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Top ten 8 and 16-bit games that deserve next-gen remakes

Posted Mar 11, 2007 at 01:49AM by Glen D. Listed in: Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Opinions & Analysis Tags: Konami, NES, SNES, emulation, Stealth Kill

Top ten 8 and 16-bit games that deserve next-gen remakes - Image 1

10. Metal Gear and Metal Gear: Solid Snake (NES)- We can't deny that these two were unpopular back then because the graphics weren't good even at that day and age, and the gameplay was so tricky that it scared everyone away. However, things have changed a lot in Konami and there's undeniably a gargantuan MGS fan base now. We'll be seeing MGS4 soon, but don't we all want to see how it all began in HD glory? It would take a real hater to not want to see Solid Snake and Gray Fox fighting in a minefield in Zanzibar.

9. Circus Charlie (NES)- This was THE party game almost two decades ago! The premise is simple: Your name is apparently Charlie and you work in a circus. For some reason, your boss found a way to get around the labor code and has decided to have you perform all the acts.

In stage 1, the easy part is that you have to ride a full-grown lion, then have the poor thing jump through flame rings with you at its back. In other stages, you dodge monkeys, while walking the tightrope, walk on beach balls, and more. And this was supposed to be a kids' game? We'd love to do that with great graphics and a motion-sensitive controller.

Let's all pray hard that "Charlie" gets remodelled as a clown in a bath tub to make it more fun.

Early Metal Gear, Circus Charlie, and General Chaos - Image 1

8. General Chaos (Genesis)- Before there was Red Alert and Dynasty Warriors, there was General Chaos. This is perhaps the first real RTS and it was a lot of fun to play. The gameplay was simple- you command a platoon of two to five soldiers equipped with everything from assault rifles to rocket launchers and you meet another platoon in a small map. Winning here is all about positioning and choosing the right weapons for the right terrain. Humor is everywhere from the wacky animations to the in-game text. For instance, when you hit the Start button, you get the display "Reality Check" instead of "Pause".

This game can look really good on the PS3 or X360 if they can deepen the gameplay and give the graphics the updates that the game needs, while maintaining the funny appeal. Perhaps adding vehicles, clever audio and more weapons will give this classic more firepower.

7. Double Dragon- The series was strong in the old days but was weakened and left to rot with a lackluster showing at the 16-bit era. If the next-gen can capture the insane martial arts fun that captivated the older crowd when they were young this can start a revolution.

6. Legend of Kage (NES)- This is the 8-bit era's answer to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. We're not sure if the hero's name is really Kage, but what we do know is that the game made old-school gaming feel like a nice kung-fu flick. Able to leap over tall trees in a single bound and slashing foes with his windmill katana of doom replete with lightning visual effects in the background along with some cool bosses, it really was the stuff that legends were made of.

Now, picture all of this in today's killer graphics. It won't be like Tenchu where you have to stealth kill an entire army. This one will have you leap at a horde, take them out and still look good enough to kiss the most kidnapped princess in game history .

Double Dragon, Legend of Kage, and Gun Star Heroes - Image 1

5. Gun Star Heroes(Genesis)- Gunstar Heroes, without a doubt, is one of the greatest games of its time. The game took the Contra paradigm into another realm and improved every aspect of it. The weapon system here is the star of the gameplay. Unlike other shooting games from then to now, GH didn't have weapons that remained the same all through the game. The weapons here could actually be crossed by mixing two different weapon orbs and coming up with a hybrid weapon possessing elements from the parents.

For instance, combining the Flamethrower with the Guided Shot will give you the ability to create a cloud of flame that you can control with the D-pad. Add to that the fact that the graphics in this game were very clean and detailed, the sequences and the bosses were funny and two player cooperative mode was available and you've got a winner.

Remaking the game may be challenging, but we say that with some cell-shaded visuals and more innovations with the weapon system, this blast from the past just might rock another generation.

4. Dig Dug(NES)- After playing the Xbox Live Arcade classic, we were almost moved to tears cherishing happy childhood memories of inflating and popping weird subterranean creatures. It was just so fulfilling to kill all the bad guys, leave one alive, inflate him halfway to death, let him deflate, watch him run, then chase him and do it all over again until the urge to pop the poor bastard is too strong to hold back. This was gaming gold and it deserves a lot more than emulation. It deserves a new, sicker version for next-gen consoles.

If they hire Chuck Palahniuk to write the campaign plot and South Park animators to do the visuals. we'll pay good money to play this!

3. Pooyan(NES)- Now this is sheer, unadulterated creative genius on display. Imagine a huge, cute pig with a bow and an infinite supply of arrows suspended on a cliff on a crude mining lift. The world would have been perfect if it stopped there, but down the cliff is a colony of rats obsessively pumping air into balloons and riding their inflatables to get to higher ground than where your lift is anchored. Their mission? Get as many rats as possible to help push a huge boulder to crush the swine archer before the stage's time limit is over.

You, the bow-toting pig, are left with no choice but to shoot them vermin down. The game sounds plotless, and in truth, it is. The point here is that this is an already good idea which can be incorporated in a next-gen game. We will never know if Pooyan is the name of the pig, but if we can see him in a Wii platform game in a stage like this, it would really be cool.

2. Shadowrun(SNES)- Shadowrun is among the best and most unique game experiences in its time. The game looked ahead of its time graphically, had decent audio and a storyline unlike any other. It's a dark, horror RPG which relies a lot on thinking and anticipation. It's a game that seems ordinary when you talk about it today, but considering that it came out in the early 90's defines it as a visionary.

We think that this game can be made for a next-gen console if the original author can deliver similar, but fresh ideas to a sequel. If anyone remembers the Constantine game from the PS2, we have a start. The game should play well if the pacing between the action and the role-play can be balanced and if an effective combat system can be devised. An engine similar to Parasite Eve's would be nice.

1. Balloon Fight(NES)- We chose this one because it has the potential to be a real console-selling game if the companies notice it. The original Balloon Fight was simple but not simplistic. You travel from stage to stage in flight using two balloons. You can fly solo or work with a friend. In every level is a set of enemies that you must defeat. You fight enemy balloon riders by popping their flight systems and watching them fall to the "lake" below where what seems like a giant trout awaits to swallow them alive.

Now think about this - take the original idea and give it a good 3D environment. Use an engine similar to Zone of the Endersor Gundam Mosou where you can fly at breakneck frame rates and perform insane maneuvers. Aside from the standard-issue needle used to pop enemy balloons, we can add all sorts of weapons like nail guns, whirlwind cannons to send enemies drifting uncontrollably, bee grenades and more.

Also, the environments can be improved. Birds who randomly scratch friend or foe would be nice. A lake with piranhas, some power-ups and an online multiplayer map or two where fans can prick each others with giant needle melee combat all day.

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43 Comments

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by ktm911 (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» gay

wow there are no games on here i know of.....course most games that i want for a remake would be sony......wish thed at least port them onto ds

Re: Gir (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» What?!

Wow... how the hell old are you? You haven't even heard of Double Dragon? Go out and educate yourself, Sony didn't have games until the early-mid 90's. There were a few games around before then. Learn something.

Re: BE NICE (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» hes a newbie

you were a newby once lay off though it is pritty crazy hes never heard of dubble dragon i use to play dubble dragonmeets battle toad for hours...

Re: D: :D (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» Double Dragon

I had that game.

Re: hooger - 2007-03-14

by Stu (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» Console-centric

Far too much focus on the consoles there. If you want a really impressive list you need to mine the depths of the Commodore 64, Amiga, Spectrum and so on.

by Some guy (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» Not quite correct

You have incorrectly listed "Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake" as an NES game when it is infact a MSX game. Perhaps you were thinking of Snake's Revenge which is on the NES...though I don't know why anybody would be thinking of that garbage.

by Kanadwen (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» www.myspace.com/mickorz

I totally agree with Shadowrun, but Metal Gear NES!? Come on now...

Re: Advertising -

Re: MiKE (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» Shadowrun

I'm not pointing at you.. but this whole article... but this seems stupid: isn't a new shadowrun coming out in like a couple months?

Re: todan (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» New Shadowrun

is a shooter. old ones' RPG.

by Jimmy Wang (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» Weehee!

Pyes will rule the world!

by Frodis (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» Rats?

LOL! Pooyan has Pigs and WOLVES, not rats! Remember the 3 little pigs and the big bad WOLF? (Altho' with those 8 bit graphics, they could be anything for all we know. heh.)

by drater (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» Metal Gear...

would kick some ass if they did it right. The original sucks(just not a fun experience to play with the controls and graphics), but the story line in it was still good. That story line with next-gen graphics would be a top seller IMHO

by BluDiE (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» No Mutant League!!!

I can dig some of your choices for the remakes, Dig Dug was such mindless fun while i was growning up and who doesnt want to make monsters explode w/ their bicycle pump? However, how could you not include one of the best sports "series" ever, Mutant League, either football or hockey, doesnt matter. I think it could easily take Madden down, and with plays like Bribe the Ref and fields covered in mines how could you not want to see that in "stunning" HD

by Tyler (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» No Chrono Trigger?

Dude that is THE GAME that needs to be remade we all want it unless your totlay into Nintendo and no RPGs.

Re: linda ellerbee (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» YES!!!

I'm DYING for a new Chrono Trigger!! They could at least port it on the DS. It's going for freaking hundreds of dollars on ebay and you know it'll never make it to VC...

Re: Jollyrob (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» .

Chrono Trigger was first ever on a Nintendo system

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Re: Shadow (Unregistered) - 2007-04-02

» remake would be nice

but for now we can always emulate :)

by asdf (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» ...

they should put super mario bros. the snes version on the 360 arcade

Re: hunty (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» .

*couughvirtualconsolecough*

Re: qwerty (Unregistered) - 2007-03-26

» uiop

Yes, absolutely, and while we're at it, how about we put Halo on the Wii and PS3? Oooh, or perhaps Starfox in XBLA too? And if we can manage that, we'll also have sorted world hunger and brought an end to all wars - because after that feat, nothing'd be impossible

by i love double draon too (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» i love double draon too

double draon forever!

by hendrix2222 (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» The Kid

I can't believe that Kid Icarus has gone all these years without a remake.

by demonslayer (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» amazing

This list is pretty much on the money but I would have loved to see Kid Chameleon

by CHUCKINGROCKSATSPACESHIPS - 2007-03-10

» What!?!

Wheres Bionic Commando or Streets of Rage? How bout even another Actraiser. Those would be the bomb!

Re: Jollyrob (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» .

I was just thinking about why there hasn't been a Bionic Commando remake after all this time...can you imagine using that chain arm thing in a 3d environment, the puzzles involved with that would be nuts

by Jammer (Unregistered) - 2007-03-10

» yeah

yeah, bionic commando kicks ass

by Advertising -

by The Frenchman (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» Ballooon fight... I was thrilled until you wrote more...

Your ideas for this one were terrible, really they don't cover the happyness and simplicity of this great classic.

They should make it cel shaded and still make it in a 2d perspective, give these fighters a needle and make them burst bubbles on the Wii by pointing the direction you want to fly and tap a button or shake nunchuck to raise.

Now to add challenge and novelty insert active map, volcanoes throw lava and burst your bubble and heat makes you raise. make some mini games and you're set for a real remake.

by JOshISPoser (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» Ness

Wat about another Earthbound? Those games were great!!! In 3D or something, that would be awesome.

Re: Shadow (Unregistered) - 2007-04-02

» right on!!

Earthbound was supposed to have a sequel a long time ago, and it got canned... :( maybe someday nintendo will correct this horrible error.

by NonPartisanCon (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» You forgot Gauntlet :(

Pre-Midway Gauntlet was an excellent fast paced series even for NES. I'm sure that Midway will never give up it's slice even though they've run it into the ground (look at Mortal Kombat) but one can always dream.

by a fan (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» www.freewebs.com/pspfreefiles

Good games

by KirbySS (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» .

"Before there was Red Alert and Dynasty Warriors, there was General Chaos. This is perhaps the first real RTS"

Err, Dynasty Warriors isn't an RTS. Red Alert is. And the first RTS was Herzog Zwei, on the Mega Drive and MSX. But a good list, nonetheless. Needs more Alex Kidd, though.

By the way, the Mega Drive version of Shadowrun was way better. WAAAAY.

by your mom's box (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» Here's my top 10 (in no particular order)

10 - Lords of Thunder: TG-CD
Why? Cause it had a great soundtrack that any game could ever had. It was a great shooter at the time also.

9 - Contra 3: The Alien Wars - SNES
That game a lot a fun back in the day plus it was a good 2p shoot 'em up.

8 - Chrono Trigger - SNES
One of the best RPGs for the SNES which deserves a remake.

7 - Super Double Dragon - SNES
Now, the original arcade version was ok but the SNES version was a bit more fun. Either this or the original, DD deserves to be remade.

6 - Flashback - SNES/Genesis
If you have played the original Prince of Persia or any game of this genre, Flashback led the way for those games.

5 - Mutant League Football - Genesis
Let's face it, it's all about Madden nowadays. This game was one of the many few which followed the old Madden gameplay back then and added a lot of imagination (and reason to destroy the other team literally).

4 - Super Dodge Ball - NES/Neo-Geo (Arcade)
Now if had an NES back then, you've had to play this game. Pure fun and can be remade into a multiplayer game for any next-gen system. Even the NG Arcade version was fun.

3 - River City Ransom - NES
That was a fun platformer at the time. The fact that it was almost like an action RPG since you can level up your characters.

2 - Battletoads in Battlemaniacs - SNES
Probably one of the most maniacally hardest games to beat. If you got passed the second level, you're considered a pro. This can be made to a multiplayer game even though there are only 3 Battletoads. Besides, TMNT is coming to XBLA so why not give BT a shot.

1 - Karate Champ - NES/Arcade
Old school fighting and a unique battle system with 2 joysticks (arcade). Perfect for the XBLA and also since the graphics are really old, it should be a very cheap game to get.

by Spokesman (Unregistered) - 2007-03-11

» FF4

Final Fantasy 4 should be on this list

by Lucas (Unregistered) - 2007-03-12

» shadowrun

Am I the only one who prefered the shadow run for genesis. just thought it had the better gameplay

Re: KirbySS (Unregistered) - 2007-03-12

» .

That and your character didn't look like he just came out of a vat of Forced Evolutionary Virus. Yikes.

by Jowga (Unregistered) - 2007-03-12

» herzog zwei

We need a remake of Herzog Zwei

by Mister Common Sense - 2007-03-12

» .

All remakes suck.
Remember the Final Fight remake?

by Glen D. (QJ. NET Staff) - 2007-03-17

» YOUR IDEAS

Guys, thanks for the vibrant discussion. If you have any ideas about lists you want to see, feel free to tell us. Thanks.

by lectronic Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-print (Unregistered) - 2007-03-18

» ong9570@qj.net

ong9570@qj.net

by Ex (Unregistered) - 2007-03-19

» Ahaha.

Shadowrun!! Whoo! Oh, and Mr Second-Poster-Gir, Sony did release games before the mid-90s. I remember playing a Sony adventure game, with pseudo-3D graphics...that was odd.

by Pieman (Unregistered) - 2007-03-20

» Double Dragon Dream

I've been thinking about how great a Double Dragon remake would be for a while, it's amazing someone agrees! Something to replace the scrolling beat em up for the next gens. I can't think of any games like this (not a fan of Virtua Fighter and the like) that exist on the "3d" generation. Anyone able to recommend anything?

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