Everyone loves original stories and products that give them something they never experienced before, and this is especially true for video games. Titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 push the bounds of creativity and technological innovation in the medium, resulting in must-play video game masterpieces. However, sometimes it is difficult to top a perfect game, which is why gamers love to replay and revisit nostalgic classics from their childhood. Remakes can sometimes be a bit much or unnecessary, but for the truly special classics, they need a fresh coat of paint and revamped graphics and controls to remind fans why they became masterpieces in the first place.
There is no shortage of video game remakes, whether they are necessary or not. The most-anticipated video game remake is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which is bringing what is arguably the greatest video game of all time to modern consoles and gamers with better graphics, controls, and polished aspects. It will be difficult to top the original, but it has been proven to be possible. That is why this list will feature five video game remakes that are better than the original based on aspects such as what they improved on, how good they are compared to the original, visuals, gameplay, fan opinion, critical acclaim, overall quality, and how they became the definitive version. Classics are classic, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be improved.
The JRPG genre is one of the biggest in the medium, quietly making up most of the Switch 2 lineup and consistently providing magnificent video games, including the timeless franchise Persona. The fifth game is regarded as one of the best of all time, and the sixth game is bound to make waves as well. However, Persona 3 Reload is one of the few times when the remake is actually better than the original. The Dark Hour is the 25th hour of the day that occurs every midnight, letting loose supernatural horrors on Tatsumi Port Island. When a new student discovers this and the transforming humans, he must join the group of students capable of summoning personas to fight against these abominations to unravel the mystery of the Dark Hour.
The original game came out in 2006, and while it was good, Persona 3 Reload improved on pretty much everything, becoming one of the greatest JRPG titles of all time. This new game brings the staple turn-based format back and gets rid of the unpredictable AI in the old game. Tartarus was also infamously repetitive and tedious, with the remake making it faster and more engaging to play through. One of the most underrated aspects of the Persona franchise is the social aspects, and Persona 3 Reload brings that slice-of-life fun to the game, which was missing in the 2006 entry. Overall, this remake easily became the definitive version in every aspect, meaning there is no reason to play the original unless fans have some nostalgic bond.
Most of the games these titles are remakes of are also incredible, and this entry was definitely the closest in terms of quality. Dead Space is a classic and revolutionary sci-fi horror game, and the 2023 remake brings it back for a modern audience. Isaac Clarke is an engineer on board a massive space mining station, serving as an emergency specialist after the ship went completely dark. However, when he gets there, he finds the majority of the crew dead, killed by monstrous aliens. With repurposed mining tools, Isaac must fight his way through waves of creatures to find his girlfriend and make it out alive of this hellhole.
Dead Space is an all-time classic that broke ground with its design techniques in survival horror games. The way it teaches through environmental storytelling is a staple and innovative feature. This remake features all of that, plus enhanced visuals that make the aesthetic even more haunting, and the gore even more realistic. The original Dead Space segmented the ship into levels, but this new version makes the entire vessel completely seamless, meaning fans can explore everything at once and go where they want. The ambient sound and dynamic lighting create a haunting atmosphere that is even creepier than the original, making Dead Space a significant improvement on an already remarkable video game.
Nintendo is very protective of its IPs, meaning it will rarely make remakes of its classic titles, with a few exceptions like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or remasters. However, another flawless Nintendo remake is Metroid Zero Mission, which is a revamped version of the 1986 trendsetter. Samus Arab is an intergalactic bounty hunter who travels to a subterranean pirate stronghold. Descending into the planet in order to defeat the pirate commanders before they destroy the advanced computer known as the Mother Brain, this game also extends the ending, where she must fight against them without her iconic power suit.
Metroid is one of the most critically acclaimed video game franchises, yet it somehow remains underrated. Games from the 1980s are definitely hard to play nowadays, which is why remakes like Metroid: Zero Mission are so essential. Games from this era were notoriously challenging, but luckily, this game introduced many quality-of-life improvements, such as a mini-map to locate yourself, included distinct assets, gave more health, and better controls. The character controller now felt fluid, mechanically sound, and fun to play. It was the grandfather of the Metroidvania video game genre, and this remake did it proud by making it playable for the modern age. Not to mention it added another ending and more main story content, a treat no fan will turn down.
Four of the largest communities on the planet, and four completely different reasons to belong to one. Here is yours, what it would give you, and the argument you would be having within a week.
You belong to the fandom that is really about comfort. Hogwarts works on people because it is a place rather than a plot, and the pull is not the wizard war so much as the corridors, the food, the weather and the sense that somebody is expecting you.
You belong to the deepest fandom on this list, the one where somebody has always read further than you and is quietly delighted to say so. Middle-earth rewards patience more than any other world in popular culture.
You belong to the loudest and largest tent of the four, the one where three generations are all watching the same thing and none of them agree about any of it. That disagreement is not a flaw in this fandom, it is the main activity.
You belong to the thinking fandom, the one that turns up for the argument rather than the explosion. Trek has always been a series of ethical problems in space, and the people who love it love being asked what they would have done.
Dead Space is an iconic horror game, but an even larger franchise is Resident Evil, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026. Resident Evil Requiem is already a Game of the Year candidate for this year, and the new movie directed by Zach Cregger is among the best this year. The game that inspired it all is obviously the first Resident Evil, and while it is good, the remake improves on every aspect. After reports of cannibalistic murders near Raccoon City and the fact that the previous team went missing, a new squadron investigates the area only to be ambushed. The remaining survivors discover that the T-Virus has taken over the area and essentially turned everyone it infects into horrific genetic mutations.
This is perhaps one of the shortest times between original and remake, with only six years separating the two. But that time made a world of difference, considering it still holds up to this day. Resident Evil is remaking all the classic games, with the second, third, and fourth receiving superb remakes. However, the first game is noticeably missing, and that is because the remake from 2002 is essentially perfect, making it redundant to have an even more modern version. Resident Evil changes core layouts to keep the game fresh for returning players, and it added mechanics that enriched the gaming experience, such as the crimson head mechanic. The graphics still hold up to this day, and the extra subplots prove why Resident Evil is the perfect video game remake.
While most Nintendo franchises don’t have remakes, one IP doesn’t shy away from them, probably because they are only partly owned by the company. Pokémon is the largest media franchise in the world, and it loves to revamp classic experiences, including what is arguably its best video game, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. This Generation II remake brings fans back to the Johto region where they must face the eight Gym Leaders, beat the Elite Four, prove themselves to the Champion, take down the evil Team Rocket, all while catching every single Pokémon in sight.
The most recent Diamond and Pearl remakes were an absolute disaster and nothing like the masterpiece that was HeartGold and SoulSilver. This remake integrated modern controls, graphics, systems, and style into what many consider the definitive Pokémon experience. The roster of pocket monsters was wide, and there were plenty of details, like following the trainer, that would add an extra bit of charm. The staple gameplay is still there, and the Johto experience is better than ever, but HGSS supplements that with the best of the best 2D art, revitalized gameplay, and technical mastery. It is a nostalgic game for fans of the original and the remake, proving it is the definitive version and a quintessential Pokémon game that may be the best in the franchise.
