PlayStation Classic Review: Nostalgia for minimum games of effort

Although I know that all these retro consoles are largely an effort to turn my nostalgia into big profits for businesses, it's hard to resist. There's just something about the gray plastic and old-school startup sound that strikes part of my brain like few things do. When I heard that Sony was realizing a retro revival of the original PlayStation, I thought: "Great, another mini console add to the collection. But after getting to know Sony's point of view on a slot machine, I feel a little exchanged.

What is it?

A retro mini console with 20 games grouped

As

Comes with two controllers, solid construction, the controllers are USB

Do not like it

So many good PSX games are MIA, are not supplied with an AC adapter, with very few options or settings, the controller cords are relatively short

Before switching to the scattershot list of the PS Classic, let's group the games, let's talk about its hardware. Like the NES and the SNES Classic, the PlayStation Classic is a pint version of the original, dating from 1995 (or 94, if you lived in Japan), which is almost half the size, which makes it rather cute. All of the top buttons are functional, although some have been reused due to changes to the system itself, such as the permanently closed CD tray. On the PS Classic, the Reset button is actually a main button that takes you back to the main list of system games, while the Open button toggles from one disc to another, as for example. Final Fantasy 7 the one delivered originally on several CDs.

Unfortunately, like the CD tray, the PS Classic memory card slots do not open either, although Sony provides a virtual memory card that allows you to record your games on blocks as you did before. . But in what seems like a strange affront, the PlayStation Classic does not come with an AC adapter. In the box, you have two controllers, an HDMI cable and a micro USB cable, but you will still need a brick to connect it to the wall. Fortunately, PS Classic's power requirements are relatively minimal (Sony says you need a 5V, 1A adapter), so it will work pretty much with any older smartphone power supply you might have. But as one of the most expensive retro mini consoles at $ 100, not understanding one seems a strange omission.

Controllers, on the other hand, are probably the best part of the whole kit. Although they feel a little lighter than their 20-year counterparts, they are probably even stronger and the buttons have a nice touch. Some people would probably like Sony to opt for Dual Shock controllers instead of vanilla models, which is fair, but the PS Classic makes up for that by including two controllers in the box.

In addition, because controllers use cords with standard Type A USB connectors, you can connect them to a PC (where they appear as generic controllers), and then easily configure them for use in Steam in Big Picture mode. So, at the very least, the controllers of the PlayStation Classic could see extra lives if they were used to playing other retro PC games.

OK, let's go back to the games that came with the system. (For a complete list, scroll down or click here.) For the type of library available to the PSX, the PS Classic's game selection is quite disappointing. For me, the only thing that seems logical to me is that Sony considers this story to be an original PlayStation story rather than a hit tube collection (or, you know, it could not guarantee rights for better titles) . As you get gems like Tekken 3 and Metal Gear Solid (which hold completely), there is no Castlevania: Symphony of the night, tomb Raider, or Bandicoot Crash to be found. Instead, you get titles such as Smart Qube and Flash jumping who talk about the awkward birth of 3D graphics but do not really catch your attention in 2018.

So are strange choices like the original Grand Theft Auto, which I tend to associate more with the PC, or (almost unplayable) Twisted metal, and The siphon filter. These worked well in their day but featured more appealing suites, also available on the original PSX. And when you look at the 20 PS Classic bundles with the 21 titles available on the classic SNES, the Sony console is overloaded with new reinforcements or niche titles that will not affect many people, which is sad because day , the PSX had one of the largest and deepest libraries of all time.