I am not ashamed to say that I am old. I grew up with certain games that molded me into the gamer that I am today. Some of them nobody has heard of, but that is changing with the current influx of reboots.

When I read the announcement about developers trademarking Pac-Man Smash, I groaned in disgust. Why? I fear what a current generation Pac-Man game would be. They'll probably give him legs and have run around like Spyro or Mario or some hogwash. Basically, it will be awful. 

And that's when it hit me. The reboots of the games that I once cherished have all been horrid. Sure, they draw attention to the classic game, but ruins its name with a subpar game. Let me elaborate.

The first is Golden Axe. The side-scrolling game on Sega was my first real introduction into gaming. It was incredibly difficult, but I didn't care; I loved it. The updated version of the classic was on a much lower rung on the gaming ladder. It was horrendous.

I'm not going to even talk about Spy Hunter. It's much too upsetting.

Frogger was a mess. The Atari original was one of the most addictive games in the history of gaming. It had a simple premise that forced a frog to cross a busy street. Something like that would be hard to mess up, right? Hasbro mucked it up wonderfully, and the rumor is that Konami plans to release a new Frogger for XBLA. 

Contra for the NES was one of my favorites. The reboot was one of the worst games I've ever played, right behind Spy Hunter.

Double Dragon is next. At first, I was jumping for joy for DD Neon, but then I begun to remember the atrocities mentioned above. Worry quickly settled in the pit of my stomach. The original holds a special place in my heart. My father and I would sit for hours, punching and kicking our way through the side-scrolling cityscapes to save the girl. We worked as a unit... shared health pickups... alternated weapons... It was a bonding experience that I would give anything to have again. It was literally the best time of my life. If Neon isn't up to snub, it will be heartbreaking. 

People on gaming sites freqently talk about the old games that they'd like to see remade. Metroid, Crash Bandicoot, Earthworm Jim, and Jak & Daxter are at the top of most of those lists. I understand it; I am a fan of all of those titles. But... is it necessary?I think I would rather remember those games for what they were over playing a new game that is lackluster at best. 

If developers can prove they can pull it off, I'd be the first on board. Until then, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.