10 Fighting Games That NEED to be REMADE

“Mortal Kombat: Deception” (2004)

The “Mortal Kombat” games from the early to mid-2000s could probably benefit most from simply being ported. However, there is an argument to be made in remaking “Deception” for this was the game with the best iteration of Konquest mode. Not only could NetherRealm Studios fully realize the many realms in greater visual detail, they could also refine controls a bit better and maybe even rewrite the dialogue to be less stilted and awkward. Then again, MK1 was a complete trainwreck in writing midway through, so perhaps that’s a job for another team. Regardless, a remake of “Deception’s” Konquest mode alone would be enough to restore faith in fans.

“Dead Or Alive: Dimensions” (2011)

There is a possibility that Koei Tecmo could simply try to get someone, if not themselves, to port “Dimensions” to modern hardware. The game still looks incredible despite its age, and it plays like a dream, too. The only reason we’re saying it should be remade is because of how “Dead Or Alive” has evolved in visuals since. Say what you will about the microtransactions or meter-based mechanics, “Dead Or Alive 6” looks absolutely stunning, and the teaser for DOA7 implies another massive upgrade in visuals is on the horizon. Plus, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea bringing newcomers up to speed on the story with “Dimensions” being the complete summary…not that many of us are playing these games for the story.

“Mace: The Dark Age” (1997)

Admittedly, this is a pretty bizarre pick for us as “Mace: The Dark Age” is one of those N64 gems that’s long been forgotten by the gaming community. Developed and published by Atari, “Mace: The Dark Age” is probably one of the most visually unique fighting games that tried competing with gritty titles like “Mortal Kombat” and “Killer Instinct”. The problem is that the controls were a bit clunky, which turned off the folks who even bothered giving it the time of day. Today, fighting games are bigger and more diverse than ever before, and Atari is in a far better position financially than they’ve been in the past couple decades. So, revisiting “Mace” may not be a bad idea…assuming they can find the right indie partners to make it.

“Dual Blades” (2002)

For those unfamiliar, “Dual Blades” was a fighting game developed by one man in Turkey that was released for the Game Boy Advance. Despite the basic controls and limited animations, the game was still insanely fun to play and incredibly impressive given the small team between both developer and publisher. So imagine how great it’d look with a remake with refined controls. There’s just one major issue - publisher Metro3D went defunct way, way back in 2004. So, as to who owns the rights to “Dual Blades” is anyone’s guess.

“Guilty Gear” (1998)

The year 2028 will mark the 30th anniversary of “Guilty Gear”, and thanks to the booming popularity of “Guilty Gear Strive”, perhaps then will be the perfect opportunity to remake the original game. Sure, you can buy and play the game that started it all on modern hardware. But how badly do we want to keep subjecting ourselves to oppressive AI and insta-kill moves that could be utilized at the start of a match? Not at all. Retell the story, give us new visuals, and we’ll be happy.

“Castlevania Judgment” (2008)

Here’s the thing about “Castlevania Judgment”: had it not been given the “Castlevania” name and was instead an original game with original characters and everything, this could have been a sleeper hit. But the affiliation along with the drastic redesigns of our favorite characters is why few “Castlevania” fans have bothered giving “Judgment” any attention. But you remake today, and you do it with the correct character designs, tighten up the controls, balance the matchups a bit better, and “Judgment” could possibly garner more fans. Like we said, the gameplay is pretty solid. It’s just those character designs that are super off-putting.

“Tekken 4” (2001)

Now, Bandai Namco has no reason to ever remake any of the “Tekken” games whatsoever, not when fighting games make their revenue off of sequels, DLC characters, and costumes. But theoretically, if any “Tekken” game was to get a remake, “Tekken 4” would be in desperate need of one. Between the visuals, controls, and bizarre implementation of inclined environments, “Tekken 4” almost singlehandedly killed the franchise according to former series producer Katsuhiro Harada. But there’s a part of us that would like to see Tekken Project give it another go, especially with the stunning visual fidelity and technical performance we’ve seen in “Tekken 8”.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters” (1993)

Thanks to the “Cowabunga Collection”, you can go back and play every version of “TMNT: Tournament Fighters” whenever you desire to do so. Even so, the advancements we’ve seen in technology and how fighting games can use that technology has us wondering what a remake of “Tournament Fighters” could look like. More characters? Expanded movesets? Perhaps unique tag mechanics (not that the original games ever had that, but we’re spitballing here)? No matter what, a remake of this classic would be compelling to play.

“Super Smash Bros. Brawl” (2008)

The idea of remaking a “Smash Bros” game is honestly pretty farfetched. After all, “Ultimate” is essentially a remake, remaster, resmashing of basically every game in the franchise. But the reason we’d want a remake of “Brawl” specifically is because of that incredible Subspace Emissary campaign. World of Light was great, but it does not hold a candle to Subspace Emissary, not in scope, not in story, and certainly not in gameplay. A remake of this mode alone would mean no floaty controls, no tripping, and an almost complete removal of load screens. Make it happen, Sakurai!

“Bloody Roar” (1997)

Of every fighting game we could ask a remake for, “Bloody Roar” is probably the one that needs it most. “Bloody Roar” hasn’t been around since 2003 with its fourth mainline game, and the games haven’t exactly aged super well. The controls are about as stiff as how you’d expect a late-90’s, early 2000’s fighting game to be, the AI is super oppressive to an absurd degree, and the balancing in matchups isn’t super great either. At this point, Konami would probably be better off not just remaking the original game, but making it a proper reboot as well. Remake the first game, then go off in whatever direction you want for a sequel. It’s probably the best path in resurrecting “Bloody Roar”.

What’s a fighting game that you think needs to be remade? Let us know down in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe to MojoPlays.