by Zach Walton

Video games are expensive. College kids lack money. What’s a broke gamer to do? Plenty of games are available for frugal gamers who want to get their game on, but not break the bank.

Every year sees the release of many games, but some don’t do well. They are relegated to the bargain bins of game stores nationwide, which is a real shame. These are some awesome games, and they are relatively cheap.

Tim Schafer’s Brutal Legend was released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 last year to critical acclaim but lackluster sales. It’s about a metal roadie who is transported to an ancient world of heavy metal gods, various rock genre clans and a sense of humor only Tim Schafer, creator of Grim Fandango and Psychonauts, could think of. The game features an all-star cast and the voices of Jack Black, Ozzy Osbourne, Tim Curry and numerous heavy metal icons.

You would think a game with this much going for it would have done well, but, alas, it did not. It sits alone on game store shelves for a mere $20, waiting for somebody to buy it.

Bayonetta was released earlier this year on the PS3 and Xbox 360 to decent sales, but not enough to keep its price at $60 for a year like the Call of Duty games. It features the last of a clan of witches battling the forces of heaven in a war that spawns millenia. It’s a fabulous action game created by Hideki Kamiya, creator of Devil May Cry, that draws many of its influences from Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening, as well as Kamiya’s other creation, Okami.

Anybody looking for a stellar action title that will keep them on the edge of their seat while constantly challenging the player with changing tactics, can look no further than Bayonetta. You can find it wallowing in self pity over its less than stellar sales figures for an affordable $30.

The final game that any self-respecting gamer could buy inexpensively this holiday season is Darksiders, a dark fantasy action epic that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. It features War, the first horseman of the apocalypse, as he tries to bring to justice those who brought about the end of the world.

The game is like mixing The Legend of Zelda, God of War and Portal in a blender, and the end result is as awesome as that combination sounds. The game did well enough to warrant a sequel, but not well enough to retain its high launch price. Gamers can find it used at $18.

It’s easy to find cheap games. You just have to know where to look. GameStop has a wonderful bargain bin of old PS2, Xbox and GameCube games in the middle of almost every store. Take a chance on some of those $5 games. You might find something that you enjoy. If not, you just spent $5 on a weekend of laughing at how bad the game was.

Gaming is an expensive hobby. I once spent more than $2,000 one summer on nothing but games. It doesn’t have to be expensive though. If you look in the right places, shop around and even haggle a little bit, great prices on games, even new ones, are out there.