The Case for LEGO Games to Hop On the Remaster Train

The LEGO brand is constantly finding new ways to delight audiences of all ages, both in its toys and its video games. Whether it be through the massive lineup of TT Games-developed licensed titles or exciting original games, the LEGO brand is always finding ways to surprise gamers with its new releases. The brand looks to continue to move in unexpected directions in the future, as LEGO has recently established a brand-new primary developer to work on new games.

Recently, LEGO has also taken a major step into the world of remasters with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S re-release of the LEGO Harry Potter Collection. Combining the stories of all seven Harry Potter films into one game with numerous enhancements, this new release builds on the previously released version of the game to create a further-enhanced iteration on current-generation consoles. Its release also establishes that the LEGO brand should continue to search through its back catalog for classic titles to remaster for modern platforms.

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By Matt Anderson

LEGO's Harry Potter Remaster Should Just Be the First Domino to Fall

Modern LEGO Remasters Could Bank On Nostalgia

The LEGO franchise could benefit from remasters because they would play off of one of the greatest appeals of LEGO games: nostalgia. One of the most fun elements of LEGO games is getting to re-experience moments from beloved films and franchises in a funny and simplified way. This makes them joyful and fun for young audiences, but also helps put a smile on the face of older fans who remember the moments in these games in the films they came from.

To that end, the LEGO franchise has existed in the video game world long enough that gamers who grew up playing the earliest LEGO games are adults now. Bringing back many of the classic LEGO games from the late 1990s and the early 2000s would evoke great memories for fans who played the games previously, while also introducing these titles to a new audience of players. It would be a great way for the brand to bank on nostalgia while also making some of its earliest classic games more readily accessible for gamers to purchase today.

LEGO Remasters Should Target The Non-Licensed Titles

If the LEGO brand were to remaster some of its games, it should focus on bringing back some of the non-licensed games of its early era. While the brand has plenty of TT Games-developed entries to pull from to remaster, much like it did with the recent LEGO Harry Potter remaster, many of these games are readily accessible and therefore do not necessarily need to be brought back out on modern platforms. Luckily, there are plenty of original LEGO games worthy of being brought back, specifically from the brand’s earliest days in the video game world.

Cult-classic titles such as LEGO Island and LEGO Racers seem like great options to remaster today. Both titles, while not masterpieces, are enjoyable games in their own right that served as blueprints of sorts to future LEGO games; LEGO Island was an early open-world LEGO game before the current wave of open-world entries, while LEGO Racers was a cart-racing LEGO game before the recently released LEGO 2K Drive. Even as new releases have come along that have built on these games’ systems and concepts, the old-school charm of these games would make them well worth bringing back on modern platforms.

If the LEGO brand were to remaster some of its games, it should focus on bringing back some of the non-licensed games of its early era.

Lego Pirates of the Caribbean Would Be A Worthy Licensed Remaster

If LEGO were to remaster any licensed titles, one of the best options would be LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean. Currently, this game is one of the few licensed LEGO titles that's not available on modern platforms, and unlike LEGO’s Star Wars and DC entries, there is no comparable release on modern systems either. Thus, LEGO could benefit from bringing this game back in a remaster for current-generation systems, especially if Disney is truly serious about reviving the Pirates of the Caribbean series with a brand-new film.

The LEGO brand has a rich history of games that would greatly benefit from receiving remasters. While much of the emphasis of LEGO gaming today has been in the form of licensed titles, the brand has numerous original, cult-classic games that would be great nostalgic throwbacks and excellent ways to preserve games that are much harder to access today. Here's hoping LEGO doesn't forget its history and brings back some of these classic games for nostalgic old-school gamers and newcomers alike.

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