PixlBit

When a game console is considered “dead,” I like to write a tribute blog about that console and its games.  While most people would probably consider the PS4 ‘dead’ for a while now, I’m still reviewing games for it.  I guess a game console is really only considered ‘dead’ once you stop playing it.  But since recently I wasn’t able to get simple games like LEGO Batman and Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection on the PS4, I figured it was about time.  I’ll probably do a similar blog with the original Switch later towards the end of this year.  Most of the games on this list you can play on other consoles as well, I mostly used the PS4 as a third party machine if I couldn’t play or review it on the Switch, or if I’d rather play it on the PS4.  Anyway, there are so many games I’m going to split this up into two parts.  And the first part is going to be all about classic game collections, and remakes of classics and styled games.

Namco

I first got my PS4 in 2016.  It had been out for a couple of years already, but there were two reasons why I got it then.  I got a good deal on it during a Black Friday sale, and this was the year before the Switch launched, which was a pretty rough year for Nintendo.  They didn’t have a lot of good new games out at the time.  When I got my PS4, it came with a ten dollar PS Store voucher, so I used that to buy Pac-Man Championship Edition 2, my first PS4 game!  It also came with a background skin and icon, which I still use today!  Other Pac-Man games I got for the PS4 later include Pac-Man World: Re-Pac, which was my GOTY in 2022, and Pac-Man Museum+.  And speaking of Namco, makers of Pac-Man, they also had collections of NES and Famicom games on the PS4 called Namco Museum Archives vol. 1 and 2.  I also can’t believe they released Taito no Tatsunin, Drum Session on the PS4.  But I’m glad they did release Klonoa 1 and 2.  I made the mistake of getting the Chinese version so I could get an artbook and other goodies, but oh well.

Arcade Paradise

This was actually a new game, but I’m putting it here because it fits better.  In this game, you are a lazy young adult who gets one of his or hers father’s laundromats to run.  But you want to turn it into an arcade so you must juggle the laundromat duties and arcade owner duties.  But you can also play all the arcade games you get, and many of them are based on classics.  Some are good, some not so much.  But you can play a game that combines Pac-Man with Grand Theft Auto!  Had I played this when it first came out, it might’ve been a contender for my GOTY when it was released!

ActRaiser Renaissance

I loved the original game.  I would’ve liked this one more had they not added those darn tower defense parts of the overworld map simulation stages.

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos

I never liked Croc back in the day, and ultimately this remaster frustrated me, too.  But this is how you do a remaster.

Jackbox Party Packs

I really enjoyed reviewing these party games with family and friends.

Arcade Archives

I know these are on all the consoles, but I think what they are doing is cool.  It’s how I got to play Libble Rabble anyway, one of the games that the creator of Pac-Man made!

Konami

They had a lot of collections I got on sale.  Their Arcade Collection had a lot of 2D shooters mostly in the Gradius series.  There was also Castlevania and Contra Collections I got.  But probably their best one was the Cowabunga Collection, which had every TMNT game they made.  And speaking of TMNT, even though they didn’t make it, Shredder’s Revenge was very good and felt like a tribute to Komani’s classics.  I’m glad I got to review it.

Capcom

They had a lot of great collections, too!  I have Arcade 2^nd Stadium, the Beat ‘em Up Bundle, Fighting Collection 1 and 2 and the Marvel one, and several Mega Man Legacy Collections.

Cotton

This series of cutesy shooters had quite a few games I got to review.  They had a new one, as well as classics like 100%, Panarama, and Rainbow Cotton.

CyberBlocker

This is actually a new game I recently reviewed, but it’s really fun and combines elements of Arkanoid with 2D shooters so I put it here.

Double Dragon

I reviewed a lot of games from Technos, like the Double Dragon & Kunio Kun collection, Double Dragon 4, and Gaiden.

Milano’s Odd Job Collection

This is actually an old PSOne game that never released in the US  I wish they do more of that.

Wonder Boy

There were a lot of games in this series on the PS4.  Including a new one called Monster Boy, as well as classics and remakes of Monster World IV, The Dragon’s Trap, and a collection.

Pinball FX3

I miss reviewing games for this.  I hate that they went with a subscription service.

Taito

One new game they had was Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey.  Space Invaders Forever, which had the very cool Arkanoid vs. Space Invaders on it.  Arkanoid Eternal Battle was fine, but can’t touch the DS game for me.  They also had Dariusburst and collections of other Darius and RayStorm shooters.

Secret of Mana

I loved the remake of this.  They also had a remake of Trials of Mana, which a lot of people liked better but not me.  There’s even a new Mana game that I have, but haven’t played yet.  Those darn backlogs!

SEGA

Sonic Mania was a big deal when it came out.  I wish I liked it more than I did.  They also had a SEGA Genesis Collection here.  But I think my favorite was the new beat ‘em up: Streets of Rage 4, which turned out very good and introduced my new favorite character: Estel Aguirre.

Disney Afternoon Collection

While many people have fond memories of playing Mario on the NES, for me it was Capcom’s Disney games.  I also reviewed this on the Switch recently because they added two new games, and I got the physical version of it, too!

Windjammers 1 and 2

This was an awesome take on Pong.  I can’t believe they made a sequel decades after the original!

Atari

Their Atari 50 collection was awesome and even included Jaguar games on it.  Also WayForward made a Metroidvania game out of Yars’ Revenge called Yars’ Rising which was pretty fun.

And that’s all for now!  Next time we’ll look at the ‘biggie’ games and the ‘indie’ games I played on PS4 that I liked.  Later!  --Cary