PlayStation Plus is the gift that keeps on giving and while there are a ridiculous number of modern games to play, it’s also a wonderful place to dive into retro gems. Of course, you do have to pay for the higher ‘premium’ tier of the PlayStation Plus subscription, but once you do you’ll have access to plenty of games from the late-90s and the original PlayStation.
Whether you’re jumping into this treasure trove of games because you were playing them the first time around, or whether you fancy looking back at where PlayStation got started, you’ll need to know what’s worth playing.
Wild Arms
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With any OG PlayStation game, you have to make some consideration for the visuals as many of the games haven’t aged as well as 2D sprite work did from the previous generations. When it comes to Wild Arms, that’s not too much of a problem. This classic JRPG features the jagged 3D models of the 1990s but they retain some charm because of the larger-than-life characters. The game is still great, too. It’s uncomplicated and delivers a punchy story with all the trappings you want from a JRPG of the time.
Tekken 2
Okay, this is where the graphics are a bit of a hindrance. There’s no denying that Tekken 2 is one of the best fighting games of all time, however, 3D fighters just don’t age particularly well. The core concepts, mechanics, and feel of battling it out against brilliant characters have survived the years but there’s no doubting that if you want to play Tekken you’d be better off playing a new version. A great hit of nostalgia though, no doubt.
Kurushi
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Also known as Intelligent Kube, Kurushi is a very engaging puzzler. It’s so simple and the visuals actually manage to elevate the title. The premise of clearing cubes by running around a small platform ends up being very moreish, bringing spikes of dopamine and, if you’re a competitive player, endless replayability. With a few different modes bundled into the title, there’s plenty here to keep you coming back.
Jumping Flash!
Big giant robot rabbit, you say? 3D platforming? Bright colours, interesting level design, and plenty of Japanese surreality? These things alone should see you on Jumping Flash! I was besotted with this game as a teenager. I discovered it on a demo disc and played it practically every day. It struck the ideal balance of not being too hard and giving the player lots to do in-game. It also had verticality which was rare in platformers back then - getting to high points using rocket boots had an appeal too.
Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
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As with the above Kurushi, puzzle games just seem to age with more dignity and although this is a puzzle platformer, you can look past the odd muddy visual because the mechanics are so engaging. Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee was the first of the Oddworld games from legendary creator Lorne Lanning and gave us a weird world filled with unique creatures who had to escape being eaten. The act of Abe guiding the Mudokins around the factory via simple commands worked so well back then and it still does now.
Cool Boarders
Snowboarding is awesome no matter how it’s presented and while I may still love this one because I played the hell out of it the first time around, anyone who dips into Cool Boarders is going to have a blast. There’s nothing better than pulling off sick tricks and shredding through the layers of snow. The tracks are great and provide a good level of challenge, the soundtrack slaps, and the variety of tricks make you feel like a winter sports legend.
Ape Escape
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Take me back to the days when I needed to do nothing more than sit in front of the TV playing Ape Escape. What a bonkers little game. One that has a massive cult following and for good reason. Perhaps our Ewan describes it best, “A vibrant puzzle platformer filled with charming ideas and bizarre characters, Ape Escape tasked players with hunting down and catching rogue apes across a variety of different levels.” Ape Escape is such a carefree game where everything feels fun. It doesn’t take itself seriously, nor does it pitch itself as some kind of epic, it simply delivers on wacky gameplay that remains as wildly enjoyable today as it did then.
Twisted Metal World Tour
I have no idea why the Twisted Metal franchise is still on ice, especially after it became a TV show. The sequel, Twisted Metal World Tour took vehicular combat to the next level, beyond what karting games were doing. Fully destructible cities based around the world were a perfect backdrop to a cast of over-the-top characters blowing each other to pieces. Nothing will beat riding around the streets of Paris as Sweet Tooth and knocking down the Eiffel Tower with rockets launched from an ice cream van. It’s not too kind on the eyes nowadays, but it doesn’t matter when the action is this good.
Worms
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This might get me shot out of a cannon into the sun, but the Worms franchise has never bettered the original game. Worms Armageddon comes very close, but the rubbish graphics paired with some of the most simple action just nudges it with the OG Worms. Everything was distilled down to the moments of action, knocking your mates into the water, or hitting them with a holy hand grenade. If you were a pro with the ninja rope, the chances were high that you always win your games. Of course, it lacks the cartoon style of later iterations, but that doesn’t hold this one back.
Resident Evil: Director’s Cut
It’s amazing just how well the original Resident Evil holds up despite it being followed up by a huge amount of sequels and spin-offs. It still retains the creeping terror, mostly because of the fixed camera angles and the now-dated visuals that hide details from the player, leaving our imagination to fill in gaps. Resident Evil: Director’s Cut was huge back in the day, taking the best survival horror game and expanding it. However, and I remember this so vividly, the appeal in 1997 was the game being bundled with an exclusive demo for the sequel. I remember happily paying £55 just to play that demo, and experiencing the first one all over again was an utter joy, as it is today.
Topics: PlayStation, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Playstation Plus, Resident Evil, Tekken, Retro Gaming