Earlier in the week, Sony made the surprising but certainly excitingannouncement of the PlayStation Classic, a new micro-console that follows in the tradition of Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition and last year’s SNES Classic Edition. As those two consoles that came before it, the PlayStation Classic will bring a miniaturized version of the original PlayStation to stores this holiday season, and will come packed in with 20 of the system’s most well-known, classic titles.
Now, Sony has already revealed five of the games that we can expect to find on the system when it arrives in December:Final Fantasy VII,Jumping Flash,Ridge Racer Type 4,Tekken 3, andWild Arms. Assuming that the rest of the titles will be announced later this year, that leaves 15 games for the system still up for grabs to be included on the PlayStation Classic.
Naturally, theDualShockersteam gathered together to speculate on which 15 games could potentially arrive on the PlayStation Classic, and after combing through dozens of titles, here are the 15 that we think deserve a spot on the system.
*Editor’s Note: In case you are wondering why some notable titles are missing from the list, such as theCrash Bandicoot,PaRappa the Rapper, and theSpyro the Dragongames, we opted to avoid picking games that have been recently remade or remastered.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Though the PlayStation pushed the boundaries of 3D gaming through titles likeCrash BandicootandMetal Gear Solid, the system’s line of more traditional 2D offerings still runs deep, and no better example of that would come from a game other thanCastlevania: Symphony of the Night. As one of the series' best entries–and one of the defining pillars of the “Metroidvania” genre–Symphony of the Nightis an obvious and, at this point, expected inclusion to be represented on the PlayStation Classic.
Crash Team Racing
As theCrash Bandicoottrilogy was recently remade just a year ago through theN. Sane Trilogy, the likelihood of the original games appearing on the PlayStation Classic seems a bit low. However, it would be crazy for the system to not include at least one title representing what was arguably the system’s mascot, soCrash Team Racingwould make for a logical way to include the ridiculous bandicoot in some capacity on the system, aside from it being a fantastic kart racing game in its own right.
Gran Turismo 2
As racing games now feature cars that are nearly indistinguishable from real life, theGran Turismoseries is bound for an appearance on the PlayStation Classic as one of the defining franchises in the genre. Of the PS1 titles, we feel that it would be appropriate forGran Turismo 2to make an appearance on the system, given the ways that it improved and expanded on the original racing classic with more cars and options than ever before.
The Legend of Dragoon
As the PlayStation Classic will likely be home to several JRPGs,The Legend of Dragoonwould make for another excellent pick to represent the genre outside of expected games likeFinal Fantasy VIIorSuikoden II. Coming from one of Sony’s own studios, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise for us to seeThe Legend of Dragoonmake an appearance alongside many of the big-name RPGs that will (hopefully) appear on the Classic.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Under the direction of the eventualUnchartedwriter and director Amy Hennig,Legacy of Kain: Soul Reavergave PlayStation owners a dark and gripping story wrapped around a war between vampires. As a predecessor to the types of larger-than-life action-adventure games that players enjoy today, giving a spot on the PlayStation Classic toLegacy of Kain: Soul Reaveris another choice that we think makes sense for the legacy of the system by honoring one of its all-time classics.
Metal Gear Solid
From the game’s iconic opening to some of the most memorable boss battles in gaming history,Metal Gear Solidis by far the game that easily deserves its place on the PlayStation Classic. Though recent years saw a tumultuous relationship between the series' publisher Konami and its legendary creator, Hideo Kojima,Metal Gear Solid’s release in 1998 cemented it as not only one of the PlayStation’s greatest titles, but one of the most influential and iconic games in history. Given that the game iscelebrating its 20th anniversary this year, it also seems appropriate to give it a home on the place where it all started.
Resident Evil
From Jill Sandwiches, to Wesker’s bad hair, to the terrifying sound of dogs jumping through glass windows,Resident Evilis not only a cheesy horror experience by today’s standards, but the game that came to define an entire genre afterward. Survival-horror games wouldn’t be the game withoutResident Evil, and the PlayStation Classic should absolutely hold a place for Capcom’s horror classic…even if it means having to face our fears once again.
The case could also be made forResident Evil 2to be included on the PlayStation Classic, but given that it’sabout to get its own remake next year, the original seems like a more fitting inclusion on the PlayStation Classic.
Silent Hill
As a great companion toResident Evil,Silent Hillsimilarly made its mark in gaming history with its release in 1999, and the PlayStation Classic would be missing out on bringing another landmark survival-horror game to the system. Compared to the cheesy B-movie style ofResident Evil,Silent Hill’s atmospheric and haunting style of horror is still the stuff of nightmares that deserves to be seen in 2018.
Suikoden II
As the PlayStation Classic is more than likely to bring a few JRPGs over, there certainly seems to be room for a few non-Final Fantasygames to make their way onto the PlayStation Classic. Of the possible choices,Suikoden IIis one that we absolutely hope ends up on the system. Though the series doesn’t have the same pedigree asFinal Fantasy,Suikoden IIis still one of the best offerings that the JRPG genre has ever had, and the PlayStation Classic would be all the better for including it.
Syphon Filter
As one of the first titles to come out of Eidetic (which would later be known as Bend Studio,currently at work on the PS4-exclusiveDays Gone), we feel that it makes sense to include a throwback in the form ofSyphon Filteron the PlayStation Classic. As a counterpoint toMetal Gear Solid,Syphon Filteris another fine example of the stealth genre that would make for a noteworthy inclusion before the release of Bend’s next original IP next year,Days Gone.
While PlayStation already had the likes of mascot characters for the system like Crash Bandicoot, Lara Croft, and Spyro the Dragon, theTomba!series carved out its own unique identity for PlayStation by bringing the system a wacky protagonist and quirky gameplay. In comparison to the darker titles that may appear on the PlayStation Classic,Tomba!would be a great unexpected pick that could add some variety and quirk to the lineup of games on the system.
Tomb Raider
While Lara Croft’s most recent adventure has brought her into the heart of Mexico inShadow of the Tomb Raider, going back to her roots in the very firstTomb Raidershould seem like an obvious pick for the PlayStation Classic. Lara has changed quite drastically from the release of the first game back in 1996, but having a trip back to the days of the dual-pistol-wielding PlayStation icon would surely be worth a chance to replay on the PlayStation Classic.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
While theTony Hawk’sseries in recent years is all but dormant after the release ofTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, which was panned across the board,Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2was arguably the series at its absolute peak. From an incredible soundtrack and a diverse array of skaters and tricks–includinga certain web-slinger–Pro Skater 2would be a fantastic addition to the lineup of games on the PlayStation Classic, aside from the complications that its soundtrack (and music licensing) may present in bringing the game over to the system.
Twisted Metal
Realistically, any of the first fourTwisted Metalgames could make their way onto the PlayStation Classic. But if we want to keep things simple, going with the original game would bring players back to the days of car-on-car action with Sweet Tooth and the rest of the game’s wonderfully bizarre cast.
Valkyrie Profile
As we don’t expectFinal Fantasyto take all of the system’s slots for iconic RPGs,Valkyrie Profilewould be yet another worthy addition to the system’s legacy of JRPGs. However, aside from the obvious gets likeFinal Fantasy VIIorSuikoden II,Valkyrie Profile’s Norse mythology-inspired would add a bit of extra flavor in the system’s lineup, especially for those of you itching for more Norse historyafter playingGod of War.
These are just a handful of the potential PlayStation games we would love to see come to the PlayStation Classic. Anything you think that should make the system instead? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.
