Nintendo has presented the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Although it was leaked and we were eagerly waiting for it, that did not change how they were going to present it at Nintendo. We have only seen a few seconds of it, no gameplay, and the only thing we know about the game is that it looks absolutely spectacular. With a more realistic and modern style, similar to the experiments that people do when they create Nintendo games in Unreal Engine 5, it seems they wanted to experiment with that approach more typical of other companies.

It shouldn’t surprise us either. Star Fox already does this. And that’s why it’s interesting to think about what other games could have this treatment in the future. Not games that we want to have this treatment, as that would be a different topic, but rather games that we believe would fit with this approach. Whether it’s because of how they fit with this kind of graphics or how they would serve to bring back perhaps forgotten franchises, it would be an excuse for Nintendo to return to certain titles and specific franchises. Although we can’t promise that this would make their fans happy.

F-Zero

One of the franchises that makes the most sense to revive, taking advantage of graphic capabilities to attract the audience, is F-Zero. A franchise born on the SNES and based on pure speed and science fiction that, moreover, today has no competition at all. No futuristic racing games of this kind are being made anymore, let alone with such a marked arcade tone, and even a remake of F-Zero GX with current graphics would be celebrated by its fans and attract the attention of a larger audience. And seeing what they have done with Star Fox, it seems perfectly possible to do it with F-Zero.

Super Mario Sunshine

Although today it seems to be the black sheep of the Super Mario series, upon its release Super Mario Sunshine was tremendously celebrated for the originality of the title and its absolute beauty. The ability to ensure crystal-clear waters, perfectly realistic skies, and a much cleaner world, and above all, less wobbly physics and hitboxes, could make many people realize how excellent this game is. Although it would surely also make all those who already love Super Mario Sunshine hate this hypothetical remake.

Pilotwings

The most controversial title on the list, which never quite achieved a true cult status on either Super Nintendo or Nintendo 64. Pilotwings has never returned —except for Pilotwings Resort on 3DS— perhaps because, even though they were pioneers of 3D, that also took a toll on them: they were still experimenting with the possibilities of 3D. At Nintendo, taking risks with franchises that didn’t work for them in the past is not their style, but perhaps by adding a new, more modern aesthetic and adjusting the controls to current expectations, it would perform better. And there would be more fans of Pilotwings in general.

Punch-Out!!

Probably the game that would need the least changes on paper, but would require the most adjustments in reality. Although a new Punch-Out!! would be very interesting, it would also be a tough sell: it’s a difficult game, with a classic design that wouldn’t excite contemporary audiences. But what if it had modern graphics, an emphasis on different types of moves, a more developed campaign, and perhaps roguelike elements or progression systems? Again, classic Punch-Out!! fans would hate it, but it could have the potential to reach a more general audience.

Nintendogs

This is the game they should make. Many people will disagree, saying it’s not an important game for that, and all those people are wrong. Nintendogs is the perfect game to apply the supposedly more realistic and elaborate graphics they seek in this kind of remakes. They intended it in the original Nintendogs, and the improvement in graphics would only help them. And the idea of taking care of puppies never gets old: there will always be an audience for that kind of game. So, Nintendo, what are you waiting for? It’s an incredibly simple fruit. Even easier to pick than the one from F-Zero.