Some examples of enhanced remakes include Super Mario All-Stars (from NES to Super NES) and Final Fantasy Origins (from NES to Wonderswan Color to Sony PlayStation). The enhanced remakes of Dragon Warrior I-IV were Japan-only, but later unofficially translated into English. The earliest enhanced remakes are 16-bit remakes of 8-bit games.
Enhanced remakes are sometimes called "updated classics." Many gamers find that enhanced remakes achieve the same level of quality that the original versions did, but some others (mostly Final Fantasy fans) oppose the idea on grounds that they claim that games lose something vital (nostalgia) in the transformation to newer technology, specifically for the Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Final Fantasy series and for Arcade games, or have the opposite opinion on the idea. However, some gamers who have opposed the remake idea will, later in life, change their opinion and begin to appreciate the idea. That has happened with some gamers, especially in the case with Super Mario All-Stars. Also some gamers believe that the enhanced remake idea gives the games something vital, such as enjoyment and interest, and those gamers giving the companies a high rating depending how large the enhancement is. Some gamers prefer the original version, usually because they was raised on that game in its original release, but believe that enhanced version lives up to the quality of the original version. Others prefer the enhanced version. Most gamers are neutral in these cases. Proponents of the enhanced remake idea may have a problem with those who oppose the idea. Those who oppose the enhanced remake may hurt the other gamers', especially new gamers, opinions on old video games. There are gamers who wished that the games were look and sound as in the original form, but later changed their opinions and began to appreciate the graphics and audio enhancement. The truth about enhanced remakes is that it is better to update a classic game than to develop a new game that would create controversy among long time gamers. Therefore, transformation to newer technology does not actually spoil a game. Enhanced remakes also generate revenue for computer and video game companies. Enhanced remakes with resolution upgrades are called high-resolution remakes, featuring anti-compression. Enhanced remakes that receive transformation from 2D (old school) to 3D (new school) are called 3D remakes. Final Fantasy VI has been considered to be likely to get a 3D remake. The methods of graphics enhancements are re-touching, anti-compression, polygon upgrade, texturization, and new school transformation.
Reissues (or direct ports) of ancient video games on modern video game consoles are not geared toward new gamers. They are geared only toward nostalgic gamers. Many gamers who played the ported game in its original platform do not bother to play it on its new platform if it is a reissue of an original game. Some gamers count exact reissues of original games as original games.
The original versions of the remade games are usually not included with the enhanced remakes on the same disc. Makaitoushi SaGa, the first game of the SaGa series and the game that was known in the U.S. as Final Fantasy Legend, was enhanced-remade for Wonderswan Color, and the original version is included in the same Wonderswan cartridge.
Sometimes, a publisher makes an unauthorized enhanced remake of another publisher's game. This remake is called a "clone." Making and publishing a clone is lawful in cases where no copyright or patent covers any essential aspect of the game, such as Tetris, as long as the clone is published under a name that is not confusingly similar. An authorized enhanced remake is called an "updated classic", that is, when the enhanced remake is from the same publisher as the original version.
List of enhanced remakes
This list does not include reissues (or direct ports) of original games, nor does it include clones.
| Game Title | Original Platform | Remake Platforms and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Castlevania | NES | Sharp X68000 (Japan-only), Sony PlayStation, Super NES |
| Crystalis | NES | Game Boy Color |
| Dr. Mario | NES, Game Boy (Monochrome) | Super NES, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube |
| Dragon Warrior I | MSX, NES (MSX version Japan-only) | Super NES (translated into English through emulation), Game Boy Color (adapted from Super NES version), cellular phone (MSX and cellular phone versions Japan-only) |
| Dragon Warrior II | MSX, NES (MSX version Japan-only) | Super NES (translated into English through emulation), Game Boy Color (adapted from Super NES version). Bundled with the precedent entry when remade. |
| Dragon Warrior III | NES | Super NES (translated into English through emulation), Game Boy Color (adapted from Super NES version) |
| Dragon Warrior IV | NES | Sony PlayStation (Japan only) |
| Dragon Warrior V | Super NES (original version Japan-only) | Sony PlayStation 2 |
| Final Fantasy I | NES | MSX, Wonderswan Color, Sony PlayStation (enhanced from Wonderswan Color version), cellular phone |
| Final Fantasy II | NES (original version Japan-only) | Wonderswan Color, Sony PlayStation (Playstation version enhanced from Wonderswan Color version and released in the United States as a component of Final Fantasy Origins) |
| Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | Game Boy (Monochrome) | Game Boy Color (as Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX |
| Makaitoushi SaGa | Game Boy (Monochrome) | Wonderswan Color |
| Mythri | Game Boy Color | Game Boy Advance |
| Ninja Gaiden | NES | Super NES |
| Ninja Gaiden 2 | NES | Super NES |
| Ninja Gaiden 3 | NES | Super NES |
| Panel de Pon (Tetris Attack) | Super NES | Nintendo GameCube (as a component of Nintendo Puzzle Collection) |
| Phantasy Star | Sega Master System | Sony PlayStation 2 (as Phantasy Star Generation 1) |
| Pokémon Red | Gameboy | Game Boy Advance (as Pokémon Fire Red) |
| River City Ransom | NES | Game Boy Advance (as River City Ransom Advance) |
| Seiken Densetsu | Game Boy | Game Boy Advance (as Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu in Japan and as Sword of Mana in the United States) |
| Super Mario Bros. | NES | Super NES |
| Super Mario Bros. 2 | NES | Super NES, Game Boy Advance |
| Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels | NES (original version Japan-only) | Super NES |
| Super Mario Bros. 3 | NES | Super NES, Game Boy Advance |
| Tales of Phantasia | Super NES (All versions Japan-only) | Sony Playstation, Gameboy Advance (All versions Japan-only) |
| Tengai Makyou II | NEC TurboGrafix PC-Engine | Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube |
| Ys | NEC PC-88 | Windows, Sony Playstation 2 (as Ys Eternal) |
| Ys II | NEC PC-88 | Windows, Sony Playstation 2 (as Ys II Eternal) |