Mass Effect is one of the most popular sci-fi gaming franchises today. While rumors are swirling around the development of Mass Effect 4 and how the story will evolve past the events of Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect Andromeda, it seems not every fan is looking towards the future of the series. Some Mass Effect players over at the YouTube channel 64 Bits have made a demake video of Mass Effect, showing what the game would look like on a Game Boy Advance with an Advance Wars makeover.
The first thing fans may notice when watching the video is the pixelated, nostalgic art style used. All the squad members from the original Mass Effect have been given a redesign to fit the Advance Wars style, swapping out their grittier sci-fi looks for a more cartoonish appearance. Rather than just show off some interesting gameplay and action, 64 Bits' impressive demake gives fans an alternate look at the Virmire mission in Mass Effect, which sees one of two squad mates killed in action.
The Virmire mission in the first Mass Effect forces the player to save either Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams or Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, leaving the other to die. The Mass Effect demake video shows this tough decision in full, even giving Commander Shepard a pixel tear in his eye as he says goodbye to Ashley. The video then features some classic Advance Wars style combat with a Mass Effect makeover.
Allowing Shepard to bring all of his squadmates to a fight rather than just the usual two, Mass Effect's demake seems to allow for a lot more action going on at once. The demake even gives Shepard some new abilities, such as calling down an airstrike from the Normandy. There's plenty more to see in the full video, which has both Mass Effect and Advance Wars fans hoping that this game could one day be real.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like any sort of official or playable Mass Effect and Advance Wars crossover will be happening in the near future. However, fans of both franchises can look forwards to some new entries fairly soon, as Mass Effect 4 has been confirmed to be in development and remakes for Advance Wars 1+2 are on the way for the Nintendo Switch. Even with Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp being delayed, the game seems to be ready to play, as one gamer who had pre-loaded it before the delay managed to get the remake running on her Switch.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.