Final Fantasy VII was released on the Playstation Store last week for $9.99. As expected, the popular RPG is currently the most downloaded content on the digital store for both the PSP and the Playstation 3. Resident Evil: Director’s Cut is second on both storefronts as well.

Hopefully there will be more games released on the PSN, the fact that you don’t have backwards compatibility will probably make it possible for more releases and that this game is still popular after all these years.

Who’s up for some 16 bit retro gaming? If you are then June 10th is your lucky day. You’ll be able to find the following games on the Xbox 360’s Xbox LIVE Arcade on June 10th:

Gunstar Heroes
Altered Beast
Shinobi (arcade version)
Comix Zone
Phantasy Star 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 3

The PlayStation Network is getting one classic game from the list, Gunstar Heroes, on June 11th.

I knew there was a reason I liked Amazon and now you will too! Right now, Galaga Legions is listed for 800 Microsoft Points ($10) on the LIVE Marketplace, but if you look it up on Amazon.com, it’s half the price at $4.97. That’s a nice deal for the re-imagined and upgraded Galaga game.

Of course I would never try to stop anyone from spending out on any of the big names. But between must-haves it’s probably best, in the current climate, to tighten the purse strings…it’s time to go retro.

Step 1. Duck and Cover!

Step 1. Equip Yourself!

Put your retro hat on and get bidding. Any self-respecting bidding site should have plenty of choice and if they don’t…you’ll have to look somewhere else. I’d steer clear of the more recent consoles, it’s too easy to compare, then be disappointed by graphics and such. The only exception being the Dreamcast, before it’s time and probably my favourite white box-shaped thing. For maximum economy the Snes/Megadrive era is always a good place to start. A golden time, when jolly plumbers jumped around on turtles heads, little boys walked on rainbows and apparently games designers were all a little wasted.

The only downside now is you have to choose. Sonic or Mario, Black or Grey? I personally always hated Sonic’s smug little face, but the Megadrive did have quality games like Streets of Rage and Golden Axe and apart from a few titles most games were released on both consoles, so good luck.

Bidding can still be pretty fierce so if you can find a cheap ‘buy it now’ go for it and look for bundles.

OR

PC and Mac owners alike can of course emulate. There are plenty of emulators and ROMs out there and on full screen you can hardly tell the difference. Though legally you need to own the console and game before downloading and playing. But…Ahem… luckily I own them all so I’m fine. Nothing to see here mr law!

Step 2. Pick your games.

Choose your game wisely and play to your mood. Just because it’s retro doesn’t mean its good.

No need to splash out on Prince of Persia… unless you really need to. Just give Aladdin a play. It’s still one of the better platformers and full of disney joy too. If you’re more of a sport gamer, although you should be a little ashamed, Sensible Soccer or NBA Jam are just a cartridge away. Be warned though, the little pixels on Sensible Soccer control the ball like drunk, blind lepers…it’s a challenge.

Or you can always try to fathom out the reason behind Ecco the Dolphin and his pointless swimmings. I still don’t understand, so if you figure it out let me know.

Step 3. Settle and Enjoy.

You’d be amazed at how nice it is to sit and play your snes or megadrive on a big screen, with no one telling you to turn it off and go to bed. Maybe even find a shell suit and cycle shorts to put on and really get into the mood. of course I’ve never done that myself…umm well lets move on.

And for those of you emulating, most good emulators support game pads for a more authentic play. Also if you’re like me and your laptop is connected to your TV it really is no different from the real thing.