6 of the Best Video Game Remakes to Play Today

A video game remake is a remastered version of a classic retro game. Remakes typically have revamped graphics and audio, but some also have updated gameplay features and additional content. The best video game remakes are based on some of the finest games in history and make them even better to play on newer gaming platforms. Remakes preserve classic gaming experiences and are an integral part of the retro gaming market. These are seven of the greatest video game remakes ever released.

Metroid Prime Remastered

Metroid Prime was a masterpiece of a game for the GameCube that flawlessly translated the Metroid series from 2D into 3D. The original game had an immersive first-person perspective, masterful atmosphere and world-building, and an iconic soundtrack. Its deep exploration and environmental storytelling made for a truly engrossing game.

Metroid Prime Remastered flawlessly restores the original MP game on the Nintendo Switch. This remastered remake features completely rebuilt graphics with updated environmental details, textures, and lighting. Its remastered soundtrack makes the game’s audio more engaging than ever. The Switch’s fluid dual-stick controls also brought the remastered version more in line with modern first-person shooters.

Bioshock Remastered

Bioshock was a game that revolutionized first-person shooters with its deep philosophical narrative and sophisticated environmental storytelling. The underwater city of Rapture in Bioshock was one that almost felt alive with an unforgettable atmosphere. Bioshock’s blending of traditional first-person shooting with plasmid genetic powers was also a great gameplay innovation that set it apart from other FPS titles.

BioShock Remastered is one of the best video game remakes to play today, primarily because of the original game it’s based on. The remastered version, which you can play on Windows PC and Nintendo Switch, has 4K resolution support and enhanced textures. It also includes additional director’s commentary and a Museum of Orphaned Concepts to explore.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening was one of the best Game Boy titles because of its charming atmosphere and surreal narrative. It introduced some innovative gameplay features for Zelda games, such as its dedicated jumping item button, fishing minigame, and trading sequences. However, it was also a game restricted to the Game Boy’s green-and-grey display limitations.

So, Nintendo gave Link’s Awakening one of the most comprehensive graphical overhauls ever seen in a remake on the Switch. This is one of the best video game remakes to play on the Switch because of its distinctive Toy Town visual style and dazzling, colorful world. However, this remake retains the soul of the original game with additional features added, such as Chamber Dungeons.

Mario 64 DS

Mario 64 remains one of the best 3D platformers in history. This launch title for the Nintendo 64 became a classic because of its revolutionary analogue stick movement and fluid controls. Its intuitive camera system and non-linear castle exploration also set a foundation and benchmark for the 3D platformer genre to follow.

Mario 64 DS turned Nintendo’s masterpiece into a portable game for the DS handheld. This remake had enhanced visuals, like most others, with higher-polygon character models. However, it also introduced three new game characters to play as and additional Power Stars for players to collect. Another highlight of this remake was its additional touchscreen mini-games that players unlocked by catching rabbits.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D

For many players, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remains the best game in history, primarily because of its pioneering 3D design. This was the game that turned Hyrule into a more immersive 3D world for players to explore. It offered an almost perfectly balanced gameplay loop of exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving. Players also loved the legendary music in Ocarina of Time that perfectly matched the atmosphere of its locations.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is the remake of Nintendo’s Ocarina classic on the 3DS. This is one of the best video game remakes primarily because of the masterful core design of its source material, albeit with more immersive 3D effects and updated textures mixed in. Ocarina of Time 3D also includes additional Master Quest mode bonus content and the Sheikah Stone hint system to help stuck players.

Black Mesa

Half-Life was a masterpiece of a first-person shooter when Valve unleashed it in the late 1990s. This game redefined the FPS genre with its immersive environmental storytelling and atmosphere, pioneering AI combat, and meticulously paced gameplay. It was a game that set a new benchmark for narrative-based first-person shooters at a time when many FPS games were more like shooting galleries.

Valve has never released an official Half-Life remake. Yet, Valve did approve of the Black Mesa Half-Life remake that started as a fan-made project. This is one of the best video game remakes because it completely updates the outdated visuals of the original Half-Life with the Source engine. Black Mesa also redesigns some of the Xen chapters, transforming Half-Life’s finale into a somewhat more engaging one. Thus, Black Mesa has remedied some of the shortcomings of the original game and preserved its legacy.

The best video game remakes above faithfully revive some of the greatest games in history. Those remakes enable you to play some cracking retro games with much more visual appeal. However, they also preserve the core designs and gameplay from the original games.