5 Most Wanted Video Game Remakes You’ll Never See

Let's talk about video game remakes, or quite simply, the lack of them in this day and age. Just what is it that makes one worthy of a remake, and why are there fewer and fewer for each passing year? Well, these are million-dollar questions that we've been asking for quite some time, and yet no amount of watered-down answers have helped to alleviate.

As we push through the midway point of 2022, our hopes of seeing one or two remakes are still as high as ever. That said, there are five that we know for a fact will never be put to paper, even with overwhelming numbers there to support and greenlight the ideas. With that said, here are the games that you'll probably never see on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, no matter how hard you pry.

5. The Simpsons Hit & Run

Okay, so we'll admit that, in spite of our love and admiration for the show, The Simpsons have probably put out some of the worst video games of all time. That said, in a strange turn of events, some games, such as Hit & Run, have faced nothing but universal acclaim, which has in turn helped balance out its reputation in the long run. The sad part, though, is that chart-toppers like Hit & Run will probably never see a remake, and that's a bitter pill we'll unfortunately have to swallow.

Seeing as Radical Entertainment was acquired by Vivendi Games in 2005, and then merged with Activision in 2008, a huge portion of the original team behind Hit & Run are either scattered or no longer in the business. Therefore, to resurrect the beloved classic, Fox would need to assemble a few old faces to help thread the pieces back together again. And honestly, that's not something Activision will likely back, given its priorities currently idle with the close-knit cash cows of the modern world.

4. Bully

At this point, we've started to accept the fact that Rockstar Games is pretty much done with making Bully. After all, with its poster child Grand Theft Auto forever hogging the spotlight and claiming the lion's share of the revenue, it's becoming more and more unlikely that the globally recognized developer will, at some stage in the near future, resort to scrounging pennies from older projects.

Of course, this isn't to say a sequel is off the table, as the demand has been there for well over a decade. But, as far as a remaster of the original chapter goes, we think it's safe to say that Scholarship Edition on the Xbox 360 is about as much as we'll ever get. Further, with Grand Theft Auto 6 on the back burner, it would be years before Rockstar and its subsidiaries finally got around to rebuilding Bullworth from the ground up.

3. Def Jam: Fight for New York

Given the fact that rap legends such as Snoop Dogg and Ice-T have campaigned to have Def Jam; Fight for New York remade for modern consoles, it does come as a slight surprise that if hasn't been put to paper yet. Although, knowing its complex licensing issues surrounding music, brands, and products, it does give you an idea why certain developers haven't dared touch it with a barge pole since watching it fizzle out of the spotlight.

Of course, some franchises have been able to resurrect such worlds from the ashes, but at a lofty cost. FfNY, on the other hand, would be a licensing nightmare waiting to happen, and would very well wind up costing more to finance and rebuild than the finalized product would end up making in sales. And so, it's unlikely that we'll see a Def Jam remake anytime soon, unfortunately.

2. The Godfather

Unlike the vast majority of video game adaptations of popular movies, The Godfather was actually pretty darn good, and was an open-world game Electronic Arts managed to nail down to a tee. The unfortunate part about adaptations, though, is that they rarely ever pop their heads back up following their initial release dates. And while The Godfather was a great game, EA has most definitely moved on from it and targeted a number of fresh IPs.

With the two games being over a decade old, it's unlikely EA will ever return to the classic franchise. Though, to be fair, if Mafia can receive the full treatment, then nothing is really stopping The Godfather from getting some quality time in the spotlight. But then, we're clutching at straws with this one, and we're most definitely leaning more towards pipe dreams than possibilities.

1. Jak & Daxter

Of all the IPs Naughty Dog has brought to the table over the years, nothing has felt more nostalgic than the Jak series, mainly because of its gameplay which has often been highly reminiscent of the beloved Crash Bandicoot saga, another one of the developer's universally acclaimed franchises. The only difference between the two is, well, the latter had a remaster.

To be fair, with Naughty Dog so incredibly cooped up with remaking The Last of Us for PlayStation 5, it comes as no surprise that the Jak series has once again been left out on the back burner. Although the demand is most definitely there for a remake, it's unlikely the saga will return in the near future. A dead franchise? Perhaps. And yet, we'll continue to pry until Naughty Dog finds it in itself to resurrect it from the grave and give old Jak the makeover he so rightfully deserves. Here's hoping, anyway.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.