In a bit of interesting news today, it appears as if Nintendo has filed a patent for something very similar to what Square Enix has dubbed its “HD-2D” line of remakes. As spotted by Universo Nintendo (and translated by Go Nintendo), Nintendo recently filed a patent under the ridiculously long name of “Non-Transitory Computer-Readable Storage Medium Having Game Program Stored Therein, Game System, Game Processing Method, and Game Apparatus.” Say that ten times fast.
While that title essentially means nothing, the details of the patent lay out a method of creating 3D games that utilize 2D-inspired elements. That doesn’t necessarily mean HD-2D, but the patent continues in explanation by stating it would render the game world in 3D while appearing to look similar to older 2D games. As Go Nintendo rightfully assumes, this would “flatten” the image and potentially mimic what Square Enix did for Dragon Quest 3’s recent remake.
Interestingly enough, Nintendo had attempted to file this patent in the past. If you Google search the exact name, it comes up various times dating back to 2021. I even found a different version of the patent regarding the Nintendo Switch that was filed on August 29, 2024. It seems this current version is the first one to have stuck as previous iterations were denied for whatever reason.
Now, this doesn’t mean Nintendo will absolutely be remastering older 2D games for HD displays, but I would certainly love to see the classic Mario titles get this kind of treatment. The work done for Super Mario Maker has had me pining for an HD Mario trilogy since 2015.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
