It seems that the SEGA Saturn classic, Guardian Heroes, is heading to XBLA with new HD graphics. So far only an XBLA version has been announced, perhaps an indication that the port itself is handled by Treasure?
The XBLA version boasts some new features including online multiplayer and new HD graphics!
- Action-RPG Brawling: Choose one of five heroes to level up and guide along a branching storyline with five different endings.
- Friends, Foes, and Fighters: Play the game’s Story Mode alone or with a second player, or challenge Versus Mode with up to 12 players at once.
- Extended Gameplay: Time Attack Mode, Arcade Mode, Arrange Mode and more allow players to explore every nuance of 45 different fighters.
- Fully Re-Mastered: All-new graphics and visual effects bring the classic to life in a completely high-definition, widescreen presentation
[UPDATE!] – The ‘HD’ filter is OPTIONAL, rejoice!
Read on for the full press release;
SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced the upcoming re-release of Guardian Heroes™, a classic Action-RPG Brawler by celebrated developers Treasure. Originally released for the SEGA Saturn™ in 1996, Guardian Heroes has been re-mastered with enhanced graphics, online co-op and battle modes, all-new modes of play, and more. The game will be available via Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft this fall.
“Ever since we began to make SEGA’s classic Dreamcast and the Mega Drive titles available for modern systems, the fan response has been overwhelming – and the demand for their favorite games has been pouring in,” said Haruki Satomi, VP of Digital Business at SEGA. “Players have been clamoring for this treasured favorite from the Saturn days, and we cannot wait to show them what we have got for them.”
Guardian Heroes brings the Saturn favorite to life with new HD graphics, presenting Treasure’s iconic fast-paced gameplay on a new generation of hardware, with all of the convenience of purchase via instant download. The game also features:
Action-RPG Brawling: Choose one of five heroes to level up and guide along a branching storyline with five different endings
Friends, Foes, and Fighters: Play the game’s Story Mode alone or with a second player, or challenge Versus Mode with up to 12 players at once
Extended Gameplay: Time Attack Mode, Arcade Mode, Arrange Mode and more allow players to explore every nuance of 45 different fighters
Fully Re-Mastered: All-new graphics and visual effects bring the classic to life in a completely high-definition, widescreen presentation
[Source: NeoGAF ]
Oh yes. SEGA is on a roll in 2011. Just take my money. I'm ready.
This is excellent! I hope they remaster more Saturn games. I owned a Saturn for a few months a couple years ago, mainly to play Panzer Dragoon Saga and Albert Odyssey. I had about 30 other games, but I know I missed out of a lot more (Burning Rangers for one).
ABSOLUTE OUTSTANDING NEWS! Im excited to see what they did to improve GH!
I just saw a gameplay video showing the first level. Is the whole game like that? Just hopping around, slashing foes? :/
Man, this is one of my favorite games of all time. Matty, the brilliance of the game is that it successfully combines the accessibility of any other beat-em-up with the potential depth and complexity of an actual fighting game. My concerns right now are:
1) it looks terrible. What is up with this generation's obsession with taking a charming sprite based game and putting some ugly ugly filter on top of it to make it "hd"? A direct port would have been aesthetically superior in every way to what they've got going on now. I pray for a "classic" option.
2 )As of now it is exclusively for XBLA. As a ps3 owner lemme just say, that ain't right.
Maybe this means the price of the Saturn version will go down. This is awesome news!
I don't actually mind those graphics at all. Etchings/drawings with a water color style background makes it stand out from the other beat-em-ups there are (Castle Crashers, X-Men update which is a straight sprite update, etc.)
And Matty, that's pretty much what a beat-em-up is; a side-scrolling brawler.
Sega are absolutely on fire in 2011…
If SEGA can keep up this kind of steam from here on out I'll be a very happy, very broke man!
Screenshots are terrible…. 🙁
What the fuck… You BETTER be able to turn that shit filter off. They need to stop telling people they are using HD graphics and just have that fucking awful filter turned on. That isnt HD… It looks like shit.
Hey Sega Sanfransisco, look into the company M2 or WayForward for bringing back the classics not shitty BackBone.
The filter IS optional. "Filter effect is optional – we will have a blog on it soon, don't fret" ~Sega responding to a person on their Facebook post.
I'm sick to death of those crappy pixel-smearing filters. And all these new gamers crying bloody murder every time they see a pixel. I hope some day a "jaggy" comes along that slices right into their eyeballs, Un Chien Andalou style. BLUUAAACCKAAAA!!!!
Optional confirmed? Awesome. Now bring it to Ps3.
What great news to wake up to! I loved the original.
Epic news. Me and my friends prayed for this exact type of port…Lets just hope the online play isn't laggy as all hell. Otherwise, godly news. Can't wait to try the new modes.
@SEGA MAN
Thanks mate, I've updated the post to include this info.
Very happy to hear it's optional!
Just woke up. Glad to see the new released screens are not the only video option availible. Just give me proper widescreen perspective, solid multiplayer online mode, an unlockable extra or two, and I'll be a happy camper.
I am happy they decided to stick with the original art style though. I really like that late 90s Animeish art style. It just feels right.
YES!!!
I hope this opens the gates for more Saturn games.