Enough ifs and buts and do-you-mind-if-we-don’ts. Let’s take a look at our list of every Nintendo remake and remaster ever, starting at the bottom…
Game & Watch Gallery 3 mostly sticks to the formula of its predecessors, and it does a fine job of offering up some simple handheld gaming classics in a more convenient form, with a large number of games and a good, varied selection to boot.
There are a lot of things to unlock for those willing to put the time in, and if you manage to get everything, you can always revisit any of the titles to improve your scores. Definitely worth a look for G&W fans.
While some of the slower elements of the original games have been fixed in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and The Grand Underground makes up for the comparatively weak Pokédex, the new art style and a few other stumbles make this pair of games a somewhat disappointing retread of Generation 4. If the remit here was to remain faithful to the original Gen 4 pair, we wish they’d also stuck to the pixel-art aesthetic.
Unfortunately, these are Brilliant and Shining remakes in name only, sticking very closely to the original template — which some players will no doubt welcome — but aside from The Grand Underground and the connectivity with the current games in the series, there’s very little reason to play Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl over your original DS copies.
The Game Boy was, in many ways, the natural evolution of Nintendo’s Game & Watch line of one-shot portable devices, so the ability to play those games on one cartridge was an acknowledgement of that handheld legacy.
If you liked the originals, this collection is a must-have. Both the originals and remakes, which combine simple gameplay and subtle strategy, are here to enjoy and the newer versions play differently enough that you’re quite likely to consider them new experiences in and of themselves.
The musical and visual presentation is fantastic as well, and the entire package serves as a relic of a truly magical time in gaming. Or, perhaps, two truly magical times.
Mario vs Donkey Kong serves up a slick return to the 2004 GBA adventure that finds fresh fun in cooperative play. Yep, the new co-op mode really is the star of the show this time out and, alongside two new worlds, ‘Plus’ versions of each level, a Time Attack mode, and fancy new looks and sounds, there’s plenty to dig into and enjoy with a core puzzle/platforming setup that has aged quite well.
Just be aware that, if you’re a more seasoned player looking for platforming challenges, this game finds its strengths as an experience for younger gamers or as a co-op title to enjoy with your kids. Taken as such, it absolutely earns a recommendation.
As with the first game on Game Boy, Game & Watch Gallery 2 features a collection of several highly addictive score-based games. There’s a lot to do, and with both faithful ports and remakes being included in the same package, you’re sure to be entertained for a while as you attempt to earn all the stars available.
And after that, maybe you can go in for seconds with the super hard difficulties.
The gameplay is simple, but the included titles in Game & Watch Gallery Advance are still fun to play decades after they appeared in Game & Watch form. High-score chasing should keep players occupied, especially with 20 games to choose from — eleven of which also include an updated ‘Modern’ mode.
It can feel repetitive at times and the method of unlocking games has the potential to annoy but this volume of titles remains an excellent compilation of Nintendo’s first foray into portable gaming.
Another Code: Recollection’s biggest addition to the original DS and Wii experiences, besides the slick new graphics and fully explorable 3D environs, is its all-new navigation and puzzle aids.
With the obtuse nature of some puzzles now a triviality should you find yourself stumped, there are now no difficulty spikes or annoying moments to hold you back from a two-part tale that’s worth diving into for fans of slow-burn point-and-click titles.
The pacing could have done with some more work, but this collection of cult classics is as good a return to Ashley’s world as fans could have hoped for.
Diddy Kong Racing DS is good but not quite great. Generally, it’s very well presented with clear menus, pleasant visuals, and nice sound. However, the controls aren’t quite there, probably to do with the fact the DS only has a D-pad, so it just doesn’t feel as good as the original N64 classic. If you had to choose between this and Mario Kart DS, there’s no competition.
Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! are beautiful reimaginings of a video game classic, updating a decades-old game in ways which make it infinitely more accessible and user-friendly for a modern audience, while keeping the magic first discovered all those years ago.
On the downside, the motion control mechanic is fun but flawed, forcing you to shift from one play style to another to get the best experience. Still, the game does a superb job of striking a balance between being an easy route of entry for newcomers and offering just enough post-game challenge and competitive play elements (and nostalgia, of course) to please series veterans; as a result, these newer titles really do offer something for everyone, which can’t always be said of the mainline Pokémon entries.
They might not be absolute masterpieces, but we’d urge any Poké-fans out there to give these Kanto classics a go.
This pair of GameCube winners got the barest of bare-bones remasters, and you might wish that Nintendo put a little more effort into reworking these classics in HD two decades after the series’ debut.
That said, the games beneath (available separately digitally) remain as timelessly engrossing as ever, and it’s a joy to have Pikmin 1 and 2 easily accessible whenever the fancy takes us to revisit Captain Olimar and his plant-based pals.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fine way to play the 2010 original, but it’s also lacking any real reason for fans to double-dip beyond waggle-free controls and the integration of the DS levels. It’s a simple remaster, to be honest, which would be all well and good if it wasn’t being sold at such a premium.
There’s plenty of fun to be had, but we can’t help but walk away from it with a slightly sour taste in our mouths. Our advice? Grab the sequel instead.
We’d love to have Tropical Freeze on this list too, but that really does just feel like a “Deluxe” port. Funky Mode doesn’t quite stretch far enough in our books.
The first of the GBA’s Super Mario platformer ports (and the one that kicked off the most convoluted naming convention in gaming history), Super Mario Advance brought Super Mario Bros. 2 to the GBA in the 16-bit style of Super Mario All-Stars.
With the ability to choose between four characters carrying over from the original, it gained a point system in addition to its facelift, as well as several collectibles to find throughout each stage.
Overall, it’s still one of the best ways to revisit the game, and you also get the remake of original Mario Bros. bundled in — that little multiplayer bonus would feature on multiple other entries in this GBA port series going forward.
