The video game industry has been pretty big on remakes lately, especially in regards to IPs that had previously been dormant. Developers can realize that they can drum up nostalgia and gain interest in a new game at the same time, thus we've gotten a lot of remakes of great games lately, often in varying levels of quality There's way too many for me to go over in a single blogpost, but I wanted to touch upon some remakes I've played over the last few years and see how often they truly surpass or even live up to the originals.
Note: There is a lot of discourse over what counts as a remake, what counts as a remaster, and what counts as a port. I don't really care about the semantics, I'm grouping all of these under the umbrella term of "remake" and don't intend on delving into this minefield any further.
Crash Bandicoot: N Sane Trilogy:
Pros: The graphics are generally a lot prettier and more detailed, Stormy Ascent is playable, new genuinely tough Future Tense level, improved save system and gem requirements for Crash 1, you can play as Coco, relics in all three games, Dingodile has better AI so his already fantastic boss fight is even more fun
Cons: Standardized control scheme make Crash 1 and 2 incredibly awkward to play, wonky hitboxes make hitting enemies and jumping off tight platforms feel unreliable, Crash feels a lot more sluggish and stiff to control, character sprites feel bizarrely huge, motorcycle and jet ski in 3 feel way worse to use, realistic artstyle doesn't look as cartoonish as it should, less menacing atmosphere in 2's warp room
Verdict: Sorry, not a fan. The N Sane Trilogy was the first time I ever played a Crash game and it felt so bad to play that I spent at least a year thinking Crash Bandicoot was overrated and his games aged poorly, and I know I'm not the only one considering the game sparked a "Dark Souls" discourse when the original trilogy isn't even that hard. It wasn't until I played Crash 4 and tried the originals when I realized, no wait, it's just the remake. It does make some quality of life improvements and neat additions but none of that matters when I just don't feel as confident playing the game as I do with the original PS1 games.
Downgrade
Spyro Reignited Trilogy:
Pros: Prettier graphics, more varied Dragon designs, stunningly beautiful cutscenes, more fluid base Spyro gameplay, right-stick camera control, the Spyro 3 alternate characters almost all play way better, Skill Points added to Spyro 1
Cons: Weak remade music (though you can still use the originals), flying and swimming controls aren't as good, some minigames ruined by switching to a behind-the-back camera, Spyro 2's boss fights ruined by a finicky camera, Year Of The Dragon is pretty buggy
Verdict: Mostly pretty good, but it detracts just as much as it adds. It's a great way to play the original trilogy for both fans and newcomers, and I'd argue that Spyro 1 and to a degree 3 are probably at their best here, bugs aside. However, Ripto's Rage got shafted hard. Where the original Spyro 2 rivals or maybe even surpasses the third game as my favorite in the trilogy, the downgrades made in the Reignited version render it as my least favorite.
Just as good
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition:
Pros: The visuals look way sharper, the battle UI is a lot cleaner, fantastic Future Connected campaign, lots of quality of life improvements, time attack mode, cosmetics, polished bugs
Cons: Some of the original songs sound better, I guess? That's really it, I have no complaints.
Verdict: Hands down the better version, fixing pretty much every single issue people had with the original Wii version, the UI change in particular being a game-changer. Base Xenoblade Chronicles is still a fantastic RPG, but there is zero reason to play it with the Definitive Edition out. This is a remake that flat-out renders its original irrelevant, at least unless you prefer the original's muddier artstyle for whatever reason.
Replacement
Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019):
Pros: Adorable and beautiful toy-like artstyle, item switching is streamling, no annoying pop-ups when touching pots, camera movement over one large map, more Secret Seashells, dungeon maker, better soundtrack
Cons: Some framerate drops when transitioning areas, getting 100% is a bit more of a slog, no photographs
Verdict: I already thought the original Link's Awakening DX was borderline perfect, but this is still an improvement. It makes all the right quality of life changes, and its unique artstyle helps it feel like a fresh experience. I don't think it outright replaces DX since that game's compact nature and 8-bit visuals can still be charming on their own, but the Switch remake is hands down the best way to play in my opinion.
Improvement
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga/Bowser's Inside Story DX:
Pros: Streamlined switching between Bros in Superstar Saga, 3D visuals, Superstar Saga had a big soundtrack improvement, two new campaigns even if they're not particularly fun, Bowser Jr's storyline in his campaign is genuinely really well written, 3DS microphone is better than the DS one, can skip annoying minigames, lots of quality of life improvements
Cons: Some of the visual charm removed a bit, the sprites have a charm to them too, Bowser's Inside Story's music is slightly weaker, Bowser's Inside Story's framerate is somehow worse, games were made easier maybe to a fault
Verdict: I remember how notoriously picky Mario & Luigi fans were when these remakes came out, but with the benefit of hindsight, I think they're vastly different. Superstar Saga DX was able to patch a lot of the limitations that came with being a GBA game, and with really pretty lighting and loads of quality of life improvements, you can tell it was a labor of love. Bowser's Inside Story DX is still a fine way to play the game, but you can tell it was done out of necessity, and outside of a few quality of life improvements, it doesn't do much the original didn't already do better. Oh, and neither of the side campaigns are anything to write home about beyond the pretty good Bowser Jr story.
Superstar DX: Improvement
Bowser's Inside Story DX: Downgrade
Sonic Colors Ultimate:
Pros: Added Rival Race, new wisp, cosmetics
Cons: Buggy as all get out, ugly bloom filter, Jade Wisp is kinda unnecessary, bad remastered music, sound issues, overlong credits, no Miis in the Switch version, how does the Switch version run this badly it's a Wii game?!
Verdict: I was so confident this was gonna be good, so when reviews and footage came out, I don't think I have ever been in this much of a panic trying to cancel my pre-order. The fact that I decided to get Xenoblade DE instead probably made things worse. This is a bad remake, not only are all of its additions are unnecessary but it doesn't even manage to match the original game in terms of polish. Colors is one of my favorite Sonic games and it's been hard seeing its reputation decline recently, but man did Ultimate not help matters.
Downgrade
Live A Live:
Pros: Stunning HD2D visuals, solid rearranged music tracks, balanced gameplay, more informative UI, cowboy chapter is made more manageable, voice acting
Cons: Still kinda prefer the original soundtrack, the script is a bit toned down from the original, the fan translation made the fonts different for each chapter but it's all uniform in the remake
Verdict: Live A Live's remake was so good that even for many who had played it for the first time, it still held up by modern standards. I'm a big fan of the HD2D style and it looks wonderful here, and Live A Live makes just enough solid quality of life stages to iron out some of the original's rougher edges. Which version you prefer really boils down to your loyalty to a classic SNES artstyle and whether or not you prefer the original version's slightly raunchier script, so I think they stand together pretty well.
Just as good
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series:
Pros: Takes the pretty landscapes of Klonoa Wii but fixes the character designs and removes the voice acting, improved visuals for Lunatea's Veil, bonus costumes, alternate difficulties
Cons: Weaker performance on Switch makes the Mirror Fairies unnecessarily hard, Wind Bullet is tied to difficulty, Klonoa 1's faster speed makes tight platforming harder, lighting is too bright
Verdict: I'm just gonna say it upfront, I think the original version of Door To Phantomile is still the best one. It plays better and it looks more distinct. Lunatea's Veil is pretty much just as good, but even then, I think I'd still rather play the original. But that's okay, because the Phantasy Reverie Series is still a fine way to bring these otherwise fairly inaccessible games to a new audience. They may not be ideal, but they did a pretty good job at getting more people into the series.
Slight downgrade
Kirby's Return To Dream Land Deluxe:
Pros: Smoother gameplay, dodge move added, great new abilities in Sand and Mecha, prettier backgrounds and improved lighting, motion controls are optional, Merry Magoland minigames, fantastic Magolor Epilogue, harder Extra Mode and True Arena, better King Dedede design (don't @ me).
Cons: The Stomper Boot lets you hold down the jump button to bounce high trivializing all of its segments, Copy Essences are placed to make getting certain Energy Spheres unnecessarily easier, several abilities got nerfed both in terms of moveset and damage values, Scope Shot was removed, black borders around characters, extra content makes game feel more bloated and disjointed
Verdict: As someone who holds a fiercely nostalgic loyalty to the original Return To Dream Land, I was always going to have quite a few nitpicks with this one. Ultimately, as far as the base game goes, Deluxe mucked up the difficulty and combat too much for me to really prefer it over the original. However, from a casual perspective, this is hands down the better version for the more polished gameplay and increased amount of content alone, and I do thoroughly adore Magolor Epilogue.
Just as good
Metroid Prime Remastered:
Pros: Easily the best-looking Switch game to date, stunning graphical overhaul, twin-stick plus gyro control option, lots of options, unlockable gallery art, barely any loading time
Cons: Umm...
Verdict: I always felt Metroid Prime's art direction held up but the work Retro Studios did on this remaster is so good that it makes the original look bad. This is one of the best remasters I've ever seen, between the massive glowup, the better controls, and the sheer love obviously put into it. Metroid Prime Remastered set a bar that all remakes should try to reach, and is hands down the definitive way to play this game. I can't believe I'm saying this about one of my favorite games of all time and a cornerstone of one of my favorite consoles of all time, but aside from a few speedrun-related changes, this basically replaces the original Metroid Prime for me.
Replacement
Well, that's a pretty even spread of remakes. From what I can tell, the best remakes seem to keep the core of the original game intact but just polish the visuals and add a bit of quality of life. Going further and tweaking the controls is where things get a bit dicey. Most games are built around their original controls, so making the wrong change can be nearly crippling. Ultimately, the best remakes tend to come from a place of love, when it's obvious that the developers want to genuinely add something to the original game and aren't just remaking it for the sake of it. Remakes need to be as much of a passion project on the part of the developer as any other original game would be too. So let's end this off with a few more remakes that I think genuinely blow the originals out of the water:
- Metroid Zero Mission: Adding a map alone made this better, but Zero Mission went the extra mile with more upgrades, additions carried over from Super, better boss fights, an entirely new postgame, and even the inclusion of the original game itself.
- Resident Evil (Gamecube): All of the quirks of the original game (tank controls, pre-rendered backgrounds) are still there, but they were all touched up enough to feel modern. Nothing was taken away, only added.
- Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver: Really just feels like a more polished version of the already great Gen 2 games, Johto is more fully realized, the Dex is bigger, the postgame is expanded upon more
- Kirby Super Star Ultra: Unlike RTDL DX, Super Star Ultra actually fixes issues that needed to be fixed, integrates its new conflict in a way that feels natural, and aside from maybe the music quality, is so good that it renders the original entirely null.
- Wind Waker & Twilight Princess HD: All they do is clean up the graphics and make the few quality of life changes that needed to be made. No compromises whatsoever.
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