Capcom has enjoyed an objectively fantastic year, largely due to the critical and commercial success of two recent releases: Resident Evil 2 and Monster Hunter World.
Both of these hits appear to have reinvigorated their respective franchises, even if neither of them was particularly stagnant. It appears very likely that this trend will continue, potentially with some of its other classic IPs.
The publisher recently released an investor report that cited the “indisputable success” of Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry 5, and Monster Hunter World. It also heavily implied the idea of reviving more “dormant” franchises along with new IP in the future.
No other explicit details were dropped, but the prospect sounds exciting nonetheless. Capcom’s extensive catalog of popular franchises goes back as far as you care to look. Among all the Resident Evils and Street Fighters of the past were gems like Dino Crisis, Power Stone, Onimusha, Viewtiful Joe, and Breath of Fire.
Plenty of these games could stand to benefit from a well-crafted reboot. In particular, these three franchises should be at or near the top of the list.
Dino Crisis
A Dino Crisis reboot similar to Resident Evil 2 would unquestionably be more horrific than ever. Just imagine the original, only this time with dinosaurs that look as impressive as some of the recent Jurassic Park films. I’m sure that fans of the original games might even settle for HD ports of the trilogy, but this franchise could take on a whole new life with all the visual wonders of newer consoles. Or imagine this game running on PS5 with PlayStation VR. Oh, the possibilities!
Maximo
I know that it is completely unrelated to the remaster of Medievil on the PlayStation 4, but seeing Sir Dan in HD glory just made me think about how cool it would be to see an updated take of the PS2 classic Maximo. As a kid, the action/adventure gameplay was so appealing. Unfortunately, its punishing difficulty wasn’t so much. With the rise of an entire genre that’s devoted to kicking your ass – I’m speaking about all the Souls-Borne games – the brutal challenge and cartoonish style of Maximo might actually appeal to more new players than ever before.
Power Stone
My last pick would certainly have to go to Power Stone. This 3D arena-style brawler series was, in some circles, as revered as the Super Smash Bros. franchise, especially to hardcore Dreamcast fans. I was a huge fan of the games myself. Even though the gameplay was a bit chaotic, I think it would be an absolutely perfect fit for a nostalgic blast of couch multiplayer fun between friends. The characters had quite a bit of personality, and the stages were highly interactive in combat. This formula would be just as brilliant now as it was almost twenty years ago.
What classic Capcom franchise would you like to see brought back for a fresh look or an HD remaster? What would you like to see added to some of your favorites? Comment below and let us know your most wanted choice(s) for the next helping of rosy nostalgia from Capcom!
no no no and another no. Nobody wants reboots because they change the classic game too much, which doesn’t satisfy the desire for an visually upgraded version of a classic. What those series need is a new SEQUEL not that horrible idea called a reboot.
Thanks for the comment –
While I completely disagree with some of this, I can understand how others would feel the way you do.
I’d just like to reiterate that a lot of the games mentioned here had large fan bases, others not so much.
The idea of a reboot isn’t always to impress the people who already enjoyed the game before, sometimes it’s about people who missed the first time around, for one reason or another.
Example from the article: I never played Dino Crisis. I always wished I had, but as much I’d love to have enjoyed them in their prime, it just can’t possibly be the “same” experience as it was before…unless they put the kind of care into it that went into RE2. That might even make them better, subjectively.
I definitely think great new IPs should be a strong focus, but I’m pretty happy that a lot of solid games from the past are still around and look or play a bit better.