"It doesn't have to be me who makes it," he said, noting he may not enough years in his life to get to it. The top-down Solid Snake adventure that started it all was released in 1987 on the MSX and became world-famous on the Nintendo Entertainment System. "I made it a long time ago. It could be somebody young that maybe has more abilities than I do....It would even be good if a foreign production team even did it."

That's all we got from him on the topic. So, we know that Kojima is too busy to re-make the game. We know that he's been willing in the past to let the foreigners at Silicon Knights re-make Metal Gear Solid.

So, Kotaku, which non-Japanese studio would you like to see re-make the original Metal Gear?

Johto - I'm still in Johto. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, two of the most ridiculous names we've ever come across, are remakes of the original Pokémon Gold and Silver, with updated graphics and sound, touch screen features, and "a host of surprises." The announcement of the Western release was made during the opening of the 2009 Pokémon World Championships, which one would imagine is a pretty big deal to Pokémon fans.

"Announcing these much-anticipated game launches at The Pokémon World Championships allows us to give the news directly to the legions of fans who represent the true heart and soul of Pokémon," said J.C. Smith, The Pokémon Company International's director of marketing, who made the announcement on stage to kick off the 2009 Pokémon World Championships. "We want to thank these loyal fans by revealing the details to them first."

I generally pick up any Pokémon title Nintendo tosses my way reflexively, but they may have lost me here. I cannot buy anything with the words HeartGold or SoulSilver on it. It makes them sound like the type of Pokémon games Twilight characters would play.

So if you liked Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, make with the jumping for joy. If you liked Marvel vs. Capcom enough to want a third one, tough luck: Svensson says it'd be a lot harder to do a full-blown sequel than it would be to crap out lovingly fashion an HD Remix.

Here's what he had to say to VideoGamer.com on the subject:

"I won't say it doesn't need it. Marvel would be great to do. There's obviously a fan base for it. It's probably our most requested title. Unfortunately, I wish I had news to share on that front but I don't."

"I would never say never [to MvC3] but I would say the barriers to doing that are much higher than the barriers for MvC2," said Svensson.

The ESRB rated Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 last October. Make of that what you will.

Capcom: We're not done with HD Remixes [VideoGamer.com]

This blatant Bros clone pissed Nintendo off no end, and they promptly cease 'n' desisted the game off the shelves, only to have it pop up again as freeware in multiple unofficial ports for Linux, Windows, GBA homebrew, and many others.

By some freak twist of licensing and fair use alchemy, dtp entertainment seem to have acquired the rights to produce a proper, for-actual-money sequel to the game that will appear on the Nintendo DS. Presumably the Sisters adventures are just dissimilar enough to any subsequent Mario Bros outings to avoid Nintendo's ire, or maybe Ninty just don't care anymore and have instead been seized by some pro-feminist sentiment. Either way, Giana Sisters DS it is...

Famed Mario Rip-off Giana Sisters Coming to DS [Shacknews]

The company is also looking at other properties - Master of Orion has been mentioned, as have Bioware-style isometric RPGs such as Baldur's Gate or Planescape Torment.

"I think there are a lot of people who want that. They want to have a party again. They want to have a Minsc-type character in there," Stardock's Brad Wardell told Gamasutra, "Someone's going to have to do it. If it's not another studio, it's got to be Stardock."

Stardock CEO Wardell Eyes Star Control, Orion, And More [Gamasutra]

The tech demo for the appropriately named Another Metroid 2 Remake has been released as Metroid: Confrontation.

The trailer above should give you an idea of how development has been going. In short, if you like Metroid and own a PC you should download this in case Nintendo gets twitchy and unleashes the hounds.

[Metroid: Confrontation]

And yes, that Portal fan mod can sling its hook too. The Commodore 64 remake 'Shotgate' has rendered both games utterly pointless.

Yes, it's a Portal clone for the C64. No, it's not in 3D and - yes - it does look quite like that Flash tribute from last year.

This little fella was made in just 4K of C64 assembler for the Mini Games Comp 2008. If you like the look of it, the programmer is actually selling it in C64 cartridge form in a limited edition run of 20. Buy now to avoid/ensure disappointment.

Shotgate [Quernhorst.de]

Good News: Rare's senior animator, Elissa Miller, says that the company has no plans to revisit any more of its classic titles at the moment. "We've always got to have a reason to revive a franchise, we don't do games just for the sake of them," said Milller, speaking to 360 Gamer. Yay originality!

Bad News: This means no chance of revisiting some of the awesome games right at the back of Rare's Retro Cupboard. The ones in the dusty shoebox labeled Ultimate Play The Game.

I could give two figs for a new Banjo Kazooie game, but a next-gen Sabre Wulf, Head Over Heels or Gunfright? Now we're talking.

Rare: No plans to revive more old franchises[CVG]

Well, remember it or no - it's coming back. Team 17 have confirmed to Videogaming247 that they are working on a remake for release next year.

Quite how it will distinguish itself from all the other space-marine-battling-wave-after.. etc, games that have arrived since the early 90s — not to mention the officially licensed Aliens games — remains to be seen. It was fun at the time though, so maybe Team 17 still have a bit of the old magic left down the back of the action gaming sofa.

Alien Breed confirmed for next year, logo released[VG247]

As well as five categories for different types of remake or tribute retro game (see here for the full list), this year's competition features a special 'Game For Helen' category that challenges coders to create a retro videogame for children who cannot play arcade type games using conventional controls due to disability.

The Game For Helen project is a collaboration between the Helen & Douglas House children's hospice and Special Effect - a charity dedicated to making computer games more accessible.

The Retro Remakes 2008 Big Compo [Retro Remakes]

Square Enix is not going to let any of us rest until we've all played through Final Fantasy I & II at least a half dozen times each. The two games are now heading to the PSP as part of Final Fantasy's 20th Anniversary celebration.

Prepare to experience the games like you never have before, unless you played Final Fantasy Origins on the PS1 or Dawn of Souls on the GBA. The games will retain the Snes flavor of those remakes, along with the cutscenes from the former and extra dungeons of the latter. The main draw here seems to be widescreen and load times. Hooray. The games will also feature galleries of artwork from Yoshitaka Amano, but I would sooner put money down on a UMD filled with his work than buy another Final Fantasy I or II remake. The Games should be out this year in Japan, with no word yet on a US release. Michael Fahey

Final Fantasy Remakes Coming to PSP [1UP]

A few years back there was a PC program called Zelda Classic that allowed anyone to not only play Zelda on their PC (with updated BS Zelda style graphics), but also to design their own scenarios, including items from the Game Boy and N64 Zeldas. It was pretty cool... then, all of a sudden, it disappeared into the murky ether of the Internet's past, only to ever be glimpsed again by the random Archive.org browser. Hey! Just checked it out! It's still around, and active again after a 15 month hiatus!

But this project, Ocarina of Time 2D, really reminds me a lot of Zelda Classic. The aim is to take Ocarina of Time and to recreate it in full using BS Zelda style graphics on the PC. The project isn't completed yet, but there's a demo available for download. And if that tickles your fancy, you can check out an Ocarina of Time Remake for Zelda Classic as well. Florian Eckhardt

Ocarina of Time 2D [Lunatic Gaming]

The Last Starfighter was the first movie I can remember seeing that ever made the point that doofuses like Jack Thompson would spend most of their careers yammering on about: video games are kill simulators. In the case of The Last Starfighter, skills learned in a trailer park arcade are directly applicable to intergalactic conflict.

Get good enough? Centauri will whisk down from outer space in a DeLorean, sneeze his face into a handkerchief and zoom you right up to the stars to make out with bald babes and be the last hope of the Alliance.

Anyway, it's been twenty years since Alex beat back Kur and the Ko-Dan Armada, but the Alliance probably still needs pilots, and let's face it: outer space has to beat this dump. So thanks to Scott P. for making us aware of this faithful remake of The Last Starfighter game, as seen in the movie.

Personal note: this was the first movie my Mom ever took me to see. She let me play 'hooky' from preschool that day. I sent her this link; she's no gamer, but she cooed. Florian Eckhardt

The Last Starfighter Remake [RogueSynapse]

Retro Remakes is sponsoring a huge honking contest to create the best remake of a classic video game. There's 3692 worth of prizes to be won for "Good remakes of good games that anyone can play, regardless of their ability."

We're puzzled by that last qualification: certainly, developing a game for people with, say, amniotic banding syndrome in mind is a rather large requirement to win a copy of a 2D scroller programming book. We assume, then, that what they really mean is "Good remakes of good games that even the stupid and incompetent can play." A lofty, if perhaps equally out of reach, goal.

So if you're a dev who has just always wanted to give birth to a Frogger clone but never could justify the time, head on over and check it out. The prizes look quite good and the world could always use some more retro clones. FLORIAN ECKHARDT

Retro Remakes: The Big 2006 Compo [Retro Remakes]

Also included is the news that a localized American port of FFXII is due around Thanksgiving, that 2.3 million copies of FFXII were shipped for release and an enigmatic remark of complete lack of commitment from Square Enix president Yoichi Wada on the subject of a Final Fantasy VII remake for the Playstation 3: "We'll see." Exciting!

Final Fantasy XII Launches in Japan [IUP]