It seemed like the remake rumor about the classic Disney video games Aladdin and Lion King came out of nowhere and then they were suddenly confirmed before you could even process the supposed leak.
The announcement induced a rush of nostalgia for playing Aladdin in my cousin’s basement and never being able to best Jafar without their help. They’re good Disney titles, but they’re hardly the only remake-worthy ones.
Disney forever will be more well-known for creating exceptional animated films, but a handful of their games are almost equally as good. Here are nine Disney video games that deserve the ol’ remake treatment.
Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers
There’s a classic flash animation from Albino Black Sheep user -Mercury*Storm- that puts a different spin on this game, but an MMORPG isn’t exactly what we’re looking for here.
This 2D platformer features a 2-player co-op mode that was not the norm on the NES. There were a few co-op games here and there, but none that were as creatively designed as Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers.
Even though co-op is in too many games these days, the addition of an online mode would be a major upgrade for this game.
The art was also incredibly impressive for the NES, but it would be fun to see what the animators could do now in a platformer like this.
Epic Mickey
Epic Mickey is the most recently released game on the list, but it’s clear to see why this game needs a remake. The Wii didn’t have the horsepower to make the lighting pop. This leads to everything looking dull despite all the wonderful colors.
The designs in Epic Mickey are impressive, but they’re held back by the Wii’s low-resolution output. Even if this 3D platformer had better lighting, the lack of fidelity would still make this beautiful game look blurry.
This is a fantastic-looking game that is one of the most deserving of a remake to let its beautiful art shine. Even an HD remake with better lighting would make a massive difference for the presentation.
Darkwing Duck
We already had the Ducktales remake back in 2013, so why not show Darkwing Duck some remake love? When it comes to platforming, this game isn’t anything too special, but its characters are so loveable.
Darkwing Duck is incredibly underrated and all the enemy designs have unique designs that are undeniably Disney. The backgrounds are a bit more generic, but well made nonetheless.
The gameplay is often compared to the likes of Mega Man, which would be a nice change of pace since the only other games like it would be the remakes of actual Mega Man titles.
The Emperor’s New Groove
The 3D platformer is coming back in a big way with massive collections like the Crash N. Sane Trilogy and the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. The Emperor’s New Groove is the next game that deserves to join those two.
The game was originally met with a wide range of mixed reviews, but the hilarious writing of the film translated wonderfully into this game. These days a platformer with witty writing can make it a long way.
Most of all, since this game originally released on PS1 it isn’t too nice to look at. The textures are quite drab and the colors, in general, are bland. Touching up the looks would make this game immensely better.
Mickey’s Speedway USA
Pull over Team Sonic Racing, there’s a new game that’s looking to grab that spot right behind Mario Kart when it comes to the best kart racing games and that’s Mickey’s Speedway USA. Disney knows how to make a kart racer.
To be fair, this game looked amazing for an N64 game. The tracks were about par for the course, but the characters looked so good. I didn’t know it was possible to model something as round as Mickey’s ears with late 90s tech.
This was one of the latest N64 game releases, so many people likely missed out on it which is truly a shame. Give this game the polish it deserves and you’ll have the next CTR Nitro-Fueled.
The Little Mermaid
Somehow somebody looked at the swimming levels in Mario and thought that it would be a good idea to make a whole game like that. Surprisingly, they weren’t horribly wrong.
The smooth swimming controls and intuitive combat made for one of the few fun games that take place under the sea. It’s strange how they did this so well then and people still can’t make good water levels these days.
It would be great to see what a fantastic developer like Wayforward could do with a remake of this game. They’re used to the ocean aesthetic and they just make good games in general. It could look great and play even better.
Gargoyles
Gargoyles for Genesis is a good game with impressive character sprite work, but the game is too dark to showcase the art. That combined with the low resolution is another reason why Gargoyles needs a remake.
It’s certainly one of the darker Disney properties, and I appreciate how that tone carries into the art, but this is a bit overboard. When you can’t separate yourself from the background, then you’ll have problems.
Every image and gameplay video of this platformer is like one of those pictures where you try to find the animal blending in with the background. Some proper updates to fix this would be huge.
It would be incredible if they could retain the original pixel art but size it properly for current-gen consoles while making the game less dark. That original art would be a shame to lose.
Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse
This is the closest we’ve gotten to a Disney video game recreating their classic art 1 for 1 into a video game. Mickey Mania makes it feel like you’re controlling a Disney cartoon.
The backgrounds have the whimsy you would expect from Disney and the character animations are extremely expressive. It’s the best animation team in the world drawing their mascot, so it’s hard for them to fail.
What’s more impressive and what makes this game deserve a remaster is its gameplay. A beautiful 4K remaster plus responsive controls and smile-inducing gameplay would be a great way to celebrate this fantastic title.
QuackShot
Say hello to the best game featuring a duck on the Sega Mega Drive. Much like Ducktales, QuackShot was surprisingly challenging for a Disney game, but it’s still fair.
QuackShot features Metroidvania-like gameplay and at one point in the game, you even face Dracula. The whole point of the game is to travel the world to find a hidden treasure using a map owned by Scrooge McDuck.
It’s a fun story with just as equally enjoyable gameplay. It already looks fantastic, but some updates to the aesthetics and quality of life updates would make this game one of the best in its genre.
Featured Image Source: D23
Published: Aug 28, 2019 02:43 pm