The gaming industry seems to have a distinct lack of ideas in recent years, at least in some areas, which has led to a proliferation of remakes, reboots, re-imaginings and the rather tedious HD remasters that we see lining the shelves of stores.
While some would argue that such games aren’t doing any favours for the industry as a whole, that doesn’t change the fact that some remakes are actually worth doing and that there are a few out there that have completely blown away the games that they were based on. This remakes, generally speaking, tend to come out a long time after the games they are based on, essentially carving out their own niches in the industry by providing something new and exciting that makes use of newer technology while still appealing to fans of the originals.
With that in mind, here are a few of the remakes that are most definitely worth playing.
Resident Evil
When Nintendo first unleashed its Gamecube on the world it seemed almost immediately as though the PS2 and Xbox would be able to dominate it in terms of sale. The little purple cube stood in stark contrast to the sleek designs used by both of its competitors, plus the PS2 had a massive user-base in place before the console saw release. While the Gamecube did eventually lose out in that particular console war, Nintendo had a little bit of an ace up its sleeve in terms of an agreement with Capcom to make a number of games exclusively for the system.
The remake of the first Resident Evil was one of those games and it is the perfect example of what should be done with a reboot. The graphics were massively improved over the original, but that was only the starting point. Capcom added enormous chunks of new gameplay, most notably with the Lisa Trevor subplot, in addition to a number of new enemies, such as the Crimson Head zombies.
What we received, though familiar, was practically a brand new game that offered an enormous amount to new players and those who had already beaten the original. Capcom even threw in a few curveballs, such as changing the famous scene where dogs jumped through the window, to really mess with players who were just expecting a shinier version of the same game they had played before.
Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes
It wasn’t just the Resident Evil series that received the remake treatment on the Gamecube, as Konami saw fit to give the console its own updated version of Metal Gear Solid as well. The famous PlayStation game had been enormously popular when it was first released, bringing a level of cinematic excellence to gaming that had seldom been seen before. However, in the years that had followed, Konami had released Metal Gear Solid 2, which, storyline issues aside, had massively expanded on the gameplay offered in the original MGS.
It was these expansions in gameplay, such as the first-person mode and the changes in the way that enemies become alerted to your presence, that all made their way over to Twin Snakes. However, they were just the start of the remake process.
The game also received a massive graphical facelift that did away with the fuzzy faces of the original. Kojima and company also saw fit to ensure that every cutscene was redone to apparently demonstrate just how inspired they had been by The Matrix. Some may argue that these changes took away from the purity of the original title, but there is something to be said for watching Snake essentially backflip off a rocket fired from the Hind-D helicopter as part of a boss fight.
The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
The Secret of Monkey Island is one of the best adventure games ever made and many still consider it to be the magnum opus of LucasArts’ extensive catalogue, despite the fact that it faces some very stiff competition from the likes of its own sequels, Sam & Max and Grim Fandango, to name just a few. However, having been released way back in 1990 it should come as no surprise that time was not kind to it when it comes to graphics.
Nineteen years after it had first graced gamers with its presence, it was announced that a Special Edition would be released that offered fans of that first game, and those who may have been introduced to the series later on, a host of new features. The updated graphics, which were beautifully hand-drawn, brought the game up to modern standards while also offering players the chance to morph back to the original visuals if they wanted. The addition of voice acting really enhanced the experience, as did the new soundtrack.
While the core gameplay wasn’t really changed, this was an excellent remake because it offered players a chance to play a game that had captivated many people in its prime, without forcing them to try and figure out how to get it running on modern computers. The game was such a success that a Special Edition of the sequel also came out to a similar positive reception.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
It seems like Nintendo really have a thing for hosting videogame remakes on their consoles, however, they all tend to offer something beyond a bit of spit and polish on the graphics that makes them much more impressive than the umpteen remasters that we see on modern consoles.
Ocarina of Time is one of the greatest games ever made, so when Nintendo announced they would be offering a new version on their upcoming 3DS fans went completely crazy. There was some slight graphical tweaking here and there, but the real draw was being able to play the game with the 3D effects offered by the console, which was just as amazing as it sounds.
Nintendo didn’t stop there though, as they also include the Master Quest version of the title that was originally intended for the ill-fated 64DD console, offering players a new challenge once they had beaten the main game. Previously, that game had only been released on limited edition disc that came with early versions of Wind Waker on the Gamecube, so it was a true joy to finally receive it as a full release. A Boss Rush mode just completed the package and Nintendo had found a way to reinvigorate a classic and bring it to a new generation.
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
When the original Tomb Raider came out it generated a phenomenon in gaming, with Lara Croft being catapulted into the major leagues almost instantly. While many will claim that the character’s sex appeal had a lot to do with this, and they wouldn’t be wrong, the quality of the games were also a major factor. Unfortunately, as technology moved on, those first few games became so much more difficult to play due to the sluggish tank controls and very dated graphics.
Enter Anniversary, which was released about eleven years after the original game to show newer fans what they had been missing out on, while also offering older fans the chance to replay a classic without having to dig out their old PlayStations and Saturns.
The graphics obviously received a massive upgrade, but it was in the controls that many felt that Anniversary excelled. Lara is much easier to control than she had been, bringing her right up to date with the games of the time, though it must be said that a trick was missed in terms of not bringing the second analogue stick into play. Interestingly, Eidos and Crystal Dynamics, the latter of which had taken over development of the series from Core Design, also added some unique features into the Wii version that made use of the console’s motion controls, making the game an even more appetising prospect in the process.
The Final Word
So there we have just five of the best videogame remakes that have ever been released. There are plenty more out there, including a few notable ones that haven’t made this list. It would be great to hear from fellow gamers about what they think should have been included and about their experiences with some of these games.