Top 10 Video Games That Need A HD Remake

There are plenty of video games today that get high praise for impressive graphics, art style and gameplay. Even though the gameplay of past titles stand the test of time it’s always prevalent that the visuals are lacking and in some cases they’re just plain awful. Looking back on previous generations of consoles most gamers have a fantasy list of games that they would do anything to get remastered using todays graphic engines. Several game series have already made the HD jump but there’s a long way to go before I’ll be satisfied, here’s a look at 10 classic games/series that need remaking.

Number 10 – Battletoads

 Battletoads had a reputation for being one of the hardest platformers on the original Nintendo. The game, released in 1991, followed three toad siblings – Rash, Zitz and Pimple on a quest to save a princess from an evil queen. Although the game was created to cling to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hype, it became a huge classic in its own right spawning several sequels and tie in games. The game’s cheeky humour and over the top action would translate perfectly as an arcade console game, and the already great visuals would really benefit from a 2D makeover. It’d be worth it to get another generation hooked on this NES classic.

Number 09 – Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

San Andreas hit the pinnacle of what made a Grand Theft Auto game fun and crazy and it’s my favourite GTA to date. The final game in the GTA III trilogy featured a greater variety of transportation vehicles (planes and jetpacks were awesome!), interesting gameplay features like exercising and the ability to gain weight, customizable cars, and a story that didn’t take itself too seriously but still managed to hit home by the end. A high-definition facelift would really highlight the huge, gorgeous locales represented in the game, come on Rockstar!

Number 08 – Blood Omen: The Legacy Of Kain

Kain was once a nobleman in Nosgoth. But when he was murdered, an evil spirit offers Kain the chance to return and get revenge. However, there is a catch: Kain must serve the evil spirit and will return as the vampire destroyer of Nosgoth. The legacy of Kain series as a whole is crying out for a remake and that’s most obvious when going back and playing Blood Omen on the PS1. This game has aged REALLY badly; the controls are stiff and clunky and the graphics are grainy and quite ugly at times, some of the cinematic scenes hold up fairly well though. I understand that remaking this particular game would probably require the creation of an entire new game all together but it’s certainly worthwhile; this is an amazing classic game that deserves to not be forgotten.

Number 07 – The Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver

In the second chapter of the epic to Blood Open/Legacy of Kain franchise, you jump into the world of Raziel, a member in Kain’s vampire army. After defying Kain’s authority, you are sentenced to damnation in the Lake of the Dead where you must begin your quest for revenge. Crystal Dynamics must be aware of the huge demand for a HD remake of this absolute classic platformer and I’m hopeful that one day soon we will get what we want. It hasn’t aged as poorly as Blood Omen even though it’s still not very pretty to look at during certain stages but then again the cut scenes have held up remarkably well. I can’t imagine it would take too much to clean up some of the graphical issues; I don’t care as long as they include the awesome soundtrack! Oh and give us Soul Reaver 2 and Defiance while you’re at it CD.

Number 06 – Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear Solid 2, 3, and Peace Walker all received HD remakes, why not the original, the game that was the series breakout? Metal Gear Solid was very innovative back when it was released back in 1998. In all of its 2-disc glory, Metal Gear Solid was and still is a masterpiece. Who could ever forget struggling against Psycho Mantis, only to learn that you had to put your memory card in slot 2? Or trying to reach Sniper Wolf after she shoot Meryl? This game was epic, and even received a slight upgrade on the GameCube as Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes, but it truly deserves to be relived in glorious 1080p. I am aware that PS3 owners are lucky enough to be getting the MGS ultimate collection that will have MGS1 Included; considering I’m an XBOX 360 owner this doesn’t exist to me so I’ll have to keep hoping it gets ported over at some point.

Number 05 – Resident Evil 1, 2, 3

Capcom was being very generous when they gave us HD remakes of RES 4 & Code Veronica, now they’re both great games but they know very well what we want. I understand that the earlier Resident evil games are very large and to re-enhance them would cost a considerable amount of money but come on. The latest entries into the RES series have hardly lit the world on fire and its even left Capcom in some trouble financially; want to make insane amounts of money Capcom? Remake these amazing classics or at least port the GameCube’s RES1 remake to current gen consoles. None of these games have aged particularly well but they still hold up because they have a certain charm that reminds us of a time when walking up a set of stairs would make you die of boredom.

Number 04 – Spryo The Dragon 1, 2, 3

The first three Spyro games are benchmarks in showing how to create games that are both fun for kids and adults alike. The catchy soundtrack, madcap characters and imaginative locations all added to the fun as you went around head-butting chests and skateboarding as everyone’s favourite purple dragon. A facelift would do the environments a world of good; it can also add exposure to the increasingly prevalent Spyro brand. Also, I wanna collect all of those Gems again! Having a HD release of this would encourage any fan to pick it up and jump straight back into their childhood.

Number 03 – Crash Bandicoot 1, 2 , 3, Crash Bash & Crash Team Racing.

Crash has had a rough time of it this generation, his games seemingly not suited to a world where shooters rule and platformers perish. The Crash series had felt stale, admittedly, even at the end of the original PlayStation’s shelf life but the formula was tight, rewarding and challenging for completionists. I can’t remember how many hours I lost during my childhood from Crash Bandicoot but I did expect some sort of crystal after every successful session. This is a series of games that desperately needs a HD package release, such classic games.

Number 02 – Shenmue

Please SEGA; you have given me everything I wanted in the form of HD releases but not this. I would buy this game at full retail price if it were ever released, the rumour mill has been running wild for a decade but they just don’t see like they’re going to budge on this one. The annoying thing is that it really wouldn’t take that much for SEGA to enhance Shenmue and that’s because it still holds up very well apart from some clunky controls. It would be awesome to revisit the Shenmue series in HD and it would keep us Shenmue fans from saying “Shenmue III NOW SEGA!” for a while. Plus Sega could see the response to the HD collection in deciding if they should release Shenmue III, stop torturing me SEGA.

Number 01 – Final Fantasy 7

You always knew it was going to number 1 didn’t ya? The gaming masses have hungered for a Final Fantasy VII remake for… several years, actually ever since the “technical demo for PS3” debuted at Sony’s E3 press conference in 2005. As one of the most popular entries in the world’s most popular role-playing series, Final Fantasy VII deserves an HD treatment. The actual play has held up immensely well, so all we need is an up-to-date graphical package.  I don’t think anyone will argue that if FFVII were released today with updated graphics, it would be a super, blockbuster, mega, incredible hit. FFVII was arguably the first video game to fully embrace the storytelling medium. It completely redefined the way video game developer’s look at plot and character development. No longer was gaming just how fun you could make shooting bad guys or leveling up your party of RPG stereotypes. It has since become a narrative style unique to the medium and one that we can trace directly back to this legendary title.