Cripes, I’m feeling a bit hot under the collar after that pun. We probably all deserve the stake for that. All of our cheeks are collectively burning with embarrassment. We openly accept any roasting that gets thrown our way. Clearly we need to cool off a little before the comments section gets too heated.
Flamin‘ heck. Okay, last one. Promise.
If the pyrotechnical slant of that conga line of dad-level atrocities hasn’t tipped you off, we’re talking about Burning Rangers today. For those unfamiliar with these futuristic firefighters, it’s a classic SEGA Saturn IP that sees you navigating a surreal world whose only persistent problem is fires. Unending, constant, raging, cartoonishly large fires. No crime or poverty, mind. Just fires. Guess everyone’s too distracted trying not to burn to ash to bother robbing a bank.
Despite the addictive nature of its gameplay, and the continuing loyalty of its fans, SEGA has done next to nothing with the Burning Rangers franchise since its inception. Aside from the occasional nod in the context of historical look-backs, and a few appearances in racing spin-offs and mobile titles, there’s been squat on the actual game front. And that simply won’t do; looking beyond the odd janky bit of collision and wonky stage design, it’s a fantastic experience, and of course its soundtrack is absolute… well, you know. Not going there again.
Leave it to the fans, then, to do what SEGA SEG-asn’t. As YouTuber iPlaySEGA (don’t we all) reports, dedicated BR devotee Andreas Scholl has put together a pretty impressive remake of the classic. Take a look at their analysis of the project below:
The most immediate alteration is the visuals, which have been brought bang up to date and look all the more sleek and polychromatic for it. The controls are tighter, and the famously woolly voice navigation system has been tweaked to allow for greater ease of play. Basically, if this showed up in the Nintendo eShop with a certain blue logo slapped next to it, nobody would question it. That’s the level fan work has gotten to, and personally? I’m all for it. Hey, if the Zelda CD-i games can be salvaged, anything can.
The remake is made in the Unity engine, as many projects of this type are, and presumably will be made available for general download as it nears a complete state. Just… stay back, lawyers. Nintendon’t Nintendo a Nintendo. Wrap your tongue around that one.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some money burning a hole in my pocket. Time to strike while the iron’s hot and treat myself to some delicious vindaloo.
Are you excited for this fan remake? Did you like the OG Burning Rangers? Let us know!
Via, YouTube.
