Now, when it comes to the world of gaming I’m all here for “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it”. After seeing so many unnecessary remakes and sequels in television and movies for projects that didn’t deserve that kind of energy, I feel cringey thinking about a beautiful video game being ruined by a tasteless remake – all for the sake of nostalgia. Gratefully, the remakes I’ve played have been pretty great. From classics like Pokémon and Streets of Rage to Destroy All Humans, some blessings came down as remastered games, and I was here for it. A successful remake should bring more than just upgraded graphics to the table. It’s supposed to grant extra ease in controls, extra modes or features and build on the platform that revamps the nostalgia for older players and attracts new players in a way that doesn’t make them feel left out.
With that in mind, I got greedy and thought about the special games from my childhood that need to be remastered. Keep in mind this is just a wish list, and these have not been officially confirmed.
Crash Bash
Listen, if you thought Mario Party pissed you off, you haven’t ridden on the back of a polar bear sub while trying to knock your siblings off an ice cap for sipping on your last Capri Sun. Crash Bash was the game you played when you needed to throw hands immediately and wanted no interruptions. Crash Bash had you throwing whole explosives, marking territories, dropping anvils; this game was the epitome of “innocent” cartoon violence.
What made this game so fun was the unlimited chaos that ensued the minute you picked up the controller. The games didn’t feel clunky. They had arena variations; it was quick paced and left tensions high. Crash Bash was a great party game that deserves a chance at a remake. What would make this game interesting is, of course, more additions to the mini-game line up and multiplayer online play. I believe adding puzzle challenges, games that offer gift advantages (or disadvantages) in tournament modes and team games would heighten the experience.
So far, we already have remakes of the Crash Bandicoot trilogy and Crash Team Racing, amazing classics will well deserved remakes. There is currently an unofficial fan remake of Crash Bash but no word on whether developers are considering an official version or not. Not only would this be a great development choice, I believe many Crash Bandicoot fans would agree that Crash Bash has much to build on with limited ways to mess it up since it already proved to be a great formula.
Teen Titans Battle Blitz
I know this wasn’t on a console, it’s a cartoonnetwork.com classic, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a chance at remake glory. Teen Titans Battle Blitz was the official throw-hands-at-the-library-computer-after-school game. Play as your favorite Teen Titan or, if you had the time and skill to unlock the roster of villains, pick up one of those pesky Titans and throw them to the ground.
This game was a classic. With some upgrades we could have a dope story line, upgraded visuals, fighting arenas and, of course, power up specials according to the character’s fighting style. A 3D fighting landscape similar to Naruto or My Hero One’s Justice with free movements would fit this game well. Imagine fighting in the Titan’s Tower living room, blasting through couches, allowing the room to transform into an arena where weaknesses can be taken advantage of. Electrocution, setting projectiles on fire, various terrains: there is so much we could do with this game that brings together nostalgia and modern improvements.
Simpsons Hit & Run
This game has brought about such wonderful fuel for destruction. Being able to play as any member in the Simpsons family (except Maggie of course), ransacking your car through anything you can get your eyes on, causing explosions, bursting through glass and getting serious air time: it was a game of the ages. The Simpsons Hit & Run was basically the “Rated T” Grand Theft Auto. You got less blood, the violence is comedic and the story-line felt open enough for the vibe they were going for.
What made this game successful was the relative ease of the storyline in each section. Granted I am usually here for strong choices, in depth dialogue and worlds that allow the characters to shine and relate to players; this game didn’t do that much. The Simpsons already had a platform. They capitalized on their audience by giving characters the opportunity to show off their relative chaos through catchphrases, vehicle styles and movements. The game was laser focused on relaxing immersive game-play where even if you were frustrated about a mission, you could take it easy and cruise (or crash) around Springfield.
With that in mind, I believe a remake would do well by improving the story-line and allowing more interactions with NPCs and iconic areas around the sitcom. By improving the map similar to the style of Spiderman’s open format, being able to access these different places and neighborhoods from the jump, and experiencing different missions according to game time (allowing certain missions to only be accessible when it’s night time in the game, or evening, etc.) would not only provide more challenge but also give the game a “complete” feel. I want to be able to get out the car, run into the school and get detention with Bart. I want to scold people for not being aware of the environment and intersectionality with Lisa. The game was already beautiful and it has many opportunities to move in a positive direction.
Many games deserve love and should be given the opportunity to reign in the spotlight once more. Maybe some games don’t need to be touched at all and just need to be made available to more recent systems. Maybe all some games need are updated graphics. People vouch for remakes for various reasons, but one thing that each point has in common is that it plays on nostalgia. Not everything needs to be touched in order for it to be remembered and appreciated, but building and improving on platforms makes these worlds accessible to the new generation in a different way, which is exciting in and of itself.
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Show Comments