PSOne classics
Sept 14, 2006 13:38:54 GMT -5
Post by kyouki on Sept 14, 2006 13:38:54 GMT -5
Hello everyone!
Sort of bored with my PS2 games, I decided to play some of my old PSX games. Playing Soul Blade, Castlevania: SOTN, SaGa Frontier... I started to feel a bit nostalgic at the grainy, chunky, low res, primitive polygon graphics.
I was playing, having a ball, and remembering back when I first bought a PSX (along with Tekken 2, Soul Blade, and Wild Arms, I think), 3d gaming was new, and the Playstation was promising us a new world of gaming.
Little did I know at the time that it was all a bunch of crap, and now we'd be playing basically poorly implemented 3d versions of the same games we've been playing in 2d for the past 20 years.
So anyway, what are some classic PSX games? Games that tried to push new boundaries in 3d gaming, games that tried to hang on to the past but still managed to be fun, etc.
Here's my small collection of PSX games:
Castlevania: SOTN
I wouldn't say that this is a great game, and it certainly didn't push any boundaries or really try anything new. However, it's quick to get into and fast to play, so it's always something I can come back to. I do appreciate the sheer amount of detail in it... something that the GBA/DS Castlevania games have not been able to match.
Clock Tower: First Fear
Finally got this!!!! I loved Clock Tower when I first got it on the PSX. Besides Siren it is the only true "survival horror" game in my opinion. I looked all over for the prequel and finally found it at genkigames.com. This is a port of the SNES classic, but I haven't been able to get into it much yet.
Soul Blade
This is bar none my favorite in the series (not hard since I hate the Soul Calibur series). I think Namco completely got it right the first time. I love that you can disarm people, and for some reason the battles feel much more cinematic running at 30fps. Aesthetically this is the best in the series (not technically) as the stages and characters are all interesting, and the music is fantastic!! You gotta love the adventure mode also.
Tobal 2
Besides SB, this is the only 3d fighter I can play. It just feels right. This game was so ahead of its time I cannot believe it. True 3d movement that works well! An interesting grapple system! The graphics are also pretty amazing for their time.
Legend of Mana
I really like this game and I think Square tried their hardest to try something new with it. The story is really interesting but not overblown and rambling. The individual stories are connected in interesting ways.
King's Field series
Although KF hasn't really progressed much from the first game in the series, the first couple of games were really striking! These games were completely 3d in a time when most games faked the 3d effect using bitmaps. The fact that the worlds are so huge in KF and that there is no loading whatsoever is really impressive for the PSX.
Aquanaut's Holiday
This is the kind of game that just cannot be done in 2d. This is the best underwater exploration game to this day! Unlike Everblue you are not stuck on the floor of the ocean. I also like that the exploration is the reason to play the game. You don't explore to find money, you explore just to explore. I like it.
SaGa Frontier
I like what Square tried to do with this. They tried to take Japanese RPGs and Western RPGs and combine them into something new, and I feel that they succeeded somewhat. I think a lot of what they played around with in this game resulted in their (IMO) masterpiece, Romancing Saga (PS2).
Final Fantasy Tactics
I think this is still the best of the tactic RPGs. The animation is so detailed!!
That's all I have! Please post some PSX games you felt were classics (also, please post some explanation on why you felt so, otherwise we'll just have a bunch of lists which will interest/convince no one).
Sort of bored with my PS2 games, I decided to play some of my old PSX games. Playing Soul Blade, Castlevania: SOTN, SaGa Frontier... I started to feel a bit nostalgic at the grainy, chunky, low res, primitive polygon graphics.
I was playing, having a ball, and remembering back when I first bought a PSX (along with Tekken 2, Soul Blade, and Wild Arms, I think), 3d gaming was new, and the Playstation was promising us a new world of gaming. Little did I know at the time that it was all a bunch of crap, and now we'd be playing basically poorly implemented 3d versions of the same games we've been playing in 2d for the past 20 years.
So anyway, what are some classic PSX games? Games that tried to push new boundaries in 3d gaming, games that tried to hang on to the past but still managed to be fun, etc.
Here's my small collection of PSX games:
Castlevania: SOTN
I wouldn't say that this is a great game, and it certainly didn't push any boundaries or really try anything new. However, it's quick to get into and fast to play, so it's always something I can come back to. I do appreciate the sheer amount of detail in it... something that the GBA/DS Castlevania games have not been able to match.
Clock Tower: First Fear
Finally got this!!!! I loved Clock Tower when I first got it on the PSX. Besides Siren it is the only true "survival horror" game in my opinion. I looked all over for the prequel and finally found it at genkigames.com. This is a port of the SNES classic, but I haven't been able to get into it much yet.
Soul Blade
This is bar none my favorite in the series (not hard since I hate the Soul Calibur series). I think Namco completely got it right the first time. I love that you can disarm people, and for some reason the battles feel much more cinematic running at 30fps. Aesthetically this is the best in the series (not technically) as the stages and characters are all interesting, and the music is fantastic!! You gotta love the adventure mode also.
Tobal 2
Besides SB, this is the only 3d fighter I can play. It just feels right. This game was so ahead of its time I cannot believe it. True 3d movement that works well! An interesting grapple system! The graphics are also pretty amazing for their time.
Legend of Mana
I really like this game and I think Square tried their hardest to try something new with it. The story is really interesting but not overblown and rambling. The individual stories are connected in interesting ways.
King's Field series
Although KF hasn't really progressed much from the first game in the series, the first couple of games were really striking! These games were completely 3d in a time when most games faked the 3d effect using bitmaps. The fact that the worlds are so huge in KF and that there is no loading whatsoever is really impressive for the PSX.
Aquanaut's Holiday
This is the kind of game that just cannot be done in 2d. This is the best underwater exploration game to this day! Unlike Everblue you are not stuck on the floor of the ocean. I also like that the exploration is the reason to play the game. You don't explore to find money, you explore just to explore. I like it.
SaGa Frontier
I like what Square tried to do with this. They tried to take Japanese RPGs and Western RPGs and combine them into something new, and I feel that they succeeded somewhat. I think a lot of what they played around with in this game resulted in their (IMO) masterpiece, Romancing Saga (PS2).
Final Fantasy Tactics
I think this is still the best of the tactic RPGs. The animation is so detailed!!
That's all I have! Please post some PSX games you felt were classics (also, please post some explanation on why you felt so, otherwise we'll just have a bunch of lists which will interest/convince no one).
It seems like Tomba 2 is very hard to find though, and I'd hate to have the JPN version of Tomba (can't find it anywhere) and the US version of Tomba 2!
