The Baten Kaitos series, a short-lived and extremely rare pair of JRPGs, is getting a full-blown remastered re-release for the Nintendo Switch. The Baten Katos games were initially released for the Nintendo Gamecube and are almost known more for their rarity than their unique gameplay mechanics.
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Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean and its prequel, Baten Kaitos Origins, were developed by Monolith Soft, of Xenoblade fame and tri-Crescendo. These JRPGs earned classic cult status due to their unique world, which takes place in a destroyed world floating in the clouds, and their quirky card battle system. Everything in the game took the form of a card, including armor, weapons, abilities, and even food items. It featured an aging mechanic, where the cards would change based on the age of that particular card.
This HD Remaster is sure to put a slight dent in the used physical games market, as both Baten Kaitos games were known to be tough to track down and play. Its unique blend of card battles and turn-based JRPG combat was well before its time, with recent games such as Marvel’s Midnight Suns putting their spin on that formula. Since these games were released, Monolith Soft has been focused on their Xenoblade series, which made the remaster of one of their beloved but quirky games a surprise.
The remaster will include both games in one package, and the trailer revealed enhanced visuals and a mixture of CG and in-game story elements. The Nintendo Direct was full of JRPG treats for fans of the genre, with playable demos of Octopath Traveler 2 and Sea of Stars released after the show ended.
Baiten Kaitos I & II Remastered is slated to release this Summer for the Nintendo Switch.
