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Video Game Remake - TV Tropes

  • ️Mon Mar 26 2007

Video Game Remake (trope)

"If you go to Kickstarter and say the name of a popular game from the mid-nineties followed by the word "remake", money will be thrown at you with such force that you'll resemble a currency-themed cousin to Pinhead from Hellraiser."

While some could argue that video games are an artistic medium on par with movies and literature, most video games fail to stand the test of time in the same way that other media do. As computer technology and game design is constantly evolving, many titles look and play dated in comparison to what's available, say, five to ten years after its original release.

So what's a developer to do? Easy: take the original game, upgrade the visuals so that they're on par with the current standards, add a few more recent gameplay mechanics, maybe fine-tune the levels a little, and presto, now you can convince the consumers to buy basically the same game they bought five to ten years ago! If you want to confuse them further, you can explicitly promote it as a sequel to that game, despite having largely the same content. Just don't expect to be able to release it again five years later, unless it's a Compilation Re-release. Also an opportunity to adjust the original story and visuals to include changes that later sequels adopt, or update the "Blind Idiot" Translation into something more accurate and readable.

This trope is a way to avoid Keep Circulating the Tapes if the original is hard to find, although a port or Updated Re-release can do just fine if the game has aged well. Notably, remakes tend to invoke changes to practically every detail in the graphics, gameplay and sound (especially if the game is 10 years old or more), and many fans may outright prefer the original in spite of these changes. How warranted this is can vary from changing a character's outfit slightly to the controls genuinely not being as refined as the first time around. Tropes Are Tools after all, and just because the remake's developer can follow the blueprint set by the original game doesn't guarantee their version won't have its own problems! This is especially true for remakes of fantastic games, resulting in a Tough Act to Follow.

Remakes are hardly anything new, with examples dating as far back as Super Mario All-Stars, however despite the marketing, they are just as fallible to time and aging as any other video game. For example, the original 1996 Resident Evil was remade in 2002 as Resident Evil (Remake), which itself started to age and has been given an Updated Re Release on every console generation after that. This problem is highlighted by poor backwards-compatability in the console space for most generations, which some would argue is on purpose so that you have to buy the same game again rather than using your existing copy.

This is, obviously, a subtrope of The Remake. If the original game was only released in one country, the publisher may then actually take a chance of releasing the remake to other markets. If the fans decide to remake the game themselves on a new engine, that's a Fan Remake. Distinct from the Updated Re-release, because that's merely rereleasing the same game with modest additions and improvements, whereas this is recreating the entire game from the ground up on new technology. The inversion of this concept is the Video Game Demake, which downgrades the graphics.

Remakes on the Wii tended to be known as Wiimakes, just because Wii can.

Examples:

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Action Adventure Games 

  • Blaster Master: Enemy Below is nominally a sequel to the original NES game and features some new gameplay elements and redesigned levels, but is otherwise very similar to the original, particularly with regard to graphics and sound.
  • The Legend of Zelda:
    • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the Nintendo 3DS, with a graphical overhaul and the Master Quest dungeons as a New Game Plus. New gameplay elements include using two buttons and two touch-screen corners for items, the ocarina having its own touch button placement, and a new hint system. The team intentionally left whatever glitches and bugs that were present in the original version — so long as they weren't of the game-breaking variety — to keep the experience as authentic as possible.
    • The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, also for the Nintendo 3DS. It includes the same control enhancements as Ocarina of Time 3D and a new-and-improved save system. Boss battles and other game mechanics such as the Zora swim controls were overhauled to varying degrees, and a new area with a fishing mini-game was added.
    • The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on the Nintendo Switch in 2019, nearly 25 years after its original release. The remake makes many tweaks to the original source material, including the incorporation of the Color Dungeon from the DX Updated Re-release (with some accomodations for colorblind players), a new Level Editor mode replacing DX's photography sidequest, fully-animated remakes of the opening and ending cutscenes, and some adjustments to the game's difficulty curve.
  • Ōkami got an enhanced remake on the Wii in 2008 which featured motion controls for every elemental power and (sadly) removed the game's credits sequence because it contained the logo for Clover Studios, the game's original creators. In 2012 a remake was released for the PlayStation 3 which featured 1080p full HD graphics and the Wii's motion controls. The game would get a newer remake in 2017 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC followed by Nintendo Switch in 2018.
  • Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a remake of the original Tomb Raider I, featuring gameplay elements of the later games.
  • MediEvil got remade twice. The first is MediEvil: Resurrection for the PSP, which changed a lot of the dialogue and character designs to be more overtly comedic, while also cutting certain levels, adding new ones, and slowing down the gameplay. Fans of the series tend to see it as inferior to the original. The second remake was released in 2019 release on the PS4, being much more faithful to the original game.
  • Destroy All Humans! was given a remake that was released on 2020. Aside from graphical and gameplay updates the remake stays largely faithful to the original. The sequel would later get remade as well under the name ''Destroy All Humans 2: Reprobed".

Action Games 

  • Bomberman Act:Zero was a remake of the first Bomberman game, with an added dose of Darker and Edgier. A more straightforward remake appeared on the PlayStation, with the subtitle Party Edition added for the U.S. release to advertise the Competitive Multiplayer mode that the original game lacked.
  • Cel Damage was remade for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PS Vita in 2014 with HD graphics and all of the same enhancements as the Updated Re Release "Cel Damage Overdrive".
  • Luigi's Mansion received a remake for Nintendo 3DS in 2018, which included many of the same gameplay features of the sequel, such as a map on the lower screen, as well as a new two-player mode featuring an Early-Bird Cameo from Luigi's Mansion 3's Gooigi. It was by Grezzo, the same company who did the The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3DS remakes.
  • My Friend Pedro was originally a Flash game from 2014 published by Adult Swim Games. The 2019 game takes the concepts from the original game and fleshes out every aspect of it.
  • NiGHTS into Dreams…, one of the ill-fated Sega Saturn's best system sellers, was re-released on the PS2 in Japan with updated graphics around the same time as its Wii sequel to give players who missed the Saturn train a chance to experience the game. The PS2 release was then brought outside Japan in the form of NiGHTS into Dreams... HD for XBLA, PSN, and Steam, which also includes the original Saturn version in addition to the PS2 version. note 
  • The Ninja Gaiden trilogy for the NES were given the Super Mario All-Stars treatment, resulting in the Compilation Re-release of Ninja Gaiden Trilogy for the Super NES in 1995. The remade SNES versions of the games were included in the Xbox version of Ninja Gaiden, along with the original arcade game in Ninja Gaiden Black (an Updated Re-release of the Xbox game).

Adventure Games 

  • Adventure A: Planet of Death, Adventure B: Inca Curse, and Adventure C: Ship of Doom have been remade in Unity for smartphones in 2020, with all text commands removed and simpler to use buttons. B also has the option to switch between Spectrum and C64 graphics.
  • Another Code: Recollection for the Nintendo Switch is this for the Another Code duology: Two Memoriesnote  for the Nintendo DS and R - A Journey Into Lost Memories for the Wii. In addition to the expected visual and presentation updates, the remake contains completely new puzzles and a heavily rewritten story; its version of Two Memories only shares the same core plot beats, while its take on R - A Journey Into Lost Memories completely diverges from the original after the halfway point.
  • Dune (1992) received an unexpected and bizarre remake in form of a fan-made porn parody named Behind the Dune. Yes, really.
  • Monkey Island:
  • Myst:
    • Rereleased in 2000 as realMYST. The StrataStudio 3D geometry from which the original game's HyperCard scenes had been rendered were imported into a new realtime 3D engine and overhauled, allowing fluid movement instead of fixed "slide-show" locations, as well as weather effects and other non-static elements. It also included a new age to visit.
    • 2014 saw the release of realMYST: Masterpiece Edition,note  which updated realMYST to use more modern (optional) WASD controls, greatly enhanced the graphics, added features like a flashlight and a built-in hint system, and most importantly, lets the game be played on modern machines (realMYST was notoriously buggy).
    • A remake built on Unreal Engine was released for use with the Oculus Quest on December 10th, 2020. A version that supports other PCVR headsets and standard monitor play was released on August 26, 2021, alongside releases for the Macintosh and the Xbox consoles.
  • A realtime remake of Riven (a la realMYST) called Starry Expanse was in the works by fans with the approval of Cyan. In 2019, Cyan announced that they were working with the creators to finish the game. This new version, now titled Riven: New Discoveries From the Lost D'ni Empire, will expand on the game's lore and include new content that was not present in the original, and came out on June 25, 2024.
  • Toward the end of the Adventure Game era, Sierra re-released some of their early classics with point-and-click interfaces (instead of the old text-parsers) and vastly upgraded graphics and sound. These games included King's Quest (which got a superior fan remake), Space Quest, Police Quest, Quest for Glory, and more.
    • Leisure Suit Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards was originally a graphic adventure remake of the text-only Softporn Adventure, with improved puzzles and an all-new comedic script, and was subsequently remade again with sharper graphics and a point-and-click interface replacing the original text parser. And then it was remade yet another time in high definition.
  • Sam & Max: Freelance Police: The first two seasons have received updated remastered versions. The first, 2020's "Save the World", was made using an updated and polished version of the Telltale engine that the original games ran on, and included refined graphics, a total replacement of the in-game lighting system, and new music. Somewhat controversially, the creators also changed or cut out some of the more poorly-aged jokes, and recast the character of Bosco (an African-American character previously voiced by white VA Joey Camen) with black VA Ogie Banks. Skunkape's lack of transparency about these changes stirred up controversy within the fandom, although the backlash has more or less subsided completely. In November 2021, it was announced that Skunkape, as planned, would be releasing a remaster of season two, "Beyond Time and Space". In a post on Twitter, the studio made a point to announce that none of the dialogue from the original game would be changed this time, although Banks would still be re-recording all of Bosco's lines.

Beat 'em Ups 

  • Battletoads in Battlemaniacs for the SNES is a shorter, easier remake of the original Battletoads. Its stages (not counting the new bonus stages) are clearly based on six of the levels from the NES game, though with some very radical differences (e.g. stage 5 of Battlemaniacs is like "Clinger Winger" done Minecart Madness style, with a few jumps added and no Boss Battle).
  • Double Dragon:
    • Double Dragon Advance for Game Boy Advance is a remake of the original arcade game but with new stages, moves, and enemies lifted from or inspired by later installments (particularly Double Dragon II and Super Double Dragon).
    • There is also an Xbox Live Arcade version of the first game, which is a straight emulation of the arcade game with the option to add redrawn HD graphics.
    • The iPhone version of Double Dragon, made by Brizo (the developers of the South America-exclusive Zeebo version), features all-new graphics and moves, four stages based on the original arcade game (with Abobo, Burnov, Chin, and Willy as bosses, all returning villains from previous games), and two new stages with new female bosses. (Lavis and Deena).
  • Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force got a remake on the PlayStation with different gameplay mechanics and aesthetic changes from the original Sharp X68000 version and its ports.
  • River City Ransom has two handheld remakes:
    • The first is called River City Ransom EX for the Game Boy Advance, which updates the music, graphics, and adds quite a lot of gameplay elements.
    • A full-on reimagining entitled River City: Rival Showdown was later released on the 3DS. While both the plot and graphics are vaguely reminiscent of the original game, nearly everything else is radically different: new mechanics; tons more moves; a day/night cycle; mutiple endings; and loads more.
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled for Xbox Live Arcade and Play Station Network. It's basically the arcade hit, now in 3D (but still sidescrolling) and with a new soundtrack that polarized the nostalgics. Notably, Turtles in Time's SNES port received an added stage and several new and/or replaced bosses - Re-Shelled is based on the original arcade game, and as such is missing these features. This has been the primary complaint critics have raised about the remake.
  • The Ninja Warriors Again has a remake on Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch, titled The Ninja Warriors Once Again (or The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors abroad). In addition to a visual uplift and arranged soundtrack, Once Again also adds two-player co-op and two new characters.
  • Like a Dragon:
    • Yakuza Kiwami and Kiwami 2 are remakes of the first and second games in the series using the engine from Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 6, respectively. Along with enhanced visuals and altered combat systems, the remake adds new scenes and features, such as the "Majima Everywhere" system in Kiwami and the Majima Construction RTS mini-game and a side story featuring a playable Majima in Kiwami 2.
    • Like a Dragon: Ishin! got a remake in 2023, mainly to bring it to the West, while updating and replacing certain characters from the original with some characters from games that were more recent at the time of its release, along with adding new gameplay mechanics like the Trooper Card system.

Eastern RPGs 

  • Chrono Trigger on the Nintendo DS got a new translation, all the PS1 goodies without the horrible slowdown and bugged sound, reformatted interface, a few new dungeons, and a new ending. It also answers how Porre became powerful enough to take down Guardia, though that explanation has caused accusations of being a Voodoo Shark.
  • Dragon Quest has seen its share of remakes as well, though the earlier ones were released in Japan only:
  • Final Fantasy:
  • Fire Emblem:
    • Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light, the first game in the series originally released for the Super Famicom in 1990, has been remade twice. The first remake, Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, was released for the Super Famicom in 1994 and contains both a remake and a sequel of the original game (players can skip the remade portion and begin directly with the sequel). The second remake, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, was released for the Nintendo DS in 2009 and was the first version of the game given an international release.
    • The sequel portion of Mystery of the Emblem also received a separate DS remake titled New Mystery of the Emblem ~ Heroes of Light and Shadows (officially shortened to just New Mystery of the Emblem) in 2010. The remake introduces more characters, a brand new subplot, a Casual Mode that turns off the series' signature Permadeath, and the Avatar system (the latter two of which would return in Fire Emblem: Awakening). Unlike its predecessor, however, the remake didn't receive an international release (the only game since Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade to not have been released in the West, in fact)note .
    • Fire Emblem Gaiden, a side story of the above two titles, is reimagined for the Nintendo 3DS as Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia in 2017. Echoes features some of the series' later additions, such as the option to turn off Permadeath and the support system (although not for marriage purposes this time, as the original games' fixed pairings are kept), while adding new story elements and characters, including a post-game Bonus Dungeon arc featuring the origins of Grima, the Big Bad of Fire Emblem: Awakening. In addition, the game utilizes full voice acting, a series first (though Fire Emblem Heroes, a spinoff, did it first).
  • Game Master (RPG Maker): The game was originally made in RPG Maker VX Ace, but was remade with RPG Maker MV as Game Master Plus.
  • Heroes of Jin Yong, the "first RPG made in China" from way back in 1996, gains a 3-D remake in 2018, and an Adaptation Expansion at least three times as long as the original. It also adapts a few ideas from Heroes's 2001 sequel, Wulin Warriors.
  • Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, a Game Boy Advance game, was remade for PlayStation 2 in the international version of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+, titled Re:Chain of Memories, in 2007. The remake was eventually released in North America by itself (a year and a half later!), but alas, not in Europe or Australia, which had to wait until the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Compilation Re-release for the PlayStation 3 in 2013.
  • A Nintendo DS remake of Kingdom Hearts coded, a mobile phone game, was announced at E3 2010 (titled Re:coded) solely for the purpose of bringing it to international audiences.
  • The first game in the The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky trilogy, originally released in 2004, itself the first game in the Trails Series, is set to get a full 3D remake in the style of Trails of Cold Steel and Trails through Daybreak in 2025.
  • Live A Live, a 1994 Super Famicom game, was remade in 2022 for the Nintendo Switch, with the graphics redone in the "HD-2D" style originally introduced with Octopath Traveler, as well as being made available outside Japan for the first time.
  • Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals, the most famous game of its series which is originally created by Neverland and originally brought to North America by Natsume, is remade on the Nintendo DS under the name of "Lufia: Curse of Sinistrals" with new system, plots, and very Final Fantasy-ish character design, and Natsume reprised its role as the localizer for the North American market. Cue Broken Base.
  • Lunar:
  • Again with the Rebirth moniker, Neptunia has had a remake of its first two (PS3) games using the third game's battle system and a tweaked storyline. The remakes were first for the PlayStation Vita and are now being ported to PC via Steam. The third game was also remade for Vita and PC, with an altered combat system and additional scenarios.
  • Mana Series
  • Mario & Luigi:
  • Nocturne (RPG Maker) was originally made for RPG Maker 2000 and mainly used stock assets and the default battle system. The RPG Maker XP remake, Nocturne: Rebirth, uses more custom assets (though most enemies on the map still use stock sprites) and implements a more complicated sideview ATB system.
  • Persona 3 received a remake in the form of Persona 3 Reload, which rebuilds the game in Unreal Engine to match the graphical style of Persona 5, adds a bunch of quality-of-life improvements, and expands upon certain characters that wasn't possible in either of the game's original re-releases.
  • Phantasy Star I and Phantasy Star II both received remakes for Japanese audiences on the PS2, as part of Sega's "AGES 2500" series. They were originally to be released in the US with a remake of Phantasy Star IV, but said remake was canceled, and any plans to release either existing game in the west have never been addressed since.

    The Sega Ages 2500 series also included polygonal-graphics remakes of such games as After Burner II, OutRun, Space Harrier, Gain Ground, Golden Axe, Hokuto no Ken (the Sega Master System game), and even the ancient Monaco GP.

  • Pokémon:
    • Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on Game Boy Advance, remakes of Pokémon Red And Blue/Green on the original Game Boy. It features Mons that had since been introduced in subsequent generations, a new set of islands to explore, superior graphics, vastly improved programming, and implemented the battle/experience system of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. The game is also designed to cater to beginners. A help menu can be accessed at any time which can describe any aspects of the current situation (in battle, one can even look up a type-effectiveness chart) and the Old Man that once simply showed you how to catch a Pokémon now gives you the Teachy TV, an item that shows you how various in-game mechanics work. However, these remakes were necessary purchases for those who Gotta Catch Them All without a GameShark or friends with the games, as the previous two generations of games were incompatible with the latest ones of the time.
    • There are also remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver, titled HeartGold and SoulSilver. They feature the graphical style of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl/Platinum, Pokémon introduced since the release of the original Gold and Silver (with no restrictions against obtaining them like FireRed and LeafGreen had, which required the game to be completed), access to all existent Pokémon up to that point, a few new areas (such as a Safari Zone, which was a feature Gold, Silver, and Crystal lacked that every other game in the series has, though the Bug-Catching Contest event was somewhat similar), menus redesigned to use the touch screen, the improvements and additions from Crystal, and an expanded Kanto region that added back areas from Red and Blue that were not in the original Gold and Silver, in addition to expanding the locations already present.

      But wait! There's more! HeartGold and SoulSilver also brought back the fan-favorite walking Pokémon feature from Yellow (made compatible with all Pokémon this time), and added a new battle against Lance and Clair. It includes the plotlines from Crystal, as well as appearances of characters from Generations III and IV. Gym Leader rebattling, tons more legendaries, Kanto and Hoenn starters, an extra HM (Rock Climb), brand new sidequests, the Battle Frontier, the Pokéathlon, the Pokéwalker, new events involving Arceus and Celebi (the latter providing with a secret battle against Giovanni), plus photos and lots of backstory. Seriously.

    • In 2014 remakes of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were announced called Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The new features include the standards: access to all of the Pokémon up to Generation VI, graphical updates, the battle interface of Pokémon X and Y, and of course new Mega Evolutions. Contests and Secret Bases return for the first time since Generation IV. New features include an updated Pokénav that lets you catch Pokémon with Egg-only moves in the wild (e.g. Poochyena with Fire Fang on the first), giving Team Magma and Aqua a severe case of Divergent Character Evolution after they were more or less palette swaps of each other in the original games, and the ability to ride Latios/Latias around Hoenn in their Mega Formes.
    • Pokémon Diamond and Pearl got a Shot-for-Shot Remake on the Nintendo Switch in 2021 called Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl which updates the existing games to a new graphic style and uses the same cel-shaded 3D models as 2020's remakes of Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team. Notably for the first time in the main series, Game Freak would not be the developers of the game with it instead being outsourced to ICLA, Inc.
    • Even the spinoff series Pokémon Mystery Dungeon got in on the action with 2020's Rescue Team DX, a Nintendo Switch revamp of the Rescue Team duology featuring fully 3D graphics, a redone watercolor art style based on official artwork for the original, Pokémon from later generations such as Lucario and Togekiss, and new features such as Mega Evolution (previously seen in Super Mystery Dungeon).
  • The Sting RPG Riviera: The Promised Land started life as a WonderSwan game, then got ported to the Game Boy Advance with upgraded graphics and music, and still later was ported to the PlayStation Portable with upgraded resized and filtered graphics, more and improved CG scenes, enhanced and arranged music, and full voice-acting of the dialogue.
    • Another Sting game, Yggdra Union, was released first for the GBA and then upgrade-ported to the PSP.
    • This also is the case for Knights in the Nightmare, which was released first for the DS and then upgrade-ported to the PSP.
  • SaGa:
  • Skies of Arcadia for the Sega Dreamcast got a GameCube remake in 2003, called Skies of Arcadia Legends. This remake included less blocky character models, lots of new missions, less random battles, and tons more. This remake was also slated for a PS2 and PC release, but sadly never came to be.
  • Star Ocean: The Second Story has a 2023 remake called Star Ocean: The Second Story R which replaces the pre-rendered backgrounds with fully 3D worlds while retaining sprites for the characters.
  • Super Mario RPG got a remake for the Nintendo Switch released in mid-November 2023, featuring real-time 3D graphics (as opposed to the original game's Donkey Kong Country-esque pre-rendered sprites) and an orchestral soundtrack by Yoko Shimomura herself (although the soundtrack as originally heard in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System is also available).
  • Super Robot Wars:
  • The Tales Series:
  • Wild ARMs: Alter Code F was a PS2 update of the original Wild ARMs, complete with 3D graphics, extra scenes, more playable characters, a battle system more in-line with the most recent series entry at the time (3), extra sidequests, the whole shebang...but a remarkably similar-quality translation. It was made even worse by the fact that it wasn't released in North America until two years after its original release in Japan, a gap longer than most Final Fantasy games, and yet the translation seemed like it was all done in a month. It even somehow managed to screw up a plot-relevant translation - Jack van Burace called himself that because he used to be the Knight of the Vambrace, which is a kind of arm guard. The remake made him the Knight of the Gauntlet, which is a totally different piece of armor and cannot be altered to sound like van Burace.
  • Sword of Paladin: The RE version combines the original three games into one with several changes to the story, revised mechanics and balancing, and new character art. The RE version also includes a new chapter to bring a proper conclusion to the Miasma plotline.
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 1 received a remake in 2020 for the Nintendo Switch, entitled Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, that uses the graphics engine from its sequel, and contains a brand new playable epilogue, Future Connected.

Fighting Games 

  • Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is a remake of the original Super Street Fighter II Turbo developed by Backbone Entertainment with graphics drawn by Udon and a remixed version of the original soundtrack by the Game Music community at OverClocked ReMix.
  • The Dream Match Games of The King of Fighters series ('94, '98, and 2002) were remade as The King of Fighters '94: Re-Bout, The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match, and The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match.
  • Dead or Alive Ultimate had a remake of the second game, using the mechanics of the third and engine of spin-off Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. Dead or Alive Dimensions can be seen as a remake of the first four games, compiling all their stories (with appropriate changes to make the storyline more self-consistent) while running on a modified version of the fourth game's engine.

First-Person Shooters 

  • Black Mesa, a fanmade remake of the original Half-Life created as a Game Mod for the Source engine (the engine of Half Life 2), which after a long wait has been released, aims to not only recreate the game from scratch, but include some material that was originally excluded from the original game, as well as a complete overhaul of the infamous Xen section.
  • Chex Quest got an HD remake that was released on Steam in 2020 and would later be ported to Nintendo Switch in 2022. It features reimaginings of the 5 maps of the original game, more playable characters and multiplayer.
  • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Remastered and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered straddle the line between a Remaster and a full Remake. While the gameplay is almost 100% identical to the originals from 10 years ago (barring a few quality of life improvements such as optional hitmarkers, support for modern resolutions, and a few new easter eggs tying into the later games), the game is not simply newer high-res textures plugged into the old engine, but rather rebuilt from scratch from the ground up with modern technology.
  • Far Cry was remade in HD for XBLA and PSN as Far Cry Classic 10 years after the original, with modern console FPS amenities such as true iron sights, proper sprinting, visual enemy tags (which previously only appeared on the Enemy-Detecting Radar), and quick-melee attacks, as well as more realistic weapon designs and a more forgiving difficulty level. That said, although the game is a port to a more console-friendly engine, it reuses the majority of the original game's assets and design (with some improvements to things like textures) and falls somewhat closer to being an HD remaster rather than a full remake.
  • GoldenEye was remade by Activision for the Wii. The new GoldenEye features Daniel Craig's Bond replacing Pierce Brosnan's and the story is being altered to fit the more modern setting. The game plays more like Call of Duty with the characters and setting from GoldenEye, even in multiplayer, load outs and all. Although the soundtrack during multiplayer does add on to the adrenaline rush. It was exclusive to the Wii before being ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360 with HD graphics, better online functionality, and a new set of levels.
  • Halo:
    • While obviously not a remake, the graphics of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is done using much of Reach's assets by 343 Industries (the game was originally developed by Bungie). While the gameplay remains intact, the cutscenes are reanimated when the game is in "Remastered Mode". Some parts of the scenery are subtly revised (partly to help tie in with Halo 4). Online and system link functionality with the two-player co-op mode was not available. For the lore fans, there are new terminals which expand upon the background plot of the game and tie it in with later canon. You even have the option to change the graphics on the fly to the original (yet still up-scaled) graphics (despite Gearbox PC version being the basis for Classic Mode). It goes to show how far the series had come. The one problem that many fans agree on is that the multiplayer portion is just the Halo: Reach engine with some of the maps from the first game redone, although the map pack is redeemable in new copies to be used in the actual Halo: Reach game.
    • Halo 2 also received an enhanced anniversary version, although exclusive to the Master Chief Collection.
  • The PS3 version of Medal of Honor (2010) includes an HD remaster of Medal of Honor: Frontline, which has numerous gameplay enhancements including the "iron sights" aiming featured in many modern shooters.
  • Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light received "Redux" remakes under a new game engine: the 4A Engine, which features updated graphics, physics and weather effects, as well as better AI, controls, new game modes, etc. For Metro 2033, the remake was nearly a completely new game, with much more modern gameplay and graphics. For Metro Last Light, which was already on an older version of the 4A Engine, most of the core gameplay and assets such as character and object models are the same, and the main differences are subtle graphical upgrades.
  • Painkiller Hell & Damnation falls somewhere between being a remake of the original Painkiller and a completely new game. The game itself features remade versions of the most popular levels from Painkiller and Battle Out of Hell (with different enemy placement and other alterations), but the story tying the levels together is completely new and seems to treat the original game as having happened in Broad Strokes.
  • Serious Sam has the HD (yes, that's what it's called) rereleases, which feature ragdoll physics, various minor tweaks and the titular graphical enhancements.
  • Somewhere between Ascended Fanfic and this trope lies Team Fortress Classic, an updated release of the original Quake mod done on Valve's Goldsrc engine.
    • For that matter Quake would also get an officially done remake for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in August, 2021 that featured HD graphics and online multiplayer.
  • The cult classic 2003 cel-shaded XIII was remade in 2020, with modernized game mechanics such as aim-down-sights, Regenerating Health, Limited Loadout, etc. The switch from the original's distinct cel-shaded art style to a more generic cartoony CG art style reminescent of Fortnite was controversial, which wasn't helped by the fact the remake was released in an Obvious Beta state, supposedly due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Maze Games 

  • The PC Engine version of The Tower of Druaga had 60 redesigned floors now depicted in Three-Quarters View, and a lot of new treasures, many of which had to be equipped to be used. It also eliminated two of the more frustrating features of the arcade game: the floor timers and the bad potions on certain floors.

Metroidvania 

Platform Games 

  • ActRaiser got a remake for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC, and mobile in September 2021 called ActRaiser Renaissance. The game featured a newly remastered fully orchestral soundtrack along with new stages.
  • Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is an enhanced remake of the original Alex Kidd in Miracle World with enhanced graphics and music, new music tracks, and new levels. It was released in June 2021 on PC and consoles.
  • Bionic Commando Rearmed is a high definition remake of the original Bionic Commando (1988). While it upgrades the graphics, it does actually add a substantial amount of content to the game, including new levels, weapons, upgrades, and abilities. The game was rebuilt with the new movement abilities in mind, controls were tightened up even further, and it also rebalances the game to make the other available weapons at least reasonably viable, so that players don't just go through 80% of the game with the rocket launcher. It manages to do all this while retaining affectionate references to the original game, making more of a labor of love than financial expedience.
  • Braid would get a re-release in 2021 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, Windows, Mac, and Linux which would include redone visuals and even a developers commentary.
  • Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse saw a full-on HD remake on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC in 2013, completely rebuilt from the ground up and featured an all-new remastered soundtrack composed by Grant Kirkhope, composer of several Rare games back in the day.
  • Conker: Live & Reloaded on Xbox is a remake of Conker's Bad Fur Day on Nintendo 64, featuring realistic fur textures on the eponymous squirrel, online multiplayer, and (unfortunately for folks who liked the original's profanity) censored swearing.
  • The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy had the first three games completely rebuilt from the ground up, since the original source code is out of date with newer technology. It also unifies features in all three games (for example, Relics from the third game can now be collected in the first two games, and saving in the first game works like the latter two), as well as having Coco Bandicoot playable in all three remakes, as opposed to only being playable in select levels of Warped. note 
  • After Delta Tao bought the rights to the Dark Castle series, they remade the original monochrome game as Color Dark Castle.
  • Donkey Kong Country got a remake on the Game Boy Color. This version of the game had less detailed graphics due to the Game Boy Color's limited graphics capabilities and much of the music was ripped right from its Gaiden Game Donkey Kong Land. It later got remade on the Game Boy Advance with brighter graphics, redone sound, a redone menu system and some new minigames. Its sequel, Diddy's Kong Quest followed in 2004 and the third game of the original trilogy, Dixie Kong's Double Trouble, followed in 2005. This one had a completely new soundtrack, loved by some fans but hated by others, as well as an entirely new world named Pacifica which is actually seen midway through the game.
  • Donkey Kong Country Returns got a remake on the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, only three years after the original released. The remake featured a whole new world unlocked after the main game was beaten, and graphics redone in auto stereoscopic 3D. It was remade again for the Nintendo Switch under the subtitle of HD, retaining most of its features from its 3DS version.
  • Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze would get ported on the Nintendo Switch in 2018 which would add Funky Kong as a playable character that had a hover ability.
  • DuckTales Remastered, a remake of the original NES game for the Xbox Live Arcade, Play Station Network and Wii U eShop. Some of the characters in the original go from minor cameos to full-brown appearances and in addition, you can actually swim in Scrooge McDuck's money bin, as it is an all-new playable area. Oh yes, and the game features brand new voice acting work done by most of the original actors from the animated series—including Alan Young, who has provided the voice for Scrooge McDuck in almost every Disney game, TV show and movie since 1983.
  • Earthworm Jim had a remake for modern platforms called Earthworm Jim HD, with upgraded graphics, a new multiplayer co-op mode, redone music, extra stages and the removal of the bonus stage.
  • Epic Mickey would get a multi-platform remake in 2024 called Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, featuring updated graphics and cutscenes and new moves for Mickey such as dashing and ground pounding.
  • In Ghosts 'n Goblins, unlike Ultimate in 2006 which tried to update the designs of certain locations, characters, Princess Prin-Prin being the most notable differentiation, and how the little introduction and ending cutscenes went; Resurrection in 2021 really tries to equate innovation with keeping it as a classic as possible: all characters, locations and little cutscenes are pretty much strictly based on the very first game in the series, the Arcade release in 1985.
  • Gimmick! (1992) got its turn in 2020 with the release of Gimmick! Exact Mix for arcades, featuring redrawn graphics, a remixed soundtrack, and several new gameplay modes.
  • Jumper Redux, the remake of the original Jumper remade in Game Maker 6 and including its capabilities for special effects, network multiplayer mode and remixed as well as new original music.
  • Kirby:
    • Nightmare in Dream Land was a GBA remake of the NES Kirby's Adventure.
    • Kirby Super Star (known as Kirby's Fun Pak in European languages) for the SNES also contained a shortened remake of Kirby's Dream Land. Then came Kirby Super Star Ultra, a DS remake of this game, which not only adds new minigames, but four new game modes, including one where you get to play as Meta Knight, and one that's a remake of the first game's hard mode!
    • Kirby's Return to Dream Land would get a remake in 2023 for Nintendo Switch called Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe which uniquely, would feature remakes of past subgames, the returning Festival ability from Kirby Star Allies, two brand new exclusive Copy Abilities: Mecha and Sand, as well as a post-main game mode called "Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler", which details on what happened to Magolor after his defeat in Another Dimension.
  • Capcom re-released the original Mega Man game for the PSP as Mega Man Powered Up. MMPU included completely remixed versions of classic stages (with a "Classic Mode" with all the levels preserved as they were on the NES), two new bosses, a level editor, and the ability to play as the bosses, not to mention an overhauled Super-Deformed art style. The remake was well received, despite the somewhat polarizing new look: as one reviewer put it, there's just something wrong about wanting to give Guts Man a big hug.
  • Mega Man: The Wily Wars is a remake of Mega Man, Mega Man 2, and Mega Man 3 on Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. The compilation title also adds original boss fights outside of the remakes. While the game released on cartridge in Japan and Europe, American players were only able to play it as part of the "Sega Channel" online service. It would not receive a proper release in North America until the release of the Sega Genesis Mini microconsole.
  • Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X was a remake of the first Mega Man X game with improved graphics, added anime cutscenes, an extra playable character, and an unlockable prequel OVA called The Day of Sigma. Sadly, the game vastly changes certain aspects of the universe, so that the remake doesn't sync up with the storyline of the other games...up until about Mega Man X5. The series creator stated he wanted to rewrite the beginning of the story, and would do so if the remake sold well...which it did not.
  • Pac-Man World would get a remake in August 2022 called ''Pac Man WORLD RePAC on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 5, and Steam.
  • Prince of Persia Classic is a remake of the original 2D game with graphics similar to the Sands Of Time trilogy and new moves such as walljumping and rolling, a redesigned combat system, and new tougher enemies and bosses (e.g. the Gatekeeper who replaces the Politician from the original, and Jaffar has magic attacks and is a lot tougher now).
  • Ratchet & Clank (2016) zig-zags between this and a Recursive Adaptation of the movie. A few levels such as Veldin, Quartu and the Deplanetizer are the latter trope, while everything else like Novalis, Batalia and Kalebo III are this trope but in the context of the movie's storyline.
  • Sonic the Hedgehog:
  • SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom received a remake on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2020 which gives it the subtitle Rehydrated, adding a new multiplayer mode that features content that was Dummied Out of the original release.
  • Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a remake of the Spyro the Dragon trilogy by Insomniac Games on the original PlayStation, consisting of Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. It was developed by Toys for Bob, and features updated graphics and character redesigns.
  • Every game in the NES Super Mario Bros. trilogy has had two remakes: one in Super Mario All-Stars and the other in the Super Mario Advance series (except SMB1, which got a second remake in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe for the Game Boy Color). The World games and 64 also have portable remakes.
    • In fact, Super Mario 64 DS may set the record for the most console-specific subtitles/prefixes. It has "64" from the Nintendo 64, and "DS" from the Nintendo DS. Not only that, but the remake itself featured three additional playable characters, with Yoshi being the primary one to play as with their own unique abilities (you have to unlock Mario before tackling the ground level final sections. Luigi and Wario are optional though), some new or revised levels, and a slew of minigames and even a competitive multiplayer mode, requiring only one cartridge to play. It also used the touch screen as an improved analog stick, but this is now unnecessary with the release of the 3DS.
  • Super Monkey Ball:
    • In 2019, an HD version of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The remake is very faithful, with the only major changes being updates to the user interface, online leaderboards, and changes to the music due to apparent copyright issues. Additionally, Sonic the Hedgehog is included as a playable character.
    • This was followed by Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania in 2021, celebrating the series' 20th anniversary; it released on the same consoles as Banana Blitz HD, along with Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Windows. It consists of remade levels from the original Super Monkey Ball, its sequel, and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe running in the same engine as Banana Blitz HD. New features include several new characters (such as Doctor and YanYan from Banana Blitz), cosmetics and skins (including the option to use the series' classic character models), the option to turn on the jumping feature from Banana Blitz, four-player co-op, and online leaderboards.

Puzzle Games 

Puzzle Platformers 

  • Donkey Kong for the Game Boy. Take the original arcade game, put it on the Game Boy... then overhaul the mechanics, add several new moves for Mario (including the triple-jump, backflip, tightrope-walking and such, which pre-dated the 3D games), 97 additional stages, updated graphics (albeit monochrome if played on the original GB), and the new levels have a new focus on puzzle-solving (these levels would later be the inspiration for 2004's Mario vs. Donkey Kong). And a new final boss. This game added so much, and it is arguably one of the best game remakes of all time.
  • The aforementioned Mario vs. Donkey Kong would get an enhanced remake on the Nintendo Switch with HD graphics, two additional worlds, and a local two-player co-op mode where one controls Mario and the other controls Toad.
  • Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was remade as Klonoa on the Wii, with much nicer visuals, ability to listen to English voices or the "Phantomilian" language, more bonuses, and alterations to the script and name spellings.
  • The Lost Vikings 2 was remade as Norse by Norsewest: The Lost Vikings Return for the next generation of consoles a mere year after it appeared on the SNES in 1995. The gameplay and level design remained the same, but the sound effects, music and graphics were completely redone. The remake also implemented FMV and voice acting.
  • Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker would get remakes for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS in 2018. Both versions would add stages from Super Mario Odyssey and the 3DS version would include touch controls.

Racing Games 

  • Crash Team Racing was originally released on the PlayStation in 1999, then would later be remade as Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled in 2019. Announced ostensibly as just a remake of the original, Nitro-Fueled launched with that as well as extensive customization and all tracks and characters from Crash Nitro Kart, the PS2 sequel, leaving out only the Adventure Mode story and its hub levels. Not content to stop there, it got eight months of free Grand Prix DLC that introduced brand new tracks, dozens of new customization options, and every playable character from the other kart racers, plus many more besides!
  • Daytona USA was remade in 2010 as Sega Racing Classic, which ups the resolution and draw distance a bit, and drops the Daytona license, but otherwise keeps the classic gameplay intact.
  • Diddy Kong Racing, originally a Nintendo 64 game, was remade on the Nintendo DS (with Banjo and Conker replaced by Dixie and Tiny Kong as they are both owned by Rareware, who is now owned by Microsoft).

Real Time Strategy Games 

  • The Age of Empires series got a series of remakes called the Definitive Edition beginning in 2018, with Age of Empires I releasing in 2018, Age of Empires II releasing in 2019, Age of Empires III releasing in 2020, and Age of Mythology: Retold releasing in 2024. All three had their respective expansion packs for the original game included in the base game, featured several balance changes, featured improved graphics and Steam/Xbox Online support, and II and III in particular got new civilizations added: II received the Bulgarians, Cumans, Lithuanians, Tatars, while III received the Swedish and Inca. Later DLCs for II would introduce the Burgundians, Sicilians, Bohemians, Poles, Bengalis, Dravidians, Gurjaras, Romans, Armenians, Georgians, Achaemenids, Athenians and Spartans and III would later include the Americans, Mexicans, Ethiopians, Hausa, Italians and Maltese. Retold would ax the Chinese civilization introduced in the Tale of the Dragon DLC for Age of Mythology: Extended Edition to be re-added as part of the Immortal Pillars DLC, and would introduce a new major god for the Norse, Freyr, alongside the minor gods Ullr, Aegir and Vidar.
  • Cossacks 3 is mostly a isometric 3-D do-over of Cossacks: European Wars at the core, though DLCs added unique campaigns.
  • Deception IV: Blood Ties is a reimagining of the first game.
  • Homeworld and its sequel have been remade for modern digital distribution platforms, but instead of just a simple Animation Bump to High Definition, these two have been remade for 4K resolution.
  • New Little King's Story is... strange. According to the plot, it's a sequel which Retcons the game's original Gainax Ending and follows Corobo trying to rebuild his kingdom after it's attacked and destroyed by a mysterious new enemy... but virtually every other aspect is close enough to the original game to qualify as a remake instead.
  • Dune 2000 is a remake of very popular Dune II made in 1992.
  • Warcraft III: Reforged is an enhanced HD remake of Warcraft III, which also initially promised redone cutscenes with more production value and changes to fit the current lore. The resulting product was Christmas Rushed to hell and was shipped in a very buggy, unfinished state and the promise of redone cutscenes was retracted, only made worse by the fact the original game was made literally unplayable legally by completely overwriting its multiplayer client with Reforged's. It became the lowest user-rated video game in Metacritic.
  • The first two Gameboy Advance entries in the Nintendo Wars series would get a re-release for Nintendo Switch in 2023 called Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp.
  • The Playstation game Front Mission would get a Nintendo Switch remake in 2022 called Front Mission: 1st Remake.

Roguelikes 

  • The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth ditches the original's Flash engine for its own, significantly more powerful and stable engine, as well changing the graphics to a Retreaux 32-bit-esque style, not to mention adding new characters, items, and bosses.

Shoot 'em Ups 

  • Gauntlet: Dark Legacy is essentially a remake of Gauntlet: Legends, as it has the same characters, levels, abilities, gameplay mechanics, and story of Legends, but also new characters, new levels, new abilities, new gameplay mechanics, and an extended ending leading up to a new final boss.
  • Gradius 2 for the MSX (not to be confused with the Arcade Game Gradius II) was remade for the Sharp X68000 as Nemesis '90 Kai.
  • Gunstar Super Heroes is an...odd case. Plot-wise, it's a sequel to Gunstar Heroes, but it's a massive case of History Repeats to the point that it's effectively a remake as well — almost all the same events happen again with new versions of the same characters, only there's more story surrounding everything this time.
  • Metal Slug has a remake, Metal Slug: Awakening, released just in time for the series' 25 anniversary. It's made by a different country altogether - by China's Tencent games instead of SNK, as the series has a surprisingly huge following in China.
  • The Monkey King: The Journey Begins (Shin Chuuka Taisen) for the Wii is a remake of the old Taito Shoot 'em Up Cloud Master (Chuuka Taisen), though this is obscured by the unrelated international titles.
  • A 3DS remake of Star Fox 64 was announced around the same time as the remake of Ocarina of Time. In addition to the obvious addition of upgraded 3D graphics, the voice acting was re-recorded (with the original voice actors when possible, though some had to be replaced), the music was redone (in contrast to the approach taken with Ocarina of Time 3D), and the game has two main modes (in addition to the existing Expert mode); the Nintendo 3DS mode lowers the difficulty mostly because of the new controls, while the Nintendo 64 mode intends to preserve the challenge of the original. The script was modified slightly as well, such as preserving the name of the planet Fichina in the international releases for consistency with later installments (it was changed to Fortuna in the original English release of 64, but not later games).
  • Two games in The Tale of ALLTYNEX: ALLTYNEX Second (PC, 2010), of ALLTYNEX (FM Towns, 1996); and RefleX (PC, 2008), of Reflection (PC, 1997).
  • Thexder has been remade as Thexder '95 for Windows, and as Thexder Neo on the Play Station Network.
  • Panzer Dragoon got a remake for Nintendo Switch on March 26, 2020.

Simulation Games 

  • Ace Combat 2 got one in the form of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy for the Nintendo 3DS. In Japan, it's called Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble.
  • Story of Seasons:
  • Oregon Trail 5th Edition is a very lightly edited version of Oregon Trail II. Fishing and gathering plants were turned from random events into options, and several animated cutscenes were added. Also, what many people believe to be the original Oregon Trail is actually a graphical remake of an earlier version titled Oregon that was entirely text-based.
  • 1995 game Transport Tycoon has been recently revived as the open-source project OpenTTD, with the additional merit of keeping pretty much only the graphics from the previous game but with the code written entirely from scratch, and with lots of extra features and customization capabilities. And as of version 1.0, you no longer need the original graphics. You can use them if you have an original game disk to get them from, but there's now a new set of graphics that eliminates the last non-free bit from this FOSS project.

Sports Games 

  • Punch-Out!! for the Wii is a "remake" in the truest sense of both the word and the trope. That is to say, it's a "remake" of an older video game (specifically the NES version) in the same way as a movie or TV series being a remake of an older movie or TV series. It features nearly all the classic characters from the NES Punch-Out!! game, plus two characters from the SNES sequel (and which originally debuted in the second arcade game), a new character (Disco Kid, who is a remake of a character in the first arcade game, Kid Quick), a two-player versus mode, and a new Title Defense mode where you fight harder variations of the same fighters (which means Glass Joe can finally knock you out if you're not careful). Also, Donkey Kong is the Guest Fighter (interestingly, Princess Peach was originally supposed to fill the role).
  • Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD, a downloadable game for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC via Steam, is a re-imagining of the first and second games, with the best levels of both games, in a new engine, and containing new modes. Any gameplay changes from 3 onward have been removed, so the on-foot junk is gone. It is worth noting that you can download a pack which contains the best levels from 3 and the revert-to-manual move (which can only be used in those levels). However, after the game was critically panned and helped lead to the death of developer Robomodo, another attempt at remaking the first two games was announced 8 years later, this time developed by Vicarious Visions. The simply titled Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 was much more better received than the other, which had even been removed from circulation.

Stealth-Based Games 

  • Hitman: Contracts was largely a remake of Hitman: Codename 47 in that several missions were remakes from the earlier game with better graphics and gameplay improvements. Most of the game takes place as a flashback to justify this.
  • Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes for GameCube, a remake of the original Metal Gear Solid on PlayStation. It was generally received well, but some harshly criticized the new over-the-top cutscenes, redone voice acting and music (taking out the series' iconic leitmotifs), the controls were mapped weirdly, and the fact that the newly introduced MGS2 gameplay elements removed much of the challenge of the original (most noticeably, the tranquilizer gun and first-person viewpoint). The good parts did come in the form of the levels being redesigned to accommodate the new gameplay mechanics, the soundtrack is pretty awesome (though many argue that it isn't as good as the original), and David Hayter sacrificed half his pay just to help bring back all the original cast to voice in the games, with the exception of the voice for the Cyborg Ninja (voiced by Rob Paulsen), despite the voice actor being present (Greg Eagles, who reprises his rule as Donald Anderson, who also voiced the Cyborg Ninja in the original).

Survival Horror 

  • Dead Space (Remake) takes the original game's plot, adds some mechanics from the sequels and some brand new ones, and tidies up some of the Early-Installment Weirdness of the 2006 game. The most obvious change is the lighting, with 9th gen consoles able to render the Ishimura much darker than the original. Oh, and now Isaac talks like he did in Dead Space 2 and 3.
  • The Resident Evil has seen several installments remade on later consoles.
    • Resident Evil for Nintendo GameCube, a 2002 remake of the original PlayStation version. It features a more polished storyline, touched up dialogue, ramps up the atmosphere to the max, and throws in some new twists and turns that makes it an entirely new and memorable experience (new enemies, weapons, puzzles, areas, etc). It was exclusive to the GameCube before being re-released on the Wii, and later got an HD version of PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch.
      • Another version was then released for DS, titled Resident Evil: Deadly Silence. It is largely the same game as the PlayStation 1 original with updated graphics and touch screen elements. However, it does feature new additions, such as the knife being its own button (just like Resident Evil 4), turning 180°, a reload button, and a map on the top screen which also doubles as a health and ammo indicator. This version also provides the option to play the original version of the game, or a remixed version which randomly adds enemies in areas you already cleared, throws in the knifing mini-game that is also done at random, enemies sometimes dropping health or ammo, and puzzles completely redone for use with the touch screen and the built in microphone. A multiplayer mode was thrown in as well.
    • Resident Evil 2 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC (a.k.a Biohazard RE:2), a 2019 remake of the original PlayStation version. It features the photorealistic graphics engine engine and UI of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard with the Always Over the Shoulder camera of Resident Evil 4, as well as a host of completely new areas, scenarios and gameplay mechanics, while integrating the gameplay style, locations, dual campaigns and so forth from the original game.
    • Resident Evil 3 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC (a.k.a Biohazard RE:3), a 2020 remake of the original PlayStation version, done in the same manner as the remake for Resident Evil 2. This remake also comes with a seperate multiplayer game called Resident Evil Resistance.
    • Resident Evil 4 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (a.k.a Biohazard RE:4), a 2023 remake of Resident Evil 4. It integrates several new mechanics and gameplay changes along with updated graphics into the original scenario.

Third Person Shooters 

  • Gears of War Ultimate Edition is similar to the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Metro 2033 examples in that it plays almost 100% identical to the original game, but is not simply higher res modern textures plugged into the old game's engine, but a completely new game built from scratch from the ground up with modern technology.
  • Rogue Trooper Redux follows the Gears of War example in being a Shot-for-Shot Remake that isn't really a remaster given that it was made completely from scratch using modern technology rather than simply adding more high resolution assets to the existing game, but since it plays almost 100% identically to the old game it doesn't really feel like a full remake either.

Turn-based Strategy Games 

  • North & South, a 1989 cartoonish American Civil War game on the Amiga which was later ported to various platforms including NES, PC, and Commodore 64, received a remake for mobile platforms in 2012 by Microids as The Bluecoats: North vs. South, which featured updated graphics, simplified army vs. army combat, and replaced the original game's side-scrolling action sequences with point-and-click Rail Shooter sequences. The game was remade again by Microids in 2020 as The Bluecoats: North & South for all current-gen platforms, with a much more cartoony map, army vs. army combat redone again, and replacing the original game's side-scrolling action sequences with First-Person Shooter segments this time.
  • Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon is a remake of the original Genesis version of the game with a large number of gameplay additions and changes to the game, such as a side campaign featuring three new characters, collectable cards of characters from the game (which one of the new character utilizes in-gameplay), stage objectives and balance tweaks. It also has a new script with a more accurate translation to the Japanese script and more dialogue from party members.
  • Tactics Ogre was rereleased for the PSP where the game mechanics were rebuilt from the ground up and includes new artwork, orchestrated soundtrack, an ability to travel to different story branches which makes viewing the multiple endings easier, the ability to rewind turns to reduce the need to save scum and a post-game campaign.
  • The Wing Commander game Privateer got a fan remake, with added quests and items, called "Privateer Remake". After controversy in the community about the added and changed stuff, another remake was created intended to be accurate to the original called, Privateer Gemini Gold.
  • Various game studios and fan groups have been re-making X-COM: UFO Defense for well over a decade.

Visual Novels 

  • Dōkyūsei, the Trope Codifier for many stables of the Dating Sim genre was originally released in 1992. It would receieve a remake in 1999 when it was re-released for Windows, going from pixelated to drawn graphics, and having some parts of the script slightly rewritten to be more "era-appropriate". A remake based on this remake, Dōkyūsei: Bangin' Summer, was eventually put together in 2021, featuring redrawn HD graphics, a new Easy Mode for players unaccostumed to the original's Nintendo Hard difficulity, and, after all previous incarnations of the game having only been released in Japanese, Bangin' Summer had English and Simplified Chinese translations released in 2022.
  • The original two games in the Famicom Detective Club series would get Switch remakes in 2021 which completely redid the games to feature voiced and animated cutscenes, as well as being the first official release of the series overseas.
  • The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney trilogy was originally made for the Game Boy Advance only in Japan, but has since been translated and rereleased for the Nintendo DS, (the DS version of the first game had an exclusive case which would foreshadow mechanics that would be used in Apollo Justice), and the Wii; a Remaster with hand-drawn, HD art would eventually be released for PC and iOS.
  • Snatcher was originally released in Japan for the PC-88 and MSX2 computer platforms in 1988. The original versions were pretty advanced for their time, but lacked voice acting and were rushed for release, resulting in the omission of the game's final act. The game was then remade as a Super CD game for the PC Engine in Japan titled Snatcher CD-ROMantic in 1992, which was the basis for the localized Sega CD port in 1994. The game got further remakes for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn in Japan in 1996.
  • Tsukihime was originally released on PC back in 2000. A remake was announced in 2008, but wouldn't come out until 2021 for the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch. And even then, it is only of two routes of the original game, as the remake is a expansion of the original, resulting in an additional game to retell the remaining routes.

Wide Open Sandbox 

  • The original space combat game Elite has had quite a few of these since its first release in 1984. The most recent is Oolite, a free open-source reimplementation with up to date graphics.
  • The classic 1987 videogame Sid Meier's Pirates! was remade for Windows in the mid-'90s as Pirates! Gold. It featured 640x480 graphics, mouse control, midi sound and a variety of new bugs, but was almost entirely unchanged as a game. Then in 2004 the game was remade again as Sid Meier's Pirates!, but so much was enhanced that many consider it to be superior to even a timeless classic as the original.
  • 2002's Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven got a HD remake in 2020, titled Mafia: Definitive Edition, which retains the game's linear story-based focus but updates the combat and gameplay to be more like the more modern Mafia III.

Unsorted 

  • The Namco Classics Collection series bundled three classic Namco games, and then added an "arrangement mode" which brought new features and a story that their endless 8-bit counterparts did not have. The collections came in two volumes and were only released as arcade machines. One had Galaga, Xevious, and Mappy. The other had Pac-Man, Rally-X, and Dig Dug. However, Namco Museum for the PS2, GameCube and Xbox (released in 2001) did include ports of both the original and arranged versions of Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, and Galaga. Xevious 3D/G also contained a port of the arranged version of Xevious, along with the original, and Super Xevious. The arranged version of Pac-Man, meanwhile, was included as part of the Game Boy Advance Pac-Man Collection, and was included in Pac-Man Museum+ as Pac-Man Arrangement (Arcade Version).
  • Games made by Eugene Jarvis fit this trope nicely. Examples include Defender 2000 for the Atari Jaguar (programmed by Jeff Minter, the guy behind the classic Video Game Remake Tempest 2000), reimaginings of Robotron: 2084 for the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation, and remakes of Defender and Narc (1988) for the PS2 and Xbox. Unfortunately, the latter two were terrible, and Jarvis disowned the N.A.R.C. remake.
  • Falcom revels in this, but fans outside of Japan get one given version at most, usually since many of the computer versions are for old Japanese computers like the NEC PC-88, though Ys SEVEN averted this tendency; it was made specifically for the PlayStation Portable instead of a PC platform, and that version was localized by XSEED Games within a year of its Japanese release. Those that did make it overseas tend to be fondly remembered, except for the two Legend of Heroes titles on the PS1 and PSP that got skewered with a "Blind Idiot" Translation.
    • Ys Book I and II on the TurboGrafx-CD was a compilation remake of the original two PC-88 games. Later, they were remade on PC as Ys I and II Eternal/Complete, which was ported to PS2 as Eternal Story, and to DS as Legacy of Ys: I and II, and the PSP as Ys I & II Chronicles, with the last one done by Falcom itself. In Japan, the first game (but not the second) was also remade on the Sharp X68000. A Korean company produced their own remake of the second game as Ys II Special in 1994.
    • Japan also got the two Falcom Classics compilations for the Sega Saturn. The first had remakes of the first Ys and Dragon Slayer games and Xanadu. The second had remakes of Ys II and Tombs & Treasure.
    • The side-scrolling Ys III: Wanderers from Ys was completely remade in a top-down 3D hack-and-slash format similar to that of Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim as Ys: The Oath in Felghana, which was originally a Japan-only PC game but was later ported by Nihon Falcom to the PSP, with that version receiving an English translation by XSEED Games. XSEED later published the PC version in English through Steam.
    • Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, Ys IV: Mask of the Sun and Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand received remakes on the PlayStation 2, all released only in Japan by Taito.
    • Brandish: The Dark Revenant for the PSP gave the original game a most welcome graphical overhaul, rendering the game environments in splendid 3D. This also meant that the game's famously esoteric camera system at last made some amount of sense, since the camera rotation was now smooth and it's far easier to keep track of where you are.
    • Ys IV was remade as Ys: Memories of Celceta on the Play Station Vita.
  • Everything Spiderweb Software made from 1995 to 1999 has been remade in another engine at one time or another—first the four Exile games were remade as the Avernum series in the Nethergate engine, and then Nethergate was carried over to the Geneforge engine. The Avernum series is now being remade again.
  • The Atari Jaguar had quite a few of these. In addition to the aforementioned Tempest 2000 and Defender 2000, there was Breakout 2000, Missile Command 3D, Hover Strike (To BattleZone) and the less retro Atari Lynx games Checkered Flag and Blue Lightning.
  • A variation occurs with Ghostbusters Pinball — the game itself is a digitally rethemed version of Gottlieb's Haunted House Physical Pinball Table, made by modifying the digital version of the game from FarSight Studios' The Pinball Arcade.
  • Heiankyo Alien was remade twice: once for the Game Boy, and again in Bomberman style for the Super Famicom as part of the Nichibutsu Arcade Classics series. Both remakes allowed for two-player co-op, and also included the original version.
  • Even though Nintendo's bit Generations did not get a release outside Japan a few of the games got remade as a part of Nintendo Art Style series of digital games on WiiWare and DSiWare. Dialhex, Orbital, and Dotstream got remakes as Orbient, Rotohex, and light trax while Digidrive got a DSiWare release.
  • Ameba-hosted Namu Amida Butsu!, which existed from 2016 to 2018, got remade into Namu Amida Butsu! -UTENA- with more characters, better graphics and animated sprites, and is hosted on DMM.
  • In 2008 and 2009, Nintendo released a handful of GameCube games for the Wii with new control schemes based around motion controls and/or the Wii's pointer functionality, dubbed New Play Control. While the Chibi-Robo! remake never made it out of Japan, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Mario Power Tennis, Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Pikmin, and Pikmin 2 all saw worldwide releases. The Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2 remakes later got bundled in with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption as the Metroid Prime Trilogy compilation.
  • The 1993 MS-DOS CD-ROM kids' game Richard Scarry's Busytown had a remake made and released in 1999 for Windows and Macintosh computers, featuring improved graphics and animation better resembling The Busy World of Richard Scarry animated series and better voice-acting resembling the voices in the same series (as the original game had one man providing all the character voices). While the gameplay is mostly the same and the original vocal songs are included, the "Bananas Gorilla" activity was removed from the remake, along with the "Junior Seesaw" activity (as it was already made redundant by the regular "Seesaw" activity.)
  • The Waxworks (1992) was remade in 2021 as Waxworks: Curse of the Ancestors, with modern 3D graphics, environments, and gameplay instead of the original game's Eye of the Beholder-style grid-based mazes.
  • The original House of the Dead lightgun/rail-shooter game from 1996 received a modern remake in 2022. Notably, Konami had lost the game's source code in the 2 decades after the game's release, so the game had to be made without being able to reference the original code. They also were unable to get the rights to the original music, so the game's new soundtrack had to use Serial Numbers Filed Off versions of the original tracks.
  • Fishing Vacation: The original game was made for a fishing-themed horror jam in 2020. Two years later the creator released a slightly updated version; the Deluxe version doesn't differ much in terms of story and gameplay, although it features extra cutscenes, new animations and sound effects, and updated controller support. The original version is free while the Deluxe version costs USD$1.99.

References in Other Media