Photo: Georgijevic (Getty Images)
More than 20 years after players originally teamed up with Leon Kennedy to fight off what would be his first of many zombie apocalypses (seriously, it’s like this guy’s an undead magnet), Capcom recently remade the 1998 classic Resident Evil 2. Just like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro before them, the undead hordes of Raccoon City finally broke free of their god-awful OG PlayStation graphics. But hey, if they’re worthy of a 21st Century makeover, what about the laundry list of other ’90s cult hits? Here are nine of our favorite ’90s video games we’d love to see get a glow-up.
Play ’em all: The 10 Most Challenging Bosses In ’90s Video Games
To see more gaming glow-ups: 13 Video Games That Have Vastly Improved Their Graphics
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90s Games Remade
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'Alone in the Dark'
Considered the progenitor of modern survival horror games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark brought the horrors of H.P. Lovecraft alive in glorious 3-D (well, at least it was glorious in 1992). It established several hallmarks that would later become associated with the genre like limited inventory, non-linear maps, and terrifying supernatural enemies that are sure to haunt your nightmares. Though it spawned several sequels, there’s no telling how horrifying the original could be with today’s graphics.
Photo: YouTube, Swizzly
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'Silent Hill'
Every time it starts to get foggy outside, you can bet a Silent Hill fan’s heartbeat just kicked up a notch, and we have Konami’s original nightmare to thank for that. Resident Evil 2’s remake proves players still have an appetite for these horror classics despite their lack of modern conventions (pretty sure few people miss those fixed camera angles) so why not let us join Harry Mason once more for a terrifying trip through the genre’s most iconic town?
Photo: YouTube, callo111
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'Command & Conquer'
You have to wonder what the real-time strategy genre would look like today if it wasn’t for Command & Conquer. Establishing what is now a well-known formula, players mine resources to build up their bases into beefy fortresses, praying that their efforts will be enough to hold off the enemy’s next attack. Last year, Electronic Arts teased a few remasters of the series’ popular titles, so hopefully, we’ll be seeing these classics reimagined in the near future.
Photo: YouTube, The Pixel Pirate
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'Fallout'
Morality systems in games were rudimentary at best before the original Fallout came out, 10 years before Bethesda popularized the post-apocalyptic series. And while the company has taken players all around the country to iconic locations – most infamously, West Virginia in its most recent attempt, Fallout 76 – they’ve yet to revisit the place that started it all: the New California Republic.
Photo: Steam
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'Final Fantasy VII'
It’s been more than 20 years, and fans have never stopped demanding Square Enix recreate one of its most epic fantasies. They’ve been told the remake is coming for years now, and maybe this year this year the company’s promises will actually come true.
Photo: Steam
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'Half Life'
Let’s be real for a second: it’s been more than a decade of silence on Half-Life 3, so it’s unlikely Valve would suddenly turn its focus to remaking the original. Fans have taken up the mantel, recreating their own version in Unreal, but we can’t help but wonder how amazing Gordon Freeman’s initial adventure would look if a AAA studio took a crack at it.
Photo: Steam
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'Metal Gear Solid'
Now that Hideo Kojima and Konami have spilt, the company probably won’t be drumming up press for a remake of his darling series’ origin any time soon. But we can dream of reliving the bonkers plot of Snake’s first adventure without being able to count each and every individual polygon.
Photo: YouTube, IGN
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'Super Metroid'
Our girl Samus has had a rocky history ever since she first came out kicking ass in Super Metroid back in 1994. Lukewarm 3-D ventures, various developer changes, and delays upon delays have plagued the series. Maybe Nintendo could finally hit gold by returning to its roots and remaking the sprawling open-world full of endless power-ups that players originally fell in love with.
Photo: Nintendo
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'Thief: The Dark Project'
While its sequel stole the series’ spotlight, it can’t be overstated how influential Thief: The Dark Project’s legacy was. Fans of Assassin’s Creed could learn a lot by playing through a remake of the title that kickstarted the stealth genre.
Photo: Steam
