I was certainly excited by the announcement as the PlayStation was my very first console which was solely mine, I couldn’t wait to replay some iconic games from my childhood. A pre order was placed and I eagerly awaited release day. When released, the Classic received mixed reviews, the biggest criticisms coming from the line up of games and the use of PAL versions for some games such as Tekken.
Now I must say when I finally got the chance to play it, I was pleasantly surprised, I personally didn’t care about the use of PAL versions as I was rubbish at Tekken back then and in actual fact probably even worse now so it made no difference to me, also there was plenty of iconic games for me to replay through and although I hadn’t played some of the games such as Wild Arms, it gave me something to look forward to and to maybe discover some missed treasures I can keep to myself or some absolute stinkers I can recommend to friends under the pretence of it being great.
But like most people, I do think there was some bizarre inclusions and omissions from the games included, Battle Arena Toshinden could’ve have been left off and the seminal Tomb Raider included (or just left off, it wouldn’t have made a difference), but I guess we’re stuck with what we’ve got and for every Battle Arena Toshinden there’s a Metal Gear Solid or an Abe’s Odyssey.
Present day and I still find myself going back to the PlayStation classic, just recently I played through the brilliant Ridge Racer Type 4 for the first time and realised I’ve been missing out on one of gaming greatest soundtracks, ‘Your Vibe’ being a highlight which would give any dance track a run for its money.
One game I will never likely never finish on the Classic despite multiple attempts is the first instalment of Rainbow Six. The game is incredibly difficult to play with the original controller, the game is definitely more suited to the analogue Dual Shock, think of the online community from Rainbow Six Siege channelled into a control scheme and you get the picture of just how difficult and infuriating the game is to endure, that’s not to say the game is bad (and neither is Seige), it just isn’t suited to the original controller, whereas I’ve found myself replaying what is probably the best game, not only on the classic but the original PlayStation; Metal Gear Solid. This game/movie/philosophical masterpiece is just as good to play as it ever was, what other game has as many memorable and iconic characters as this one? Impressive considering that not a single character has a face.
Also included is the first entry in the Persona series, and whilst it may not be as accessible or charming as the recent entries it’s great to be able to experience the start of the now iconic series.
Whilst we can argue all day about the line up of game and what we have is essentially, a few absolute classics, some underrated gems and a few duds, Tomb Raider’s omission is definitely questionable and it’s inclusion would’ve made the little console more appealing to those on the fence, an analogue dual shock would’ve also been a nice little bonus.
Regardless of what people think and regardless of how divisive the PlayStation Classic is, it’s a purchase I don’t regret and out of all the classic and mini consoles I own it’s the one I’ve played most recently and while it’s not the best mini console by any stretch of the imagination, it holds some of the best memories and nostalgia for me and I thank Sony and their iconic console for that.
Top Picks:
Metal Gear Solid
Final Fantasy VII
R4 Ridge Racer Type 4
Revelations: Persona
Wild Guns
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
Everyday of the Geek 