Nostalgia is a tricky thing, and capitalizing on it even trickier. While one may hold shining memories of things enjoyed in youth, the reality can look a bit tarnished when revisited.

Nintendo has released a collection of eight 1980s-era games from the Nintendo Entertainment System as a budget-priced "Classic NES Series." All of them are near-exact copies of the NES versions. None of these titles is pretty by today's standards - the merit is in the game play.

Some of the games have withstood the test of time, but others have not fared so well, and for these, the $20 price tag seems like a bit of a rip-off.

* Bomberman (**): Before the "Bomberman" series became known for its multiplayer mayhem, it was a single-player mix of action and puzzles. Players guide the little demolition man through a series of levels, blasting through walls, defeating enemies and gaining powers along the way. In classic fashion, Bomberman begins his adventure pathetically weak, but eventually will be able to drop a mass of powerful explosives. The game starts out slowly and the graphics are bland, even for the time.

* Donkey Kong (** 1/2): The game that put Mario on the map. "Donkey Kong" is still a challenging action title, as players guide an un-super Mario up screens full of obstacles to rescue his girlfriend from the clutches of the mad ape, Donkey Kong. While the visuals are primitive, the game play is still solid.

The $20 price tag seems a bit steep because the game was released for the Game Boy Advance's card-operated e-Reader peripheral a while back for a few dollars; anyone who got that version should probably pass this one by.

* Excitebike (* 1/2): This is a motocross racing game that's notable mostly for providing a way for players to design racetracks. The racing itself is pretty simplistic; each course is littered with hurdles, ramps, mud and other obstacles, and the player races the computer for the best time through each course. "Excitebike" was also released for the e-Reader.

* Ice Climber (**): A weird little footnote to gaming history, "Ice Climber" follows a pair of mountaineers on a surreal trip to the top. Using hammers, the little guys chop away at the ice overhead, climbing level by level up the mountain to reach a bonus level filled with vegetables and, at the top, a condor.

It's pretty weird but also pretty fun, especially when linked to another GBA for a two-player game. Beware, though: The control is frustratingly imprecise. "Ice Climber" was also released for the e-Reader.

* The Legend of Zelda (*** 1/2): Easily the best of the bunch, "The Legend of Zelda" is still a challenging adventure, and a lot of fun besides. Players guide the young hero, Link, through nine monster-infested dungeons to reunite the power of the magical Triforce and defeat the wicked Ganon.

Playing the game, one realizes how little the series has changed since its 1987 inception.

The land of Hyrule is packed with secrets and gradually opens up as Link finds artifacts hidden in the depths, and battles with the dungeons' masters are often tests of puzzle skills as much as reflexes and brute strength.

* Pac-Man (**): Players guide an endlessly chomping yellow mouth through a neon maze full of little - and apparently delicious - yellow dots while being pursued by four ghosts. Each maze has four large yellow dots that give Pac-Man the ability to turn the tables on the ghosts for a few seconds.

It's pretty much the same game it was more than 20 years ago, take it or leave it.

* Super Mario Bros. (***): What gamer doesn't remember the first time Mario grabbed a mushroom and doubled in size to become Super Mario? A true classic, "Super Mario Bros." is a mix of strange enemies and imagery, imaginative power-ups and polished game play that still plays well. Mario's look is a far cry from his current self in this outing, but this is where he first stomped on Koopas and fireballed Goombas.

* Xevious: The Avenger (* 1/2): Fly the oddly named Solvalou fighter craft and defeat an alien menace in "Xevious: The Avenger." The NES version of a popular arcade game, "Xevious" takes place in a continuous landscape; there are no discrete levels, just a long strip of land divided into several areas swarming with enemy ships, and covered with tanks and gun emplacements.

Unfortunately, this one's a tad too slow-paced to conjure up much thrill now.

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Classic NES Series

SYSTEM: Nintendo Game Boy Advance
PUBLISHER: Nintendo
HOW MUCH: $19.99 apiece
AGE RATING: Everyone