The past 50 years of video games have given us rapid advancement in terms of graphics, gameplay, and overall accessibility. Because of this, older games can now be hard to play sometimes due to their aged elements, and like any aged piece of media that still has value, the obvious choice is to remake it with newer, mnore advanced tech!
Remakes have become a cornerstone in preserving game history and making these classics something newer audiences can enjoy. The best remakes are more than a simple coat of paint; they breathe new life into the title either with a total makeover, gameplay overhauls, and sometimes even beyond that.
10 Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2
A remake is a chance to make the definitive version of a game, taking elements from subsequent titles, new tech, and new times to make the best version — like with Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2. Pro Skater 1+2 is a remake of the first two games, now with updated graphics but the same trick-based gameplay, creative levels, and objectives.
Pro Skater 1+2 is careful to not change too much, mostly focusing on aspects like the graphics to make the timeless classic even more timeless — truly a breath of fresh air after the series had strayed from its roots. And, it isn’t content to just be a makeover, as it does add in tweaks like new pro skaters to play, and it implements tricks from the later games in the series to make for the perfect skateboarding experience.
9 Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Sometimes a remake doesn’t just capture what the game did originally, but what it wanted to do to a better degree, seeing the vision to completion. That’s the type of direction Spyro Reignited Trilogy takes. The Spyro Reignited Trilogy sees the player following Spyro the Dragon through their first three games, going on magical childlike adventures.
Spyro Reignited is a beautiful full makeover for a series of games that haven’t aged perfectly. While they couldn’t do it back then, the game nails this atmosphere of childlike wonder with bright colors and wondrous environments. And, while the gameplay is as good as ever, that can sometimes be a negative for some due to the old game design, but otherwise it serves as an excellent way to experience the trilogy better than ever.
8 Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Sometimes with remakes, less is more. Sometimes, you don’t need to add a whole new game or tweak everything; just providing the same gameplay through a modern lens is enough — like with the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. The collection contains all three of the original games, now with updated graphics and animations.
The game is a gorgeous makeover of the original games, keeping the same wacky charm while using all the new tech of modern hardware. The game preserves the original gameplay perfectly, and although that may be a downside due to how dated and messy it can feel for some, it’s something plenty have grown to love, and it’s a perfect preservation of that.
7 Yakuza Kiwami
Remakes can serve a vital purpose when franchises go on for a while; their first entries can grow clunky and show their age, and getting into the franchise can become more difficult — unless you have a remake like Yakuza Kiwami. Yakuza Kiwami follows Kiryu as he is demoted from the clan and sent to prison for 10 years, now coming out to try and find his old friends.
The game does more than just preserve the old game, with an incredible amount added to it — to mixed results for some. The gameplay is updated to be more in the style and pace of newer titles like Yakuza 0, the presentation is completely updated to modern standards, and the story has plenty of additions and tweaks to the tone which some enjoyed while others didn’t. But, it still serves as an excellent way for newer audiences to get into this series!
6 Link’s Awakening (2019)
Sometimes, all a remake needs to do is allow an audience to play a game on modern hardware with graphical touch ups, which is what the gorgeous remake of Link’s Awakening does. Link’s Awakening is a remake of the original Gameboy game, seeing Link awaken on a strange island and having to find a way home by waking the mystical Windfish.
While Link’s Awakening does offer a few quality-of-life changes and includes content from other versions, the game is mostly a gorgeous replica of the original. Instead, all of that effort is put into the visuals, which boast a gorgeous new 3D style that both brings out the tone of the game and also is just so pretty for modern audiences.
5 Pokemon Heartgold & Soulsilver
One series with a long history of remakes is the Pokemon series, with their reputation among fans varying wildly, but few entries are more beloved than Heartgold & Soulsilver. Heartgold & Soulsilver are remakes of the original Gold and Silver games, with updated DS graphics and a few small tweaks.
Heartgold & Soulsilver are the definition of “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” as the two remakes mostly follow the original game without many big changes — aside from the gorgeous new graphics, letting the original game speak for itself. It also makes some major quality-of-life changes as well as providing a few new Pokemon to catch and adding new events, making it all the more complete as an experience.
4 Black Mesa
Old games can hold a lot of history — the birth of franchises, innovations, and entire movements in the industry — but that can make them a little hard to enjoy when future games offer so many quality-of-life features, so updates like Black Mesa are important. Black Mesa is a remake of the original Half-Life, made in the updated source engine but following the same story of surviving the horrible Resonance Cascade.
The game updates the gameplay of the original within the engine, feeling a lot less clunky and far more dynamic with the gunplay and fights. On top of this, the game feels a lot better in terms of the movement and physics. And of course, it overhauls the aged graphics of the original, updating them to be even better than those of the sequel — even if it takes some liberties at points that fans may not enjoy.
3 Metroid: Zero Mission
But sometimes, games that are important historically are in need of major revisions, with the roots of a legendary franchise or innovations hidden behind esoteric design and horrible controls, such as with Metroid, which was remade with Metroid: Zero Mission. Metroid Zero Mission is a retelling of the original Metroid, offering updating controls, redesigned levels, and new content.
The original Metroid has not aged well, with old clunky controls and being nearly impossible to navigate for new players, but Zero Mission fixes both of these issues and provides one of the best Metroidvania experiences out there. The world is updated with new art and a map that makes exploring so much easier, and the game has new controls similar to Fusion and Super Metroid, making it a blast to go through this oldie. Add in a new end-game level that further fleshes out the story, and you have the perfect way to experience the original Metroid.
2 Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Sometimes, a remake is such an upgrade to the original game that it completely replaces the original, being the bedrock for a new fandom and new content from then on — such was the case for The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a remake of the original flash game, bringing in a new style, new content, and serving as the base for several expansions.
Rebirth presented an incredible upgrade both in style and in gameplay, offering up a brand new pixelated visual style that still kept all the charm and personality of the original game. Along with that, the game was upgraded with many new items, new floors, and synergizing items to make unique builds, so much so that the original game feels primitive in comparison.
1 Resident Evil 2 Remake
Sometimes, a remake can take the old clunky bones of the original game and do more than remake it, instead reimagining it as something new and modern but still true to the spirit and story of the original. Enter: Resident Evil 2 Remake. The game sees you following officer Leon Kennedy and student Claire Redfield as they try to escape Racoon City during a zombie outbreak.
The remake completely overhauls the gameplay, switching from the old fixed camera angles and tank controls to an over the shoulder style like in Resident Evil 4 that enhances the overall horror — especially when combined with the improved graphics. The game captures a true sense of terror through the encounters and serves as a fantastic revival for survival horror, a true love letter to the original in every way.