I will never be able to get over the fact that Camelot released Hot Shots Golf on PS1 the same year they released the first Shining Force III scenario for the Saturn in Japan. These days Camelot just seems to be a Mario sports factory, but there was a time in the 90s when they were one of the most interesting developers in Japan.
(more…)
I love the PS1. I still buy and play games for it, and I think many PS1 releases have aged well. Has Syphon Filter? After finishing the game for the first time, that’s the question I’m struggling with. It’s an interesting game in a genre I love, but the clunky controls are at odds with the demanding action, which can result in an uneven and frustrating experience.
(more…)
Confession: the first Ratchet & Clank I finished was the 2016 reimagining. I had dabbled with a few games here and there, but that was the first time the series fully clicked for me enough to see one through to the end. A few years later, I played through Rift Apart on PS5 and absolutely loved it. I always wanted to play through older games in the series, and I’m happy to report that I can add the original Ratchet & Clank to my list of completed entries.
(more…)
I misunderstood Super Stardust HD when I first played it. On the basis of being a downloadable twin stick shooter, the game was often referred to as “PlayStation’s Geometry Wars.” I was obsessed with Geometry Wars and when I played Super Stardust, it didn’t scratch the same itch. I dropped the game almost immediately. I probably never would have gone back to it, but Sony and Housemarque got me to give the game another chance with a new PS3 feature…
(more…)
I once considered the Twisted Metal series a guilty pleasure of mine. But now that I’m older and at peace with my tastes, there is no guilt whatsoever; I love (most of) this series, and this genre deeply.
(more…)
In my post about the original game, I made it clear that the sequel was a massive glow up, and that’s what we’re talking about here. While the first Motor Toon was rushed for the Japanese PS1 launch, the sequel had plenty of time to cook. This resulted in a high level of polish and honestly one of the best racers on PS1; this time it’s actually believable that this team would go on to make Gran Turismo.
(more…)
In 1994, as 3D visuals were on the cusp of a mainstream breakthrough in homes, a racing game could look and play many different ways. It could be like Daytona USA or Ridge Racer or the upcoming Wipeout. But it could also be Motor Toon Grand Prix, a colorful and flawed kart racer that in a weird way ended up more important than all the other games I listed.
(more…)
All screenshots and gameplay here were captured from the 2024 PS5 digital version of the game.
As someone who liked but didn’t love Naughty Dog’s Crash Bandicoot games on PS1, I was only moderately excited for Jak and Daxter in 2001. But I did end up playing it at launch, and I was blown away. Coming off of N64 and PS1 3D platformers, I couldn’t believe the responsiveness, smooth framerate, and sprawling, gorgeous world. It became my favorite 3D platformer to date, and remains one of my favorite PS2 games. So how was revisiting it in 2025?
(more…)
These days Sony is best known for their sprawling, single-player cinematic adventures. I love many of those games, but there’s soooo much more to PlayStation’s 30+ years of history in regards to first-party releases. A week or so ago I started work on a top 100 list, similar to what I did for Nintendo and Sega. I quickly realized that I was woefully unprepared.
(more…)
The era of CD-based “multimedia” games and software in the early-to-mid-90s was a wild one. Combine this with the “coolness” of PlayStation, the experimentation of the Japanese game industry, and the popularity of psychedelic imagery and electronic music and you get Baby Universe.
(more…)