Sony has announced the full lineup for the PlayStation Classic. When the nostalgia-fueled console was announced back in September, only five of those titles were unveiled: Final Fantasy VII, R4: Ridge Racer Type 4, TEKKEN 3, Jumping Flash!, and Wild Arms. Now, you can see the full roster of games.
The list is certainly interesting, as it features a lot of "first" titles. Many fans have played the recent Persona, Rainbow Six, and Twisted Metal titles, but not the very first games in the franchises. It will be fascinating to go back in time and see how these acclaimed series began. Of course, those who have nostalgia for these early games will probably be interested in revisiting them.
Rayman, while never becoming as big as Mario or Sonic, is a notable title for its whimsical graphics, but brutal difficulty. Including the first Resident Evil is a no-brainer, as well as Metal Gear Solid. There are a couple of largely forgotten titles as well, such as Battle Arena Toshinden and Mr. Driller. Some might be shocked that Spyro and Crash Bandicoot are not included. From a business standpoint, it makes sense because Crash received the HD treatment recently, and soon Spyro will be getting the same. What cannot be explained, though, is the lack of the first Tomb Raider.
Interestingly, the Japanese roster is slightly different, according to the Japanese PlayStation Blog. The first two Arc the Lad games will be included. This isn't a surprise - Arc the Lad was a big series in Japan, but unfortunately has faded into obscurity in North America. Western players will also lose out on the first Armored Core game. There are a few other lesser known titles, such as Devil Dice and G-Darius. But, fans might be most disappointed that Parasite Eve is not included in the Western release of the PlayStation Classic. Parasite Eve is a well-known horror game with an intriguing story. At the very least, the Western release does include the first Syphon Filter, an acclaimed third-person shooter.
Region differences can be annoying, but that's just how it is with these releases. The Japanese version of the SNES Classic Edition, for example, features Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem. During the SNES's run, Fire Emblem was notable in Japan, but nonexistent in North America. Thus, there's no nostalgia value in releasing Mystery of the Emblem on the Western version of the SNES Classic. But all in all, the PlayStation Classic has a decent roster of games.
The PlayStation Classic is available for pre-order and will be released on December 3rd for $99.99.