Last week, the classic Gamecube game “Super Mario Strikers” got announced for the Switch 2 with online play baked right in. That sparked something in me, so I started to ask friends which retro games deserve a re-release of some sort. I ended up getting more than a hundred responses, and that just goes to show how many beloved titles are completely unplayable on modern hardware.

In spite of the countless rehashes, the games industry still has a ton of things to remake, remaster, and re-imagine.

So, let’s take my top five favorites, and play a game of “Remake, Remaster, or Re-Imagine?” — the first in an ongoing series right here at Video Game Town. I’ll be taking suggestions from the audience, so be sure to sound off in the comments down below, or through social media.

After all, if they can find it in their hearts and budgets to remake “Yooka-Laylee,” then surely these are no-brainers.

‘Bloodborne’ (PS4, 2015)

This is, by far, the most popular pick that has never received any sort of update. No patch, no port, no nothing. It’s just an old PlayStation 4 game that can run on a PS5, but only as well as it once did. It runs at 30 frames per second, and there are a world of enhancements that could be done to modernize and bring this one up to speed. Hell, some quality of life improvements would go a long way too, Sony!

Just give the people what we want, and what we want is a 60 fps patch.

And, maybe, that one door could connect Cathedral Ward to the great bridge. Perhaps reduce the amount of farming needed for blood vials and bullets. It’s a very short list of things you’d need to do to make one of the greatest games of all time just that much better.

Ten years, and nothing to show for it. A real shame.

Verdict: Remaster, or even a simple patch would be sufficient, but maybe also a sequel too? Is that too much to ask?

‘Bully’ (PS2, 2006)

Although you can play this Rockstar gem using backwards compatibility on your Xbox Series X right now, apparently it’s more than a little janky. And unlike “Red Dead Redemption” or the “Grand Theft Auto” games, this never saw a sequel, or a remake, or a big blowout new edition for modern consoles. It just got a “Scholarship Edition” for the Xbox 360 and Wii, which also has its fair share of technical issues.

This is ripe for a remake. Shadow drop this sucker like Bethesda did earlier this year with “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.” Rockstar doesn’t make little open world action adventure games like this anymore, and that’s a bummer.

There are quite a few PS2-era Rockstar hits you can’t buy right now: “The Warriors,” “Midnight Club,” and the very controversial “Manhunt.” But out of all of those, I would most want to see “Bully” get a remake with new graphics and new controls. And, of course, no major glitches that prevent people from enjoying their time doing mischief.

Verdict: Remake.

‘Def Jam’ Fighting Games(Various, 2003-2007)

God, remember when games could come out one year, and the very next, an incredible sequel would drop? We had it good back in the day, didn’t we? Snoop Dogg would show up in a fighting game alongside 50 Cent, and neither had anything shady to hawk or peddle us as an ulterior motive.

3D wrestling games really were a major sub-genre from the N64 to about the end of the Gamecube’s lifespan, and none were as good as this series.

The music, the celeb cameos, the attitude; this was such a unique take on a game, a whole hip-hop aesthetic that many have tried to co-opt, but none have replicated since (“Street Fighter VI” comes close).

Here’s my pitch: Have Drake and Kendrick Lamar fight. It would sell millions with them as playable characters! All you would have to do is update the licenses for the music, but since most of the rappers in the game are still alive and prospering (Joe Budden, Ludacris, Redman, et al.), I’m sure most of those people would like a payday too.

Verdict: I’d be happy for a simple collection of ports with online play added.

‘Metal Arms: Glitch in the System’ (2003)

This was a hidden gem back in the day — a game that sold poorly, but got glowing reviews. And now it’s long forgotten — mostly because I don’t know who to yell at about the rights to bringing it back. Sierra doesn’t exist, and Vivendi Universal Games doesn’t exist either, so this is just lost to the oceans of piracy out there.

I can’t think of a better example of something that could be vastly improved by advanced particle physics, more enemies on screen and updated graphics than “Metal Arms.” Blowing chunks out of robots with guns is a joy, and I demand more PS2 games like “Mercenaries” and “Armed and Dangerous” to return, god damn it! They were fun B-games that could use some real love and attention now.

Verdict: Remaster.

‘Donkey Kong 64’ (N64, 1999)

You can tell what decade I grew up in, right? Was it that obvious? I haven’t played this since it came out, I was eight at the time, and liked it a bunch. It was no “Donkey Kong Country,” but I still had a good time with the platforming.

But this is a bad game, right? The camera, the weird design decisions, the sheer number of collectibles, and the ridiculous mini-games are all pretty rough. What if Nintendo was to completely re-do this one from the ground up, and actually make it a proper modern game?

Or, you know, playable? Give this to the “Donkey Kong Bananza” team, or to Retro — they revived DK quite nicely.

Verdict: Re-imagining.

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Image credit: Alexander Jawfox