Video Game Remakes to Look out for in 2020

The video game landscape is constantly growing and evolving, and with a huge number of indie developers releasing some of the best games each year, it’s easier than ever for gamers to find something that’s unique and interesting. However, while new things are excellent, nostalgia forms a large part of gaming and pop culture, and so it’s important every now and again to go back to what made us love playing in the first place.

Keen for a bit of a throwback, and want to put your nostalgia goggles on? For those interested, here’s a look at some exciting upcoming video game remakes in 2020.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated

More than just a watered-down rerelease of the original fan-favourite licensed title released back in 2003, THQ’s in-depth ‘rehydrated’ version of Battle for Bikini Bottom has had players clamouring for the game more than Plankton clamours for the Krabby Patty formula. The game’s cult following and speedrunning community is partially to thank for this coming to fruition, and it looks brilliant with its improved visuals – reaching 4K on the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X consoles.

Adding more into the mix to make this even more of an exciting prospect, the Spongebob remake will also include cut content from the original game, fully-realised and integrated into the new campaign, as well as even an online multiplayer horde mode for players to jump in and enjoy collaboratively or competitively. Launching in June, the game has a special ‘shiny’ edition that includes collectables and trinkets. If nautical nonsense be something you wish, then you won’t want to miss out on this game when it makes a splash this year.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2

Following the awful critical/fan reception to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 back in 2015, the outcry for a decent Tony Hawk video game akin to the Neversoft-developed masterpieces from the PS1/PS2 era has been huge, and it seems that Activision has finally listened. After all, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 is widely regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time, and so it’s only right that it gets the rerelease it deserves on modern systems. The original two games in the series are being brought back for the modern generation, with fancy updated graphics and features to boot. Just one of the fun changes revealed was that the skater roster would have new, ‘aged’ scans, showing how they’ve gotten on a bit since the original game in 1999.

Launching in September on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, it will be easy to get your hands on the revisited arcade skater when it comes out, but some were quick to ask about a certain lack of a Nintendo Switch version. Developer Vicarious Visions did eventually bring their previous Crash Bandicoot remake to the Switch after originally launching solely on the PS4, and so fingers crossed that a portable Nintendo version is in the works, too, albeit with some tuned down settings to get the best performance possible out of the lesser hardware.

Did you know? The process of adapting and porting an existing video game onto new hardware, and freshening it up for modern audiences/sensibilities, is easier said than done. Some game development studios, such as Abstraction Games, for example, specialise in this sort of thing, working on many different platforms and thus knowing the limitations, restrictions and opportunities afforded by certain types of consoles/hardware.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

While this one isn’t strictly a full remake per se, and in fact is more of a full new game coming to modern platforms this year, fans of the original Lego Star Wars games on the PS2 (Lego Star Wars and Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy) will want to check out the updated Skywalker Saga when it comes out later this year. The current date estimated is October 20th, although with the Coronavirus pandemic throwing a spanner in the works of everything, there could be some delay.

Collecting episodes one through nine (from The Phantom Menace to The Rise of Skywalker), the game will no doubt feature hundreds of different characters to play as from the expansive Sci-Fi saga, with more of an open-world feel than before. Those wanting to get something new from their Lego Star Wars experience will be glad to hear that levels have been built from the ground up, rather than re-using and combining previous entries as The Complete Saga did. The title is also launching on a range of different platforms, meaning you should be able to pick it up no matter where you choose to play your games.