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Jordan Mechner's latest remake plays it safe.

Remakes can breathe new life into classic games, which despite being paragons of their time, are now becoming relics of the past. They represent a chance to update more than graphics and sound, but also gameplay and value to match contemporary standards without compromising the timeless elements for which they were originally known. Karateka, a remake of the 1984 martial arts-themed Apple II game of the same title, is true to its roots but aims unfortunately low in terms of bringing something new to the table.

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They just don't make 'em like they used to.

There's little more important when creating an HD remake than ensuring you've at least duplicated (even better, exceeded) the functionality and feel of the original title. Apparently Robomodo didn't get the memo when creating Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD, which represents a remix of the first and second game in the series. The HD "upgrade" is noticeably clunkier and more cumbersome, not quite matching up to the extremely fluid titles on the PlayStation, N64, Dreamcast, and Xbox.

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The first game in the Oddworld series is getting a "from the ground up" remake.

The Oddworld series is a beloved franchise, but outside of a the recently released Stranger's Wrath HD port and the upcoming Munch's Oddysee rerelease not much has been heard.  The Hand of Odd is still coming, but no one really knows when, but that's okay since Just Add Water keeps on giving the series some HD love, as it has been announced that the first game in the series, Abe's Oddysee, will not get a HD remix as originally planned, but a full-on remake.

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It’s all '80s, all the time.

Double Dragon is one of those games that everyone has played, or at least heard of. From its humble beginning as an arcade brawler, the franchise has gone on to make an appearance in some form in almost every console generation. The original title was ported to nearly every available system at the time, including the Atari 2600 in 1988. (And you thought this console generation was long!) Brothers Jimmy and Billy have been in one on one fighting games, have teamed up with the Battletoads on the SNES, and had the Double Dragon world predominantly featured in a completely over the top fan tribute to the NES called Abobo’s Big Adventure. Needless to say, Majesco and WayForward have some pretty big shoes to fill.

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This is one series that may have been better off in the past. Click through to see our first video review!

Choplifter HD is nothing if not true to its name; the game is essentially a dolled up version of 1982’s Choplifter, offering few innovations besides the modest graphical paint job. It’s a return to the 80’s – in the same sense of a Corey Feldman movie marathon – it’s shallow, devoid of humor, and awkward. Hardcore fans of the series might be pleased to see such a devout remake, but newcomers will be less than satisfied with the outdated mechanics.

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