Remakes of abandoned games

Games developed for DOS or for early microcomputers (Spectrum, Commodore 64, BBC Micro etc.) date back to the 80s of the 20th century and, well, there’s no other way you can define them: they’re just old. Graphics, sound, user experience and the interface were something really different if you compare them to recent games. Game development made huge leaps forward over the years and today’s games belong to an entirely different class. Some of these really archaic games are fondly remembered by someone crazy enough to invest a lot of effort in remaking them.

Some of these old games have been recreated from scratch to varying degrees of faithfulness, whether by the hands of big gaming companies, indie developers or simply by individual fans during their spare time. Some of these remakes are available to download as free games or even open source software on various sharing sites, while others can only be played online, and some of them are even available for purchase.

What's the difference between a remake and a port? A remake is a faithful recreation of an old game, remade from scratch. A port is a conversion of sorts for a different system; it's not a game remade from scratch and it usually requires the original to run properly. A remaster is a new version of an old game that gets the remaster treatment; better graphics, better sound, better everyting.

This is a list of remakes, ports and remastered versions that I know of. I'm probably missing more than a few, but it's a good place to start if you look forward to play some good quality remake.

Original title	Genre	Original release	Remakes, ports, remasters
Alley Cat	action	1984	Alley Cat Remeow edition
Arcade Volleyball	action	1987	GPL: Arcade Volleyball Zorlim's Arcade Volleyball
Commander Keen 1: Marooned on Mars	action	1990	Commander Genius
Commander Keen 2: The Earth Explodes	action	1990	Commander Genius
Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die!	action	1990	Commander Genius
Digger	action	1983	Digger Remastered Digger for Wii
Donkey Kong	action	1983	Champ Kong, remake Aldo Again
Flashback: The Quest for Identity	action	1993	REminiscence - a rewrite of the Flashback engine
Gods	action	1991	Gods remake
Jumpman	action	1984	Classic Jumpman
Jumpman Lives!	action	1991	Classic Jumpman
Nebulus	action	1988	Towel toppler remake
One Must Fall 2097	action	1994	OpenOMF: a remake project
Prince of Persia	action	1990	Princess of Persia
Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame	action	1993	Princess of Persia
Rick Dangerous	action	1989	Rick Dangerous in flash xrick linux remake
Super ZZT	action	1992	DreamZZT
ZZT	action	1991	DreamZZT
Cadaver	action-adventure	1990	Cadaver remake
Castle Adventure	action-adventure	1984	Castle: a rewrite of Castle Adventure
La Abadia del Crimen	action-adventure	1987	Abadia del Crimen remake
System Shock	action-adventure	1994	System Shock reboot
Day of the Tentacle	adventure	1993	Day of the Tentacle Remastered
Full Throttle	adventure	1995	Full Throttle Remastered
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers	adventure	1993	Gabriel Knight 1 remake: 20th anniversary edition
Gold Rush!	adventure	1988	Gold Rush! remake by Sunlight Games
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis	adventure	1992	The Keys to Atlantis
King's Quest 1: Quest for the Crown	adventure	1984	Remake by AGD Interactive
King's Quest 2: Romancing the Throne	adventure	1985	Remake by AGD Interactive
King's Quest 3: To Heir is Human	adventure	1986	Infamous adventures remake Remake by AGD Interactive
Maniac Mansion	adventure	1987	Maniac Mansion Deluxe
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge	adventure	1991	Monkey Island 2 special edition
Quest for Glory 2: Trial by Fire	adventure	1990	Remake by AGD Interactive
Space Quest 2: Vohaul's Revenge	adventure	1987	Infamous adventures remake
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy	adventure	1984	Hitchhiker's java remake
The Secret of Monkey Island	adventure	1990	Secret of Monkey Island special edition
Zork I: The Great Underground Empire	adventure	1982	Zork I online
Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz	adventure	1983	Zork II online
Zork III: The Dungeon Master	adventure	1984	Zork III online
Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz	adventure	1989	Zork Zero online
Atomix	puzzle	1990	WAtomic, a remake for Windows
Blockout	puzzle	1989	Play Blockout in your browser
Bombuzal	puzzle	1989	Bombzuka
Lemmings	puzzle	1991	Lemmigs remake
Puzznic	puzzle	1990	Puzztrix remake
Rockford: The Arcade Game	puzzle	1987	Hunters
Sherlock: The Game of Logic	puzzle	1991	Sherlock Free for Android
Death Rally	racing	1996	Death Rally Remedy remake
Street Rod	racing	1989	Street Rod online
Street Rod 2: The Next Generation	racing	1991	Street Rod online
Stunts	racing	1990	Ultimate Stunts, a remake
Adventure Construction Set	rpg	1987	Adventure Creation Kit, a remake
Amberstar	rpg	1992	Amberworld interpreter
Betrayal at Krondor	rpg	1993	xBaK
Diablo	rpg	1996	Diablo Web: Diablo 1 for web browsers
Dungeon Crawl	rpg	1997	The RLTiles Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup
Dungeon Master	rpg	1989	Return to chaos
Forgotten Realms: Unlimited Adventures	rpg	1993	Dungeon Craft
Larn	rpg	1986	NLard remake
Moria	rpg	1992	Steve Kertes' C port of IMoria
Sorcerian	rpg	1990	Sorcerian Original
Telengard	rpg	1985	Telengard remake
The Bard's Tale	rpg	1987	The Bard's Tale Trilogy
The Bard's Tale 2: The Destiny Knight	rpg	1988	The Bard's Tale Trilogy
The Bard's Tale 3: Thief of Fate	rpg	1990	The Bard's Tale Trilogy
Times of Lore	rpg	1989	Times of lore on the Oric
Ultima 1: The First Age of Darkness	rpg	1987	Ultima Restoration Ultima Java
Ultima 2: Revenge of the Enchantress	rpg	1983	Windows Native Ultima II
Ultima 3: Exodus	rpg	1985	LairWare Ultima III for Mac
Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar	rpg	1985	XU4 - Ultima IV recreated
Ultima 5: Warriors of Destiny	rpg	1988	Ultima V Lazarus Neat Ultima V
Ultima 6: The False Prophet	rpg	1990	Nuvie The Ultima 6 project
Ultima 7 Part 1: The Black Gate	rpg	1992	Exult
Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle	rpg	1993	Exult
Ultima Underworld 2: Labyrinth of Worlds	rpg	1993	Labyrinth of worlds
Armor Alley	shooter	1991	Armor Alley web remake
Defender	shooter	1983	Defendguin
Descent	shooter	1995	DXX - Rebirth Into Cerberon for Doom3
Duke Nukem 3D	shooter	1996	JonoF's Duke 3D Duke Nukem 3D High resolution pack
Magic Carpet	shooter	1994	Ogrian carpet
R-Type	shooter	1989	R-Type Dimensions EX
Radix: Beyond the Void	shooter	1995	RAD
Rise of the Triad: Dark War	shooter	1994	Birgers WinROTT page
Tyrian 2000	shooter	1999	OpenTyrian port
Virus	shooter	1988	Ajax port of Virus
Wizball	shooter	1987	Wizball remake
Xenon	shooter	1988	Xenon 1 - a remake
A-Train	simulation	1992	Free Train
Alter Ego: Female Version	simulation	1986	Alter Ego Female version online
Alter Ego: Male Version	simulation	1986	Alter Ego male version online
Dope Wars	simulation	1998	DopeWars 1.5 DopeWars classic for Andoid
Jones in the Fast Lane	simulation	1991	Tycoon Jones: a remake
Mad TV	simulation	1991	Tvgigant RottzTV
Santa Paravia en Fiumaccio	simulation	1988	SP2003
SimTower	simulation	1994	OpenSkyscraper remake
The Clue!	simulation	1994	Clou! Open Source Project
Theme Hospital	simulation	1997	CorsixTH
Transport Tycoon	simulation	1994	OpenTTD Simutrans
Transport Tycoon Deluxe	simulation	1995	OpenTTD Simutrans
Sensible Soccer	sports	1992	Sociable Soccer
Speedball 2	sports	1992	Speedball 2 Evolution Speedball 2 HD
Age of Empires	strategy	1997	Age of Empires Definitive Edition
Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings	strategy	1999	Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition
Anacreon: Reconstruction 4021	strategy	1987	ArdReil: Anacreon Reconstruction Project
Colonization	strategy	1994	FreeCol Free Conquest & Colonization of America
Command & Conquer: Red Alert	strategy	1996	Open RA game engine Free RA game engine for Linux OpenRedAlert game engine
Dune 2000	strategy	1998	Dune 2000 GruntMods Edition
Gary Grigsby's War in Russia	strategy	1993	War in Russia: Matrix Edition
Heroes of Might and Magic	strategy	1995	Free heroes engine
Jagged Alliance 2	strategy	1999	Jagged Alliance 2 Stracciatella
Master of Magic	strategy	1994	Empires of Sorcery Master of Magic remake
Mega lo Mania	strategy	1992	Gigalomania, multi platform remake
QBasic Gorillas	strategy	1991	Gorillas remake in Python Mascot Mashup: Gorillas
Star Control 2	strategy	1992	Star control Timewarp The Ur-Quan masters
Steel Panthers	strategy	1995	winSPWW2 winSPMBT Steel panthers at Matrix games
Syndicate	strategy	1993	FreeSynd project
Syndicate Wars	strategy	1996	Syndicate wars port
The Settlers	strategy	1993	Freeserf Widelands Serflings
Warlords	strategy	1990	Warbarons FreeLords
Warlords 2	strategy	1993	FreeLords Warbarons
X-COM: Terror from the Deep	strategy	1995	OpenXcom
X-COM: Ufo Defense	strategy	1994	OpenXcom
Z	strategy	1996	The Zod Engine open source remake
Star Wars: TIE Fighter	vehicle simulation	1994	Star Wars TIE Fighter Special Edition
Star Wars: X-Wing	vehicle simulation	1993	Star Wars X-Wing Special Edition
Wing Commander	vehicle simulation	1990	Wing Commander 1 Remake
Wing Commander: Armada	vehicle simulation	1994	PiArmada: a clone
Wing Commander: Privateer	vehicle simulation	1993	Gemini Gold
Adventure	action-adventure		Indenture
African Adventure: In Search of Dr. Livingston	adventure		African Adventure
Arkanoid	action		Aquanoid Bananoid
Asteroids	shooter		Astro Fire CHAMP Asteroids EGA-Roids XQuest
Attack of the Mutant Camels	shooter		Attack of the Mutant Camels
Auf Wiedersehen Monty	action		Auf Wiedersehen Monty
Bagman	action		Bagman
Ballblazer	sports		3D Cyber Blaster Masterblazer
BurgerTime	action		Hamburger Hell
Centipede	shooter		CHAMP Centipede
Civilization II	strategy		Civilization II: Test of Time
Columns	puzzle		Beyond Columns
Damocles	vehicle simulation		MDDClone