Nintendo is in a unique position in the gaming industry. The company produces more first-party titles than practically any other console manufacturer. Even more importantly, though, Nintendo has been around for longer than any other major player in the modern-day market. That gives the Japanese giant a huge back catalog that spans more than three decades.
With so many games, Nintendo has perhaps the most potential when it comes to remastering old games. The company simply has so much content to choose from that people would want to see remade. With the dual nature of the Switch console, it is a perfect opportunity to remaster console and handheld titles. These are just a few classics that Nintendo should definitely remake for the Switch in the future.
Pokémon Silver & Gold
Among Pokémon fans, Silver & Gold (1999) are considered to be some of the best entries in the franchise. The games took everything that worked well in the first entries and improved upon practically every aspect. Nintendo has already released reworked versions of Pokémon Red & Blue, so the groundwork has already been done. A remaster of these two titles in the same style as Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee would no doubt prove popular. It would also help new fans to the series experience one of the classic games.
F-Zero
F-Zero is a name that might not be all that familiar to relatively new Nintendo fans. That’s mainly because the lightning-fast racer, which debuted in 1990, has largely disappeared. Nintendo has not released a new game in the series since 2004. Yet, the game is one of the company’s most unique. Very different from the Mario Kart series, F-Zero is all about managing to thread the needle on tight and twisting tracks. With Nintendo showing no interest in developing a new F-Zero title, remastering an older game is a good alternative
Professor Layton Collection
Unlike the Phoenix Wright series, the Professor Layton franchise has not yet been remastered on Switch. But the detective series, which debuted in 2007, certainly deserves to be. So far, there have been seven titles in the series and only the most recent one has seen a port for the console (2017’s Layton’s Mystery Journey). But many of the earlier titles are not only highly regarded but also somewhat unplayable today. After all, a good majority of them were released for older handheld systems that are not really used anymore.
Super Mario 3D Collection
There have been rumors of a collection of 3D Super Mario games for some time now. Many have suggested that Nintendo would release such a remastered bundle to celebrate the franchise’s 35th anniversary. While some titles, like Super Mario Galaxy, are relatively modern, others are not. But that doesn’t mean that the older games don’t hold up, especially in terms of gameplay. In fact, a fresh lick of paint for games such as 2002’s Super Mario Sunshine would make them very appealing.
Metroid Prime: Trilogy
The Metroid series has been criminally underused by Nintendo over the last decade or so. Although there have not been many new games in recent years, the franchise is still fondly remembered. Perhaps the best option for Nintendo would be to remaster some of the best Metroid games. A good choice would be the Metroid Prime trilogy (2002-2007) from the GameCube era. It would also provide the opportunity to update the visuals and the controls from these old games.
The Legend of Zelda Collection
Anyone who has owned a Nintendo system will no doubt have come across The Legend of Zelda. The action-adventure series, which debuted in 1986, is one of the company’s standout franchises. Games like Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild are widely considered to be some of the best games ever. So it makes perfect sense that players would want to see some of the classics remastered. The Switch would be the perfect home for such remakes thanks to its HD graphics and portability.
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing (1997) was one of Rare’s last games for Nintendo and it was definitely a memorable one. The racing title ended up becoming a classic of the genre, taking the kart racer in a new direction. It featured a wide range of characters as well as a variety of unique environments and racetracks. Very few games have been able to recapture this type of experience so a remaster could be appealing. In fact, the game has already been remade for the Nintendo DS in 2007.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
The Paper Mario series is one that has been around for quite a long time. It is also still as popular now as it ever was. In fact, a new game, The Origami King, launched earlier this year. But it is 2004’s The Thousand-Year Door that is probably most fondly remembered by fans. Nintendo has expressed a desire to remaster this title if there is interest in it, so it could be a real possibility. Remastering this game would also make sense, as it could really benefit from upgraded visuals and gameplay.
What Nintendo games do you most want to see remastered for the Switch? Let us know in the comments below!
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