It’s not clear to me whether they never went out of print or they’re back in print, but a handful of Square’s “Greatest Hits” classic PlayStation RPGs are still available new, at a price of $15 to $20, from retailers like Amazon. These include popular titles like Final Fantasy VIII and IX, and other games that are actually good, like Chrono Cross. You’ll still drop sixty dollars or so for a used copy of Final Fantasy VII, though, and I don’t really understand why. With Square desperately trying to make money off the Final Fantasy VII name with bad products like Advent Children and good ones like Crisis Core alike, you’d think they’d stamp out some dirt cheap CD-ROMs and destroy the ridiculous used market for the actual original game.

Personally, I thought Final Fantasy VII was overrated and never could stomach completing it, though I got very close to the end. By the time I got to VIII it was very old already and I found the more modern setting unappealing.

Check Amazon.com for Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX. See also Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy Anthology (V and VI), and Final Fantasy Chronicles (Chrono Trigger and IV) and Final Fantasy Origins (I and II). They’re all due back in stock January 24th, 2009.