London-based developer and publisher System 3 has acquired the rights to the Epyx brand name and its back catalog of classic computer titles, including Impossible Mission and California Games, and intends to release updated 2D versions for t
According to a new interview conducted by consumer website GameSpot, London-based developer and publisher System 3 has acquired the rights to the Epyx brand name and its back catalog of classic computer titles, including Impossible Mission and California Games, and intends to release updated 2D versions for the PSP and Nintendo DS. The first two games scheduled to be released are Impossible Mission and California Games (which is said will feature fellow classics Winter Games and Summer Games as unlockables) in January for the PSP, and the following May for the Nintendo DS. In addition, while nothing specifically was confirmed as in development for Nintendo's upcoming Wii platform, the report did note that System 3 would be “big supporters” of the console. In the report, company founder Mark Cale expressed excitement about the acquisition, as well as plans to retain the spirit of the original Commodore 64 games within the new versions by “incorporating the original gameplay and mechanics and bringing the gameplay up to date.” “You gotta keep the gameplay mechanics the same or else it ceases to be the original game and you're only using the game brand to sell games," commented Cale. "It ceases to be Impossible Mission or California Games or what have you.” In addition to these Epyx classics, in April, System 3 also plans to release for the Nintendo DS and PSP an updated version of its Last Ninja trilogy, the first title of which was released in 1987 and at the time marked what was arguably System 3's most ambitious project ever. According to the report, the game, which will include all three titles in the series, will retain the franchise's isometric veiwpoint, but will include additional new screens. More information regarding these remakes is expected to be announced during the upcoming Leipzig Games Conference. However, the report does note that System 3 plans to pick and choose specific classic titles with which to remake in a way that best preserves their original value.
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