Today, we look at the top 10 video game remakes, or remasters! We want to avoid debating whether a game is a remake or a remaster. Instead, we are just focusing on ten of the best old games that have been brought back to life in some capacity and are fantastic and even better than the originals! This was a hard list, but we have 10 of the best!
Please remember that these are our picks. So, if you have a different opinion of the best video game remakes and remasters, let us know.
Halo 2
The Master Chief Collection is one of the best deals in gaming! The Halo saga is a sci-fi epic that is a ton of fun, but specifically, here we are talking about Halo 2. Halo 1 already got the remaster treatment and it was great, but Halo 2 is something really special. The effort on the redone cut scenes makes you feel like you are playing through a sci-fi movie. What is neat here is that with the press of a button, you can change the visuals to how they looked on the original Xbox! This is certainly a remaster of a remake, but it deserves way more credit and love than it gets.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
One of the big exclusive titles for the Nintendo GameCube that has never been re-released is Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. This is a full remake of the PlayStation classic, and it is one of the best games on the Game Cube. Of course, it has all-new stunning visuals and incredible cut scenes. However, this game has also had a lot of work done under the hood with many changes to make it more fun to play, but also make it more challenging.
Crash N-Sane Trilogy
We can debate that these games do not exactly feel like the originals, but getting three amazing platformers in one package is awesome, and they look amazing and play great (in their own style), too. These are challenging platformers that have a ton of personality to them. Yes, they will drive you crazy and frustrate the hell out of you in some places. Yet, they are the kind of games that you keep coming back to as they have so much charm and are so much fun that you are always sure you can beat the level on your 345th try!
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2
Many of us thought that the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series was long dead, it was like Activision well and truly ran it into the ground. Yet with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2, they showed that they still had what it takes to make a great and fun skateboarding game. This combines the content from 1 and 2, and it even manages to have the same skaters and most of the same songs, too. Best of all, this plays like an absolute dream and was perfect for those who played these games on the PlayStation and Dreamcast as well as those playing them for the very first time!
Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Is there a more charming game on this list than Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening? This took everything that made the Game Boy original so much fun and made it even better. The incredible, almost clay-like visuals of this game are some of the best on the Nintendo Switch. Best of all, this is classic top-down Zelda! A style that many of us thought Nintendo was no longer interested in doing. Sure, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are great, but this is awesome for those who loved 8 and 16-bit Zelda games.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
It is insane just how much effort went into the Spyro Reignited Trilogy! After his sabbatical in Skylanders, many fans wondered if Spyro was done and dusted! Well, this showed that people still loved Spyro. This incredible package features his first three adventures from the original PlayStation. All of the visuals have been recreated in glorious HD, which makes you feel like you are playing through a series of high-quality Pixar movies. However, the way that they captured the classic 3rd platforming gameplay but made it suitable for a modern audience is what makes this so great.
Resident Evil 2
Now, this is how you do a remake! Capcom could not have nailed it any more than they did with their fantastic remake of Resident Evil 2. The presentation here is just second to none! It is like an action horror movie that has come to life. The gameplay here feels fantastic, so much better than the old tank controls. Resident Evil 2 is also packed with content and it will take you a long time to play through all the scenarios that the game has to offer. This was such a great remake that it made the also very good Resident Evil 3 remake pale in comparison!
Super Mario All-Stars
Here we have what is arguably the first big video game remake/remaster of all time. Super Mario All-Stars took the first three Super Mario Games that we knew and loved on the NES and also The Lost Levels, the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros 2 and gave them all 16-bit visuals and sounds! Four games on one cartridge, this was awesome. It can get even better if you get the version that has Super Mario World on it as that is a little bit of a remaster in itself as Luigi has an exclusive sprite to that version of the game!
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Square-Enix had so much to live up to with the Final Fantasy VII Remake that it is truly remarkable that they managed to surpass what people expected. Taking what is one of the most beloved stories in gaming history and changing it by putting a new spin on it was very brave, but they pulled it off. Yes, the original Final Fantasy VII is still great, but this is a whole new take on that classic game! This is one of the greatest action RPGs ever made and a truly epic game that looks like it is going to be only bettered by its sequel which is coming in 2024.
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is one of those games that always pops up on the greatest games of all time lists and for good reason, it is fantastic! Remaking such a popular and beloved game was a brave decision, especially when many fans felt like it was not necessary. Capcom more than delivered. This is a tremendous looking game with amazing voice acting, huge set pieces, and a story that has been tweaked a bit to give certain characters more depth. This is a prime example of how to do a remake right! It takes an already great game and somehow makes it better!
So, there you have it the top 10 video game remakes and remasters of all time, well all time according to us anyway! We had a lot of fun with this and we would like to have even more fun by checking out what video game remakes and remasters you feel should have made our list so be sure to write them in the comments section!
