PlayStation has a three-decade long history in gaming, and in that time there’s been countless hits across every major console. While we can already play a lot of these iconic games on the PS4 and PS5, there’s also plenty of games that’ve slipped through the cracks. Smash hits that can’t be played on any modern console despite their enduring popularity.
From Infamous to Digimon World, we take a look at all the hits of years past that haven’t quite survived the next gen transition.
These are the classic PSOne, PS2 and PS3 games we’d love to see make the jump to the PS5 in the form of a port, remaster or ‘virtual console‘ style emulation.
Digimon World 3
Digimon World 3 is a fantastic JRPG set in the Digimon world. But even if you’re not a fan of Digimon, you’ll fall in love with this adventure. The game is cutesy, fun and backed by a fantastic combat system that doesn’t rely on grind to be exciting. It’s also absolutely massive.
It’ll take you around 70 hours to work your way through the charming lands of Digimon World 3 and in that time you’ll face off against ghouls, traverse deserts, kick trees and even spend time playing cards (collecting and playing them is Gwent-levels of addicting).
Digimon World 3 is a fantastic adventure, and one absolutely worth another look.
Final Fantasy 7: Dirge of Cerberus
To follow up the success of Final Fantasy 7, one of the most critically acclaimed JRPGs of all time, Square Enix turned to the third-person shooter genre. Dirge of Cerberus is wild and a little silly, but it just plain works. While the game certainly suffers from a nonsensical story and patchy combat, it’s still an excellent, entertaining adventure and would benefit from the Final Fantasy 7 Remake treatment.
Polish this game with tweaked combat and a more streamlined story, and you have the potential for a raging smash hit. Vincent remains one of Final Fantasy‘s most popular characters, and Dirge of Cerberus still has its fans — plus, Remake has been such a success, DoC would be a near-guaranteed hit.
It’s time for this game to return.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction wasn’t a PS2 exclusive, but it’s still an absolutely fantastic gem from the era and deserves a second chance at life. If you ever want to feel powerful, dive into this game. It’ll have you jumping, smashing and crashing your way through city streets as the Hulk rampages through everything in his path.
But beyond all the titular destruction, the game actually has a really interesting story that follows Bruce Banner through his twisty 90s-era comics run. (One of the best Hulk runs of all time.)
With the Hulk back in the spotlight following The Avengers, it’s the perfect time for this game to receive a remaster or even a sequel. (Fun fact: the ideas established by Radical Entertainment in The Incredible Hulk would later become the basis of Prototype, one of the most enjoyable open-world adventures of its time.)
Ape Escape
Technically, the Ape Escape franchise is already on PS5 in the form of an upscaled port of Ape Escape 2 — but the original is arguably the more worthy adventure.
Ape Escape was one of the first games to utilise the analog sticks of the PSOne, and it used them to great effect as players hunted and caught wild apes in a variety of themed levels. In the game you could wander grasslands, get up close with mammoths and explore winter tundras. Even for the era, it was a good-looking game — and having it on PS5 would make it look even more gorgeous.
Think about it: it could be the answer to Pokémon Snap on Switch.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 1 and 2
In 2016, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 were remastered for PC, Xbox One and PS4. But in 2018, the license for the games expired and these versions were pulled from stores. As it stands, you can only re-download the games, not purchase them online. It’s an incredibly strange situation, and one that really sucks.
Both Ultimate Alliance games are great fun, and let you team up with a hearty cast of Marvel characters for co-op battling adventures. What’s wild about their current persona non grata status is the franchise received a sequel on Nintendo Switch, despite the originals being inaccessible for current gen consoles.
With the current rise of multiplayer co-op titles, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance would be a massive hit on PS5. Fingers crossed these titles eventually return to storefronts (or are remastered) in the future.
Infamous & Infamous 2
It is completely baffling that Infamous and Infamous 2 are unplayable on any modern PlayStation console. Despite receiving an excellent sequel on PS4, the original games have never escaped the bounds of the PS3. It’s a real shame, because they’re both fantastic adventures and still hold up extremely well.
There was a time when the Infamous franchise was one of the flagship PlayStation franchises, with as high a profile as The Last of Us or Uncharted. Sadly, those days are gone and the series has largely been forgotten. But there’s never been a better time for it to return.
Superhero movies are still incredibly popular, but good superhero games are still few and far between. A pair of Infamous remasters would go fabulously on PS5, and they’d let an entirely new generation of people experience these fantastic games.
And speaking of Sucker Punch…
Sly Cooper 1-4
Sly Cooper was the other smash hit success for Infamous developers Sucker Punch. In these adventures, players embodied racoon thief Sly Cooper as he journeyed across wild lands hunting treasures and taking down evildoers. The series first debuted on PS2 and subsequently landed on the PS3, but since then, the franchise has gone quiet.
It’s meant no more globe-hopping heists and high-speed antics. No more hacking and smashing, or sneaking along rooftops. But the Sly Cooper series still has a lot to give.
It’s rare to see a perfect games quartet, but there’s no weak link in Sly Cooper’s adventures. Every game shines, and they all deserve a chance at a second life on PS5. Plus, the unique cel-shading style would absolutely pop in 4K.
What classic PS1, PS2 and PS3 era games would you like to see on PS5? Anything you think we’ve missed? Pop on down to the comments below and share your suggestions.
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