Sony PlayStation was home to thousands of titles during its illustrious run, a healthy portion of which found success on the platform. However, there are some PlayStation 1 classics forgotten to time, despite commercial and/or critical success, for one specific reason.
Be it a sequel stealing its thunder, falling victim to changing tastes, or being vanquished by a competitor, there are plenty of games on the original PlayStation that have fallen off the radar or no longer command the acclaim and respect they deserve.
Rage Racer (1996)
Rage Racer was a huge step up over its previous PlayStation entries, Ridge Racer and its refresh Ridge Racer Revolution. And, Rage Racer received very positive reviews for its improved driving model. Enraged racers could choose to bias their car towards the series’ staple drift handling or go for a more traditional turning style.
And Namco balanced the tracks, AI and handling to make both styles of handling, and the spectrum in between viable. Playing the game today reveals how flexible the game is in keeping the challenge alive in your preferred style. The visual presentation was also praised in 1996. The cars and environments are vivid, but there is also plenty of contrast to make it all pop.
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Unfortunately, its visibility and recognition did not last, Rage Racer‘s initial retreat from the limelight was caused by its sequel. There is, of course, no shame in being upstaged by Ridge Racer Type 4. R4 is a technical and artistic marvel that TechStomper has waxed lyrical over before.
And over time, the importance of Ridge Racer, a near-perfect port of a jaw-dropping arcade hit, has become part of the original PlayStation’s success story. Subsequently, Rage Racer became sandwiched between the storied Ridge Racer, and the generation-defining Ridge Racer Type 4.
All is not lost though, TechStomper included Rage Racer on that same list of PlayStation 1 arcade racing games still worth playing today. So, at least someone still remembers the Rage.
Time Crisis (1997)
Time Crisis, technically, qualifies as a PlayStation 1 classic forgotten for two reasons. Light gun games have long been dead as a genre, and the technology on which Time Crisis, and other light gun games, depend is obsolete.
But, Time Crisis on PlayStation 1 was a big deal back in 1997. Namco had stormed the arcades with their take on the light gun genre in 1995. And the PS1 port was another hit from the company that showed what the PlayStation was capable of.
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Time Crisis sold by the million on PlayStation, despite needing the GunCon peripheral. The GunCon came packaged with the game in most territories, but the pack came at a cost. A cost that many were willing to pay to play the highly cinematic shooter at home.
Being a classic in a dead genre alone has seen plenty of S-Tier titles confined to the dustbin of time. After all, one way that a game lives on in public discourse is for game reviewers to lazily compare the latest effort in a given genre to a classic. When your genre is dead, there are no reviewers to exalt that classic’s name.
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The replacement of CRT TVs with flat panel technology has prevented middle-aged gamers from whipping out the GunCon for a nostalgic hit. Further still, this change has gated Time Crisis from being discovered by newer players.
G-Police (1997)
Another of many PlayStation 1 classics forgotten to time was G-Police. Like Time Crisis, it has been mostly forgotten after the death of its genre, and, like Time Crisis, it was a good reason to own a PlayStation in 1997. The scale of the relatively open maps was impressive, as was the detail in the vehicles and cityscapes.
Gamers were blown away by the visual presentation while they wrestled the finicky controls and punishing difficulty. The game’s crime-ridden future dystopia, and its lore, was influenced heavily by the film Blade Runner. G-Police‘s array of vehicles took their inspiration from the 1970s and 1980s sci-fi blockbusters.
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Fans were treated to an excellent, if repetitive, sequel. However, G-Police 2 sold a fraction of the first entry, and Psygnosis never chanced a third. The days of 3D space shooting were well and truly over after G-Police gave it one last day in the sun as a top-selling technical showcase for PlayStation 1.
G-Police itself still has a cult following, who rejoiced at its 2007 release for PS3, as one of its PlayStation 1 Classics for sale via PSN. But, for the masses, G-Police has been largely forgotten, along with the genre it drew the curtain on.
Kula World/Roll Away (1998)
Kula World, or Roll Away in North America, was a critical darling upon release in 1998. A unique 3D roller that offered the bite-sized puzzles of Marble Madness in a bright and breezy style, Kula World was hypnotic. The novel puzzler would become a minor hit worldwide on strength of its critical praise and word of mouth.
There were more than 200 levels to roll through, with a strong scoring, collectible and progression system teasing a little more fun from the package.
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But sadly, Kula World has since joined the ranks of PlayStation 1 classics now forgotten. Niche genres and sub-genres tend to be a winner-takes-all affairs, with space seemingly limited in the spotlight of public esteem.
And it seems that the collective minds of retro gamers have room for only one colourful marble roller, and Super Monkey Ball is that game.
Dino Crisis (1999)
For a dedicated few, Dino Crisis has never been forgotten. For everyone else, Dino Crisis was Resident Evil with dinosaurs. And while that reductive description may sound like an insult, it really is not. Dino Crisis was very well received by critics at the time, and the first two entries in the series, both on PS1, went platinum.
However, Capcom were making huge money on Resident Evil at the turn of the millennium. Dino Crisis was left by the wayside, and by the time a mediocre third entry emerged, the series’ momentum was gone.
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The aforementioned dedicated few keep the dream of a reboot or remake alive. But, sadly, Dino Crisis is one of several PlayStation 1 classics forgotten by playing second fiddle to an icon. Resident Evil popularised the survival horror genre, and caught the public’s imagination in a way that few game series ever do.
It’s perhaps understandable that Capcom made hay while the sun was shining on their flagship property. However, it doesn’t make the loss of something as unique as Dino Crisis any easier.
Honourable Mentions
Were it not for their inclusion on PlayStation Plus Premium, and the subsequent surge in interest, Syphon Filter could have made the list. The first of a PS1 trilogy was a breath of fresh air in 1998, despite an awkward control scheme. The cinematic presentation and set pieces were enough to make Syphon Filter a huge hit upon release.
But, over time, the series ran out of steam. A pair of lacklustre PS2 entries, and some well-received but ignored titles on PSP, saw the series fade into oblivion. That is, until the trilogy trickled on PS Plus as a sweetener for the most expensive subscription.
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Future Cop: LAPD burned bright in its singular effort in 1998. Like G-Police and Time Crisis before, Future Cop: LAPD faded into obscurity with mechs in western media, despite offering a more accessible third-person take on the genre. Future Cop: LAPD doesn’t make our list as it falls short of ‘classic’ status.
