Games that should be remastered

There are no genres that truly capture the concept of "replayability" quite like the strategy games. A blend of fast-paced action and often intricate planning makes each instance unique - if an opponent changes his / her / its tactics, you are often forced to compensate quickly, sometimes requiring a totally different method to win your match.

This genre has often been credited as not needing the fancy graphics of modern games, with some people even claiming such things detract from the needed contrast to quickly sort out troops. However, I think it's fair to say that Company of Heroes has pretty well put that to rest - let's face it, it's nice when these things look pretty. The extra graphics elevate the experience to a whole new level: before, it was just some nameless blobs you sent to slaughter, but now you can see the faces of your troops as you lead them into battle.

With that being said, there are only a handful of games that really made the genre, and most of them are sequels to an original that was almost great but lacking some amount of polish.

Masters of Orion II

MOO2 is a turn-based version of intergalactic conquest that is no doubt one of the best strategy games in existence, particularly for those who like a little time to plan out their actions. Though it doesn't unfold in minutes or even hours quite like a Blizzard RTS game, it allowed for a truly unique game each time - it is possible to create an entire race from scratch, with a bevy of options that each greatly alter your strategies. Everything from economics to warship design is under your direct control. Add that to a random universe generator, and the game has effectively infinite replay value.

Graphically, MOO2 is well behind even its 1998 release. That's not so surprising, considering developer Microprose poured much of its effort into creating such a vastly customizable playing experience. It doesn't take long before you wish it had a bit of an update, though...

Warcraft II

What on earth is there to say about this game that hasn't already been said many, many times? Warcraft II sits as probably one of the greatest games to ever grace a glowing monitor screen, and is loved by pretty much everybody and anybody that ever played it. Though its predecessor was fairly well received, it was this1995 blockbuster really put designer Blizzard on the map. It was simple to learn but was complex to master, and the single-player missions were carefully designed to lead you into understanding the dynamics of troop control and resource management.

Along with its well-designed unit system, the game included a lot of little charms absent in most of the genre. For instance, what other games give you exploding sheep? And how many of us sat there and clicked on orcs repeatedly to hear what they would say next? These little "extras" provided a real sense of entertainment and thoughtfulness that has not really been captured since.

Civilization II

Released in 1996, Civ II is probably one of the most well-known PC games of all time. In fact, the game was ranked as the #4 greatest game ever on IGN's top 100 list, which also included console games. Though some of us might think that was a little bit of a stretch, there is no doubt that this turn-based strategy is one of the most popular games ever created. Civ II is, of course, the sequel to Sid Meier's original Civilization, but oddly enough neither Sid nor his partner were involved in its making.

Atari re-released this great game in 2002 to run on newer operating systems like XP, so we can now easily enjoy the masterpiece even ten years after its initial release. However, it would be great to see it get a graphical overhaul - building a civilization could look so much more impressive now!

Starcraft

Another great Blizzard game, Starcraft evolved the concept of the RTS to a new height, with three unique races to fit totally different playing styles. Previous games in the genre had revolved around two races, usually with arguably comparable unit structures and strengths. Though this aided in the learning curve, it made differentiation hard - but Starcraft brought a new concept altogether to the table. Rather than one "right" way to play, it made a race that catered to each of three major styles - the speed builder (Zerg), the sneaky scout (Terran), and the giant army commander (Protoss).

The game was released in 1998, but hasn't seen much updating since. In many ways, it's still serviceable and a lot of fun to play. Wouldn't it be nice to see it rendered a bit more like Company of Heroes?