Why not Basic D&D?
If simplicity and nostaglia are so important, then why stop at 1E AD&D? Why not Basic D&D (BD&D)? I played BD&D and a little AD&D in junior high. When I got into 3.5E last year, I bought some old BD&D books on eBay. Yes, they are simple, but there is a reason when WotC revved...