3. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (remake)

2D sprites are beautiful and timeless, but if you absolutely have to remake them, then the Switch 2019 remake of Link’s Awakening is the way to do it. Developers of the remake described its art as “retro-modern.” They aimed to make a diorama-like world with toy-like characters. The character models look like they’re made out of plasticine and dropped into a stop-motion film. Vibrant pops of color make the island setting feel humid and tropical. The game’s camera is at a tilt shift, altering a typical top-down perspective to show more depth. Deft use of depth-of-field pulls every element of this new art style together, making an incredible-looking adventure.

This remake feels respectful of its roots, aiming to elevate the Game Boy classic’s art style, not replace it. The remake’s remarkable aesthetic has huge potential to revitalize other classic games, and I would love to see this approach be tried in remakes of various other 2D Zelda favorites.