Also, further in the post you tend to refer to sequels rather than an actual remake.....

Pegasus_Shade

After I reread my post I noticed this too and I apologize emphatically for getting off topic with sequels instead of true remakes. Perhaps the mad cow disease is finally eating away at my brain. While the three things I suggested could apply to a sequel as well, I really would like to see companies apply it to their classic games for a potential remake. Spit shining, modernizing, however you want to phrase taking a classic and just making it look/sound/load/handle better needs to be the aim. If a game starts getting tweaked beyond this (engine, mechanics, story), it might as well be a sequel or be given a new name to market under because if a classic is changed past what gamers knew and loved that company might as well dig a grave right then and their because their days will be numbered.

3. Go to Walmart and compare the TVs in person. TVs are like cars. Never make a decision without personally inspecting it.

lasberry

lasberry hit the mark on this part; DON'T MAKE ANY DESICION UNTIL YOU SEE AND HEAR THE TV YOU WANT UP CLOSE! Find out if it's at Walmart, Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, Discount Crapola (ok that ones made up but you get the idea) and compare it to everything else you see in the store. I did my browsing at Best Buy and learned a ton of stuff from the sales people there and ended up selecting a TV I had read about online but hadn't seriously considered simply because it was $200 out of the price range I had considered. When you do make your desicion, try putting it off if possible: HD-TV prices PLUMMET around thanksgiving, pre-christmas, post-christmas and superbowl time. I held off on buying a 42" Samsung for one week during christmas time and ended up shaving $200 off the price so it dropped right into the range I had intially wanted. Do the research and pick something that you SEE and HEAR yourself and you will definitely reap long term rewards from it.

I can't state how valid this advice was, but considering the source it just might be true. I was told this by a Best Buy salesman who had been selling HD-TVs for a few years and just now recently going to be buying one himself in next month or so; take his advice with whatever grain of salt you want:

"1080p should only be a selling point to you if you plan to buy a TV of 50" or greater. The human eye has been tested on these screens and no one was able to tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p quality on a screen less than 50". For screens under 50" focus more on lines of contrast and better refresh rates and the graphics on games will look far better than anything set on 1080p on abigger screen withlower lines of contrast and lower refresh rates."

I picked up a Samsung 42" that sports a supposed "gaming mode." I can't vouch for the graphics yet since none of the higher end systems have hit my wallet range yet, but I can tell you that a true HD-TV source and even upconverted DVDs make a profound difference on this screen compared to some of the bigger, more expensive but lower contrast lines and refresh rate tvs I saw in the store; they just looked fuzzier and less "real" compared to what I've seen on mine. Decide on how big a tv you want and what you're willing to spend, then start trying to pick out the options that are "hidden" in store but can be found on a stores website. Maybe you will get lucky and find a kindof sales clerklike the guy I found and can get some honest answers out of them if you go instore.

Am i the only one who thinks remaking these classics will take away from how good they are because 1 - the will suck or 2 - they still don't hold a candle to the original... Many people may not have experienced these game and instead learn what they are about off a different version???I'm not saying they will all be bad but...........Pegasus_Shade

I honestly had never looked at remakes from this angle. And it's too bad some game developers don't either seeing as how a decent number of truly awful sequels and remakes have come out over the years for all platforms. Still, there are those shining gems out there that could really shine on a new system and have a total rebirth if done well. Case in point Starcraft2. How long were fans clamoring for a sequel that would use new technology? And just now Blizzard has made it come true. I doubt it's going to suck and can't imagine it not holding a candle to the original, but still it was something that HAD to be done simply because the fan base was there and Blizzard would lose out on TONS of money if they didn't at least try it. Would it be safe to say then that a game should at least be considered for a remake/sequel so long as 1. the fan base is so strong that it would be a crime to gamers every where if a remake wasn't at least attempted 2. if the original design team can't be brought in on the project than at least bring in people who were die hard fans of the game so as to preserve everything that made the original great and 3. make it a point to design the game as a tribute to loyal fans instead of just another way to earn tons of cash off a popular series/name. In the end, I want to see remakes of games that will continue the tradition and feel that made them what they are but take advantage of technology that could make them all the more enjoyable. If it's just going to be a cheap, butchered, half-assed take on an old idea, using more eye candy than innovative thought, and selling it more on the history of the name, they had better just leave the classics damn well alone! If I'm just a raving lunatic feel free to shoot back at me. It'd be nice to know if I need some "professional" help. ;)

Hopefully this will lighten all hard-core gamers up a litle bit:

With the way gaming technology is progressing, by the time the kids in this story do "grow up" to a decent gaming age we will likely have some sort of stimulus response system inbedded in the platforms. Aka: the little buggers will get shock treatment for doing something stupid over and over again and will likely go into cardiac arrest as a result. I maybe a little harsh but hey, if you can't learn that hitting Link's head into the wall is bad, hopefully you FEELING it will give the signal it is bad. Just remember to leave the safeties off on the holodecks for a real good time. ;)