Japanese savor golden oldies they remember from youth

Devotees of vintage video games line up to buy classics like Super Mario and Pac-Man

Tossed aside as outdated junk by some, old video games such as Donkey Kong and Pac-Man are now getting a new lease on life in Tokyo's vibrant Akihabara district, as growing numbers of die-hard fans seek out vintage classics to relive their youth.

Inside Super Potato, a famed retro video-game store, devotees browse aisles packed with everything from Legend of Zelda figurines to immaculately packaged old Sega Mega Drives, while Super Mario toys dangle from the ceiling overhead.