When Square Enix first revealed Octopath Traveler in 2017, they also introduced a new aesthetic known as HD-2D that blends gorgeous 3D environments with 2D character models. Since then, the developer has launched a handful of games with HD-2D graphics and has even remade older titles like Live A Live using this style.
HD-2D is incredibly versatile and can effectively create new worlds to explore or recreate the ones you remember from the past. Many titles would benefit from a modern makeover, but these classic games would be the best candidates for the next time Square Enix decides to use HD-2D to remake another timeless adventure.
10 Super Mario Kart
The HD-2D style has typically been used for turn-based and tactical RPGs, but other genres could use the aesthetic to their advantage. It's hard to hop back into older racing games after playing games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but an HD-2D remake of the original Super Mario Kart could be an excellent alternative for anyone looking for a different experience.
It might not feature as many items or playable characters, but Super Mario Kart still contains all the fundamental elements that made the series successful, including well-designed tracks and stellar gameplay. An HD-2D version of the game could feature re-designed maps, a remastered soundtrack, and online multiplayer.
9 Fire Emblem
While the first Fire Emblem launched on the Famicom in 1990, the series wouldn't be available to international audiences until 2003's Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. It introduced the series' iconic weapon triangle system, a great cast of memorable characters, and an immersive narrative unlike anything else on the Game Boy Advance.
If Square Enix and Intelligent Systems - the developer behind the Fire Emblem series - partnered together for an HD-2D remake of The Blazing Blade, they could bring this classic back to life with new accessibility options, voice acting, and more. The remake could even include Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, a game set after Blazing Blade that has never been released outside Japan.
8 Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars
Before Mario turned into paper or went on adventures with his brother Luigi, he starred in an RPG for the SNES that captured the magic of the Super Mario Bros. series and introduced a new way to explore the Mushroom Kingdom. Developed by Square, Super Mario RPG subverts most expectations of what a Mario game should be in the best ways possible.
The original Super Mario RPG still holds up pretty well, but an HD-2D remake could provide quality-of-life updates that expand the narrative and provide a more balanced experience. It might be hard to convince Nintendo to include voice acting for characters like Bowser and Princess Peach, but visual upgrades and other minor changes could help bring this classic back into the spotlight.
7 Xenogears
Before Tetsuya Takahashi created Monolith Soft and began production on games like Xenoblade Chronicles and the Xenosaga trilogy, he was mostly known for his work on Xenogears for the PlayStation. Originally pitched as an idea for a new Final Fantasy, Takahashi crafted a philosophical adventure with a rich cast of characters and mechs.
Making an HD-2D remake of a PlayStation game could be challenging, especially adapting 3D character models into pixilated sprites. While Xenogears certainly has a cult following, a new version of the game could bring this long-forgotten RPG back into the zeitgeist to appease fans of the original while introducing new gameplay elements to create a more cohesive experience.
6 Final Fantasy Tactics
Between Theatrhythm and Chocobo Racing, there are so many Final Fantasy spin-offs that it's hard to keep count of. Final Fantasy Tactics launched on the PlayStation in 1998, and despite being heralded as one of the best games in the series, it hasn't received any new sequels or remakes since 2007.
The original Final Fantasy Tactics was praised for its combat system and visuals, but it was held back by the technology at the time and never quite met its full potential. An HD-2D version could bring the world and characters of Ivalice to life with a new visual style, larger battles, and accessibility options like the ability to rewind a turn.
5 Golden Sun
While you might recognize Camelot Software Planning as the developers of sports games like Mario Tennis and Mario Golf, they also created and developed a popular RPG series known as Golden Sun. The original is one of the best games on the Game Boy Advance, but the series seems to have disappeared, as there hasn't been a new entry since Golden Sun: Dark Dawn in 2010.
If Golden Sun was remade using HD-2D graphics, it could breathe life back into one of Nintendo's most cherished IPs and allow it to have another chance at becoming a major hit. It would probably be best to include the story from Golden Sun and its sequel - The Lost Age - into one package to provide a better experience for returning and new players.
4 Earthbound
There were a ton of strange and experimental RPGs on the SNES, including Earthbound. Featuring an eccentric roster of memorable characters, bizarre scenarios, and an excellent battle system, it stood out from other games in the genre by taking place in 1990s America instead of a fictional world beyond Earth.
Like Live A Live, Earthbound subverts most expectations of what a classic RPG adventure should be and successfully creates an unforgettable journey that's just as unique today as when it launched in 1995. A successful HD-2D remake could open the doors for the Mother 3 localization fans have been waiting on for years.
3 Final Fantasy 6
Square Enix has a massive library of RPGs they could remake in HD-2D, but it would be amazing to see them give one of the mainline Final Fantasy games a makeover. While some titles like Final Fantasy 7 have been remade from the ground up, Final Fantasy 6 seems like the perfect game to receive the HD-2D treatment.
Though the game was recently remastered through the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection, there is still so much that could be done to the visuals and sound of the base game to help modernize it for a wider audience. Final Fantasy 6 is one of the best RPGs ever made, but it could be even better with a new aesthetic and some minor tweaks to the gameplay and story.
2 Pokemon Red and Blue
The world of Pokemon Red and Blue has already been reimagined a few times through remakes on the Game Boy Advance and the Let's Go titles on Nintendo Switch, but an HD-2D version of the original games could blend the nostalgia of exploring Kanto with modern gameplay mechanics from recent entries. It could include more Pokemon or keep the original 150 with new HD-2D sprites.
One of the most compelling aspects of an HD-2D remake of Pokemon Red and Blue is how it would incorporate online activities like battling and trading. After completing the game, you could easily spend hours facing off against other trainers online or trade Pokemon to complete the Pokedex. Kanto is overflowing with fascinating characters and gorgeous locations that could feel brand new to veteran trainers with the HD-2D art style.
1 Chrono Trigger
Few games deserve an HD-2D remake as much as Chrono Trigger. Though it's currently available on mobile devices and PC, the last time it was ported to a console was for the DS in 2008. Square's influential RPG is still a thrill to play today, but a newer version with HD-2D graphics, a remastered soundtrack and more could create the definitive version of one of gaming's most spectacular adventures.
Created by industry legends Hironobu Sakaguchi, Yuji Horii, and Akira Toriyama, Chrono Trigger follows a group of heroes as they travel across time to save their world from impending doom. It's a timeless story full of enchanting characters, shocking twists, and stunning locations that would all benefit from an HD-2D remake.