We all have those classic games we love revisiting. Whether they be a few years or a few decades old, playing through old favorites can be a nice, cozy vacation to your comfort zone. With the advent of HD remasters, you can relive an ever growing number of classics, spruced up to look better than ever. What might be even better is having them all available on your favorite console. While there are already a ton of HD remasters available on the Switch, there is always room for more. Whether they be games that have released on other consoles, or ones that have yet to receive the HD treatment, here are ten HD remasters that would be right at home on the Switch.
1. Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2
These are about as obvious as it gets. Some of the most beloved entries in one of gaming’s most revered franchises, these two would be worth getting excited about all over again. Masterful level design, great controls, and boundless creativity have helped the Galaxy games stand the test of time beautifully. Even the art, despite its origins on the Wii, is eye catching. With a bump up to a higher resolution, a slight rework of the pointer functionality, and a reasonable price tag, this would fly off shelves. If those rumors are anything to go by, this one might be more than just a possibility.
2. Viewtiful Joe 1 & 2
It is baffling that these have yet to get the HD treatment yet. These games are some of the most satisfying, inventive, and stylish 2D action games around, but they were never rereleased outside of the Gamecube and PS2. Okami, made by the same developers, has been on pretty much everything that supports controllers these past few years. Like that game, the visuals are some of the most pleasing use of cell-shading this side of Wind Waker, and have aged like fine wine. Simply upping the resolution and releasing Viewtiful Joe one and two together would make for an incredible package, and with any luck pave the way for an eventual sequel.
3. The Sly Cooper, Ratchet and Clank, and Jak PS2 Trilogies
Hold on, now – what? Why would Sony rerelease some of their most popular older games on a Nintendo console? Well, stick with me for a second.
It is well documented that Microsoft has been buddy-buddy with Nintendo as of late. Between publishing Cuphead, Ori and the Blind Forest, Minecraft, and even letting them use Banjo and Kazooie in Smash, it is hard to see the two as rivals anymore. The same is not exactly true of Sony, but they are starting to experiment in similar ways. Horizon: Zero Dawn, once one of the PS4’s premiere exclusives, is heading to PC this summer, under the PlayStation brand. Even more promising, MLB: The Show, another franchise famously exclusive to Sony’s consoles, is coming to Switch.
While I cannot see Sony’s big blockbusters like The Last of Us: Part II or Ghost of Tsushima coming to a Nintendo console any time soon, I could totally see Sony rereleasing older titles. The Sly, Jak, and Ratchet trilogies on the PS2 are some of the most notable platformers to never grace a Nintendo console. Rereleasing them on Switch would open them up to an entirely new audience, and give Nintendo fans hungry for more platforming goodness a heaping helping of some of the best in the genre.
4. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
This probably feels like more of a long-shot than it actually is. I mean, Halo on Switch? For as close as Microsoft and Nintendo have been lately, I am honestly a bit surprised it has not happened already. It feels like a win-win. Nintendo gets a storied franchise for the first time, and Microsoft shows people what they are missing over on Xbox. It’s not a sure thing, but I would not be surprised to see Master Chief on our Switches in one way or another. (that part links to my last article).
5. Alien Hominid HD
Before they made Castle Crashers, The Behemoth were hard at work creating one of the most fun run-n’-guns of all time. Gorgeous, hand-drawn visuals, a charmingly stupid sense of humor, and ridiculous challenge came together to make one of the GameCube’s very best. Years later, it saw an HD rerelease, packing new content and sharper visuals. Sadly, that release has been locked to the Xbox 360. With Alien Hominid Invasion heading to Switch, now is the perfect time to reacquaint Nintendo fans with the little yellow terror.
6. Rare Replay
Rare Replay is arguably one of the best compilations ever made. Absolute bangers like Banjo-Kazooie, Battletoads, and Conker’s Bad Fur Day join cult classics like Jet Force Gemini, Blast Corps, and Viva Pinata to create a package completely stuffed to the brim with gaming goodness. Not only would having the current lineup on Switch be incredible, but some of the Nintendo exclusive Rare titles like the Donkey Kong Country trilogy, Diddy Kong Racing, and even more divisive games like Starfox Adventures and Donkey Kong 64 could make this the most complete version.
7. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance & Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
One of the best things about HD collections and remasters is that they make older games more readily available. Both Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn are some of the rarest first party games on their respective consoles. Just having access to them would be a selling point. When they were initially released, Fire Emblem was a pretty niche franchise in the west. With its massive surge in popularity after games like Awakening and Three Houses, now would be the perfect time to rerelease these older titles. The games were never really lookers, even back when they initially came out, so they could definitely use the visual upgrade an HD remaster would bring.
8. We <3 Katamari
Katamari Damacy: Reroll is great. Katamari Damacy is great. We <3 Katamari is much, much better. The only sequel directed by the original creator, We <3 Katamari built upon the foundation of the first game in smart, interesting ways without losing an ounce of its weird charm. The simplistic visuals would translate beautifully to HD, as evidenced by Reroll. This one seems like a given at this point, so its inclusion on this list is mostly just me being impatient. Any time now, Bandai Namco!
9. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Hoo boy.
This one is opening a whole messy can o’ worms. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the original two Paper Mario outings or you prefer the later entries’ different approach, most agree that Thousand Year Door is as good as the series gets. The wildly creative worlds and timeless art style would translate beautifully to HD. Copies of the GameCube game are getting harder and harder to come by, too, so just having the game widely available again would make a lot of people (and monsters) very, very happy.
10. Super Smash Bros. Melee HD
HOO BOY.
At this point, it almost feels like there are Smash Bros. fans, and there are Melee fans. Melee’s staying power absolutely cannot be overstated. This nineteen year old game is still going strong in tournaments the world over, and is preferred by many to every other entry in the franchise. It may seem strange to rerelease a game that objectively has a fraction of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s characters and content, but Melee is a different beast. Partially by design, partially by complete accident, Melee is one of the most demanding, nuanced, and fast-paced fighting games ever made.
It can be enjoyed at a casual level, as the vast majority of the people who played it (myself included) can attest. However, the insane speed and high level tech make it something of a different beast to other Smash games. An HD remaster would make the game’s unique flavor of fast-paced Smash significantly more widely available, and help ensure that its legacy can live far beyond the limited supply of GameCube discs.
What about you? Any HD remasters you would particularly like to see on Switch? Leave a comment and let me know what HD remasters you would like to see. In the meantime, thanks for reading, and stay safe!
