Games are constantly at risk of being lost to time, gated behind old, hard-to-find hardware, and servers being shut down. Yet there’s a growing trend of developers creating remakes, remasters, and re-releases. They’re bringing games back to be playable on modern hardware, like Backyard Baseball ’98, or making them again from the ground up to look and feel like a modern release while staying true to their origin.
2024 was a fantastic year for games coming back to be played by new audiences and getting a new chance in the current era of gaming. If you’re lost at what to play next, why not pick up one of these classics? Who knows, you could be a fan of a series you never thought to try. The best part? If you like one of these games, you can quickly pick up one of their sequels to keep the fun going.
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It’s worth noting that some games, like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, won’t be on this list. Rebirth is marketed as a remake but is really a totally new game, distinct from the original. This list specifically highlights games that are remakes, remasters, or rereleases for modern consoles.
Epic Mickey Rebrushed
Developer: Purple Lamp
Publisher: THQ Nordic
What makes Epic Mickey Rebrushed unique isn’t entirely its 360-era platforming but its historical impact on video games and Disney. It’s a fascinating history lesson about Walt Disney’s roots, starting not with a mouse but rather a lucky rabbit, Oswald. Creating a game about how Mickey Mouse became the star of the show and Oswald’s growing resentment of being forgotten is an inspired direction to take this very unique game.
Yet the story wouldn’t have been complete without adding a message about how fans of different mediums quickly toss out old, beloved items for the new and shiny. All of this together in a bubbling cauldron creates one of the most unique stories told for Disney in Epic Mickey Rebrushed.
Through many years of movies, shows, and guest appearances, Mickey himself is a fleshed-out character. By way of player choice, Epic Mickey dives deeper into questions like “Is his stardom from greed? Or would he actually feel bad if confronted by those he inadvertently left behind?” Freeing a historical piece like Epic Mickey from being a Wii exclusive ten-plus years later is a significant win for game preservation.
Available on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Warcraft +Warcraft 2 Remaster
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
While the original versions of the classic RTS games are still available on Blizzard’s Battle.net launcher, a more refined and cleaner version has been requested by Warcraft fans for years. This was especially the case after the tumultuous launch of Warcraft 3 Reforged. It’s led to concerns about whether fans want a remake that almost ruined a wildly beloved game’s legacy or just refinement after seeing how poorly of a job Blizzard could potentially do. Thankfully the latter happened during the Warcraft 30th anniversary direct earlier in 2024.
Minor yet significant new additions were added to the Warcraft and Warcraft 2 remasters, like HD textures, better controls, and prettier environments. It’s a perfect way to keep the legacy of Azeroth alive and well for newer audiences. What pairs incredibly well with hopping into where the fight between the Horde and Alliance began is Warcraft 3 Reforged. It also got a significant free update that fixed many of the fans’ issues with its original launch back in 2020.
Available on: PC
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake
Developer: Team Asano
Publisher: Square Enix
The issue with long-running series, especially with thirty-plus-year-old franchises, is just how difficult it is to play earlier entries. Re-releases that keep that legacy alive while modernizing it are a win for long-time fans and those who may have enjoyed recent releases. That’s precisely what Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remake has done for Square Enix’s classic RPG series.
The beautiful HD-2D overhaul adds classes and story elements to create an enjoyable, can’t-miss experience on modern consoles. Don’t worry about playing a third entry as a first foray into Dragon Quest. It is the very beginning of the story that will be continued in the next HD-2D releases. It’s a stellar addition to the ever-growing HD-2D catalog and an argument for why maybe Square Enix should also give Final Fantasy 1-6 the same treatment.
Available on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Apollo Justice Ace Attorney Trilogy
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Like Epic Mickey, Ace Attorney had numerous entries locked away on platforms that are hard to access nowadays. No better example of this is the Apollo Justice Ace Attorney games. Originally released on the DS and 3DS with DLC, which could only be purchased after beating the games on the 3DS eShop, these classic Ace Attorney stories felt like they would be inaccessible after the eShop closed for good. Now, they are all back on all modern consoles, continuing the wacky law room fun.
Ace Attorneys feel special compared to other visual novel games, where they bring in fans who may not normally be interested in playing one. They’re zany, with some of the wildest characters and situations you couldn’t imagine. Now take those scenarios and throw them in a courtroom with lots of involvement in investigating crime scenes, interrogating witnesses, and trying to keep clients out of prison with cases taking constant 90-degree turns.
It’s almost impossible to guess who committed the crime until the final seconds. Plus, there are so many entries in this series that have all been modernized and released in convenient collections, making continuing the fun Ace Attorney series endless.
Available on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Persona 3 Reload
Developer: P Studio/Atlus
Publisher: SEGA
Persona, Atlus’s coming-of-age turn-based RPG series, has always stood out with a unique style. Almost every console generation since the PlayStation has a new iteration leaps and bounds better than the last. Atlus also loved to release new versions of their games, like Persona 5 Royal with new updates or changes to the story to make them somehow even better. But, the older versions tend to get left behind. Thankfully, Persona 3 is back in one of 2024’s best remakes, Persona 3 Reload, and it feels just as good as as a modern RPG.
Persona 3 has a darker story compared to later entries. But it is still just so much fun with its flair. The story and gameplay are enhanced with more hip-hop-style music, too, to show how the characters change as they go along their journey by showing how they are conquering their inner demons that brought them to their lowest points.
What’s excellent about Reload is that it enhances all the good aspects of Persona 3 to the same level as a more modern release. This makes it perfect for curious players who do not want to be put off by an old PS2 release with prettier graphics.
Available on: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Sly Cooper, Band of Thieves, H0nor Among Thieves
Developer: Sucker Punch
Publisher: PlayStation
PlayStation deserves props for trying to bring back its old games for modern consoles. Even if they are $10 each, playing old PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games with rewind and trophy support while being boosted by modern hardware is like playing these games for the first time. And no better example of this is the greatest PlayStation 2 mascot, Sly Cooper.
Sly and the Cooper gang never seemed to get the same love as their counterparts in Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank; the latter still gets new games to this day. All three Sly Cooper games now available as remasters on PlayStation 4 and 5 hold up exceptionally well. They’re classic platformers full of character in a unique world with an even greater story. It’s a can’t-miss for Sony fans. Please play these immediately to keep the hope alive for a fifth game to save Sly.
Available on: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
2024 was a stellar year for game preservation in the context of bringing old games back and making them playable again. This has been a growing trend as more people focus on the longevity of many peoples’ hard work and not being lost to the annals of time. It looks like 2025 will be another step forward in the right direction.
