With the announcement of the Playstation Classic came a huge wave of nostalgia that likely affected anyone who owned the original Playstation, myself included. Interestingly enough, Sony didn’t announce the complete lineup of PS1 games that would be on the console, leaving a great deal of room for speculation. Going off of a combination of critical acclaim and personal nostalgia, here are twenty games that I would love to see on the Playstation Classic:
Torneko: The Last Hope
This one is completely biased, but it would still add some neat variety to the mix of platformers, racers, and RPGs. Even though it’s a Dragon Quest spin-off, the melodramatically titled Torneko: The Last Hope is a classic of the “mystery dungeon” genre of dungeon-crawlers. As the amicable shopkeep Torneko, you have to navigate a variety of dungeons as he searches for items and treasure. You get to explore cool locations, battle Dragon Quest’s impeccably designed monsters, and listen to some fantastic tracks. It didn’t sell well upon its original Western release, but I’d say Torneko and his weird journey deserve one last shot.
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
The Crash Bandicoot series was in its prime on the original Playstation, where it doled out three stellar core titles. If only one of the iconic games can come to the original Playstation, my vote is for Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. Crash 2 has the best platforming in the series without the extraneous features that Warped would bring to the series. Boasting memorable bosses, tight platforming, top-notch environments, and fantastic music, Crash 2 simply has to be on the console.
Spyro the Dragon
The upcoming Spyro collection leaves me curious as to whether Sony would try to include any of the original Playstation titles, but I feel like a Playstation collection would be incomplete without it. Though I think Spyro’s controls haven’t held up very well, it’s still a classic Playstation title that, alongside Crash Bandicoot, helped define the PS1.
Crash Team Racing
While I remember playing Crash Team Racing as a kid, I don’t remember it being ground-breaking or overly memorable. I’m in the minority here, as the game seems to be more fondly remembered than the majority of Crash games in general. While Gran Turismo would make sense, Crash Team Racing’s more fun and accessible kart-racing gameplay would likely appeal to the nostalgia of more fans, so I could easily see Crash Team Racing making it onto the Playstation Classic.
Street Fighter Alpha 3
With Tekken 3 confirmed to be in the mix, we’ve got a great 3D fighter all ready to go. Street Fighter Alpha 3 would be the perfect title to cover the 2D side of fighting games, as it features a huge roster, tons of different modes, and an incredibly fun and competitive multiplayer experience. It’s pretty easy to jump into and to learn at a basic level, so I hope Playstation and Capcom find a way to make this happen.
Digimon World
This may seem like a biased pick, but I genuinely believe that there are very few games like Digimon World, which remains a unique but addictive experience to this day. What starts as a simple story about a boy getting stuck in the Digital World turns into an incredibly complex RPG that has you raising all sorts of different Digimon using a deceptively deep Digivolution system. What each monster Digivolves into is affected by how well (or poorly) you take care of them while fulfilling certain tasks. Digimon eventually die of old age and are reborn as eggs, which, while fantastic for a few reasons, was a bit too much of mortality for me as a little boy. There are so many weird aspects to Digimon World that I would love to experience again, so I’m hoping it comes to the Playstation Classic.
Metal Gear Solid
There’s not much to say here, as I imagine most people interested in this console will know about Metal Gear Solid and likely expect it on the console. It’s one of the most famous and critically-acclaimed games ever made, and it’s still a fantastic game to go back to because of how forward-thinking and strange the game is. Solid Snake was considered to be one of the unofficial Playstation mascots for quite some time (alongside Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud Strife and Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft), so excluding Metal Gear Solid would just feel wrong.
Xenogears
I haven’t personally played Xenogears, but I know that RPG fans would have my head on a platter if I didn’t include it. I know the game has an ATB battle system that sometimes includes large mechs, and a story that evaluates war, society, and the impact of religion. If anything, I want Xenogears to be on the Playstation Classic so I can play it, as I’ve always heard nothing but critical acclaim for the game.
Legend of Dragoon
A turn-based RPG lost to time, Legend of Dragoon has an incredibly strong cult following that would kill for the exposure the game could receive from being on the Playstation Classic. With its unique combo-based combat system and focus on a cinematic storyline, Legend of Dragoon would be a fascinating game for modern audiences to experience.
When I first played this game at the tender age of 8, I distinctly remember an enemy character saying “bastard”. Recognizing this as a swear word, my friend and I promptly shut it off and panicked that my parents would find out and be angry. They never did, and they probably wouldn’t have cared at all, but it’s still pretty funny to look back on.
Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
Oddworld creeped me out immensely as a kid, and it still does now. The dour and oppressive atmosphere of Oddworld and its various locales still stands out in the minds of many Playstation kids. Oddworld features an interesting take on slower 2D platforming alongside its wonderfully dark tone, making it one of the more unique games on the original Playstation.
Parappa the Rapper
What Playstation collection would be complete without one of the goofiest rhythm games of all-time, Parappa the Rapper? Full of catchy songs based on seemingly mundane concepts (baking a cake, getting your driver’s license, needing to use a port-a-potty) in an aesthetically pleasing 2D world, Parappa offers players a lot of freedom in their rhythmic rapping. The first game was remastered for the PS4 not so long ago, so it’s clearly still on Playstation’s mind.
Tomb Raider 2
Tomb Raider is another franchise that most of my Playstation-having friends knew about and played. The series is still going strong in a more serious direction today, but nothing can beat the goofy dual-wielding dinosaur-slaying Lara Croft of old. The controls are tough to get used to now that the industry has come so far, but playing Tomb Raider 2 is still a lot of silly fun.
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos
I’m not personally a fan of Croc (it’s like Playstation’s Glover), but a surprising amount of people have nostalgic memories of the game. Like many 3D platformers from that age, Croc seemed to be an attempt at making a new mascot to stand alongside Crash and Spyro. While its success is debatable, the colorful collect-a-thon clearly made an impact for many Playstation owners.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Symphony of the Night is one of the best games ever made, and one of my all-time favorites. It’s the pinnacle of exploration-based platformers (or “Metroidvanias”), and still hasn’t been topped to this day. The setting, the spritework, the music, the depth of gameplay; everything about Symphony of the Night is top-notch and perfectly aged. With the second season of the Castlevania anime and remaster of Rondo of Blood/Symphony of the Night coming out, including the game on the Playstation Classic would round out this celebration of Castlevania.
Silent Hill
Though the series flew off of a proverbial cliff some time ago, the first Silent Hill is surprisingly fun to revisit. While playing it a month ago, I was impressed with how creepy the game’s atmosphere still is. Sure, the tank controls and voicework haven’t aged even remotely well, but the thrill that comes with trying to survive Silent Hill while taking in the town’s atmosphere are as timeless as ever. Silent Hill helped to shape the horror genre going forward, so I think it’s earned its place on the Playstation Classic.
Tomba!
It seems like Tomba! has been picking up steam as of late, as it’s become pretty well-known in recent years. The game is a 2D platformer with 3D backgrounds that heavily features jumping-on and tossing enemies around the screen, sort of like Guacamelee. Throwing enemies with reckless abandon is still fun today,
Twisted Metal
Vehicular combat likely wouldn’t be where it is today without the mayhem-infused Twisted Metal. As one of multiple vehicle-driving psychopaths, you have to use a plethora of weapons to completely destroy other drivers and their cars. It has a weirdly dark story, and it’s still a ton of fun to play. One of Playstation’s classic icons, the psycho-clown Sweet Tooth, originates from Twisted Metal, making it a strange but important piece of Playstation history.
Medievil
With the Medievil HD Collection coming out eventually, it just makes sense to include at least the first of Sir. Daniel Fortesque’s spooky adventures. The series of 3D hack-and-slash titles have always had a twisted and spooky aesthetic, keeping it from feeling like just another hack and slash. Medievil was all but non-existent for a little while, but the upcoming collection combined with being included on the Playstation Classic could give the series new life.
Resident Evil 2
You could certainly make a convincing argument for the original Resident Evil taking this slot on the Playstation Classic, but I think Resident Evil 2 has aged far more gracefully and is just a better horror game (though the Resident Evil remake is the best game in the series). Surviving the zombie outbreak in Raccoon City is The Resident Evil 2 remake’s upcoming release certainly helps the original game’s chance of getting on the Classic too.
Ape Escape
What Playstation collection would be complete without the gem that is Ape Escape? Capturing dopey little apes with a variety of creative gadgets and tools is a wholly original experience that is only made better by its weird story and carefree atmosphere. There’s a wholesome fun to Ape Escape that can’t be found anywhere else, and I’m really hoping Sony felt the same way when they chose the Playstation Classic’s games.
And those are my picks for the Playstation Classic. Did I miss anything? Leave a comment below, and stay tuned to MonsterVine for all the latest Playstation Classic info.
