Seven Games That Need to Be Remade

Just finished this opinion piece.

So here's the question for you: what games do you want remade with 2011 tech?

There are some rules, tho:

These games aren’t old or have already been remade, so you won’t see M.U.L.E., Sid Meier’s Pirates or Seven Cities of Gold – in fact, the oldest of the games is from 1994. You also won’t see games that require little work to be remade, which is why you won’t see Grim Fandango here, either. These games would require serious undertaking. The games also have to remain the same genre and style, so no Elder Scrolls version of Ultima IV, either.

In no particular order:

• Any of the first four Need For Speed games.
• Fatal Racing.
• Stargunner.
• Armored Fist or Comanche.
• Descent.
• Uprising.
• Screamer.

This is going to have both "remake because they were awesome" and "remake because they showed promise but were just executed badly". Which is which should generally be apparent.

Ristar
Ecco the Dolphin
Quest 64
Chrono Cross
Gunstar Heroes
Vectorman
Super Mario RPG

I can't really think of seven, but Metroid II desperately needs a remake. The original is practically unplayable now. :/

Games that I liked but are pretty old (won't play properly on Vista): Starfleet Academy. Klingon Academy.

Games I wanted to like, and deserve to be redone properly: Master of Orion III. Rise of Nations.

....and I can't think of anything else.

I can't think of anything I really want remakes for save things like the older Wipeouts and F-Zeros and only those because I want amazing graphical improvements. Looking cool is a big part of those games. Otherwise I don't really care much.

I thought about Descent - I'll probably include it in Part II, whenever that is.

There are a few games in mind that warrant sequels/remakes, but none of them deserve it nearly as much as Rocket Jockey.

Especially because the one game I saw in 1996 is still the only game even remotely like it that exists. Some fan mod projects popped up now and then, but never actually finished. It doesn't help that it's so obscure that it Needs More Love.

I can just imagine that game getting along well with modern systems (none of the damn input lag, for starters), complete with online multiplayer and even an arena editor and other Game Mod tools.

Ehrgeiz and Urban Reign showed a lot of promise. The former unfortunately got fame as "The Final Fantasy fighter", and the latter is too complex to be a Beat 'em Up, but too mindless to be a Fighting Game.

This goes beyond what I know about game development, but could you have an updated Elder Scrolls I and II? That is, keep it based on algorithms, but modern game engine and graphics.

That would be a marvelous remake.

Daggerfall, yes. That game frickin' begs for a remake.

Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen 4 and Half-Life. Oh, and Sonic Adventure. And Banjo-Kazooie. Seriously, they'd need new engines and TOTAL graphics overhauls. It would probably go like this:

• Naruto GNT 4 looks like the Storm games
• Half-Life would look like 2 and the episodes
• Sonic Adventure would look like anything from 2006 onwards
• Banjo-Kazooie would look like Nuts 'n' Bolts

Rocky Rodent!!! I don't know, I just liked that game when I was young, and still like it today.

It would be nice if they remade Grim Fandango. I'd love to see it with some updated graphics (provided they kept the art style) and smoothed-out controls, but I'd settle for a version that can actually be run properly on Windows 7.

Xenogears - not so much for the modern graphics as the modern budget. Take that money and add in the fact that half the script is already written, and you can finally get a complete game out of this sucker. Keep the Xenosaga team the hell away from it, though.

@Enzeru: What about Black Mesa? That's a remake of Half Life.

^When its done...

@Rocket Dude: It's not on consoles, and I am not allowed to/have no way of playing it on a computer. That's why I don't have Blue Shift or Opposing Force

@Wuffles: You don't need to do anything with Grim Fandango. The art style is timeless.

I would love a remake of Ao EII. But I disagree that the units are pixilated or graphically inferior. I play it constantly, and the graphics are VERY good considering it is a decade old.

The problem with remakes though, is that producers feel the need to change the game I mean, adding more parts would be a welcome change, but adding new mechanics is not.

I would like to see remakes of...

• 007 Golden Eye (Unfortunately won't happen due to that crappy Wii remake which had the new bond)
• Steel Battalion remake with multiplayer and a port converter so the controller can be used with the 360. (It's getting a remake, but...it looks like one of those In Name Only)
• Command And Conquer Tiberian Sun would be cool. That game would actually still be pretty awesome if the AI were fixed not to gang up on you in free for all and the spawn points were selectable.
• Battlestations Midway. Please. They botched the sequel Pacific so badly. Keep all the graphical and unit changes of Pacific and put back the map overhead of midway, and get rid of that ridiculous point buy system.
• Virtual On. This franchise seems to be dead, but I really liked it, and would love if they'd release a multiplatform version with online multiplayer. However, it needs a stronger campaign mode, with fully fleshed out characters and sensible cutscenes.
• Crimson Skies. This was a pretty damn cool game for the xbox, I decided to try it for PC and saw it looked like it had been made for Windows 95.
• Medal Of Honor Allied Assault. Give more map interaction, update the graphics, keep WWII and stop with all this new gimmicky stuff from the COD franchise. Bring back the Tug Of War game types especially.

edited 7th Feb '11 9:50:22 PM by CommandoDude

I'm going to be annoying and list these games:

• 1. Chrono Trigger
• 2. Final Fantasy IV(In 2011, graphics)
• 3. Final Fantasy VI
• 4. Final Fantasy VII(for VII games, hardy har har!)
• 5. Final Fantasy IX
• 6. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest(If that would even work, by the gods...)
• 7. Any Pocky & Rocky/Kiki Kaikai game, any of them.

VII more!

• 8. Magical Pop'n
• 9. Drill Dozer
• 10. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
• 11. Any Mother series game(I know you hate me for this, stop)
• 12. Kirby Super Star(How about, Kiby Super Ultra Hypernova Deluxe Supreme? With extra cheddar.)
• 13. Brave Fencer Musashi
• 14. Parasite Eve

Some of these need to be trimmed so I can make a 7. It's hard to do, though. Annoying amounts of Square on that list, I know.D:

edited 7th Feb '11 10:42:42 PM by Ukonkivi

Wasteland. Bryan Fargo has dropped fat hints that a sequel/remake is in the works a-la The Bards Tale, and inXile has been hiring designers fluent in post-apoc, but even the rumours of this project are three or more years old. I'm panicking. Bonus points for Fountain Of Dreams and Escape From Hell remade on the same engine. Mythology Gag, for one, they're good games - for two.

Descent. There was talk of a Wii Ware port/remake, but it's been all talk and no show. I guess Interplay's zombie-like status is the problem here. I loved the original duology to bits, broke two joysticks on them and would kill for a modern-day remake with full physics. No, really, I would.

System Shock. "Look at you, Hacker..." Nightmare Fuel Unleaded given game form, this is self-explanatory, really.

Twilight2000. For the "needs better execution" category. The most amazing character generator EVER tacked onto a game with a barely playable tactical engine. I'm corrupted by how good Jagged Alliance was, of course, but still.

Space Crusade. A proper squad-based TURN-BASED tactical WH 40 K game NOT ON CONSOLES? DO WANT. The original was addictive as hell to the point that the (only) music track is burned into my mind FOREVER.

Blackthorne. Shotgun-wielding orks, radio-controlled FLYING steampunk bombs, spider mines and junkie elves with semi-auto handguns? Music by Glenn Stafford and a protagonist biker dude who's actually the exiled prince of a fantasy realm? Blizzard, you dolts, have you no respect for your own I Ps?

Darklands. One of the Ur Examples of sandboxy sandbox games that could scare someone brainless by how free they were. Also glitchy as hell, but totally worth it.

That's off the top of my head and PC-exclusive, naturally.

edited 7th Feb '11 10:59:30 PM by Noelemahc

I'd like to see System Shock with an enhanced 3D engine but essentially the same gameplay, and possibly a built in level editor.

I wouldn't mind seeing the first five Might And Magic games done in full 3D.

And that's all I've got.

Of course, I'd be kind of wary too... with remakes, there'd be the temptation to make them play like their more well-known sequels, so we'd have basically System Shock 2 except with System Shock 1's setting and plot, and I'd absolutely murder somebody because I loved SS 1 and hated SS 2. Likewise, the actually-3D installments of the Might and Magic franchise introduced a lot of elements that make those games harder to get into.

Oh, one that probably wouldn't be affected as much: remaking King's Field 1-3 so that they have the same graphics and engine as King's Field: The Ancient City.

please for the love of god GIVE ME MISCHIEF MAKERS ON THE WII OR DS OR ANYTHING REALLY GOD. I WILL LOVE YOU LONG TIME!

I demand Master Of Magic. Or a new Age Of Wonders. Or BOTH, MASTER OF AGE OF MAGIC WONDERS.