PlayStation 4 Launch Trailer Teases Return of PlayStation 1 Classics

[Cognimancer]

PlayStation 4 Launch Trailer Teases Return of PlayStation 1 Classics


PlayStation's earliest mascots may be making a return on Sony's new platform.

Sony's marketing team seems to have found its niche: larger-than-life trailers blending live-action gamers with the digital worlds of their games. Incidentally, that kind of grand-scale trailer makes it really easy to hide secrets and easter eggs. This being the internet, the subtle references hidden in today's PlayStation 4 launch trailer were discovered within hours of the video going up, and some of them point in some interesting directions. If current theories are correct - and that's a sizeable "if" - the classic PlayStation lineup could be making a comeback.

For starters, the trailer itself is pretty cool, so have a look. Spot anything unusual? Sure, there's dozens of references to the big-name PS4 titles like Killzone and Drive Club, but a few signs hint at relics of Sony's past. Around the 48-second mark, there's a street sign behind the army of Helghast troopers with a silhouetted Crash Bandicoot on it. Parappa the Rapper is also visible as street graffiti. They may just be clever references, but if that's the case then why don't we see any PS2 icons like Sly Cooper or Jak & Daxter making appearances?

It goes a bit deeper. Neogaf user famousmortimer, who has leaked accurate information about other next-gen news in the past, posted that a new Parappa the Rapper title was in development [http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=715181&page=5], and that it may be one of many series being resurrected on the PS4. Many of those franchises' original developers have moved on to other commitments, so (according to famousmortimer) Sony might be handing off its old-school IPs to indie developers to breath fresh life into those series. Take this all with a hefty grain of salt, obviously, but the pieces fit - and you should never doubt the marketing power of nostalgia.

Source: reddit [http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=715181]

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[Roxas1359]

If this means we're finally gonna get that Ape Escape 4 that has been hinted at since 2010, and it is not a Playstation Move game and a return to Ape Escape 1-3's formula, then I say please do it Sony.

I mean, you have many 1st party titles that I would love to have make a return: MediEvil games, Ape Escape games, Jak and Daxter games, more Sly Cooper games, etc.

Also, I watched the trailer expecting to see Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Pipo Monkeys, and Sir Daniel Fortesque. Needless to say, I was disappointed. T^T

 

[Reaper195]

Man...imagine a Crash Bandicoot reboot made by Naughty Dog. That could be glorious.

 

[Tanis]

I wish I could see a proper Klonoa made.
<3

 

[AldUK]

Crash Bandicoot definitely needs more games, it was pretty damn successful in it's time and then they just... stopped making games. Crash Team Racing was my favourite PlayStation racing game and I replayed Crash Bandicoot 1 and 2 several times.

Also, more MediEvil would be fan-fucking-tastic. Why oh why did they not follow up on that series years ago.

 

[schrodinger]

If I don't see more proper Spyro games I will flip my table into space.

Give me more of that adorable wise ass Dragon and Sparx. Just make it a platformer with great level design and I will buy the collectors edition day one.

 

[Branindain]

I second (third?) the people above me. Next-gen MediEvil III / MediEvil reboot PLEASE! I would be all over that game like a rash.

 

[havoc33]

Come on Sony, if you resurrect these franchises, you'll sell TONS of consoles. As a matter of fact, we can declare the console winner right now. If this list doesn't get you excited, I don't know what will:

Jak & Daxter
Crash Bandicoot
Medievil
WipEout
Jumping Flash
Destruction Derby
G-Police
Klonoa
Ape Escape

 

[Kyogissun]

I'm just gonna be blunt here and say fuck Naughty Dog for their 'big announcement' being Uncharted. Give us god damned Jak IV already. I was a loyal fan for that series and I want some payback already.

 

[mixadj]

Come on Sony, if you resurrect these franchises, you'll sell TONS of consoles. As a matter of fact, we can declare the console winner right now. If this list doesn't get you excited, I don't know what will:

Jak & Daxter
Crash Bandicoot
Medievil
WipEout
Jumping Flash
Destruction Derby
G-Police
Klonoa
Ape Escape

Wipeout has been done already on the PS Vita and PS3. You have HD and Fury on PS3 and 2048 on Vita. I don't think there will be anymore from the original development team due to the fact they closed Studio Liverpool(Psygnosis)down.

Now as to franchise resurrection gimme some Jak & Daxter. Jak X was the last Jak game to scratch that itch. All we have had hold over from PS2 icons so far is R&C and the last few games after A Crack in Time did not seem to great.

 

[Tanis]

I'd love to see a Twister Metal return to form.

Black was...cool, but felt like a spin-off.
The PS3 game, again, felt like a spin-off.

 

[Casual Shinji]

If this means we're finally gonna get that Ape Escape 4 that has been hinted at since 2010, and it is not a Playstation Move game and a return to Ape Escape 1-3's formula, then I say please do it Sony.

I mean, you have many 1st party titles that I would love to have make a return: MediEvil games, Ape Escape games, Jak and Daxter games, more Sly Cooper games, etc.

Also, I watched the trailer expecting to see Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Pipo Monkeys, and Sir Daniel Fortesque. Needless to say, I was disappointed. T^T

You really want those games to return under the developement of D-grade studios though? Which is what will happen if they make new entries. It's not like they're going to seriously revitalize these franchises or put genuine talent behind them or anything.

These series were great because they had great developers. I'd rather people just let these games rest and not have their legacy be dragged through the muck any more then it already has.

 

[havoc33]

Come on Sony, if you resurrect these franchises, you'll sell TONS of consoles. As a matter of fact, we can declare the console winner right now. If this list doesn't get you excited, I don't know what will:

Jak & Daxter
Crash Bandicoot
Medievil
WipEout
Jumping Flash
Destruction Derby
G-Police
Klonoa
Ape Escape

Wipeout has been done already on the PS Vita and PS3. You have HD and Fury on PS3 and 2048 on Vita. I don't think there will be anymore from the original development team due to the fact they closed Studio Liverpool(Psygnosis)down.

Now as to franchise resurrection gimme some Jak & Daxter. Jak X was the last Jak game to scratch that itch. All we have had hold over from PS2 icons so far is R&C and the last few games after A Crack in Time did not seem to great.

True, you had Wipeout on PS3/Vita, but the fact that they closed down Studio Liverpool basically meant the end of the franchise as well. I think a lot of people would be excited if Sony suddenly announced a new Wipeout game for the PS4. It doesn't feel right to have a new Playstation console, and not have a Wipeout game, especially given how integral and iconic the series has been as a whole.

A couple of more gems I remember from the PSX:

Legend of Dragoon
Arc the Lad (although this was maybe from Namco? I can't remember)

 

[Genocidicles]

Give me a Medievil 3 and I'll buy a PS4 in heartbeat.

They included Sir Dan in Playstation All-Stars, so it seems Sony hasn't forgotten him entirely.

 

[james.sponge]

I'd like to see more new games, when is this sequel obsession going to end? People complain about how stale the industry has become yet all they seem to demand is more of the same. Psx had some signature games, ps2 had tons of those, ps3 had a slow start but eventually got some gems as well, and you want to tell me ps4 will be remembered as a massive sequel/resurrection machine.

 

[Tanis]

@james.sponge:
Here's the thing...

The PS1 was a transitional hardware, it wasn't that powerful but did its job moving us from 2D to 3D.

There's several games on the PS1 that suffer due to this lack of hardware power.
For older gamers like me, it's one of those 'what ifs'.

The PS2 gen of gaming was pretty solid when it came to power.
It's just that many of those PS1 classics got sequels that weren't made by the original dev/pub, and the quality suffered.

I, personally, would like to see some HD collections/remakes come out of several older games.

The Spyro series from the PS1 in particular was a great series that suffered from camera control issues that you rarely see nowadays.

 

[Roxas1359]

You really want those games to return under the developement of D-grade studios though? Which is what will happen if they make new entries. It's not like they're going to seriously revitalize these franchises or put genuine talent behind them or anything.

These series were great because they had great developers. I'd rather people just let these games rest and not have their legacy be dragged through the muck any more then it already has.

D-grade studios? I don't think I would call Japan Studios, the makers of all the Ape Escape games, a D-grade studio, and same with Sony Computer Entertainment Caimbridge (I consider SCEC to be a B-grade studio). Naughty Dog definitely isn't considered D-grade either I would think. Sony doesn't really have the money to contact out some of their first party IPs really now. Plus, even if we're just an HD remake it'd be nice to see the MediEvil or Ape Escape games in a collection again. Plus, while not as popular in the US or Europe, the Ape Escape franchise is huge in Japan.

 

[Casual Shinji]

D-grade studios? I don't think I would call Japan Studios, the makers of all the Ape Escape games, a D-grade studio, and same with Sony Computer Entertainment Caimbridge (I consider SCEC to be a B-grade studio). Naughty Dog definitely isn't considered D-grade either I would think. Sony doesn't really have the money to contact out some of their first party IPs really now. Plus, even if we're just an HD remake it'd be nice to see the MediEvil or Ape Escape games in a collection again. Plus, while not as popular in the US or Europe, the Ape Escape franchise is huge in Japan.

What I mean to say is, the bulk of these franchises went down the crapper, because the studios that made them great went on to other things. From what I gather Insomniac doesn't even own the rights to Spyro anymore, and I doubt Naughty Dog is ever going to return to Crash Bandicoot or Jak and Daxter.

So the only way for these franchises to continue is under the direction of a likely far less competent studio. They're classics, sure, but they're not IPs that get taken serious enough for Sony to put their muscle behind it. So when they continue it's just for the sake of a quick buck.

I wouldn't know about the developers of Ape Escape. I played the first 2 games, I think, and then the series just disappeared. I don't know what they've been up to since then. All I know is that the latest Ape Escape's were crummy PS Eye/Move games.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

If I don't see more proper Spyro games I will flip my table into space.


Give me more of that adorable wise ass Dragon and Sparx. Just make it a platformer with great level design and I will buy the collectors edition day one.

They'd have to pry it from Activision's cold, dead hands first.
Skylanders is making to much money to give Spyro back easily.
As much as I'd love to see one, there's not much hope for anymore "proper Spyro games".

OT: Gex? Come on Sony he's pretty much Nathen Drake's pet gecko.

 

[Chester Rabbit]

^ Yeah I'm already pretty happy but if they did do some sequels or remakes of the old PS1 games such as maybe Gex or Syphon Filter I would be in mother flipping heaven.

Damn it though, reading through some comments here, you guys really got me a little sad reminding me of what has happened to Spyro and Crash. We'll never see a new proper Crash because I am pretty sure Activision owns him now and also Naughty Dog is too busy trying to be taken seriously to be seen with those toon characters anymore.

Is Spyro even in the title of Skylanders anymore?