A few days ago, I wrote about PlayStation Plus classic Syphon Filter receiving official trophy support from original developer Bend Studio.
As such, it was being speculated that other reissued PS1 titles, exclusive to the upcoming revamped PS Plus Premium tier, would also get updated with trophies. Nothing was confirmed, though.
Well, coming in now via Game Rant, it appears that retro gamers have a lot more to be excited about. The report states that trophy and achievement tracking site Exophase has uncovered several trophy lists for even more PS1 games, including the likes of Ape Escape, Hot Shots Golf, and I.Q. Intelligent Cube, and most interestingly, early Sony western-themed RPG, Wild Arms.
Apparently, since the new PlayStation Plus refresh is rolling out in Asian territories today (May 24) before every other market, these trophies were able to be uncovered early for viewing. Also credited to the phased worldwide release was the alleged leaking of 1997’s Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee, another PS1 gem that features some great humor, excellent FMVs driven by amazing artwork, challenging puzzle-solving, and plenty of unadulterated farting.
Other confirmed PS1 PlayStation Plus Premium classics are notably missing from these leaked trophy lists, like quirky first-person platformer Jumping Flash! and lauded 3D fighter Tekken 2, though perhaps those extras will show up as well once the service rolls out in Japan on June 2 and North/South America on June 13. Or maybe only select PS1 games will be receiving trophy treatment, a probable outcome that will endlessly sadden me.
Wouldn’t it be incredible if every retro game uploaded to the new PlayStation Plus included trophy support? I’ve talked a lot before about how I think trophies could usher in a renaissance for our beloved aging PS1 software. Sony has already said it’s patching these titles with new features like rewind, quick save, and video filters, such as CRT scanlines. Trophies for every game would push things over the top, though that’s yet to be acknowledged by Sony.
For now, we can dream, and at least we have confirmation for stuff like Wild Arms, a 1996 throwback that has a whole lot of whistling (if you know, you know). I just hope we get this and Abe’s Oddysee in North America, which weren’t initially part of our U.S.-specific PS Plus catalog.
Are trophies enough to convert PlayStation Plus skeptics into believers? I’m sure for a select few gamers, the additions will be tempting, and you can include me in that group. We’ll see if more juicy details trickle out as we get closer to the local PlayStation Plus launch in June, and let’s pray that the 50Hz rumors aren’t true.
