The 10 Most Underrated Video Game Remakes
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VOICE OVER: Mathew Arter
WRITTEN BY: Mathew Arter
We get a lot of video game remakes these days, which means some don't get as much attention as they should. For this list, we'll be looking at those lesser known remakes that managed to slip under the radar, or that were not given the day in the sun they deserved. Our list includes Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, Silent Hill HD Collection, Metroid: Samus Returns, and more!
Script written by Mathew Arter
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we are looking in those hard to reach places to find the 10 Most Underrated Video Games Remakes. For this list, we’ll be looking at those lesser known remakes that managed to slip under the radar, or that were not given the day in the sun they deserved. We will be including ports and remasters as long as they offer something new to the experience. Did you just find out about any of these? Did you hate or love them? Let us know in the comments below.
The 3DS is easily one of the greatest handheld consoles of all time. The leap from DS to 3DS exclusive games was substantial, and the selection of games available made it a must have for gamers. Unfortunately, it sold half the units of its predecessor, and as it often is with handheld consoles, didn’t get to show off its games as much as home consoles of the time. Metroid: Samus Returns was a phenomenal remake of the original Metroid II game on the Game Boy. The music was outstanding, and the difficulty was tweaked to ease in new players. Even though it received solid reviews from fans, its sales were fairly under expectation. With the 3DS on a decline with the Switch coming out, they only managed to ship 500,000 units. For comparison, the Ocarina of Time 3DS remaster sold almost 7 million copies... That’s a lot of Zelda!
Selling about one fifth as well as the Crash Bandicoot ‘N’ Sane trilogy on PS4, Shadow of The Colossus is not only an underappreciated remake, but an underappreciated game in general! Ever since its original release on the PS2, it has been considered a cult classic! A cult classic!? It should just be considered a damn classic! You guys need to play this game. The remake is a ground-up rebuild of the original game. Like a great remake, it keeps the charm and gameplay of the original entry, and just updates the visuals and smooths out the edges. Shadow of The Colossus will change your life… Well, maybe not, but it’ll definitely fill your afternoon.
Super Mario 64 was the first game released on the Nintendo 64, and it was designed to show off the 3D platforming capabilities the console had to offer. When the Nintendo DS dropped, the same idea was tested with Super Mario 64 DS releasing at its launch. We don’t need to tell you how good Mario 64 is, but this lesser-known remake not only ported the entire game to a newer console, but added extra features including 3 new playable characters, and 30 additional starts to collect throughout the game. The controls are arguably a little janky, but come on, the N64 wasn’t always the easiest either - that analog stick is flimsier than Peach’s excuse for always getting caught by Bowser.
Considered a cult classic, Conker's Bad Fur Day has become one of the most beloved games of the N64 era. Coming out at the end of the N64’s commercial life, it only sold about 55,000 copies, compared to GoldenEye which sold 6 million copies. Remakes are great for making a game that is not very accessible, accessible again. And Conker: Live & Reloaded is currently about as accessible as it gets. Available on the Xbox store, jump back into this adventure with major improvements to the platforming, visuals and music. The moveable camera makes a lot of those platforming sections significantly easier, which is a negative for die hard fans, but a plus for those of us who remember the castle, the teddys and any section involving swimming. If you want the much harder original version, you can get it on Ebay for about 7 times the price of any other N64 cartridge.
I implore you, before you turn this video off, to listen to the words that come out of my mouth. Silent Hill 2 in the HD collection, certainly has its issues, I won’t deny that. But certain points need to be awarded for accessibility, and unfortunately for our Silent Hill fanboys (myself included), Silent Hill HD Collection is 10x more accessible than the original Silent Hill 2. Am I going to tell a friend of mine who wants to try Silent Hill 2 for the first time to not bother? Of course not, I’ll explain the issues and send them on their merry way. As far as the gameplay goes, the game is unchanged, there are some visual ‘upgrades’ that have caused quite a stir in the community, but on the flip side, I can walk out to my Xbox right now and start playing. The reason we argue that this HD collection is underrated, is because on the other side of the collection you have Silent Hill 3, which plays, feels and looks perfectly fine. If someone wants to try Silent Hill 3 for the first time, this is a great place to start. I can feel myself in the comments crosshairs, so I’m going to move on.
As a launch title for the PSP, this remake of the original Ape Escape barely got a look in. The reviews are midrange (7 out of 10’s and similar), but with the overhauled visuals, sound and voice acting, this underrated remake is definitely worth a second playthrough. With the loss of R2, L2 and the right analogue stick, the controls have been reworked to make them effective on the PSP. Although the original controls are a lot more intuitive, this control scheme is very effective given the lack of options on the handheld console. Overall, being able to play Ape Escape 1 on a handheld console isn’t something our younger selves would have ever dreamed of, and we should pay them the respect they deserve by giving this game another crack.
It’s always shocking to hear just how many gamers don’t know this game even exists. Released on the Nintendo GameCube, The Twin Snakes is a ground-up rebuild of the original Metal Gear Solid game, which utilizes a lot of the assets and gameplay mechanics of Metal Gear Solid 2. The game has received a good amount of hate from some MGS fans online, but looking at its metacritic user reviews, we can see that it can’t all be bad. The use of first person mode does make the entire story a lot easier, but it also makes it smoother for first time players. The additions here including the functional lockers and cupboards, as well as the ability to hang, climb, roll and hold up your enemies, gives fans of the first game a new way to see the world they originally fell in love with. The hardest hit for fans of the original, is the new soundtrack which sadly fails to capture the energy of the original. All this aside, The Twin Snakes is an incredibly underrated remake that should have been ported to PS2 to get the love it needed. Honestly, why the GameCube? Whose brilliant idea was that!?
It’s worth noting here that MGS3 Subsistence is not a remake, really at all. It’s arguable that it doesn’t belong on this list, it’s also arguable that I’ve had 3 coffees today and I can feel my heartbeat in my eyes so WE’RE ALL SAYING FACTS. For those unfamiliar, MGS2 did a similar thing, rereleasing their game with added features under Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance. Always a wordsmith, Kojima did the same with MGS3 titling it Subsistence. Excluding the added features, let's talk about the remake (or shall we say rehaul) of the campaign. The game added one incredible feature which would forever change MGS games moving forward. A new camera angle. That’s all! Implemented as a testing feature for Metal Gear Solid 4, the moveable third person camera changed the way the game felt entirely. Playing with the fixed camera perspective makes a certain amount of sense in MGS1 and 2, but when comparing the two different versions of MGS3, it’s clear to see that a moveable camera was the way this game was supposed to be played. It goes to show the difference such a small change can make for a game, and at its core, it’s heavily underrated.
The Nintendo DS didn’t get the time of day it deserved as it ported a lot of classics from other consoles straight into the palms of our hands. One of those remakes was Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, an updated version of the original Resident Evil game. The game received a lot of criticism and a lack of sales due to its price, but featured some pretty cool changes. The knife no longer took up space in the inventory and was instead quickly accessible with the L button, the game added both quick turning AND tactical reloading, and the game also made those annoying door sequences skippable. All these additions are not accessible in any other release of the game. It also featured a fun cooperative mode with up to 4 friends, as well as some first person knife fighting moments which took advantage of the touch screens capabilities. Finally, the game could be played in both classic mode OR rebirth mode which added different puzzles that were specifically designed with the console in mind. If you’re a fan of Resident Evil, definitely find a way to play this game. Find a neighbor with a DS, rob them, I don’t care… Legally, I do have to say please don’t rob your neighbor.
As a fan-made remake, there’s still a shocking amount of people who don’t know this game exists. Much like the Elder Scrolls II fan remake Daggerfall Unity, Black Mesa was a complete ground-up remake created by 13 people, which takes the original Half-Life game and updates the gameplay, visuals and models throughout. The most notable changes come in the final section of the game with it not only being remade, but fleshed out from a 1 hour section of the game, to a 4 hour section. The game was approved for commercial release by Valve themselves, and stands as easily the best fan made game remake of all time. Not only that, but it stands as easily the MOST underrated video game remake of all time.
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we are looking in those hard to reach places to find the 10 Most Underrated Video Games Remakes. For this list, we’ll be looking at those lesser known remakes that managed to slip under the radar, or that were not given the day in the sun they deserved. We will be including ports and remasters as long as they offer something new to the experience. Did you just find out about any of these? Did you hate or love them? Let us know in the comments below.
Metroid: Samus Returns
The 3DS is easily one of the greatest handheld consoles of all time. The leap from DS to 3DS exclusive games was substantial, and the selection of games available made it a must have for gamers. Unfortunately, it sold half the units of its predecessor, and as it often is with handheld consoles, didn’t get to show off its games as much as home consoles of the time. Metroid: Samus Returns was a phenomenal remake of the original Metroid II game on the Game Boy. The music was outstanding, and the difficulty was tweaked to ease in new players. Even though it received solid reviews from fans, its sales were fairly under expectation. With the 3DS on a decline with the Switch coming out, they only managed to ship 500,000 units. For comparison, the Ocarina of Time 3DS remaster sold almost 7 million copies... That’s a lot of Zelda!
Shadow of The Colossus
Selling about one fifth as well as the Crash Bandicoot ‘N’ Sane trilogy on PS4, Shadow of The Colossus is not only an underappreciated remake, but an underappreciated game in general! Ever since its original release on the PS2, it has been considered a cult classic! A cult classic!? It should just be considered a damn classic! You guys need to play this game. The remake is a ground-up rebuild of the original game. Like a great remake, it keeps the charm and gameplay of the original entry, and just updates the visuals and smooths out the edges. Shadow of The Colossus will change your life… Well, maybe not, but it’ll definitely fill your afternoon.
Super Mario 64 DS
Super Mario 64 was the first game released on the Nintendo 64, and it was designed to show off the 3D platforming capabilities the console had to offer. When the Nintendo DS dropped, the same idea was tested with Super Mario 64 DS releasing at its launch. We don’t need to tell you how good Mario 64 is, but this lesser-known remake not only ported the entire game to a newer console, but added extra features including 3 new playable characters, and 30 additional starts to collect throughout the game. The controls are arguably a little janky, but come on, the N64 wasn’t always the easiest either - that analog stick is flimsier than Peach’s excuse for always getting caught by Bowser.
Conker: Live & Reloaded
Considered a cult classic, Conker's Bad Fur Day has become one of the most beloved games of the N64 era. Coming out at the end of the N64’s commercial life, it only sold about 55,000 copies, compared to GoldenEye which sold 6 million copies. Remakes are great for making a game that is not very accessible, accessible again. And Conker: Live & Reloaded is currently about as accessible as it gets. Available on the Xbox store, jump back into this adventure with major improvements to the platforming, visuals and music. The moveable camera makes a lot of those platforming sections significantly easier, which is a negative for die hard fans, but a plus for those of us who remember the castle, the teddys and any section involving swimming. If you want the much harder original version, you can get it on Ebay for about 7 times the price of any other N64 cartridge.
Silent Hill HD Collection
I implore you, before you turn this video off, to listen to the words that come out of my mouth. Silent Hill 2 in the HD collection, certainly has its issues, I won’t deny that. But certain points need to be awarded for accessibility, and unfortunately for our Silent Hill fanboys (myself included), Silent Hill HD Collection is 10x more accessible than the original Silent Hill 2. Am I going to tell a friend of mine who wants to try Silent Hill 2 for the first time to not bother? Of course not, I’ll explain the issues and send them on their merry way. As far as the gameplay goes, the game is unchanged, there are some visual ‘upgrades’ that have caused quite a stir in the community, but on the flip side, I can walk out to my Xbox right now and start playing. The reason we argue that this HD collection is underrated, is because on the other side of the collection you have Silent Hill 3, which plays, feels and looks perfectly fine. If someone wants to try Silent Hill 3 for the first time, this is a great place to start. I can feel myself in the comments crosshairs, so I’m going to move on.
Ape Escape: On The Loose
As a launch title for the PSP, this remake of the original Ape Escape barely got a look in. The reviews are midrange (7 out of 10’s and similar), but with the overhauled visuals, sound and voice acting, this underrated remake is definitely worth a second playthrough. With the loss of R2, L2 and the right analogue stick, the controls have been reworked to make them effective on the PSP. Although the original controls are a lot more intuitive, this control scheme is very effective given the lack of options on the handheld console. Overall, being able to play Ape Escape 1 on a handheld console isn’t something our younger selves would have ever dreamed of, and we should pay them the respect they deserve by giving this game another crack.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
It’s always shocking to hear just how many gamers don’t know this game even exists. Released on the Nintendo GameCube, The Twin Snakes is a ground-up rebuild of the original Metal Gear Solid game, which utilizes a lot of the assets and gameplay mechanics of Metal Gear Solid 2. The game has received a good amount of hate from some MGS fans online, but looking at its metacritic user reviews, we can see that it can’t all be bad. The use of first person mode does make the entire story a lot easier, but it also makes it smoother for first time players. The additions here including the functional lockers and cupboards, as well as the ability to hang, climb, roll and hold up your enemies, gives fans of the first game a new way to see the world they originally fell in love with. The hardest hit for fans of the original, is the new soundtrack which sadly fails to capture the energy of the original. All this aside, The Twin Snakes is an incredibly underrated remake that should have been ported to PS2 to get the love it needed. Honestly, why the GameCube? Whose brilliant idea was that!?
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
It’s worth noting here that MGS3 Subsistence is not a remake, really at all. It’s arguable that it doesn’t belong on this list, it’s also arguable that I’ve had 3 coffees today and I can feel my heartbeat in my eyes so WE’RE ALL SAYING FACTS. For those unfamiliar, MGS2 did a similar thing, rereleasing their game with added features under Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance. Always a wordsmith, Kojima did the same with MGS3 titling it Subsistence. Excluding the added features, let's talk about the remake (or shall we say rehaul) of the campaign. The game added one incredible feature which would forever change MGS games moving forward. A new camera angle. That’s all! Implemented as a testing feature for Metal Gear Solid 4, the moveable third person camera changed the way the game felt entirely. Playing with the fixed camera perspective makes a certain amount of sense in MGS1 and 2, but when comparing the two different versions of MGS3, it’s clear to see that a moveable camera was the way this game was supposed to be played. It goes to show the difference such a small change can make for a game, and at its core, it’s heavily underrated.
Resident Evil: Deadly Silence
The Nintendo DS didn’t get the time of day it deserved as it ported a lot of classics from other consoles straight into the palms of our hands. One of those remakes was Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, an updated version of the original Resident Evil game. The game received a lot of criticism and a lack of sales due to its price, but featured some pretty cool changes. The knife no longer took up space in the inventory and was instead quickly accessible with the L button, the game added both quick turning AND tactical reloading, and the game also made those annoying door sequences skippable. All these additions are not accessible in any other release of the game. It also featured a fun cooperative mode with up to 4 friends, as well as some first person knife fighting moments which took advantage of the touch screens capabilities. Finally, the game could be played in both classic mode OR rebirth mode which added different puzzles that were specifically designed with the console in mind. If you’re a fan of Resident Evil, definitely find a way to play this game. Find a neighbor with a DS, rob them, I don’t care… Legally, I do have to say please don’t rob your neighbor.
Black Mesa
As a fan-made remake, there’s still a shocking amount of people who don’t know this game exists. Much like the Elder Scrolls II fan remake Daggerfall Unity, Black Mesa was a complete ground-up remake created by 13 people, which takes the original Half-Life game and updates the gameplay, visuals and models throughout. The most notable changes come in the final section of the game with it not only being remade, but fleshed out from a 1 hour section of the game, to a 4 hour section. The game was approved for commercial release by Valve themselves, and stands as easily the best fan made game remake of all time. Not only that, but it stands as easily the MOST underrated video game remake of all time.
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