Today will see the release of the Super NES Classic Edition, aka, the SNES Mini. The new console comes of the heels of last year’s ridiculously successful NES Classic Edition, which immediately sold out everywhere and was one of the toughest toys to find last holiday season (personally, it took me three tries and eventually getting in line at Best Buy at four in the morning). The SNES Mini promises to be even more popular by featuring such beloved games asSuper Mario World,The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, andSuper Metroid.
But as the console market has expanded and other companies have built up their own legacies, why should Nintendo get to have all the fun? The PlayStation was a game changer when it arrived in 1994/1995, and it’s one of the most popular video game consoles of all-time. While the PlayStation Network has tried to import some of its best titles to the online store, that really only works if you have a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4. And furthermore, just because there’s an online store, that doesn’t mean people wouldn’t go nuts for an affordably priced bit of hardware that just gives them their favorite games.
Sony hasn’t announced any plans for a PlayStation mini, and maybe they never will. Maybe they’ll try to sell these games piecemeal, assuming they can get the licenses at all. But Nintendo has proved there’s a large segment of the population out there that would prefer to buy an easy-to-use console that houses classic video games. Sony could even be ahead of the curve since the PlayStation controller has remained largely the same in style since the advent of the Dual Analog Controller, so they could advertise that any wireless analog PlayStation controller will work with the system.
But any console is only as good as it games, so if a PlayStation mini ever does come to pass, these are the titled I’d like to see on it:
PaRappa the Rapper
PaRappa is already back having recently received a remastered version for the PlayStation 4, so Sony already knows there are fans of the rapping pup and his rhythm game.
Suikoden II
The PlayStation played host to bothSuikodenandSuikoden II, but the sequel is the more popular installment. Despite favorable reviews, it was initially hard to find Konami’s strategy RPG, although you can currently buy it on the PlayStation Network.
LikeSuikoden, bothPersonaandPersona 2were released on the PlayStation 1, but if you’re able to only choose one, go with the more popular installment. The RPG series has birthed a fervent following, and I’m sure people who are diggingPersona 5on the PlayStation 4 would love to go back and enjoy an earlier entry.
Tomb Raider
When it comes toTomb Raider, you may as well go with the one that started it all. While the franchise has reformed and rebooted itself to fit with the times, the originalTomb Raidernow makes for an interesting bit of history to see how it all began.
Syphon Filter
I’m a little surprised theSyphon Filterseries has died off since it’s not like gamers have lost interest in stealth-based video games. Including it on the PlayStation mini could revive interest in the franchise.
Final Fantasy Tactics
This isn’t just a list of personal favorites! I don’t really likeFinal Fantasy Tacticsthat much (I preferFinal Fantasy Tactics Advance), but it’s devoted fans would riot if it wasn’t included among the PlayStation’s best games.
Crash Team Racing
It’s not the best kart racer out there, but it will get the job done if you want to take a break from other racing games.
Spyro: Year of the Dragon
Spyro has become way more popular today than he was back in his PlayStation days thanks to theSkylandergames, and it would make sense to include his most popular PSone game.
The futuristic racing game definitely deserves to be included, especially since it was one of the PlayStation’s earliest titles and helped to sell the system.
Silent Hill
Yes, we all knowSilent Hill 2is the superior game, but that came out on the PlayStation 2. Furthermore,Silent Hillprovided an introduction of sorts to the atmospheric horror genre that stood apart from the guns-blazingResident Evilseries.
