There was no better feeling than finally acquiring those games and holding them in your hands, waiting to play them for the first time. Well, what about the second time? What if our current era of re-issues, remakes, and remasters came to re-deliver those old games that left us speechless? Except this time, rebuilt from the ground up. Here are some more awesome video games from long ago that deserve to be remastered and re-released for modern audiences. Check out the first article in this series that kicked things off with several iconic classics that still deserve remasters!
7. Gears of War
Gears of War was released in 2006, and the game still stands tall as a striking moment of mid-2000s perfection. Playing through a world that’s overrun by humanoid Locusts, Marcus Fenix and his crew must go to the ends of the Earth to defeat the enemy and find a way to win the ceaseless war. Every part of the original game had depth of emotion that the sequels couldn’t quite replicate. It felt alive in your hands, and the ability to play through the campaign with your friends made it even better. To see Gears of War make a comeback with a new engine and rebuilt system under it could be risky—but it could also be a moment that brings renewed interest to the struggling franchise.
6. GoldenEye 007
There has technically been a remake of 1997’s GoldenEye 007, but that remake didn’t have the impact that it should’ve because the studio decided to make it into a game of its own rather than renewing the old missions. However, if a gaming studio were to completely remake the game from the ground up while sticking to the original as a guide, keeping intact all the levels, weapons, and style that made it so fun? Oh, that’d be great. GoldenEye 007 remains famous for its brilliance in an era when the Nintendo 64 seemed to only deal in brilliance. To see a remake complete with rigorous attention to detail? That wouldn’t just be heaven for those who adored the original, but for new players as well.
5. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The chances of Rockstar ever remaking Grand Theft Auto: Vice City grew even slimmer this year after the passing of its star, Ray Liotta. Nobody who played the original would want to see a remake happen without Liotta’s incredible voice behind the protagonist who’s frequently hailed as Rockstar’s best: Tommy Vercetti. But if Rockstar still has an archive of all the lines they ever recorded for Vice City, then that might be enough for a complete remake of the story (based on Scarface) for modern audiences. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is still the pinnacle of storytelling for Rockstar, and to see it updated with 4K, ray tracing, and revamped assets? That’d be epic for players who adored the original game.
4. Metal Gear Solid
This remake seems more likely to happen than almost any other on our list, and for one simple reason: the Metal Gear Solid franchise is dead. Without genius creator Hideo Kojima at the helm, there’s no future for the franchise—no future that fans are interested in, anyway. And that’s why remaking the first game in the series could be a winning move. It wouldn’t require his input since all of his creativity has already been poured into it; it would just need some upgrades. New players would be able to infiltrate Shadow Moses and experience the same plot and all its greatness, except this time with all the modernizations brought with the last MGS title, The Phantom Pain. This would be a stunning way to bring back the franchise without Kojima. Sure, there’s always the chance that a remake would be disastrous without Kojima leading the project, but at this point, Konami doesn’t really have any other options—except maybe selling the franchise to Sony…
3. Pro Evolution Soccer 6
Remaking an old video game based on soccer? Yes! Affectionately known as Pro Evo 6, Pro Evolution Soccer 6 remains to this day the best soccer game in the history of console gaming. Nearly everything about this game was customizable, including the players and their kits. And for hardcore specialists, teams in Pro Evo 6 were built over careers that didn’t end after 15 years (as they do in FIFA). Pro Evo 6 had a gameplay style that remains lodged in the memories of all gamers who played it back in the mid-2000s. To see it remade would be odd, sure, but if any sports game deserves a remaster, it’s this one.
2. The Simpsons: Hit & Run
So many gamers want to see a remake of The Simpsons: Hit & Run. There are memes that dominate the internet, carrying the hope of this message from the fans to the studio to give us what we want. The Simpsons: Hit & Run was like Grand Theft Auto for younger audiences—for gamers who were finally able to experience the epic story of Springfield and the Simpson family through their own actions. Controlling Homer, Marge, Lisa, and Bart in various vehicles and destroying several Springfield landmarks? That was everything the show had ever been about, leaving gamers in love with the experience. The team behind The Simpsons: Hit & Run are aware of the campaign by fans to get a remake, but rights issues are complicating the process.
1. Top Gear Overdrive
Old-school gamers didn’t have as much variety in racing games as we do now, and most barely went beyond Mario Kart 64. But in that same era, on that same console, there was an insane driving game: Top Gear Overdrive. This classic N64 game came in a cartridge and featured many levels that started out realistic (for the time) before quickly going off the wall. Although the Top Gear game series never achieved legacy status, it’s fondly remembered by nostalgic games who were blessed with the opportunity to play it back in the day. A modern remaster, built up from the ground, would be a phenomenal addition to our current gaming world.
