I'm going to be bluntly honest. I was really hoping that I did a games impressions blog when I first got it, so I wouldn't have to do one now. Unfortunately, I did not. This is by far my least favorite of the mini consoles. If you haven't been following it, the reason for it is its lackluster games collection, its minimal presentation and the fact that nine of the 20 games are PAL versions. They are:
- Battle Arena Toshinden
- Cool Boarders 2
- Destruction Derby
- Grand Theft Auto
- Jumping Flash!
- Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
- Resident Evil Director’s Cut
- Tekken 3
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six
So what's the deal with PAL anyway? Well, PAL is the European region and TVs over there back in the day ran at 50 Hz versus 60 in the States. PAL games were programmed to run on those TVs with slower refresh rates, so when you played a PAL game on an American TV, the result was a stuttering performance. For whatever dumbass reason, Sony decided it was smart to release NINE PAL versions on AMERICAN PlayStation Classics. This thing was obviously rushed trying to head off Nintendo's inevitable N64 Classic... that they never bothered to release. I'm going to be bluntly honest again and say I'm probably not going to revisit a game again if I already played a little of it when I first got the Classic. One last thing to note, because the system doesn't have a true off state, it keeps itself on in standby. Therefore, it keeps my wireless adapter on which in turn keeps my controller on. I didn't discover this until the next morning when my controller was completely dead. Annoying.
Battle Arena Toshinden
Back in 1995, Sega was the first out the gate with their 32-bit system, the Saturn. It launched with the amazing Virtua Fighter, an all 3D fighting game. Sony would need to follow up with their own 3D fighter so they launched the PlayStation with a weapons-based fighter Battle Arena Toshinden. Its graphics featured textured polygons, which Virtua Fighter did not have, but its gameplay was slow and clunky. Revisiting the game today, it has aged poorly. It's quite ugly and thanks to being a PAL version runs even worse than the original. Shame Sony didn't swap this out with the far superior Soul Blade. I couldn't even be bothered to complete one game.
Cool Boarders 2
Wow, I forgot a lot of PS games had FMV intros. This one tried to splice together FMV with footage of the gameplay, which I guess may have been impressive back then, but it's so grainy now that it really showed its age. I could not play this game. It's extremely rough around the edges, and it makes me wonder if it was really playable back in the day either. Could be because it's a PAL version, or I just really really suck. It's just extremely choppy and it really doesn't control well. I played some Competition and it seems like it's split up with doing tricks off a ski jump and doing downhill courses. I couldn't really figure out how to land tricks, but when I did the downhill course, I started having a bit of a fun, but I couldn't catch anyone. When I did the second course, I couldn't steer sharply for whatever reason and it made turning in that course almost impossible. I was bouncing back and forth off the walls like a pinball.
Destruction Derby
Another PAL game and another game that aged poorly, I actually had a lot of fun with it when I was a kid. I still kinda had fun with it now. The game's presentation was pretty poor, but the gameplay was rather fun when you got good enough to hit cars and make them spin out for big points. I think the game also had a vendetta system that would make the AI racers go after you if you hit them hard. I also remember this was one of the few System Link games where you could hook up two PSs and TVs to play two-player. I remember doing this with my friend and having a blast. I just really wish this was the NSTC version, though.
Final Fantasy VII
I don't need to revisit this one at all considering I beat it twice back in the day. It's still very fresh in my mind. I remember when I first started it, I was a bit puzzled by the fact that you started at level seven. I've always enjoyed starting games from level one. Anyway, Final Fantasy VII isn't just classic; it's historic. It helped give rise to Sony's dominance in the console industry when Nintendo stubbornly stuck to cartridges and lost FFVII to Sony. When FFVII released on the PlayStation, it broke numerous sales records and birthed millions of new RPG fans. It also contained one of the most infamous scenes in gaming history when the penultimate villain Sephiroth killed Aerith. Also, seeing classic summons being rendered in full 3D was awe-inspiring. Writing, music, gameplay, everything about this game incorporated the very best gaming could offer.
Grand Theft Auto
Before there was Rockstar, there was BMG Interactive and DMA. People who only started playing GTA with 3 and after are in for a shock if they choose to play the first and see where the series began. And well, thanks to being yet another PAL game, this game is just too ancient for me to play. Also, I completely forgot that you have to hold down A in order to move. You can't just move around with the d-pad! I played a few missions just for the hell of it and it was all I really needed to relive to the game. I do remember having a lot more fun with it when I was a kid. We got bored of doing the main missions and tried to see how may people we could run over before we got busted. Fun fact, did you know that the developers originally were making this game to be a peaceful law-abiding open-world game, even having you stop at traffic lights? Yeah, they quickly discovered it was a lot more fun to break the law.
Intelligent Qube
This was one of the games I played when I first got my PS Classic. I remember renting this as a kid and loving it. I got addicted to it and I thought the same thing would happen again, but it didn't happen. I don't know if it's just because I couldn't remember how to play it or if it just succumbed to old age but it just wasn't as fun. If you never played it, it's a puzzler that has you running around trying to destroy waves of advancing cubes by positioning tiles underneath them as they fall to make them disappear. It's definitely a game that requires you to get into a groove in order to do well and I guess I just couldn't. I've no real desire to return to it anymore and honestly, there's hundreds of better games Sony could have replaced this one with.
Jumping Flash
Before you could jump around in 3D as Mario, you jumped around in 3D as a robotic rabbit named Jumping Flash. You fired off all sorts of fireworks as you navigated stages with varying degrees of verticality and hunted down enemies to destroy. When I played this game again when I first got my PS Classic, I had some fun with it but it was short-lived. It didn't really help that it was a PAL version so of course, it aged worse.
Metal Gear Solid
Yet another game I don't need to revisit in order to talk about. I used to speed run this game. MGS was to action games as FFVII was to RPGs. In fact, legendary game designer Hideo Kojima coined a new subgenre: stealth action. MGS's main selling point was sneaking around the hidden base of Shadow Moses and taking out guards as silently as possible. Stealth wasn't always an option, though, and you encountered some fantastic boss battles. You even got to take down a helicopter, and who could forget Metal Gear Rex! The game also had memorable dialogue sequences via the Codec and even had a secret channel that could only be accessed by looking on the back of the box. Those without the original box had to search the internet for the code. Also, who could ever forget Psycho Mantis and how he read your memory card and moved your controller by making it rumble on the table! If anything gets me to play this again on the Classic, it will be to see how they do this without the memory card and me using my Switch Pro Controller. Will he be able to make that rumble?
Mr. Driller
I never played this back in the day but I heard a lot of good stuff about it. I played it when I first got the Classic and fell in love with it. It plays kinda like Dig Dug but more heavy on the puzzle elements, like if Dig Dug and Tetris had a baby. I actually really got addicted to it and probably played it way more than any other game on the Classic. Would I call this game a classic? No, but it was a lot of fun so I don't really mind.
Oddworld: Abe's Oddyssey
Ok, now this one was just a punch in the gut to me. I LOVED the original Abe's Oddyssey, so much so that I bought New 'n' Tasty for the Vita. Actually, I finished it recently just months prior to buying a Classic. When I fired up this game again after I bought the Classic, I was really disappointed by it. Being a PAL version, it didn't animate very well and sadly was just too ugly for me to really enjoy. Maybe if I didn't play through the spectacular New 'n' Tasty, I might have been more forgiving. Still, for its time (and if you can get the NTSC version), Abe's Oddyssey is a fantastic action puzzler. It actually reminds me that Soulstorm is about to release next week, AND it'll be free with PSN+!
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4
"RIIIDGE RAAACER!" - Kaz Hirai. I absolutely love Ridge Racer games. I played the absolute hell out of the first game. I'm not sure if I played any of the sequels before V, which I didn't care for much, but I consumed every Ridge Racer after. I even set a world record once on a time trial in 6. I thought I was going to play this one for a good while before I moved on to the next game, but I don't know. There was just something about it that I couldn't really get into. Maybe it was the structure of the game. Honestly, I think Sony would have been better off swapping this one out for the original. The first Ridge Racer is a certified classic.
Rayman
I honestly can't remember if I've ever played the first Rayman. This series has greatly evolved over the years, but at least the first game is certainly playable. I still think it looks good for what it was, and it animates well. Thank God it isn't a PAL. I played a few levels, but they're definitely tame by today's platformer standards. That may change later on in the game. Heh, for a while I thought you were able to punch in the game and I couldn't figure out how. I didn't know you had to get the ability to do that first. There was also a bonus level I was playing that I was trying to finish, but I accidentally died outside of it and then had enough. I definitely want to come back to this game at some point and play more. One of the few games on here that's actually a classic.
Resident Evil: Director's Cut
Haha, ok, I've had enough. I played up until Barry saved me (playing as Jill, the "Master of Unlocking") from the trap room where he says the infamous line, "You were almost a JILL sandwich!" The cheese is strong with this one. The opening FMV movie is about as B horror as you can get. The acting... it's so terribly classic! Now I never played Director's Cut, and it's a shame that this is the PAL version, but I fondly remember the original. I guess the only real difference with Director's Cut is the rearranging of certain items. I was so early in, I didn't really notice anything different. But man, the tank controls... are just not OK anymore. I know, I know, it was an intentional design decision in order to increase the tension of encounters, but the series has evolved so much now with 7 and 8, it really does make playing the old games too frustrating to be fun. Back when this was all you had, you learned to deal with it. Anyway, regardless of the shape its in, it's still very much a a classic.
Revelations: Persona
I suppose I should give this game another shot sometime in the future as it's the first in the massively popular Persona franchise, but I could just not get into it today. It sounds like it would be a great story, but it's so clunky to control. I was supposed to meet someone at the hospital, but all I got was that it was somewhere northeast of me, and I went all over the north and east trying to find this hospital and couldn't find it. Not having quest markers really makes it hard to hold my attention. I was trying to play the game long enough to at least see what the battle system was like but after spending five minutes wandering around the city and still not finding the hospital, I just gave up. Again, I should give it another try sometime, because apparently, it's good enough that people are willing to pay several hundred dollars for it on eBay.
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
I know a few people that debated that this shouldn't be in a classic collection, but I consider it a classic. I never played the game on the PS, but I played the hell out of it on the GBA. This is one of those puzzlers that I put up on the same tier as Tetris, Dr. Mario and Puyo Puyo in terms of addictiveness. I only played a quick game on the PS just to see what the graphics were like (obviously better than the GBA's), and I had to force myself to play a different game or I would have spent the entire day playing it again. In fact, I remember I bought a GBA Micro and played it exclusively with Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo when I was work because it was easy to conceal when supervisors passed over my cubicle. Say what you want about this game being included over an actual Street Fighter game. I still consider it to be very much a classic.
Syphon Filter
Unpopular opinion: Syphon Filter is better than Metal Gear Solid. Granted, MGS has the better production value, but I've always found myself gravitating more towards Syphon Filter in terms of gameplay. I just thought the mission structure was better and the gameplay was more varied. I really loved the cat and mouse missions and scoping out buildings to find the best way in. Plus, tasering bad guys in the head NEVER gets old! But yeah, this is a classic to me, but unfortunately, Sony just couldn't keep the series going strong as each sequel got progressively worse.
Tekken 3
One of the best Tekkens around is marred by being a PAL version! God dammit, Sony! I mean, it's still playable, but you can definitely tell it's not the NTSC version. This was probably the worst possible game for Sony to make that mistake on. Anyway, Tekken has always been a strong fighting series, and I absolutely loved Tekken 3's roster. My favorite was Eddy Gordo, because I loved his Capoeria style. It was tricky learn, but was also tricky to fight against. I had lots of great fights with my friends, and I loved all the new CG intros and endings each character had. Oh, if only this was the NTSC version. I would have played much more of it.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
WHY?! WHY out of all the games available is this on a Classic console? Whoever thought, "Gee, you know what would go great with a list that contains games such as FFVII, MGS and RE? Rainbow Six!" I tried playing this game when I first got my Classic and not only is it unplayable, it's a PAL game so it only makes it that much worse. The graphics are abysmal with such a short draw distance that I can't make out enemies until it's almost too late. The game itself is too complex in my opinion to be a console game as these are much better experienced on PC. It doesn't help that you're stuck with the original PlayStation controller, so you don't even have analogue sticks to aim with. Trying to shoot in an FPS with a digital pad? Forget about it.
Twisted Metal
I dunno, maybe it's because I'm half drunk at this point, but I cannot get into this game. It's actually giving me a headache. I remember I had a lot of good times with this game, and I do consider it a classic because it is one of Sony's most memorable franchises... that they unfortunately haven't done anything with lately. It's pretty much dead at this point. Anyway, I had to play as the iconic Sweet Tooth and I played the first round a couple of times until I figured out the controls enough to get me to the next level, but after that, my ass was handed to me over and over in the second round where I just got tired and gave up. I do remember I also used to use Mr. Grim a lot. Even though I still consider it a classic, it's just too basic to want to go back to when Twisted Metal Black is just so much better.
Wild Arms
Finally, the final game on this PlayStation Classic. It hasn't been much fun revisiting this console. Anyway, Wild Arms will always be one of my favorite RPGs on the PlayStation. It's one of my favorite RPGs in general. Mixing JRPGs with a Western theme was such a fantastic idea. I loved the whole ARMS mechanic where you use your guns in combination with magic to do some really good damage. I played the game again until I beat the first boss. I love how the first boss was just called Zombie when in reality, it was more like a dragon, but I had to force myself to turn it off after the boss fight, otherwise I would have kept playing. I really want to play through this game again, but that will have to wait for a rainy day. I'm not sure if I ever played Wild Arms 2, but I do know that I have Wild Arms 3 still sealed on the PS2. Some day, I'll get to that as well. If anything can be said about the PlayStation Classic, at least it has a few classic RPGs on it.
So that's it. I'm now caught up on my mini console impression blogs. The Sega Astro City Mini Arcade should be arriving soon, and I'll most likely split that up into segments as it will be a fresh take. I just really regret that the PS Classic didn't turn out to be much better than it was. The collection could have used several substitutions and of course, it could have done without the PAL versions. Anyway, if you've kept up with all the blogs at this point, thank you very much! Look forward the Sega Astro City Mini Arcade blogs!
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