On sale for $5 durring Summer Sale. Will buy the GOG version as well for the 2 earlier versions. Played the 1993 version before. Will I like the 2004 version?

Hmm,depends the '04 remake does somethings differently and makes improvements but it also adds some hit or miss things as well like mini games such as having to do a ballroom dancing mini game to whoo the governors daughter.

So if you can overlook those then yeah if not then give it a pass.

Depends on whether you're more than 5 years old and prefer cartoonish animations and childish jokes over realism. Don't ever expect to win a honorable duel, you'll win because your opponent accidentally catches fire or gets something on his head or other stuff.
It's very easy to get the maximum score in the remake, the only difficulty is that you often have to dance successfully to get some stuff, therefore it can also be called a dancing simulator. Land battles are now so slow and boring that you won't attack towns any more.
The sailing part has improved however, you now see the ships sailing on the map.

The 2004-version was enjoyable, although not really the same, as those above have summarized so nicely. It had huge problems with frame rate when I played it. (basically it "leaked" geometry over time) If that's fixed it might be worth a try. For me, it was ok, not great. It was reasonably true to the original, but there were things missing. So, it's not "omg, they completely ruined it", although not "wow! the same great game with updated graphics" either..

I don't like steam so I wouldn't buy it anyway though.. :-D If/when it comes to GOG, maybe, but it wouldn't be exactly top priority. I'd rather take up the original again, and thinking of it: When I've played the original to death I can't see switching to the remake would add anything..

Yes buy it. It is a very enjoyable game too. But just look for the disk somewhere. I got mine from Wal-Mart some time ago for ten bucks.

The 2004 remake is very enjoyable game. It's cartoonish style isn't everybody's cup of tea, but I think it's rather charming.

When I played it, I had the feeling that it's a bit easier, but after having actually played (instead of just trying out a bit) Pirates! Gold (and the original Pirates!), I'm not so sure anymore. I do think that that's the case with fencing, though. The remake gives you enough time to observe your opponent's actions and react to that (that may change with difficulty, but I'm not sure) and I could beat many enemies without much effort (while I have trouble with the fencing in the original and Gold versions).

It's actually a remake that stays close to the original. Maybe a bit too much, because it barely adds anything to it. Other than sneaking and dancing, but the former is not all that fun and the latter is completely boring.

The villain, who kidnaps your family members, is always the same guy in the remake (forgot which one, but I think it's Montalban).

The best thing about the remake is probably that you can now see other ships on the map. That sure makes things a bit faster.

It's a very good game, but it's stands in the shadows of the original and the Gold version. I think it's worth getting. At least for a budget price (since it's pretty old by now, that shouldn't be a problem).

I agree I enjoy the 2004 also. The way you attack towns is even a bit better IMO. Not just sending your men into an attack like the old one's, but a little tactics in it. Plus I like the Indian attacks mixed in with the French, etc. I think they did a good job.

Whoa whoa whoa, the old version land battles were real time, there was the strategy of when to use cover, which route to take, diversionary forces etc etc, whereas the 2004 version was turn based, limited and took far too long (but you could use diversionary foces a little bit, I'll give it that). IMO, far more strategy in the old version. And the dancing! Please, no more, never again! But I do enjoy the high seas combat in the 2004 version, although I reckon the newer version is easier on the harder difficulties.

I just got it for 6 Euro on play.com on a DVD. Not a single cent for Steam. Works great!

Well, a few years ago, a local magazine dealing with PCs in my place of residence, struck a deal with Fireaxis, and distributed the whole game (sid meiers pirates remake, along with its patch (latest official) and the extra content (new flags and music themes), which is now unavailable for download in the official webpage), as a free accompanying gift, to that numbered magazine issue way back then. I even bought 2 of them, in order to gift one to a friend.

Still, i am itching to get it here on GoG, should it ever appear for sale. I have it physical and all, but GoG is where my heart is at, truly. NEVER paying a stinking cent over at steam's, again. Not even by mistake.

Hi,

The remake is fun for a while. However, the only thing I really liked was the ship battles! Everything else, aka the various mini games were a bit less than impressive, particularly the land battles, the sneaking into towns bit, and the dancing stuff !!!

If you want to try a really worthy successor to Pirates! (Gold), try Port Royale 1 (!!!) and play as a pirate right from the start (i.e. get a loan, buy a letter of marque and go barque hunting - while one is (or more are) being repaired go pirating with the other(s) :-) and eventually pay off the loan - apparently much more profitable than playing Port Royale 1 the way its developers intended it to be played (it really is a worthy successor to Pirates! (Gold) - even if sort of by accident ;-))). You will recognise a number of elements sort of 'borrowed' from Pirates! (Gold) but they really turn Port Royale 1 into a gem! Alright, the time limit for missions sometimes is a bit unfair (a fast barque is highly recommended, otherwise you can just as well forget it...) but on the whole it really is a great game. The sea battles are really good as well - up to 10 ships on both sides (if you lose a ship you can always get it back...)! (sadly, PR 2 and 3 are nowhere near as good! - particularly the ship battles are a pain in the arm !!!). It really is a shame that in Port Royale 2 (I don't know about PR3 as I have not played it but having seen that just like in Port Royale 2 you can only control one ship in battles was enough for me to give it a miss!) the pirating part was castrated - e.g. you cannot go pirating straight away, for a start. It really is a shame. They managed to create a beautiful successor to Pirates! (Gold) with Port Royale 1 - only to ruin everything with Port Royale 2 (you can virtually hear them moping about that this was not the way they had intended Port Royale 2 to be played...).

Cheers
Patrick

Not even the sword fighting? The sword fighting in the first 2 Pirates! games was atrocious. You basically spammed the attack keys, and wished on a lucky star you'd win. At least in the remake, you can interpret their moves, and make counter-moves.

Anyway, Port Royale sounds interesting. Might check it out.

Hi,

Even in the 2004 version hacking away at the attack keys was the safest bet! - if I remember correctly ;-). You could virtually go pirate ace hunting straight away - again you did not have to bother about any defending moves (it could however happen that your opponent had a super-human day...)

(you may have heard about something called typematic rate ;-)...)

Yes, PR1 is rather good - part 2 unfortunately is rather disappointing by comparison (it also does not have multiplayer via network, which some people also found very disappointing)


Cheers
Patrick