Ever since we heard news about PlayStation Plus Premium bringing back PS1 games, everyone’s imagination has run wild. Everyone has been trying to dream up which titles would show up on the PlayStation Plus service. Sony has revealed a partial list of their classic titles for the PlayStation Premium tier which include:
- Tekken 2
- Intelligent Cube
- Ape Escape
- Hot Shot Golf
- Jumping Flash!
- Mr. Driller
- Siphon Filter
- Worms Armageddon
- Worms World Party
- SuperStar Dust Portable PSP
While this is a great list, it is also only a partial list that Sony revealed. We will know more as the new PlayStation Plus arrives. Here are our picks on what titles we want to show up on the new subscription service. We know that all titles may not make it, but some of these titles definitely define the golden era of PS1, PS2 and PSP.
The PS2 was an absolute juggernaut for the gaming industry. Their marketing was on point, as was there mentioning of it being the least expensive dvd player when dvd’s were exploding in popularity. Add in the tremendous 3rd-party support from Square, Konami and Namco, and you had all the ingredients for one of the biggest gaming systems ever. But with how successful the platform was, there are far too many games stuck in yesteryear.
PS2 Games We Hope Come To The New PlayStation Plus Premium
X-men Legends 1 & 2
To start off, our top pick X-men Legends series would be a joy to play, as we have not seen any re-release on any major consoles. The only way this one can be played is through that generation of consoles. I’ve played a massive amount of X-men Legends on PS2 and it would be a great title to revisit especially for multiplayer fun. Now this title would be the least likely to show up on PS Plus Classics due to licensing. This one definitely tops the list for us at Dual Pixels for Classic titles.
Def Jam Vendetta & Def Jam Fight for NY
Def Jam is another title that would have trouble due to licensing issues. The Def Jam series featured bombastic combat and presentation. If you liked wrestling games like No Mercy and Wrestlemania 2000 on the N64 you would feel right at home. We have no idea what the licensing issues for this one would even look like, but we are pretty sure it would be a huge mountain to climb.
Urban Reign
This one is a deep cut to me only because I didn’t think Urban Reign was going to be a great game based on initial impressions in the yesteryears. During this time period PS2 had many different brawlers, and this was the best out of the bunch. Urban Reign also included Tekken Characters as guest stars.
The PSP was Sony’s first foray into the mobile space. An attempt at capturing the massive audience that Nintendo hoarded all to itself. The system sold well despite UMDs just never really taking off and the system’s inability to really steal mindshare from Nintendo.. There are a handful of games that have been stuck on the platform, but this subscription might just give them new life.
PSP Games We Hope Come To The New PlayStation Plus Premium
Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core
This was the holy grail on the PSP and it would be exciting seeing it return with updated options. More importantly no need to pull out the PSP. Crisis Core is definitely one of those titles that still holds up visually and gameplay wise. This is definitely a top pick and can get new players to discover more back story for FFVII. Assuming they can get past any licensing issues, can Sony leverage their relationship with Square to bring one of the best Final Fantasy games to modern consoles?
Megaman Powered Up
For Capcom, I think this is the one that hurts the most because, like Crisis Core, it’s only available on PSP. There was never a digital version on any other platform. Megaman Powered up featured many experimental things within the Megaman framework, kind of close to what Mario Maker did to shakeup the Mario franchise. Capcom hasn’t further acknowledged the title for any sort of remakes or remasters. It’s definitely one of the rare gems within the PSP Library.
Dissidia: Final Fantasy / Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
This is a title that showed up in some shape and form in the more recent generations, but the current title did not capture the gameplay essence of the original Dissidia titles on PSP. Dissidia on PSP focused on 1-on-1 which made this game much more enjoyable to us compared to its current version. It’s again also one of those games that still holds up in all aspects.
The original PlayStation was a huge disruptor in a gaming industry that felt like a two-company race (Nintendo and Sega). It not only shook up the industry with a big change in graphics processing into 3d environments, it also innovated with proving the use of compact discs vs cartridges. Their controller also made enhancements of which we still utilize today. We have received an ok amount of PS1 games downloadable via PS3 (and playable there), there is still a gulf of huge franchises missing.
Original PlayStation Games We Hope Come To The New PlayStation Plus Premium
Vagrant Story
One of the cult classics for sure, Vagrant Story is a RPG that holds a lot of weight in the PS1 Library. It hasn’t had many releases, and it would be nice to revisit it on a current gen platform. Visually, Vagrant Story is a treat and gameplay wise it shines and would be a great choice to show up as a Classic.
Rival Schools
This is one of those fighters that have yet to get a revival besides Akira joining the cast of Street Fighter 5. Releasing this as a PS Classic would get new players to dive into the world of Rival Schools, and get a look at a game from an era where Capcom dominated fighting games. Rival Schools is a 3-D Fighter with a similar gameplay system to that of King of Fighters allowing you to switch characters after every round and also perform double team specials.
Brave Fencer Musashi
Another Square Enix Classic and a favorite among many. Brave Fencer Musashi did get a sequel on PS2 which was rather decent, but it didn’t capture the essence of what made the first one great. RPGs were a big thing during the PS1 Era and it allowed Square Enix to flex with Brave Fencer Musashi and others during these times.
Sony has an ace up its sleeve that no other platform holder has, and that is such depth in their back catalog of classics. I’d wager that not even Nintendo has the variety of massive games that are just waiting to be pulled into the current gen. Time will tell how far and deep Sony is willing to dive to bring nostalgia into the 21st century with PlayStation Plus Premium.
Click for the list Sony has revealed for all tiers of the new PlayStation Plus.
