What I don't like about this competition is that its more of a nostalgia thing. If you remake (like I did in 2003 or 2004) a game that the judges never played in their youth, well, sucks to be you, Mario clones are gonna get higher up in the rankings even tho they are less complete and well-done.
Sorry, but that's not actually true. Each game is judged on its own particular merits, and not about the judge's familiarity with the original game (besides this comp is hopefully going to bring new games that NOBODY will have played before too). Whilst nostalgia plays a part in the retro scene, it is all too easy to look back with rose-tinted glasses.
Mario clones are even less likely to be favourable, as there has never been a good Mario clone. They all suffer from poor design and/or control issues. You'd be better off making a platform game outside of the Mario realm!
Games are all about the gameplay over at Retro Remakes. We are not after the best looking games. We are not after the best sounding games. What we want is games that are playable and that are fun to play.
And remember, this year's copetition is VERY different to any that we've run before.
So whatever you decide, please do something. There is a massive prizelist and with six different categories (including one with a very worthy cause), there's going to be something to suit everyone.