10 3D Platformers That Need to be REMADE

10 3D Platformers That Need to be Remade

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 10 3D platformers that are in desperate need of a remake.

“Super Mario Sunshine” (2002)

Out of all the 3D Mario games, “Sunshine” is in the biggest need of some repair. Its not exactly because it's buggy, and the visuals do hold up rather well. However, the physics, collision detection, and annoying use of blue coins really drag the game down. Take it from someone who suffered through the pachinko level for thirty minutes straight, “Sunshine” has not aged well outside of music, boss fights, and graphics. With these problems occurring under the hood, Nintendo could benefit more from gutting the whole thing and putting some more spit and polish on it the same way they did for “Galaxy” and “Odyssey”.

“Banjo-Kazooie” (1998)

It’s almost hard to say that “Banjo-Kazooie” absolutely “needs” a remake. In all honesty, it kind of doesn’t as the level design, visuals, and even controls have aged like fine wine. Our desire for a remake mostly stems from curiosity. What would “Banjo-Kazooie” look like if it were made by the new kids running Rare? Just about everyone who worked on the original game has left the company to go form Playtonic Games or focus on their own respective projects and investments. The new kids haven’t done much else outside of “Sea of Thieves” since 2018. So, it’d be interesting to see them try to make “Banjo” into something of their own, even if it’s just in new visuals.

“Bomberman 64” (1997)

“Bomberman 64” is in dire need of a remake for one reason and one reason only: the controls. Back in 1997, the eight-way directional movement was not uncommon in video games. We had already gotten used to those controls by this point, so it wasn’t anything to gripe about at the time. But we’re now in the 21st century where omnidirectional movement is a possibility and makes games play way better. It has resulted in “Bomberman 64” becoming a dusty old relic. Konami has already brought a bunch of classic “Bomberman” games back anyways. So, is a remake of 64 really that far-fetched of an idea?

“Tak and the Power of Juju” (2003)

The “Tak” games have cropped up in peculiar corners of retro gaming in recent years. It’s a bit strange considering the games were serviceable at best, forgettable at worst. Regardless, Nickelodeon and THQ made aggressive pushes to make “Tak” a thing, and it worked way longer than most had expected (the last game released in 2008 while the TV series continued running until 2012). Today, THQ lives on as THQ Nordic, composed of old THQ staff who, judging by the recent frequency of “SpongeBob” video games being made, have maintained a good relationship with Nickelodeon. That said, our morbid curiosity has piqued: what would a remake of “Tak and the Power of Juju” look like made with modern sensibilities in game design? Honestly, we’re not opposed to the idea of seeing Tak return onto our PS5s or Switch 2s.

“Rocket: Robot On Wheels” (1999)

Sucker Punch Productions has made it explicitly clear that no one is working on anything relating to their IPs, and with the “Ghost” games being done, the studio is ready to move onto to something else. Well, given that Bluepoint Games is no more (thanks, Herman), hey, Sucker Punch - have you ever thought about revisiting “Rocket: Robot On Wheels”? This was perhaps the most technically innovative game ever released on the Nintendo 64 with how objects reacted to the player’s interactions, even through something as simple as jumping on an object. Imagine some of the cool stuff you can do with the power of PlayStation 5, though. Maybe you could expand on these interactions some more?

“Pac-Man World 3” (2005)

Okay, this is likely already happening anyways. At the time of this video, we’ve already gotten remakes of “Pac-Man World” and “Pac-Man World 2”. Pac-Man turns fifty in just a few short years. Before we even reach that, we should get a remake of “Pac-Man World 3”. Sure, it's the weakest entry in the trilogy for being way easier than the previous game and having some technical problems in some ports. Still, it’d be weird to reach what may be Bandai Namco’s most historic milestone in the company’s lifetime without completing the trilogy. But we’re sure we’ll see it in 2028, 2029 at the latest.

“Tonic Trouble” (1999)

Who knows what’s going on with Rayman anymore. Yeah, we got that 30th anniversary port of the original “Rayman”, but does Ubisoft have anything else going on that isn’t “Assassin’s Creed” or slapping the name of a long-dead author onto anything involving guns? If not, then, hey, here’s an idea: revisit “Tonic Trouble”. This is one of those rare instances of “a good idea poorly executed”. The bizarre visuals brought the same wacky flavor that helped make Rayman popular, but every level felt like it was cobbled together with no rhyme or reason outside of “player jumps here”. We’d love to see the new generation of Ubisoft devs revisit “Tonic Trouble” and try to make it just as beloved as Rayman. But that corporate restructure might be shooting that dream down.

“Sonic Heroes” (2003)

The 3D Sonic games are hit and miss for most fans, but most can agree that “Sonic Heroes” is the weakest of them all (not counting “Sonic ‘06”). “Sonic Heroes” was loved for the team-based mechanics, but over time, the bugs and glitches have been way more glaring than we remembered. Today, we know Sonic Team can cook with the right leadership and direction just as we saw with “Sonic Frontiers”. So, imagine what they can do with a game already laid out for them. From there, your only obstacles are art direction, lighting, and making sure the game plays well. Come on, SEGA, make “Sonic Heroes” the gem we wanted it to be!

“Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon” (1998)

With Konami back in the fold, there is one other hero we’d love to see them bring back, and that’s Goemon. “Mystical Ninja” was one of the most bizarre takes on the bandit from Japanese folklore as it saw Goemon trying to stop a gang of space shoguns from turning Japan into a planet made entirely of kabuki theater. Weird? Unquestionably, but a game with this humor and absurdity is something we desperately need these days. Sure, Nintendo and Konami could throw the original game onto Switch Online and call it a day…or they could just remake it with refined visuals, controls, and maybe even some new gags included for extra laughs? Admittedly, it wouldn’t be as big as “Metal Gear” or “Silent Hill’s” resurgence, but still, it’s worth a shot.

“Blasto” (1998)

This may be a tough game for Sony to revisit given how Phil Hartman died, but remaking the game could be a great way to honor the man. “Blasto” is often forgotten about by the PlayStation community, and it doesn’t help that the game has been stranded on the original PlayStation since 1998. It doesn’t play as well as it did at the time either. That said, “Blasto” could easily be remade into something more refined and unique, perhaps as a joint project between Insomniac and Housemarque, both studios known for their work in third-person shooters. As for Hartman’s voice work, the audio quality is still excellent and require very little work in touching up. The only hurdle is getting a hold of his kids and asking for their permission. That said, if you can’t get Hartman’s lines, don’t bother: you don’t touch a key part of a man’s legacy.

What are some other 3D platformers you’d like to see get remade? Let us know down in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe to MojoPlays.