaStriker

So glad this game still gets love. To this day it is, in my opinion, the best Star Wars game ever released. It's been a while since I went back and played it, but honestly I'm not entirely sure which version I own. I'm fairly certain I had a copy of Tie Fighter CD in my youth, but the disc got scratched and I had to replace it with a new copy a half dozen years ago or so. Think it might be the "atrocious" collector's edition you mentioned. =/

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- That remake..
  Posted: 01/18/2013 by nipsen
  
  ..really was bad too. Like Kat says. The iMuse engine was replaced with laggy cd-rom tracks playing in loop. The response from events and sense of context just disappeared. The texture pop-in was horrible, you lost all sense of speed, all the tie-fighters looked like toys. Lasers were suddenly painted on the screen, etc.
  Wasn't until later that I found out Lucasarts actually didn't sell the collector's cd-rom version except in these packs together with Rebel Assault. Was one edition that ever was available in the EU region at least. After that, you couldn't get hold of the 640x480 version. The remake was even sold as "Collector's Edition", just to make sure no one would remember the actual good version of the game, I guess..
  But that was the definitive version of the game. That disc with the extra campaigns, and the opportunity to join the inner circle of the Emperor's Order - not very strange people pull it out for lists like "Best game of all time".
  
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MGS3
Posted: userComment.createdDate by GoldenFiddler

I never played the original only Subsistence and it's my favorite in the series. Hard to imagine the original could be that bad.

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- It's not imo
  Posted: 01/16/2013 by VeryMadMage
  
  I played the heck out of the original version and never had a problem. It controls like MGS1 and 2, which are also quite playable. That being said, I've played Subsistance now, and I would never want to go back to the old version.
  
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You had to include Golden in here Kat!
Posted: userComment.createdDate by themoth

Just to make me more pissed that I don't have a Vita. I played through the PS2 version twice and I was extremely depressed when it ended.
I will play Golden one day, but you didn't have to remind me. :P

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P4G for sure
Posted: userComment.createdDate by amightysquall958

I had actually bought a copy of the original Persona 4 only a couple of months before Golden was announced. I already knew I would buy a Vita eventually, so I decided to wait. That was a GREAT decision. Having looked up all the updates in Golden on the wiki, I feel most reviews had completely undersold how improved the game is. In fact, this is the first time I've seen someone mention that you can now pick the skills a persona will get in a fusion (props, Kat)! This is HUGE! Originally, the skills were chosen randomly (amongst the skills the fused persona can inherit, of course). I've read entire guides about how to play the probabilities to get the skills you want to transfer, which is a pretty absurd level of metagaming. I'm sure it also saves tons of time as well.
Also, the extra time it gives the player to max out stats and social links before New Game + makes replaying much, much better. This is true particularly because, as most would tell you, your first playthrough of P4 ought to be organic (i.e. not dictated by a Max Social Link guide). Inevitably it will not be the most efficient playthrough, in part by design due to stat requirements. The extra couple of months or so helps to finish up some S. Links that perhaps you discovered late (I somehow missed starting Kanji's for a loooong while).
So, yeah, P4G is the version to play.
I will also give props to the Tactics Orgre remake as well. As my first real tactics game, I think it will spoil me for when I decide to finally tackle FFT.

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I would also add...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Chronolp5

the Resident Evil remake on Gamecube, and my personal favorite remake, Tomb Raider Anniversary.
Tomb Raider Anniversary maintained the spirit of the original, while modernizing the controls and expanding the level designs.

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no love for twin snakes?
Posted: userComment.createdDate by great_cake_bat8

bulliet time makes everything better, am i right?

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- Hells yeah
  Posted: 01/15/2013 by ButterPeanut
  
  Bullet time, along with rocking guitar licks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQZnIFR2ABs#t=227s
  
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- Personal opinion on Chie's new VA
  Posted: 04/07/2013 by ChronoDragoon
  
  I found her to be a vast improvement over the original, and considering I played the original on PS2 release I'm not really biased in that regard. The original VA sounded like someone who had no clue how to voice a character....trying to voice a character. Moreover her new voice is more well-suited to her energetic personality type.
  
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I will not buy a PS3 to play Persona 4 Golden
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Panthers21

I can keep telling myself that...but i know its not true

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- question
  Posted: 01/15/2013 by jgusw
  
  can you play Persona 4 Golden on the PS3? That would be cool if it's possible.
  
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- You shouldn't
  Posted: 01/15/2013 by Valabrax
  
  Persona 4 Golden is a Vita game. Buying a PS3 to play it would be a bad idea.
  
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- Naw
  Posted: 01/15/2013 by donstarlancer
  
  Its a Vita game
  
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- I agree with Valabrax, what was said is quite reasonable.
  Posted: 01/15/2013 by ButterPeanut
  
  But seriously, I love P4G. I bought a Vita knowing I'd buy P4G when it came out, and all the other games on Vita were like very nice *bonuses*. But this is coming from a guy who played the original P4 twice and a half to completion. I'm playing P4G more slowly, typically grinding out 3-4 hours in a night and then setting it aside for a week or so. A lot of the upgrades just make sense. When a [crazy] person is willing to hammer the O and X buttons again and again on the Fusion screen, just to get the perfect combination of skills, why not save the time and just let them *pick* the compatible skills? It's not a question of difficulty, just tedium, and P4G just chops out the tedium right and left. (Another great change that encourages taking a higher-difficulty setting besides Easy or Normal: reduced penalties for getting wiped out besides reloading the last save point (except you can no longer save right before the boss in each dungeon)).
  I only have two complaints with the game--
  1. For folks that want to "play it the wrong way" or whatever by trying to max out your main character's 'stats' (Courage, Diligence, etc.) and all the S. Links on the first run, the game can fall into a choppy rhythm of doing 20-30 days of stat- and Link-building, interpersed with long sections of cutscenes with voice overs (no worries, this isn't like ANOTHER series of games on this list), then grinding out a single 10-12 floor dungeon (usually after redoing the last dungeon you did, albeit much more quickly). You can take breaks whenever you want, though, and the game's good enough that you'll want to return. Besides, while I feel differently and love to plan this stuff out, I think most people prefer to just roughly guesstimate what their priorities ought to be each day.
  2. Oh gawd WHY did they pick that new voice actress for Chie? She's the worst. Like every time she opens her stupid noise-hole it's like rusty screws are being twisted into my ear drums. For one thing it sucks that they had to lose the original Chie voice actress, who I thought really gave such a great performance that it brought so much else of the dialogue and the cast onto another level. But then, to get this high-pitched nasally voice..! And the sad thing is, while you'd think it would be a great relief when you later get new party members that allow you to bench Chie permanently, she's actually a much-improved character in combat compared to P4 and how often she'd whiff with physical attacks, and she's even kinda funny. So you still have to deal with her worst moments, in all the many many cutscenes in P4G.
  2.5: Sorry I lied, there's one more. Many new cutscenes feel hit-or-miss for me so far (just opened up the kinda "sci-fi" dungeon). I really loved P4 Vanilla's strong mix and pacing between drama and comedy, using plenty of weeklong trips to punch up the levity prior to the next dungeon opening up (Yasogami High must have the single biggest school trip budget in all of Japan ever.) Those scenes are still here. The new bits feel less interesting, like they couldn't think of any new shit to do besides transplant the P4 cast into new locales and have them do stuff there. Or, actually, it's mostly that New-Chie's schtick is MEAT LOL, Yukiko is... surprised... and then Brosuke says stuff that pisses off New-Chie. But some new stuff's good. Mostly scenes where the PC, Brosuke, and mega-bancho Kanji are hanging out (the scheme that justified getting a scooter in the first place was flat-out hilarious to me).
  
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