(North Americans didn't get their hands on the system until Sept. 9, 1995, while Europeans had to wait until Sept. 29 of the same year and Australians had to wait until Nov. 15.)
One of my earliest such memories relates to the PlayStation's Japanese launch. I'm pretty sure I wore out the pages of the DieHard GameFan, Electronic Gaming Monthly and other magazines that covered its development and release (as well as the release of the Sega Saturn and the NEC PC-FX). Thanks to those articles, I was all but set to buy a Japanese Saturn from a retailer I can't remember (it was one of the many that advertised within the pages of the above-mentioned publications back then) when I came across screenshots of some of the PlayStation's most newsworthy launch and launch-window titles--Battle Arena Toshinden, Crime Crackers, Jumping Flash! and Ridge Racer.
For whatever reason, the first and last of the above-mentioned games were the ones that nearly prompted me to pick up a Japanese PlayStation rather than a Saturn. Granted, at the time, GameFan's writers, especially, were pushing both of them as being akin to the Second Coming, so don't give me too hard of a time about the fact that I once pined for a game (Battle Arena Toshinden) that later was revealed to be a bit of a turd.
Still, even now it's easy to see why I and others were blown away by the experiences the PlayStation was able to produce. We were coming from the era of the Mega Drive (Genesis), PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) and Super Famicom (SNES), after all, and we were used to pixels and sprites and two-dimensional games. Seeing three-dimensional games that were produced using polygons was mighty foreign, not to mention thrilling, to most of us--especially those, like me, who tended to ignore PC gaming.
In the end, though, I dropped a boatload of hard-earned cash on a Japanese (gray) Saturn rather than a PlayStation, mainly because I was completely obsessed with two games that were released around the same time as Sega's console: Clockwork Knight and Panzer Dragoon.
Strangely, I can't for the life of me remember when I finally bought a PlayStation. All I know is that the system had been out for some time before I acquired one.
I do remember what pushed me over the edge, though: Final Fantasy Tactics. For whatever reason, although the much-ballyhooed (especially at the time) Final Fantasy 7 left me feeling cold--I rented it and a PlayStation system from the local video joint shortly after its North American release--this tactical spin-off had the opposite effect on me. In fact, I was so gung-ho about it that just one week with it (thanks to the same video store I mentioned a second ago) was all I needed to run out to the nearest big-box store and buy both a PlayStation and a copy of this game.That ended up being both a blessing and a curse, of course, as I quickly became obsessed with Yasumi Matsuno's masterpiece--to the point where I played it for hours on end, often in lieu of completing my homework.
A number of other PlayStation games also have left an impression on me over the years, of course--games like PaRappa the Rapper, SaGa Frontier and Umihara Kawase Shun, just to name a few--but none of them hit me as hard as the one that forced me to (finally) give Sony and its PlayStation console a chance. Because of that--and a slew of additional reasons--it'll always have a place in my heart.
So, those are just a few of my own "PlayStation memories." What are some of yours? Please feel free share them in the comments section of this post, if you're up for it.
48 comments:
Clockwork Knight was the game that convinced you to take the plunge on the Saturn?! Must... stifle... laughter!
Er, sorry. I really ought to write up something about this, but at the moment I'm more interested in talking about my Wii U. It was the only console I brought to AZ and now I know why... that much-maligned gamepad is incredibly handy. I actually brought it with me to a coffee shop to take advantage of that Cyber Monday sale. It wasn't portable in the strictest sense, but the gamepad at least let me download those three Game Boy Advance games without too much trouble (and get in a few rounds of Street Fighter Alpha 2 while I was at it).
At the time, Jess, I thought Clockwork Knight looked glorious. Better than that, actually. Sure, it may not have ended up being the greatest platformer (not that I would know!), but back when it was first revealed, it made my tongue wag something fierce.
The same was true of Panzer Dragoon, of course--and I know for sure that it turned out to be a good-enough game. (It wasn't quite what I thought it would be, though, as I initially assumed it would allow for more freedom in terms of controlling the dragon. Oh, well!)
As for your Wii U musings: I love you took your GamePad to a local coffee shop! Oh, how I'd love to have seen the looks on the faces of your fellow patrons :)
I really don't understand why folks malign the Wii U GamePad, BTW. Sure, some devs (even those at Nintendo) can't be bothered to make much use of it, but even then I like its construction and the idea of it. Again, oh, well!
When I think of the PS1, I mostly think of my college dorm room and all the time I spent on the first three Resident Evil games to unlock the infinite-ammo weapons. Those same save files are now on my PlayStation Vita, so I can tear through Raccoon City with the rocket launcher.
I'm sure we've talked about this before, Terry, but we must be of similar ages, because all of my best PS1 memories occurred while I was in college, too!
Anyway, I love that you still have access to those RE save files. Also, your comment here has reminded me that I have to give the early RE games another go sometime soon...
I never actually owned a PS1 and missed out on a large chunk of that era, and the thought to play any PS1 games wouldn't even cross my mind until years later when I'd pick up a PS2 for Kingdom Hearts [blush]. A local family-owned game shop went out of business later and had a blow-out sale wherein I picked up what would actually define my PS2's library/life: Final Fantasy 7/8/9, Tactics, Vagrant Story [vibrates with excitement], and a few other titles that I can't quite remember.. stuff like Legend of Dragoon (eh!).
My PSP has basically continued in my PS2's legacy, becoming a flawless PS1 emulator, to catch any other titles that I've missed out on (I recently played through Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and lost my mind!). Such a lovely system, I'm glad I can still enjoy it's library all these years later, too!
It's nice to know I'm not alone in being late to the party with various consoles, Zach.
BTW, would you believe I've yet to play Vagrant Story? Don't worry, I'm going to buy a copy sometime in 2015. I swear!
Anyway, thanks for sharing your PS1-via-the-PS2-and-the-PSP memories. I love them!
The DS port of Resident Evil is pretty good, and I'm looking forward to playing the remastered GameCube remake.
Really? Hmmm, I may have to check it out, in that case. (I think I've always assumed it was its own thing, like some sort of spin-off, or something.)
Oh, I remember you saying something like that before! It's my all-time fave Matsuno/PS1 game for sure. I think it could ~really~ benefit from an HD remake (menu hopping is garbage at points), but if you're enjoying the game in any shape or form you quickly forget about it, I found. It's ambiance is soooooooooo incredible.
And yeah! Thanks for your memories as well! It's fun to have a place to share.
It's been on my "to buy" list for ages. I have a feeling I've avoided buying it for so long because every time I search eBay for it, complete copies are still pretty pricey.
Anyway, I've heard and read elsewhere that it's an amazing experience, so adding your support to the pile just makes me want to play it even more!
Finally, I'm so glad I've created an online space where folks like you feel you can share your thoughts, memories, etc.
Sure, I'm never going to be a "big" site/blog like the awesome Tiny Cartridge, but that's OK as long as I can write about the things I want and people like you come by now and then and share your feelings on the topics, too :)
RE: Deadly Silence has two modes. One adds DS-centric puzzles with stylus controls. I just stuck with Classic Mode, which plays just like the original except for a quick-turnaround button and the ability to skip the door animations.
Oh, that's good to know, Terry. Thanks for telling me! Now to add this game to my gargantuan DS "wish list" :P
Ah, that's fine! Good niche websites seem to be fewer and far between these days, and it's nice to be able to have an actual dialogue with the blogger, where some have so much going on that that sort of personal connection is impossible for them.
And yeah, I highly rec going for the Black Label jewel case if you can, it has the extra demo disc with a few games on it (and the garish neon green from the Greatest Hits banner or whatever doesn't clash with the beautiful cover). I got mine for about 30 bucks back in the day, but I found a couple right now worth 20~30 bucks!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vagrant-Story-Sony-PlayStation-1-2000-Ps1-Black-Label-/181585974071?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item2a475e1337
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vagrant-Story-Sony-PlayStation-1-2000-RARE-PS1-/361133457696?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item54153b4120
Yeah, that is nice about being a niche blogger, I think. Of course, it helps that people like you actually leave comments and come back more than just once or twice, etc.
Thanks for the links to the black label Vagrant Story copies on eBay! Those prices seem lower than when I looked before. Maybe I'll get one sooner than I thought :)
It's funny how people were so easily seduced by computer rendering in video games twenty years ago. I remember being impressed by Vectorman and Sonic 3D Blast in 1995... but now, maybe not so much!
Panzer Dragoon turned out to be a pretty good series. I didn't like Zwei too much at first (because it spanked me raw the first few times I played it) but when I got used to the difficulty it was quite an enjoyable experience. Saga/Azel doesn't hold up too well in hindsight, though. It was an exciting game in 1999 thanks to the myriad ways it distanced itself from conventional RPGs but just two years later, all I could see were the butt-ugly graphics and linear levels. Sega really, really should have considered an advanced remake, but alas, all we got instead was Orta, a throwback to Zwei.
I'm sure people were a little puzzled by the black brick I dropped on the table while I was drinking my frappe, but I was too busy playing games to care! My only regret is that I didn't bring Mario Kart 7 along with me. (I also wish that copy of Mario Kart Wii I bought at a yard sale wasn't scratched to hell and back, but at least it was worth 100 Nintendo coins!)
BTW, I did wind up offering some scattered thoughts about the Playstation on my blog. You'll find it in the usual place.
Hello again! As for me and Clock Knight and being easily seduced by computer rendering back in those days: in my defense, the quality of the computer rendering in the case of CK was only part of the reason I was so drawn to it at the time. Mostly, though, I was drawn to it because I loved the idea of controlling a little (toy?) knight while traipsing through what looked to be a toybox world.
Sadly, I have no idea how it actually turned out, as I never bought or even rented the game. Why? I can't remember! I'm guessing JP copies of it were too pricey at first, and by the time the price came down I must have read a bunch of negative reviews of it or something. Oh, well, sounds like I didn't miss much, eh?
So, which game did you take with you to the coffee shop? Or did you just play the GBA games you downloaded while you were there?
Off to read your thoughts on the PlayStation--and then pass them along to others via Twitter :)
Rad! I look forward to seeing/hearing more whenever you do!
I'll do my best to blab about it here, Zach!
I may have mentioned before, I was a real Playstation skeptic! The idea that it could do anything but tank like the 3D0 and Jaguar was inconceivable to me, it was in the same place in my brain as rumored consoles from other non-gaming companies (I recall AT&T was one of them). On top of that, it took a long time for any PS games to really catch my eye at all. Jumping Flash was certainly the sort of thing I would be interested in but even then it had a kind of flaky look to it, as did most 3D Saturn titles for that matter. I didn't really think any of them looked like that much fun, but I was also a 2D snob..
Anyway, I think I was the earliest adopter in our group, and that included waiting for a price drop on the US Saturn. Not long after someone picked up a PSX and we all got together to do a big gaming party of some sort. They already had the PSX set up when I arrived, and this may have been the first time I saw the two side by side in person. I plopped my Saturn down next to it and proudly observed, "Mine's bigger," which at age 17 or whatever struck me as /hilarious/, though it was met with a serious "It's all about the gameplay" type of response. No appreciation for absurdity, those guys.. Anyway I didn't like any of the games my friends had and it was a long time before I got to play any of the stuff that looked interesting to me like Jumping Flash or Parappa, or games that were more immediately appealing like Einhander, Klonoa, or Umihara Kawase got onto my radar. And Ghost in the Shell! Gosh!
Anyway I can grudgingly accept that the Playstation was a nice console though I never owned one, I didn't really get caught up with it until I got a Japanese PS2--the backwards compatibility was a key feature. :)
Oh, I know the feeling, Michael! I was skeptical, too, and for many of the same reasons you stated here. In fact, I'm pretty sure that at least partially played into my decision to grab a JP Saturn rather than a PlayStation--I just wasn't sure the PS1 would succeed, and I wasn't willing to waste $600-ish while waiting to find out!
I'm kind of amazed to hear you've never owned any sort of PS1 hardware, by the way. Granted, I know the PS2 and even PS3 offer backwards compatibility with the PS1, but the PSone hardware, especially, is so nice I personally couldn't help but own (or two, or three).
Finally, you've just reminded me again of the PS1 version of Ghost in the Shell. Now I'm off to add it to my "wish list"--despite the fact that I'm not at all sure it'll wind up being my kind of thing...
Hah! If there's one thing this should say it's that I don't think you need to get something if it isn't really your kind of thing. :)
Yeah the PSOne is adorable but I'm not really a hardware collector, and like I say, my PS interest is a bit limited. The PS2 was a more practical thing for me, and of course, it also famously serves as a high-end Dreamcast Stand. :)
The thing is, Michael, I'm not *sure* Ghost in the Shell won't be my kind of thing, which of course makes me want to get a copy of it just so I can see one way or another.
As for the PS2 serving as a DC stand: ha ha!
Oh, I just waited for the downloads while playing the ambitious but lacking SNES conversion of Street Fighter Alpha 2. I don't know what possessed Capcom to make one, but it's okay. If you don't mind waiting four seconds at the start of each round, anyway.
Right now, I'm really really REALLY tempted to get Demon's Crest, as it was one of those Super NES games I missed when it was first released. I've got almost (but not quite) enough money for it in my eShop account, so maybe...
I can't remember if I've ever played Demon's Crest. I know I played the first GB title in this series, but that's all I can recall. Gah! Anyway, why don't you buy it and let me know what you think of it? ;)
Hello, Yvonne! I've seen your avatar on Twitter for some time now, so it's nice to finally hear from you on this side of things :)
Have you had a chance to play any of Ni no Kuni DS yet? If so, what are your thoughts on it? (Don't worry, I won't criticize you if all you've done so far is ogle the spell book!)
Also, thanks for sharing a couple of thoughts on The Lost Valley. It's nice to hear that some folks are enjoying it, especially since it gives me hope that I'll enjoy it, too.
For what it's worth I'll vouch for Demon's Crest--it's well-made, got that certain sense of non-linearity about it, great visuals, etc. I'm not wild about this sort of description but "Castlevania + Mega Man" (a "Megavania!") is pretty accurate.
I have played some of Ni no Kuni, I think three chapters. It's a touching story, and I really like the game. But I couldn't have played it without the detailed wiki that's online. It's very text heavy, and though I try to translate the Japanese texts as much as possible, it's nice to have some English support, lol.
I've seen that you considered Tongari Boushi too! I played it and translated a bit too. It's as good as you expected!
Thanks for the input, Michael! Do you also like the GB games that are a part of this series?
I actually haven't played any of them! I've heard good things, though. A friend of mine waaaay back in elementary school really liked it. :)
I remember that summer 96, first real job I ever had. Just moved into my first apartment. Was really thirsty for Ridge Racers, Wipeout and the coming FFVII. Video store owner didn't help by hyping the PS1 up above the heavens either.
Anyway, as I said I had just made this first giant step in my life into adulthood. I could not spend that cash on a PS1 as I had to make sure I had everything at home in tip top condition.
My father complained a lot and told me how hard he had it when he was a kid and his father hadn't helped him at all(which was a lie grandpa told me). So it took me nearly a year to actually set the money aside but then came a date when my family was going away on a family trip and I needed to join the military(military service was compulsory back then in Sweden) so my father told me I had to actually pay for the trip myself if I wanted to go since I was an "adult" now. Bye bye PS1 money :(
Away to France we flew, I had a great time. Had about two thirds of my money left for that PS1 since my mum kinda kicked my dad in the chin until he admitted that I didn't need to pay for anything he just wanted to see if I had managed to save up myself, which he often did. And just paid for half or more as he had done when I bought my first car and first flat. Man I need to tell my dad how much I love him :)
Anyway, I had already spent to much money on this trip for souvenirs for my friends back home. I remember buying this really ugly necklace with a blue fake jewel in it, I thought it was pretty then, was for my gf at the time. Pascal and I walked through the Arcades of Paris ourselves and had a blast and then we heard this kid talk about how he was going to buy this cheap PS1 system from a newly opened vendor. Pascal being the great friend he is walked up to the kid and asked him how much they were and where we could pick one up. About 1500 Franc the kid said...that was half the price I would have paid in Sweden. So quicker than lightning itself, the nearest anyone had come to teleportation both me and Pascal ran into that store and saw that the kid wasn't lying. 1500 Franc for a PS1 with 1 controller but no games. Big deal. I bought it right there and had the biggest grin for the rest of the vacation. Me and my PS1 with no games :) And to put a cherry on top of it all. Come 97 my mother surprised me with buying me FF7 in French as I was back in school and made zero money there but man I had a blast re-learning French as I played my through FF7 to finally pick it up a few months later in the winter of 97 when I had money again and realised that I actually knew French. And just to add a little story, I was the most popular Sargent in the military since I was the only one with a PS2 so we collected some money and always bought a few games which we could play during downtime :)
Think it was these great memories that actually created a soft spot inside of me for everything Playstation. I can't think about PS without thinking about the stupid fun times we had in the military with the PS2. Even when servicing abroad we had a blast during downtime :) Or how me and a friend was playing RE1 in his parents camper and he nearly cried when the dogs came out. Man I really need to finish some PS2 games in my backlog...perhaps after I finish some Master System games :)
The Dreamcast Stand :D Man I actually did that to my poor PS2 :) Not that I agree to anything in that picture but still :)
Psst get the Japanese or the NA one. Just for the Boxart. If possible the Japanese :)
Sorry to bug ya, but I wanted to inform you about http://retro-video-gaming.com/ .
It's a Swedish woman called Heidi who runs that site, it's in English. She is way awesome.
Even though the video is in Swedish check out her Castlevania collection http://youtu.be/hQRTzQypQVk?t=30s
She doesn't buy merch though since she says she wants to play games not stare at things ^^
Hello again :) Oh, that's good to know that there's an online wiki for Ni no Kuni, as I certainly don't know enough Japanese to get through the game otherwise.
As for Tongari Boushi, I'm still sad Konami never brought the 3DS game to North America. I really liked its art style, especially. I know I could buy the JP version, but I really think I need games like this to be in English for me to enjoy them :|
Oh, that's too bad! Like I said earlier, I owned and loved the first GB game when I was younger, but I haven't played it in years. I can't even remember if the second one was released outside of Japan. Hmmm, maybe I should do a bit of digging this weekend...
You're not bugging me, Franggio, and thank you for pointing this out to me. I'll give her videos a look tonight, I promise!
What is it with poor PS2s and Dreamcasts? Can't they just get along? ;)
Oh, I'm planning to get the JP version, Franggio. No question! And, yes, mainly because of the beautiful box art.
yeah! I remember posting that here in the recently-ish Japanese box art post you did :)
Ha ha! What great stories and memories, Franggio. Thank you for sharing them! I love hearing the memories other people have for various systems, especially "older" ones, as it prompts me to think about my own such memories. For instance, I'm now thinking of some of my most cherished memories of the Nintendo 64, strangely enough. Sigh :)
Yep! And then Michael's comment above reminded me of it. Thank you both!
Yeah, Heidi's vids are in English but the one I posted are in Swedish, that video is called "Gaming Neighbours" as a pair of Swedes travel across Sweden to find collectors and talk with them about their interest :) But anyway Just wanted to give Zach another Retro blog to watch if he fancied it :)
Well everything forms a person through life. That friend who I was playing RE with. He and I didn't start out as friends. I remember him calling me the N-word and I beating him up for it for years and sometimes I just beat him up because I thought he was going to say it, non of us was a Saint :/. Until one day our parents got tired of us and forced us on a "play date" and when he saw my SNES he found something that was similar to him. We started talking carefully about it, we started talking about other things and in the end we were both crying and saying sorry for being mean to each other and all I can say is that the SNES there started our Friendship. 20ish plus years later we still meet up and play games or just talk about our respective lives. Actually the majority of our 15-20 something group of old friends try and meetup from time to time just to play games, mostly board games and such though but we still have that *spark* for playing games together and laughing :)
Oh, I like the sound of the "Gaming Neighbors" series, especially. Really wish someone would do that in my neck of the woods :)
What a great story! Or should I say another one? Anyway, thank you for sharing both of them :)
It's not out of the realm of possibility. :D
The eternal struggle!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxLLhwCx4cM
Ha! Thanks, Michael :)
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