Nintendo had a little something for everyone during its Nintendo Direct yesterday. The company has championed mini online digital presentations, usually taking about 30 minutes to showcase upcoming projects. Yesterday’s event was no different, offering up new titles in the works. One standout from the event was a surprise remake of the 1991 SNES game, ActRaiser. What’s even more surprising is that the remake in question, Actraiser Renaissance, has also launched on PC.
The recent revival for the 16-bit classic does have some reasoning behind it. The upgraded version has arrived in time to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its original release (that was only, like, 10 years ago, right?). To add to the festivities, if you purchase Actraiser Renaissance for PC on Steam before November 1, you’ll get a few goodies to accompany your trip down memory lane.
Purchasing before the November date will grant you a bonus wallpaper and mini soundtrack that includes five songs. It’s unclear as to what songs are included, though the trailer boasts both original and re-arranged tracks from Yuzo Koshiro. Koshiro composed the music for both ActRaiser and ActRaiser 2 among many other works in the early years of gaming, including Streets of Rage.
More than just good looks
For those curious, there is more to the remaster than just a few reworked tracks and visuals. There are new magic abilities, attack/movement options, and an auto-save feature so you don’t lose progress on your precious settlement. There are also a number of reworked portions to the simulation aspects, including “new region and developmental stages for cities.”
Actraiser Renaissance is currently available on Steam for $29.99 USD. And for those curious, Square Enix both published and co-developed it alongside Sonic Power out of Japan. At least now you won’t have to settle for a spiritual successor.
Along with the Actraiser remake, the Castlevania Advance Collection was also revealed during the Nintendo Direct and is available now on PC.
