PlayStation Retro Discussion (inc. PS3, digital PS1 & PS2 Classics & PS Plus Premium)

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Next week should be the next reveal of the PS Premium content, but Disney has done it again by having Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace from the original PlayStation rated in Taiwan for PS4 & PS5.

Disney has a lot of games from PS1 that could make it over, which also includes the titles under LucasArts since they own their IPs as well (hence why Herc's Adventures is published as Disney for PS4 & PS5).

  • Atlantis: The Lost Empire
  • A Bug's Life
  • Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
  • Dancing Stage Disney Mix (Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix)
  • Disney's Action Game featuring Hercules
  • Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge
  • Disney's Dinosaur
  • Disney's The Little Mermaid II
  • Disney's Magical Tetris Challenge
  • Disney's Peter Pan in Return to Neverland
  • Disney's Pooh's Party Game: In Search of the Treasure
  • Disney's Tarzan
  • Donald Duck: Quack Attack (Disney's Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers)
  • The Emperor's New Groove
  • The Jungle Book Groove Party (Walt Disney's The Jungle Book: Rhythm N'Groove)
  • Lilo & Stitch: Trouble in Paradise (Disney's Lilo & Stitch)
  • Mickey's Wild Adventure
  • My Disney Kitchen [Atlus of all people did the PS1 port]
  • Pop'n Music: Disney Tunes
  • Tigger's Honey Hunt
  • Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue
  • Toy Story Racer
  • Treasure Planet
  • Walt Disney World Quest: Magical Racing Tour
  • Ballblazer Champions
  • Herc's Adventures
  • Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles
  • Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
  • Star Wars: Dark Forces
  • Star Wars: Demolition
  • Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi
  • Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire

One thing that does leave me wondering, is whether Disney owns the publishing rights for the older Marvel titles. We know games like Spider-Man were under Activision, but would that have been passed onto Disney or is it now with Microsoft (as they bought Activision). Hmm...
 
Sony has revealed their PlayStation Plus Premium line-up for December 2023, and it is indeed focusing on the three Disney games that were rated by the Taiwanese board a little while ago. I'll recap what I mentioned before here.

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Disney/Pixar's Buzz Lightyear of Star Command is a 2000 Sony PlayStation game developed by Traveller's Tales and based on the animated series spin-off from the Toy Story universe. One of the few PS1 games that I do own physically and it's a pretty challenging game due to the time limit that's present in a lot of the levels. Having done some research, this game wasn't added to the PS3 so it's a brand new addition to the Classics line-up. Do not expect trophy support here as Disney games don't yet have any.

Thrillville
Developed by Frontier Developments (the folks behind Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo & Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 & 3) and published by LucasArts in 2006, this is the PSP version of the simulation strategy game released in 2007 (a year after its debut on PlayStation 2 & Xbox). So this is another one of those that Sony has opted for the portable version than the console version (if you do want to play the console version, the Xbox console release was made backwards compatible for Series X/S).

Thrillville: Off the Rails
From the same team brings the second game in the series released a year later (though the same year for PSP owners!). Both games are expected to not include any trophy support.
 
I was so occupied by work that I had completely forgotten about Sony's latest batch of PS Plus Premium classics.

We do have some remasters joining the service which are Capcom's Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection (PS4) as well as Square Enix's Legend of Mana (PS4) and the Secret of Mana remake (PS4).

Rally Cross
Another racing game released on the original PlayStation in 1997 by developers 989 Studios aka the folks behind Jet Moto, Twisted Metal and Warhawk. I recall there were a fair amount of rally-related racing games released on the platform so I'm happy to check this one out as well. As Sony is the publisher, expect trophy support to be included here and should be available as a free download if you own the PS3 store version.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Leaked in a similar way to Buzz Lightyear, we have another Star Wars game entering the line-up courtesy of Disney. Developed by Big Ape Productions in 1999, this game was received well by fans and critics with the camera angles being the odd one of the bunch. Don't expect any trophies here but should be a good time if you want more classic Star Wars fun.
 
Time for another new batch that's now available on PlayStation Plus.

We do have some remasters joining the service which are Bandai Namco's Tales of Symphonia Remastered (PS4) and Tales of Vesperia Remastered (PS4).

Jet Rider 2 (Jet Moto 2)
A few months ago we received the first Jet Moto game by the developers of Twisted Metal and WarHawk; SingleTrac. Now we have the second game which is the more preferred one from what I read. Released in 1997 in North America and 1998 in Europe, Jet Rider 2 is like before, a hover bike racing game with some interesting gameplay. From what I also read, there's a different version of Jet Moto 2 which increased the framerate and had added tracks, so I'm curious to see if Sony will do anything about that. This game will be free to download if you bought the PS3 store version, and the PS4/PS5 release does feature trophy support.

Resistance Retribution
Joining the PlayStation Portable classics range is another Bend Studio title which was rated many months ago. Released in 2009, Resistance Retribution takes place between the first two PS3 games in the franchise and is a third-person shooter. I heard it's a really good one (compared to the Vita instalment) and once again there's trophy support. I expect Bend Studios will tweak the controls to allow analog support like what they did with Syphon Filter so stay tuned.
 
Three more classics are now available to play in this month's PlayStation Plus Premium batch.

We do have some remasters joining the service which are Bandai Namco's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R (PS5) and Capcom's Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (PS4).

Cool Boarders
Released in 1996 for the PlayStation, the classic snowboarding game by Japanese developers UEP Systems is now available on the modern platforms. The game was also released on the PlayStation 3 via the PS One Classics line-up so if you own that version you should be able to download the PS4/PS5 version for free. The game does include trophy support.

GODS EATER BURST
Released in 2010 in Japan and 2011 for Europe & United States, this is an updated version of the original GOD EATER by developer Shift and Bandai Namco for the PlayStation Portable. Some of you will be familiar with this franchise already as we also saw a remaster in the form of GOD EATER Resurrection for PS4 & Vita which I have played and had a good time. I do think the remaster is the better approach but you can now check out this version once again. While there's no trophy support, you are able to purchase the game for £7.99 which is new given that Bandai Namco tend to keep their Premium entries subscription exclusive (or at least timed exclusive).

Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier
Released in 2009 by developers High Impact Games, this is the unofficial Jak 4/5 of sorts for the fans of the franchise. Also released on PlayStation 2, Sony has provided the PSP version since their PS2 emulator isn't fit for purpose currently. I have heard this is the weakest in the franchise but it does given room to see the Daxter game turn up at some point. The game does include trophy support.
 
Another four classics now available for April's PlayStation Plus batch, three of them are PlayStation 1 games and one is a PlayStation Portable game exclusive to Japan.

Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare [£7.99 to purchase]
Released in 2001 across multiple platforms (PS1, PS2, Dreamcast, Windows & even the Game Boy Color), this instalment in the Alone in the Dark I believe is considered to be one of the best in the franchise. That said, here we have the PlayStation 1 version which was leaked by PS Blog earlier in the year (implied to have been planned to be released alongside the Alone in the Dark 2024 game). Regardless it's nice to see another third-party publisher (THQ Nordic in particular) release a game for the service and it's also a survival horror one. The game was also released on the PlayStation 3 via the PS One Classics line-up so if you own that version you should be able to download the PS4/PS5 version for free.

MediEvil [£7.99 to purchase]
Released in 1998 and developed by SCE Studio Cambridge (now known as Guerrilla Cambridge, the devs behind Killzone Mercenary), the classic action adventure game is now back once again with another version - the original... again! What you mean you haven't played the MediEvil remake, or the PSP remake MediEvil Resurrection or the original MediEvil already included in the MediEvil remake? Jokes aside, it's great to see options available for those who want the original on its own or another version like what they did with Ape Escape. This release should also pave the way for MediEvil 2 to make an appearance at some point. The game was also released on the PlayStation 3 via the PS One Classics line-up so if you own that version you should be able to download the PS4/PS5 version for free. The game does include trophy support.

Ore no Shikabane o Koete Yuke (俺の屍を越えてゆけ) [¥1,100 to purchase]
Released in 2011 is the PSP remake of the cult classic 1999 PlayStation game only released in Japan developed by Alfa System (Linda³), MARS Corporation and Contrail (Legend of Legaia). For those who have no idea what this game is - it's also known in the west as Oreshika and is the first game in the series. The second game Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines was localised and released in the west by Sony for the PlayStation Vita. Like Coded Soul, this game is only available on the Japanese PlayStation store but can be bought to play on your own accounts (as long as your Japanese account is on the same console). The game does include trophy support.

Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire [£3.99 to purchase]
Released in 1995 for DOS before receiving a PlayStation release in 1996 by Lucasarts, this is another Star Wars game brought to the platform by Disney because why not. Interestingly this is an on-rails shooter with FMVs so I'm intrigued to see how this plays on the emulator. On the plus side, this is another game that was not released on the PS Classics line-up back in the day.
 
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The main thing I remember about New Nightmare was its party trick of having a flashlight that could light up the 2D backgrounds. Aside from that it was just an okay game. I still have it on Dreamcast, which looked a lot better than this version, as you would expect.

It's weird that they've gone for the PS1 version. I guess that's more evidence of Sony's PS2 emulator not being very good.
 
New Nightmare used lighting very well. But I haven't played it in ages, I do remember enjoying it but that's all I can say. Original AoD is still the best game but oh lord the controls are terrible, I have actually played that one somewhat recently so it's still freash.

The newest game is a flawed gem. Haven't finished it yet but unless something drastically changes my mind I can safely say it's definitely the third good Alone in the Dark game. Don't bother with any of the other games though.
 
Dai said:
It's weird that they've gone for the PS1 version. I guess that's more evidence of Sony's PS2 emulator not being very good.
Click to expand...
I think its down to two factors - one being the emulator isn't optimised or designed for PS5 currently (and I reckon if they did redo the emulator it would be PS5 exclusive), and the other because apparently the PS2 version was never released in North America so US owners would probably complain about technical issues in that sense.

I do wonder what else could be brought to the platform under THQ Nordic. They did support the PS2 on PS4 line-up a fair bit.
 
Three more PlayStation 1 classics are heading to May's PlayStation Plus line-up.

2Xtreme [Available next week]
Released in 1996 exclusively for the platform and developed by Sony Interactive Studios America (989 Studios), this is the second instalment in the sports extreme series and a sequel to ESPN Extreme Games, a launch title for the console which was renamed as 1Xtreme after the ESPN license expired. 2Xtreme doesn't have the branding. This was released on North American & European PlayStation 3's PSN store in 2007 so it should be entitled as a free download for PS4/PS5 users if you bought it from there. As its a first-party title by Sony, trophy support is expected.

G-Police [Available next week]
Released in 1997 as a console exclusive for the platform (also released on Windows) and developed by Psygnosis, the creators of the WipEout franchise. This is a flight combat simulation game and apparently was well liked by a lot of people, enough to receive a second game for the platform later. This was released on European PlayStation 3's PSN store in 2007 so it should be entitled as a free download for PS4/PS5 users if you bought it from there. As its a first-party title by Sony, trophy support is expected.

Worms Pinball (Addiction Pinball) [Available next week]
Released in 1999 as a console exclusive for the platform (also released on Windows prior under the name Addiction Pinball in 1998) and developed by Team17. It's a pinball game but with Worms. Interesting they modified it to use the Worms IP for the PlayStation release just to get more exposure to the game. Either way, pinball is cool. This was not released on PlayStation 3's PSN store, so this marks a debut to the Classics line-up. Because it's a third-party title, trophy support is not expected.

And if you thought that was it, a discovery was found - a PlayStation 2 game hitting the service in June!


Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Released in 2002 across multiple platforms and developed by Pandemic Studios (Star Wars: Battlefront, The Saboteur), this is once again another Star Wars LucasArts game and I'm honestly impressed by Disney putting in the effort to bring back these games out of nowhere. I have heard of this game over the years but never knew what it was in terms of its gameplay. I also don't believe this one has seen a re-release by Aspyr who did the other remasters from this generation. This was not released on PlayStation 3's PSN store, so this marks a debut to the Classics line-up.
 
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It is now official. PlayStation 2 games will be making their debut appearance on PS5 (and also for PS4) for the Premium treatment. This is different to the PS2 on PS4 line-up as these will be using the same emulator setup developed by Implicit Conversions that have been applied to PS1 & PSP games.

Now this announcement was part of Sony's Days of Play line-up, and these will be available on 11th June. Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which was leaked, is among the three that have been announced, so below I will cover the other two.

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
Released in 2002 by the developers of Rocket: Robot on Wheels and Ghosts of Tsushima, the very first Sly Cooper (also known as Sly Raccoon in Europe) is returning to PS5 once again with its original PS2 version. The PS3 HD Remaster is available to stream on the PS Plus Premium service but the original is here to stay. Now I have played the HD version and very much enjoyed it, it's similar to Crash Bandicoot in its design in a way but the franchise eventually evolved like Jak & Daxter did. I do recommend checking this one out. Details are slim but I will assume trophies will make an appearance.

Tomb Raider: Legend
Released in 2006 by the developers of Gex and Marvel's Avengers, this is Crystal Dynamics first venture into the Tomb Raider franchise and one that reimagines various parts of the original games. It's an interesting pick for the service but goes to show that even Embracer Group (assuming its them with the Tomb Raider IP) is keen to bring them back. Whether they will go back to Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness is not clear but it is also worth noting that there was indeed a HD collection for the PS3 so it's another example of the original being chosen over the HD remaster.

So what does this mean? Well the doors have been opened for more classic games to make their appearance on the service. Now for a good idea of what to expect from Sony, I have a list below. Doesn't mean they will turn up but do have a better chance than others given how they have been handling the PS1 & PSP catalogue.

Published by Sony:
  • Ape Escape 3
  • Cool Boarders 2001
  • Destruction Derby Arenas
  • Extermination
  • Everybody's Golf 3 (not released in Europe)
  • Everybody's Golf 4
  • Forbidden Siren 2
  • Genji: Dawn of the Samurai
  • The Getaway
  • The Getaway: Black Monday
  • God of War
  • God of War II
  • I.Q. Remix+: Intelligent Qube (Japan only)
  • Jet X2O
  • Killzone
  • Mojib-Ribbon (Japan only)
  • Ratchet: Deadlocked
  • Ratchet & Clank
  • Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
  • Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
  • Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
  • Rise to Honor
  • Secret Agent Clank
  • Sly 2: Band of Thieves
  • Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
  • Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain
  • Wipeout Fusion
  • Wipeout Pulse
Published by Disney Interactive Studios (with Lucasarts):
  • Disney Golf
  • Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action
  • Disney's Meet the Robinsons
  • Disney's Stitch: Experiment 626
  • Escape from Monkey Island
  • Gladius
  • Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb
  • Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
  • Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
  • Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
  • RTX Red Rock
  • Secret Weapons Over Normandy
  • Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
  • Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
  • Star Wars: Starfighter
  • Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing
  • Wrath Unleashed
Published by Bandai Namco (likely to be service exclusive):
  • .hack//Infection Part 1
  • .hack//Mutation Part 2
  • .hack//Outbreak Part 3
  • .hack//Quarantine Part 4
  • Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
  • Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
  • Dead To Rights
  • Dead To Rights II
  • Death by Degrees
  • Namco Museum 50th Anniversary
  • The Nightmare of Druaga: Fushigino Dungeon
  • Pac-Man Fever
  • Pac-Man World 2
  • Pac-Man World 3
  • Pac-Man World Rally
  • Ridge Racer V
  • Soulcalibur II
  • Soulcalibur III
  • Tales of the Abyss
  • Tekken 4
  • Tekken 5
  • Tekken Tag Tournament
  • Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (not released in Europe)
  • Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse
  • Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra
May make an appearance if licensing is kind (publisher reasons from back in the day):
  • Arc the Lad: End of Darkness
  • Disney's Dinosaur
  • Disney's Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers
  • Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure
  • Disney's PK: Out of the Shadows
  • Disney's Tarzan: Untamed
  • Flipnic: Ultimate Pinball
  • The Incredibles
  • The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
  • Legaia 2: Duel Saga
  • Lego Star Wars: The Video Game
  • Lifeline
  • Mad Maestro!
  • Mister Mosquito
  • The Simpsons: Hit & Run
  • The Simpsons: Road Rage
  • SkyGunner
  • Wild Arms 4
  • Wild Arms 5
  • Wild Arms Alter Code: F
 
Would be great to get a selection of Rockstar’s PS2 titles but they don’t seem too keen on preserving legacy titles nowadays.
 
If there really is a new PS2 emulator in town, it will be interesting to see how well it performs. Some of the current PS2 games on PS4 are practically unplayable due to the amount of input lag, especially Metal Slug Anthology.
 
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