5 Game Reboots We Need to See

Everyone’s up to it these days. Your nan could do with one. Your favourite thing ever has probably already had one or two already. I’m doing it right now.

I am, of course, talking about rebooting. Or in the common tongue: “lazy fucking lack of creativity”.

Sometimes a reboot can be for the better but more often than not, it’s just a cynical attempt to cash in. Did anyone really need a Robocop reboot? My eyes sure as shit did not.

However, there is a field which is crying out for reboots and it is the field of gaming. As the technology used to create them evolves and thrives, the more games of the last 20 years or so pale in comparison and look almost laughable. 8-bit is obviously excluded as it will always be awesome.

Sometimes a gaming reboot can even improve a tired and flagging franchise and give it the injection of originality it needs. Tomb Raider, anyone? Curiously enough, a gaming reboot will more often than not be a relative success whereas a film remake can be the death knell for a series.

So, what forgotten games deserve a fresh gloss of paint? These are just 5 of the gaming reboots we would love to see happen in this generation.

 

5. Crash Bandicoot

After seeing a clickbait article promising just this the other day, I haven’t been able to sleep at the thought of it actually happening. My dreams when I do sleep are filled with creepy masks and apples.

The Playstation posterboy was a bit mistreated towards the end of the PS2’s life with so many forgettable entries tarnishing his reputation. Maybe it’s about time we saw Crash spin back onto consoles in the near future?

 

4. Legacy of Kain

This is a series that could definitely benefit from a spit polish: the gameplay was a little clunky even back then and stands the test of time poorly.

The Kain series managed a legacy (heh) of fans thanks to its engaging and unique storyline which was certainly a little darker than having the aforementioned bandicoot jump on some boxes and getting his fix of Vitamin C. With the right marketing and a smart balance of tight controls and a masterfully handled storyline, it could be a huge hit.

 

3. Timesplitters

Forget your Battlefront: the only shoot ’em up I wanted to see reinvigorated from the last-gen was Timesplitters.

Since the dissolution of Free Radical, the series has been up in the air more often than that George Clooney film and no-one seems to be eager to touch it. Considering how played out the super-serious scenario posed by every Call of Duty game released every 5 minutes is, FPS fans might need to learn to relax with a little glass of slapstick. Please lord, let it be Timesplitters. Future Perfect was so long ago and Timesplitters Rewind does not count.

 

2. Jet Set Radio

Remember this? If you only just did, you can thank me later for the wave upon wave of nostalgia flowing over you right now.

Utterly bizarre and all the better for it, Jet Set Radio was a game hard to forget long after you put down the controller. The cel-shaded graphics paved the way for plenty of games over the coming years and was one of many great releases for the criminally underrated Dreamcast system.

 

1. Conker

Because the reintroduction of a swearing squirrel will mean more to popular culture than every single one of the games above combined, OBVIOUSLY.

A refreshingly diarrhoea-laden game on the N64, Conker’s Bad Fur Day made itself a cult classic because unlike Leisure Suit Larry, it managed to balance crude humour and gampeplay in one overall classy package. Plus, kids at school thought you were the coolest guy around, playing age-restricted games at such a tender age. If only it would have that same effect now, I’d be like Dan Bilzerian up in hyah.

 

Honourable Mentions: Chaos Legion, Perfect Dark, Legend of Dragoon, Eternal Darkness, Parasite Eve, Fear Effect, Oni, Black, Smuggler’s Run.

Any gaming reboots we forgot? Leave a comment below.