Fan games are nice, but too many people put themselves in a vulnerable position, to have all their hard work be flushed down the drain, by copyright lawyers.

My stance on fan games, is this: You're much better off, making an original game from scratch. Inspired by the game, you wish would make a comeback. There's no sense in making a fangame, only to risk being shut down, by copyright lawyers. Plus, you can actually make money of it! Just something to think about!