Five PSone stars we'd love to see sparkle on the PSP PSP

All Formats

Mobile

N-Gage

iPhone

ABOUT US

NEED HELP?

BUY GAMES

FREE STUFF

FRIDAY FREEBIE

OUR SITES

POCKETPICKS

POCKETGAMER.fr

POCKETGAMER.biz

INDUSTRY

PARTNERS

PSP FEATURE

Five PSone stars we'd love to see sparkle on the PSP

Come on, the 1990s wasn't all bad

by Caspar Field

Hot on the heels of the fantastic news that Konami's classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is coming to PSP, we decided to look back on other PSone titles that have too long lain dormant.

However, rather than listing our 'top five obscure Japanese RPGs from the late 1990s, we thought we'd propose five games that would bring something fresh to Sony's handheld. We just don't need another PSP racing or fighting game right now. Really!

Five PSOne games ripe for PSP revival

Return Fire
PSone release: 1996
From: Silent Software/ Prolific Publishing/ Time Warner

Originally released for the not-so-sadly-missed 3DO console back in 1995, Return Fire is a tightly-designed battle game that plays like a cross between Advance Wars and, er, Mario Kart. The object is simple – to capture your enemy's flag from their base – but the neatly balanced choice of vehicles (tank, personnel carrier, jeep and 'copter), tightly designed maps, frenetic vehicle movement and brilliant balancing combine to make the game hilarious to play. Top that off with a great multiplayer mode and a stirring classical soundtrack and you really couldn't go wrong with a PSP version.

Soviet Strike
PSone release: 1996
From: Electronic Arts

This isometric view (look that one up, kidz!) helicopter battle game was one of the best in EA's long-running Strike series. (Others included Desert, Jungle and Nuclear Strike.) By the time the series reached its Soviet incarnation, the varied missions, fast gameplay and 3D graphics had made the Strike games one of the highlights of EA's mid-'90s catalogue. We haven't seen anything quite like this for a while; these days it would go up against weedy competition like Killzone Liberation, while war-themed games are now more popular than ever. Sounds a good bet to us.

International Track & Field
PSone release: 1996
From: Konami

Track & Field can trace its roots back to the 1983 classic button-hammering arcade game that – on console – only truly finds its potential in multiplayer mode. If you've somehow missed-out, the game recreates a range of Olympic sports through a simple three-button control system. Hammer two run buttons to build up speed (sprinting, throwing, whatever), and press the third to do the action (jump, throw, breathe). However, the main reason we want it brought to PSP is for the potential joy of seeing people using the classic 't-shirt over the run buttons technique' on the bus: "But officer, I was just about to complete the 100-metre dash!" "Yes sir, I'm sure you were..."

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
PSone release: 1997
From: Namco/ SCEI

Namco's side-scrolling platformer was born into the 1990's strangely-named '2.5D' category, where the gameplay was largely traditional 2D platform gaming – only with the occasional bit of 3D-ness thrown in. Here, eponymous cat-dog-hero-thing Klonoa could use his magic ring to grab enemies from in front and behind him rather than just either side, or he could jump forward into the screen at some points. Once grabbed, enemies could be inflated and used as platforms or hurled as weapons. Namco's developers imbued the action with a happy but not overly cute feel, and created a solid and magical world that would stand up today (and did in 2001's PlayStation 2 sequel). Its colourful graphics are perfect for the PSP screen. The 2.5 gaming would suit PSP's controls. Oh, and it had some lovely music too. Aw.

Incredible Crisis
PSone release: 2000
From: Polygon Magic/ Tokuma Shoten/ Titus

This somewhat-obscure Japanese release plotted hero Taneo's crazy day through a string of 25 simple minigames. Favourite moments include one set during a date on a Ferris wheel, which involved rubbing your date in the right places to drive her crazy. It sounds kind of wacky but take a step back: this could be Wario Ware for the PSP, which is exactly the sort of market-broadening title Sony's machine needs right now.

Five more that nearly made the cut

Super Puzzle Fighter Turbo II
PSone release: 1997
From: Capcom
Fantastically addictive block-dropping puzzle game featuring the characters from Capcom's classic beat 'em up series.

Theme Park
PSone release: 1997
From: Bullfrog Productions
Demis Hassabis and Peter Molyneux's 1995 PC-classic is already slated for a 2007 release on DS. So where's the PSP version, hey EA?

Einhander
PSone release: 1998
From: Square/ SCEI
Great side-scrolling shoot 'em up with cool weapon-swapping action. At the time, IGN called it, 'The best shooter on the PlayStation', which still sounds right to us.

Warzone 2100
PSone release: 1999
From: Pivotal Games/ Eidos
This fast-playing 3D realtime strategy was a major addition to the real-time strategy genre back in 1999. With a graphic overhaul and a PSP-friendly control system it could be ripe for a comeback.

Gauntlet Legends
PSone release: 2000
From: Midway Games
With fresh graphics (cel-shaded cartoon style, please!) and some decent four-player wi-fi modes, an update of 1985's Atari arcade game would make a fun addition to the PSP catalogue.

Five already out in Japan, or in development

1. Devil Dice (out last year in Japan as Devil Dice Coliseum)
2. Final Fantasy VII – as Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
3. Final Fantasy Tactics
4. Silent Bomber (but so far it's only on PlayStation network)
5. PaRappa the Rapper (out now in Japan)

Keep monitoring what games actually make it to Sony's handheld via our dedicated PSP section.

Bookmark