Right! Sony's unveiled its list of games to be bundled into the guts of the forthcoming PlayStation Classic, and while it's not the list we hoped for, nor others judging by the fallout, it's still an attractive proposition for a seasonal thumb-workout to shove under your Christmas tree or otherwise non-denominational indoor flora of choice, and unwrap on the big day (or days), should wrapping/unwrapping be something you… (Enough – Ed.)
To be fair, the perfect wish-list was never achievable given the figurative minefield of renewing expired licensing deals and what have you – a process presumably about as simple as getting the seeds into tomatoes, (whoever's job that is). Unlike Nintendo, Sony doesn't enjoy the luxurious proposition of having made almost all of its own best games with which to stuff its retro-styled mini consoles. Thus, Sony will almost certainly have had to make compromises along the way.
But enough of the preamble. Here's the list of games that will appear on the PlayStation Classic in the economic West:
- Battle Arena Toshinden
- Cool Boarders 2
- Destruction Derby
- Final Fantasy VII
- Grand Theft Auto
- Intelligent Qube
- Jumping Flash
- Metal Gear Solid
- Mr Driller
- Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
- Rayman
- Resident Evil Director's Cut
- Revelations: Persona
- Ridge Racer Type 4
- Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
- Syphon Filter
- Tekken 3
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
- Twisted Metal
- Wild Arms
Compare and contrast that with my own wish-list if you so desire. The overlap is minimal. Of said overlap, Destruction Derby is actually a welcome surprise given its inclusion on my list for reasons of selfish personal nostalgia. Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil (in the shape of its Director's Cut) are very welcome though less surprising appearances. For the record, we knew about Final Fantasy 7, Jumping Flash, Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3 and Wild Arms at the time of the Classic's original announcement.
If there are omissions that surprise or disappoint, then the Tomb Raider, WipeOut and Gran Turismo series must be among them – all contain excellent titles that would position the Classic as a machine worthy of serious game time rather than mere misadventures down memory lane.
At the same time, nostalgia is legitimately part of the machine's appeal, and on that note, I'm disappointed not to see the original Ridge Racer on the list. This, more than any other game, was synonymous with the PlayStation around the time of its release and would unquestionably have been the first game I'd load when firing up the Classic for the first time.
I'd also hoped to see the inclusion of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but we now know Konami was planning a re-release on PlayStation 4 (bundled with Rondo of Blood), which has since been announced and thrust unto the PlayStation Store.
Though a divisive inclusion, I do give Sony credit for bundling in Battle Arena Toshinden, which, though not as iconic as Ridge Racer, was another game with 3D graphics that helped drum excitement up to a fever pitch ahead of the machine's launch outside of Japan. I find myself oddly pleased with the appearance of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, a perfectly pleasant puzzle game, if a little frenetic to be one of my very favorites.
For the sake of completion, here are the games included which are exclusive to the Western release:
- Cool Boarders 2
- Destruction Derby
- Grand Theft Auto
- Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
- Rayman
- Syphon Filter
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
- Twisted Metal
And here are the exclusives that will appear in Japan in their stead:
- Arc the Lad
- Arc the Lad 2
- Armored Core
- Gradius Gaiden
- XI [sai]
- SaGa Frontier
- G Darius
- Parasite Eve
Which territory is getting the better deal is wide open for debate. There are some great titles, and passable ones, in both lists.