Cult Classic JRPG Joins Growing Nintendo Switch 2 Lineup

Nintendo Switch 2 has been the topic of conversation pretty much every day in the gaming community. The launch day catalog for the upcoming console has been growing, and a cult classic JRPG remaster has just been added to the growing list. Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars are on the way, and fans are excited to see the well-received game have an opportunity to reach even more players.

Classic JRPG Games Look To Capitalize On Genre’s New Found Popularity

 

First, it is essential to address the elephant in the room. A library already dominated by remakes, rereleases, and remasters for Nintendo Switch 2 just added another one to its launch day schedule. This is an issue with the entire gaming industry, one that does not appear to be going away anytime soon.

That being said, some games do deserve to be revisited. The Suikoden 1 & 2 JRPG entries fall into this category, as games that were brilliant but only reached a small audience. Other similarly underappreciated games in the JRPG genre have followed similar remaster and remake paths lately, including Dragon Quest, Multiple Atlas Games, and Yakuza. Hopefully, the remaster takes the fantastic Suikoden 1 & 2 games to new heights as well.

Noisy Pixel describes the games for new fans to understand the themes of the JRPG classics.

Suikoden I
The story follows a hero amidst the fall of an empire. As tyranny rises, the Liberation Army emerges to resist oppression. The 108 Stars of Destiny rally together to alter the course of history.

Suikoden II

Set in the aftermath of a border dispute between the Highland Kingdom and the City-States of Jowstown, the narrative focuses on the protagonist and his friend Jowy. Despite an agreement, the war persists under deceitful pretenses, and the two friends endure oppositional tragedy.

Nintendo also provides us with a short description that sums up the main selling points of the game.

The Story of Suikoden I

A once renowned hero turns into a violent tyrant, and an empire falls into decline. A Liberation Army is rising up in an act of rebellion against an oppressive rule. One by one the 108 stars of Destiny gather to shape the course of history.

The Story of Suikoden II

Our story’s hero and his friend Jowy are members of the Unicorn Youth Brigade, which participated in a drawn-out border dispute between the Highland Kingdom and the City-States of Jowston . A few months earlier, a truce agreement was signed between the two forces, both of which were happy to see an end to the fighting. However, hidden under the momentary peace the fires of a new war continued to smolder…

The first game was originally released by Konami back in 1995. The second came to consoles soon after. The second entry, specifically, which received critical acclaim and truly helped shape the JRPG genre. The remastered versions of these classics were released earlier this year and have already been received with very high reviews and positive reaction, despite delays that had pushed the release back multiple years. Adding the games to Switch 2 should be a continuation of that success.

Nintendo Switch 2 Adds JRPG Remaster To Catalog With Key Elements

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster have already been released, with major updates to the originals, and are available for Switch. According to Nintendo, the main features that are included in the Remaster include:

・All background illustrations have been upgraded to HD

・Updated effects breathe new life into the pixel art animation

・New environmental sounds effects to immerse yourself in this fantasy world

・Battle SFX are also now HD and add a new level of realism

・Newly added auto-save

・Battle Fast Forward

・Conversation Log

Nintendo made it clear, though, that there are some aspects to the release that may not be perfectly received by fans. For one, the physical version being released (so far, only confirmed for the Asia region) will be a game card only, meaning players will still have to download the actual game online using the code provided in the physical copy. The game also will not offer an upgrade from the Switch version, so those who bought the game for Switch will not be able to upgrade to the better resolution and graphics on the Switch 2 version. Finally, saved data will not carry over between the two versions.

Despite these minor qualms, there is clear excitement that the brilliant JRPGs will be part of the Launch Day catalog at all. The Switch 2 version will feature 2560 x 1440 resolution support in TV mode and 1920 x 1080 support in handheld mode. Additionally, 60 FPS will be available. These specs are the only known changes to the version.

Fans have been hoping for the Remaster for a while, and once it was finally released this year, the hype was real and well deserved. It only makes sense that Konami would want to continue to grow the success by making the remaster available on the new console, one of the most hyped consoles of recent memory. The game will be available for purchase on launch day, June 5, for $34.99. Fans hoping to experience the games again or for the first time will have a fantastic opportunity to do so on Nintendo Switch 2.