After the recent Tecmo Bowl:Kickoff (DS) announcement I started thinking about other sports games that deserve remakes on the modern consoles.

Here are some I would love to see:

MVP Baseball

Just thinking about playing this game again makes me salivate. Obviously this cannot be a reality yet, but if there is any positive to a possible Take-Two buyout, it's the return of the MVP series. If EA made MVP again everyone could enjoy Major League Baseball on his or her videogame consoles, not just PS3 and Wii players with The Show and Power Pros respectively.

I can just imagine where the game would be today had it had the chance to flourish. The last version of the game engine, MVP '07 NCAA Baseball, introduced a pitching mechanic utilizing the right thumb stick that was met with some praise. If it was introduced into an MLB licensed game it probably would have been given many more accolades (hi MLB 2K8).

The gameplay reached near perfection with MVP 2005, but what it lacked was presentation and graphics. With the power of the current consoles, the game could add many small touches to let the user feel immersed in the atmosphere like MLB '08 has done. People want to see the players on the field look and act like they do in real life; spitting chew, tarring bats, adjusting shin guards, and so on.


Wave Race 64

There was a remake of this game for the GameCube, but it utilized the Mario Kart philosophy, keeping to the tried and true system while implementing minor additions. Now it’s time for a completely new makeover: updated graphics, new racing mechanics (including motion controls of course), and online races with leaderboards.

It is tough to see where Nintendo can improve upon Wave Race 64’s water physics considering recent games still have trouble duplicating them, but the Wii should be able to raise the bar originally set by a 12-year-old system, right? The original levels had something new around every corner because the wave mechanics were so random, and the use of tides in the game was always fun. The character and models and surrounding environments are what really need improvement. It is clear that water was the number one priority in the previous versions -- as it should have been.

Burnout Paradise (and Test Drive Unlimited to a lesser degree) had a great dynamic with the open world idea, so I think Wave Race could have something similar just with smaller zones. Nintendo can create unique areas where the user can practice alongside AI characters, allowing for the option to challenge random opponents to races. Seamless online multiplayer like Burnout would also be welcome, but that’s wishful thinking on a Nintendo console.


Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

What better guy to market a video game with (at least EA thinks so). Mike Tyson can sure use some money, which Nintendo certainly has a lot of these days, and he breathes controversy. That in return provides tons of press, which results in $$$. Ask the makers of Grand Theft Auto about that strategy. Now Nintendo usually tries to steer away from the negative press so this seems like an unlikely fit, but one can dream.

The original game was fun and addicting due to its simplistic gameplay and funny characters. The new one could maintain the same single-player 2D style while adding better graphics, added voice over work, and giving the AI random movements to prevent patterns. My must have addition would be cinematic cut-scenes during the training sequences providing more flavor to the game and the backstory.

This could be the kind of game to produce for the new WiiWare initiative that would instantly catapult WiiWare right into the conversation with the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Arcade.


Mutant League Hockey

Considering the average sports fan (that means people not reading this most likely) probably can’t name more than three NHL players, I think it's fair to say people would not be turned off by a hockey game lacking in official teams and players.

I still remember the smack talk that commenced between my buddies and myself when someone in MLH lost a fight or had their player die on the ice. I loved bribing the refs or using the demon goals, both features that would need to be retained, as well as the ability to kill the referee. Who doesn’t want to kill the ref when they watch a sporting event anyway? The crowd interacting with insults and throwing goodies onto the ice has to be there as well.

The addition of the Euphoria engine could create endless possibilities for the gameplay and provide potential for a great fighting mechanic. Think Grand Theft Auto meets Ice Hockey with weapons and hazards galore. I would love to see an ax impale a character, then watch as he continues to skate like nothing happened; or watch a character cleanly slice off another's arm and have blood splatter everywhere. Embrace the violence and ridiculousness with this game!


Those are a couple of my favorite games I would love to see remade, so let us know if you have any others to add to the list.