I have no idea. Couldn't care less about graphics. I still play the last 3 gens. Have more fun with them the further back they go...

Well SNES will always be enough for me.

just like a few games on PS1,N64,PS2 will, not all but atleast the good ones.

Rather than asking why some styles are timeless, it is more useful to ask why some styles age.

Usually styles age when they attempt to push the console's limitations to the point where all they can do is approximate what you're looking for. The problem with approximations is that you can always make better approximations, and if the style gets popular enough then this inevitably happens; usually it seems to take about six months.

The best way to future-proof your graphics, then, is to use a style that can't be improved upon just by swapping in a few new algorithms.

I think it depends on the presentation of the game ...

When games go for an "Ultra-Realistic" presentation, as graphics advance the games (generally speaking) start to look dated and old. On the other hand if a game presents itself in a non-realistic way the advancement in graphics is less noticeable or important. You can see this distinction in Wii games where most people who are upset that the Wii isn't powerful enough are still willing to admit that games like Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl are excellent looking games.

That is a very good point. That's why I don't like it when people say that Chrono Trigger should be remade with improved graphics. The game has a certain style and "improving" it would just ruin what the game had going for it.

Dunno, I am still playing games from err 'last gens' as theres no gens on PC. Best thing is when you play old game with new computer you will get even better graphics than before. For example I just found one great old rpg called wizardry 8. It can be sometimes blocky, but with extra resolution and with bigg & better effects it actually looks quite nice sometimes.

(Btw, that isn't prerendered. Game came out just after playstation 2 came on the market. You can set resolution up to 1280x1024(32) nowadays and it looks good. :) )

As long as technology keeps advancing graphics will always look 'dated'. I think the next big leap will be having enough computing power to render all the current post render effects dynamically real-time, such as sub-surface scattering, GI and hair and fur.

Geomerics have a real-time radiosity engine for game development so hopefully we'll see some games in the near future put that to good use.

And your take on 2D games, such as Pac Man or Tetris?  Is it possible to do a certain artistic style that would still hold up well over time?

Yeah Its getting there. HD is key and once everything is 1080p we can call it a day. I don't know about you but my eyes start bleeding when I start playing some PS2/xbox/gamecube games on a 1080p TV...

PC games also have the advantage of user mods. I don't know how many old games I've seen where there are high res texture/model packs available, in addition to the games with overhauled engines due to companies releasing source code. These definitely breathe some new life into those loved games 10-15 years on.