Name some of the best games across all sytems and generations that cost $5 or less (physical media only)

[SparTonberry]

So I read with Taito Legends, there's four games exclusive to the PS2 version, and four games only on the PC and Xbox versions.
I bought the PC version awhile ago but never installed it. From what I read it's Starforce copy-protected, and supposedly Starforce is a somewhat intrusive form of DRM?

[kupomogli]

So I read with Taito Legends, there's four games exclusive to the PS2 version, and four games only on the PC and Xbox versions.
I bought the PC version awhile ago but never installed it. From what I read it's Starforce copy-protected, and supposedly Starforce is a somewhat intrusive form of DRM?

That's on Taito Legends 2, and was pretty bs in my opinion. Xbox version was the better version. Bubble Symphony, Cadash, and Pop n' Pop. Three of the best games on the collection and they're not even on the PS2 version.

[BetaWolf]

Taito Legends 2 does have StarForce, but it is very much removable. http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55
It's a very good collection, albeit just MAME ROMs with a nice little frontend.

[Tanooki]

Starforce the problem there is that for one it won't remove itself from the computer when the game it came with is.

And while it was never solidly proven with hard evidence, plenty have shown online it has caused damage to systems, compromises PC security, slows down PCs, causes crashes and even damages optical drives.

I found this tidbit on the boycott page over it (http://www.glop.org/starforce/):
Here's what Greg Vederman, PC Gamer editor-in-chief, experienced:

I'm okay with that in theory, but some of these anti-piracy software programs are so potent that they cause issues for legitimate game buyers. One of the leading brands, StarForce, is notorious for not only making it difficult for a small percentage of legitimate users to load up StarForce-protected games, but also for leaving potentially problem-causing StarForce software behind on your PC, even after you've deleted the game it was protecting. And this isn't just some story that I've read about online or in emails from readers. No, it happened to me.

Last year, my work PC suddenly began blue-screening (crashing) any time I popped an audio CD into either of my two optical drives. I went online and learned that other people were having this problem and that it appeared to be StarForce-related. Deleting my StarForce-protected games did nothing. I had to run a StarForce-removal utility before my system - filled only with legal, licensed software - could play audio CDs again.