Fast forward to 2009. The Serious Sam franchise, while not that well known to many gamers, can still generate some fanboy excitement when something new comes down the pike. While Croteam is supposedly working on an all new game in the series (Serious Sam 3), the development team decided to go back and revamp the original game's graphics with the new Serious Engine 3 technology.

The final result is Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. It's a complete remake of the original game, right down to enemy placement, secret areas and gameplay. This was clearly a side project for the team that could complete in just a few months. There doesn't appear to be anything added in terms of content. What's different is the graphic improvements. Level textures have gotten a face lift and all those wacky foes, from the charging bull to the giant bio-mech robots to the kamikaze headless bomb holders, have some more details and polygons on them. There's even some more advanced rag doll physics along with improved lighting and visual effects.

The upshot of all this is a game that brings back a lot of memories of being shocked at the sheer size of the levels while laughing and screaming at the same time about the wild enemies. There's no advanced AI here. Like the original, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is all about putting a ton of enemies on screen at once along with surprise spawn attacks and some massive weapons, including the big cannonball that can roll down scores of enemies at once.

While the single player game is fun, it's a lot more enjoyable when you can get some more players involved. The 16 player co-op support for the entire game makes you and your online buddies feel like they are going through armies of monsters together. The net code is sometimes laggy, but playing co-op is way more fun than going though the massive levels alone.

If we have one quibble, and it is a slight one, it's the $20 price tag. Yes, it seems very odd to complain about a game this fun with that small a price point, but the truth is that while the graphics upgrade is noticeable, it's not like the game's looks have been improved up to, say, Crysis level. The lack of all new content is also a small disappointment (although new deathmatch maps are supposed to come soon). With Serious Sam 2, a much bigger game in terms of content, available for download for just $10 from various sites, we thought Serious Sam HD would have a lower price.

However, the truth is even with the $20 amount you are still getting a game that is far more fun to play that most games at twice the price. With word that Croteam plans to give the same "HD" graphics upgrade to Serious Sam: The Second Encounter in early 2010 and Serious Sam 3 coming at some point in the future, there's going to be a lot more of those kamikaze bomb holders to deal with. It's best to get some practice in.