Video games have been around since the 1950s, starting with Tennis for Two, released in 1958. Since then, just imagine how many games have been released—countless titles, stories, and universes created that we might not even realize ever existed. Think of all the games we’ll never get to play because they remain trapped on platforms that went extinct years ago.Then, one day, someone thought: "What if we took an old, best-selling game and remade it for modern consoles?". That is likely how remakes were born.Remakes have evolved beyond simply bringing old games to current hardware. Today, they offer a chance to revisit classics with modern graphics, updated controls, and improvements that address limitations from the original era.However, not every remake strikes that balance successfully. While some reinvent the experience without losing its essence, others end up stripping away the very qualities that made the original so special. We’ve gathered some of the best remakes ever released—examples of how to update a classic without losing its identity along the way.So, let’s talk about some of the best remakes out there. We’re looking not just at modern ones, but also at titles you might not have even realized were remakes! And if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.Gun FightAlthough there’s no absolute consensus on which game was the first remake in gaming history, many historians and experts point to Gun Fight (1975) as the pioneer. The game is a recreation of Western Gun and is considered one of the earliest examples of the concept of remaking a game.The game is simple: it essentially resembles those classic Western movie scenes where two gunslingers stand face-to-face, waiting for the right moment to draw their weapons. Each player controls a cowboy on one side of the screen. The goal is simply to kill the opponent before they do the same to you. That’s it. No bosses, no storyline—none of that. It’s a competitive game based on reflexes.However, it’s worth noting that it wasn't a remake in the sense we understand today. At the time, the industry still treated such projects as conversions or adaptations for more modern hardware; the concept of a "remake" didn’t yet exist in the way it came to be understood decades later.Super Mario All-StarsThis one is considered by hyperlink{game experts and historians} as the first remake of a game that embodies the concept of a remake as we understand it today: Super Mario All-Stars, released in 1993 for the Super Nintendo.The reason for this consensus is that Super Mario All-Stars was neither a mere port nor a simple graphical update (what we would call a remaster today). Nintendo rebuilt the four NES games:* Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (which was the true Super Mario 2* in Japan but was rejected for the US market because it was too difficult and featured levels very similar to the original game) Super Mario Bros. 2 (originally a game titled Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic*, based on an old Japanese TV show)* Super Mario Bros. 3The games were recreated from scratch using Super Nintendo hardware, featuring new graphics, animations, and soundtracks, as well as redone sound effects, a revised interface, a save system, and minor gameplay tweaks—all while preserving the level design and identity of the originals. It stands as the first game that fits the modern concept of a "remake."Mega Man: The Wily WarsOne of the most ambitious remakes of the 16-bit era—produced by Capcom exclusively for the Sega Mega Drive—Mega Man: The Wily Wars recreated the first three NES Mega Man games from scratch and enhanced the graphics, music, and gameplay, while also adding an all-new campaign, Wily Tower, exclusive to this version. This new content alone makes it a far more ambitious remake than many released years later.Well-known among longtime gamers, Mega Man tells the story of the robot Rock (or Mega, in the US)—an advanced robot capable of copying enemies' powers—as he faces Dr. Wily, a scientist who modifies robots and turns them into weapons to conquer the world. Each game features eight bosses, levels to explore, and a high level of difficulty.At the time of its release, the game faced criticism regarding changes to the physics, the Mega Buster's firing rate, and instances of slowdown during gameplay, with many players preferring the original versions. However, faithfully rebuilding the game from scratch using new technology—while also including brand-new content—was a truly impressive feat for the time.Final Fantasy VII RemakeFew remakes have carried as much expectation as Final Fantasy VII Remake. For years, fans clamored for a remake and organized petitions, but Yoichi Wada—Square Enix’s CEO in the early 2000s—didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the idea, famously remarking, "Having a million signatures doesn't mean a million sales". It was only years later that titles released within that universe—such as Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus—along with the film Advent Children, demonstrated to the company that Cloud, Tifa, and the rest still had plenty of life left in them.Released in 2020 by Square Enix for PlayStation 4 (and later for PC and PlayStation 5), the game recreates one of the most influential JRPGs in history. Instead of merely updating graphics and controls, the developers chose to expand the original adventure and transform it into a new trilogy, introducing narrative changes that surprised even those who knew the 1997 classic by heart.The story follows Cloud Strife, a former soldier who begins working as a mercenary for the eco-terrorist group Avalanche. Together, they attempt to stop the megacorporation Shinra from continuing to exploit the planet's life energy.The reason this game is considered one of the best remakes ever made is that it goes far beyond simply rebuilding the original title. Midgar has been vastly expanded, supporting characters have received greater development, the turn-based combat has given way to a modern system without abandoning the series' classic elements, and the story itself takes a different path at various points. Rather than replacing the classic, the remake creates a new experience that engages directly with the original game and surprises even franchise veterans.The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion RemasteredBefore Skyrim turned The Elder Scrolls into a global phenomenon, there was Oblivion. It introduced many people to Bethesda's universe, popularized the series' immense freedom, and demonstrated that an open-world RPG could simply let the player wander around without dictating exactly what to do. In 2025—nearly 20 years after its original release—Bethesda decided to bring this classic back.Oblivion Remastered rebuilds virtually the entire visual aspect of the game using Unreal Engine 5, yet leaves untouched the structure that made it one of the most important RPGs of the 2000s. The story still casts the player as a prisoner caught up in the Empire's succession crisis following the death of Uriel Septim VII, all while portals to Oblivion begin appearing across Cyrodiil.The remake’s greatest strength lies in knowing exactly where to make changes and where to hold back. While the graphics, animations, interface, and aspects of the combat have been modernized, the open-world exploration, memorable quests, and sense of freedom remain exactly as many players remembered them. It’s one of those rare cases where the game feels closer to people's memories of it than to the title originally released in 2006.The Legend of Zelda: Link's AwakeningNot every remake needs to completely transform a game to work. Link's Awakening proves just the opposite. The classic released for the Game Boy in 1993 returned to the Nintendo Switch in 2019 virtually unchanged from the original, yet with a visual style resembling a diorama filled with miniatures and plastic toys.The adventure begins when Link is shipwrecked on Koholint Island and must gather the Instruments of the Sirens to awaken the legendary Wind Fish and find his way home. It’s one of the most unique stories in the Zelda franchise, precisely because it doesn’t take place in Hyrule and favors an atmosphere that is far more mysterious than heroic.The remake makes few major changes, but almost all of them improve the experience. The constant item swapping—one of the Game Boy version's biggest limitations—is gone; the interface is much more user-friendly; and the gameplay has received the level of refinement expected of a modern title. Otherwise, Nintendo chose to preserve virtually everything, demonstrating that reinventing a classic isn't always the best approach.Wonder Boy: The Dragon's TrapFew remakes respect the source material as much as Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap. Instead of reinterpreting the Master System classic, Lizardcube essentially recreated the game frame by frame, preserving the same map, enemies, and even the physics of the 1989 version.The adventure begins right after the events of Wonder Boy in Monster Land. After defeating a dragon, the hero is cursed and must explore a vast, interconnected map while utilizing various transformations—Lizard-Man, Mouse-Man, Fish-Man, Lion-Man, and Hawk-Man—to reach previously inaccessible areas.The result is a remake that feels fresh while remaining true to the original game. In addition to fully hand-drawn graphics and a new soundtrack, players can instantly switch back to the original Master System visuals and music. It’s a tribute to the classic that demonstrates exactly how to update an old game without sacrificing the elements that made it a hit.Alex Kidd in Miracle World DXBefore Sonic ran across Sega consoles, it was Alex Kidd who represented the company. Created to be Mario's competitor and inspired by the chinese tale of "The Journey to the West", Alex Kidd became famous because he was included as a built-in game on the Master System. Alex Kidd's first adventure in Miracle World was practically a must-play title, largely because it came pre-installed on the console in several versions.Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX brings back this adventure with hand-redrawn graphics, re-orchestrated music, and some all-new content, while preserving virtually the entire campaign of the 1986 classic. The story continues to follow Alex Kidd on his quest to defeat the tyrant Janken the Great, tackling platforming stages and vehicle sections, and facing off against bosses in the series' signature Rock-Paper-Scissors battles.Despite retaining certain design choices that betray its age, the remake manages to address many of the original's technical limitations, offering tighter controls, new game modes, and the ability to instantly toggle between modern graphics and the original Master System visuals. It serves as an engaging way to introduce one of Sega's most important historical characters to a new audience.Resident Evil 4Few games have had as much impact on the industry as Resident Evil 4. Originally released in 2005, it redefined third-person action games and influenced dozens of franchises in the years that followed. Nearly two decades later, Capcom took on the challenging task of modernizing this classic without losing the identity that made it one of the series' most important installments.The campaign continues to follow Leon S. Kennedy—now a U.S. government agent—as he’s sent to a remote Spanish village to rescue Ashley Graham, the daughter of the U.S. President. What begins as a straightforward rescue mission quickly escalates into a fight for survival against a mysterious cult and locals infected by the Las Plagas parasite.The remake goes far beyond a mere visual upgrade. Capcom has overhauled entire areas, expanded the campaign, given greater prominence to characters like Ashley and Luis Serra, and refined both combat and exploration. Despite these changes, the original's most iconic moments remain intact, making Resident Evil 4 a prime example of how to modernize a classic without losing the qualities that made it unforgettable.Demon's SoulsBefore Dark Souls turned FromSoftware into a benchmark for the genre, it was Demon's Souls that laid the foundation for the formula we now know as "Soulslike". In 2020, the classic returned to the PlayStation 5 courtesy of Bluepoint Games, which leveraged the console's launch to deliver one of the most technically impressive remakes of the generation.The adventure takes the player to the kingdom of Boletaria, devastated following the awakening of the Old One—an entity responsible for spreading a supernatural fog and demonic creatures across the land. It falls to the protagonist to battle monsters, explore castles, fortresses, and dungeons, and defeat powerful demons to prevent the kingdom from being consumed once and for all.Bluepoint’s great achievement was modernizing the presentation without altering the game's essence. Environments, characters, animations, and visual effects were completely remade, yet the level design, bosses, difficulty, and virtually all mechanics remained intact. The result pleased both veterans and newcomers to Boletaria, demonstrating that not every remake needs to reinvent a classic to justify its existence.
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