Video game remakes were once considered to be low effort cash-ins in the eyes of consumers; this viewpoint has drastically changed in recent years though, as remade games are often finding themselves among their respective years' most beloved titles. Released in 1996, the Nintendo 64 remains to be one of the most revolutionary consoles of all time, as it introduced the home console market to 3D gaming.
As would be expected with it being the gaming industry's first crack at creating 3D games, it's fair to say that the majority of titles haven't exactly aged like a fine wine. Although classic games like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are still thoroughly enjoyable, it's hard to deny that they have their flaws today, and it's no surprise that both games have already received excellent remakes on handheld consoles.
The success of N64 remakes like the aforementioned Zelda and Mario titles along with Resident Evil 2 and Conker's Bad Fur Day has opened the door for more of Nintendo's classic 3D titles to be given a modern makeover. Though just because a game was beloved in the late 90s, doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be given a modern iteration.
10 (Shouldn't Be Remade) Mario Golf
There was once a time where golf games were among the most critically acclaimed sporting titles; the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series perfected the analog swing, whereas titles like Mario Golf and everybody's golf made great use of the simplistic 3 click system.
The issue with golf games today is that they haven't been able to progress from where they were in the late 90s and early 2000s; the graphics and visuals make great strides each year, but developers have struggled to reinvent an enjoyable control scheme. For this reason, Nintendo shouldn't spend their time on a Mario Golf game, as although the visuals are extremely dated, the gameplay still captures the essence of simple yet addictive fun.
9 (Should Be Remade) Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Ubisoft wasted little time reinventing their mascot character, with his second game Rayman 2: The Great Escape ditching the first game's side-scrolling and replacing it with Super Mario 64 inspired open 3D levels.
Ubisoft's last two main series outings with Rayman have taken the platformer back to his side-scrolling roots with two fantastic games in Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends. Despite the critical acclaim that the games received, Ubisoft don't appear to have any plans to return to the modern side-scrolling series. For this reason, a successful remake of one of their limbless hero's most critically acclaimed games could be the spark that Ubisoft needs to rejuvenate the Rayman franchise.
8 (Shouldn't Be Remade) Paper Mario
It's fair to say that Nintendo's Paper Mario series has had a steady decline since the original Paper Mario released on the Nintendo 64 in 2000. There's a reason why the Japanese company continues to persist with it though, and that's because they captured lightning in a bottle with their first entry to the series.
Remaking the most critically acclaimed Paper Mario title may seem like an ideal way to inject some quality back into the series, but the game simply doesn't leave much room for improvement; the game is still excellent to play today, and more impressively, still looks fantastic. Therefore, Nintendo's best bet would likely be to simply remaster the game for the Nintendo Switch.
7 (Should Be Remade) Star Wars Episode 1: Racer
The Podracing scene from Star Wars: Episode I had "tie-in video game" written all over it, and LucasArts wasted little time in releasing one with Star Wars Episode 1: Racer hitting shelves the day before the prequel film came to theaters.
Despite Podracing being a rare occurrence outside of Episode I, the idea of a remake of the N64 game that adds tracks from all over the Star Wars universe sounds very appealing. Moreover, the concept could be very appealing to the game's publisher, as if they wanted to take a non-canon approach they could add numerous characters in the form of microtransactions.
6 (Shouldn't Be Remade) Mario Party 3
Considered to be the best Mario Party game to date, if there was one entry to the series that would be remade, it would likely be Mario Party 3.
Despite how highly regarded the game is by both fans and critics, a remake of the game doesn't sound particularly enticing. The reason is that the issue with modern Mario party games is that they've struggled to reinvent the series and seem to have lost their charm. A remake of an earlier game wouldn't fix this issue, so Nintendo should instead spend their time trying to breathe life back into the mini-game franchise.
5 (Should Be Remade) Pokémon Stadium
Although a Skyrim-like Pokémon game is still at the forefront of fans' hopes and dreams, a remake of either the original Pokémon Stadium or Pokémon Stadium 2 is a tantalizing alternative.
Pokémon Stadium differentiated itself from the popular Game Boy titles by ditching the world exploring and storyline in favor of expanding the series' strategic combat. The game also offered a great range of mini-games, to ensure that it didn't feel too one-dimensional.
4 (Shouldn't Be Remade) GoldenEye 007
One of the most influential FPS games of all time alongside classics like DOOM, Rare's GoldenEye 007 proved that the genre wasn't just suited for PC gaming, and had a bright future on home consoles.
Although the multiplayer is still great fun to play today and the single-play is an enjoyable nostalgia trip, the game isn't in need of a remake. Simply put, numerous games have been released since 1997 that have taken ideas from GoldenEye 007 and modernized them in different ways. Therefore, a GoldenEye 007 remake would need to completely change the core of the game to be successful, at which point it's better to just release a new title.
3 (Should Be Remade) Banjo-Kazooie
When Microsoft acquired Rare in 2002, a sequel to 2000's Banjo-Tooie seemed like it was just around the corner. After a long wait, fans finally got their wish in 2008 with Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, although the game wasn't what fans had been hoping for. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts was certainly not a bad game, but it wasn't a return to the collectathon formula that fans had hoped for.
The Banjo-Kazooie franchise seems to be dead and buried at this point, but that doesn't mean fans should give up hope. With Microsoft surely looking to improve its lineup of exclusives with the Xbox Series X|S, an exclusive remake of Banjo Kazooie has surely crossed their minds. The remake would certainly perk ears, and successful sales could see the series finally receiving a long-awaited sequel in the same vein a Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.
2 (Shouldn't Be Remade) Mario Kart 64
Considered to be one of the best kart racers ever made, Mario Kart 64 made the jump to polygon-based 3D in style. The gameplay was excellently balanced and still makes it one of the most enjoyable kart racers to pick up and play today.
Much like Mario Party 3, the reason why the beloved game doesn't need to be remade is that Nintendo is better off finding ways to improve the series moving forward, rather than reliving past successes. It has been over six years since the release of Mario Kart 8, and a remake of the N64 title may just frustrate fans who are waiting for the 9th main series entry.
1 (Should Be Remade) Donkey Kong 64
With gaming's jump from 2D to 3D, Nintendo knew that one of their oldest characters, Donkey Kong, would have seemed out of touch if his N64 game stuck with the side-scrolling action of Donkey Kong Country. So, Nintendo made the wise choice of ditching the side-scrolling in favor of collectathon open-levels that were extremely popular at the time.
Donkey Kong 64 was one of the console's must-have games in 1999, though it rarely seems to be mentioned when people discuss the console's best titles; likely because it has aged significantly worse than games like Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64. Despite Donkey Kong returning to his side-scrolling roots in recent years, a successful modern take on the N64 classic would almost certainly become one of the Nintendo Switch's most critically acclaimed titles.