Hardly a week goes by here where we don’t hear a rumor about some Konami IP being resurrected for the modern era, only to find that it’s just another anniversary collection, half-assed mobile port or, worse yet, casino game. Meanwhile, the Castlevania anime series is a huge hit on Netflix, a testament to the strength of their IP. We’re also experiencing a renaissance of excellent remakes from the Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, and even the Call of Duty franchises - and we think it's about time Konami followed suit!
There are the top ten Konami franchises that deserve remakes (or, at least, a really good remastering).
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/21/top-10-konami-games-that-need-next-gen-remakes"]Check out the video above, click through the gallery below, or scroll down for the full list!
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Let’s start with an obvious one:
10. Castlevania DS
The Castlevania DS games, Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia are like a holy trinity of Igavania perfection, and to this day have not been properly released anywhere outside of maybe a weird mobile version of the first title.
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All you really have to do here is bundle all three titles in one collection, give the visuals a little tune-up, translate some of the more novel DS stylus controls to Xbox and Playstation controllers, maybe send Igariashi a check and a handwritten apology and you’re off to the races. Maybe add in a remix mode where you can swap characters between games and you’d get $60 out of us, pretty much no questions asked.
9. Skate or Die
It's great that we're getting what looks like a proper Tony Hawk remake this year. But in the absence of a Skate sequel - and to provide some friendly competition - it's only natural that Konami should bring back their most bitchin' rival, "Skate or Die". DID YOU KNOW that Criterion Games, the developers behind the Burnout series, were at one point in the early 2000s at least A YEAR into development on a remake sequel to Skate or Die? Imagine if Konami were to pick up where they left off, and bring this OG counter-culture skate series back to life.
8. Sunset Riders
I think most people liked Red Dead Redemption 2 for the story and the world-building and aloof that, but there were certainly parts of it that at least a few of us found tedious. But what if there were a more arcadey, action-oriented western game with slightly looser physics and a lighter tone? Something like Sunset Riders!
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Maybe keep the deadeye mechanic like Red Dead and Gun had, only you’re also playing as a Bandido wearing a giant pink sombrero with a matching poncho and dual-wielding sawed-off shotguns. Make it a 3rd person action shooter, keep the 4player co-op, kinda like a wild west Borderlands, if you will. If we can have a half dozen samurai games and 57 space marine games, we can have just ONE MORE perper western, can’t we?
7. Suikoden 1 & 2
Suikoden 1 and 2 are two of the best RPG games of all time, but were so rare to see upon release and so watered down over time by just-ok sequels, that the series never really got a chance to maximize its potential. But just imagine the possibilities of re-making these incredible games in the style of FFVII Remake, with all the requisite polish necessary to bring the story of the 108 stars of destiny to modern audiences.
6. Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Ok so Zombies Ate My Neighbors was technically developed by Lucasarts and published by Konami, but at this point I don’t care who reboots it as long as someone does.
This game isn’t even on the virtual console, which is basically a crime against one of the most fun co-op shooters of the SNES era. 90s gamers remember this game for its extremely varied weapons and enemies, fun b-movie vibe, and its unique day/night cycle mechanic. Make it Like Dead Rising but with greater enemy variety and a light-hearted Sunset Overdrive vibe and resurrect this Zombie, wouldya?
5. Contra
So, Contra Rogue Corps was really not good. I get that. But it doesn’t have to be the end for this franchise. When you really stop to think about it, the original Contra games were basically parroting action movie tropes from Predator, Terminator, and Aliens, so why not lean back into that, and go the ‘Far Cry: Blood Dragon’ route? Make it over-the-top, make it first person, give us full-auto alien-blasting jungle shooter with big dumb 90s action.
4. Bomberman (But Make it VR)
Bomberman. In VR. Picture this: You’re running around a maze, you drop a bomb behind you, you turn the corner and there’s another bomb there waiting for you, seconds away from detonating. You use your boot power up to kick it down the aisle just in time.
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You hear a distant scream of a fellow Bomberman getting blown all to hell. Your proximity tracker is beeping like crazy. You turn left, there’s a bomb. You turn right; bomb 2. Bomb three comes sailing over head, blocking your escape. You hug your knees and kiss your ass goodbye. Bomberman. In VR.
3. The Adventures of Bayou Billy
The Adventures of Bayou Billy as a Soulsborne game. You’re a bootleg Crocodile Dundee/Tiger King sorta fella. You’re hunting a serial killer, True Detective style, tangling with alligators and mutants in the swamp, witches and zombies on Bourbon street, and voodoo demons in the underworld.
You give it a rogue-like element where success seems unlikely unless you're able to git gud, with deepening mysteries that unfold as you proceed. It’d be about the most unique angle you could take on this style of gameplay, and resurrects a classic franchise in the process.
2. Silent Hill
These games were all perfect. Great atmosphere, killer music and sound design, unforgettable stories, just a beloved franchise. If we’re not going to get PT or Silent Hills, just please for the love of god give these three titles the same treatment Capcom gave to Resident Evil 2 and 3 remake. There’ve been rumors about this series swirling for months now for a reason, and that’ because people are hungry for the triumphant return of this franchise. I get that Konami sees more or a future in slot machines and pachinko as far as this franchise is concerned, but people can’t got to casinos right now so, you know, probably a good time to refocus on home entertainment, no?
1. Metal Gear Solid
I honestly don’t know how this could happen without Kojima... But it isn’t as if they haven’t remastered Metal Gear Solid before. This is such an important series in the pantheon of gaming, and one that younger gamers have likely only experienced through the lens of MGSV, which we loved, but not everyone did, and which had some weirdness to it toward the end due to conflicts Between Konami and Kojima. Those first three games, however, are the real deal and just imagine what the team that created those could do with modern technology both in terms of visuals and gameplay. Of all the franchises that are likely to get remastered, this one is probably high on the list, I just hope that everyone involved could see through to giving this the proper respect of a full remake rather than the ol Onimusha Warlords treatment.
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So what do you think? Would you play any or all of these remakes if Konami released them on the PS5 and/or Xbox Series X? Are there any titles you’d rather see them focus on, like Snatcher, Gradius, Boktai, or even Rumble Roses? Let us know your ideas for how you'd remake some of your favorite Konami franchises in the comments below.