The Friday letters page imagines classic Amiga games getting the Resident Evil treatment, as one reader enjoys the Xbox’s new disc-to-digital option. Readers also share theories about Resident Evil 5 and criticism of Gears Of War: E-Day.
Amiga Remake Wishlist
One reader, Corgi Expert, expressed excitement about Commodore’s return, noting they had no idea the company was publishing the Alien Breed collection. They wondered if a full-blown Amiga remake could ever happen, suggesting that some 3D games would be perfect for it, as they were ambitious but limited by the technology of the time.
Their picks included Starglider 2, Midwinter 1 and 2, Cybercon 3, Interphase, Hunter, and Simulcra. They admitted these names might mean nothing to younger gamers, but they were amazing at the time and like nothing else on any other format. If forced to choose one, they would pick Starglider 2, but they’d love to see Cybercon 3 with modern textures or Hunter if it ran at more than 10fps and wasn’t a nightmare to control.
Retro Hardware and Collections
Another reader, Cranston, said they had no idea Commodore were back or had sorted out the trademark business. They hope for a ‘retro’ Amiga 500 soon, as it was their first games machine. They will definitely get the Alien Breed collection and hope for more, agreeing that collections dedicated to particular developers, like Bitmap Brothers and Sensible Software, would be great.
They noted that not all Amiga games were great, but classics like Speedball 2 and Cannon Fodder are still very playable today, yet rarely mentioned because they were only really popular in the UK.
Xbox Disc-to-Digital and Next Gen
Reader Icelticghost praised the Xbox’s new digital option, along with smart resume and smart delivery this generation. They don’t agree that Xbox needs the next gen right now, suggesting a big price cut for Xbox Series X instead. They called it the best console they have owned and said they don’t need a next gen Xbox as long as the Series X is supported, noting it has tons of games available.
They mused that if the billions spent on buying studios were instead used to keep console costs down, it might have been better, adding that hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Resident Evil 5 Theories
Reader Jesse speculated about Capcom highlighting the ‘V’ on Resident Evil Veronica, wondering if it’s being positioned as the new Resident Evil 5. They noted it already sounds like more is being changed for this remake than before, which could be a smart way to avoid tackling 5’s inherent issues and set up a similarly canon-changing remake of 6.
GC responded that it’s a theory they’ve heard before, noting there are many issues surrounding Resident Evil 5, especially regarding canon and Wesker. If his story arc was moved or retconned into Veronica, it could avoid the need to remake Resident Evil 5, though its co-op makes it potentially worth saving.
Gears Of War Criticism
Reader Kryton expressed sympathy for the developer if Microsoft immediately shuts them down, but questioned what they are trying to achieve with Gears Of War: E-Day. They noted three games have been done with no idea more imaginative than fighting robots, and none are different from what was on the Xbox 360. They argued the series has no reason to be getting more games, especially as an Xbox console exclusive.
They predicted an Xbox tweet revealing 25 billion people have ‘played’ the game on Game Pass, possibly before laying off more developers. They believe GC is right that the demand for something different should’ve come from the top, ideally with a brand new IP, and that hanging on to Halo, Gears Of War, and Fable could be the final nail in the coffin for Xbox.
