Nostalgia for the fifth generation of video game consoles is in full swing. Games from that era are a little rough to go back to these days due to their rudimentary 3D graphics and awkward control schemes, so thankfully, some developers are making remakes that improve the visuals and gameplay of classic titles.
For example, the Spyro and Crash Bandicoot series have received graphically superior updates, MediEvil released just in time for Halloween, and let’s not forget that Cloud is making his epic return next year in Final Fantasy VII Remake. It’s a good time to be a child of the ’90s and early 2000s.
So, why stop now? There are plenty of games that deserve to be brought back for another shot at the limelight. Here are five titles from that period that need remakes of their own.
Ape Escape
We’ve been seeing hints that this series may be on the verge of a comeback, but until that’s confirmed, we’ll going to shout from the hilltops that Ape Escape needs a remake. The original Ape Escape was a terrific platformer about capturing super-intelligent evil monkeys that wanted to conquer the world, which may be the most perfect video game story of all time.
A shinier, updated version of Ape Escape would be a hit on the Playstation 4 and could even be packaged with Ape Escape 2 and Ape Escape 3 if Sony is feeling particularly generous. There’s always going to be a market for games about mischievous monkeys.
Legacy Of Kain
Crystal Dynamics has shifted its focus away from the Legacy Of Kain series. Instead, it has been the developer of the recent, reasonably good Tomb Raider games and the upcoming Avengers game that has most gamers feeling cautiously optimistic. We love gun-toting archaeologists and superheroes as much as the next person, but you know what’s even cooler? Vampires.
It’s time for the Legacy Of Kain franchise to emerge from the shadows. Blood Omen: Legacy Of Kain and Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver are both titles that captured the imaginations of everyone who owned a Playstation (or was fancy enough to have a computer that could run it).
Square Enix loves to squeeze money out of the properties it owns, and it’s unbelievable that some kind of remake for Kain doesn’t seem to be on the horizon. Hopefully, once Crystal Dynamics is done playing with Marvel, it can revive these games so the Legacy can live on.
Final Fantasy IX
The Final Fantasy VII remake has fans salivating over getting to see Tifa punch fools in glorious HD. As a result, there are already rumblings about other remakes, with the most recent request being for Final Fantasy VIII. That would be the most obvious choice for this list, but we’re going to suggest something radical and say that, if any other Final Fantasy from the fifth-generation needs a revival, it’s the underrated Final Fantasy IX.
Released near the end of the PlayStation’s lifespan, FFIX went back to a traditional fantasy setting, even bringing back black mages, thieves, princesses, and straight-up knights. Yet, while it didn’t feature brooding college students with amnesia-inducing summons or dudes with inexplicably massive swords, it was a throwback to the classic days of the JRPG franchise and led to one of the best Final Fantasy games.
It’s since been overshadowed by gun-swords and strange fits of laughter, but a graphical overhaul could help reintroduce people to this under-appreciated gem.
Blast Corps
When Rare Replay launched in 2015, one of the highlights for many players was Blast Corps. For some, it was the first time they ever experienced this building-busting adventure that several N64 owners consider one of the greatest games Rare ever made. It’s nice to have it as part of that collection, but Blast Corps deserves more.
It’s such a stupidly simple yet brilliant concept for a game that the lack of a sequel or follow up is absolutely criminal. There’s an out of control truck carrying nuclear missiles that will cause total annihilation if they detonate, so you get in a bunch of wacky vehicles and blow up anything that stands in the path. In what world does that not sound fun? Explosions are timeless and a remake with crazy graphics and physics would be a destructive delight.
Tomba!
There are a lot of other games deserving of a remake that could fit on this list. Gex, Croc, Ty The Tasmanian Tiger, and some mad people out there probably even want Glover. However, in our minds, we think the pink-haired feral child Tomba! is the last one worthy of a shoutout.
This cotton candy-haired, pig-tossing jungle boy didn’t get the love he deserved in his heyday, and his two games sold so poorly that the developer had to close its doors. However, this is a different time - a time when vibrantly coiffed heroes can get a second chance. Both of Tomba’s adventures deserve to be remade and packaged together so we can finally see that colorful hair-do on our 4K televisions.
More Remakes
These are just a few of the games that have been sitting in the closets of gaming history gathering dust. We’re positive most gamers would gladly give these titles a go with a little bit of HD polish.
Also, while some of them may not necessarily have the sort of rabid fan base that would justify a remaster or remake, just remember: there have been two new Bubsy games released this decade. If Bubsy can come back, anything can - even Glover.
