PS1 News
News Nomura Known as 'Demon King of Retakes' During Final Fantasy 7 Dev
"I stuck my nose into everyone's work there"
Considered one of the best games ever made, 1997's seminal Final Fantasy VII wouldn't be nearly the legendary title it's considered today if not for the exacting standards of director Tetsuya Nomura. Nomura even earned himself the sobriquet "Demon King of retakes" during development, so notorious was he...
News Final Fantasy 7 Was Made for PlayStation Thanks to Sony Music and Booze
Whiskey business
PlayStation is an enormous brand and one of the biggest names in gaming nowadays, but back when it was just getting started, it was of course a different story. In a recent interview, Sony alumnus Shawn Layden reveals how the team secured Final Fantasy VII for PS1. He recalls his early days when PlayStation was in its infancy, and...
Talking Point What Are Your PS1 Memories?
Now it's your turn
Throughout the day, we’ve been recounting our personal PS1 memories. But this is a community site, and we’d be remiss to overlook all of you. Whether it’s birthdays spent with the DualShock in hand or PS1-sized boxes under the Christmas tree, we want to hear about your memories of Sony’s first ever gaming format. What are...
You are the weakest link
I'm only 52 days older than PlayStation, born on 11th October 1994. As such, my memories of the first Sony console are hazy, to say the least — they're more like single snapshots captured in my brain rather than a proper moment I can recall beat for beat. Those sorts of memories are attached to the PS2 as I approached my...
News PS5 Users Are Begging for Themes, PS1 Startup Screen to Stay
Sony, please
Just in case you haven't seen it yourself, Sony released a PlayStation 30th Anniversary update for the PS5 this week, which added themes based on past consoles, and a full-on recreation of the iconic PS1 startup screen. Players are greeted with said screen upon powering up their PS5 — but there's a catch. Both the themes and the boot...
Quiz How Well Do You Know the PS1?
PS1 and only
The PS1 catapulted Sony into the gaming space, and kickstarted the very brand that this entire website is built upon. The all-important console launched in 1994, and became an immediate competitor to Nintendo and SEGA's offerings. The system was wildly successful, and PlayStation established itself as a household name. But just how...
Feature Stephen's PS1 Memories
Family ties
For me, the original PlayStation is linked quite deeply with my immediate family. We'd always had video games in the house; I don't remember a time before we had a SEGA Mega Drive, which was a popular pastime for me, my two elder sisters, and sometimes our parents too. Video games used to sort of be a through-line for all of us, and...
All the best PS1 games, ranked and rated
What are the best PS1 games? As we look back fondly on where it all started, the PS1 really does have an incredible library of games. While the real highlight of the original PlayStation is just how diverse and varied its catalogue is, we're here to discover which are the very best PS1 games. Sony's first...
Too scared to play Tomb Raider
One of my most prominent PS1 memories is playing through the original Tomb Raider trilogy — except I didn't. I was just a kid at the time — I couldn't have been much older than eight or nine — and simply put, I was too scared to play the series myself. Not that Tomb Raider was aimed at children, of course —...
Spilled drinks! Shady CD-ROMS! Secrets
It’s funny how you don’t realise the significance of things until you look back on them. On a grungy Tuesday in the mid-90s, I was on a train to Birmingham with my family. Hopping on the whirring Class 323s was a regular occurrence for us in those days, as Brum – grimy as it was in that era – was our...
A medal of honor
PlayStation has been such a major component in my life for decades. When I was a kid, I learned pretty early that I was into video games. Back then, I mostly played on PC, and it was never anything too crazy, just Star Wars games here and there. Then I had a sleepover with a few of my friends, and the friend who was hosting...
Final Fantasy 8 forever
I've had a love for words as long as I can remember. According to Adam family legend, this stems from my childhood, where I was impatient to play my older brothers' video games and taught myself to read at an impressively young age (the specifics are lost to time). I have strong memories of him playing JRPGs, first on SNES...
Confessions of an ex-SEGA kid
I was a teenager in the middle of the nineties and like any other teenage boy in the middle of the nineties I cared about just one thing and it was f****** disgusting — Sonic the Hedgehog. Yes, it’s confession time, oh readers of Push Square. Growing up I was a SEGA kid which is probably the root cause of around 85%...
Feature Happy 30th Birthday to PlayStation
Long live play
Today is an incredibly important milestone for PlayStation, as it represents the 30th anniversary of the console we love. It doesn’t take a genius to realise Push Square wouldn’t exist if Ken Kutaragi hadn’t convinced Sony president Norio Ohga to take a risk three decades ago. Originally announced as a CD-based extension for...
News Sony Brings Back Iconic PS1 Startup Screen on PS5, But Only for a Limited Time
The ultimate nostalgia
In celebration of PlayStation's 30th Anniversary, a new PS5 update lets you customise your console's home menu with themes that are based on past PlayStation consoles. Very cool. But you know what's even cooler? Once you've grabbed this update, you'll be met with the iconic PS1 startup screen, complete with that deeply
News Capcom's PS Plus Premium Games Available Now without Subscription
Dino Crisis, Resident Evil for £8 / $10 each
An update to Capcom listings on the PS Store has seen the publisher's two classic titles available via PS Plus Premium now up for purchase individually, outside of the subscription service. Previously locked behind the PS Plus Premium tier, you can now simply buy Dino Crisis and Resident Evil: Director's...
Poll Rate Your Favourite PS1 Games
Build our best PS1 games list
Ah, the PS1. The original PlayStation console. The system that started it all. Released in 1994 in Japan, and then heading West in 1995, the PS1 is widely regarded as one of the most important — and successful — consoles of all time, shaping the industry that we know today. But as is the case with any truly great...
News Looks Like PS5, PS4 Is Getting More Retro Survival Horror
Alone in the dark
It’s been a good year for survival horror fans, whether you’re playing remakes like Silent Hill 2 or all-new adventures inspired by the 32-bit era, like Crow Country. There’s also been a steady stream of retro goodness added to Sony’s flagship subscription service PS Plus Premium, with Dino Crisis added just days ago. And...
News Dino Crisis Fans Hoodwinked as Capcom's PS1 Classic Requires Premium, Lacks Trophies
Not for individual sale
Being the single IP fans most want a return to across its many franchises, the release of Capcom's Dino Crisis as a PS Plus classic should be a joyous occasion. Instead, in an annoying pattern that began with Resident Evil: Director's Cut, it can't be purchased separately, requiring a
Guide Dino Crisis Cheats: All Cheat Codes and Unlockables
Crisis averted
Dino Crisis, first released on PS1 in 1999, is among the most iconic survival horror games available on Sony's first-ever system. That's impressive, considering the console also played host to the likes of Resident Evil and Parasite Eve. Of course, there's no shame in seeking a little extra assistance when it comes to the title's...
News Capcom's Iconic PS1 Survival Horror Dino Crisis Coming to PS5, PS4
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain also on the way
Capcom’s legendary 1999 survival horror, designed and directed by the iconic Shinji Mikami, will launch on PS5 and PS4 as part of PS Plus Premium in the future. While there’s no date attached to the PS1 game, it’ll likely be part of the next update, on 22nd October. We’ll try and get confirmation of...
News Did You Know PlayStation Almost Had a Different Name?
"There was a bit of pushback"
It's hard to think of a more perfect brand name for a video game console than PlayStation. Not only has it become an iconic part of the video game lexicon, it summarises the core function of Sony's line of systems brilliantly: a device which enables and promotes play. However, the console was very nearly called...
News 25 Years Ago, Square Released the Best Final Fantasy Game
Revisionist history
A quarter of a century ago today, in 1999, Final Fantasy VIII was released in North America on PS1, and millions of players were introduced to the trials and tribulations of Squall, his mercenary comrades, and various sorceresses for the first time. Contrary to popular opinion and later revisionist history, it was warmly received...
News Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster Is Reportedly 'Real and Happening'
Hope springs eternal
In this era of unreliable leaks and the rise of shadowy "insider" culture, it's nice to hear frankly unbelievable news from a trusted source. The rumoured remaster of Square's pre-Enix epic, Final Fantasy Tactics, has been the subject of much speculation for many years, but its reportedly "real and happening." That's according...
News Across Its Vaunted IP, Capcom Fans Crave Dino Crisis Above All Else
Imagine, if you can, Resident Evil but with dinosaurs
Capcom revealed the results of a poll conducted in February, and the findings are pretty illuminating. For example, did you know that more people claim Devil May Cry's Dante is their favourite Capcom character, beating out Resident Evil 4's Leon S. Kennedy or Mega Man
News Scores of Retro PS Plus Premium Titles Upgraded with Platinum Trophies on PS5, PS4
Toy Story! Alone in the Dark! Oddworld!
Sony has pushed out updates for several of its classic PS Plus Premium releases, adding Platinums to all of them. While many of its emulated first-party PS1 and PSP games have launched with Trophies, third-parties have generally been allowed to forego the feature. But now, the likes of Toy Story 2: Buzz...
News PS Plus's New PS1 Classics Both Have Platinum Trophies
Blue pot luck
Sony hasn’t mandated Trophies for the PS1 games it’s deploying as part of PS Plus Premium, but it’s done an excellent job patching them in to first-party titles. New releases G-Police and 2Xtreme will both have Platinum gongs to grab, then, and you’ll be able to earn them starting today, when the emulated outings arrive...
News Iconic PS1 Sci-Fi Flight Sim G-Police Coming to PS5, PS4 with PS Plus Premium
Gee whiz
Psygnosis’s iconic PS1 flight combat game G-Police is the latest classic to get ported to PS5 and PS4 as part of Sony’s PS Plus Premium emulation efforts from 21st May. The title, originally released all the way back in 1997, sees you commandeering a VTOL in a futuristic, Blade Runner-inspired futuristic environment. While it largely...
Random The Brutal PS1 Driver Intro Even Bested F1 Pro Lewis Hamilton
Verstapp-ed in his tracks
The world is divided up into two types of people: those who have beaten Driver on PS1, and the rest who never got past its absurdly difficult tutorial. Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time F1 Championship winner, is one of the many who couldn't. In a new video uploaded to the Mercedes-AMG F1 YouTube channel, the professional racer...
News Outgoing PlayStation Exec Says Sony Must Continue to Entertain, Surprise, and Delight
"We're an entertainment business"
Jim Ryan is hanging up his DualSense and leaving PlayStation after a wildly successful 30-year career next month. While his misunderstood, deeply dry sense of humour has landed him in hot water with enthusiasts on numerous occasions, no one could criticise his achievements at the company, which has seen Sony become...
News PS1 Racer Jet Moto 2 Brings High-Octane Thrills and Spills to PS5, PS4 with PS Plus Premium
Ride it out
Sony’s continuing to bring a hearty helping of emulated classics to PS5 and PS4 courtesy of its PS Plus Premium subscription, and alongside Resistance Retribution, it’ll be adding Jet Moto 2 from 20th February. The original game in the SingleTrac series is already available on the Japanese giant’s contemporary consoles, but this...
Uncanny Ani
Talking to StarWars.com on the 20th anniversary of the first Star Wars prequel film, George Lucas was clear that, "The films were designed for 12-year-olds." Big Ape Productions mustn't have got the memo when developing PS1 Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace though, because a steep difficulty curve, and bewildering design ensures...
News PS1's Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare Is Almost Certainly Haunting PS Plus Premium
Lights out
We know the PS1 classics being added to PS Plus Premium from 16th January include Rally Cross and Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace – but Sony may have accidentally leaked another upcoming retro release. Mentioned on PlayStation UK’s Twitter account before promptly being removed, the 2001 surv
Poll Which Persona Game Has the Best Opening?
Now it's personal
Atlus revealed the opening for Persona 3 Reload earlier this week, and it's so good that it got us wondering: which Persona game has the best title sequence? In case you don't know, each game in the series typically introduces itself with an animated opening, featuring a unique song and some gorgeous artwork. There's no doubt...
News PS Plus Premium Will Add PS1's Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Next
Feel the force
The next PS1 title to be ported to PS5 and PS4 as part of Sony’s emulation effort looks likely to be Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, as Disney continues its unprecedented support for the programme. So far, the movie and amusement park giant has pledged several of its classic titles to Sony’s PS Plus Premium tier, and it...
Feature How the PS1's Amazing JRPGs Shaped My Life
"Final Fantasy altered my perspective forever"
This feature is taken from The Console Chronicles, an upcoming book that we're working on in conjunction with Lost in Cult. If you like what you see, you can pre-order a copy using the link below. <products id="24929"> I was introduced to the wonderful world of gaming through the power of the...
News More Platinum Trophies for PS Plus Premium Retro Releases
Trophy unlocked
PS Plus Premium hasn’t quite delivered on the value Sony perhaps promised prior to the top-tier’s release, but in the manufacturer’s defence, it has continued to iterate upon its PS1 and PSP emulator – and pretty much all of the first-party games it’s ported have Trophies these days. That continues to be true with the...
News Play WipEout in Your Web Browser While Fans Pray for Sony to Bring the Series Back
Play the PS1 original right now
Regular readers will know that we're huge fans of WipEout. The futuristic racing series has long been ignored by Sony — much to our disappointment — but if you're yearning for a quick fix of eye-watering speed (and perhaps a healthy nostalgia hit) then you may be in luck. Programmer Dominic Szablewski has managed...
News Fans Vote Clive the Second Best Final Fantasy Protagonist
Guess the winner
Wow, people really like Clive Rosfield. The main character of the recently released Final Fantasy 16, the leather-clad hero seems to have really struck a chord with players, as he was voted the second best protagonist in Square Enix's mainline series. That's according to several thousand Final Fantasy fans, all of whom voted in our...
Poll Who's the Best Final Fantasy Protagonist?
There can only be one
Now that we've all had time to settle into a reality where Final Fantasy 16 exists, this is our chance to revisit a question that's reverberated around the Final Fantasy fandom for decades: just who is the series' best protagonist? Now, for the sake of this poll, we're going to streamline things and focus on mainline Final...
Guide Twisted Metal 2 Cheats: All Cheat Codes and Passwords
If you've got an Axel to grind
Looking for Twisted Metal 2 cheats and all cheat codes and Passwords? Known as Twisted Metal: World Tour in Europe and Twisted Metal EX in Japan, Sony's car combat sequel originally released in 1996 and refined the formula of its predecessor with improved graphics and tighter gameplay. In this Twisted Metal 2 cheats...
Guide Twisted Metal Cheats: All Cheat Codes and Passwords
For those with a Sweeter Tooth
Looking for Twisted Metal cheats and all cheat codes and Passwords? Originally released in 1995 for the PS1, the car combat game is one of Sony's earliest first-party hits, and spawned a number of sequels across several generations. In this Twisted Metal cheats guide, we're going to share all cheat codes and Passwordss...
News Twisted Metal Duo Add PS5, PS4 Platinum Trophies
Gravity Crash Portable also has a full set of gongs
Trophy hunters, rejoice! Twisted Metal and Twisted Metal 2, launching officially on PS5 and PS4 this week as part of PS Plus Premium, will both have Platinum Trophies to unlock. Confirmation comes courtesy of server scraping site Exophase, with the full lists now appearing on Sony’s backend. The...
News Twisted Metal Completes Grand Comeback with PS Plus Premium Pair Ahead of TV Show Debut
For those with a Sweet Tooth
Love it or loathe it, Twisted Metal is one of Sony’s oldest first-party franchises. It’s also the platform holder’s earliest hit: while the series didn’t catch on quite the same in Europe, it spawned multiple sequels during the PS1 era, and would go on to receive various entries across PS2, PSP, and even most...
News Square Enix Devs Pester Director Yoshinori Kitase About Remaking Final Fantasy 6 Constantly
Good
Final Fantasy seems to be having something of a resurgence, if you haven't noticed. It's not like the decades-old RPG series ever went away, or anything, but Square Enix seems focused and determined of late, done with distracting frivolities. Final Fantasy XVI, the next mainline entry and a triumphant return to form, is out today, and
Random Talented Pixel Artist Recreates Chrono Trigger's Leene Square in Glorious HD-2D
Dare to dream
Chrono Trigger remains perched upon a JRPG pedestal all these years later, virtually unrivalled in terms of reverence. In a reality in which we already got a Final Fantasy VII Remake, there really is nothing else in that realm more deserving of the remake treatment. Until that happy day finally comes, we can at least better imagine...
Poll Are You Happy with Your PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for June 2023?
Another 27 games added
It's another significant update for PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers this month, as Sony has confirmed that a whopping 27 additional games will be made available next week. As you'd expect of such a sizeable selection, there's a lot of variety on offer, from big budget open worlders like Far Cry 6 to brand new indies like...
Random Battle Tapes' New Music Video Is Packed with PS1 Nostalgia
Blast from the past
Whether you've heard of electronic rock band Battle Tapes or not, you're bound to enjoy their latest music video if you're a PlayStation fan. 'Brand New', the band's latest single, is absolutely packed with PS1 nostalgia. The whole thing's been masterfully rendered and animated in a typical polygonal PS1 style by 3D artist...
News PS1 Stunner Herc's Adventures Likely Coming to PS Plus Premium
Holding out for a hero
First announced as a SEGA Saturn exclusive but eventually released day-and-date on PS1 as well, Herc’s Adventures was billed as a spiritual successor to SNES classic Zombies Ate My Neighbors when it first launched in 1997. And now the slickly animated, cartoon-style top-down action adventure from LucasArts looks like it’s...
News Original Crash Bandicoot Voice Actor Brendan O'Brien Has Passed, Aged 60
Woah
Brendan O'Brien, the voice actor behind many iconic characters from the Naughty Dog era of Crash Bandicoot, has passed away aged 60. Best known for his role as the eponymous Crash Bandicoot, O'Brien also voiced Neo Cortex, N. Gin, Nitrus Brio and Tiny Tiger in the original trilogy on PS1, as well as various other characters in spinoffs like...
