Summary
- Super Mario RPG is a masterclass in updating a Super Nintendo game's visuals without sacrificing its charm or gameplay.
- Many SNES games are still playable today, since 16-bit graphics hold up rather well, but some of the console's other famous titles deserve a makeover.
- Many could simply benefit from reaching a new audience, while others could be improved by implementing new mechanics.
The Super Mario RPG remake just brought an SNES classic back in freshened-up form, but it's not the only game from the system that deserves a new treatment. The Nintendo Switch version is loyal to the original style and material of Super Mario RPG, redoing isometric art in a direct polygonal recreation with a bit of extra detail and fluidity in movement. Remakes can often be controversial due to bugs, abandoned features, or lost atmosphere, but this is one example of how effective doing things right can be.
Many SNES games work perfectly well as basic ports, as the 16-bit graphics tend to hold up beautifully, and most titles prove less frustrating than the hardest experiences on the NES. Some of the greats, however, could benefit in specific ways from proper remakes on the Nintendo Switch or other current generation destinations. From tight platforming experiences to expansive RPGs, there's something for everyone among the library of SNES games that deserve remakes the most.
10 Super Metroid (1994)
Metroidvania, Action-Adventure
While the first couple of Metroid titles are rudimentary in some regards, Super Metroid is where the series hit its stride. Consequently, it's not in any dire need of a remake, with graphics and gameplay that hold up wonderfully today. Seeing Metroid Dread developer MercurySteam take a crack at a reimagining could still be fun, however, providing an alternate way to experience a stone-cold classic with some extra features and mobility.
9 Zombies Ate My Neighbors (1993)
Run & Gun
Zombies Ate My Neighbors is an inventive and unique SNES game, taking the run and gun genre to a memorably silly setting and tone. It's also hard — brutally hard — something that isn't fully revealed until deep into its whopping 50 levels. A Zombies Ate My Neighbors remake could add some difficulty settings or tweak its resource system to make seeing the end of the game more likely. Freshening up the graphics while maintaining its style and giving the gameplay a bit of extra juice would just be the cherry on top.
8 EarthBound (1994)
Turn-Based RPG
EarthBound is the North American name for the second entry in the Mother series, and it could be argued that the others need remakes more. EarthBound Beginnings (Mother 1) could use some improvements, and Mother 3 could use any form of a Western release. EarthBound is the only one that has reasonable odds of getting a deluxe treatment, however, and it would ittedly be fun to see a new rendition of its deceptively cutesy art style or new angles on its story and characters.
7 Shadowrun (1993)
Action RPG
The SNES Shadowrun game was incredibly impressive for its time, with an ambitious story and world that set out to capture what people loved about the tabletop roleplaying game. Not everything has aged perfectly though, with excessive grinding and awkward use of a gamepad-controlled cursor. Shadowrun Returns and the subsequent games in the series from developer Harebrained Schemes did a good job resurrecting the franchise, but a direct remake of the SNES game could still fill a unique niche.
6 The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past (1991)
Action-Adventure
A Link to the Past is an especially timeless game, and there's nothing rough about the original experience today. All the same, A Link Between Worlds and the Link's Awakening remake present a clear look at how updating A Link to the Past could work. It turns out that top-down Zelda is more fun than ever with 360-degree movement, and getting to revisit the version of Hyrule that made many people fall in love with the series for the first time could be a treat in general.
5 Tales Of Phantasia (1995)
Action RPG
Tales of Phantasia kicked off an RPG series that's still going strong today, but the original title has often been lost in the shuffle in more recent years. Although the combat is surprisingly dynamic for an SNES RPG, it's simple and stiff compared to later games in the franchise. A PlayStation 1 port made a number of improvements to the game, but it only made it to the West in generally inferior GBA and iOS versions. Remaking Tales of Phantasia could breathe new life into it while bringing it to a larger audience than ever before.
4 Star Fox (1993)
Rail Shooter
Star Fox 64 has been the standard-bearer for the rail shooting series ever since its 1997 release, but the original Star Fox was incredibly impressive for SNES hardware. Today, however, it can feel sluggish and primitive compared to its successor. Taking the level design from the original Star Fox and souping it up with better graphics, gameplay, and a longer story could be the perfect way to bring a series that has never quite found a modern footing back.
3 Fire Emblem: Genealogy Of The Holy War (1996)
Tactical RPG
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia showed how much there is to gain from updating classic Fire Emblem experiences, and the SNES game Genealogy of the Holy War would be the perfect title to target for another Echoes game. This fourth entry in its franchise could benefit from some weapon balance tweaks and the inclusion of a modern system, helping to bolster its telling of a great story. A Fire Emblem Echoes: Genealogy of the Holy War release would also pave the way for a Thracia 776 remake, its successor that would likewise benefit from an update.
2 Chrono Trigger (1995)
Active Time Battle RPG
Chrono Trigger is perfect as is, both in its original form and in the excellent Nintendo DS port of the title. It's had a bit more trouble on modern systems, with a flawed mobile port eventually getting some fixes on PC, but remaining an inferior way to play the game. Although a direct port that did everything right would be enough, Square Enix's recent HD-2D style established in games like Octopath Traveler and the Live a Live remake could offer an interesting angle for a remake.
1 Donkey Kong Country
Platformer
Donkey Kong Country features innovative graphics for the SNES, with a pre-rendered 3D style that looked great on the CRT screens of the time. Playing it on an LCD screen doesn't have quite the same effect, however, and more recent Donkey Kong Country games like Tropical Freeze have shown how much further things can be taken visually. Like the update to Super Mario RPG, remaking Donkey Kong Country in the same engine as Tropical Freeze would no doubt achieve some beautiful results while adding a bit more fluidity to gameplay that remains enormously fun today.
