Soapbox features allow our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random topics they’ve been working on. TodayEthan ruminates on how, over time, the Switch has become an excellent educational tool for Sony neophytes…
Here’s a truth that diehard Console Wars fans won’t easily admit: the grass is always greener on the other side. For any consumer devoted to a single ecosystem – be it Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox or PC – the multitude of exclusive games their platform of choice receives is often the most important factor in maintaining their investment. Of course, exclusives are a double-edged sword. For every hot new game on a system that players receive, there’s another game unique to another system that remains woefully out of reach.
As a born-and-raised Nintendo kid, I spent my childhood firmly rooted in the world of rig plumbers and Triforce-seeking youngsters. I was also perfectly happy to stay there, away from all the swearing and shooty-bang games I saw my dad playing. Still, I couldn’t help but take a look at the competition, and as I got older it became apparent that there were several parallel strands to the game’s story that I knew next to nothing about. .
Access to an Xbox 360 helped quell my curiosity, but even then the PlayStation was a big blue question mark. I never would have guessed back then that my greatest ally in uncovering the history of Sony’s gaming platform wouldn’t be a PS3 or PS Vita, but a system from an entirely different company.
Early in the Nintendo Switch’s life, a subtle trend began to emerge. Beneath the talk of the missing Virtual Console and the agonizing drip of retro Nintendo games, there was something exciting and unprecedented: old PlayStation exclusives of all generations were starting to arrive on the platform of Nintendo for the very first time. Final Fantasy VII And Katamari Damace, two Sony-branded juggernauts I’d only heard of in years thanks to the energetic recommendations of the game’s YouTubers, have finally come to Switch through an enhanced port or remaster. As I sat in my college freshman dorm, listening to the shimmering sounds of the Final Fantasy prologue theme and the liveliness nah-nah-nahs of Katamari, I finally understood what I had been missing.
Fortunately, the offerings did not stop there. Final Fantasy VII wasn’t the only flagship PlayStation FF title coming to Switch, with Final Fantasy VIII, IX, X and X-2And XII eventually breaking through. Even Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VIIpreviously confined to the PlayStation Portable, has been given new life with a brilliant remaster. Crash Bandicoot And Spyro the Dragon, two monoliths of early PlayStations, have had their original trilogies remade and brought to Switch. Revolutionary RPGs Persona 3 Portable, persona 4 goldenAnd Persona 5 Royal all have recently joined the line-up. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is here – also released later on N64, of course, but an iconic PlayStation version. Klonoa is there. Chrono-Cross is there. Okami. the devil may cry. Ni no Kuni. Some of these titles coming out on a Nintendo console were once considered a ridiculous pipe dream, but here they are.
Let’s be clear on one thing: pretty much every classic PlayStation title that has come to Switch is cross-platform and readily available on PS4 and PS5. It makes sense – Sony’s modern systems can and should be the first place to experience the full breadth of PlayStation’s heritage. I even bought this ecosystem myself along with a PS5 and a few older consoles in recent years.
Nonetheless, the Switch is by far my favorite way to play those old games. Some titles, like the original Katamari duology, feel particularly right on the system, and the portability factor can’t be beat. It’s a comparison that’s been made before, but the Switch really feels like the true successor to the Vita – a system that’s based much of its life on delivering retro PlayStation titles in a sleek, modern format. .
If the Switch’s current original PlayStation offerings weren’t impressive enough, the future is just as bright. Several of the early Metal Gear Solid titles are set to join the Switch via the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 Later this year. Suikoden duology HD remasters are similarly heading to the platform in 2023. Even some of the most unlikely candidates for a revival are happening, with Limited Run Games recently announced ports of niche classics like Tomba! for Switch. Between all of these titles, the Switch has become the perfect way for non-PlayStation users to experience the most important highlights of Sony’s retro history.
At least, that’s what I’d say if it weren’t for several frustrating omissions from the Switch catalog. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not expecting a bunch of first-party Sony franchises like God of the war Or twisted metal jump all at once. Still, there are PlayStation-related games and series worth coming back for a new audience to experience. Having none of the first tekken titles is a missed opportunity, especially with Kazuya combo-ing Mario and friends oblivion in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Some of the old ridge runner would be a great lesson in retro racing bliss. There’s obviously no shortage of Metroidvanias on Switch, but as we have already discussedhaving no port Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is just sheer madness. And for the love of all that is good, where is Danger! from the PS1? (Okay, maybe not that one.)
