PS-One Classics on PSN

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Japan's been getting great PSOne classics on the PSN store for some time now, but the US store has been rather light until recently. While we're still not getting the volume of the Japanese releases some great classics have shown up in the recent weeks. There's some great gameplay to be had at a budget price, and ready to be directly downloaded to your PS3 or PSP.

I wanted to open up a thread for a catch-all discussion of classics on the store. Did you find an amazing bargain? Is there a don't-you-dare-miss-it title coming out next week? Did you get burned on a game that didn't age well? Do you want some advice before dropping your $5? Then this is the thread for you.

I'll try to post weekly updates with new releases for the American PSN store.

I'll kick it off. Any impressions on Suikoden? I often hear it referred to in hushed tones on the 1up podcasts. It seems to be a touchstone for many people, so what's the deal? Why is it so great? Why haven't I played it? And would I get anything out of picking it up now?

I'll kick it off. Any impressions on Suikoden? I often hear it referred to in hushed tones on the 1up podcasts. It seems to be a touchstone for many people, so what's the deal? Why is it so great? Why haven't I played it? And would I get anything out of picking it up now?

I personally love Suikoden, and it's one of the few JRPGs I'll play repeatedly, but I know I've got a soft spot for it because it was the first JRPG I really loved. Aside from the nostalgia, the things that pull me back are the music and atmosphere (atmosphere is usually not the reason for me to come back to a JRPG), and the relatively simple gameplay. The game is a reasonable length and tells a reasonable story, so if you like JRPGs, I think it's still a good bet.

Will PS2 games eventually come to the PSN Store? I've always wanted to play Shadow of the Colossus and ICO...

PSOne games I'd love to DL:

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Brain Dead 13 (I remember laughing my ass of with this one, I doubt I'll find the humor as entertaining this time around).
Bomberman Party Edition (but only if they setup correctly the PSN multiplayer)
Broken Helix (I remember a friend bought this and I saw him play one afternoon, but ALL the game was real time and not script-driven).
Castlevania - Symphony of the Night.
Einhander -- I remember having fun with one, I could be wrong.
Final Fantasy -- ALL, even the remakes MADE for the PSOne that came from previous consoles.
Marvel Vs Capcom
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil -- All of 'em (probably).
Street Figher Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Edition
Tomb Raider (just to laugh at the poli count)
Twisted Metal (probably).
Vagrant Story -- A MUST, I bought it used years ago and the disc was scratched!!!

Hobbes2099 wrote:

Will PS2 games eventually come to the PSN Store? I've always wanted to play Shadow of the Colossus and ICO...

I've heard rumors and rumblings and I'm all for it, but so long as the PS2 keeps selling strong I don't see it just now.

PSOne games I'd love to DL:

Your wish is my command, sort of.

Castlevania - Symphony of the Night.

Already exists as a downloadable, and as an unlockable in Dracula X Chronicles.

Twisted Metal (probably).

Twisted Metal 2 is now in the store.

Marvel Vs Capcom
Street Figher Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Edition

The ESRB has rated Marvel vs. Capcom 2 as well as Street Fighter Alpha 2 + 3

Also Street Fighter Alpha exists as a downloadable title already. If i were you though I would hold out for Alpha 2 or 3, because the orginal SFA is inferior in almost every way to the sequels.

We'll have a winner if they update MvC2 with online component and widescreen mode.

Ok, thought I'd resurrect for this. The most recent update brought Ford Racing and Rainbow Six to the PS3 and PSP.

I was a huge fan of Rainbow Six on the PC, but it seems like a game that might not translate too well to the console. Anyone have any experience with the PS1 game? Was it any good?

AmazingZoidberg wrote:

I was a huge fan of Rainbow Six on the PC, but it seems like a game that might not translate too well to the console. Anyone have any experience with the PS1 game? Was it any good?

I played it way back when it came out; I'd avoid it like the plague. Almost all of the team management stuff is gutted out; you have teammates, but they're more functional as a Tactical Encouragement Squad and even the game thinks it's a bad idea for you to tag out, occasionally resurrecting terrorists to punish you for switching. The real culprits, however, are the sketchy controls and the terrible graphics, even by Playstation FPS standards. Rainbow Six (like any other tactical shooter) demands precision and the game's environment goes a long way towards sabotaging that.

Ultimately, it's not even a passable approximation of the PC experience. I'd steer clear.

I expected as much. It didn't seem like the kind of game that would transfer well to the pre-analog generation of consoles.

Also recently up (last week I believe) King of Fighters '99 and Spyro Year of the Dragon.

I've heard the Spyro games are solid cutesy 3D platformers.

What about KoF? Any fighting game fanatics want to chime in on this one? I've always been a Street Fighter man myself, so I've never had any real exposure to the KoF franchise.

If they released Persona 2 Innocent Sin in English I would actually consider buying it.

That or Policenauts.

Lard wrote:

If they released Persona 2 Innocent Sin in English I would actually consider buying it.

I think the fan translation patch is your only hope, ever. I'm playing through it now and it's actually really good for a fan translation.

RottingCatCarcass wrote:

I personally love Suikoden, and it's one of the few JRPGs I'll play repeatedly, but I know I've got a soft spot for it because it was the first JRPG I really loved. Aside from the nostalgia, the things that pull me back are the music and atmosphere (atmosphere is usually not the reason for me to come back to a JRPG), and the relatively simple gameplay. The game is a reasonable length and tells a reasonable story, so if you like JRPGs, I think it's still a good bet.

Suikoden was the first RPG I played, I think I just bought it since I was getting excited about Final Fantasy 7 coming out. It was great trying to recruit soldiers for you army, and seeing your castle grow was also pretty sweet. I actually kept playing the game over and over even though I didn't have a memory card at the time. I think I'd get all the way to the first major army battle and then I'd turn off my system and lose everything. Awwww, the bad ole' days. At least now you don't have to worry about dinky memory cards.

I pulled the trigger on Symphony of the Night back when I first got my PS3. There is not much from that era that I really think I missed out on. If I had, I probably would have bought a PS1 over the N64, or PC games. But I think the main selling point of them, for me, is that they also work on a PSP. I am seriosuly thinking about getting a PSP Go, and I know that I will snag a few more PS1 titles like Medieval(one that always intrigued me).

AmazingZoidberg wrote:

What about KoF? Any fighting game fanatics want to chime in on this one? I've always been a Street Fighter man myself, so I've never had any real exposure to the KoF franchise.

The KoF series has some major ups and downs, but all of them are fairly close in style to Street Fighter, much closer than a Mortal Kombat or Guilty Gear. You pick a team of three different fighters and you attempt to hit the other guy in the face a lot.

KoF '99 was actually a bit of a departure from the series at the time, as it introduced MvC-esque "strike bombs" where you could select a fourth character that could be tagged in to perform a special. These helper attacks are a perfect fit for Marvel vs. Capcom (where the action is much more frenetic and characters are more overpowered in general), but a lousy match for KoF's methodical gameplay, in my opinion. I'd pass, especially with HD Remix out there already and MvC2 on the way.

This week's classy release; Resident Evil Director's Cut.

I'm sure this is an awesome grab for fans of the series, but alas it is not for me. I've never been a huge survival horror fan.

It looks like Sony has finally gotten around to making this thread worth my while with updates galore. Apparently during E3 Sony will be updating the PSN store on a daily basis, most of it is video content, but they kicked it off yesterday with two big name PS1 releases.

Final Fantasy VII ($9.99)

With Square tax firmly intact Square managed to draw just a little bit more money out of the rabid FF7 fanboys. I already own the Disc version so I won't be picking this up, though the idea of having it on PSP is kind of appealing.

Medal of Honor ($5.99)

I don't know much about this game, I'm not a huge fan of FPS (WWII-FPS even less) but I know the Medal of Honor series used to be a big name in that niche. Anyone have any thoughts about how well this classic will hold up, or play on the PSP?

AmazingZoidberg wrote:

It looks like Sony has finally gotten around to making this thread worth my while with updates galore. Apparently during E3 Sony will be updating the PSN store on a daily basis, most of it is video content, but they kicked it off yesterday with two big name PS1 releases.

Final Fantasy VII ($9.99)

With Square tax firmly intact Square managed to draw just a little bit more money out of the rabid FF7 fanboys. I already own the Disc version so I won't be picking this up, though the idea of having it on PSP is kind of appealing.

Medal of Honor ($5.99)

I don't know much about this game, I'm not a huge fan of FPS (WWII-FPS even less) but I know the Medal of Honor series used to be a big name in that niche. Anyone have any thoughts about how well this classic will hold up, or play on the PSP?

PSN Classics are playable on the PSP? Amazing the things you learn when you bother to read. I'm getting more and more tempted to get one of those things. I'm a big pack rat, so I still have all my PS1 games...but having them portable...that could be good.

Basically, there's only one release I really want: Metal Gear Solid. I brushed it off, to my great regret, during my contrarian phase in college. Preferring Chrono Trigger to FFVII...well, there can be an actual debate there. Saying I'd rather play Syphon Filter than MGS? In hindsight, that makes me feel like an ass. Unfortunately, so far there are only rumors about MSG coming soon.

I didn't play an MoH until Frontline on the PS2, but I had an associate who raved about the original.

Xenogears needs to be released. I played through it a while back, still have the discs, but my PS2 is dead, and I really don't want to bother getting an emulator to work...

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

PSN Classics are playable on the PSP? Amazing the things you learn when you bother to read.

Yeah, Sony dropped the ball, I wasn't aware of this and I own a PSP. The portability factor might be enough for me to pick up FF7 again. (I sold my discs awhile back, having the game around was not worth passing up $50+.) Says the man with unplayed PSP games, including Crisis Core, on his pile...

I'm still a little surprised at no $40 UMD version, but hey, I'll take it.

cube wrote:

Xenogears needs to be released. I played through it a while back, still have the discs, but my PS2 is dead, and I really don't want to bother getting an emulator to work...

At least now we can have hope, since they finally got their heads out and realized the demand for a lot of these RPG classics.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

PSN Classics are playable on the PSP? Amazing the things you learn when you bother to read.

Huzzah! I have provided useful information!

I was just thinking that now that Square is putting out a classic title, perhaps we could get some Bushido Blade love. There is no way they're going to remake it so why not get a little money out of the IP? Wishful thinking, I know, but a lobsterman can dream.

According to wikipedia, Square has been releasing quite a few titles in Japan, including Xenogears, Bushido Blade 1 and 2, and most of their catalog from the PS1. Good news, I guess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Basically, there's only one release I really want: Metal Gear Solid.

Your prayers have been answered. Metal Gear Solid has been confirmed for a June 18th release date and a $9.99 price tag.

Sony is doing a good job of creating value for their console. I'm tempted by it in order to play some of these older games. Unfortunately, their asking price is still really high, especially if I ever want to pick up a PS2.

AmazingZoidberg wrote:
SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Basically, there's only one release I really want: Metal Gear Solid.

Your prayers have been answered. Metal Gear Solid has been confirmed for a June 18th release date and a $9.99 price tag.

With tented fingers, say it now: "Eeeeeexcellent."

Hobbes2099 wrote:

Will PS2 games eventually come to the PSN Store? I've always wanted to play Shadow of the Colossus and ICO...

So here's my latest weird idea; how hard would it be to code a patch for PS2 games to be better interpreted by the PS3 CPU? Take any PS2 game; Metal Gear Solid, it's a rather big game with a rather complex engine, recode it and have the source material (graphics, voice, renders, polygons, etc) be read from the disc. You release these "patches" or "upgrades" on the PSN Store at $1.99 and sell the possibility of playing your PS2 games with no emulation.

yes, it's a pain in the ass to recode, but how big an opportunity would it be for Sony to convert all of it's PS2 users into potential, plausible, possible PS3 users? Also, you can make your PS3 users backward compatible, and have them pay $60+$1.99 dollars for existing PS2 titles.

It's not a magic one-code-fixes-all, but rather each studio (that is already fluent in PS3 coding or porting) taking the extra man-hours to make the same title (the same disc, even) compatible between two consoles. If I were Sony, I'd be paying these studios to get on it.

your ideas? Or should I post this as a separate thread?

Parts of the xbox emulation work this way, but it turns out that in general it's hard to automatically translate machine instructions for hardware A to machine instructions for hardware B in a way that exactly preserves the correct semantics. This is why you always need some extra emulation software and why the emulation is less than perfect until you work at it on a case by case basis.

I think that it is great that Sony finally released FF7, it's been ages since I played it. What do you guys think of the price point on the games though? I think that much like GOG.com asking $6 for old games like those is reasonable, but $10 is pushing it a little. I would have got FF7 for $6 right way, but I'm just not that sure about $10. I know it's only 4 bucks more, but hey, it's the principle of the thing.

Huzsar wrote:

I think that it is great that Sony finally released FF7, it's been ages since I played it. What do you guys think of the price point on the games though? I think that much like GOG.com asking $6 for old games like those is reasonable, but $10 is pushing it a little. I would have got FF7 for $6 right way, but I'm just not that sure about $10. I know it's only 4 bucks more, but hey, it's the principle of the thing.

I guess it all depends on your perspective. As someone who never has played FF7, I thought $10 was a great price.

IUMogg wrote:

I guess it all depends on your perspective. As someone who never has played FF7, I thought $10 was a great price.

True, and I might just break down and buy it anyway, as I wouldn't mind some FF7 now.

Huzsar wrote:

What do you guys think of the price point on the games though?

I think they have the right idea on price point. Most games are coming out at about $6 which is perfect. It's only the big name titles (such as your FF7s) that get bumped up to $10.

Another day another download.

Today fighting fans can get the second iteration of the Street Fighter Alpha series.

Street Fighter Alpha 2: $5.99

This is an improvement over Street Fighter Alpha, which has been available for about 6 months now, but it is not the pinnacle of the SFA series (many would argue that that Alpha 2 gold was the best in terms of technical mechanics) and doesn't have the stupidly large roster of Alpha 3 (which has been ESRB rated for PS3).

I've been really enjoying having the original SFA on my PSP. It's great to have a solid 2D fighter when I'm on the road.

Alright boys and girls, another Thursday brings another classic. This time around the WWII fires continue to burn with another addition to the Medal of Honor franchise.

Medal of Honor Underground: $5.99

Again, I never followed this franchise so I don't have a real opinion to provide.

While not a PSOne title (and not available for the PSP) a port of a Genesis classic side scroller is available.

Gunstar Heros: $4.99

I hope this means that more classics will start migrating to the PSN. I see no reason why the PSN Store couldn't develop a virtual console like section for selling older titles.

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