The classics that will be lost forever when Sony closes the PS3
What was a rumor was later confirmed with Sony announcing that it will close the PS3 and PSP stores on July 2 and the PS Vita stores shortly after, on August 27, "deleting" a large number of video games that were only available through digital download. It's bitterly disappointing news and while Sony confirms that you'll be able to re-download games from your library for an unspecified amount of time (because who needs details?), For many there is now a limited window of time to catch up. authentic gems. The following is not meant to be a total list of what will be lost (and from a certain point of view it would be even more depressing if that were the case) but rather a guide to what is worth doing before it goes away.
The 2D Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character
What a beautiful and challenging creature this is: a game centered around an octopus that moves from wall to wall collecting objects, dodging others, marveling at the impressive variety of offerings as the levels go by. With simple controls and a devilish design, this game would have worked so well on the Switch but that's the hope for another day. For now, let's remember the many hours during which he helped bring good doses of frustration to Sony devices.
Alien Zombie Death
PomPom Games should be considered king among indies and the demise of Alien Zombie Death should lead to complaints and tattered garments. This is a 2D shooter where you move between different lanes shooting at incoming enemies and occasionally picking up some items. It is simply brilliant. PomPom by the way is not new when it comes to being canned by Sony. Rebel, a splendid PlayStation Mobile game and a shooter where you can't shoot at all, is still a fixed game among those hosted by my Vita.
Daytona USA HD
Luckily this superlative version of SEGA's most iconic driving game of the 90s still lives on Xbox through backwards compatibility although that's just a little relief given the upcoming absence on PlayStation. This is one of the greatest brilliantly enhanced in HD with all that awe and awe that thrilled youngsters in the past with a timeless selection of fantastic music. Make it yours and do it now.
Frobisher Says
Damn this hurts. By killing Frobisher Says, Sony is killing the unofficial introduction to all that was PS Vita. This beautiful variant on the hand-drawn WarioWare theme accompanied its players to discover all the bizarre possible inputs of the handheld console. And he also did so by remaining genuinely entertaining and proposing unique and wonderfully varied works of art, of the kind that might be found scribbled in the margins of a school text. Not to mention the incredible feedback sensations. I even think it was free at the time. Damn, Sony. Damn.
Gravity Crash
Hell but Gravity Crash is the very essence of the video game, isn't it? Neon lines outline alien worlds and lethal enemies. The black space seems to glisten. Store fuel, loiter aimlessly, shoot anything that moves in a cascade of fireworks. Even if the game wasn't great it would still be a delight to watch. And that heaviness of the movements a la Lunar Lander gives the whole even more personality.
The Last Guy
Another example of how brilliant that Japan Studio that was once the heart of PlayStation can be brilliant , The Last Guy is a small but still great fun experiment. An unusual top-down action action that sees you leading crowds of people struggling with the explosion of a zombie apocalypse. A game whose use of satellite images gives the whole something special even today. It's a weird thing, very cool and very nice to play. Exactly the kind of title Sony no longer seems particularly interested in.
Noby Noby Boy
Once upon a time PlayStation was synonymous with creative and light-hearted antics that challenged the limits of what you would expect from a video game and you could not be more creative and carefree than the work of the creator of Katamari Damacy, Keita Takahashi. Noby Noby Boy, however, is perhaps the strangest creature of him, an abstract toy that saw players consume their surroundings with the aim of stretching their character and collaborating to reach the stars and beyond. Thanks to the collaboration and efforts of the players, Noby Noby Boy hit the sun in 2015 but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try this fantastic work.
PixelJunk Racers
The best of PixelJunk games ? Certainly the most adorable. This is a racing game full of lane changes and trumpeting. But it is also a playground of modalities, rules and peculiarities. It must be said that it is also very beautiful to see: look down at this small world of arches and buildings kissed by the sun. The perfect place for some healthy chaos to erupt.
Super Rub 'a' Dub
I won't pretend Super Rub 'a' Dub is a game to jump into immediately upon purchase and to play before immediately and I will not even pretend that it is decent (even if being a Sumo Digital production you know that it can not be all to be thrown away). Having said that Super Rub 'a' Dub is an important part of PlayStation history as it inspired the tech demo that gave us our first look at PlayStation 3 and something that conveyed the feeling of being an indelible part of that console's identity. .
Resident Evil: The Original Trilogy
Yes, you have played these titles to your death and yes, it is absolutely possible to find them in other ways but thanks to Sony's shaky commitment to backward compatibility, the closure of these stores means that the PS1 versions of Resident Evil Director's Cut, Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 Nemesis will no longer be available for purchase. It's a small example of a big loss when services like this are shut down and if you want to take home digitally a PS1 title whose physical copies are now pretty cheap, like Xenogears or R-Type Delta, time available is limited.
Trash Panic
A double blow to the heart this as Trash Panic is not only a perfect example of the antics that were downloadable in the past, it is also one of the best examples from Sony Japan Studio doing what it does best. A suitably rambling version of Tetris, with assorted flaws but utterly fascinating and that doesn't deserve to be missed.
TxK
Then, you will never be entirely without ways to play one of the many reinterpretations of the Tempest formula made by Jeff Minter but soon you will be robbed of the chance to play one of his best attempts. TxK stands out as one of the best PS Vita games and certainly one of the best ways to show off the capabilities of the glorious OLED screen showing all its brilliance with this Tempest variant. Put on some headphones and lose yourself in its soundtrack and what it means to see a master at his best. TxK is definitely very close to perfection.
Where is My Heart?
Ok, Where is My Heart is technically (and literally) available on Steam but this game has its real home on PSP with its velvety colors shining on the handheld console screen and its music drumming through the speakers. An ingenious platformer centered around a trio of animals, Where is My Heart cuts out your view of the action into small squares and then places these squares in the wrong places. It is surprisingly difficult to unravel the action but taking the hand you will really begin to inhabit the spaces of this game. Simply brilliant.
