Retro gaming can be fun. It’s even better when it’s free and convenient. Programmers have taken to reverse-engineering the software that makes video game consoles work. These emulators allow gamers to play games from various systems on their computer or on other consoles. Bloodlust Software released one of the earliest and most popular emulators, NESticle, in 1997 replicating the NES experience for the PC. Gamers download ROM images (read-only memory) to play on the emulators. Hundreds of emulators have been developed for almost every gaming system created by amateur developers and some commercial. The complexity with making emulators work limits the popularity, but allows the devoted not only strolls down memory lane, but the chance to even improve the experience with enhanced graphics and online gameplay for systems that never had the pleasure. Thank you technology.

Video game fans know it sucks to invest hundreds of dollars in consoles, accessories, and games only to do the whole thing over again in five years. We do it, but we hate it. Sony’s PS2 is showing the console lifecycle might be lengthening, with awesome games still being releases for the seven year old system. The PS2 even outsells the state-of-the-art PS3 meaning people seem willing to invest a couple years in the aged platform.

But Sony’s PSP handheld is a different beast. John Koller, senior marketing manager for Sony’s PSP told IGN he believes the handheld has a 10-year lifecycle similar to the PS2 and PS3. Using firmware updated and some hardware revisions, they can milk the life out of the PSP. But this is a bad idea and an example when starting fresh is better in a few years.

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Emulators have a special place in a geeks hard drive - in a secret folder in between the illegal movies and porn. You may have those hundreds of old school games locked on your desktop hard drive, but that limits your enjoyment of many classic video games. There are other ways to enjoy your games, freed from the confines of your bulky desktop.

PS3 Linux - Yes, the PS3 makes it very easy to set-up Linux right on the system. So with this open source operating system, why not throw some of the excellent Linux emulators on the system for the N64, PSX, and SNES.

Media center PC - For those with an extra couple of bucks, trying buying a small PC hooked up to your big screen TV. Not only can you surf the internet and boring stuff like that, but you can keep all the top Windows emulators. Plus your moving watching gets a lot easy, assuming you have the same ethics with movie files as video games.

PSP - Emulate wherever your heart desires. You will have to hack your PSP (naughty, naughty), but once you do, you can unlock the PSP’s built-in Playstation emulator as well as install some quality SNES and Genesis emulators.

Xbox Media Center - Yup, it’s a very complicated procedure, but with a built-in hard drive and some kick-ass hardware, you can have some excellent MAME and SNES games on your TV all the time (and it gives you some reason to keep your Xbox around).

Every Thursday, Prodigeek tries to help geeks live a more fulfilling, geek-life, complete with video games and social skills. But mostly video games.

PC-based emulators, programs that allow console-based games to be played on computers, have provided various options for Playstation emulation. DCEMu Yoshihiro has released a Playstation emulator for the handheld PSP.

The amazing thing here is not the program itself, which technically limits portability since you have to plug your PSP into a computer to play the CD-ROM. But the interesting this is the jump in technology: a small, hand-held system can play the games that broke all limits for graphics and 3D worlds. Sony, and Nintendo DS, are both hosting games updated from older games that were, in many ways, state of the art when released, as in Mario 64 now crammed into a small cartridge for your DS. And Final Fantasy III’s cute pixilated 16-bit world just can’t muster the glow needed for the PSP, as the game comes re-released in all-new 3D graphics.

The added benefit of these imports is that hand held systems are finally enjoying some console styled game play with rich storytelling and cinema-styled visuals. This will make those long plane rides much more fulfilling, but your train ride to school might start to limit game choices. This will be the trade off to consider, between the quick hits and full immersion.