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 On 04/30/2015 at 11:59 AM by The Last Ninja See More From This User » |
Sometimes a game is better the second time, but sometimes it's a whole lot worse
We live in the age of reboots. We've seen beloved movie series rebooted for a new generation (sometimes several times). It's inevitable that classic movies would be re-imagined for newer audiences. The same can be said for video games. The hard truth is, sometimes the reboots are great and sometimes they're simply awful.
Here I must distinguish between a reboot and a remake. A reboot is when a series is started afresh, as if the original never happened. We've seen this happen a lot lately with comic book series. On the other hand, a remake is when a specific game is recreated with updated visuals and controls, but it's the exact same game. Strap in, because we're about to look at the 5 best reboots/remakes and the 5 worst ones. I'll also show you a side by side comparison of the original game next to the reboot/remake. Here we go!
5 Awesome Video Game Reboots and Remakes
These five reboots/remakes are simply awesome! The original games were great, but these re-imaginings are arguably even better than the originals.
Super Mario All-Stars (1993, SNES)--remake of SMB 1, 2, 3, and Lost Levels
Possibly the earliest remake of a big-name video game series, Super Mario All-Stars was a compilation of Super Mario Bros. 1-3 and The Lost Levels (the original Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan). Just a compilation of these games would have been amazing enough, but Nintendo went a step further by updating the graphics and music to be on the level of the SNES! Wow! Any Nintendo fan would want something so incredible! But it got better: the next year, Nintendo released Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, which included the awesome SNES launch game along with the other four. Best remake ever? I think so.
Resident Evil (2002, GCN)--remake of Resident Evil for PS1
The original Resident Evil was an amazing game, but it did not age well (the clunky graphics and stiff voice acting are simply a horror). So RE fans rejoiced when they heard the game was being remade for the Gamecube. Capcom outdid itself as it fixed previous problems to make this version of the game the definitive version to play. Everything was the same--mysterious mansion, zombies, dogs jumping through windows--but now it was better! This version actually makes the original obsolete.
Metroid: Zero Mission (2004, GBA)--remake of Metroid (NES)
The original Metroid was great in 1986, but who could possibly wade through it now? Nintendo was wise in updating this classic with Metroid Zero Mission, which updated the graphics, added save rooms, and gave us--gasp!--a map! Plus it added the awesome stealth section at the end with Samus in that tight Zero Suit (literally!). Not nearly as perfect as Super Metroid, but this remake certainly came close.
Bionic Commando Rearmed (2008, Win/PSN/XBLA)--remake of Bionic Commando
Bionic Commando on NES is one of Capcom's most inventive platformers; you can't jump and you have to latch onto things using your robotic arm. After nearly two decades, this classic returns in HD with stunning graphics and great level design. It's great to see it get some love after such a long absense. Sadly, that love was torn apart with a terrible 3rd person action-style sequel, but let's just forget that one ever happened....
NBA Jam (2010, Wii)--reboot of NBA Jam (SNES/Gen)
The greatest NBA game the arcades has ever seen is easily Midway's NBA Jam; it's totally crazy, over the top action is utterly fun and invigorating. After quite a haitus, the series returns on Wii, and it's spot-on with crazy moves and hilarity. The updated visuals really pop, plus big heads! And now we have the definitive NBA Jam experience. Boom-shakalaka!!!
5 Horrible Video Game Reboots and Remakes
Good intentions aren't enough to make a great reboot/remake. In this case, these re-imaginings are simply atrocious! They quickly make a mockery of the original.
Space Raiders (2002, PS2/GCN)--reboot of Space Invaders
Space Invaders was a huge hit in the late 70s and early 80s. So in 2002, the series was rebooted with Space Raiders, but it's not quite the same. In this game, you shoot aliens not in space, but in back alleys of NYC. And you don't use a ship, but a character with a gun, which is a huge downgrade from the original. Who allowed this game to happen? This is a severe desecration of a classic original! The game is ugly, crude, and devoid of any kind of fun. The worst part is, SR does not feel anything like its predecessor, which is just plain bad.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006, Xbox)--reboot of the Sonic the Hedgehog series
Technically, this game isn't a reboot, but that's how Sega marketed it for its release. It was supposed to be amazing, but instead Sonic Team rushed to get it out, and the results are horrifying. Sonic '06 may be the buggiest game ever. Sonic can get stuck in so many places, making the game broken and frustrating. Plus, his relationship with a human princess is just bizarre, and that kiss at the end! It's ironic that the grand reboot ends up being the worst game in the entire franchise.
Shadowrun (2007, Xbox 360/Win)--reboot of Shadowrun (SNES/Gen)
Shadowrun was a cool point and click RPG that focused on cybernetic stuff and hacking, which was certainly unique for games in the 90s. So how is this awesome game rebooted? As a multiplayer FPS! The RPG elements are gone, and so is every other shred of evidence that this game is in any way related to the original Shadowrun! Now it's just a generic FPS, and not even a good one! Apparently the game did so bad that they shut down the servers within a year's time. That should tell you something.
Turok (2008, PS3/Xbox 360)--remake of Turok: The Dinosaur Hunter (N64)
The Turok series started on N64, and while not amazing, was a nevertheless decent FPS in which you hunt down dinosaurs. It was quite the hit on Nintendo's first 3D console. But then the remake happened in 2008. Considering this is a remake, it's awfully forgettable. The gameplay was pretty bad, making the game more of a chore than a challenge. Apparently this one shot itself in its foot, proving that some things are better left in the past.
TMNT 4: Turtles in Time Re-shelled (2009, XBLA/PSN)--remake of TMNT 4 (Arcade)
TMNT 4 on SNES is one of the best beat 'em ups you'll ever play. It was the peak of the Ninja Turtles games. So after years of mediocre Turtles games, everyone rejoiced when it was announced that this amazing game was being remade. However, for some reason they chose to remake the arcade version, not the SNES version. Why would you want to remake the inferior version? That's the least of your worries, though, as this remake is simply sloppy. The music is horrible and the action is just atrocious, making it nothing like the awesome SNES game. But we shouldn't be surprised; after all, you can't improve on an already perfect game.
What are some of your favorite or most hated reboots and remakes?
Loved Turok and Seeds of Evil on the N64. As someone who doesn't play a lot of FPS's I still managed to get hours of fun from those two.
The Gamecube REmake was the first time I ever made it past about an hour into an RE game.
I did manage to stick with Code Veronica for a few hours but painted myself into a corner and gave up.
What I've heard, the original RE is quite unbearable by today's standards, so the remake was very needed.
The one that I people seem to rank very highly is the Tactic Ogre remake on the PSP.
For me Zero Mission and Super Mario All-Stars are the ones that are my favourite.
Hm, didn't know about the TO remake. Pretty sweet. I know the original on the SNES is highly regarded.
Nintendo is great with remakes. They kind of started that trend. Super Mario All-Stars and Metroid Zero Mission is great. But one you forgot to mention is Donkey Kong on Game Boy. It's starts off like the arcade game, but after you get past the fourth level, the whole thing changes and you get 100+ more levels to beat! To this day, I think that's one of the best classic remakes ever!
Some of your bad choices I didn't think were THAT bad. Sure Space Raiders wasn't great, but Taito made up for it later with Space Invaders Extreme and Space Invaders Get Even. I didn't mind the TMNT remake too much, but it sure wasn't as good as the SNES game, that's for sure.
Just now, I downloaded a crazy Galaga/Tekken crossover game for my iPad!
Donkey Kong '94 is a great remake. I also forgot the two Zelda remakes on 3DS, which are both awesome.
That Shadowrun remake was the biggest goof ever. Some suits got together and said, "all we need is a brand people know and stamp it on a generic copy of the latest favorite type of gameplay and we'll have a hit." As Roschach said when he realized he'd let himself be surrounded by cops, "stupid, stupid, stupid."
That's exactly what happened, and it's shameful.
Funny story, one of my buds, who had no attachment to the franchise before, loved the Shadowrun FPS, citing it as one of his favorite games and was disappointed when its Kickstarter game was brought back as an isometric RPG. Always chuckle at that.
This is why remakes should kinda, y'know, be similar to their originals. There's two different fan bases for the game now.
The good thing is that the FPS Shadowrun thankfully didn't kill any potential for future games, thus Shadowrun Returns is a thing that thankfully exists, and it's canon to the SNES game to boot!
So it didn't doom the rest of the franchise? Good to hear. I guess it couldn't since it was so different from the original.
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