In early 1997 I traded in my Nintendo 64 for a PlayStation, due to disappointment in the N64 launch window games (and their prices) and in anticipation of Final Fantasy VII. In the lead up to FF VII I discovered a handful of games that would become among my all-time favorites, like Suikoden, Twisted Metal 2, Resident Evil, Ridge Racer Revolution, and the original Persona. But the game that was most aligned with my FF VII hype was Wild Arms.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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I loved the first Death Stranding. Kojima Productions’ debut sits alongside Astro Bot and Gran Turismo 7 as my favorite PlayStation console exclusives in recent memory.
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