When trying to kill time between classes and develop friendships with new roommates, activities might be hard to come by. If you are looking for a cost-effective way to bond with your buddies on weeknights, look no further than your television set.  There is a plethora of games available for seemingly ‘ancient’ game consoles such as your N64 or even a refurbished PlayStation 2, and they can be yours for $49.99 (via websites like Gamestop.com). There are many games from both consoles that can allow you to spend countless hours playing, whether it is early before class, in the midday or on a weeknight. Here are some titles that you can play that would be a great addition to spice up any dull dorm room.

Mario Party 1 – 3

These party-style favorites are all available for the Nintendo 64. These titles allow for up to four players and puts the gamers in the competition of a virtual board game. In this atmosphere, players compete over a set amount of turns and compete in various mini-games that consist of a cornucopia of events. While there are multiple titles, the games have relatively the same structure so there is no need to worry about varying differences between versions. These games do, however, require that time be set aside for gameplay, as players can not simply not play a turn and leave. Despite this, the fun of the game makes it well worth it.

Mario Tennis

This game is available for the Nintendo 64. This title is a pseudo sports game, but this shouldn’t intimidate the novice tennis player or fan. The game allows players to compete in singles or doubles, which again allows up to four people to play at once. While this title might seem like it only allows for a small realm of playability, the bastion of players and courts allows for massive replay ability. There is also no satisfaction as the kind you find when you send a tennis ball careening into the face of your loud, snoring roommate.

Super Smash Bros.

This title is also another Nintendo 64 exclusive. This game is probably one of the single most popular titles in the lifespan of the N64 and allows up to four players to duke it out in this fighter game. The game allows players access to all their favorite Nintendo characters. There are also certain characters that you can only obtain by completing challenges which add to the vast playability of “Super Smash Bros.” The title also features a single player option so you can hone your skills on your own to show off to your pals. If there is one N64 game that could become a favorite, it will be this one.

Grand Theft Auto (3, Vice City, San Andreas)

These titles are all available for the PlayStation 2. These games are not multiplayer, but they are a great time killer that will allow you to vent any frustrations from the mounds of homework piling up on your desk. Unlike the other games listed, this one will allow players to fly solo as the game allows unlimited control to drive through vast virtual urban sprawls, engage in story based missions, and the like. This game will surely get the attention of your roommates and at worst is bound to make a conversation piece.

Shadow of the Colossus

This game is available for the PlayStation 2. The title alone might be a turnoff for those who are looking for a casual gaming experience, but do not be fooled by “Shadow of the Colossus.” This fantasy-based game is another single player adventure that puts you in the role of a young man who must scale larger than life titans and take them down in boss battles. This will surprise most people with how addictive it is to climb these beasts and take them down one by one. Your roommates will be clamoring to borrow your controller to take turns to slay these goliaths.

If you are on a price fix and do not want to shell out hundreds for a new system than this is a great alternative. While it might be hard to find these older titles, they are all around. If you take the time to look online or hit up a local tag sale or flea market then you are bound to run across at least one of these games.

Jeff Mitchell can be reached at [email protected].