10 Holy Grail Remakes We're Still Waiting For

Video game remake culture is operating at an all-time high these days. The past decade alone has seen timeless classics like Resident Evil 2 and Dragon Quest VII get fully rebuilt, from the ground up remakes, and they are not alone. So many franchises have joined in on the fun, backed by fan demand that dates back decades in some cases.

For all of those games that get another solo dance in the spotlight, however, many more are left without that opportunity. It's not for a lack of trying, of course, as so many games have become a sort of holy grail. A remake that would deliver such a visceral emotional response, that not doing it seems like cruel and unusual punishment.

These games have their own cult following, and some fans remain ever hopeful that someone will finally say yes to a remake. We've been blessed with so many remakes of our favorite games, but there's still a few out there that are still waiting for their time to shine again.

10 The Simpsons: Hit & Run

D'oh!

Despite the unbreakable status of The Simpsons as one of the most celebrated cartoons of all time, their time in the video game world has been a little less consistent. For every brilliant arcade beat 'em up, there's a wrestling game and a skateboarding game.

During the sixth-generation, however, The Simpsons: Hit & Run was the GTA-style mash-up that the franchise needed. We didn't need weird gimmicks to sell a Simpsons video game. All we wanted was to roam around Springfield and act like maniacs, which is exactly what Hit & Run offers.

Years later, a remake remains one of the most oft-requested games every single year. It's come close a few times, and current Simpsons show runner Matt Selman has not ruled out the possibility. Until then, however, we shall all meet in a prayer circle every weekend in hopes of its return.

9 Bully

Welcome to Bullworth Academy

Rumors of a sequel to Bully have been in gaming circles for years, and proof of its development in 2013 hit the internet in 2019. While a sequel always seemed so far out-of-reach considering Rockstar's focus on GTA and Red Dead, a remake of the original Bully always felt like a game that usually topped everyone's wishlist.

The original Bully is still one of the most genuinely compelling open-world games I've ever played. Bully's small but intricately detailed world is just so enjoyable. Roaming around the fictional Bullworth Academy is such a delight, as its smaller scope is one of its core strengths.

It would be such a breath of fresh air in the current open-world game market. So many games in the genre are focused on how much bigger and broader their worlds can be, but Bully's smaller, more hyper-focused and detailed open world would stand out brilliantly.

8 EarthBound

The Power of Friendship Remains Undefeated

SNES titles make up a fairly large portion of video game remakes, as the console's incredible library has been targeted numerous times. One game that has remained oddly absent in the remake trend, however, is EarthBound.

Shigesato Itoi's oddball JRPG has inspired countless indie games over the years, and it's one of those titles that has managed to create its own genre due to its influence. It was such an innovative game for its time, replacing the knights and wizards that dominated the genre with teenagers and baseball bats. It was crucial for allowing JRPGs to expand beyond their roots.

A remake of EarthBound has been on the wishlist of many, myself included, for decades now. If you can manage to get Itoi on board, then producing a 3D remake that potentially echoes what EarthBound 64 was to be would create one of the most anticipated games of all time.

7 Chrono Trigger

Pull My Chrono Trigger

The mere thought of Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii and manga artist Akira Toriyama in the same room conceiving Chrono Trigger together feels like something that could never happen, but it did. In all the years that have passed since that fateful meeting, Chrono Trigger has become one of the most influential JRPGs of all time.

If you've spent any amount of time in online video game circles, chances are you've heard the appeals to Square Enix for a remake of their beloved 1995 classic. Chrono Trigger's triumphant return is anticipated at every event Square takes part in, but despite how close it's apparently come a few times, nothing concrete is in motion.

This is especially frustrating when you consider just how much of an automatic slam dunk it is. Square's own HD-2D technology is the perfect way to bring Chrono Trigger back to life, as it would preserve the retro charm of the SNES original while fusing it with modern tech.

6 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Call Grezzo Right Now

After the reveal of a Link's Awakening remake in the February 2019 Nintendo Direct, I became rather convinced that another Zelda game should be next on the list. I say that because the cute, almost puppet-like style of Link's Awakening felt like it would be a perfect fit for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

I still feel like that, even all these years later. It's well past time for Nintendo to give Grezzo a ring. This immensely talented group has quite a bit of history with Zelda remakes, including Link's Awakening and 3DS remakes of Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. If anyone knows about remaking Zelda games, it's Grezzo.

A Link to the Past feels like the last Zelda game that hasn't been given some sort of modern love. It's a bit unusual considering its importance to the franchise, but the last time it was given any sort of priority was 2013's 3DS sequel, A Link Between Worlds. It's time to change all that.

5 The Operative: No One Lives Forever

A Swinging '60s Shooter

Spies and '60s-era narratives were unusually hot during the early 2000s, as we saw games like Snake Eater and The Operative: No One Lives Forever prove beyond a reasonable doubt. This era of first-person shooters was truly remarkable, and if you were around during this time, you know just how big of an impact that No One Lives Forever made at the time.

It was funny and charming, a rare feat for video games, as well as straddling the line between parody and genuine spy thriller. Its world, aesthetic and style is simply lovely, and would fit in wonderfully alongside its contemporaries today. It also had some of the most enjoyable gameplay of its day, and the shooting still feels great.

Unfortunately, No One Lives Forever is in the middle of numerous legal disputes and licensing nightmares. Nightdive Studios, who have already remade countless FPS games from this era, have tried for years to get it done, but until the people with all the money say yes, No One Lives Forever will remain stuck in abandonware purgatory.

4 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

Don't You Mean Surrender or Die?!

I consider myself something of a Jak and Daxter superfan. This game, as well as the others, is one of my annual traditions, and I don't think there are many 3D platformer franchises that have as good of a first swing at the bat as the original Jak and Daxter.

For years, I have wondered what a potential Jak and Daxter remake could be like. Naughty Dog has since moved on to create some of the industry's most incredible games, so the likelihood of them being involved is less than zero. There are still plenty of capable teams out there, however.

The world needs Jak and Daxter more than ever now. During a time when 3D platformers are back on the rise, and the industry is searching for more whimsy, now is the time. This is one of those classic PS2 games that routinely comes up during fan discussions about most wanted remakes, so there's no better opportunity than right now to strike.

3 Dino Crisis

Humans vs Dinos

Shinji Mikami's games are no stranger to remakes. The original Resident Evil was remade on the GameCube, as well as being in the rumor mill for another one in a couple of years. Resident Evil 4 got the remake treatment, as well, but the one Mikami game that has become mythic in fan desire for a remake is Dino Crisis.

This timeless PS1 classic is still a treasure. The atmosphere and tension Dino Crisis creates so effortlessly is remarkable, as its 3D camera is rather impressive for its time. Some of the angles are stupendous, and the mix of dinosaurs and survival horror is such a home run.

In the decades that have passed, Capcom has shown that they are not at all afraid of remaking their classic library. A remake of Dino Crisis in the style of the recent Resident Evil games feels like something that should have happened years ago, and considering that Capcom is well into development of a next-gen successor to the RE Engine known as REX, it would seem unfortunate if they didn't go for it.

2 Parasite Eve

The World Needs More Cinematic RPGs

There may not be a PS1 game with more of a ravenous fan desire for a remake than Parasite Eve. While Metal Gear Solid is currently in the midst of a fan campaign to get a next-gen revival following the success of the Snake Eater remake, MGS1 did get a remake on the GameCube. Parasite Eve, however, has had no such luck.

Parasite Eve's elegant mix of survival horror systems and JRPG combat is still such an innovative experience. There are certainly a lot of survival horror JRPGs, but the way Parasite Eve blended them together has such a wonderful feel to it.

Every year, the internet's desire for a Parasite Eve remake continues to grow. It also feels less and less likely every year, as Square has expressed interest in continuing Aya's story, but notes the game's unfortunate license issues with the book it was based upon. If we all had our way, Parasite Eve would be a prominent franchise in the industry, but seems destined to live only within a short window of time for eternity.

1 Bloodborne

The Holy Grail of Holy Grails

If Bloodborne fans could perform a ritual sacrifice with a Pthumeru Chalice in order to successfully green-light a remake of FromSoftware's 2015 masterpiece, they gladly would. In all honesty, I'd be right there with them.

With RE2 and FF7 out of the way, Bloodborne was almost instantly elevated to the top of the list of most wanted remakes of all time. There's not a single gaming event, live stream, or press event that goes by without someone praying a Bloodborne remake shows up. And with Bluepoint, the team that made the most sense to do it considering their success with FromSoftware's own Demon's Souls, being shut down, it almost feels like the door has closed.

Bloodborne's stark, Lovecraftian world and deep, complex mythology won't be forgotten anytime soon. It's precisely that dark and sinister world that makes it such a beloved title over a decade later. The brutal combat, rich lore and haunting setting all work together so brilliantly, and there's no video game in this world that has as many remake requests as Bloodborne.