The 10 Best Classic Video Games That Need Modern Remakes
Polygon examines ten classic video games that would benefit from modern remakes to introduce them to contemporary audiences. The article highlights titles from gaming’s history that made strong impressions but never received sequels or have long since been abandoned. While some successful franchises have spawned numerous installments and continue to thrive, many beloved games fell dormant without clear explanation, representing missed opportunities in the entertainment landscape.
The list opens with The 7th Saga, a 1993 SNES RPG originally released in Japan as Elnard. The game’s North American version featured notably increased difficulty compared to its Japanese counterpart, contributing to its challenging reputation among players. Despite being among the standout SNES RPGs of its era, The 7th Saga never received the international recognition or sequel attention of contemporaries, nor a European release like many comparable titles of that generation.
The article’s premise suggests that successful remakes like Resident Evil 4 demonstrate the viability of revisiting classic properties with modern development approaches. The authors argue that many overlooked games from various platforms and eras have untapped potential and loyal fan bases that could support renewed releases. A modern remake could refresh these titles’ gameplay mechanics, graphics, and controls for today’s standards while preserving what made them compelling originally.
By examining games that never received sequels or franchise expansion, Polygon highlights how remakes represent an important way to celebrate gaming’s history while introducing a new generation of players to titles they might otherwise never experience.