by Matthew Caverhill

Created on: December 22, 2009

In the world of gaming, there have been literally thousands of properties vying for the attention of players for decades, and sometimes, quality titles fall by the wayside. Luckily, there are always people who remember the great concepts and gameplay innovations and sometimes we as players get lucky when one of these titles gets remade and a wider audience can get to see what all the fuss was about originally.

Now I will be the first to admit that a few of these are not what one might call the conventional choice, but I think these games likely have the best chance of being updated in a relevant way. I have also made the decision that anything that has come out in the past two console generations or roughly from the year 2000 onward would be too recent a release to merit a remake, because the original games can still likely be played on an console that is backwards compatible or still being manufactured.

It was with that limitation in mind that I made the following list of the five games that would be best served by a remake:

River City Ransom: This NES game was, in retrospect, really ahead of its time. From a non-linear, almost sandbox-type environment to some unique avenues for customization, and even some hidden content, like shops that you had to find by accident or by using a guide, this game had a lot more depth than players were used to on that particular console. The story is a simple one, involving two buff teens, Alex and Ryan, and their quest to save both a girl and their high school from the gang that is holding them hostage. Along the way, they also have to clean up the streets by going through a lot of other gangs to get to their final destination. The game also had a quirky sense of humor, and that along with the innovative gameplay has made this one a cult classic. I could definitely see a game like this becoming a co-op experience online, though I have a feeling that any remake would be more in keeping with Bully or The Warriors (both by Rockstar Games) rather than with the 2D original, and I am ok with that. I think the concept is strong enough to support that kind of change. It would likely be better served as a downloadable console game rather than a full retail release, but I could be wrong. I think the nostalgia factor alone could make this a hit. River City Ransom was part of a series of games which had a very particular look, with super deformed characters which were very easy to identify and seemed to be almost a trademark for the company

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