There can only be two fates to a video game remake: Either it would be one of the best things to ever exist since sliced bread or it’s going to be a stomach-churning atrocity.
But you might be wondering: If a game was already good enough to warrant a remake then why would anyone want to recreate it in the first place? Well, a modern remake can expose the original game to a wider audience. It can also please the fans of the original game if it was done well enough and best of all (From a developer’s perspective) it can bring back revenue without having to waste much time and money on creating completely new content. So if you’re looking for quality throwbacks, look nowhere else but the following 10 games.
Super Mario 64 DS
There’s no doubt about the fact that Super Mario 64 is a revolutionary game. While the games that came after might be considered as better on many counts, Super Mario 64 is still the game that provides a foundation for all other Super Mario games to grow on. A remake version of the Nintendo DS was just what gamers were looking for.
The remake allows people to play the classic game with better graphics as well as experiencing some other features such as the ability to play as other characters (Luigi, Yoshi, and Wario). Although the game might not be exceptional on the multiplayer front, the single-player stayed faithful to the original experience of Super Mario 64.
Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy
People have known and loved Crash Bandicoot since its first release in the 90s. The remake version N. Sane was just what people were looking for: Something new but familiar at the same time. The remake retained most of the things that made the original fun and improved it all to keep up with the time. The graphics, the audio, and even the great manual - autosaves mechanic were skilfully retouched which was the primary reason why the game is considered as an all-around success by fans and new players alike.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Much like the previous entry, Halo: The Master Chief Collection managed to enhance the experience of the legendary series very well. The developers still stayed true to the atmosphere and everything that made Halo fun and memorable but this time with better graphics and audio.
However, far from other studios’ approach to remastering games, the developers added a host of new features and details to the entire package to keep it from being a mere make-over and level it up to be an entirely new experience on its own. Halo: The Master Chief Collection was a little bit klutzy at first on the multiplayer front. But eventually, through several updates and patches, the game got a stable and entertaining online segment. I’m sure that the Collection is going to be the go-to place for nostalgic and bored Halo players for years to come.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
If you’re a part of any gaming community then it is nearly impossible to not hear Legend of Zelda being mentioned once or twice. In those rare occurrences, chances are they would be talking about Ocarina of Time. The game was an exceptional creation for its time and even by today’s standards. Even though the game was released in 1998, it had aged extremely well and still remained relevant to gamers today.
In a rather wise move, Nintendo capitalized on the popularity of the game and released an HD remake of the game on the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. The HD remake turned out to become one of the greatest remakes ever in the history of video games. Anyone with a 3DS will eventually find themselves starting the journey in this title and for the veterans of the series, you will definitely find yourself retracing the path you had taken years ago in this remake sooner or later.
Doom (2016)
Not a lot of people expect that the fourth game Bethesda would contribute to the monumental Doom franchise would be a remake. But surprisingly, the studio did the remake great justice by building Doom (2016) to a level of quality rivaling that of the original game.
The remake did not only have revamped and remastered visual, audio, and gameplay packages. Bethesda also added a level creation tool to extend the time you would be entertained by the game by making it more expansive and challenging to play. Doom (2016) is the kind of game with nearly unlimited potential for replaying … at least up until the arrival of Doom Eternal in November.
Tomb Raider Anniversary
Mention classic action games and someone would definitely say “Tomb Raider” at some point. Tomb Raider was an extremely iconic game not only for the fun gameplay, the compelling storyline of all of the entries but on top of all, Lara Croft is a kind of character that you cannot help but love. Before Square Enix’s reboot of the franchise starting in 2013 with a whole new, more matured Tomb Raider, there was Anniversary.
Anniversary is a beautiful homage to the 1996 game by reconstructing the original with a more realistic graphical engine fitting for the year 2008. It’s more or less a love letter crafted and addressed to all of the faithful fans of the 1996 game. It makes us pretty excited to see what would future remakes look like if they were to ever happen.
Shadow of the Colossus
The first Shadow of the Colossus released in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 platform attained legendary status among gamers for not only the addictive gameplay, breathtaking visuals, but also the gripping storyline it was packaged with.
So of course, when a remake was finally confirmed to be well on the way to reach the market fans of the past game almost burst open with joy with the prospect of being able to experience the entire thing again. The remake version was considerably larger in size in comparison to the first game and has all of the things that a remaster should be able to offer to gamers such as visual and audio improvements. Though the game’s heart-rendering, this is the kind of game that most people wouldn’t mind getting sentimental over no matter if it was their first time embarking on the haunting journey or not.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
While the majority of the franchises featured on this list would, at best, have one or two remakes to its name. Fire Emblem has got a good number of them under its belt already. But out of the several remakes the game had, Shadow of Valentia - the third game - is considered universally as the best the series could offer. There are flaws such as mediocre level design but all other aspects like visuals, soundtracks, and even the combat system were all given visible upgrades. The game even attempted to make it a newer experience for returning players by adding new characters to the story and I have to say that they had done it beautifully.
Resident Evil 2
Capcom has gone on several remaking projects for its Resident Evil franchise. But with Resident Evil 2 the company has clearly outdone itself. Leon Kennedy is a popular character for the franchise and he looks stunning in the remake. The same goes for Claire: Her attractiveness went through the roof after the application of the new graphical engine. The horror essence of the game was also boosted in the remake and some portions are outright unhealthy for your heart but considering the fact that this is a horror game … Capcom had done a splendid job.
Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver
Come on, you really don’t think that a game like Pokémon wouldn’t have remakes under its name, aren’t you? Though there are plenty of Pokémon remakes worth mentioning on this list, HeartGold & SoulSilver are agreed to be the best of the bunch.
The idea behind the remake was to combine the two Game Boy Colour while grafting elements from Crystal was a brilliant idea. When you first start up the game and taking it in, you’d notice visible improvements over the original but everything also felt similar and familiar at the same time. This is the reason why all of the fans coming from the first game coming to the remake just rated HeartGold & SoulSilver as ‘Perfect’ overall.
Interested in more of our video games related content? Please check out this post for the top 10 RPGs made by Bethesda.
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