I always liked how there was this big change in between when we see the Emperor in a hologram and when we actually see him in person. That way, the surprise of actually seeing him in action for the first time isn't ruined. I mean, really, the only thing that's truly different is the voice (but like I said, I like his voice)... the hologram is so shrouded in the original that it more or less fits.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, the way it was before, everything was so mysterious and shrouded in darkness that seeing the Emperor in Return of the Jedi was like seeing him for the first time. The way it is now, done so openly, I feel like I'm already supposed to know who he is when he starts talking when we're really seeing him for the first time.