No media is more condemned to be lost to time than video games, whether it´s games that can only be played on an older system, removed from online stores, or simply the server got shut down, It can be saddening to watch your favorites relegated to memory.
Fortunately thanks to fan archive attempts, these days retrogaming is easy, just get an emulator and a rom on one of the many retro sites and you´re good to go.
But what about online gaming? After most of the content depended on a server, and with that gone... so is the game.
However, where there´s a will there´s a way, and as luck would have it, a bunch of dedicated fans has brought some games back through the use of private servers.
In order to celebrate these ingenious gamers, I decided to comply a list of some must-play fan projects.
1. Toontown Rewritten
I remember as a kid ads for this game were everywhere in the 2000s, either as a banner on websites or playing flash games that promoted this game while lamenting the fact no way in hell my parents would pay for a subscription...
Because let´s be honest the concept was pretty cool, you could create your very own Disney cartoon character interact with famous NPCs like Mickey or Donald, and explore a cartoon town.
The basic premise is that you play as a Toon, and Toontown itself is threatened by mechanical robots called Cogs that see to remake the town in their image: A corporate and authoritarian image where no fun is allowed. The only way to defeat them is through cartoon hijinks. You can team with other players, even in the middle of the battles, play a bunch of mini-games, and other things.
Those who were lucky enough to play it, have fond memories of this game which is why it broke their heart when Disney decided to pull the plug in September 19, 2013.
But thanks to a group of dedicated fans it was brought back under the name of Toontown Rewritten. The gameplay is pretty much the same with few differences... for example, the Disney characters NPC have been removed, possibly to avoid being sued by Disney, they also are constantly updating and adding stuff including deleted content that never made it to the original game.
With a very active community and new events, this is a very lively version of Toon to checkout.
Click here for the Full Review
2. Shin Megami Tensei Re:Imagine
Shin Megami is one of those game series that has gone through several titles in the course of its history, and about to premiere a new (insert name)
But did you know it had its own MMORPG? Set between the first two games, it stood out among the sea of generic fantasy MMOs with its apocalyptic environment and the ability to recruit monsters (or demons in this case)
You play as a demon buster in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo where humanity lives in a new metropolis called Shinjuku Babel or in Bunkers and must investigate a new wave of attacks by demons on humans
There is a couple of interesting stuff, like no classes and fighting alongside demons from your party. Some things from the games like fusion and the alignment system or there as well. Not to mention the sheer variety of demons you can recruit.
While the game never really did get big in the West, in Japan, however, it was extremely popular so much that when they started shutting down the servers in the US and Europe, the Japanese servers were the last ones standing until 2016.
You can play it through the Project Shin Megami Tensei Re: Imagine, they haven´t done many alterations, except for removing the premium features making it free-to-play. This version was also based on the Japanese version with translators working around the clock to translate into English, so don't be alarmed if you run into untranslated text.
Full Review: "In Progress"
3. The Sims Online (FreeSO)
Before Second Life, this game was your go-to online for your virtual real-life sim. A spinoff of the Sims franchise with graphics straight from the first entry in the series until it got shut down in 2008.
This game allowed players to create their ideal life. You could build houses, have a job, create relationships with other players, run a shop, build skills among other things.
Not to mention the economy was pretty much run by the players, and they could even create their own content. There has been record of them coming up with very elaborate and beautiful mansions or community lots.
It was extremely popular if not ahead of its time, which is a shame that EA never made a sequel after it got canceled let alone provide Sim players with an online mode in its newer titles. I mean you could play Sims 4 online through a mod, but it´s not the same as interacting with thousands of players. Perhaps Sims 5 will have a multiplayer mode who knows.
Because of this popularity, fans created FreeSO, not only have brought the original games, but they added some improvements like enhanced 3D graphics, avatar and content tools, and even... drivable cars among other things.
And since we´re still going through a pandemic currently of the time of this writing, I think most of us could use a game like this designed around socialization. So, grab your friends, or make new ones in this resurrected virtual life MMO.
Full Review: "In Progress"
4. City of Heroes Homecoming
Ever wanted to be a hero? An evil villain? Perhaps both? Well, City of Heroes allows you to play the Comic Book Character of your dreams.
With a sprawling Urban metropolis to fight bad guys in, and a unique character customization system, this game definitely stood out among other MMOs.
I actually loved their character creation, there are so many costume parts to choose from and superpowers, so no two characters are alike. I have seen my fair share of creative players, that sometimes I just like to stop and take a screenshot of all the interesting characters I´ve come across.
There´s also a couple of cool things, like for example besides fighting powers like super strength mind control, you use flight or superspeed to move around the city, join hero leagues and have your own lair.
Which was a shame when it all came to a close in May 2012, it went on to inspire other MMOs like Champion Online, there is an Official DC Universe Online game where can receive missions from DC comics heroes like Batman, but neither of them could hold a candle to their predecessor.
Now years later, and thanks to a leaked code, it was brought back in the form of City of Heroes: Homecoming. All of the game content including expansions is available for free. I can also say that it does have a very friendly and active player base, offers an RP server for those of you who wanna make your own superhero, as well as Player created events like costume contests and house parties.
Full Review: "In Progress"
Conclusion
So there you have it, four fan projects to check out. I gotta I was really impressed with the dedication of these fans and how well those games run. Thanks to them, gamers are still able to enjoy a little bit of Online gaming history.
I plan on doing a more detailed review of each and every one of them in the future, and I will update this article with the links for them soon. But I just wanted to make a small list summarizing some of my favorites.
Do these catch your interest? Do you know of other similar projects? Please comment, and I might write about it.
Thanks for reading, if you like my content you can also follow me through Cointr.ee
