11 Best Video Game Remakes, Ranked by How They Revive Classics Over Time

Remakes With New Improvements

Video game remakes can serve several purposes: updating technology, smoothing out parts that have aged poorly or making a classic available to modern players. The strongest examples preserve the original’s appeal while adding something worthwhile.

The Nintendo Switch version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door builds on a GameCube favorite with quality-of-life changes. Faster travel and quicker partner switching improve pacing, while two secret bosses offer new challenges for returning players.

The remake also uses a revised translation of the Japanese original, portraying Vivian as a transgender woman. Together, these changes help make the release a more complete way to experience the game.

A Zelda Classic Revisited

The Nintendo Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time updates a game already regarded as one of the greatest ever made. Its refreshed visuals, quality-of-life changes and full voice acting aim to bring the adventure to modern standards.

The remake also focuses on controls and accessibility, not only appearance. It offers something for both longtime fans and players who came to the series through later games such as Breath of the Wild.

Because the game has only recently arrived, its wider legacy and influence remain uncertain. Its polished presentation, however, is framed as a tribute to a cherished Nintendo title.

Silent Hill 2 Returns

Silent Hill 2 received a full-scale remake after the series had spent long stretches of the 2010s abandoned and earned a middling reception overall. The team behind the remake aimed to remain faithful to the original while rebuilding it for modern play.

A third-person camera and more dynamic combat update the experience, while its celebrated central story and emotional moments remain. Composer Akira Yamaoka also returned to remix his classic themes. Bloober Team developed the remake, bringing a strong interest in horror games and inspiration from the original Silent Hill 2.

Yakuza’s High-Profile Remake

Yakuza gained renewed appreciation after the release of its prequel, Yakuza 0. That success created an opening for a prominent remake of the first game in the series. The supplied article text ends as it begins discussing Yakuza Kiwami, so it provides no further details about the remake.