Resident Evil Gaiden
Resident Evil Gaiden is the game that Capcom wishes we'd all forget (we didn't). Simply put, Gaiden was an experiment gone wrong that performed so poorly that Capcom retconned it out of the series canon. But that's not to say it's a bad game.
The game's biggest sin was calling itself a Resident Evil game. Despite its innovative mechanics and intriguing turn-based combat system (albeit repetitive), it failed to capture the essence of the beloved third-person horror adventures that fans were familiar with, ensuring disappointment before its release.
Since Gaiden flopped, the Resident Evil series has ventured into strange new directions, showing Capcom's willingness to try new things with its hallmark horror series. Now is the perfect time to resurrect the long-forgotten runt of the series and give it the chance it deserves.
Survival Kids
Survival Kids is a true innovation in gaming. It offers a blend of survival mechanics, adventure, and strategic thinking that we wouldn't see until Minecraft decades later. There's no doubt a modern remake would shine in today's gaming landscape.
The game was truly ahead of its time. Players could craft tools and scavenge for food. There were even meters for hunger and thirst that you had to manage as you played. A modern remake could build upon this foundation, enhancing the complexity and realism of survival mechanics while offering players an immersive and challenging experience.
It'd be fascinating to see Survival Kids with modern design sensibilities and features, like more intricate crafting, dynamic weather systems, and nuanced NPC interactions. The time is ripe for Survival Kids to reemerge as a modern classic, introducing a new generation to this underrated Game Boy gem.
Star Ocean: Blue Sphere
Star Ocean: Blue Sphere is a hidden gem of the Game Boy Color era that's brimming with untapped potential. The game's captivating blend of science fiction and fantasy, along with its intricate storytelling and unique combat system, presents a compelling case for revisiting this classic.
Refine and expand the groundbreaking real-time action battle system with modern mechanics to create a dynamic and engaging combat experience. Add online multiplayer features to breathe new life into the game's cooperative gameplay, allowing players to explore the galaxy with friends and fellow adventurers.
A modern remake of Star Ocean: Blue Sphere has the power to unlock the original concept's true potential, offering an unforgettable journey through space and time with innovative gameplay, stunning graphics, and a renewed sense of wonder. This underrated JRPG deserves to be reintroduced to a new generation of gamers.
Pokémon Trading Card Game
A few years back, Nintendo attmpted to capitalize on the popularity of digital collectible card games like Hearthstone by hiring a third-party studio to develop the ill-fated Pokemon TCG Online. But I'm not looking for a way to play the Pokemon card game digitally; I put this game on the list because I want the full Game Boy Pokemon Trading Card Game experience recreated and revitalized on the Nintendo Switch.
That means a full single-player campaign with 3D visuals and thrilling battles — like Arceus but with trading cards. The potential for enhanced deck-building mechanics and strategic gameplay is immense. A remake could incorporate features such as deck suggestions, customizable card sleeves, and detailed statistics tracking, offering players a more streamlined and immersive experience. The addition of new cards, strategies, and mechanics could breathe fresh life into the game while retaining the nostalgic charm that made the original so captivating.
Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
Metal Gear: Ghost Babel is a hidden gem of the Metal Gear franchise. The game takes place in an alternate universe where Solid Snake comes out of retirement to stop a rebel group that has stolen an experimental Metal Gear prototype. If done right, a modern remake of Ghost Babel could set the series up for more alternate dimension exploits, allowing for the series to live on even in the absence of the authorial vision of series creator Hideo Kojima.
Part of Ghost Babel's charm is its distinctive visual style. Unlike the mainline games in the series, which emulated the aesthetics of late '80s action movies, Ghost Babel looks like a moving comic book. To longtime fans, the character designs might look wildly out of place with their cartoonish proportions and wild colors, but that might just be the direction the series needs to take to separate itself from Kojima's legacy.