A reader offers a feature length explanation of the games he thinks should be in Sonys new mini-sized PS1 console.
If the PlayStation Classic is going to reflect its name in the games it includes then they have to be genuine classics. However, the inclusion of the virtually unknown Jumping Flash! in the first five official announced games suggests that Sony are not thinking like that at all. What a surprise. [It might not have been a major hit but Jumping Flash! was the first ever 3D platformer – GC]
This is worrying, or it would be if I was ever going to consider buying the machine which Im not because I have most of my original PlayStation games and consoles all still working. But if they want to sell to a new generation of gamers and educate them in the genuinely great games the original PlayStation hosted then they should be packing it with real goodies, not the also-rans.
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With that in mind I have five suggestions:
1) Tomb Raider. How can it not be included? It was one of the key games that helped sell the PlayStation, and with it video gaming to the wider public. The fact is it still plays well and the movement control was designed for and works best with the D-pad of the original controller too.
If it were me Id include Tomb Raider III but, despite being ahead of its time, that would be unlikely to make the cut for all sorts of reasons. However, there is another game in the same action/adventure/platforming genre that should be included…
2) Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver. All the praise it received, and has received since, in almost every department, from the script, voice-acting, and presentation to the gameplay are well deserved. It was the coolest, must-buy PlayStation game at the time and has aged very well.
3) Metal Gear Solid. There is no question about the importance of including this, despite the fact it has been re-released and reworked to death over the years. Im not a great Metal Gear Solid fan but it was without question another key PlayStation game. They should give it more value though by integrating the, sold separately, Special Missions pack which, for me, was far more than just the cherry on the cake.
4) Dino Crisis. I would have suggested one of the Resident Evil games in the horror survival genre but as I expect that is a certainty for inclusion anyway this must be my choice instead. I thought about Silent Hill too but that is a bit rough around the edges by todays standards. Dino Crisis though was lauded at the time for doing something different with the genre. That is enough to warrant inclusion but it is more than just Resident Evil with dinosaurs, there are plenty of sometimes very clever puzzles and it remains an exciting game to play.
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So many other choices Id like to see: Parasite Eve, which just on the fact it was never released in PAL territories would be a fantastic inclusion if Sony are serious about making the PlayStation Classic a success worldwide.
Likewise, the full version of Ace Combat 3, which outside Japan was butchered, and similarly the Japanese-only Panzer Front bis, the definitive version of the best ever console tank combat game.
I also considered Tenchu, the atmospheric if flawed ninja assassination game important, as the real granddaddy of free roaming, modern stealth. Worth being reminded too that it was released six months before Metal Gear Solid.
Like Resident Evil, the accessible but deep role-playing game Vagrant Story is another one Id hope would be a certainty on the PlayStation Classic, so instead Ill suggest…
5) Command & Conquer: Red Alert – Retaliation. A real-time strategy game that actually plays well on console. The campaign is big and involving but the real meat is in the skirmish games and potential multiplayer. So much would depend on the PlayStation Classics capabilities whether this would be worth including, not least the fact the skirmish games against the computer are hampered by some of the worst slowdown youll ever experience. If that can be fixed and multiplayer enabled then it is a must include.
Ill be very interested to read what other gamers would want on the PlayStation Classic but my feelings are that the reality will be far less stellar than we are hoping.
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By reader Malcolm Lawn
The readers feature does not necessary represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.
You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. As always, email [email protected] and follow us on Twitter.
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