Not sure if you're aware, but there's also Zoda's Revenge: Star Tropics 2 also on the NES. The scenes in the game were more of a comedy like how you're explaining, with Mike Jones(who?) getting pulled into other timelines with cave men, Cleopatra, Sherlock Holmes, etc, then making jokes about it.
The gameplay is the same but smoother, where you can move and attack in eight directions and have a controllable jump. Mike also gets upgraded weapons rather than the Yoyo he's had from the first game.
I think if they were to update the series, it'd be best if they left it in 2D. But if they did update it to 3D it'd be best if the world was designed like Zelda 64 and if Mike Jones controlled similar to link but with his own weapons. Have other weapons still in the game, like the disposable baseball bats, berries, snow man ice attack, etc, but leave the Yoyo as his main weapon since a throwing weapon would make it too easy with a lock on style gameplay.
Bonus points for the first one to get what I mean in the parenthesis. You don't get anything, just props, so pat yourself on the back.
