4 Games That Should Be On The PlayStation 4

With the rumored announcement of the PlayStation 4 just around the corner, it got me thinking about which games that it would be cool to see on the PS4. I’m not talking about the more obvious titles or franchises that we all know will be making the transition to next-gen—the likes of Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, etc. Instead, I have other franchises on my mind—long forgotten franchises that deserve to tag along too.

It’s time to dust off some of those old gaming memories, and bring them to the forefront with this list of games that deserve of the next-gen treatment. Let’s get started:

4. The Legend of Dragoon:

The Legend of Dragoon was one of those games that was way too easy to overlook and miss out on. It was released near the end of the first PlayStation’s life cycle, just as gamers were gearing up for the PlayStation 2, and it appeared as a simple Final Fantasy clone trying to capitalize on that franchise’s success at a time when Final Fantasy was arguable at the height of its popularity.

However, don’t let outward appearances fool you, beneath that “clonal” JRPG exterior, The Legend of Dragoon was an incredibly interesting game with a surprisingly original battle system. Yes, battles in The Legend of Dragoon were turn based, but they also featured a twist with the introduction of combo system where players could chain together strikes to deliver more damage and accumulate Spirit Points (SP), and the ability to transform into a Dragoon once enough Spirit Points were accumulated.

Sure, the combo system could be a little finicky, especially once you learned more complex moves, but once you mastered the timing of one, learning the rest really wasn’t all that difficult. And the ability to transform into a Dragoon, well that just added an extra wrinkle, as you could often unleash some devastating attacks that could turn the tide of a battle.

The Legend of Dragoon was as much a quintessential PlayStation RPG as Final Fantasy, and it is certainly deserving of a sequel on the PlayStation 4. If you haven’t played it yet I recommend spending the six bucks it takes to purchase this underrated gem on the PlayStation store.

Likelihood of it happening: 25%

Like every game you’ll see on this list, the odds are against a The Legend of Dragoon sequel ever being made. But I’m not going to sit here and say that Legend of Dragoon 2 is a lost cause. Back when Legend of Dragoon was added as a PSOne classic on the PlayStation Store, a short blog entry written by one of the game’s producers, Shu Yoshida, revealed that a sequel had actually in the works before the project was ultimately scrapped.

Combine that little tidbit of information with the fact that while seen as a copy-cat RPG, the game still managed to develop a cult following and is now available as a PSOne classic, and I get the feeling that there is renewed interest in The Legend of Dragoon. Perhaps this renewed interest will be enough to bring one of my favorite classic franchises (and its planned sequel) back from the dead.

3. Bushido Blade 3:

I’ve made my love for the Bushido Blade franchise clear. I’m not going to go through the reasons why there should be another Bushido Blade; I’ve already done that. But let me reiterate one thing: Bushido Blade is one of my favorite franchises, and I spent many hours of my youth swinging swords (or in my case, sledge hammers) around like a Wild-man hoping to land that decisively fatal blow.

Bushido Blade is a game that I think would benefit greatly performance-wise from next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 4. Just think of the advances in gaming technology since the original Bushido Blade! Not only have graphics improved, so too have game engines, meaning that a new Bushido Blade would more than likely feature smoother movements, improved physics, and better hit detection—all factors that are vital to the success of a game like Bushido Blade. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t enjoy what these advances and improvements would bring to a new Bushido Blade on a next-gen console like PlayStation 4.

Likelihood of it happening: 5%

I don’t have a lot of faith in Square Enix these days when it comes to how they handle their franchises. Just look at Final Fantasy, the flagship franchise of Square Enix, and see how it has underperformed in recent years.

While Square Enix has had a string of hits with Sleeping Dogs and Hitman: Absolution (and probably the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot), there really isn’t anything else to get excited about—unless of course they kick off next-gen with a bang and release a game like Bushido Blade 3 on the PlayStation 4. And doing so for the PlayStation 4 would be an extremely logical as Bushido Blade has a bit of a PlayStation legacy behind it with the first two games having been released on the PlayStation One.

One other caveat: Bushido Blade is for me an obvious choice given my fondness for the series. But really, I would welcome anything from Square Enix’s PSOne back-catalogue. That would be truly amazing and maybe the best way Square Enix can right the ship. So please, Square Enix, leave Final Fantasy alone for a while and root around some of your past franchises—there are some gems there that need uncovering and revitalizing.

2. Suikoden VI:

Suikoden is one of those franchises conspicuously absent from this generation. It really is a shame because Suikoden was an enjoyable and unique franchise that had a tendency to mix and bend RPG conventions and formulas. At first glance any game in the series appears to be a standard JRPG with basic turn based battles and emphasis on level grinding, but slowly other elements are introduced and incorporated to help layer and make Suikoden games feel richer and fuller.

Besides basic turn based battles, Suikoden also featured duels and massive military turn based engagements—these weren’t simply side additions but in fact were used to advance the story. And forget about that small stable of characters, as Suikoden featured an expanded cast of 108 recruitable characters (the 108 Stars of Destiny). Of course a village was needed to house all of these new characters, and this introduced resource management to each Suikoden game as recruiting characters allowed for new shops, buildings, upgrades, etc.

So really, Suikoden is anything but your run of the mill JRPG. The complex and diverse features made any Suikoden game stand out from the JRPG crowd, a treat to play, and very deserving of being brought forth to the next-generation of gaming.

Likelihood of happening: 50%

Out of every game on this list I’d give Suikoden VI the greatest chance of actually materializing—a little hopeful, yes, but let me dream a little. While it’s been over six years since there has been a main entry into the franchise, Konami hasn’t entirely forgotten about it. In 2008, they released Suikoden Tierkreis on the DS, and just one year ago they released Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki on PSP. Unfortunately the latter was only a Japanese release.

Despite Konami carrying on the Suikoden tradition on handheld systems, I like to believe that Suikodenhas built enough of a legacy on

the PlayStation brand to warrant a new entry into the main series on the PlayStation 4. Suikoden III isn’t just lauded as the best in the series but is also viewed as one of the best RPGs on the PS2 (unfortunately Suikoden IV and V were unable to live up to that legacy), and both Suikoden I and II are considered PlayStation RPG classics (Suikoden II is an extremely rare collectible and can fetch quite the price).

C’mon Konami! Bring this franchise back to its console home and release Suikoden VI on the PlayStation 4. Well either that, or you know, just release the second one on the damn PlayStation Network already.

1. Tomba! 3:

Ah, Tomba! Who could forget that lovable little pink-haired scamp and his tried and true bit-and-throw technique for eliminating those evil Koma pigs? Well, apparently everybody because there has been nary a peep from the Tomba! franchise since Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return, and that was about fourteen years ago.

Let me refresh your memory. Tomba!was a ridiculously charming platform-

adventure/role-playing game that featured the titular character, Tomba, on his quest to reclaim a dear family heirloom that was stolen from him by the dastardly Koma Pigs. Along the way, you get to see some fairly interesting scenery, listen to an interesting sound track (well interesting for its time), make new friends, complete quests, gather items to help you along the way, and, oh yeah, throw around a bunch of pigs and everything else that gets in your way.

What made Tomba! so great, and deserving of a spot on this list, was that it was accessible and challenging at the same time. First time gamers could pick it up and learn the platforming basics fairly quickly and have a blast (I know I did), but Tomba! was still challenging enough with its puzzles and quests that experienced gamers could also find something to enjoy.

Likelihood of happening: 10%

It’s been fourteen years since the last Tomba! game and closest thing we have of Sony acknowledging that the franchise still exists is releasing Tomba! as a PSOne classic on the PlayStation Store (I highly recommend purchasing it—it’s not very taxing on the old HDD and it isn’t very expensive).

It’s sad though, because both Tomba! games were well-received, and Tomba himself was on the cusp of becoming a recognizable PlayStation mascot—maybe not along the lines of Crash Bandicoot or Spyro the Dragon—but alas our pink-haired friend seems to have fallen into the dusty pile of forgotten franchises.

Well, there you have it, four games I’d love to see on the PlayStation 4. Odds are none of them will ever actually come to fruition, but it’s still fun to reminisce.

But enough of what I have to say, I want to hear from you. Are there any old franchises you’d like to see resurrected for the next generation of consoles? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

For all of your next-gen gaming needs, check out the Five Games We Want on the Xbox 720



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