Live A Live Official Character Trailer remake on Switch and modern systems of a SNES RPG classic

Live A Live is a 1994 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Famicom. A remake for Nintendo Switch is scheduled for release worldwide on July 22, 2022 by Square Enix in Japan and Nintendo in the West. The game follows seven distinct scenarios scattered across different time periods, with two more unlockable scenarios linking the narratives together through the recurring antagonist Odio. Gameplay is split between exploration with story-specific twists, and turn-based combat played out on a grid.

Production began in late 1993, and was the directorial debut of Takashi Tokita. Tokita wanted to tell multiple stories within a single game, with each section drawing inspiration from different sources. Character designs for the seven main scenarios were handled by different manga artists. The music was composed by Yoko Shimomura as her first large-scale project after joining Square.

Prior to the remake, the game was exclusive to Japan, though it was given a fan translation by the online group Aeon Genesis. Reception of the game has been positive, with praise going to its unique gameplay and narrative mechanics, though its short length was faulted. Selling 270,000 units, the game was considered a failure. Tokita's work on Live A Live influenced his later projects.

Speaking on the subject of a remake, Tokita said it would depend entirely on fan demand. He later revealed that multiple attempts at a sequel or remake had fallen through over the years. A remake was announced in February 2022 for Nintendo Switch.[41] After joining the Square Enix team developing Octopath Traveler, known for its "HD-2D" graphical style which blended sprite art with 3D graphics, Tokita was inspired to remake Live A Live using the graphical style of Octopath Traveller. Work on the remake began in 2019, with development proving challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic and due to preserving the variety of playstyles. The UI and sound effects were updated, and the gameplay was rebalanced. The character designs were redrawn by Naoki Ikushima. Shimomura returned to orchestrate and arrange the soundtrack, and voice acting for main and important characters was included with the cast being chosen by Tokita based on his initial concepts for what the characters would sound like.[17]

The remake is scheduled for release on July 22, 2022; Square Enix will publish the game in Japan, while Nintendo will be the publisher in the West. In Japan, it comes in both a physical and digital version, and a Collector's Edition from Square Enix's website. The Collector's Edition includes a model of the Buriki Daioh mech, a themed board game, a soundtrack collection with booklet, and a shoulder back.[41]