E3 is all about the newest games and the newest technology, and sure, there are plenty of new games to see at E3. But it's the long awaited return of some old characters and game series that has got our nostalgic inner child jumping for joy. Here are eight of our favorites…

Boom-Shaka-Laka! The definitive arcade basketball game of the '90s, NBA Jam is returning, and this time it won't eat all your quarters. The game has up-to-date rosters in addition to the old legends, all rendered in a hilarious new visual style that is sharp while still being reminiscent of the original. They've got some new gameplay tricks up their sleeve, but the original creator is on board to ensure that everything you remember is there, most notably the monster dunks and the alley-oops. After hearing more at E3, we're on fire just thinking about playing this one later this year.

Michael Jackson was an icon of the music industry. Little do some know that he also had an impact on the gaming industry as well. Michael Jackson's Moonwalker released in arcades and on home consoles many years ago, and today it is a bit of a cult classic. In addition, much of the imagery from the game has become an iconic part of gaming culture. Ubisoft made the surprise announcement at E3 that they are working on a new Michael Jackson dancing game, and believe it or not, we're eager to see the King of Pop's return to gaming.

Sonic has been around. He's one of the more pervasive characters in gaming today. But to be fair, Sonic's glory days were back on the Genesis, and we miss them dearly. Fortunately, Sonic is going back to his roots with a true sequel to the Genesis's Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The first part of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will release for download on numerous game consoles later this year. We'll get a small taste at E3, but like the quick blue hedgehog himself, here's hoping this one arrives on our game consoles in fast fashion.

Gluttonous pink blob Kirby isn't as well known as bigger Nintendo mascots like Mario and Link, but that doesn't make his games any less fun. Though there have been recent small Kirby experiences on the Nintendo DS, we haven't seen a home console Kirby game since Kirby: The Crystal Shards released on Nintendo 64 about 10 years ago. That all changes with Kirby's Epic Yarn this fall. Instead of just putting Kirby through the usual paces, it looks to change things up a bit with an absolutely amazing new art style and some unique twists on the usual Kirby gameplay formula.

Donkey Kong has appeared in countless games, as both a protagonist and as players' friend and foe alike, but his best games – his crowning achievement – were the three Donkey Kong Country games on the SNES. Many years have passed since those games came and went, and in that time we have received many other Donkey Kong games, but none have had the same magic as the Donkey Kong Country games. That's why we were thrilled to find out that we'll be returning to the Country of Kong this coming holiday season.

Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64 was the king of console shooters long before Halo or Call of Duty were ready for primetime. Playing Goldeneye's multiplayer deathmatch with a few friends ate up more hours of our formative years than we care to admit. We expected we might see a new version at some point, but instead of a simple HD re-release or port, we're getting a full reimagining on the Wii. Unsurprisingly, split-screen multiplayer is back along with online. We call dibbs on Oddjob.

In a press conference filled with Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, Donkey Kong and Mario, Kid Icarus was the real surprise. Longtime Nintendo fanboys have been waiting a long, long time for this one. In fact, many of them may have given up hope that they'd ever see the return of young angel Pit. And can you blame them? The Kid Icarus series has been waiting in the wings since 1987. But now it all seems to make sense. The launch of the 3DS seems like the perfect time to revive this long dormant franchise.

This car combat classic made a dramatic and surprising return at Sony's E3 press conference this year. The Twisted Metal games were a mainstay of the PlayStation 1 era and the PlayStation 2 had Twisted Metal Black in 2001. Apart from a PlayStation Portable game and a couple remakes, we've been waiting for Twisted Metal to make a prominent return for quite a while now. It did just that when Sweet Tooth and his patented Ice Cream Truck made their appearance at E3. We can't wait to get back behind the wheel.