9 Nintendo Classics That Should Get a Switch Remaster

Remaking older games has been a popular and successful trend the last few years, with stellar examples such as Shadow of the Colossus and Resident Evil 2 proving what a new splash of paint, updated game mechanics, and a technological …

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Remaking older games has been a popular and successful trend the last few years, with stellar examples such as Shadow of the Colossus and Resident Evil 2 proving what a new splash of paint, updated game mechanics, and a technological boost can do to games that seemed pretty perfect back in their day. 

Even Nintendo has jumped onboard, with 2019’s brilliant Link’s Awakening its most recent remake effort. Nintendo has such a massive back catalogue of classics that we thought it was time to round up 9 favourites that we’d like to see remastered next.

Super Mario Sunshine – GameCube, 2002

Super Mario Sunshine never really got the love it deserved until it was too late. It was a fabulous and beautiful game back on the GameCube, and would look absolutely stunning with a bump up to Odyssey’s visual quality. This one is definitely top of our lists for a remake. Hopefully this time it will get the praise it deserves.

F-Zero GX – GameCube, 2003

F-Zero GX is widely-regarded as the best entry by series fans, and Nintendo doesn’t think it can do any better, apparently, given the lack of a new entry since. If Nintendo doesn’t want to make a new F-Zero, we’d at least like an up-to-date version of this one. Keep the core gameplay and mechanics intact, but freshen up the visuals a bit.

Eternal Darkness – Gamecube, 2002

We’re still waiting for the sequel, Nintendo! In the meantime though, we’ll take a remake of this bonafide member of survival horror royalty. The Resident Evil 2 remake recently provided a great baseline for how to spruce up a classic, keeping it faithful to its roots while giving it the technological polish of a recent classic. No excuses, Nintendo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je4XEW_KZsQ

Star Fox 64 – N64, 1997

Star Fox 64 is arguably the best game in a series that has stagnated in recent years. Zero was a particular low-point, with clunky Wii U gamepad controls and below par visuals disappointing longterm fans. So why not just give us what we want this time – a big budget remake of the best entry, Star Fox 64.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword  – Wii, 2011

Rumours of a Skyward Sword remaster have been around since the Switch was born, but are yet to materialise into anything concrete. The issue seems to be the game’s reliance on Wii Motion Plus controls, which the Switch can’t emulate in its current form. We’re happy for Nintendo to find a workaround though, as we never really loved them the first time around. Sorry, Skyward Sword!

Donkey Kong 64 – N64, 1999

Donkey Kong 64 felt amazing back in the day, but playing it now is an entirely different experience. The camera and controls feel clunky and it’s super frustrating compared to modern platformers. Still, there aren’t many games like it these days, and we’d like to see what the likes of Retro could do with it. Heck, we just want to hear the DK rap again.

Super Mario RPG – SNES, 1996

Back in the golden era of RPGs, Nintendo and (the then-named) Square Soft put their heads together and produced Super Mario RPG. It remains a brilliant game today, and went on to inspire both the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games. We’d love to see this given a modern makeover – perhaps by the team behind Octopath Traveler? Just saying.

Pokémon Snap – N64, 1999

Pokémon Snap shouldn’t have been as fun as it was. So fun was it, in fact, that fans have never stopped begging for a sequel ever since. With the rise of Pokémon GO and the constant success of the Pokémon series, a remake of this fun spin off would surely be a success.

Earthbound – SNES, 1995

Earthbound is a very strange game and has a style that’s entirely unique – even today. It only actually made it to Europe recently too, with the SNES Mini. A remake would pay dividends given the hunger for RPGs these days, and it would help take the sting out of the cancellation of Mother 3 on the NES. We’d love to see what a 3D Earthbound would look like.