Video Game Remakes WORSE Than The Originals

MojoPlays - Video Game Remakes WORSE Than the Original Just because something’s old, that doesn’t mean trying to update it will work out for the best. Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’ll be looking at the Video Game Remakes That Are WORSE Than the Originals. For this list we’re looking at remakes, remasters and reimaging’s that have proven astoundingly less impressive than their classic counterparts. Whether it’s because of deviating too far from the source or staying faithful to a fault, there’s hardly a doubt that these works missed the mark. “MediEvil: Resurrection” (2005) No amount of amusingly tongue-in-cheek horror iconography can distract from the limits of technical construction or the choice of platform. “MediEvil: Resurrection” was, from the outset, intended to function both as a remake of the original “MediEvil” and as a showcase for the PlayStation Portable’s features. Unfortunately, this meant the issues of a troublesome camera system and awkward controls – present in the original game – were further exacerbated by plentiful slowdown. The inconsistent nature of hit detection, making combat more a chore than an exciting challenge, only added to the frustration felt by players and critics alike. “GoldenEye 007” (2010) Those unfamiliar with the Nintendo 64 hit “GoldenEye 007” may not recall how impressive a work it truly was, inventing or codifying many elements of shooter design taken for granted today. Given the brand recognition and expected quality, it’s understandable that Nintendo would give their blessing to an Activision-produced remake as a way of expanding the Wii’s library. It’s just a shame that the “GoldenEye” remake we got was bogged down by a stealth system that didn’t consistently function as expected, underwhelming action set-pieces and an overall unpolished presentation. Worse, the later HD remaster “GoldenEye 007: Reloaded” only helped reinforced how generic and unnecessary the whole endeavour felt. “Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes” (2004) Coming off the heels of the widely-acclaimed horror game “Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem”, the studio Silicon Knights proved impressive enough to garner a significant project: remaking “Metal Gear Solid” for the GameCube. Co-developed by Silicon Knights and Konami, with reworked cutscenes directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, “The Twin Snakes” launched in March 2004... and immediately proved divisive. Some of the problem for folks lay with the redesigned cutscenes, which ended up more overindulgent and absurd in tone than those of the more restrained original game. Additionally, features borrowed from “Metal Gear Solid 2” - such as first person aiming of weapons – ended up breaking the balance of several key fights. “Secret of Mana” (2018) While not necessarily a perfectly constructed game in its day, “Secret of Mana” was widely considered a successful blending of typical role-playing elements with “Legend of Zelda”-style world building. A new version of “Secret of Mana”, then, would be wise to iron out those earlier issues and update the overall presentation in service of the original’s strengths. Alas, Square Enix’s 3D remake kept the assorted problems from the classic SNES game – such as poorly laid-out menu design and bizarre plot progression - while adding elements that work against the experience. From unimpressive animation quality to an ear bleeding soundtrack, from game-breaking glitches to the overall cheapness of the production values, so much went awry here. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled” (2009) Conceptually there’s nothing inherently wrong with the notion of enhancing and revitalizing “Turtles in Time” for modern audiences; after all, nearly two decades had passed since the game’s 1991 launch in arcades. In terms of execution, though, “Turtles in Time Re-Shelled” came off as a half-hearted effort to cash in on lingering nostalgia while bring little of worth to the table. The remake ditched the sprite-based cartoon animation in favour of a murky 3D style, made all the more tiresome by repetitive combat and unfair difficulty spikes. Further, the design of “Re-Shelled” was based on the arcade version, which lacked levels and enhancements brought to the later Super Nintendo release. “Conker: Live and Reloaded” (2005) Not long after their buyout by Microsoft, Rare set about producing an enhanced remake of their acclaimed-but-financially-disappointing raunchy platformer “Conker’s Bad Fur Day” for Xbox. Released to the public as “Conker: Live & Reloaded”, the remake went off-track in the fact that it censored its swearing and other aspects that once defined the irreverent tone of Conker the Squirrel’s world. Not helping its case was the loss of the deliberately cartoon-esque art style – meant to draw attention to the game’s risque comedy. But worst of all was the multiplayer, where the quirky and unique battle modes of the originals were completely thrown out in favour of a generic competitive third person shooter. There’s a reason why Rare chose to include the original game in the Rare Replay bundle, over this mess. “Silent Hill HD Collection” (2012) Talk about missing the chance for an easy win. Tasked with remastering “Silent Hill 2” and “Silent Hill 3” on Konami’s behalf, developer Hijinx Studios were left in a tough position when it turned out Konami had lost both games’ completed source code. The resulting “HD Collection” was cobbled together from earlier incomplete code, plagued by technical flaws and misguided production choices. Both games’ original voice acting was replaced with new voice work, widely seen as inferior to the old performances. The fog obscuring whole swathes of “Silent Hill 2” was gone, laying bare the low-resolution backgrounds that were once disguised. Add to that various sounds cutting out, and the whole collection can’t help coming across as a trainwreck. “Space Raiders” (2002) How does one manage to bungle a reimagining of Space Invaders, one of the most iconic, simple to grasp yet compulsively replayable shooters in history? Well, “Space Raiders” opted to answer that question on multiple fronts: with a trio of thinly defined heroes, with its mundane level design and overall tired aesthetic, and with unremarkable action. Little changes when switching between protagonists, little about the alien adversaries improves as the player progresses – it’s just a constant cycle of shooting upwards and lazily dodging ad nauseum. We imagine a newcomer unaware of the broader game industry or the medium’s history might not immediately recognize this as a “Space Invaders” remake, which is probably for the best. “Double Dragon II: Wander of the Dragons” (2013) Whatever might be said of “Double Dragon II”, it deserved better than this. “Wander of the Dragons” takes the memorable urban dystopia of the original game and swaps it out for rather drab 3D stages. Its every moment is littered with problems – the reliance on a quickly-depleting stamina meter, the inclusion of time consuming quick-time events, a barely functioning combo system. Even the basic premise of the two leads avenging their love interest Marian’s death is muddled by the amateur-seeming cutscenes. Utterly disgraceful to its source material and unpleasant even on its own merits, “Wander of the Dragons” serves as a grim warning to any seeking to dabble in the art of remakes.