Sometimes developers get lazy or fans’ nagging gets unbearable and a HD remake of an old classic title gets made. Normally this is met with a sober response, disappointed at the lack of change from the original in terms of visual quality, some however bring nostalgia and happiness across the gaming world. There are several titles that seem to have been missed out for whatever reason and lay dormant awaiting a triumphant revival to bring joy to 90’s gamers once more.
1. Pokémon Yellow (1999)
We got a rather great remake of the classic Gold and Silver Pokémon games, heck we even got a less-great-but-still-good remake of Red so why not Yellow? The Yellow edition was a special re-release of the original Red and Blue editions that had the super cool feature of Pikachu being your starter Pokémon that follows behind you in-game. Although X and Y editions are only around the corner and the Pokédex has progressed far beyond the original 151, it would still be interesting if a Yellow HD remake happened. Something like “Pokémon Lightning Yellow” could really work, and the new 3D dynamics of the 3DS would effectively deliver an entirely new experience in a nostalgia-stuffed package.
2. Quake 3: Arena (1999)
If any game is crying out to be put on the modern consoles, it’s this one. A classic installment to the world of PC FPS gaming, Quake 3: Arena is simple and unadulterated, gory fun. The campaign is arena battles against bots, which actually provides a few hours of entertainment, but the real gem of this game is the multiplayer. Replace the bots with friends/players from around the world and you’ve got yourself a fast paced, geometric bloodbath the likes of which Call of Duty quivers in fear at. There is still a vast array of dedicated players for the PC version online every night (yeah, that makes me one of them), which is especially impressive when you consider that the game was originally released in 1999. In the 14 years since its original release, Quake 3 has been ported both to the PS2 and then subsequently the Xbox 360. However, a completed HD remake would be well worth the effort. The game could bring together a single-player campaign focusing certain Arena combatants whilst the multiplayer could take advantage of the wider online community the 360 and PS3 possess. Quake deserves more than poor ports. Considering Quake 5 has been absent for many years, this might be enough to maintain fan favour.
3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003)
Still regarded by many as the best Star Wars game ever made, KoTOR is a brilliantly designed RPG set in the fantastic universe of Star Wars in a pre-film event era. Whilst many fans were looking forward to a third installment to the franchise, developers Bioware presented the MMO The Old Republic. And whilst this in itself is hugely addictive, it’s not quite what everyone was after. That being said, instead of working on a new game altogether, the time could be better spent remastering the adored original, bringing its graphics into the modern age and maybe even collecting the second game and its expansions in a HD collection. This game would work tremendously well on the console platform. So go sort it out, Bioware. Go ask your new father, Disney…Please?
4. X-Wing (1993)
Another Star Wars game, this one being a real blast from the past, so much so in fact that this game was available on floppy disc. This is one of the first LucasArts games that utilized a 3D modeling system. It was basically a glorified flight simulator where players would pilot classic spacecrafts from the movies including the infamous X-Wings. The game took place in space, pitting the player against the Empire spacecrafts in epic dogfights. Later installments in the franchise allowed you to then pilot some of the Empire’s ships such as the TIE fighter. The game received much critical acclaim and still has some merit today even though the graphics are ridiculously dated. An HD remake or compilation of the originals would be sentimental to a lot of gamers, especially as the flight simulator genre seems to be dwindling with every H.A.W.X release. LucasArts apparently made all their best games more than 10 years ago. Wonder why Disney pulled the plug?
5. Metal Arms: Glitch In The System (2003)
Another title that was poorly ported to the Xbox 360 was Metal Arms, a stupidly enjoyable and undeniably silly third person shooter set in a universe not dissimilar to DreamWorks’s movie “Robots”. You play Glitch, a robot who’s brought back from the brink of death and conscripted into a rebel army against the tyranny of an evil overlord robot. Whilst the game was due a sequel, Blizzard’s buyout of the original developers put the game on hold and has left fans with nothing. This is where an HD remake with some extra missions and new multiplayer maps with a proper release for PS3 and Xbox 360 would be welcomed with open arms. The multiplayer mode was built for big party games with classic modes such as King of The Hill and more eccentric modes like Bot Possession offering up heaps of rivet blasting fun. The jovial campaign would be a breath of fresh air amongst the hyper-realistic shooters that dominate the market today. Maybe Blizzard will one day remember this forgotten gem and bring it back to us in high definition glory.
Are there any classic or retro games that you love and think should be brought back into the limelight with a HD remake? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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