The Resurge of Retro Gaming and Where to Get Those Hard to Find Gems of Video Gaming

The video gaming industry is one giant arms race for the newest technologies and most impressive graphics. Every few years a handful of computing and electronics giants step up to the plate with what they think will blow all other video games out of the water. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft - this generation's big three are going at it once more and for those of you who aren't in on the race yet it might seem like a great big mess. With the Wii, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360 madness this last Christmas you might be asking, where are all the classics? Where's the simple fun gameplay of the games of childhood.

We've reached the first true generation of gamer nostalgia. It's been 20 years since the Nintendo Entertainment System swept the video game market and brought the industry home to stay. There are those that remember the glory days of Atari, but it was truly Nintendo that revolutionized the idea of an at home console. The Super Mario Bros. and Kid Icaruses of the 80s are long past though and as the kids of the 80s reach the apex of their careers, graduating college, entering the work force and making the big bucks, the retro market is booming once more. The Nintendo Wii offers its virtual console, with a collection of dozens of old games from Nintendo and Sega past and Xbox Live offers its Arcade options. Even Sony is giving it a go with Playstation emulation on its PSP handheld. Square-Enix is rereleasing all of its Final Fantasy classics and the remakes just keep coming.