If you happened to miss out on ICO and Shadow of the Colossus the first time around, first of all shame on you, but, second of all, Sony is giving you yet another chance to check out these perfect arguments for why games should be considered art. Though we may not see Fumito Ueda’s forthcoming opus The Last Guardian in 2012, or even at all for that matter, his two previous masterpieces will live on in yet another format.

Just last year Ico and Shadow of the Colossus were bundled together in an HD collection, the perfect opportunity to check out these games, but some might have scoffed at the idea of paying for two games when all they really wanted was one. To help appease those types of gamers, Sony is now going to be offering Ico separate from Shadow of the Colossus (or vice versa) on the PlayStation Network next Tuesday, January the 17th.

The news was just announced on the PlayStation Blogcast, where they also revealed each title will run $20. It’s essentially half the retail price of the HD collection, but it doesn’t come with a hard copy of the game, nor does it come with the awesome reversible box art.

And, if you happen to catch a special sale for this bundle, you might be better off purchasing them both and ignoring the game that holds the lesser appeal. But seriously, these games are pretty spectacular and each should definitely be played in some capacity.

Not only are they downright glorious, but and as I mentioned before, they are some of the best examples of games as not just a unique storytelling medium but also a form of artistic expression. It really is a shame that The Last Guardian’s reputation has been marred by Ueda’s rumored departure and several missed appearances at important trade shows. Still, because of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, we will always hold the highest anticipation for whatever Team Ico or Fumito Ueda has in development.

Are there any gamers out there who were holding out for a downloadable version of Ico or Shadow of the Colossus?

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus will be available January 17, 2012 on the PlayStation Network.

Source: PlayStation Blogcast (via Joystiq)