It’s tough being a gamer at times, isn’t it? In recent years, the industry has been taking all kinds of flak. Not just from the media, the elderly tabloid writers who have always hated video games and everything they stand for (I remember one newspaper, on the 3DS’s launch, convinced that the glasses-free 3D effect would destroy our eyeballs). Gamers themselves, developers, industry critics… everyone’s at it.

Let’s be honest, griping at video games is like shooting fish in a freaking barrel at the moment. Whether it’s loot boxes, microtransactions generally, treatment of women, season passes, on-disk DLC or something else, there’s always something to get your polka-dot panties in a bunch over.

One of these issues, however, isn’t quite so clear cut. I totally agree that all of the above are completely legitimate problems to raise, but I’m not sure how I feel about the great influx of remakes and re-releases we’re seeing of late.

On the one hand, I’m definitely lapping up Pokémon Ultra Sun like a starving piglet at its mama’s niplets. The Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy was another I couldn’t resist jumping on board with. I may love that little furry orange bastard, but the whole idea doesn’t sit entirely right with me.

I’m conflicted. Give me a crazy new IP like Arms and I’m a happy, happy man. I’d say that remakes still have a certain place, though. Particularly when they’re this sweet. Check out this list of awesome remakes coming our way in 2018.

16 It’s Dissidia, Jim, But Not As We Know It (Dissidia Final Fantasy NT)

via psu.com

I’m a big fan of the Final Fantasy franchise. I may have hopped on board quite late, with the Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX PS1 era, but I’ve done my homework since and I’m up to speed. Over the years, I’ve been through the entire back catalogue, and I’ve gotten in on all kinds of spin-offs along the way.

With mixed results, as far as the spin-offs go. The two Dissidia titles for PSP were well-received, for the most part. Some would even claim that they’re among the best games the PSP ever spawned, and would fight you on the street if you tried to dispute it. I didn’t get quite as into them as I was expecting to, but perhaps the spangly new big screen PS4 release will be more my taste. With its refined battle system and flashier-than-ever combat, this is one to watch come January 30.

15 If It’s Good Enough For Mario Kart (Super Smash Bros. Nintendo Switch Edition)

16- Super Smash Bros. Nintendo Switch
Via: brutalgamer.com

Well, friends, here we go. We’re through the looking glass and halfway up the internet grapevine on this one, as there’s no official confirmation, but we’re going to include this one in the rundown anyway. Why? Because a man can dream, that’s why.

As it currently stands, the future of the Smash Bros. series is in doubt. Its beloved human meme of a director, Masahiro Sakurai, as worked his fingers to sad, bloody stumps, and we don’t know for sure when or if a new entry will materialize.

As the rumor mill points out, though, the time is ripe for Nintendo to pull another Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on us. With the Switch in a pretty darn good position at the moment, this would be a darn good way to keep that momentum rolling. Let’s hope that they make it happen this year.

14 Hitting 2018 With All Shoe-Guns Blazing (Bayonetta 1 And 2)

via comicbook.com

When Nintendo Switch was first announced, there was scepticism-amundo. After the Wii U was finally put out of its misery, taken around the back of the barn, given some hay and shot in the head like a sick old racehorse, some gamers were just done with Nintendo’s shenanigans. Innovation is one thing, these people thought, but let’s not just totally distance ourselves from other console makers for the sake of it.

Tech specs notwithstanding, what really doomed the Wii U was its lack of killer games. The Switch’s launch was super barren, but it’s really managed to gain some momentum now. At last month’s game awards, Nintendo announced that Bayonetta 3 was in development, a Switch exclusive, but it didn’t end there. The first two titles are also on their way to the system at some point this year (TBA again).

13 This One’s Going To Be Freaking Colossal (Shadow Of The Colossus)

2- Shadow Of The Colossus
Via: gaming-age.com

I have a confession to make, friends. I’ve never told anyone this before, but here goes. It’s not like this is going public on the internet or anything, so… I never owned a PS2. I’m not sure quite what I was doing back in the year 2000, when the system launched, but there it is.

Now that I’ve outed myself, this brings up an interesting question about the value of remakes. Again, I’ve gotten myself a PS2 since, and I’ve been playing a few select games from the back catalogue. One that’s been highly recommended several times is Shadow of the Colossus, but I never get around to it. I’m going to jump straight on the ultra high-def remake that’s coming our way later this year (release date TBC), because it’ll be a brand-new experience. How do you previous owners of the game feel about it, though?

12 He’s Pushing Forty And Looking Great For It (Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus)

4- Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus
Via: destructoid.com

Pac-Man, of course, needs no introduction. This little yellow dude has been doing the rounds since the original release of the game, way back in 1980. He’s one of those select characters who has managed to transcend gaming, becoming a pop culture force of nature in his own right.

Needless to say, in a career than spans almost four decades, Pac-Man has seen a thing or two. The rise and fall of the Walkman, Pogs, all sorts of things. Many, many different video games, too.

The Pac-Man formula has been shaken up, updated and re-packaged repeatedly, on all kinds of systems. You may not know that he’s also on his way to Nintendo Switch this year, in the shape of Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus. That’s currently scheduled to hit on February 22.

11 Dante’s Cooking Up Yet Another Inferno This Year (Devil May Cry HD Collection)

5- Devil May Cry HD Collection
Via: nag.co.za

As with all gamers, I have a great many titles on my to-play list. We’re used to having backlogs the size of the Chrysler Building, that’s just how we all roll. Among them all, there’ll inevitably be so titles that you just never got around to. You’ll look back, maybe a few years down the line, and you’ll think, how in the name of Hades have I never played that?

For me, one of these titles is Devil May Cry. All of them, actually. The whole concept of stylish, flashy combat as a snarky demon-slaying hero has always been right up my alley, but I’ve never gotten around to playing through. It’s criminal, really, especially considering that there’s already been a PS3/Xbox 360 remastered collection. But did you know that a fresh new package is being released for PS4 and Xbox One on March 13?

10 It’s 2018, And They’re Still Not Spilling Their Secrets (Secret Of Mana)

6- Secret Of Mana
Via: vg247.com

Ah, Secret of Mana. You’ve always been an enigmatic title, haven’t you?

Depending on your region, you might not know this one by that name at all. In North America, the game was released as Final Fantasy Adventure, and in Europe, it’s known as Mystic Quest. Identity crises aside, the important thing to remember is that this is a critically-acclaimed and significant RPG. After all, where would Final Fantasy be without the Mana series? Nowhere, that’s where.

As you can imagine, then, Secret of Mana has been re-released and ported every which way from Sunday, since it was first released back in 1993. You’ve probably played in on some console or other. Whether you have or not, you’ll get yet another chance when the full 3D remake hits PC, PS4 and Vita in February.

9 We’ve Been At It For Darn Ages, And We Still Will Be In 2018 (Age Of Empires: Definitive Edition)

7- Age of Empires
Via: 3.bp.blogspot.com

As a general rule, I’m much more of a console gamer than a PC player. It’s not the way I intend it, things just seem to pan out that way. Nevertheless, there’s one genre that is strictly PC-only for me, and that’s the RTS.

Mostly, this is because consoles have never quite managed to pull of these sorts of titles with the precision that a mouse and keyboard can offer. It’s also because I’m a huge nostalgia fiend, and any RTS gives me warm, happy tingles in my retro-parts. Thoughts of Dungeon Keeper, Command And Conquer and Age of Empires just have that effect on me.

As a result, you can imagine my joy on discovering that Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is on its way in ‘early 2018.’ Gameplay tweaks, overhauled visuals and sound, 4k support… come to daddy.

8 Because Silver And Gold Just Won’t Cut It (Pokémon Crystal

10- Pokémon Crystal
Via: r.mprd.se

Since Nintendo first created the Virtual Console service, way back in the Wii days, fans have been clamouring for certain games to be added. Earthbound/Mother, for instance, saw all manner of petitions/whining on internet forums/pacts with Beelzebub, and it took years before the game was finally made available for purchase.

More recently, Pokémon Red and Blue made similarly-anticipated appearances on the 3DS Virtual Console. The iconic RPGs need no introduction, and it’s great to be able to play through these classic adventures again. They were soon joined on the service by the sequels, Pokémon Gold and Silver, and again, nostalgia had many of us by the cojones.

For a lot of fans, though, there was one thing missing: Pokémon Crystal. This is the definitive way to experience the second generation of Pokémon, and it’s great to see that Crystal has been confirmed to be on its way later this month.

7 Just Capcom Doing Their Capcom Thing (Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection)

8- Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
Via: 3djuegos.com

I know what you’re thinking. Capcom, ruthlessly hawking their more popular titles and re-releasing them again and again and a-freaking-gain? Surely not. That doesn’t sound like Capcom at all.

I’m convinced that, two thousand years from now, Capcom will still be pulling these shenanigans. After the nuclear apocalypse that destroys mankind, all that will be left will be cockroaches and Capcom PR bots. They’ll still be pumping out Street Fighter II re-releases, and the roaches will be playing them with their teeny roach-fingers.

This May, we’ll have yet another opportunity to re-buy Street Fighter II. It’ll be bundled in with the huge Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, which will be comprised of the original Street Fighter, Street Fighter II, Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Super Street Fighter II, Super Street Fighter II: Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Street Fighter III, Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact and Street Fighter III: Third Strike.

6 Man, It's Going To Be Meaty (Super Meat Boy Forever)

9- Super Meat Boy Forever
Via: fangames.es

I’ve never been quite sure what to make of Super Meat Boy. On the one hand, I love a good ol’ fashioned indie challenge. It’s got that creepy-cute The Binding of Isaac aesthetic as well, and I totally dig that too.

My only real issue is that I’m beyond bad at these sorts of games. I can’t ever tell whether I’m enjoying them enough to offset how terrible they’re making me feel, about all my life choices to date, as I screw up and die again and again.

I can’t help but keep coming back, though, so that’s got to say something about the game.

Whatever the case, the spangly new Super Meat Boy Forever is on its way to Xbox One, Switch, PS4, PC and mobile this year. It’s a beefed up sequel to the original, with a new control scheme and a whole array of devious randomly-generated levels.

5 Noctis In My Pocket (Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition)

12- Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition
Via: i.blogs.es

You can’t have missed the fact that mobile gaming is becoming a bigger and bigger deal. It’s a cheaper, easier, more exploitable format, in a let’s ram these microtransactions so far down players’ throats we’ll be able to check their intestines for polyps sort of way. As such, there are adaptions and tie-ins of big console games all over the app store just now.

One the more peculiar and ambitious of these is Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition. What they’ve tried to do here is port much of the whole main game, in miniature, with a super kooky visual style. It’s a huge dose of chibi with a dash of the Elephant Man. Whether this all pays off remains to be seen, as the different episodes of the game are released.

4 Not Showing ANYTHING Is The Greatest Evil Of All (Resident Evil 2)

13- Resident Evil 2
Via: iplayoldgames.com

Like most fans of the series, I’ve been wondering just what in the name of Nemesis’s sweaty leather jacket Capcom are doing with the franchise. I won’t go into the whole survival horror doesn’t mean action guntastic-amundo thing, because we all know that. The real outrage has been the company’s neglect of the fantastic second game.

Finally, back in 2015, we were thrown a lifeline. A kooky and half-hearted trailer, in which Capcom confirmed that a remake of Resident Evil 2  was in the works.

Now, producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi revealing the WE DO IT slogan on his shirt was the most magnificent thing I’ve seen in my life, I’m not going to lie about that. But that was almost two full years ago now. We need a little more to go on than that.

2018 could be our year, friends.

3 Yep, It’s THAT Remake (Final Fantasy VII)

14- Final Fantasy VII
Via: jcphotog.com

I know, I know. I hear you. You’re probably feeling some kind of way about this entry. Let’s be frank though, how can you have a rundown of big 2018 video game remakes without going there? You can’t, that’s how.

So, yes. For some years now, Final Fantasy VII has been one of the games that we’ve wanted remade the most. It’s an epic story that has firmly lodged itself into the hearts and love handles of a generation of gamers (except the ones who hate it). Even if you’ve already played the original countless times, you’re going to jump straight on it. If you’re anything like me, you’re powerless to resist.

At least part of this episodic adventure is slated to arrive this year.

2 We’re On The Road To Adventure (Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition)

11- Kentucky Route Zero- TV Edition
Via: gamechurch.com

As I’ve already said, consoles are generally not a natural home for the RTS genre. Not in my eyes, at any rate. In the same way that some games are better played with a controller, so others are better with a mouse and keyboard. Ports, when done well, are all well and good, but it can be super tough to bridge the gap.

Point and click games, by the same token, can be a little shonky. The essence of the whole thing, after all, is in the pointing and the clicking. Still, there’s no need for anybody to miss the party. Kickstarter hit Kentucky Route Zero is one such example. This point-and-clicker has been being released in ‘Acts’ on PC since January 2013, and is now on its way to consoles in the shape of Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition.

1 Back For One More Round (Of Our Cash) (Street Fighter V Arcade Edition)

15- Street Fighter V Arcade Edition
Via: gearnuke.com

When Street Fighter V was first released last February, there was something off about it. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. It just seemed to be lacking a little… MOTHERFREAKING EVERYTHING.

Fans blasted Capcom for the rushed, barebones release, and rightly so. Gradually, over the course of almost a year, the game has started to take shape, as omissions like a proper story mode were added through updates. Cosmetic options like the super studly beardly Ryu were also thrown in along the way, as per Capcom’s way of doing things.

Is that enough for them? Of course it isn’t. As with the previous instalment, an Arcade Edition is now on the way to wrap everything up in a spangly new package. It’ll hit on January 16, and include a couple new game modes, a new V-trigger for every character and other additions.