Reimaru’s Picks: Our Top 5 choices for a PlayStation nostalgic trip

Written by Louis

September 10, 2015

Some of them could be underrated, others are already the talk of the town, but here’s our top picks when it comes to classic PlayStation titles.

It’s the PlayStation’s 20th birthday, and what great way to celebrate it other than going a nostalgic journey towards the glory days of PS1, back when low-resolution 3D polygons were synonymous to “realistic graphics” and beautiful sprites filled our TV screens. Our choices may not be the same with everyone else’s but these titles left a mark, one way or another, in most of us, and can arguably be filed under gaming classics.

5. MediEvil (1998)
Developed by: SCE Cambridge
Published by: Sony Playstation

MediEvil

Hack and slash has long been a common attribute of most video games, and one of the titles that opened me up to the genre was SCE’s MediEvil. With gothic themes, and a Tim Burton-like feel, MediEvil  lets us play the afterlife of Sir Daniel Fortesque, a knight in the lands of Gallowmere risen from the dead by the way of Zarok, the game’s main antagonist, who originally wanted to raise an army of undead minions to invade the kingdom. While Fortesque, was in no way originally a warrior in the battlefield, he must now fight his way through hordes of zombies, and various demons in order to defeat Zarok, save Gallowmere and redeem his life, or afterlife honor.

With elements like level progression, and returning to levels for various mini-quests, a good variety of weapons, and puzzles, MediEvil proved to be a good video game pick for those who want to have a bit of challenge, or just wanna have fun mowing down waves of enemies.

4. Front Mission 3 (1999)
Developed by: Square
Published by: Square

Front Mission 3

Now who doesn’t love mechs? Or better yet who doesn’t love mechs fighting against shooting, slicing, or even punching each other’s faces? Front Mission 3 features both and more with its turn-based mech fighting action, featuring mecha units called Wanzers. A unique aspect of this turn-based RPG is its dual-scenario, setting, letting you play 2 different stories, that may look different, but share a couple of plot points and scenarios. The choice of scenarios also greatly affect the game’s multiple endings, as the player can either choose to go for a more resolved ending, or leave a cliffhanger. Customization is also one great aspect of Front Mission 3 as you can have the ability to create and customize your very own mech.

Save for the lengthy dialogue, Front Mission 3 surely has its way of storytelling that most completely overlook.

3. Tekken 3 (1998)
Developed by: Namco
Published by: Namco

Tekken 3

 

Admit it, there was a time when you wished you looked like Jin Kazama, or at least tried to. While originally released for Arcade machines, Tekken 3 made its way to PS1 and became one of the most recognized fighting games, even today. With a combat system that rewards even the hardcore button mashers, Tekken 3 has its unique appeal for gamers that are well versed or fairly new to fighting games. One of the famous exploit in the game include King’s multithrows, a series of combos that when chained correctly results in fully depleting your opponents healthbar. Aside from the classic 1-on-1 battles, Tekken 3 also featured other fun modes such as Tekken Ball, which when completed unlocks Gon, and Tekken Force, a beat ’em up minigame which unlocks Dr. Bosconovitch, and of course, the Team Battle.

2. Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Developed by: Capcom
Published by: Capcom

Resident Evil 2

 

Jumpscares? Check, Creepy sounding doors? Check, Hordes of undead? Big Check. Resident Evil 2 was one of the first that made us fear the dark and prepare for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Returning to Raccoon City, you can play either as Claire Redfield, or Leon S. Kennedy, each with different goals and both tied up in the mess caused by the t-Virus, a mutagenic strain developed by Umbrella Corporation in their quest to develop Bio Organic killing machines in a plot to t̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶l̶d̶ become a leader in the arms race. Resident Evil 2 become widely acclaimed through its improvements from its predecessor, Resident Evil, featuring a much more streamlined gameplay that provides balance between trying to survive and mindlessly blowing up every zombie in sight, becoming a true masterpiece of its time.

1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)
Developed by: KCET
Published by: Konami

Castlevania Symphony of the Night

Sidescrolling 2D action culminated in the PlayStation 1 through the way of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. One of the platform’s most pivotal titles, Symphony of the Night puts you in the shoes of Alucard, the half-breed son of Dracula,  in a mission to uncover the mystery behind the reappearance of Castle Dracula, and the disappearance of Richter Belmont, the renowned Vampire hunter of the Belmont Clan. With side-scrolling action, mixed with non-linear gameplay, puzzle-solving, RPG elements, and a captivating plot with a very surprising twist, Castlevania Symphony of the Night left a significant mark in the world of Video Gaming that many others tried to replicate.

Sidescrolling action, Turn-based RPGs, Hack and Slash, button mashing Fights, we all have our preferences for our PS1 favorites, and ours are just a few of many, how about you, what’s your top picks for PlayStation classics?

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