The announcement of Trials of Mana – the upgrading and localization of Seiken Densetsu 3, a game that was long held as a lost gem we never quite got in the west back when it was originally released on the SNES – is another sign that Square-Enix seems to be really diving into its back catalog to bring out games for everyone. So what obscure title is next on the list for a digital remastering? Xenogears? Live a Live? Bahamut’s Lagoon? That awful Tom Sawyer game for the NES? The answer is yes, according to CEO Yosuke Matsuda; the company wants to make its entire back library available in digital form for everyone.
Before you get too excited at the prospect of being able to play The Bouncer, Driving Emotion Type-S, Alcahest, or Treasure of the Rudras again, it’s important to note that some of these games haven’t been brought out in digital format simply because Square hasn’t managed to find the code for it. The original archived code for some games was treated with a more cavalier attitude at one point, so there are several games that aren’t readily accessible to bring back around. Considering that the company is considering bringing out its own sort of game subscription service, though, having the option to play iS – internal section would certainly draw in people who otherwise didn’t even know that was a game that existed. And perhaps it’ll include online defunct titles like Front Mission Online, while we’re at it.
