Games that need to be remade

I like new games as much as the next guy. But still, there's some games that have gone by and become lost in the annals of time. These are games I'd love to see remade. Not only for me, but for the new generation of gamers we are beginning to see. People born in the mid- to late-nineties have most likely missed out on the fruits of gaming's heyday. What better way to acquaint them with the past of gaming than a remake? So, without further ado, here are some games I think are well worth a remake.

Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions

Released in 2000, these two games are the most recent of the titles in this article. Introducing these games seems somewhat pointless, since we know both of them so well (At least I hope we do!). But, just in case, here's the basic rundown.

Like Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow before them, Pokémon Gold and Silver were all about what fans of the series have come to love: Catching 'em all! With 100 new Pokémon (Bringing the grand total to 251), there was more to do than ever before.

Along with new Pokémon, Gold and Silver added a few other features that would later become recurring trends in the Pokémon series. First, they added the PokéGear. Worn like a watch, this handy little computer served as a phone and a radio, among other things. This would later return in Ruby and Sapphire as the Pokénav, and again in Diamond and Pearl as the Pokétch. This multi-tool, although somewhat of a novelty in the second generation, served as the base for so much more.

Another added feature was an internal clock, which would keep track of real-world time. Whenever it became late in real life, the lights would come on, and the environment would darken. Depending on what time of day it was, certain Pokémon would become more or less common, some of which will appear exclusively at a certain time of the day. Also, depending on the time of day, a properly cared-for Eevee could evolve into either an Espeon or an Umbreon.

Pokémon Gold and Silver added much to the Pokémon universe. But what could be added to them to entice veterans of the series to buy it again? Well, I'm thinking that we'd see a fully redone version of Kanto (The location of Red, Blue and Yellow) instead of the shrunken, stripped-down version we got in addition to Johto in the second game.

Also, the game would be fully compatible with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, allowing for trading and battling between the two. This would make it far easier for Diamond and Pearl players when it came to finishing their Pokédex.

Of course, the game would also need to be entirely compatible with the Diamond and Pearl Global Trade System (GTS). If that's not possible, then it would at least need a similar service of it's own. I just can't imagine Pokémon without the GTS anymore!

There's a huge demand for a Pokémon Gold and Silver remake, and the potential is almost as great. I only hope the Nintendo and Game Freak have realized this as well.

The Legend of Zelda

Originally released way back in 1986, the closest it's ever gotten to a remake is BS Zelda no Densetsu on the Super Famicom's Satellaview game service. Sure, it's been re-released on the Virtual Console, but I'm still dying for an enhanced remake.

The Legend of Zelda was an amazing adventure title for the NES/Famicom, introducing many new features then unheard of in video games. It pioneered the overworlds and dungeons we see all the time nowadays, and it practically created the free-roaming aspect of games that we don't even seem to notice anymore. Without The Legend of Zelda, the world of gaming would be very different indeed.

So what could be done to this already amazing game to make it worth buying over the Virtual Console port? First of all, it would have entirely revamped graphics, taking full advantage of whatever console it's developed for. If made for the Wii, it could have waggle-controls for sword movement, and a DS version could be controlled like Phantom Hourglass.

Additional sidequests and such would also be added, with the possibility of entirely new maps exclusive to the remake. And perhaps, in similar fashion of the Link to the Past remake, this version could share a game card/disc with a brand-new Four Swords game! Whether this remake happens on the Wii or the DS, there'll be plenty of space left over for an entire secondary game.

The Legend of Zelda could become a powerhouse title for the Wii or the DS, and I hope Nintendo has noticed this. A remake is far overdue, and I've been dreaming of such a thing ever since the Link to the Past GBA port. It can be done, and if I have any say in it (Which I don't), it will be done.

Final Fantasy VII

Of course, it would just be wrong to write an article like this and leave out the amazing triumph of RPG design that is Final Fantasy VII. This game deserves every ounce of praise it gets, and I only wish I owned a copy of my own so I could play it all over again. All three glorious CDs of it...

Anyways, for those unfamiliar with Final Fantasy VII (FOR SHAME!!!), here's the basics. As with all the other numbered Final Fantasy games before it, Final Fantasy VII was an incredibly in-depth and fleshed out RPG. Being the first ever on the Playstation, and possibly more importantly, first ever Final Fantasy in 3D, VII had some big expectations to live up to. And did it fill those shoes?

In a word: DEFINITELY.

With it's new Materia system, Final Fantasy VII made it easier than ever before to customize your characters any way you wanted. Want Cloud to cast Thunder? Sure thing. Feel like having Cid unleash Bahamut? Go right ahead. Final Fantasy VII gave you an incredible amount of control over how your characters were structured, and it's been overcome very few times to this day.

To top it all off, it had an amazing story that was incredibly epic in both scale and length. What starts off as "fighting the power" eventually escalates into an adventure to save the very planet they live on. Final Fantasy VII's story is still ingrained in my mind to this very day.

So then, if this game's so epic and amazing, what could they possibly do to improve upon it? Of course, we're gonna be seeing some beefed-up graphics. Just imagine if Final Fantasy VII was remade for the PS3 (Which is looking to be the most likely candidate as of now). All that raw power put into making the characters from one of history's greatest RPGs look the way we've always dreamed, and bringing them to life like never before... I don't know about you, but that would sure get me thinking about buying a PS3!

As for actual content, I'm not sure what could be added... The original title itself was already so expansive! And I'm sure a change too radical would anger the fans... For this particular section, I'm going to have to leave the genius up to Square-Enix. They do know what's best for the game, after all. Well, if it even exists or ever will exist, that is.

And it has to exist! Come on, Dirge of Cerberus, Advent Children and Before Crisis can't possibly exist without a Final Fantasy VII remake! ...right?

The Duck Has Spoken.