My top 10 games that ought to be remade

Systems listed are for the first release of each title, though they may have been released on other platforms later. Apologies for the lack of images. I did include screenshots originally but the formatting got screwed up after I hit the "post" button.

10. Star Wars Trilogy Arcade

Sega - Arcade - 1998

9. Super Hang On

Sega - Mega Drive (Genesis) - 1988

Put simply, Super Hang On is OutRun on 2 wheels. This classic motorcycle racer was a Mega Driver launch title and massive arcade hit, because it was one of the only racers at the time where you actually sat on a motorbike in the arcade. Sega have been making new OutRun games for a few years now and they're easily their best examples of contemporary remakes, so why not set that same development team on a new Hang On. Riders and bikes should be customisable (as in the Mega Drive version) and a Burnout style boost option should be included. In the original game travelling over a certain speed for a short time would give you access to a boost as long as you could maintain speed.

One of the game's many endings had your rider being revealed to be an old man with a long beard and pipe. That alone makes this game worth remaking!

8. Earthworm Jim

Shiny Entertainment - Mega Drive (Genesis) - 1994

If a new game isn't coming it would be great to see the original game remade with new high-def graphics for XBLA or the PSN. Surely it would make sense to make some use of the assets from the failed PSP remake?

7. Streets of Rage

Sega - Mega Drive (Genesis) - 1991

Lately, Sega have had a bad habit of butchering 3D versions of their classic franchises (Sonic, Golden Axe, After Burner - the list goes on!), so Streets of Rage in 3 dimensions is probably a very bad idea. However if it worked in a similar way to the fighting mechanics of the quietly awesome Yakuza series it could be pretty good. Though, it would of course need a lot more rocket-firing police cars! If all else fails, a high-def remake would me more than welcome.

6. Lylatwars (Star Fox 64 in USA)

Nintendo - N64 - 1997

5. Road Rash

EA - Mega Drive (Genesis) - 1991

For many of the games on this list (mainly the 2D side-scrollers) HD remakes are a great idea, but when it comes to Road Rash, it's definitely time for a new 3D game. The excitement and tension of constantly being right on the edge of being knocked off your bike has never been captured by any other game. But then, that's probably because there's never been another game like Road Rash!

Although, come to think of it, it would be amazing if Road Rash was just added as a game mode to Burnout Paradise. Just think of those motorbikes at those ridiculous speeds, only now the riders have chains. Now that's DLC people would pay for. Epic stuff.

4. GoldenEye

Rare - N64 - 1997

This is a remake that very nearly happened as a re-textured high-def version for Xbox Live Arcade. Unfortunately business politics are likely to prevent this Bond classic from ever being seen again. The original was developed by Rare exclusively for Nintendo, so any release on 360 would have meant Microsoft paying royalties to Ninty. To complicate things further, Rare are now owned by Microsoft, who theoretically now own the assets from the original game. On the other hand, employees who left Rare to form Free Radical might still have some ownership rights over GoldenEye's art. Even more confusing is the fact that Activison now have the exclusive James Bond rights so no other publisher can release a 007-themed game!

Don't shove your N64 in the closet just yet. GoldenEye isn't going to get remade anytime soon, regardless of how much the fans may want it.

3. Sonic 3 (& Knuckles)

Sega - Mega Drive (Genesis) - 1994

When they were originally made, Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles were intended to be one game, but Sonic Team missed their development deadline and shipped the games separately. The infamous "lock-on cartridge" technology was developed to allow the different game cartridges to share data, so owners of both could play the games as one experience, as originally intended.

Sonic 3 (& Knuckles) was the name given to this combined experience and it makes for arguably the definitive Sonic experience. A full HD remake with new sprites and backgrounds in the style of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix would make this one of the best games of all time. Sega need to drop the rubbish they're producing with games like Sonic Unleashed and give the fans the remade classic they deserve.

2. Metal Gear

Konami - MSX 2 - 1987

Hideo Kojima's original Metal Gear was experienced by very few people outside Japan. The game was difficult to find in Europe and was never released in North America, except for as a radically altered and inferior NES port. Because so few people played this classic it would be fantastic to see it remade in full 3D using the Metal Gear Solid 4 game engine and controls. Add in full voice acting (including David Hayter of course) and cut-scenes and Kojima Productions would be onto another winner.

Most people have very little knowledge of the story from Solid Snake's first mission. Remaking it would make this important first chapter much more accessible than having to find a MSX 2 and a copy of the original game, or finding a copy of MGS3: Subsistence (on PS2), which includes the game and its sequel, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, as bonus content.

1. Final Fantasy VII

Squaresoft - PlayStation - 1997

The possibilities of a current-gen FF7 remake were first seen in a PlayStation 3 tech demo shown at E3 2005, in which Square had remade the game's opening cut-scene using the new PS3 hardware. It sent fanboy hearts fluttering and with good reason. It was amazing.

If the game ever really is remade (Square are willing to stick the FF7 name on just about anything these days, so why not?) it really ought to have its wonderful midi soundtrack remade with a full orchestra. In fact this has already been seen to some extent in the game's movie sequel, Advent Children. It's important though that there is no voice acting, in order to maintain the silent charm of the original game's characterisation.

An updated Final Fantasy VII with spectacular new PS3 graphics, but with its original and perfect gameplay mechanics unchanged, would instantly become one of the best games ever made.

Systems listed are for the first release of each title, though they may have been released on other platforms later. Apologies for the lack of images. I did include screenshots originally but the formatting got screwed up after I hit the "post" button.

10. Star Wars Trilogy Arcade

Sega - Arcade - 1998

9. Super Hang On

Sega - Mega Drive (Genesis) - 1988

Put simply, Super Hang On is OutRun on 2 wheels. This classic motorcycle racer was a Mega Driver launch title and massive arcade hit, because it was one of the only racers at the time where you actually sat on a motorbike in the arcade. Sega have been making new OutRun games for a few years now and they're easily their best examples of contemporary remakes, so why not set that same development team on a new Hang On. Riders and bikes should be customisable (as in the Mega Drive version) and a Burnout style boost option should be included. In the original game travelling over a certain speed for a short time would give you access to a boost as long as you could maintain speed.

One of the game's many endings had your rider being revealed to be an old man with a long beard and pipe. That alone makes this game worth remaking!

8. Earthworm Jim

Shiny Entertainment - Mega Drive (Genesis) - 1994

If a new game isn't coming it would be great to see the original game remade with new high-def graphics for XBLA or the PSN. Surely it would make sense to make some use of the assets from the failed PSP remake?

7. Streets of Rage

Sega - Mega Drive (Genesis) - 1991

Lately, Sega have had a bad habit of butchering 3D versions of their classic franchises (Sonic, Golden Axe, After Burner - the list goes on!), so Streets of Rage in 3 dimensions is probably a very bad idea. However if it worked in a similar way to the fighting mechanics of the quietly awesome Yakuza series it could be pretty good. Though, it would of course need a lot more rocket-firing police cars! If all else fails, a high-def remake would me more than welcome.

6. Lylatwars (Star Fox 64 in USA)

Nintendo - N64 - 1997

5. Road Rash

EA - Mega Drive (Genesis) - 1991

For many of the games on this list (mainly the 2D side-scrollers) HD remakes are a great idea, but when it comes to Road Rash, it's definitely time for a new 3D game. The excitement and tension of constantly being right on the edge of being knocked off your bike has never been captured by any other game. But then, that's probably because there's never been another game like Road Rash!

Although, come to think of it, it would be amazing if Road Rash was just added as a game mode to Burnout Paradise. Just think of those motorbikes at those ridiculous speeds, only now the riders have chains. Now that's DLC people would pay for. Epic stuff.

4. GoldenEye

Rare - N64 - 1997

This is a remake that very nearly happened as a re-textured high-def version for Xbox Live Arcade. Unfortunately business politics are likely to prevent this Bond classic from ever being seen again. The original was developed by Rare exclusively for Nintendo, so any release on 360 would have meant Microsoft paying royalties to Ninty. To complicate things further, Rare are now owned by Microsoft, who theoretically now own the assets from the original game. On the other hand, employees who left Rare to form Free Radical might still have some ownership rights over GoldenEye's art. Even more confusing is the fact that Activison now have the exclusive James Bond rights so no other publisher can release a 007-themed game!

Don't shove your N64 in the closet just yet. GoldenEye isn't going to get remade anytime soon, regardless of how much the fans may want it.

3. Sonic 3 (& Knuckles)

Sega - Mega Drive (Genesis) - 1994

When they were originally made, Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles were intended to be one game, but Sonic Team missed their development deadline and shipped the games separately. The infamous "lock-on cartridge" technology was developed to allow the different game cartridges to share data, so owners of both could play the games as one experience, as originally intended.

Sonic 3 (& Knuckles) was the name given to this combined experience and it makes for arguably the definitive Sonic experience. A full HD remake with new sprites and backgrounds in the style of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix would make this one of the best games of all time. Sega need to drop the rubbish they're producing with games like Sonic Unleashed and give the fans the remade classic they deserve.

2. Metal Gear

Konami - MSX 2 - 1987

Hideo Kojima's original Metal Gear was experienced by very few people outside Japan. The game was difficult to find in Europe and was never released in North America, except for as a radically altered and inferior NES port. Because so few people played this classic it would be fantastic to see it remade in full 3D using the Metal Gear Solid 4 game engine and controls. Add in full voice acting (including David Hayter of course) and cut-scenes and Kojima Productions would be onto another winner.

Most people have very little knowledge of the story from Solid Snake's first mission. Remaking it would make this important first chapter much more accessible than having to find a MSX 2 and a copy of the original game, or finding a copy of MGS3: Subsistence (on PS2), which includes the game and its sequel, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, as bonus content.

1. Final Fantasy VII

Squaresoft - PlayStation - 1997

The possibilities of a current-gen FF7 remake were first seen in a PlayStation 3 tech demo shown at E3 2005, in which Square had remade the game's opening cut-scene using the new PS3 hardware. It sent fanboy hearts fluttering and with good reason. It was amazing.

If the game ever really is remade (Square are willing to stick the FF7 name on just about anything these days, so why not?) it really ought to have its wonderful midi soundtrack remade with a full orchestra. In fact this has already been seen to some extent in the game's movie sequel, Advent Children. It's important though that there is no voice acting, in order to maintain the silent charm of the original game's characterisation.

An updated Final Fantasy VII with spectacular new PS3 graphics, but with its original and perfect gameplay mechanics unchanged, would instantly become one of the best games ever made.

Nice ideas but one 'problem' with remakes is that they rarely bring back the same memories or as effective as they were when the first came out. Earthworm Jim would be a good game to bring back, but unless they did something unique for HD gaming, it wouldn't be a seller. What really scares me is that most 'remakes' on your list would actually be better suited to be remade for portable consoles rather than for the PS3 or 360. I would love a FFVII remake on the PSP since it would complement Crisis Core. Road Rash would be a good game to instead of remaking, just releasing a sequel for next gen. If you just want a remake, again, portable is the way to go.

Nice list man, I'd love for a The Legend Of Dragoon remake or sequal but that won`t happen : (

Totally agree with Metal Gear being remade, I found it terribly boring to playthrough. Metal Gear 2 still holds up well and is drastically better.

As much as I would love Final Fantasy VII to be remade, the direction that Square has taken over the past few years tells me that they would mess something up. Either making unnecessary changes to the storyline or gameplay (or both), I just rather have them leave it alone, especially with some of the original team members gone. Also, I can bet you anything that if it was remade they would use voices, there's no way they would go back to no voice actors after having voices for the characters in Advent Children and Crisis Core.

You could always download "goldeneye source" which is pretty cool. But id like to see Star Wars Pod Racer remade because i used to love that game as a kid. A remake of the original resident evil games would be sick to. Exact same game with just improved graphics and controls

No, I don't want an FF7 remake, their screw everything up by making Cloud look like a farking 40 year old lesbian. It's happened before. Although I would love an FF6 remake.

If only i could love the final fantasy games as everyone else does. Those games are so boring to me i cant stand it. I'll give FFXIII a try and hopefully start to like the series. I rented FFX one time and it was so bad.

Let's give up on the idea of remakes. If you want to play an old game, go play the old game.  It's fine to have ports, but I think game designers should put their focus on new material going forward, rather than rehashing the old.  What they should do with any old game: port it to the Windows OS & that way you can use your PC to play your old games.  The PC is the most backwards compatible gaming "platform"  ever made.

I'd love to see a FF7 remake, but I think I'd much rather see more stories told in that world, perhaps even without the main characters.  I think Midgar has a hell of a lot of untapped potential, and if a new team brought new characters with a nod towards the classic gameplay, I'd be in RPG heaven.  Just, please, keep it an RPG.

I'm crazy, but I would like a Xenogears remake.

Maybe this makes me a bad person, but after reading your blog title, I thought to myself "Okay, I'm going to skim through this list and if it includes Final Fantasy VII or Ocarina of Time, I'm not going to read it." Needless to say, I didn't read your blog.

They should remake NBA Jam.

It's too early now, but maybe next generation I would jizz in my pants at remakes of the PS2 GTA games.

Those games with the graphics and engine and physics and everything from GTA IV would be fucking magnificent.

But I'd rather have another new GTA