PlayStation Classic launches today! And it us wistfully strolling down memory (card) lane. Many of the 20 titles preloaded onto the miniature console not only changed the medium forever, but impacted each of us as gamers. Everybody comes to the table with a different beloved pick from the legendary lineup, and swapping memories is almost as fun as jumping back into these classics. Join us as we reflect on our favorites from that defining era.
We want to hear your top PS Classic picks, too! Vote for your favorite game via the poll below, and share your own 480i memories in the comments.
Tekken 3
If I could choose just one PlayStation game to play for the rest of my life, it would be Tekken 3. Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, and Twisted Metal all left an indelible impression on me, but nothing topped Tekken 3 for endless replayability. So many lost hours, and none of them regretted. I still remember being so, so surprised when I unlocked Dr. B as a playable character…
– Sid Shuman
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
Having grown up on Tetris and spent much of my adolescent years in various arcades, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo will forever be one of my personal all-time classics. Piecing together giant super-blocks and planning ahead to build out the perfect game-winning chain attack is a refreshing change of pace from the “get rid of everything” mindset most puzzle games face players with. And having that massive chain interrupted by a particularly pesky garbage dump from your opponent can end a friendship in an instant — the mark of a truly great competitive puzzler.
– Justin Massongill
Metal Gear Solid
As someone who had spent most of their childhood playing light-hearted platformers on other peoples’ consoles, getting my own original PlayStation and starting Metal Gear Solid felt like graduating to the big leagues. Nothing could prepare me for how deep I would fall into the world of Solid Snake and his cardboard box disguises. The story felt more compelling than any game I had ever played up until that point, and I absolutely trace my love of stealth-action games to the hours I spent playing this.
– Kristen Titus
Resident Evil
First time I was introduced to Capcom’s trend-setting horror, I lost most of a weekend. And, for a time, some friends as well. I’d been invited round to a pal’s for a catch-up but spent a day and night locked in a corner in front of the TV, mute but for the occasional yelp of fear as I explored Spencer mansion. They hadn’t a memory card, so every death meant a full restart. I didn’t care. RE was unlike anything I’d played before. It was a game worth falling out (albeit briefly) with a friend for.
– Fred Dutton
Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
A lot of gamers will be familiar with Abe’s first outing thanks to the classic Demo Disc that came with the original PlayStation, but the full game had so much to offer: strategy, stealth, puzzles, and flatulence jokes made up one of the most intriguing and, in my opinion, memorable experiences of the generation. I played it again and again, and even revisited it recently with the modern reimagining on PS4.
– Eric Whelan
Ridge Racer Type 4
This was the apex of Namco’s iconic arcade racing series and, for my money, the best arcade racer on the console. Brilliant course design (I instinctively leant into every corner, leant back for every sharp rise) gorgeous visuals (that painterly reproduction of soft, early morning light in some races in particular). And that soundtrack: a sublime fusion of jazz, soul and funk (it’s still on my iPhone to this day).
– Gillen McAllister
