With older PS3's becoming more and more difficult to find and newer PS3's not supporting it, backwards compatibility has pretty much become a thing of the past as far as the console is concerned. It really is a shame too, considering how many spectacular games were released on the system's predecessor, the Playstation 2.
Developers seem to have recognized that players want their old games to still be playable. From the advent of backwards compatibility with the PS2 playing PS1 games, to the Wii Virtual Console, developers seem to understand that the demand for updated, or at the very least, compatible, versions of games is there.
We saw Sony capitalize on this demand late last year with the God of War Collection on the PS3, which contained the two Playstation 2 releases of the God of War franchise, just in time for God of War 3 to hit shelves a couple of months later.
We personally think that Sony is sitting on a goldmine with the spectacular catalog of titles they have. We've all heard the rumors of the most popular PS1 game of all-time, Final Fantasy VII, being remade for the PS3, but howabout we see some more love for the PS2? Check out our list of the top five titles or franchises that we'd love to see remastered and re-released on the Playstation 3.
The Jak & Daxter Franchise
Sure, some people don't really care for this franchise, but it is, without a doubt, one of the defining and most enjoyable platformers on the Playstation 2. For those that don't know much about this under-appreciated series, it was originally developed by the outstanding Naughty Dog studio (of the iconic Crash Bandicoot series, as well as the abundantly praised Uncharted series).
The series blends action adventure elements with platforming and shooting to create a seriously fun experience. Players are able even to modify weapons, which has become really popular nowadays, but back that was ahead of it's time. The compilation released on the Playstation 3 could contain the four main titles (Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, Jak III, and possibly even the PSP title Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier). Who knows? Maybe the devs could even through in Jak X: Combat Racing and Daxter in for good measure!
Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2
Who knew that the combination of Final Fantasy and Mickey Mouse would go together so well? Probably the same people that thought up Marvel and Capcom facing off. Either way, Kingdom Hearts has been one of the most sought after series in the PS2's history. With RPG elements and a vast fantasy environment filled with familiar faces and interesting cameos, Kingdom Hearts is nothing less than a classic fan-pleaser that is rightfully known as one of the best franchises for the PS2.
The combat is real-time, which turned off many people that leapt right from Final Fantasy X to this game, but the exploration and the story does a seamless job incorporating all of the usual favorite characters into a well-told story. Plus, it's always fun to see Goofy getting serious. Sure, we'd love to see as many Kingdom Hearts games brought over to the PS3 as possible, but we'd be thrilled with Kingdom Hearts I & II.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 combo
Final Fantasy X, whether you love it or hate it, undeniably changed the video game industry. Never before had a story features such emotion and epic storytelling like this one. This is mainly attributed to the fact that it's also the first Final Fantasy title that featured voice-acting, which definitely added to the relational aspect of the story.
Sure, some of the plotlines are very contrived and forced, but the characters are very interesting and the boss battles are beyond epic. The battle system remains one of the greatest of any RPG ever. The second title in the Final Fantasy X saga was pretty sub par, but it's a natural pairing since Sony has shown they are looking to pair titles up.
The Resident Evil Franchise
There's no denying the staying power and popularity of the Resident Evil series. From the crappy, B-movie film franchise to the money maker that is the video game franchise, fans line up to play the titles as they get more and more geared towards the mainstream. Resident Evil 4 represents a change in the franchise, as it took a shift from the survival horror genre to more of the action shooter genre.
Many claim that Resident Evil 4 was much better than Resident Evil 5, but there are a few features that are quite frustrating, such as the strange inventory system. Either way, the game is one of the greatest titles for the PS2, and if you enjoyed Resident Evil 5 and have yet to check out RE4, you had better be hoping they end up releasing this title on Playstation 3.
Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus remains one of the most underrated, yet universally adored title ever to be released on any title. Strangely enough, as this article goes published, Amazon.com and WalMart.com have put a two-pack, much in the style of the God of War Collection, that features ICO and Shadow of the Colossus coming out in March.
The title features possibly the biggest boss fights of all-time. These bosses are almost inconceivably enormous, with the player being able to climb on the boss itself in order to defeat it. The unique gameplay based around discovering the diverse weaknesses of each Colossus and then exploiting those very weaknesses to defeat them has made this our most sought after title of the past generation.
