It's a question many of us find ourselves asking more and more as the holidays approach: Where have all the good games gone? As alluded to in previous columns, many high-profile staples such as Alpha Protocol and Dark Void have been unceremoniously delayed until 2010. But here's something you might not notice unless you've been following the business since the days of floppy disks and CD-ROMs, or your tastes run more eclectic than the typical mainstream player. What about that curious breed of unique, novel and esoteric old gem which older players once grew up with - how many have also quietly been dropped from current release schedules? Those super-hardcore outings and eccentric foreign imports seem to be disappearing from store shelves at a disturbing rate as well.

Credit a general shift away from and to online-centric platforms like the iPhone, and Facebook, where these outings are thankfully now more common than ever, yet disturbingly less prone to making headlines. And, of course, publishers' increasing unwillingness to take a risk on new and original properties, as even systems like the Wii, and suddenly come with high costs attached that make experimentation outside of digitally-delivered channels unsustainable. As such, beyond the odd Got Game Entertainment or City Interactive title that quickly falls through the cracks and into the bargain bin, it's uncommon to find one of this rare breed at the local software vendor. Thankfully for those of us doddling old geezers who still appreciate the joy of shopping at or HMV over sifting through impenetrable app stores and dodgy user reviews ("Best Game Ev4r - 12 stars!") though, all hope is not lost. There's always some crusty old fart like yours truly to do the dirty work, and provide a roadmap to all the modern, more easily accessible titles sure to evoke instant nostalgia in any twenty to thirty-something as an antidote to the bubblegum holiday gift guides others will offer.

Not that I'm entirely divorced from reality: It takes a special sort to appreciate the crap-tastic pleasures of many of yesteryear's hits, which were often highly limited in scope, so bizarre as to likely have been composed under the influence and prone to operating at punishing difficulty levels. What's more, if you don't buy the latest Modern Warfare, Motorsport or Assassin's Creed, yes, my friend - you're officially a bitter old curmudgeon stuck living in 1992, and should head straight for the nearest nursing home (or The Beatles: Rock Band, which seems to be today's most popular cure for easing tech-addled Baby Boomers off the ledge). But let us not forget the joy of games who premises hail back to kinder, simpler times as well, which those of us with more traditional tastes shouldn't overlook in the rush to club friends silly in massive matches or find an excuse to justify buying that 60-inch plasma TV.

Mind you, I'm not saying that some of us veterans have failed to change with the times. Merely that we're too damn stubborn to give up the ghost, no matter how tantalizing Batman's latest simulated six-pack abs may look in 720p. Because while today's outings are so epic in scope and delivery as to often be beyond what us OG enthusiasts could have dreamed while growing up with a dusty old Amiga, well... sometimes, there's just something comforting about looking back to more classical gaming formulas. That said, here's what you all you old souls should be shopping for when you're not busy binging at GamersGate or GOG.com.

Behold the retro-fabulous Demon's Souls, sure to touch any jaded role-playing fan's pitted lump of a heart, and remind that there's a reason we once demanded our titles tougher, even nerdier and more difficult than the likes of or Dragon Age: Origins. Oddly enough, & Luigi: Bower's Inside Story, despite its candy coloring and juvenile overtones, will also hit just the right spot, as its mix of action-packed puzzle-solving and combat harkens back to the halcyon SNES days of yore. Even fans of other so-called "dead" genres like adventure have it pretty good this year too. Thanks to the multitude of new Monkey Island remakes and episodic spin-offs, plus slick rehashes like Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars Director's Cut and an updates of games like Flight of the Amazon Queen for the iPhone, of all devices.

Portable enthusiasts have it best of all in classic categories, however, between intriguing outings like A Witch's Tale, Hero's Saga: Laevatein Tactics and Shin Megami Tensai: Persona (apparently, the hallmark of being a veteran gamer is the inability to sit still, even in front of a favorite set-top console, for more than five seconds). Square fans can't go wrong with Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days either, or The Bard's Tale, and Wizardry lovers the wireframe dungeon-bedecked The Dark Spire.

Prefer your more open-ended and/or anal, though? Armchair generals still trapped in the late '90s can't go wrong with military-minded offerings such as Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising and ArmA II. While they may seem too newfangled for the HPS Simulations and Shrapnel Games crowd, hell - you can always point your browser to their respective websites and get your fill of hex-based wargames such as Squad Battles: Dien Bien Phu too. Alternately, Tropico 3 and The Stronghold collection can instantly transport enthusiasts back to a time when gaming meant more than the latest MMO. Worth nothing too: All you fans are strongly encouraged to check out FATE: The Traitor Soul as well.

And just to prove I'm not frozen in '91, fiveand-a-quarter-inch disk in hand , here's a few hot tips for all the diehard gaming enthusiasts who prefer their action a bit more visceral, or at least compatible with shiny new systems, too. and Brutal Legend both deliver tangible shocks and thrills without speaking down to the player, while 6 is sure to please former arcade rats and 2010's thumb-numbing blend of sportsmanship proves right on the ball. Likewise, 2 and LEGO Indiana Jones 2 will also evoke that authentic turn of the millennium feel, with Painkiller Resurrection another great way to party like it's 1999. Oh, and psst: Those who enjoy a good mindbender shouldn't miss A Boy and His Blob either. Like you, we made the mistake of skipping it 20 years back - an error we won't repeat again.

So the next time you feel like taking a waltz down memory lane, don't feel obliged to fire up or download the hell out of an old-school title or 10 off Impulse or Direct2Drive.com. If you still appreciate the simple joy of ripping off shrinkwrap, savoring the scent of fresh manual and hoisting a glistening CD in your hand, rejoice... there's still a few nostalgic surprises left waiting to be discovered squished between copies of The 3 and at the nearest strip mall vendor.

Video game expert and TV/radio host is the author of Get Rich Playing Games and the creator of game documentary series Players Only. A celebrated gadget guru and technology expert, he frequently appears as a technology and video game analyst on broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and CNN, and has contributed to 400+ outlets from The New York Times to Playboy and Rolling Stone. For more of his insights, visit www.scottsteinberg.com.

By Scott Steinberg