PSX Retro Gaming, Lest We Forget
As next generation consoles get more and more advanced and more and more expensive, it is easy for people to forget that at one time, a playstation was just a playstation. That was it, it was the one and the only, the top of the line and it held that position for quite a long time. The Playstation One, or PSX as it is more commonly referred to was first released in Japan in 1994. Its successor, the Playstation 2, didn't come out until 1999. For half a decade, developers developed games for the Playstation like rabid monkeys and what came out of that period of frenetic gaming innovation are franchises still recognizable today.
- Abe's Oddysee
- Final Fantasy
- Tony Hawk
- Gran Turismo
- Tekken
Are all franchises which began on the PSX, and all games that are still incredibly playable today. Try to find a copy of Final Fantasy 7 for a reasonable price and you'll realize just how popular PSX games still are.
There are several reasons why you should try your hand at retro PSX gaming.
One, its cheap. If you know what you are doing, you can run an emulator and play most of the catalog for free. If you once owned a PSX and bought the games, then it is legal to own ROM copies. Even if you end up buying a PSX, you'll pay relatively little for it compared to the amount you'll pay for newer games. If you own a Playstation 2, most PSX games will run on it just fine, saving console costs entirely.
Two, PSX gaming functions effectively as a living history of gaming and by playing PSX games, you'll find yourself appreciating later titles more in some ways and less in others. Back in the days of PSX, games, especially adventure games, relied heavily on narrative and story. There's a depth to them that is sometimes missing in more modern games.
Three, its more fun than you might think. PSX games, whilst appearing graphically less impressive than more recent releases have gamer nerds hankering after them for a reason. In many ways, the PSX days were the golden days of console gaming. There were no such things as gamer tags and the only 12 year olds screaming obscenities in your ears were your friends. The PSX game market was competitive and that meant that truly excellent games emerged from the mire, classics that still remain immensely entertaining and fun today. Back then, games weren't about grinding, repetitive play or getting you to pay endless subscription fees. They were about immersive, fun experiences and they hold a place dear in the hearts of many gamers, even those who have now gone on to own every next generation console that exists.
