Steam is freely available distribution software that allows you to try or buy games. I’ve been a user of Steam for several years and it has proven itself to be a stable platform.

A lot of us remember games that were really good but unfortunately will not install properly (much less play) on modern versions of Windows. One solution to this is to have the original software ported over to Steam so it can be played again.

LucasArts has recently released a few of their older titles, one of which is a previously unreleased Indiana Jones game and other old-old titles, LOOM, The Dig and The Secret of Monkey Island. If you played these games before, you know they absolutely will not work on modern PCs, but via Steam it lives again. Granted, you do have to pay for them, however it’s a one-time cost and in addition can be downloaded to any Windows PC you use at home.

Porting older games to modern platforms is nothing new; this has been happening both on PCs and game consoles for some time now. On the PC side however, Steam is definitely the way to go.

Now if only LucasArts would release Full Throttle in Steam.. hmm..

These are 9 good PC games available on the Steam platform. I suggest using Steam to purchase games because they are attached to your Steam user account (which is free to create). What this means is that if you switch computers later or have to reinstall Windows, all your previously purchased games via Steam will be available simply by downloading them again. No discs involved. No re-purchasing involved. And contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be connected to the internet for the Steam client to work. So if one day your internet cuts out for whatever reason and you want to play some of your downloaded games, you can. Don’t let anyone tell you different.

Anyway, on to the games.

Geometry Wars
Games: 1
Price: $3.99

The title may not sound exciting but the game is very, very addicting. Here’s a video of some gameplay.

Railroad Tycoon II Platinum
Games: 1
Price: $4.99

This is a SimCity/Civilization style game that is all about railroads.

Here’s a screen shot:

Xpand Rally / GTI Racing Pack
Games: 2
Price: $7.99

Two good racing games for a cheap price.

GTI Racing

Xpand Rally

Half-Life
Games: 1
Price: $9.99

One of the best video games ever made. This was VALVe’s debut game and it was rated one of the best by over 50 different publications. The best part is that since the game is a bit old (but still really good) in age it will run on just about any computer. The storyline is also top-notch stuff.

Dynomite Deluxe
Games included: 1
Price: $9.99

This is another one of those insanely addicting games. Good for all ages and can be as easy or as difficult as you want. This is a very well done game.

OddWorld: Abe’s Oddysee
Games included: 1
Price: $9.99

Some of you out there may remember this from playing it on the Sony Playstation (the original, not the 2 or 3). This is a strategy game but done with very entertaining cartoon style characters. It takes a good long time to get thru this, and that’s a plus. This is not something you’ll buy and beat in a day, I guarantee you that.

The screen shots may make this game appear "creepy", but trust me it’s not. This game is fun and a blast to play.

Rome: Total War Complete
Games included: 2
Price: $9.99

This is a two-fer, you get Rome: Total War Alexander and Rome: Total War Gold for one price. This is an RPG style game and takes a very long time to finish.

It should be noted that this is a 2007 release, so you need a reasonably powerful PC to run it optimally.

Sometimes there are freebie games released that are just plain frickin’ awesome and TrackMania is one of them. This is a racing game. While it’s true it has little to no driving realism to it, nobody cares because it’s just a blast to play.

For you old-school arcade gamers out there, remember Pole Position? Think of TM Forever as Pole Position on steroids, just as cool and a whole lot more.

TrackMania runs via the Steam client.

Looks like this once installed:

What does it look and play like? I recorded a solo round that I played, so see for yourself:

(to see a better quality version of this vid, go here)

NOW YOU’VE GOT TO ADMIT – this is pretty darned good for free, right?

Oh, and for nostalgia, here’s what the original Pole Position arcade game was like:

Those in the gaming world are very familiar with Steam; I use it myself to play a few games. It is a content delivery system for game titles. I remember when Steam first launched there were those that said it would never work and that nobody would prefer to buy games online compared to traditional boxed retail.

Every one of those critics were wrong.

Steam works. Yes it is criticized often but the fact of the matter is that nobody else does it better.

It is being rumored like crazy that Google will be acquiring Steam. It is completely understandable why the GOOG (assuming they have interest) would want this system because it does have a proven track record of stability for the most part and moreover it’s a solid revenue generator.

A small example of how steam works:

First and foremost, Steam is free to download and use – a big perk. From there you simply pick and choose what game you want, buy it, the game is downloaded and you start playing.

But lets say your computer dies for whatever reason. Are all your games gone?

No.

You can reinstall Steam on your new computer and re-download all the games you bought just by logging in. No digging for discs, registration codes and all that crapola. This is what makes Steam great.

In addition, Steam is a chat client. You can add friends on the network to your list and the system will state if they’re in-game or not – and also which game they’re in.

Steam is also a launcher of non-Steam games. If you have other games on your box you can add-in as many as you want.

Believe me, this is a good program to have if you game at all.