|
|
|
PIXEL TIMEOUT: 20 YEARS OF PLAYSTATION
|
On September 29th 1995, the PlayStation launched amidst uncharted European waters with Ridge Racer and WipEout leading the line on day one. With Sony seeking to disrupt the long-standing Nintendo-SEGA hegemony, their 32-bit powerhouse wisely embraced the burgeoning possibilities of 3D, whilst adopting the CD-ROM as its media format proved a masterstroke. Not only could developers afford to be ambitious in the scope of their games, but they were typically extremely cheap to produce and relatively hassle-free to develop. Twenty years, four home formats, two portables and more than 450,000,000 console sales later, the brand has become synonymous with, and indeed iconic of, gaming. Tom, Shane, Chris and Alan relive just a few of the key moments that have come to define Sony’s legacy along the way.
|
The writers: Tom Clare Shane Battams Chris Weatherley Alan Passingham Posted: 29th September 2015 |
|
DEFINING PLAYSTATION MEMORY: The build-up to the PlayStation 2
Though I owned an original PS, I was too young not only to buy any of its best games, but also to be allowed to even touch the likes of Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII. Being a bit older though, the PS2 came on to my radar very quickly, and I was set to get one for my birthday. Naturally, I was giddier than a kid in a candy store, and perhaps was being a touch irritating as a result (I can recall begging at one point to be allowed to have it early). As a result, my mum decided to let me have a go with the PS2. But only on a demo disc which came with the console! This may sound bad, but in actuality, it sticks in my memory like glue as it came with demos for Tekken 4 and Ratchet & Clank. The former was an exciting look at a next-gen franchise I loved, while the latter was a promising extension of a genre I grew up with. Good stuff. |
|
FIRST PLAYSTATION GAME: Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (PS)
Not a bad start, eh? The first time I popped in this beauty – despite not yet grasping what words like "graphics" and "replay value" meant – had me hooked, with its stunning platforming, beautiful design and timeless Naughty Dog charm. Even years later, after playing it to death back in the day, it still remains an absolute blast to play for me, and easily the peak of a once-beloved series.
Not a bad start, eh? The first time I popped in this beauty – despite not yet grasping what words like "graphics" and "replay value" meant – had me hooked, with its stunning platforming, beautiful design and timeless Naughty Dog charm. Even years later, after playing it to death back in the day, it still remains an absolute blast to play for me, and easily the peak of a once-beloved series.
Ratchet & Clank (PS2)
|
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (PS)
|
FAVOURITE PLAYSTATION FORMAT: PlayStation 2
For sheer quality in a library, the PS2 is always going to win for me. You could get any type of game, from a massive range of developers. JRPGs existed in harmony with western adventures, platformers were impossible to avoid and everything inbetween was at the fingertips of gamers. In other words, if you were a gamer, chances are one PS2 game would come to define your tastes. There are too many amazing titles to list: God of War’s epic saga was incredible, Metal Gear Solid 3 was great, ICO and Shadow of the Colossus brought a touch of art to the medium, Okami was a stunning technical feat and the list just goes on. It may have had one of the worst launch line-ups in history, but the PS2 outclassed its peers with depth, style and sheer playability. And though it’s a close call between the PS1 and PS2, for me the two will be ingrained into my memories as the consoles of my childhood.
FAVOURITE PLAYSTATION GAME: God of War (PS2)
Pretty tough one to call, but for me, nothing has come close to eclipsing the scale of God of War, perhaps one of the biggest landmarks in the PS2’s lifespan. It brought new meaning to the word Epic, making every boss encounter screen-filling, every landscape dauntingly large and every fight and bloody massacre. But it also succeeds because of balance – something which its sequels arguably lost. Every puzzle, fight and boss encounter feels well-timed, natural and smooth, and it means you are literally never bored. Top this with a stunning presentation, challenging puzzles and absolutely brutal combat, and you have a game which was (and hopefully forever will be) a classic.
|
DEFINING PLAYSTATION MEMORY: Resident Evil (PS) Resident Evil wins this for the second most unintentionally hilarious intro sequence ever crafted (alas it doesn’t quite pip Alien Breed: Tower Assault’s “Yorkshire men in space”). Replaced in the special edition versions because it was such a travesty that burned into ones retinas, the days of bad FMV and terrible voice acting are, rather sadly, long gone. It’s unlikely there will ever be another Barry Burton stating the complete obvious in the history of videogames. A crying shame that Barry has yet to appear in any of the sequels, but proof terrible acting does not get in the way of well-developed and tremendously atmospheric survival horror. Resident Evil 2 is a close second. The whole opening section in the zombie- |
|
infested remnants of Racoon City is just so well done and the first sighting of a licker – that’s a 12 change of underwear job! Also, I do have to mention Kratos’ encounter with the Hydra in God of War as well. It goes without saying that sticking such an impressive boss battle at the start of the game was a wonderful piece of design to keep players hooked for the long haul. Bloody worked as well – I couldn’t put God of War down (and have subsequently platinumed the HD PS3 version).
FIRST PLAYSTATION GAME: Haven't a Scooby-Doo!
Look, I’m old and can barely remember what day of the week it is so how am I expected to recall my first game on a system I largely ignored because Command & Conquer and Ultima Underworld were better at holding my attention in 1996. Oh. Moving on, my brother did get a PlayStation early doors and I did get to play the odd title on it. I spent much of one summer on Final Fantasy VII, but Resident Evil is a more likely candidate as a first play on the system. What I can tell you about is the game I did spend most of my time on – ISS Pro Evolution. My old man worked in Belgium quite a bit when I was in the sixth form and during my first few years of Uni. Consequently, my brother and I would have an open house for our mates to pop round and hang-out. Things got out of hand on only the odd occasion (the introduction of the beer funnel one Wednesday evening made for a glorious mess) but most of the time we just played brew cup. That is, set-up a league on ISS Pro Evolution, everyone plays each other in five minute matches, bottom of the league come the end goes and puts the kettle on. A perfect competitive system for a mightily impressive footy game (up until PES6 when it started to go a little wonky)! Remember PES4 is still by far the best for making cups of tea in the series though…
FIRST PLAYSTATION GAME: Haven't a Scooby-Doo!
Look, I’m old and can barely remember what day of the week it is so how am I expected to recall my first game on a system I largely ignored because Command & Conquer and Ultima Underworld were better at holding my attention in 1996. Oh. Moving on, my brother did get a PlayStation early doors and I did get to play the odd title on it. I spent much of one summer on Final Fantasy VII, but Resident Evil is a more likely candidate as a first play on the system. What I can tell you about is the game I did spend most of my time on – ISS Pro Evolution. My old man worked in Belgium quite a bit when I was in the sixth form and during my first few years of Uni. Consequently, my brother and I would have an open house for our mates to pop round and hang-out. Things got out of hand on only the odd occasion (the introduction of the beer funnel one Wednesday evening made for a glorious mess) but most of the time we just played brew cup. That is, set-up a league on ISS Pro Evolution, everyone plays each other in five minute matches, bottom of the league come the end goes and puts the kettle on. A perfect competitive system for a mightily impressive footy game (up until PES6 when it started to go a little wonky)! Remember PES4 is still by far the best for making cups of tea in the series though…
|
Resident Evil (PS) [vid by McPattern]
|
Alien Breed: Tower Assault (CD-32) [vid by Review Lagoon]
|
FIRST PLAYSTATION FORMAT: PlayStation 3
I never really got into the PlayStation. Of course, the CD-32 was better (Worms, Liberation and Alien Breed: Tower Assault for the win) and my student days mostly featured a house full of Dreamcast (PowerStone was the bomb) and Nintendo 64. The one time I did get to have a go on a PS at Uni some goof stuffed Metal Gear Solid on and thus the machine was doomed for eternity in my eyes. The second iteration was unfortunate that it was released during the golden age of FPS. Half-Life, System Shock 2, Unreal Tournament, Deus Ex: the PS2 did not stand a chance and so was only used on the odd occasion in my household. It was only when the third iteration arrived that I really took note. Third-person arcade adventures and their storylines worked perfectly in the console environment and these kinds of games now rock my monkey. Dead Space, Uncharted 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Dark Souls stood out magnificently. The addition of trophies and PS Plus subsequently provided an additional pull meaning I’ve kept going back to my PS3 time and time again. And why not – I love the flipping thing; although of late the Vita has been giving it a good run for its money.
FAVOURITE PLAYSTATION GAME: Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3)
Just knocking Resident Evil 2 into second place, Arkham Asylum remains an exquisite title. Pitch-perfect mood, a marvellous setting and a fantastic plot have much to do with this, but the game’s dynamics absolutely rammed home its unerring quality. The combat system is still to die for - the simplicity of the move-set and the timing approach remains unblemished – and the range of Batman-esque takedowns included reigns supreme. There have been a lot of Batman games released across many a system (we’ve reviewed at least five of the buggers) but for the perfect cinematic-beat ‘em up-stealth-adventure gaming experience Arkham Asylum is a pure joy. Absolutely masterful in every conceivable way! Although, whisper it quietly, if I ever successfully platinum The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth that may just give Bats a run for his money.
|
DEFINING PLAYSTATION MEMORY: Tekken 3 (PS)
Although an avid gamer since 1985, I would consider myself late to the PlayStation party, mostly due to my stubborn reluctance to move on from the previous generation. I was still a devoted Super Nintendo fan, viciously and stupidly detesting the Mega Drive, and was not convinced the PlayStation would surpass the superiority of Nintendo. I became disappointed with the reviews the N64 was getting and as such, made the switch and bought my PlayStation with the arrival of Tekken 3 in 1998 and subsequently would lose the following weeks to a breed of beat ‘em up that had not engrossed me so much since the days of Street Fighter II. I also learnt by playing Tekken 3 that I was not a good loser when it came to fighting games, with many a PlayStation controller meeting a grim, early grave. |
FIRST PLAYSTATION GAME: Battle Arena Toshinden (PS)
Christmas 1995, and the then massive retailer Dixons had a demo display cabinet of the PlayStation in its anural year. Running on it was one of the launch titles, Battle Arena Toshinden. Although I was holding out for the much anticipated N64, I was curious and quietly impressed by the 3D look, speed and scope of the game. The PlayStation itself made me very wary, and much like my previous hardcore fanboyism of Amstrad, I was upset that this could be the console to ruin Nintendo. Well, in my naïve teenage mind that is, but I found myself returning to this demo unit time and time again. I vividly remember mistaking Battle Arena Toshinden for Virtua Fighter, which was abundant in the still popular arcades. How wrong was I; and Toshinden serves as reminder to me to embrace the development and progress of video gaming.
Christmas 1995, and the then massive retailer Dixons had a demo display cabinet of the PlayStation in its anural year. Running on it was one of the launch titles, Battle Arena Toshinden. Although I was holding out for the much anticipated N64, I was curious and quietly impressed by the 3D look, speed and scope of the game. The PlayStation itself made me very wary, and much like my previous hardcore fanboyism of Amstrad, I was upset that this could be the console to ruin Nintendo. Well, in my naïve teenage mind that is, but I found myself returning to this demo unit time and time again. I vividly remember mistaking Battle Arena Toshinden for Virtua Fighter, which was abundant in the still popular arcades. How wrong was I; and Toshinden serves as reminder to me to embrace the development and progress of video gaming.
Tekken 3 (PS)
|
Battle Arena Toshinden (PS)
|
FAVOURITE PLAYSTATION FORMAT: PlayStation
As much as I want to say the PlayStation 2 is my all-time favourite Sony console (the fourth version is certainly impressing as well), it was certainly the most played for starters, I simply cannot bring myself to choose it over its predecessor. I regret not experiencing the PlayStation from the very start, as I missed so many games during its early years. The original WipEout, Tekken, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Tomb Raider, Ridge Racer, Resident Evil, Blood Omen and of course Gran Turismo, many of which I want back to play as the 90s were coming to an end. Some of these gaming memories are the strongest triggers of nostalgia for me, including finding out Point Blank could be played at home, Grand Theft Auto without a PC, weird but amazingly fun games like Vib Ribbon and of course the only RPG to challenge my faith in Secret of Mana, the ever awesome Final Fantasy VII. For these reasons, the PlayStation pips it’s more powerful offspring, as while the PS2 made me play games more and for longer, it couldn’t generate the memories created by its forebear.
FAVOURITE PLAYSTATION GAME: Wip3out (PS)
This is a difficult choice to make, as I could run out a roll-call of games that I would consider contenders for this accolade. Final Fantasy VII? Yep. Metal Gear Solid? Gran Turismo 2? Of course! However, taking into account the amount of time I spent playing this, its replayability and the sheer awesomeness of the style and soundtrack, it has to go to Wip3out. The first game in the series I ever played was WipEout 2097, and whilst that blew my socks off, its sequel blew my feet off altogether. I could never, and still can’t, get over how smooth it plays, how it creates this grimy neon future yet still remains comforting to be enveloped by. It’s the cooler alter-ego of F-Zero. The combination of classic track design, perfectly executed difficulty curve, massive speed and the jewel in the crown; the mind-warping soundtrack. To have a game which included your favourite music artist providing BGM was the clincher for me. It’s a game I have never put down since, and always revisit the third instalment of WipEout ahead of all the other titles in the series. It’s a perfect arcade racing game on your TV.
|
DEFINING PLAYSTATION MEMORY: Formula 1 (PS)
When I was nine or ten years-old, I remember walking through Liverpool with my Dad. Through a shop window, I heard the screams of F1 engines and Murray Walker’s enigmatic, excited tones emitting from a TV within. Being a massive F1 fan at the time, this naturally drew my attention. I was astounded to find that the image on display, with all its dynamic camera angles, liveried cars and Tag Heuer-sponsored timing instruments, was in fact a video game. Needless to say, I was transfixed. The future had arrived. Suddenly, Super Monaco GP wasn’t enough to sate my inner speed freak. I saved up my pocket money and bought it on the new, budget Platinum range, before I even got a PlayStation itself. |
FIRST PLAYSTATION GAME: Ridge Racer Revolution (PS)
Curious as it sounds, the first game I played on my eleventh birthday was Galaga ‘88. Or at least, a very small slice of it. In a wonderful nod to their esteemed past, Namco saw fit to plonk a stage of the arcade shoot ‘em up in as Ridge Racer Revolution loads. It wasn’t just for show either: if you shot down every last enemy, it unlocked a heap of new cars. Gameplay is king, but incentive certainly helps too.
Curious as it sounds, the first game I played on my eleventh birthday was Galaga ‘88. Or at least, a very small slice of it. In a wonderful nod to their esteemed past, Namco saw fit to plonk a stage of the arcade shoot ‘em up in as Ridge Racer Revolution loads. It wasn’t just for show either: if you shot down every last enemy, it unlocked a heap of new cars. Gameplay is king, but incentive certainly helps too.
Formula 1 (PS)
|
Ridge Racer Revolution (PS)
|
FAVOURITE PLAYSTATION FORMAT: PlayStation
Libraries win console wars, it’s often said, which might just mean the PS had the library to end all wars. Enduring gaming series Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Tekken, AND Tomb Raider were all at their brilliant best during this era. Then there’s Metal Gear Solid, the original Gran Turismo and a trio of Syphon Filter games in there for good measure. Gorgeous retro-revivalists (Wild ARMS, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile) rubbed shoulders with ambitious titles intent on pushing the frontiers with progressive design (G-Police, Bushido Blade). It was a rare moment during which both eastern and western developers were at the top of their game, and the difficulty culture was just-right: not as punishing as the 16-bit era, nor as tame as what would follow in the early years of the 21st Century. It was a time you could pick up a lightgun and play Time Crisis in your own living room, a time where you could still buy dedicated pinball, fishing and bomb-defusal games at retail, if the mood took you.
FAVOURITE PLAYSTATION GAME: Final Fantasy VII (PS)
At the risk of sounding like a stuck record, Final Fantasy VII nevertheless is, was, and likely always will be a landmark title. From its spine-tingling introduction amidst the slums of Midgar, to the brain-dissolvingly brilliant twenty minute FMV ending, Squaresoft’s opus was an absolute blockbuster. A game so vast, lavish and expansive that the JRPG genre has arguably never recaptured its staggering standards since. In one fell swoop, FFVII took the action role-playing rulebook and tore out the pointy hats ‘n’ castles, instead infusing its environs with a vivacious steampunk undertone with dashes of modernity. Though in reality it was quite a gamble, such a move seemed entirely appropriate to an industry embracing new ideas and technologies at the close of the 20th Century. There were as many secrets as you could reasonably wish to rummage for, and it was almost absurdly rewarding. FFVII’s memorable story is both sombre and uplifting, and one that’s brought to life by a colourful cast of protagonists, and a world-beating villain in Sephiroth. It’s also obligatory to mention Nobuo Uematsu’s masterful soundtrack, which resonated, without ever missing a beat, the wide-ranging tones and themes of the game’s enthralling narrative. To this day, it remains completely essential.
