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Let it never be said that the world of downloadable content is boring Since October's launch of import games on the Wii's Virtual Console service it feels like the landscape has been constantly shifting: in November Sony opened an online PlayStation Store for PSP owners who don't own a PS3 (er, most of them) and December's Xbox 360 Dashboard update includes the ability to download a range of classic titles from the Xbox back catalogue (including the original Halo and cult hit Psychonauts.) I'll take a full look at Microsoft's new service in next month's column, but this month I'll look at Sony's new service, which allows PSP owners to download full PSP titles and a range of PS One classics to their Memory Stick.

PLAYSTATION STORE

There's actually only one full game available on UMD currently available for download on Sony's North American store, but it's a good one: Wipeout Pure ($15.99). On its original release The Globe and Mail's Chad Sapheia called the futuristic racer "a game that takes full advantage of the system's potential to deliver smooth, highly detailed 3D graphics and great sound" but noted weak AI and long load times. While playing the game off a Memory Stick doesn't do anything for the AI, it greatly improves load times, and I'd stick with his high appraisal of the title even with the sequel, Wipeout Pulse, on the horizon. It's a shame Sony haven't included the extra downloadable tracks originally available on the Wipeout Pure website, though.

When it comes to the PS One titles, they're a motley bunch, most of which have been available on the PS3 store for a while now. I do wish Sony would start to offer a wider range of titles. Of the titles currently available, my favourites are Destruction Derby ($6.99) a very basic, but still fun, car smash-em-up that's great to pick up and play for a few minutes at a time (it's probably still the best in the Destruction Derby series) and Jumping Flash ($6.99) a bizarre Japanese first-person 3D platformer that has been largely forgotten in the face of Super Mario 64. It's an interesting curio; exactly the kind of overlooked title that should be released on downloadable services. (Destruction Derby: 3/5, Jumping Flash: 3.5/5)

WII VIRTUAL CONSOLE

Super Mario Bros. 3 (500 Wii Points) — To be completely honest, it seems like a waste of words to wax lyrical about Super Mario Bros. 3. As one of the most popular and important video games ever released you're bound to know all about it already, and as one of the best video games ever you must have played it through by now. If, through some kind of truly absurd occurrence none of the above is true, well, download it as quickly as possible There really isn't a better 2D platformer available, and that's all I'm going to say on the matter. 5/5 5/5

Alien Soldier: (900 Wii Points) — This was released on the same day as Super Mario Bros. 3, and is actually more remarkable, as it's another title that has never received a proper release in North America until now. A spiritual sequel to Treasure's earlier (and immeasurably more famous) Gunstar Heroes, Alien Soldier is run-and-gun shooter composed of short levels that (largely) consist of only of epically difficult boss battles. While the controls are a little complex and the title is too difficult to be particularly accessible, if you've played Gunstar Heroes to death this is your next challenge. 3.5/5

Axelay (800 Wii Points) — For some reason I have really fond memories of this Super NES shoot-em-up, probably thanks to it's (at the time) astonishing graphics. In retrospect the title isn't quite as worthy of my adoration as it once was; the difficulty seems more frustrating than it is unforgiving, and the once mind-blowing use of the Super NES' Mode 7 graphics just seems kind of strange looking. It's still compelling if you're obsessed with Konami's 16-bit output (I am) but there are far better shoot-em-ups available on the Virtual Console. 2.5/5

STEAM

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines ($19.99 US) — This was on sale during November, and although the sale is over, it's still worth mentioning. Genuinely one of the best titles on Steam, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines is an incredibly in-depth action RPG that never really recovered from being released in an incomplete form in 2005. Thankfully it's since been patched, and the game is stronger in plot and design than even recent RPGs such as Mass Effect. It's a little pricey at $20, admittedly. 4/5