Sony PlayStation > Reviews (291)

With the arrival of the Playstation 2 in the UK late last year and the imminent arrival of the new Nintendo console and Microsoft's X-box the original Playstation seems doomed to the yesteryear of gaming. Sure all the usual promises of developers carrying on making games for this magnificent machine have been trawled out as with any new console launch. So can we really believe that the Playstation 1 will be a feasible alternative to the next generation consoles...of course we can't.

Sony have tried their utmost to maintain the view that the games will keep on coming in Playstation 1 format for the foreseeable future. Great lengths have been gone to so that this message is received loud and clear. The new redesigned smaller, cuter PS1 was released around the same time as the PS2 and backwards compatibility means that Playstation 1 games will mot become obsolete entirely, but what about the console? Sure Sony took the trouble of redesigning the PS1 but was this too prove their commitment to keep the original Playstation going or just another way to make more money? Forgive me for being cynical but I think it is probably the latter.

So as the next-gen consoles are reeled out by the big guns of the computer industry and the Playstation is being lowered into its holy grave let us say our fond farewells and remember the good ol' days of this great entertainment machine.

When the Playstation first came out it blew away the opposition very quickly and soon became the best selling console in the world. Its initial competitors were the Sega Saturn (least said soonest mended) and the N64, which was perhaps the biggest threat to the Playstation's dominance.

The N64 was without doubt a superior machine when compared to the Playstation despite still having games on cartridges, but as the clichéd saying goes, "Its the games that make a console great" or something like that. This lack of stunning games was the N64's downfall and led to the total domination of the console market by the Playstation shipping many millions of consoles worldwide to become the biggest selling games console of all time, no mean feat.

Although, saying this, the N64 stayed in touch with the Playstation for quite a while with the occasional flash of brilliance like Goldeneye. This game highlights what could have been for Nintendo if they had a bit more backing from the major games manufacturers. As it was the major games manufacturers tended to prefer programming for the Playstation. There are many great games that have graced the Playstation over the years but its phenomenal success was partly due to a few exceptional games that provided a cornerstone for the Playstation. Love them or loathe them these are the games that made the Playstation great:

The Final Fantasy series especially their first offering on the Playstation FF7. This game was the sole reason that I and no doubt many others purchased a Playstation. I vividly remember that fateful day when I played on it round a mate's house and was immediately hooked.

I went out and bought a Playstation the very next day. This game has its many critics as well as devotees but one thing that cannot be argued about was the amazing (at the time) fmv graphics, which were absolutely outstanding. The game was immensely playable with a great if slightly childish storyline. There can be no doubt that Square excelled themselves on their first outing on the Playstation and the Final Fantasy series has continued to be a great success throughout the Playstation's life.

Another series that has enjoyed immense success on the Playstation was the Tomb Raider series. Unless you have been living in a cave subsisting on yellow goo for the last 8 years or so you will no doubt have heard of Tomb Raider and its delectable star Miss Lara Croft. This game was also one of the great earlier games available on the Playstation along with FF7 and the series has been a smash hit on the Playstation. Unfortunately the Tomb Raider series seemed to deteriorate towards the end e.g. Tomb raider TLR due to an overall change in the direction of gaming as a whole.

The final series that I think deserves a special mention is the then undisputed king of fighting games Tekken. The fact that this game along with the other two above and many more were developed solely for the Playstation was the final nail in the N64's coffin no matter what any N64 fan tells you. Ok so Goldeneye was a fantastic game but what else did it have...Unfortunately both Sega and Nintendo had fallen into the trap of launching new consoles whilst relying on old re-hashes such as the Sonic series, Mario Bros and Mario Kart. Luckily for Nintendo this didn't seem to matter as much as it did for poor old Sega.

This does however provide a clear warning to Sony that for the PS2 to be a big success they will not be able to rely on sequels such as Ridge Racer although newer games such as GT3 and Metal Gear 2 will undoubtedly be huge sellers. Looking at the Playstation's successor the PS2 I am sure that no one could really predict that it will continue Sony's stranglehold of the console market at the present time.

Back to the Playstation 1 and after highlighting 3 of the best games on the Playstation I agree that there were many other good games available along with quite frankly a few atrocious attempts at a game. Once the Playstation had become the biggest selling console ever Sony and the games developers did mot rest on their laurels bringing out more quality games such as the afformented GT series and Metal gear as well as the sublime Colin McRae rally among other games too numerous to mention. Obviously the games were one of the Playstation's greatest assets but there is another sometimes overlooked reason for the Playstation's success.

The Playstation was on top of the console world for years mainly due to the games but also due to the power of the Playstation console. Throughout the Playstation's life it has been continually pushed by the developers for greater levels of excellence.

The Playstation has gone from strength to strength and just when you think that it cannot get any better than what it is it does. Every time a new game comes out it pushes the Playstation to new limits; sharper graphics, longer game play, quicker frame rate etc and the good old Playstation just keeps on giving.

If developers were to continue producing games for the PS1 I believe that they would get even better but we have to let go of this ageing console. Let us say our last respects to this King of consoles the mighty Playstation 1.