The PlayStation Classic (mini) console was announced recently which is set to release this December just in time for Christmas. It will come bundled with 20 pre-installed classic PlayStation titles, however at this time of writing we only know of the 5 of 20 games included, and they are; Final Fantasy VII, Ride Racer Type-4, Jump Flash!, Wild Arms and Tekken 3. So with that in mind, I’ve listed the fifteen remaining games that I would like to see included in this mini console.
I know a large chunk of the listed may be unlikely due to fussy publishers and age ratings, but hey, we can but dream. That said, I’d love to know what games you’d like to see included and are you planning on picking up the PlayStation Classic console this Christmas? Let us know across our social media channels.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)
Naturally with Resident Evil 2 being my favourite video game of all-time, if it wasn’t for the fact that we’re getting the remake this coming January, I would included this beloved classic. So instead I’ll include its follow-up or prequel depending on which way you look at it, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Set 24 hours before the events of Resident Evil 2, you play as Jill Valentine during the earlier stages of the T-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City. This game is among one of the most intense in the series with you being stalked by the menacing Nemesis and to this day, I can still hear it utter the word “S.T.A.R.S!” However, not only was this a fantastic game in its own right, it also featured some multiple choice options when encountering the Nemesis and it included the awesome ‘The Mercenaries’ mode. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis will act as a perfect introduction to those new to the series coming in for the Resident Evil 2 remake.
Silent Hill (1999)
Highly regarded as one of the best survival horror games of all-time with its disturbing psychological approach, the story of Silent Hill followed Harry Mason in search of his missing daughter following a car crash. His search would lead him into the town of Silent Hill and he would soon discover that it was the home of sinister cults and unspeakable horrors. If you ask any fan of their top five horror titles, most will probably list Resident Evil and Silent Hill among them, and for good reason. Konami might be burying the Silent Hill franchise like NWO Hollywood Hogan, but Silent Hill’s inclusion on the PlayStation Classic will remind those of the series glory days.
WWF Smackdown 2! Know Your Role (2000)
For me this was the best WWE (or WWF as it was known back in the day) on the original PlayStation and I would love to see it feature on the classic console. While the first Smackdown game set the standards, it was this sequel that would evolve the series and would help shape the games that we know of today. Along with its fast and frantic gameplay, it featured a fairly decent campaign where you could wonder around back stage, and it featured the first advanced creation feature which not only included the Create-a-Superstar, but also Create-a-Manager, Create-a-Moveset, Create-a-Taunt and Create-a-Stable. WWF Smackdown 2! Know Your Role was also the best-selling combat sports game on a single format on PlayStation, selling more than 3.2 million copies worldwide!
Tomb Raider (1996)
Tomb Raider may have began life on the Sega Saturn, but it reached massive heights of acclaim on the PlayStation and would become one of the brands most iconic franchises for years to come. I know going back to this classic title today, it’s not great as we might remember with its clunky gameplay and blocky visuals, but there’s no denying that this was one of the original PlayStation’s most important titles and is more than worthy of a place on this classic console.
Dino Crisis (1999)
It’s not the first time that I’ve spoken about this cult classic and until Capcom gives us a new game or a remake, I won’t stop! Oh heck, who I am kidding? I’ll only talk about it more if that actually ever happens! But until then, I’d love to see the original Dino Crisis included in the PlayStation Classic. Mixing the survival horror of the Resident Evil games and dinosaur’s, there’s no many wacky concepts that could have worked better than this. Whether Dino Crisis would actually appear on the PlayStation Classic is unlikely, but it would be dinotastic if it did (sorry for cheap pun).
Metal Gear Solid (1998)
One of Hideo Kojima’s most treasured masterpieces, Metal Gear Solid. Infusing stealth, action and a cinematic experience that only Kojima-san could deliver, Metal Gear Solid has earned cult status to this very day. After the abomination that is Metal Gear Survive, Konami could work wonders by getting back into the good graces of their fans by giving us a full remake using the Fox Engine, but until then, having Metal Gear Solid sneak its way on to the PlayStation Classic would take the first steps in rebuilding those crumbled foundations.
Gran Turismo 2 (1999/2000)
I was torn between including the original Gran Turismo or its sequel, especially as I heard that awesome “Sweet 16” soundtrack from Feeder playing in my mind, but setting nostalgia aside, I went with Gran Turismo 2. While visually and in terms of gameplay, there’s little to distinguish between the original and the sequel, the fact that Gran Turismo 2 had an almighty for its time, just shy of 650 vehicles and 27 tracks, Gran Turismo 2 piped its predecessor to the finishing line to earn its place on the games I want to see on the PlayStation Classic.
Parasite Eve (1998)
Like many in Europe at the time of its release, due to the fact it never released on our shores, I never got to play the original Parasite Eve, although we did get its sequel. In a time when the survival horror genre was booming, Parasite Eve blended that element along with role-playing influenced from Square Enix’s big hitting Final Fantasy series. Other then bringing us classic titles that we loved playing back in the day, the PlayStation Classic is also an opportunity to bring forth those games that many of us never got the opportunity to play all those years back.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999)
It’s been way too long since we’ve had anything new from the Legacy of Kain series, we were meant to get Legacy of Kain: Dead Sun, but despite being quite far in development, that project was cancelled some years ago. However for me, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver will hold a special place in my heart. Playing as the anti-hero Raziel after being betrayed and killed by Kain himself, Raziel is resurrected by the Elder Gods as a Soul Reaver to reap revenge upon his once dominant master. We probably won’t be getting a new Legacy of Kain game anytime soon, so having Soul Reaver appear on the PlayStation classic should help tide us over until then.
Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 (2000)
Releasing one year following the original game, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 is widely considered to be one of the best sports titles of all-time. Don’t get me wrong, the original game is a classic, but its sequel built upon everything that was great about the first game (which was pretty much everything) and made it even better. While the sequel captured the same, addictive gameplay at its core, you could perform more tricks, play in larger arenas to showboat your skills, featured an awesome soundtrack and a wealth of modes including a fantastic level editor for its time. The Tony Hawks Pro Skater series may have gone downhill today, but the second game in the series is more than deserving of a place on the PlayStation Classic.
Vagrant Story (2000)
Straight up, I’ve never played Vagrant Story, but I’ve heard some much about this classic JRPG title developed by the team that brought us Final Fantasy Tactics. As with Parasite Eve, the PlayStation Classic will be a great system for revisiting those classics of yesteryear and introducing games to people such as me that may have missed some of the PlayStation’s greatest titles. Sure I could just download this game via the PlayStation Classic section for my PS3, but there’s going to be something extra special about experiencing these iconic titles on a PlayStation replica console using the original PS1 controller.
Crash Team Racing (1999)
I was torn between the original Crash Bandicoot or its kart racing counterpart, but I’ve gone for the latter here. When Crash Team Racing (developed by Naughty Dog) arrived on the PlayStation, it was Sony’s attempt at jumping on the Mario Kart bandwagon. However, there’s little denying that Crash Team Racing more then held its own as a fantastic kart racer, which is why it’s so widely beloved by fans, so much so that fans have been calling out for a new game for years! If Crash Team Racing appeared on the PlayStation Classic, just imagine the epic multiplayer fun we could be having this Christmas!
Syphon Filter (1999)
You couldn’t really have a release of the PlayStation Classic without including the likes of third-person, stealth shooter, Syphon Filter. In truth, we could have any one of the three instalments that released on the PlayStation, but for the sake of nostalgia, I’ve got to go with the original. Once again, much like most of the titles on this list, we probably won’t be getting a new game anytime soon. However, until developers Sony Bend Studio (Days Gone) brings us a new adaptation, we’ll just have to make do with revisiting the world of tactical espionage with Gabriel Logan and Lian Xing once more via the PlayStation Classic console.
Wipeout 2097 (1996)
You may be able to get the Wipeout Collection remastered on PS4 right now, but they’ll be something that extra nostalgic about playing any one of the Wipeout titles on the PlayStation Classic. Yeah sure, I still suck at these games to this very day, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have any absolute ball playing them. Again I could have gone with the original 1995 release, but seeing as its sequel, Wipeout 2097 was just that little more fast and frantic, with a more refined gameplay experience, I’ve gone with the 1996 follow-up. I just hope that if any of the Wipeout games makes it on the PlayStation Classic, I can resist that urge to throw the controller when I choke the race at the last bend!
Driver (199)
Ok, talk about throwing controllers! I loved Driver, cruising the streets of San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles and New York like your Steve McQueen, playing as undercover cop John Tanner was an absolute blast. For its time, the open city that Driver brought to the original PlayStation was way ahead of its time, both in terms of gameplay and its visuals, it really pushed the system to its limits. This is why it’s one of my favourite games on the original PlayStation and is why I’d love to see it feature on the Classic console this December. However, there was one big stumbling block that held you back from experiencing the potential of this fantastic game and that was its infuriating training mission at the very start of the game! If you’ve played Driver, then the frustration of that experience will likely haunt you to this very day. However, once you got passed that mission, you’d soon discover that Driver was one of the finest games to release on the PlayStation.
Well that concludes my list of the remaining 15 games that I would love to see on the PlayStation Classic console, so don’t forget to let us know what games you’d like to see across our social media channels.