even if MP wasnt in the original, that was years ago, and MP is now a big/major thing. You can only do so much against an AI before they start repeating themselves (IE waiting 20 minutes before attacking an island etc).
And yes its an updated version, meaning they could add MP to the game, as the original was released Decades ago when MP wasn't a huge thing. Now it is, so why not update the game to match current/modern specs + add other things to it such as MP? I just don't see the point in making an exact (or near enough) replica of a game from 20-30 years ago. Then again I'm not one to care for graphics so maybe thats it.
I've not actually played the original (and tbh, I don't want to, I rarely play any game before 2000, let alone 90s on top of which I've apparently bought a graphically updated replica anyway) but either way it just makes no sense to not add MP, or LAN at least.