Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster review for Nintendo Switch

System: Switch
Release date: March 6, 2025
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami

Konami’s Suikoden series is not only much-lauded for players of turn-based RPGs, but boastfully comprises a total of eleven games, with five of those being mainline titles and the rest being considered spin-offs. With the original Suikoden hitting the PlayStation back in December of 1996 here in the west, it was a time where RPGs could sometimes be hard to find, with pre-orders being a common way for gamers to assure they’d get to have their own copy rather than being a dirty rental peasant like myself. This resulted in the title being mostly overlooked at the time, but having gathered a bit of a cult following since gaining more traction as subsequent titles joined the roster. Teased originally for a 2023 release, after a delay the first two mainline entries in the series will be available for players on modern consoles with Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars – so if you slept on Suikoden before, or haven’t heard of the series this is a very good time for you to see an example of the golden ages of turn-based RPGs.

The Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch isn’t just a fresh coat of paint on two beloved JRPG classics; it’s a heartfelt preservation of what made these games special. These titles are most often celebrated for their rich storytelling, strategic gameplay, and the ambitious task of recruiting 108 characters – the Stars of Destiny in each mainline title. With this remaster, Konami has taken great care to enhance the experience without overshadowing the charm of the originals by choosing to focus on what made them charming in the first place in lieu of bringing them up to what most may say are more modernized and 3D standards.

At their core, the Suikoden games can appear to be simple with grindy battles and politics – but they’re also deep stories of loyalty, betrayal, and the heavy burden of leadership. The first entry introduces us to a young hero thrust into a rebellion against an empire corrupted by power. The second doubles down with a more personal tale of friendship torn apart by war, betrayal, and a thirst for revenge. Both weave these themes into their narratives showing that the world isn’t just a simple situation of black and white, but that every decision and every bit of strife we experience as people are an endless spectrum of greys.

The sheer scale of the story is impressive – with 108 characters to recruit in each game, you’d expect most to be one-note, but Suikoden defies that expectation. Characters like Viktor and Flik, who are largely in the story of not just Suikoden but make a wonderful return in Suikoden 2, show remarkable growth—balancing their battlefield bravado with moments of vulnerability and humanity. It’s this attention to character depth that makes the narrative so engaging. Even minor characters have backstories that tie into the world’s lore, making recruitment feel more like building a community than just assembling a battle party. A facet of richness in this series is that you are rewarded for both talking to everyone you meet and helping them out where you can, which even in the modern real life year of 2025 are things that are largely true: there’s nothing wrong with talking to people and looking to lend a hand when able, regardless of where you’re at or where they’re from.

On that front in partcular: the political intrigue is also a standout. Kingdoms rise and fall, alliances are forged and broken, and the weight of leadership is felt in every decision. Watching the hero’s castle grow from a crumbling ruin into a bustling stronghold is immensely satisfying—a visual representation of the resistance’s growth and the hope it brings to the people you’re out there fighting for. Filling out your ranks with strong allies is not only helpful in the larger scale strategic battles, but also helps when fighting the turn-based bosses as well. The duality of these different skirmish types bring a lot of depth to game play, but will still satisfy players who enjoy the repetitive groove of mostly turn-based combat.

Now we’ve mentioned them several times at this point, but one of the most rewarding challenges of Suikoden is hunting down and recruiting the 108 Stars of Destiny. This is a vast roster in both games – each character recruited boasting their own unique backstories, weapons, and abilities – and this makes exploration a delight. Some characters join you out of loyalty, others for personal reasons, and a few only after you’ve proven your worth in battle or solved their problems. It’s a system that turns even minor side quests into meaningful encounters, as you never know when a simple favor could win you a powerful new ally. With these games being set one right after the other, its also worth noting that completing the first game will have impacts on things that happen in the second one. This will unlock certain minor story events and bonuses that aren’t particularly necessary for enjoying the second title, but are rewarding enough that if you’d like to see them you should definitely just use a guide and there is nothing wrong with that. Do not judge yourself for that. I will not judge you for that.

Choosing who to bring into your party is a challenge in itself. I found myself experimenting with different setups, drawn between using my favorite characters for their personalities and optimizing my party for pure power. In Suikoden 1, Viktor, Tir, Flik, Luc, Valeria, and Crowley formed a powerhouse team that could steamroll most encounters. Meanwhile, Suikoden 2 offered even more options, with the return of familiar faces and new recruits like Shiro – a battle-ready wolfy-faced dog who quickly became a favorite, both for his utility in combat and for being a “particularly cute and good boy.” I fell back into my silly habit of simply using my favorites for a good while in the second title, but late game cures one of this particular affliction pretty fast unless you elect to roll through on the new Easy Mode, which tunes encounters down a little so you can enjoy the story without having to worry too much about gameplay – on the opposite end, Hard Mode might entice players who ache for more challenging fights, and the Normal Mode works for just about anyone who is up for the general challenge of a storied RPG.

The castle headquarters serve as a living, breathing hub for your army, filling with shops, mini-games, and characters as you recruit more allies. It’s a subtle yet effective way of showing the impact of all of your hard work. There’s something undeniably satisfying about walking through your castle, seeing familiar faces, and knowing that each one has a story to tell. You’ll be able to change out your party as often as you’d like here, and I recommend experimenting with your options to find setups that work for you and to switch out often, because you might just really like how certain characters work together.

Combat in Suikoden strikes a balance between simplicity and depth. On the surface, the turn-based system is easy to grasp, but the rune system adds layers of strategy. Each character can equip runes that grant powerful spells or special abilities, and finding the right combination can turn the tide of battle. The formation system also plays a crucial role, encouraging you to balance your front-line attackers and back-line spellcasters. Unlike a lot of RPGs, weapons in Suikoden don’t need to be found, or bought, but rather characters each come with a weapon that can be upgraded at blacksmiths throughout the story. Keeping up on these upgrades will help to make sure your team is in tip-top shape for battle, so make sure that you are not only keeping up with armor upgrades, but remembering your blacksmith visits too.

The large-scale war battles are another highlight. These encounters, which play out almost like a tactical RPG, add a grand sense of scale to the conflict. Back in the day, these battles were intimidating—especially for a younger player—but the remaster’s quality-of-life enhancements make them more accessible. The option to speed up combat is particularly appreciated, making even the longest encounters brisk and enjoyable. The convenience of Easy Mode has made these once-daunting fights seem like an easier task to complete, but I do admit I could have just been a silly little kid who had no idea what they were doing.

Overall, I want to note that this remaster is more than just a graphical update. The increased battle speed alone is a revelation, trimming the downtime between turns and keeping encounters from dragging. For anyone who remembers waiting through spell animations and enemy turns on the PS1, the difference is incredible. The updated UI also deserves praise—cleaner and more readable, it makes managing equipment, runes, and party members a breeze.

Visually, the remaster does a commendable job of enhancing the original pixel art without losing its charm. Character sprites are sharper, environments are more vibrant, and the animations are smoother. The updated key art assets, presented in glorious HD, look fantastic whether you’re playing docked or in handheld mode, and looking back at some of the animations and key art, I’m even more excited to see this series fall into hands that have never experienced it before.

Auto-save, a feature that modern gamers take for granted, is a welcome addition. No more scrambling for save points before a tough battle—knowing that your progress is safe removes a lot of the frustration that older RPGs could bring. These enhancements show a clear respect for both the original games and the players’ time. With most gamers having a lot of their hours dedicated to work and the stresses of daily living, more and more I am gladdened to see that hunting down a save point is increasingly a thing of the past.

Nostalgia is a powerful force, but Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster proves that these games can stand on their own merits even today. Pixel art has seen a resurgence in popularity, and Suikoden’s sprites, paired with the HD enhancements, feel right at home. Modern gamers are in a place where graphical fidelity isn’t everything—strong storytelling and well-designed systems matter far more, and Suikoden delivers on both fronts. With modern releases like Bravely Default being less about graphics and more about game play and Octopath Traveler being all about pixel graphics and classic turn-based combat we have more of a reason than ever to go ahead and release the deluge of old classics back to the masses.

This remaster doesn’t just cater to nostalgia, though. The added difficulty options, quality-of-life enhancements, and the ability to speed through battles show a keen understanding of what modern players want. This isn’t just about preserving the past – it’s about making it more accessible and using the technology we have today to make that happen. As someone who grew up with a classic NES, its amazing to see a world where a console-level experience can be held in your hands on your morning commute.

Playing these games again is a reminder of why this series has endured. The stories of rebellion, sacrifice, and leadership are as powerful now as they were decades ago. The remaster’s enhancements make it easier to appreciate the depth of the storytelling and the intricacies of the battle system without the frustration that often comes with older games, which leads me to say: for a series that’s been dormant for so long, Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster feels like a love letter to fans and a promise that these stories won’t be forgotten. It’s the kind of experience that makes you hope Konami is paying attention—that the door isn’t entirely closed on new adventures in this world and more visits from old ones if they feel so inclined.

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster is everything a fan could hope for – a faithful update that smooths the rough edges without sanding away the heart of the originals. For veterans of the series, it’s a nostalgic return to a world of intrigue, betrayal, and hope. For newcomers, it’s a chance to experience two games that have enjoyed a lot of fanfare over the years that may have slipped through their fingers the first time. Whether you’re here for the story, the strategic battles, or the joy of building an army of unique characters, this remaster delivers. It’s proof that some classics don’t need to be reimagined—just lovingly preserved.

Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.