It can feel daunting to revisit the origins of your favorite games, especially if it’s been running for decades.

Modern games are a far cry from where they began. Even games that are less than 10 years old can feel staunchly different from their modern counterparts.

Still, if you make the effort to go back and revisit the origins of the series, in whatever form, you won’t regret it.

I recently beat Final Fantasy I Pixel Remaster and it was a lot of fun to see where the series started 36 years ago. Sure, the Pixel Remasters are not the original Final Fantasy games and do have many quality-of-life improvements aimed at modern players.

I still thought this version provided a good snapshot at the origins of this long-running franchise and a window into the beginning of the genre as a whole.

Juxtaposing this game with the most recent entry, Final Fantasy XVI, was a lot of fun because I had a clear starting and ending (for now) point. While the series has changed astronomically over this time, you can see the foundation there.

I had a similar experience when I first played the original The Legend of Zelda. I played the version available in the Wii U eShop so it was fairly close to the original.

I can’t say I enjoyed my time as much as I did with Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, but it was still an interesting history lesson.

For example: In Tears of the Kingdom, Lynels are ferocious enemies that can intimidate the best players. It was really cool to see the origins of these creatures from the original game.

Again, the most recent and the first game are night-and-day different, but you can still see the foundations.

Some may more enjoy seeing the start of a genre. Final Fantasy I and Dragon Quest I are both games that defined the JRPG genre and laid a foundation for the future.

Each genre has a game or two that really defined it. Sure, there are others that redefine or build on what came before it, but there’s always a starting point.

Regardless of your favorite games, each one had a starting point. I invite you to take the time to revisit the origins and see just how far your favorite game has come over the years.

Do you enjoy visiting the origins of your favorite games? Do you skip over them and opt for the modern titles? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.

Featured Image: Square Enix (via Rock Paper Shotgun)

The Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast About Video Games

The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of The Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, hosts Corey Dirrig, Stephanie Klimov, LeRon Dawkins, and Pat Klein come together with their friends, colleagues, and fellow creators to talk about their week in video games, discuss industry topics, conduct interviews, answer listener questions, and more. New episodes every Monday. Get each episode one week early and more perks over on the Boss Rush Network Patreon page.

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