Square Enix has always been port, remake, and remaster happy. However, it seems like they’ve cranked up their workload to re-release as many games as possible from the past. They have even gone so far as to not only port and translate a SNES game for the first time in over two decades, Trials of Mana, but they also remade it a year later.
The point is no matter what some may say about their business practices, Square Enix is pretty good about re-releases in some form. That said, they still have a lot of classics backed up from the PS1 and beyond. Let’s take a look at what games they should tackle next, which will look at titles from both companies predating the merger.
Updated April 18th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: There have been a lot of incredible games produced by Square Enix in the modern age but there was a time when the two companies were busy doing their own thing. Square had its hands in the development side of things, working on crafting Final Fantasy titles and some truly engaging RPGs, while Enix was deep in the publishing realm, helping to bring new visions to life for aspiring companies. There were a lot of games released prior to the two giants merging with one another and some of them absolutely deserve a modern-day remaster. To show even more potential games from Square Enix’s past that deserve to be remade or remastered in some way, the following list has been updated with additional entries.
13 Final Fantasy 9
When it comes to Final Fantasy games, many players point to Final Fantasy 7 as perhaps one of, if not the, best titles in the entire franchise. It marked the leap to 3D for the series, and it stands as one of the most engrossing and lengthy RPG releases of its time, birthing characters that are so beloved that they still show up in crossover titles and other series in the modern age. Due to Final Fantasy 7’s dominance in the era, there are many players that don’t view Final Fantasy 8 or Final Fantasy 9 in the same light.
That said, Final Fantasy 9 is easily one of the best releases that Square Enix (Squaresoft at the time) ever produced. It captures the pure magic that the Final Fantasy series is known for, with interesting combat mechanics, a stronger story, and some of the best visuals in the franchise, even for its age.
12 Illusion Of Gaia
In the early 1990s, Enix had its hand in producing Illusion of Gaia in Japan, a title from developer Quintet that gained quite the cult following over the years. Later on, Nintendo would take over the reins to help release the SNES exclusive to both North America and Europe. Although it didn’t remain an exclusively Enix-published release, it stands as one of the most entertaining RPG releases to ever hit the SNES, complete with engaging gameplay and a lengthy story for players to sift their way through. The blend of action and a top-down view is reminiscent of early The Legend of Zelda games, and players applauded the title for its great visual design and depth. It would be awesome to see an updated or upgraded version of this release in the modern age.
11 Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars
It’s hard to imagine Nintendo working much with other studios in the modern age, considering they can crank out high-quality releases on their own but back in the 90s, they combined forces with Square to bring forth one of the most entertaining and beloved Mario releases to ever hit the gaming market. Super Mario RPG was perhaps one of the most interesting adventures for the Mushroom Kingdom and it’s arguable that it helped to birth the popular Paper Mario series. Although Nintendo definitely holds the cards when it comes to a re-release concerning this classic, it would be amazing to see the two companies work together again to bring a modern version of the game into the new age.
10 Final Fantasy Tactics
There have been many remakes and remasters in the Final Fantasy series. This PS1 game from 1998 even got updated for the PSP in 2007. That was more like an enhanced port though, which was still rough around the edges due to some load issues. If Square Enix is not keen on making a proper sequel then this PS1 original should get a remaster and or better yet, a remastered collection with all three games.
9 Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Of The Starry Skies
Dragon Quest IX released in 2010 in North America on the Nintendo DS which was a year after it did in Japan. It didn’t get celebrated in either territory with a remaster or even a port when it turned ten which is a shame. This was the first mainline entry to integrate multiplayer into the gameplay system. That on top of the proto StreetPass system made it a must play for Nintendo DS fans.
8 Chrono Trigger
Square Enix just celebrated Dragon Quest’s 30th anniversary, unveiling tons of upcoming projects including an HD 2D remake of the third entry. It’s the team that made Octopath Traveler. This seems to be based off of the SNES version of the game which can make one’s head race of what other SNES classic should get this treatment. The easy answer is Chrono Trigger.
It redefined RPGs on the console and still remains as relevant today thanks to its battle system, storytelling, and art. That art then could look more stunning with an HD 2D upgrade.
7 Front Mission 5: Scars Of The War
Front Mission has never been that popular in the West for whatever reason. It should be though given that it combines tactical RPGs with mechs. Whatever the reason is, the fact remains that many entries in the franchise have remained trapped in Japan. Front Mission 4 came to PS2, but this sequel didn’t. Now is as good a time as any to remaster one of these lost gems via Front Mission 5 from the PS2.
6 Parasite Eve
There aren’t that many horror RPG series out there, but Parasite Eve is among the best. The sequels have some issues but this first PS1 classic still holds up after its 1998 release. There might be some issues to doing this though as Squaresoft, at the time, licensed the name off of a book. They then lost the license which is why the PSP game is called The 3rd Birthday instead.
5 Dawn Of Mana
It seems inevitable that Square Enix is going to remaster every game in the Mana series. If Trials of Mana can get translated twenty plus years later from the SNES and then get a remake on top of that, then Dawn of Mana can get a simple remaster. The one glaring problem that needs to be fixed is the camera. There were a couple other issues but that was the big one that got reviewers down back in 2007 on PS2.
4 Drakengard
NieR is as big as it will ever get thanks to NieR: Automata. The first game got remastered recently, which is all well and good, but that actually was not the beginning. NieR was a spinoff from the Drakengard series which released in 2003 in Japan. There were two games on the PS2 followed by one on PS3. A complete collection of all three of those games should get remastered next.
3 Radiata Stories
This was a one hit wonder from a collaboration between Square Enix and tri-Ace. That team is known most notably for Star Ocean but they have had a hand in a few other projects like this. Whether fans get a sequel to this PS2 gem from 2004 or just a remaster, they want something. A quick port to the PS5 might even suffice as it has been trapped for far too long on the PS2.
2 Musashi: Samurai Legend
This game also came out on the PS2 in 2005. It’s a sequel to the PS1 game, Brave Fencer Musashi, which shares similar features but is a different story and setting altogether. It’s an action RPG wherein players can learn enemy abilities sort of like how Mega Man can copy powers.
It still looks good thanks to the cel-shading. It could look even better in proper HD. A collection of both games or just this one alone would make some fans extra happy.
1 Dungeon Siege III
Unlike some of these other examples, Dungeon Siege III is still playable today. It originally released on PS3 and Xbox 360 on the console side of things. That’s because it is backwards compatibility on Xbox One and in turn the Xbox Series X. This was the first and only entry in the series Square Enix helped produce after acquiring the rights. The ads were infectious as it boasted bringing couch co-op back which it did. Thankfully, it’s not completely forgotten thanks to the Xbox One, but it would be great to see cleaned up and ported elsewhere too.
NEXT: Square Enix Games On PS2 That Never Left Japan
