Unreleased Square Enix games that should get HD-2D remakes

One of the more intriguing and exciting game styles under the Square Enix umbrella is HD-2D. What started as a visually distinct engine powering original IP like Octopath Traveler has become a label of its own comprised of not just new games, but remakes or remasters that may not have seen the light of day otherwise. Games like Live A Live probably never would have happened (again) without HD-2D taking off like it has. And while the latest release in Dragon Quest 3 is not an underdog at all, it only added legitimacy to this slice of JRPG pie, ensuring it’s going to stick around. So, what else could Square Enix bring to the HD-2D table that could expand the fanbase’s horizons and bolster the publisher’s historical back catalogue?

Terrangima

One of the more intriguing corners of Square Enix’s IP library houses the works of Quintet, a company that made several unconventional Action-RPGs mostly published by Enix. Many underrated cult classics, such as ActRaiser and Illusion of Gaia, are from Quintet, but Terranigma stands out as it was localized in English but never released in North America. Known for its surprisingly dark and dense storytelling, Terranigma is often pointed to by RPG sickos as one of history’s long-lost bangers. Quintet’s quiet closure (and apparent disappearance of its owner) have led to speculation on rights issues, but Square Enix’s release of ActRaiser Renaissance may indicate it’s feasible to see more of Quintet’s work resurface in the future.

King’s Knight

Square’s early works are all over the place in terms of genre and scope, and King’s Knight is one of my favorites. This bizarre precursor to Final Fantasy could be mistaken for a Dragon Quest-like JRPG from a distance, but it’s actually a “shmup” not unlike Galaga. That said, the game’s levels have you building a party, raising your stats, and finding secrets in ways that clearly borrow elements from RPGs and fantasy games of the era. It’s a fascinating genre hybrid quite unlike anything else. That is until Doinksoft’s Demon Throttle appeared as a comical spiritual successor. An expanded version-slash-remake (that isn’t a doomed-to-fail mobile game) would be a banger, I swear!

Treasure Hunter G

Due to how time-intensive localizing RPGs was back in the 1990s, we lost out on many Square adventures released for Super Famicom too close to the Nintendo 64’s debut. Treasure Hunter G is one of many, this one being a tactics-style RPG with a striking art style. Similar to Donkey Kong Country, character sprites were converted 3D models that have a unique sense of charm despite their rough edges. Imagining that style adapted into the HD-2D look is pretty much the main reason I’m suggesting this one, but make no mistake, Treasure Hunter G is interesting in its own right.

Treasure of the Rudras

Weird how two of the last Square games for Super Famicom both had “Treasure” in their titles, huh? This and Treasure Hunter G couldn’t be more different, though. Rudras has more in common with Chrono Trigger, with top-shelf visuals for its time and a non-linear story that let players swap between different scenarios at any time. This game is also known for its unique magic system, that has players putting together words to create new spells. That mechanic was hard to contend with for fan translators, as you might imagine. A refinement of those systems would go a long way to show that Treasure of the Rudras had just as much sauce as the Square RPGs everyone knows and loves.

Secret of Evermore

Here’s a weird one. But hear me out! After Secret of Mana’s success, Square in Japan decided its American branch should make a similar game in that style. That’s a heck of a task for many reasons, but the team assembled by Squaresoft did its best and came up with something that was weird, ambitious, and good enough to earn cult classic status. Revisiting this oddity, especially with the recent resurgence of Mana as a series, would be a fascinating project to take on to say the least (it wasn't even released in Japan!), but the perfect way to do something notable with the HD-2D brand.

Bahamut Lagoon

Honestly I would’ve expected this to show up well before Live A Live. As far back as I can remember, Bahamut Lagoon was the unlocalized Square game that everyone talked about as being exceptional. It has gorgeous visuals, elaborate, tactical combat, and was even originally slated to be “Final Fantasy Tactics” before that title was ultimately saved for something else. Longtime Final Fantasy writer (and unhinged mad genius) Kazushige Nojima actually directed this one, with another longtime FF vet Motomu Toriyama making his debut as writer. At this point, I’ll be shocked if this doesn’t show up in the next few years.

Square Enix has a long, long history that various remakes and remasters over the years have only partially covered. It’s mostly been the obvious stuff too, which is why the advent of HD-2D and that Live A Live remake have been on my mind for so long. These are some of the most realistic suggestions in my mind, with King’s Knight brought in as a bonus underdog. Square Enix can be unpredictable of course, but with any luck at least some of these are already on the to-do list. Any deeper cuts you’d rather see get the HD-2D treatment? Tell us about ‘em!

Lucas White

Contributing Editor

Lucas plays a lot of videogames. Sometimes he enjoys one. His favorites include Dragon Quest, SaGa, and Mystery Dungeon. He's far too rattled with ADHD to care about world-building lore but will get lost for days in essays about themes and characters. Holds a journalism degree, which makes conversations about Oxford Commas awkward to say the least. Not a trophy hunter but platinumed Sifu out of sheer spite and got 100 percent in Rondo of Blood because it rules. You can find him on Twitter @HokutoNoLucas being curmudgeonly about Square Enix discourse and occasionally saying positive things about Konami.