Slashdot Mirror
Games That Should Be Remade
Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to Gamespot's new article on videogames that should be remade. This third article in an ongoing series starts with the statement that "..we feel like there are plenty of titles from the annals of gaming history that deserve another shot at the spotlight, and that's exactly why we assembled this list." It goes on to pinpoint titles such as The Bard's Tale (rumored to have a remake in development already), Bullfrog's classic Syndicate, APB, and even the original X-Com as being worthy of an update.
Do we really have no good new ideas?
Personally, the game I've always wanted to see redone, more than pretty much any other, is M.U.L.E. Of course, with Bunten dead and EA being EA, I don't see that happening in the next, well, ever.
But it would be the greatest game ever if it happened.
Philip Sandifer's academic website
Nostalgia is a very strong force that sells alot of games. Case in point are all the remakes and ports for the GBA. They wouldnt sell nearly as much if nostalgia wasnt a factor (not to mention some of them are kickass games) A River City Ransom remake was announced for the GBA, and alot of folks are really pumped for it, because it was a great NES game, with excellent gameplay. Alot of games today are all flash and no substance, and developers are realizing that older games that have that substance are selling. Hopefully soon they will realize they are selling because they are fun, and not all flashy. Personally I would love to see remakes of Bionic Commando and Blaster Master, 2 great NES games that I still play on my DC via emu.
M.U.L.E. was in my opinion the best game ever, I would love to see it remeade with TCP/IP multiplayer and longer game times.
There is an Atari 400/800 emu called Atari800WinPlus that uses a server called kaillera to tie multiple peopel together so you can play the original atari version, tho kaillera seems to also be popular for MAME games.
I can understand certain games like APB which was a really fun arcade game back in the day that could tag along with the GTA "rage" that's been going on for a while but I see 2 that shouldn't be tainted:
Ultima V? Don't mess with the classics. please.
With a remake of this game, it would leave out what is missing with most games these days: imagination. 2D rpgs made me wonder how the lands really looked and made me think about the character personalities etc. (think about how Link from Zelda never speaks)
Out Of This World? Gamespot claims that it helped pioneer 3D but it in fact used 2D rotoscoped animation.. not true 3D. Speaking of which, a 3D remake would ruin the rugged look of the classic which can't be reproduced.
Many of those game in fact have been remade if you consider emulators. Although, when I think of remade, I think of remade with modern graphics etc. Many of the classic SNES Square/Enix RPGs would acquire a new audiance if they redid them in 3d. I'd love to play FF4 or 6 with the graphics of FF10. Not to mention Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, Breath of Fire 1, Breath of Fire 2... *wanders off*
You're right, I wouldn't steal a car. But if it were possible, I sure as hell would download one!
I'll start with Volume 1:
Zelda - thanks but we've seen sequals to this one. I can't imagine the original being redone to make it any better.
Darklands - awesome game! I'd love to see a remake or something similar. I have fond memories of playing this on my 386. (=
ShadowRun - really needs to be remade. Now more than ever. There are too many fantasy rpg's/games and not enough near future/sci-fi ones.
The rest of the games in vol. 1 were pretty mediocre. I could do without remakes, thanks.
Volume 2:
Bionic Commando - Thank god they included this one. Ever since I played Quake with a grappling hook, BC was the first thing I thought of. "Man, they should redo Bionic Commando in 3D!" VERY cool game.
Strider - Seems like I remember hearing about a new version that came out recently...maybe for one of the consoles.
Volume 3:
Panzer Dragoon - zzZzZZzZzzz
A.P.B. - Just get GTA and steal a police car. It's more fun than this game was.
Out of this World - I was amazed by this game. The graphics were good (for back then) & the animations were very fluid. A remake is definitely needed.
Space Harrier - Come on, this game was not that cool. Not worth a remake.
Cyberball - I think sports games are boring. Add robots instead of real players and it's even less entertaining.
Final Fight - This doesn't need a remake because it WAS a remake. Can anyone say Double Dragon?
I know alot of people who would like to see Final Fantasy VII redone with Final Fantasy X's level of graphics and voices. :)
Bugs are just features that have been fixed.
I heard that they were doing it though. All they need now is a joystick that can take the punishment!
Asteroids with a first-person perspective. Or Sinistar.
I'd like a good remake of Boulderdash on my PC. I've played some Boulderdash-like games but it's very hard to get the look and feel of the original C' 64 game. I like that game a lot.
-- Cheers!
One of the first computer games that I ever played was the Out of This World that came with my old Macintosh Performa 410.
All three of which are wildly deserving of remakes.
'jfb
To spur "enterprise Linux," Big Bang, the distributed two-phase commit.
Check out the screenshots - nicely updated and runs well on practically any spec PC - handily enough, they even offer a free trial.
I should mention, it can be dangerously addictive. Maybe not PlanetSide-grade addictive, but getting there.
yes, i sure would like to see a remake of starflight. MoM i dont actually think it would really be needed, since it looked good enough, and still runs fine on my box.
anyway, MoM might even get a sequel. well, then again im not sure if i want a sequel like MoO3
http://www.raretopia.com/features/ahistorylesson/c hapter2.html
100% sametype of graphics just more of the same please.
Mario. IN 2D NINTENDO.
Imaging how good 2d could be today, more yoshi as well
Simple games with 100s of levels and instant action please.
I'd love to see a remake of my all-time favorite, Sword of the Samurai. Or maybe not. Everything I loved about the game was dictated by the limited technology of the time. Low-res EGA graphics? Make all the game screens look like a Japanese wood-cut. Junky MIDI music? Hire a good composer to write simple drum and lute pieces, then hire a clever designer to integrate the music seemlessly with the game action. Wonderfully beautiful. But if they remade it, it would have high production values and the playability of burnt toast.
I was just about to talk about Starflight. You beat me to the punch.
That game was AWSOME. Communicating with alien species, exploring planets...I wasted so many hours with that game, and its sequel.
You can't take the sky from me...
Two games that *have* been remade recently are Final Fantasy I and II, released here as 'Final Fantasy Origins.' I actually just finished playing both remakes myself, and they are *fantastic*. I think if there's a stellar example of how a remake should be done, everyone should look at FFO, as it takes all the good features of both games, and keeps them exactly the same. Furthermore, they even changed some of the 'annoying' things of both games. Such as the inability to auto-target if an enemy dies -- previously if you tried to target an enemy and then it died, you'd 'miss.' Of course, they put in an option to retain this behavior if that's what you'd like.
;)
:)
The remake brings both games up to approximately Final Fantasy VI standards, although the music far exceeds those standards. For me, the music is an important part of any game, and I was really impressed with how FFI and FFII's music was remixed. For those completionists out there, such as myself, FFO has some extra features that lets you keep track of how many enemies you've killed, what items you've picked up from the dungeons, and allows you to bring these stats along with you once you complete the game and start anew.
I was actually impressed that they released it for the PS1 as opposed for the PS2, because now it can be played on both systems (and, *cough*on some emulators too*cough*), and there's no reason graphically to have made it a PS2 exclusive. If you're a die-hard Final Fantasy fan like myself, this is definitely a 'must-have', it's great. It's even better for those of us who have a hard time tolerating the old NES graphics and analog music
And I agree with some of those posts above: M.U.L.E. *must* be remade eventually, it continues to be one of the best games ever. I still play it over and over on my various C64 emulators. It's great fun having three other friends over to play M.U.L.E. as silly as that sounds, the game is still great and has tons of life left in it
Sounds like Imperium Galactica. Been done ... twice. Very hard game, especially when you conquer a good chunk of the galaxy and have multiple races all pissed off at you so you have to build them crap and lower their taxes, etc. The amount of detail in that game is pretty amazing.
Despite the fact that it hasnâ(TM)t been released yet, Duke Nukem Forever has already become a classic worthy of a remake. The release date might slip a little further, but perfection is worth waiting for.
I thought he was talking about Mail Order Monsters...
my sig's at the bottom of the page.
I'd like to see all of Event Horizon's early isometric RPGs remade, really. I know I'd gladly shell out for updated versions of DarkSpyre/The Summoning, Dusk of the Gods and Veil of Darkness.
huh ?
I was, in fact.
'jfb
To spur "enterprise Linux," Big Bang, the distributed two-phase commit.
I loved System Shock 2 and I heard great things in the original game. However, I couldn't get into the first game due to its poor controls and graphics. I'd love to see a rehash of the original game! And enhanced with multiplayer (co-op!).
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
My two favorite Apple // games during my childhood. I'd love to see a rehashed of them. I don't think a 3D of these games would be good.
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
There's a free MoM remake project at AgeOfMagic.org. Not sure what the development status is (last news is almost a year old), but I'm living in hope...
Repton.
They say that only an experienced wizard can do the tengu shuffle.
I have thought for a long time now that Id ought to do a new, spiffy,
3D first-person version of Commander Keen. Keen had several things
going for it. The characters were cartooney, and everyone knows that
cartooney violence is much more fun than stuff that looks real. In
addition, the pogo stick was really innovative and added a great
deal to the gameplay. I'd particularly like to see that item done
in a first-person 3D version of the game.
Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
Please, will someone make an up-to-date version of Elite for PS2 or Mac?
(Or anything not Microsoft, in fact. I'd buy a GameCube to play a state-of-the-art remake of Elite.)
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
In 3D. With chocobos.
The only challenge is finding a balance between
the old massochistic carpal-tunnel-inducing control
scheme and a dumb-ass flight simulator -- you should
still have to flap your wings IMO.
I actually think a lot of adventures should be redone.
I'm not talking about Monkey Island 1 or 2, I'm talking about the modern adventures.
And I'm not talking about fancy graphics, I'm talking about that old 2D-pixel-look that makes me so nostalgious. ARR, PORT THEM TO SCUMM!
Sounds like Imperium Galactica.
Nah, in Starflight you fly around ina spaceship and talk to other spaceship. You don't conquer anything.
You can't take the sky from me...
Still IMHO the best air combat sim ever, and by far the most fun. Someone needs to redo this game graphically and keep the gameplay the exact same as it was. I don't care how real the physics model was. It's also be fun to see a couple more craft thrown in just for kicks. Thankfully I see Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe is being remade, the other air combat sim I would immediately mention normally...
I also see Archon is being remade. I have no idea why it took so long...
And last but not least, someone really needs to remake the original Front Page Sports: Football, probably the best all around game and hardcore sports sim ever made (you could edit everything... and I mean everything).
-- Primis.
I know this isn't updating games, but it allows you to play games without maintaining a 486 or otherwise.
;)
I own a Playstation 2 and have started buying ports of computer games I own. I have X-COM, the game that taught me to stay up all night, in the original huge plastic case (I don't have the CGW strategy article that I read over and over again when I played the original).
I also have:
Descent Maximum
Syndicate Wars
Sim City 2000
Crusader: No Remorse
I plan on purchasing others:
A-Train
Magic Carpet
Diablo
Populous
Dune 2000
Doom
There are many others. Backwards compatibility was a big selling point for me when it came to purchasing a new console. That and the Linux kit
I remember spending about 2 days nonstop with a friend going through system shock 2 co-op, it was awesome, i wish more games had co-op, without having to wait for someone to make a mod to do it, if they even do that.
I'd love to see a remake of the ManHunter series. The ORB Alliance Rules!
Daikatana...
Crush, Crumble, Chomp was a giant monster game for the Apple ][ and TRS-80 (packaged together, on opposite sides of a single disk!). You could be any of several movie-based monsters, or create your own. The maps were based on actual cities. I would love to see that game re-made.
Bilestoad was another original concept I've never seen copied. It was a slow motion (but not turn-based) top-down fighting game, with weapons and shields. Very cool.
Shadowrun - I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet
Knights of Legend - or a sequel
Not the most accurate submarine sim ever, but sooo much fun. Granted, the whole 'Soviet Union' thing is a bit outdated now, but that's okay.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
There is a game that I have been saying Nintendo should remake for years... ...Maniac Mansion!
This is perhaps one of the best, yet least appreciated, NES games ever made. It was funny, clever, witty, innovative, original, and best of all, extremely fun. You could play through the game many, many different ways, adding a *lot* to the replay value.
I think that an updated GCN version of this would be awesome. I would definitely buy it.
Also, an updated version of Final Fantasy VI for the GCN would be the best idea ever. Keep the storyline, characters, plot and everything the same, just give it modern graphics. I would gladly pay $60+ for that.
As an Xbox owner and a father (Happy Father's Day!), I'd like to see Microsoft port the Magic Schoolbus series to the Xbox. But more than just a straight port, take advantage of the Xbox graphics and make it fully 3D. The lack of good kids titles for consoles in general and the Xbox in particular is disappointing.
If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.
X-com .... IMHO, Redo the whole series. X/C 1 was by far the best of the bunch and the rest went swiftly downhill.
Syndicate: I just found my install disks for this game not too long ago. I'd like to see it remade since I never did get closure on this game....that final mission on the oil platform (?) I could never complete....
My hope for remake is the soon to be orphaned High Heat franchise from now bankrupt 3DO. Last year's (HH 2003) had all the guts of a stats game and had a rather average set of graphics. With this year's game, they threw out everything that was good and tried to hide it with great graphics and no mouse support. Now that 3DO died a painful death, hopefully someone will scoop up the franchise and bring it back to greatness. For PCs, they're only competing with EA's yearly disapointment in its Triple Play/MVP franchise. Either that, or I can only hope that Sega ports WSB to the big box.
Every time I turn around it's another damn sequal or remake. Now I'm not sure if it's just been recently that everyone feels compelled to remake or rehash or make another sequal to their games, but I'm seriously having a hard time finding fresh games to play. I do understand that Doom3 and HL2 are probably going to push the limits of what we know as FPS games today, but what if all that talent and creative thought was focused elsewhere, what other games would we have? As for remakes and new sequals of old games, I used to be all for it, but then I realized I was getting tired of playing a new Lunar remake every 2 years of my life. I mean seriously, do we need to have Lunar on the saturn, redone and rereleased on the PS, then completely remade to be played on the GBA? I understand the ports of old SNES games, but I don't see the draw of remaking an old game 3 times. As for the article, I don't think Bard's Tale could be remade or Ultima V in ways that would present the games as fresh or appealing. Their ideas have been rehashed and redone in many other games as helped shaped computer RPGs as we play them today. Panzer Dragoon Saga could use a remake or at the very least a port, as barely anyone was able to play this gem. I can't say I enjoyed X-Com or Syndicate at all, and the low level of interactivity and stylized graphics that made Out of This World what it was back then would probably not survive in the market today if a true remake was done. Space Harrier... I have mixed feelings about it, as the frantic and addictive onrail shooter gameplay that it had was unique, and not many games today share the same style. I could understand a remake as this is definately an old arcade gem that not many people were able to play... then again Planet Hariers came out, but never really made it stateside. I can't vouch for Cyberball, but there's no reason I could ever think of for a final fight remake. I'm just tired of living it what seems to be such a big drought of new and innovative titles. Maybe it was always this way and I was just too young to recall. Or maybe it's this way due to the state of the industry. But whatever, I'm ready for something new to play, not just a rehash of a game that has been done and redone many times before in either sequals or spinoffs. Anyone else out there feel the same way?
Hey, it's my OPINION that dogs have eight legs and make a sound like a car horn every time they take a piss.
Go out and buy yourself a copy of Boulder Dash EX for the GBA. It has the classic C64 game, as well as the updated story quest (complete with unlockables and more!).
Well worth it, and usually bargain priced.
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
Well, I think we should add to the list, Shadow of the Beast, Stunt Car Racer, Racing Destruction Set, Marble Madness, Impossible Mission, and Frontier/Elite...
Now, there is work being done on a Shadow of the Beast 3D.
There is also work being done on...
Space Racer - Update of Stunt Car Racer
Trophy - looks real close to Racing Destruction Set
GLTron - one of many clones of the old tron cycles games
Vega Strike - Clone of Elite (I know there's an Elite 4 listed on Frontier Development's page, but judging from the copyright notice at the bottom, it hasn't been updated since some time in 2001)
TrackBalls - Clone of Marble Madness
and...
XArchon - Update of Archon
And they're all open source...which means that you can play current beta versions in most cases...
I really loved those games. (and I still play them from time to time.)
I would love to see a remake of them. Not that EoB III was that good. But EoB & EoB II was magnificent.
Another game that has been remade is Defender of the Crown. Which was released originally on the good old Commodore 64, but also on other system such as Amiga and the PC.
For me it has to be System Shock 2. It was probably the first FPS to seemlessly combine the relentless action of doom, with a full blown RPG element. A great story line that never gave up, and that wouldn't have been out of place in a movie.
Sadly tho, the company that produced it, Looking Glass, ran into serious difficulties during the games developement (both financially and of the technology) so the release version was a bit rough around the edges. Shame really... a couple of more weeks and a wee bit more cash would have cemented this game as one of the all time greats.
Steve
Street Rod 1 and 2...could be the best games ever made!!!
This was fun strategy game. You had a team of 4 syndicates and you had to do missions across the world to expand the organization. At the same time you had to worry about cops, other organizations and civilians.
I thought it was beautifully detailed and very well made; balance of research, guns, armor, and the ability to alter your syndicates speed, intelligence and power. Plus, the menu interface was easy to use. It was really ahead of its time in strategy games.
Unfortunately, Bullfrog was bought by Maxis (makers of simcity). They released a 'sequel' called syndicate wars which was a letdown. It used polygons and rough 3D graphics, whereas the original used sprites and 2D shots.
Looking at the two games, you'd think the sequel was much older and less development time was put into it.
Heh, I loved the gauss gun. Oh how it'd reak havoc during the president's visit in a crowded parade.
I'd love to see a remake of Maxis' RoboSport. It was a turn-based combat game, where teams of robots fought eachother. Multiplayer (up to 4 players) was very configurable on my Amiga. There's supposed to be a remake for Mac, but I don't have one, so I'd like to see one made for PC.
-Enfors-
Most of these I've been saying for quite a while..
#1. Kid Icarus. There are a lot of us who have been wanting this for years. My first NES game, and one that I still have a ton of fun playing. I see a 3d platformer with both vertical and exploration stages. The vertical stages would keep the play dynamic of the originial, with a "void" appearing a bit beneath you to keep every jump different. You would have the bow and arrow of course, and the ability to spend hearts to buy items. And don't forget the castle stages!
A few, previously mentioned, Snake Rattle n' Roll, (never will happen. Rare is with MS now which will never release such a game), Smash TV, Bionic Commando.
Crystallis. Better than Zelda back in the day.
Not much else really.
And to be honest, I complete disagree that this is a "lack of orginality". This is nostalgia, plain and simple. Sometimes going bak to what is known is refreshing.
Try "Deathrow" for the xbox. (I'm lazy, you have to google for it.)
It plays very much like a modern Speedball 2.
It's full 3D, the ball is not a ball (it's a disc), you may only have 4 team members on the field at once, etc.
But despite the differences you do get the same kind of fast, demanding and violent gameplay, with a futuristic feel to it.
I'd say it's the only game besides Halo that would make me go buy an xbox.
Unfortunately the game had no marketing and sold lousy despite pretty decent reviews, so most people has never heard of it.
It's a pity, really.
"First lesson," Jon said. "Stick them with the pointy end."
Steve Jackson's classic was clunky on the commodore 64, but would make a great MMORPG! Does anybody even remember this game? :)
I personally have a problem with emulators because they allow me to play old games from my childhood that I had fond memories of, and after playing again realize they really blow. Thanks emulators! I'm looking at you, Sword of Fargoal!
free online diet tracking.
Megafortress - One of the best military sim games EVER made. http://www.megafortress.com Or perhaps: Starfox Patton vs. Rommel Ancient Art of War (another of my favorites, loved playing against Crazy Ivan) Or not so much a game as a very nice educational program Music Construction Set. Enjoy, Griotech
Check it:t ml
http://www.ufo-aftermath.com/pages/headquarters.h
for a remake or sequel to Master of Magic. I've been waiting almost 10 years already, and yes Age of Wonders was close but not quite the same.
There have been two sequels, and they both sucked. It would be great if there was a game that kept the same simple planet improvement system, and perhaps even went so far as to allow for setting multiple planet's settings at the same time, just to cut down on more micro-management.
Doesn't anyone else remember this game? I actually have the very old 80's PC version in a box sitting next to me. I'm thinking about redoing this one myself. The graphics are so simple, and the gameplay is just classic SSI.
Do a 3D, up-to-date version of Leisure Suite Larry, with realistic character models. Think Duke Nukem' 3D chicks with much better rendering. There'd be a game to enjoy playing AND looking at. Have a laugh and get your jollies at the same time.
I would LOVE to get that game for the GBA. Where did you hear this? Do you have links?
I've got a few games that I'd love to see remade.
Rise of the Dragon, (anyone remember that one?)
Stellar 7 (not the Nova 9 crap Sierra came out with as a "sequal")
Gabriel Knight:Sins of the Father (In my book, the all time best adventure game.)
Star Trek/Star Trek:Judgement Rights
I'd really like to see some remakes of the old Lucasarts adventure games(Loom, Day of the Tentacle, and of course: Monkey Island!)
Can be purchased from WalMart (and probably other places, but it's the first that came up on google) right here:
u ct _id=1953349&cat=90543&type=22&dept=2636&path=0%3A2 636%3A55359%3A77171%3A90543
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?prod
I loved that game on the Amiga. Enjoy!
how about MS make some more under a killing moon/Tex Murphy sequels.
Two games i would like to see remade would be Trespasser, a lame game that could have been GREAT And of course any new version of Alpha Centuri would cause mass panic among my friends (Quick preorder BEFORE they discontinue it). ~Stand away citizen
Remakes usually are made in the spirit of "how else can we milk this cow?"
Take the movie industry for example. Usually if a remake is considered good, then that means the original may have, well, sucked; take Ocean's Eleven for instance, the original was eh, which made it easy to make a great remake. Expectations were never high. But then, a decent movie like The Italian Job gets remade, and whaddya know, it's crap.
So I think the same is true for the game industry. Designers may get wrapped up in making these games visually appealing to new gamers but in the end will lose sight of what made them spectacular. Besides, there's really no good reason to remake them, just pull out an old 386 or your NES and enjoy...
But if you must ask, I would love to see a new Wing Commander (bring Chris Roberts back), King's Quest, or Star Control.
Nintendo Software Technology Corporation liscenced Bionic Commando from Capcom for the gbc, and wound up with a decent game called Bionic Commando: Elite Forces. This is in contrast from another game they resurrected, Crystalis. The addition of voices and complete overhaul of the music was unwelcome, im my opinion.
I Browse at +4 Flamebait
Open Source Sysadmin
The only thing that needs changing about locomotion is the graphics and the cheesy PC-speaker sound. Locomotion is a really old DOS game with VGA graphics. For those of you that have never played Locomotion, it's a game where you must guide trains from one station to another without running into another train (which may be coming out of the same station you want to go to). It's a puzzle-type game where you must quickly control several train engines at once by switching them from track to track. This is not a nostalgia game for me; I had never played it until I found it on an abandonware site a couple of years ago. It's the only really old game that I can play for hours on end. I would love to play this game with high-resolution graphics and real train sounds.
Basketball Sam and Ed is an old Commodore 64 game. You play the part of a basketball, and you try to get bounced through a basketball hoop (and thus score points) by bouncing yourself off of another basketball controlled by another player or by the computer, or by bouncing off of walls or the ceiling. The only actions you can take are to run left or right or jump in the air. Once you are air-bound you have no control over your basketball until you bounce to a standstill. Your air-born trajectory is determined by the angle and speed with which you hit the other basketball. It's a highly-original game; I know of no other game before or since that is like it. My Commodore 64 died years ago and I would love to play this game again on the PC.
We may need a new genre of game - think about this --
Even though there were FPS games before ID's DOOM, DOOM basically revolutionized the gaming industry -- Creating swarms of clones and sequels, some good, others bad. What major innovations have there been since then? Sure, we have "True" 3d now -- you can look up and down ingame. We have a plethora of different weapons. Monsters, zombies, dragons, etc... but they're all the same game.
Even though there were 3d "platform" games before Nintendo's Mario64, it also was the game that brought platformers up to date with 3d graphics and such. DK 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and even the newer Mario Sunshine.... They're all the same game.
And what about the sim-whatever craze? There are railroad tycoons, and rollercoaster tycoons. Cities, farms, themeparks, etc... but they're all basically the same game too.
I'd personally love to see some of the current consoles or pc gaming platforms pushed to the max with some retro gaming. Take Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for example - a truly innovative, wonderful game, combining RPG elements into a beautifully rendered 2d platformer. I replay it about every 4-5 months, and usually find new items and things that keep me coming back for more.
Metroid Prime was another good example of a remake, however I was suspicious at first. I'd still like to see another 2d remake of metroid, but I can't gripe too much about Prime. The ability to link up with the GBA Metroid: Fusion is also pretty neat, but I think that there could have been more than just transferring the fusion suit, or unlocking the NES metroid.
Basically, I think we need a new genre of game... If you look at the racks at CompUSA, BestBuy, or (insert your software store here), all you'll see is this---
FPS, FPS, FPS, RTS, RTS, RTS, MMORPG, MMORPG, MMORPG, SIM-something, SIM-something, SIM-something.... etc.
It's time for something new.
-z-
-z-