Feeling all nostalgic? Well, if you want to dabble in a bit of old-school gaming then there's no need to go digging the PS1 or Dreamcast out of the attic - so many of those machines' older games have been lovingly picked up and remastered by developers. No scratched CD nightmares or cartridge-blowing attempts required.

Here, we round up 10 stone-cold classics that have been given a proper update, bringing those early PlayStation, Xbox, SNES, Dreamcast and Saturn crackers into the modern era. If you're looking for some throwback fun, why not head straight into the past through modern technology, eh?

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Demon's Souls

An unbelievably good remaster of a stunning classic. 

Pros
  • Incredible visuals
  • Stunning audio
  • A mesmerising adventure
Cons
  • Tough as nails

Demon's Souls was probably the best-looking launch game for next-gen, making the most of the PS5 with amazing environments and graphics.

It's also a perfect remake of a classic game, which launched the Souls-like genre and introduced the world to its challenging combat and unforgiving mechanics. If you have a PS5, you owe it to yourself to try this one out.

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Dead Space

A terrifying update to a horror classic, with stunning visual quality.

Pros
  • Sounds unreal
  • Amazing graphics
  • Classic gory horror
Cons
  • Pretty familiar

Dead Space returns in the form of a completely revamped title that has sound and visual quality we could only dream about a few years ago. The clanking fear factor of its drifting space station is just terrifying stuff.

You'll explore a zombie-infested ship trying to work out what on earth is happening, and enjoy some of the finest horror combat ever.

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Metroid Prime Remastered

Brilliant shooter

A brilliant remaster of a hugely influential shooter comes to the Switch.

Pros
  • Amazing atmosphere
  • Excellent action
  • Detailed exploration
Cons
  • Occasionally hard to figure out path

One of the best shooters ever made comes to the Nintendo Switch with a massive upgrade in its visuals. The original Metroid Prime holds up superbly, but this remaster takes things forward hugely.

It's got an amazing atmosphere to boast about, along with fun enemies to overcome and some interesting puzzles to solve, making for a joyful revisiting.

Best horror games on PlayStation 5: Check out these terrifying PS5 games photo 4
The Last of Us: Part 1 (2022)

Excellent update

A superb remaster of one of gaming's modern greats, this is a must-play on PS5.

Pros
  • Amazing story
  • Looks incredible
  • So very tense
Cons
  • No new content

The Last of Us gets its second major update - having already made the jump from PS3 to PS4, you can now play it with a sparkling new presentation on the PS5.

It's a simply brilliant remaster that adds new depths to the performances of its incredible cast, and makes its gameplay more fluid and impressive than ever.

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The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

A charming update of a beloved adventure. 

Pros
  • So cute
  • Classic layout
  • Amazing soundtrack
Cons
  • Obtuse puzzles

It's hard to believe that the original Link's Awakening was released basically 30 years ago on the SNES. Nintendo has really dug deep for the Switch remaster, ramping up the graphics to ultra-cute levels, while maintaining the original game's isometric viewpoint.

The thing that will really take you, though, is just how darn good this game still plays - it's got the story down to keep you hooked and feels like it could have been made yesterday, rather than decades ago.

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Halo: The Master Chief Collection

A nearly unrivalled collection of FPS greats. 

Pros
  • Loads of titles
  • Some incredible campaigns
  • Multiplayer options
Cons
  • No longer supported much

When Halo arrived as an Xbox exclusive almost two decades ago it gave Microsoft the stamp of approval it needed to become a console-selling winner. It was the title to redefine first-person shooters for a new generation, before Call of Duty and the like got their claws in. Throughout the Xbox and Xbox 360's lifespan we saw Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 4 - all with awe-inspiring titles, we're sure you'll agree - which is what makes up this extensive package, in remastered glory.

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Resident Evil 2 (2019)

This superb remaster completely revamps a classic game and looks better than ever on modern hardware.

Pros
  • Amazing looks
  • Fun action horror
  • Some great set-pieces
Cons
  • A bit melodramatic

We know, we know, the remastered Resident Evil 3 is out now. But there's just something about the second title in that series that really gets us; something altogether more classic about it. And after 22 years its debut, the remastered Resident Evil 2 almost feels more applicable than ever.

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Uncharted Trilogy: The Nathan Drake Collection

Three of the most enjoyable, rip-roaring adventures ever released on consoles, this is the perfect introduction to the franchise. 

Pros
  • Fun adventures
  • Loads of content
  • Enjoyable plots
Cons
  • First game is a little ropey

Developed by Naughty Dog, Nathan Drake's escapades throughout the trio of Uncharted games titillated gamers in a series of releases equally spaced over six years. The action-adventure game brought what Naughty Dog does so well: integrating story into really fun video gaming. Knowing that Uncharted 4 was coming to PS4, Sony did a clever thing in releasing the original trio for that console back in 2015. Even now these games are a step-by-step masterclass in structure, well worth a revisit.

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Shadow of the Colossus

A melancholy masterpiece, Shadow of the Colossus has aged magnificently.

Pros
  • Amazing atmosphere
  • Superb mechanics
  • Imposing visuals
Cons
  • Sometimes simple

This is an unusual one. The original PS2 went against the grain, delivering an open world with not a huge amount of direction, places to visit or interaction. Which sounds like a mirror of the lockdown world of today, eh? The goal in Shadow is to take down huge colossi, making it more of a puzzler than many games of the era. And reimagined for PS4 everything looks altogether more, um, colossal in the graphics department.

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Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy

An absolute romp through a classic platformer. 

Pros
  • Zany platforming
  • Glowing visuals
  • Fun humour
Cons
  • Some frustrating sequences

The first three Crash Bandicoot games were a breath of fresh air in an era that took platform games into three dimensions. Even in the 90s, these were immense fun, but if you were to look at the originals now your jaw would drop for the lack of fidelity. Thankfully, Sony has brought the trio right back up to date with N Sane Trilogy - you wouldn't even know these were over two decades old. And if this is up your street, don't forget about Spyro Reignited too.