The recent influx of live-action remakes of Disney film classics has the video game industry wondering when their catalog of games will receive similar treatment.
With the recent acquisition of John Drake from Sony to oversee their games division it seems Disney wants to curate their IP for games in the same way Marvel Games has for the superhero brand the last few years. Here’s hoping this new commitment leads to remakes of Disney classics. Let’s look at 10 classic Disney games that need a remake as soon as possible.
10 Aladdin
How can we have a live-action remake of the Aladdin movie in 2019 and not have any word on a remaster or remake for the classic game based on the movie? It turns out actually that a remaster for the game was recently announced via a GameStop convention.
Now, remasters are tricky because in some cases they’re just rereleases that feature cleaner pixel art, while in others they’re practically remakes of the original. It’s unclear to what extent this remaster will makeover the classic Aladdin game, so a remake might still be needed.
9 Toy Story
The Toy Story franchise was brought back into the spotlight in 2019 with the release of the fourth feature film in the series, Toy Story 4. The film has once again sparked the nostalgia and love for the series which now has fans clamoring for video game experiences featuring Buzz Lightyear and Woody.
The original Toy Story game on the SEGA Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System may not hold up graphically, but the music and heart feel so reminiscent of the film that made people across the globe Pixar fans for life.
8 Darkwing Duck
Ducktales was one of the classic Disney games from the Nintendo Entertainment System era that had the pleasure of receiving a beautiful remaster during the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 generation of consoles. Darkwing Duck may not be as popular as Ducktales, but it’s certainly not behind by much.
Unlike Ducktales though, the Darkwing Duck game wasn’t as well designed initially and could benefit from a remake as opposed to just a remaster. Heck, at this point fans will take whatever they can get featuring the crime fighter.
7 Epic Mickey
Despite its sequel not living up to expectations and the franchise never hitting peak popularity, there is a good number of people who want to see the Epic Mickey franchise return.
Now, this contingent is likely split between those who want a series reboot or sequel and those who simply want the original Epic Mickey remastered or remade for modern-day gaming. With Disney’s recent focus on curating their licenses into great games, there is a reason to believe that the Epic Mickey series may return again someday.
6 Tron 2.0
The Tron franchise, in general, is in need of some modern love in both film and video games. Tron 2.0 was a game that released on the original Xbox console and was a blast to play in both single and multiplayer.
A remake of the game could bring the futuristic property into a place where its graphics could finally match the vision of the project. Like most older games the chunky pixels in hindsight really take away from the game no matter how great of an experience it was at the time.
5 Ducktales
Yes, the game did receive a nice remaster on the last generation of consoles which included the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It’s honestly hard to make a case for Ducktales to get a remake over all of these other games which haven’t received nearly the love and attention as it has.
The game was recently removed from digital game stores which means it’s likely to set to make a comeback in a new form or collection. Here’s hoping it’s a part of the miracle that would be a remake collection including Ducktales and Darkwing Duck.
4 Castle Of Illusion
The Disney Illusion games aren’t titles that spring to the front of most peoples minds when discussing classic Disney games which is odd considering how well received they were critically.
Castle of Illusion, unlike the Sonic the Hedgehog series, is the closest SEGA ever got to recreating the magic Nintendo manufactured in the Mario games. It may be the first entry in the Illusion series, but unlike most other video game franchises, it’s one of the series best entries and deserves a remake as soon as possible.
3 Lion King
Just like Aladdin, a remaster of the classic game based on the iconic Disney film was recently announced. It’s unclear how much work is being put into this remaster and what Disney is trying to get out of this.
Like most things remasters come in many different ways and a lot of it is based on the budget and effort put into it. The live-action remake for Lion King hasn’t stopped printing money since its theatrical release, just like Aladdin, so are these simply nostalgia cash grabs? Do we still need a legitimate remake? Time will tell it seems.
2 World Of Illusion
Like Castle of Illusion, World of Illusion featuring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck was a solid classic Disney title that deserves a remake fit with all of the bells and whistles of modern-day 2D platformers. The thing that set World of Illusion apart from the rest was it’s impressive co-op system.
Since Donald and Mickey control different and are capable of different things, the game demands experimentation, or for the player to find a co-op partner. A remake of this game would do well in a time where people want more couch co-op experiences.
1 Kingdom Hearts
With the recent release of Kingdom Hearts 3 which came out to mostly positive, but mixed reviews, fans are left wondering when the original game that started it all will be getting a face-lift of sorts.
We’re currently at a point in video games where the technology can match what those Disney film characters looked like in their own movies. Sometimes, like in Kingdom Hearts 3, they can even look better. It can also clean up some of the clunkier elements of the game that we recently saw improved in the third entry.
NEXT: 10 Best Character Cameos In Kingdom Hearts
