5 PS1 Games That Deserve a Remake

Classics can be played and enjoyed on PlayStation Plus Premium, and while nostalgia is a powerful emotion that can feel fulfilling for the short term, there are some PS1 games that truly deserve the Capcom treatment. Left to collect dust as mere memories for 90s kids, there are many gems stuck in the jagged world of pixels and outdated gameplay.

This list isn’t exhaustive and is based on what I played growing up. The PS1 games I had in my arsenal were based on what my brother and eldest sister played. Passed down to me and my sister, we became transfixed to the television, playing a handful of PlayStation games on a loop that we still revisit to this day. As such, these are the PS1 games I desperately want remade.

Ape Escape

Release date: June 18th, 1999

With music as iconic as Crash and Spyro, Ape Escape is a game fueled solely by energy drinks. With characters that look like they were teleported from the Johto region, Ape Escape could truly use an update on its graphics and level design. Of course, everything was much simpler as technology wasn’t what it is now, but Ape Escape deserves the treatment Spyro and Crash got with their remake (without the intense color saturation). Surely everyone wants to have the chance at stopping the apes before world domination is achieved?

I can see Ape Escape getting remade to perform like Super Mario Odyssey, keeping most of the level design the same and only updating the graphics. This would allow those who didn’t get to experience the original game when it came out in 1999 to play a fun platformer full of gadgets and level variety, but with modern graphics we’re all very used to seeing.

Crash Bash

Release date: November 6th, 2000

Crash Bash will forever go down in history as the best couch co-op game I’ve ever played. An absolute pleasure to revisit and a game my family will always sit down to enjoy together, Crash Bash had everything you could ever need from a party game. No mode was boring and the party game selection screen was as iconic as Crash Bandicoot‘s Warp Room. Time truly flew by when this game was on. The best part was you didn’t have to play with friends and family to fully appreciate Crash Bash.

The AI wasn’t particularly smart, but it offered enough of a challenge that made each mode feel like a life-or-death tournament. This, alongside a boss fight to conclude the area, kept what made the classic Crash Bandicoot formula work so well. I fancied myself a bit of a Crashball player who would gladly make it an esports so I could participate in. A Tiny and Dingodile stan, the perfect remake of Crash Bash would provide joy at a time where stress is a constant for many.

Dino Crisis

Release date: July 1st, 1999

Aside from Resident Evil 3, Capcom has done an excellent job of remaking Resident Evil games. But it’s about time we get a hyper-realistic remake of Dino Crisis. With technology only getting better and better, we’ve reached the point where bringing a realistic velociraptor to new-gen consoles is the obvious next move. I want to know what those kids felt in Jurassic Park when the velociraptor opened the kitchen door. This can only be achieved by a third-person Dino Crisis.

RELATED: 5 Horror Games From The 2000s That Need a Remake

The tank controls have to go, and while I love fixed camera angles, I can see Dino Crisis playing like Alien: Isolation or being the dinosaur version of Resident Evil 2 Remake. A graphics update is a must, alongside modernizing the controls, much like Resident Evil 4 Remake did. We don’t have enough dinosaur video games so why let these iconic games go extinct too?

Jackie Chan Stuntmaster

Release date: March 28th, 2000

Jackie Chan Stuntmaster was PlayStation’s Sifu. A side-scrolling platformer focused on fighting mechanics, Stuntmaster was a highly entertaining and challenging beat ’em up game that has aged really well for its more basic level design and story. The goal was simple: find Jackie Chan’s grandfather who was kidnapped by a gang. Stuntmaster had variety when it came to fights, including great interludes that saw Chan performing stunts on a moving vehicle (resembling Uncharted‘s Train to Catch).

The fighting resembles both Sifu and Sleeping Dogs, including interaction with objects and fluid, authentic martial arts moves; all while holding onto core platformer elements like the lives system in Spyro and Crash Bandicoot. A PS1 gem, I’d love to see what Stuntmaster would look and feel like if made now. Much like retro horror games, there isn’t a single fault when it comes to Stuntmaster‘s graphics. However, these (like the gameplay) could use the Ghost of Tsushima treatment, turning Stuntmaster into a realistic and flawless fighting game that feels satisfying to play. Combos could be introduced, alongside collectibles for the trophy hunters.

Silent Hill

Release date: February 23rd, 1999

The original Silent Hill is the obvious PS1 remake we desperately need from Konami and Bloober Team. I can’t fathom how many people only started playing and appreciating Silent Hill because of the 2024 SH2 remake. So we need that from you again, Bloober Team. It’s time for everyone to experience Harry Mason’s story. It’s highly likely more gamers didn’t get to play the first game in the legendary franchise, so bring that dense fog back and get cracking—we have to go back to Silent Hill.

Silent Hill created an atmosphere that still holds up to this day, throwing terrifying abominations at Harry as he searches desperately for his daughter. The setting is bizarre, with a narrative that only gets stranger. While Silent Hill 2 is a story about love and guilt, Harry’s is about the lengths a father would go to save his daughter. A modernized take on Silent Hill, updating the graphics and gameplay, would allow the masses to take in one of the darkest, most surreal stories ever made on PlayStation.