Best and worst character remakes of all time

Character redesigns are a fact of life in the video game world. Many of our beloved childhood friends have grown up in strange ways. For instance, Sonic the Hedgehog's legs grew and he inexplicably gained the ability to talk.

Redesigns are either praised for brilliantly updating a classic or just roasted for going to far (dude, what's with the scarf?!). USGamer takes a look at the best and worst of character reboots to date.

The Losers
Dante (DmC)

I'll be honest, I'm doing this one first because I don't wholeheartedly believe in it. I actually have no problem with DmC Dante, even if the delivery of his overall story was crude. I even enjoyed DmC. That said, a ton of people hated new Dante, especially since he supplanted the classic white haired rogue who joined fans in four prior Devil May Cry games. Old Dante knew his life was a joke and loved every minute of it, while new Dante takes the joke too seriously. The white hair and badass red trenchcoat may be gone for now, but they are not forgotten.

Bomberman (Bomberman: Act Zero)

Like most of these other poor reboots and redesigns, the problem with Bomberman Act Zero is trying to cram serious themes into characters that don't need them. This game lost the plot in spectacular fashion, turning a family-friendly cartoon into a nightmarish post-apocalyptic cyborg. This is a thing someone greenlit; a committee of people looked at Bomberman: Act Zero and thought it was a good idea. If you ever need an illustration of how little some executives know about what players want, here's the best example ever.

For more of the worst video game character remakes of all time, click here.

The Winners
Team Fortress Crew (Team Fortress 2)

When it came time for Valve to update Team Fortress Classic eight years into the original's lifespan, they decided to go a different direction. Instead of the snarling, grimacing faces of the original TF classes, Valve gave the Team Fortress 2 classes a cartoony spin. Each class's silhouette was pushed to be even more distinct, which actually improved the gameplay; being able to tell what you're up against quickly is important in twitch gaming. It also opened the door for the hilarious TF2 movies that Valve has created. What were once just random classes are now actual characters.

Lara Croft (Tomb Raider 2013)

This could've gone horribly wrong - see the Losers up above - but somehow Eidos pulled it off. While Lara Croft in her original incarnations was a soulless sociopath with ample bosom and short pants, the new Lara Croft is a well-realized young woman who will eventually become a soulless sociopath. Big improvement. Plus new Lara wears pants, which is probably a good idea with all the mud, snow, and rock she slides around in. Now if someone could get her a sensible jacket.

For more of the best video game character remakes of all time, click here.