It looks like Nintendo jumped the gun with this week’s eShop round-up, initially forgetting to include Grandia HD Collection. Launching just shy of a full-price release (£35.99), it includes Game Arts’ 1997 original and its sequel from 2000.
The original debuted on Saturn before heading to the PSone two years later. It was hoped the Saturn version would gain a western release, but due to poor system sales outside of Japan we didn’t see an English version until Ubisoft released the European PSone version in 2000.
This was also the year its 3D sequel arrived, featuring a brand new hero. Again, it published by Ubisoft in the west, only this time on Dreamcast and PlayStation 2.
Suffice to say, diehard SEGA fans should be familiar with the series – the original was seen as the Saturn’s answer to Final Fantasy, et al, while the Dreamcast sequel was regarded as one of the best turn-based JRPGs for the system.
Early word is that they’ve received a decent remaster (“pretty†is the word Kotaku used), although a few modern-day enhancements such as a fast-forward option wouldn’t have gone amiss. The asking price is a little bit higher than some were expecting too. Still, this isn’t something you’ll whizz through in a few hours – there’s a good 80+ hours of play here. Â