Remember the Atari 2600 gaming system? Remember how we used to spend hours in front of our TV sets playing games like "Combat," "Missile Command" and "Warlords"?

It's been more than 30 years since Atari monopolized our time with its initial ventures into the now-burgeoning world of game consoles. So it's only fitting that the folks at Infogrames bring some of them back for those who feel nostalgic and for those who were never exposed to these simple, addictive games.

With the release of Atari Anniversary Edition ($14.99 for the PC and more for the various game consoles) and Atari Revival ($19.99), Infogrames brings us back to the good old days, when the art of bringing video games into our homes was new.

The Anniversary Edition, which contains the three games I mentioned earlier, is really a trip back in time. In fact, "Combat" was included with the first Atari 2600 consoles when they hit the scene in the early 1970s.

The games have been upgraded a bit to take advantage of 2-D and 3-D graphics and DirectX, but they still have that old familiar feel that made them popular.

Atari Revival is a collection of 12 classic titles, including various versions of "Asteroids," "Centipede," "Pong" and "Breakout." For those too young to remember, "Pong" was the first "tennis-type" game that kept us fascinated for hours as we batted this white electronic ball back and forth over a line on the screen.

Among other titles going through a rebirth courtesy of Infogrames are "Frogger," "Dig-Dug," "Sea-Doo" and "Ms. Pac-Man." All of them were classics and all deserve to be introduced to a new generation of gamers.

While we're on the subject of games, there are a few sequels and add-on packs that have been monopolizing my time.

"Return to Castle Wolfenstein" ($54.99) from id Software (now owned by Activision), which brought us "Doom" and other bloody first-person shooters, recreates the game that started it all. "Wolfenstein" was originally a shareware game that exploded onto the scene in the 1980s and eventually became "Doom. "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" is a major upgrade from the original. You're still shooting Nazis and the blood-curdling screams are still there, but the interface has been enhanced and the characters are a bit more realistic.

"Command & Conquer Renegade" ($54.95) from Westwood Studios is the latest installment in what I feel is the greatest series of war-gaming titles ever produced for the PC. Gone are the tanks, soldiers and armored vehicles that made the series one of the best strategy games of the century, replaced with a 3-D interface and a single soldier named Nick Parker.

At first, I was angry that they had taken my favorite game series and turned it into a first-person shooter, but then - after several hours of raiding NOD bases and killing enemy troops - I realized that the core of the old games was still there. Old rules of engagement still applied and I still had to maintain my wits to survive.

Finally we come to the latest add-on for "The Sims." These folks never seem to go away (much like the Simpsons), returning with new enhancements every few months. The new add-on is "The Sims Vacation," where you play a major role in whether a trip to Vacation Island is a success or a disaster.

As with all versions of this game - and there are tons of them - you create and manipulate the characters, helping them deal with various situations from deciding what swimsuit to wear to dealing with a shark attack. Their fate is in your hands.

Other titles in this series include "Hot Date," "House Party" and "Livin' Large." All of these expansion packs require the original "The Sims" game, which is a small price to pay for what amounts to hours of laughs. You can also download a bunch of "skins" and tools for the games from tons of sites on the Internet, most of which are listed at http://thesims.ea.com/us/index.html.

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