Flashback
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Flashback
Special: Sony Goes Digital So We Pick The Physical Games Worth Buying Now Part 2
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Digital libraries feel permanent until they aren’t, and that’s why we’re going back to basics: physical PlayStation games that are still affordable, still easy to find, and still absolutely worth owning. We’re finishing our Flashback special with six picks across PSP, PS Vita, and PS4, built for collectors who want real value and players who only ever tried these through downloads or subscriptions.
On PSP, we dig into why the system could feel like a “PS2 in your pocket,” from the overlooked Driver 76 to the polished, best-in-class Daxter. We also talk about the underrated power of compilation discs like EA Replay, where one UMD can cover a whole slice of retro history without chasing expensive originals, and we shout out Sid Meier’s Pirates as the kind of deep, replayable adventure that fits handheld life perfectly.
Then we jump to the Vita, where Uncharted Golden Abyss still stands tall as a must-play exclusive that Sony never truly rescued from handheld jail. We also celebrate Tearaway as a pure Vita showcase that leans into the touchscreen, rear touch, and camera in ways that make the hardware feel special, plus crowd-pleasers like Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed and Everybody’s Golf for long trips and endless “one more go” sessions. Finally, we hit PS4 with smart physical buys like the Uncharted Nathan Drake Collection, the forgotten gem Concrete Genie, story heavyweight The Last of Us Part II, and the underrated, patched-up brawler Days Gone.
If you enjoy this format, subscribe, share the show with a friend who still loves discs, and leave us a review. What physical PlayStation game are you buying before prices jump?
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Flashback Special Part Two Setup
SPEAKER_02This is episode 30, and this week we're doing part two of our flashback special, which if you haven't listened to yet, we picked 12 games from Pierce 1, Pierce 2, Pierce 3. And these are recommendations of physical PlayStation games to pick up before things get too pricey. This time we're doing PSP Vita and finally finishing on Pierce 4. Some of these may seem a bit obvious, but a surprise and how many gamers have played and loved these games through either Pierce Plus, etc., or downloads, but don't actually own the physical. So now's the time. And I'm RGT, welcome to the show. And as always, I am joined by the man who always gets a brew when playing the Switch 2. Thinks the game's great, but of late is starting to hate Final Fantasy VII made us feel part of the team on his legendary Minecraft stream. It's UCP George. How you doing, my man?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'm great. Um I present as quite a curious character with that little intro of yours.
SPEAKER_02But um I was quite pleased with the second one because there was a lot of rhyming in there, and I managed to do it about spitting my teeth out.
SPEAKER_03So I couldn't have done it myself, so I did marvel just at the sheer facial engineering that you executed. Um yeah, I probably would have been on the floor at that point. So well done. Thank you. Welcome back, everybody. If you've enjoyed part one, buckle up for what's set to be an interesting ride for gaming esoteria. So um yeah. Let's do it, RGT. Why don't you show me the colour of your skin? Show me your first pick out your bag.
PSP Hidden Gems Begin
SPEAKER_03And what platform will it be on?
SPEAKER_02Well, we're gonna start on PSP. So we've done we've done two each on the puspa, and we've done two on the Vita, and we have done two on the PS4. The PS4? Yeah, plus four. Um, and I'm gonna start with um a little game is creeping up a little bit now, I believe, in value, but oh, that's another thing. Do you want me to do the values as we go or should we do them all at the end?
SPEAKER_03We'll do them at the end. We'll do them in the format.
SPEAKER_02Um this is a game I've had as a hidden gem before as well, over on the Unofficial Controller podcast, and this is Driver 76.
SPEAKER_03Oh, hello.
SPEAKER_02Now, this is an Ubisoft game. Um I I don't think this gets enough attention, really. Um it's that sort of driver format um set in the 70s, obviously, 76. And you do it's very GTA-looking world, but you do literally driving missions. Um you're like an undercover cop and busting gangs and all this sort of thing. But it's definitely got that driver feel to it, but just on a handheld, it looks really good. You've got that really good tight drive, and you've got the mission based, and that's all that that sort of made the PSP feel like that PS2 in your pocket. You were really taking these sorts of games on the go. And this is one that just went under the radar. I picked up cheap years ago, played, I think, on a holiday, played for them, beat it, and thought, how comes no one's ever told me about driver 76? And still to this day, people don't really talk about it much. I think it's a great little game. Yes, it's probably scaled down from a PS2 version, which it didn't actually get in the end, it is just exclusive to the PSP. Um, but definitely give it a look. Um, I think it's a great little game. It's one I keep wanting to go back to again and play again recently, but I haven't as yet. But have you played Driver 76, George?
SPEAKER_03No, I can't say I have. I mean, you did wheel it in as a hidden gem. I listened to your platitudes about it and how great you said it was, and then uh I don't have it in my collection.
SPEAKER_02That's definitely worth picking up. And it is starting, like I say, I I mean that was petty.
SPEAKER_03Is there a is there on foot sections or is it all in the car?
SPEAKER_02If I remember there is but there is on foot sections, I believe, but um you know, nowhere near like a GTA, I think it's very limited as to when you do that. Um I think there's like sections of mini games as well. I think if I remember rightly, like rampages, which are a bit like GTA and stuff you can do as well. So there is shooting, I believe. I haven't played it for a long time, but it was mainly the drive, and I used to love because it really did give you that almost PS2 version of the driver games. Um, but yeah, definitely worth checking out. I I think it's a great little game. Love the cover art, love the 70s style, love the little uh muscle cars and that you get in it, but yeah, really good.
SPEAKER_03Um what studio is it? Um sorry, no, what city is it, base? Like, is it is 76 San Francisco looking at the cover?
SPEAKER_02Yes, yes, I believe.
SPEAKER_03Does it feel like that when you're driving around though, or is it just like generic grey buildings?
SPEAKER_02No, it's quite good. You you get the feeling you're in a city, definitely. Um, obviously, scale down map-wise, it's not a huge map, and you've you just got to go from sort of mission to mission, but it is good at what they've done. Um, it's more linear than open world. Um, but it's a good little game. Like I said, it's from Ubisoft Refra Ubisoft Reflection Sumo Digital developed it um and published by Ubisoft. Um it was out in well in Europe. We got it in uh we were well a couple of days later than everywhere else, but 2007, May. Um I think it had a multiplayer on if I remember, whether that was on online or when you used to connect to your PSPs and oh yeah. Um, but the funny thing was scores when it first came out, Metacritic only give it 57 out of 100. Um, but other magazines were a bit more, you know, like Edge gave it seven out of ten, Eurogame is six out of ten. There was a lot of six out of tens, three out of fives. So, you know, all right scores, I suppose. Um, and I think because maybe people looked it up and saw those scores, maybe people didn't buy it. Um I used to see it a lot in CX, but you don't tend to see it about so much now. So, but yeah, give it a go. Uh driver 76, great little addition to a PSP um collection. So, what's your first one then, George?
Daxter Shows PSP Muscle
SPEAKER_03Uh my first one for the Sony PSP PlayStation Portable is Daxter. I do believe it was with the choice window in Europe. It's uh made by Ready at Dawn, and it's probably one of the best games on PSP, in my humble opinion. It looks fantastic straight out the gates. It's a great extension of the Jack and Daxter franchise. Obviously, you've got the slightly wordier of the two, or very much the wordier of the two, out here in his own game. And to be honest, the open area elements, the kind of bug hunting missions you go on. I'll be honest with you, this game feels a million bucks, and I'd recommend it to anybody. Obviously, Redi at Dawn known for the PSP trickery because they also um did two God of War games of their own, and then um were involved in the Origins collection being ported to uh V uh Vita, maybe from memory. Um obviously made Order 1886 as well, but um this is like a fantastic game. Uh it's fun, like I say, extends a franchise, and uh even in the very early days of the PSP, they had this thing singing like this. You talked before of a PS2 in your pocket RGT. I don't think there's a game that more convinces you of that than Daxter.
SPEAKER_02Oh, definitely, it's got when when you play that game, you do it's hard to not look at that and think this is a PS2, it looks very good graphically.
SPEAKER_03It's a great looking little game, and probably quite deceivingly made people think that the PSP had more legs than it even did, because you know, if this was relatively early doors, then you know what lies beyond. Um sadly, not much more trucking was ever really um extended past Daxter and obviously the GTA to GTA games that you find on there. Um, but a fun little game, it's an official game, it has had a re-release on Sony's PlayStation Premium package where you get to play the classics, therefore, I do believe it's also available to buy. But I can't see that being something that they're gonna support for a long time. You know, this is a game that needs to be experienced as well in its handheld format. Yeah, sometimes reeks of it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you know, and you find out as well with um certain games throughout game and history, really. This sometimes games just need to be on what they were made for, you need to be playing them on the system they were making.
SPEAKER_03So we're not here to you know push emulation, although obviously this would be a good place to go grab for your phone copy of Daxter from some sort of ROM site, not recommending anything, but I think it'd be more affordable just to grab a PSP and get yourself a copy of Daxter and lose yourself in the moment, you know. Go take yourself off on the couch somewhere, maybe a little round of that on your PSP before bedtime. You know, sort of thing Tingle Tuner would do. A very, very sophisticated experience, very sophisticated gentleman. Um, though he's not gonna sori himself with a PSP, I should think. Sent me one, so maybe he's PSP listener. Either which way, that's one of our loyal listeners over on the main show, hopefully here as well. Um that's all I've got to say on Daxter, mate. Have you got anything to say?
SPEAKER_02Uh no, I'm same as you, really. Great looking game, very playable. Um, for a spin-off to a successful series, um, you don't feel like you're um losing out in any way.
SPEAKER_03It's yeah, I definitely think this has got the legs over like Secret Agent Clank or what have you.
SPEAKER_02Yes, yeah, no, I I agree with you on that. Um, it's a great little game. Again, it's one that seems to go under the radar a lot. Um Jack and Daxter's talked about a lot, but you know, they tend to talk about the later games being rubbish, but they don't tend to talk about how good Daxter actually is. Um, so it deserves a bit more credit, really. But yeah, great game, and again, an awesome one to add to the PSP collection.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, grab it while it's hot. What you got next, RGT?
EA Replay Retro On UMD
SPEAKER_02I've gone a bit uh left field here with this. Um yeah. Um looked more at the retro games on this one. I have gone for EA Replay. I knew you were gonna wheel that in. That's a great collection. It is a fantastic collection. If you don't know what EA Replay is, EA put a load of their classics onto their little UMD so you can retro game on your PSP. Um, and in just three or four games, you get um BOB on the Super Nintendo, you get Boudacan, uh the Martial Spirit on the Mega Drive, you get Desert Strike, Return to the Golf, Mega Drive, you get Haunting, starring Polter Guy on the Mega Drive, Jungle Strike, Mega Drive, Mutant League Football, Road Rash, Road Rash 2, Road Rash 3, Syndicate, Ultimate 7, Virtual Pinball, Wing Commander, and Wing Commander Secret Missions on Um all on this little UMD.
SPEAKER_03Um sorry to interject, but the surprise for me on that list was always Wing Commander. Yeah. But sadly, Syndicate is quite hard to play on there.
SPEAKER_02Yes, yes, I would imagine that would be. Um, for me, I think this is a great way of playing your desert strikes and your jungle strikes, your road rash. Yeah, um, and again, it's one that slips under the radar a bit because for the price of this, you've you know you're not emulating, you've got it on your UMD, and you've got a good load of classic games that you can take with you on the go. Um, this was developed by EA Canada, published by Electronic Arts, obviously, and it is exclusive to the PlayStation Portable. Came out in uh came out in Europe in March 2007. Um, America got it a bit earlier in November 2006. Um, and it's a it's a great collection. Um when you think of what you pay for an emulator nowadays to take around with you, you know, there's ways of doing it with hardware you've already got, and I just think this is brilliant because a lot of these games, I mean, like Mutant League football, go try buying that nowadays because my mate's got that, and that's a lot of money. You're gonna be spending big time on that. And then you've got all your road rashes, like you say, you've got your wing commanders. Um, really good. If you like your Mega Drive, like your Super Nintendo, even if you've got these games in your collection, for what this costs, that's worth picking EA replay up. So then you've got them on the go if you were fancy playing road rash and bits and pieces. So that's a that's a great collection. Have you had much history with this or played this, George?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I've got this, it's probably one of my most played ones. I didn't know if it really qualified today, but you're right, it does, and it's a perfect example of something the PSP becomes famous for uh being natively supported on it. And I think you know, people cottoned on, developers cottoned on that this was happening. Not everyone wants to uh crack a PSP, so boom, here you go. I think Sega also produced one of their own with Mega Drive Classics, two, three Mega Drive Classics, all that sort of stuff on there. So this is a great way on a couple of UMDs of replicating probably your dream childhood Mega Drive collection.
SPEAKER_02Definitely, and I mean I chucked it in it because it is literally an exclusive to this system, so it's a great way of playing retro, and like you say, with um with the other collections you can get as well as Sega Mega Drive, there's also I think they've done a was it don't quote me on us, I think there might have been a Taito or an Intellivision as well.
SPEAKER_03So if you aimed at this, then midway or uh midway, I think yeah.
SPEAKER_02I think if you aimed at getting those retro collections, suddenly you're pushing a hundred retro games already to burn your PSP.
SPEAKER_03So the EA, like I say, what surprised me, you know, obviously you're getting some girth there, RGT, there's no dispute. But um the um the wing commanders are surprised, special missions is a surprise, not that it's that much better than the first one, but they're two sort of meaty games, a little hard to control, I have to admit, on the PSP, but you know, you pays your money, it takes your chances, can't be any harder than it was with a keyboard or a joystick back in the day. Um syndicate is uh a little small on the PSP screen, if I'm being honest, does make it a little bit more of a challenge, but Desert Strike looks fantastic, plays really well. Roebrush does as well. Did you say Jungle Strike was included? Yeah, so nice little follow-up. I personally don't think it as good because I feel some of the vehicles don't maybe control as well as the excitement that goes with seeing what they are, like a hovercraft or a stealth bomber. You're like, oh yeah, this is gonna be banging, and then you end up controlling them and thinking I'd give anything for an Apache right now. Um, Road Rush, absolutely brilliant little game to have fun on. So, yeah, a lot, you know, a lot of good.
SPEAKER_02Also, you've got you know, like Horton and Star and Polterguy, another one I had as a hidden gem on the Mega Drive, uh Super Nintendo as well. Great game, and you know, these a lot of these classics.
SPEAKER_03The OB was a bit of a looker as well back in the day.
SPEAKER_02And these are creeping up some of these games. Like I say, Mutant League football is is a pricey game at the moment, so a really affordable way of playing these games, even if you don't really want them on the go, but don't really want to spend the money on the actual originals for a small outlay. You're you've got the whole collection there, you can sit on the couch and play some retro. So yeah, great, great little collection to have. That was my number two. Oh, um, I'll just quickly go through um review-wise of a got a lot of six fives out of ten. Um, I mean, GameSpy gave it 1.5 out of five, which I find a bit harsh. I take it these were the people who didn't actually play these games back in the day. Um, because yeah, it's it's got some very mediocre scores. I think Game Zone was probably the best at seven out of ten. Um, but I think most people probably looked at it and thought, oh, what do we want to play them old games for? Well, it's actually probably quite a lot of people that do, so um yeah, but yeah, so EA replay on the PSP. What's your uh second and final PSP game then,
Sid Meier’s Pirates On The Go
SPEAKER_02George?
SPEAKER_03Um, not an exclusive, unfortunately. Um, but it's a game that was played on much bigger systems than the PSP. I have this on 360, I think it was an arcade marketplace game. But here we have Sidmar's Pirates remade for I think circa the 2006, 7, 8 era. Um, made by Faraxis 2K. It's a full fat version from everything I can tell of Sidmar's Remade Pirates, graphical editions, etc. etc. It's a fun game. You kind of take on the role of a guy who's gone across to the Caribbean to find his father from memory, but also his fortune and fame as a pirate. It's a classic pirates experience. You kind of start off as a privateer, you decide which country you're going to support, or which one you're going to sort of deface in some ways, I would say, um, by you know, plundering their stuff, or picking sides with the English or the French or whichever side you join with, or becoming a full-fledged pirate, you can do both. The freedom in this game, obviously, it found its legs on Commodore 64, I think, from memory, but that's probably where most people have memories from it. But if you played it back then or on Atari ST or Amiga, and you think, oh yeah, you know, I love that game, it's all here, and it looks better than it's ever looked. Um navigating the map, third person, sort of aerial isometric view. You kind of move your boat around, uh little small replica of the Caribbean, you engage in ship-to-ship battles as well, it's everything you want it to be. You can board the ships as well if you get close enough and do enough damage. Um, that goes into like a you versus the other captain, and your success is represented by how many of your crew are successful in the fight. Um, so you can also board and be great at fencing and still get the captain to side with you so you take his ship or sink it, repair yours. Classic pirate scenario, it's like a mini black flag, I suppose, or this is the prognogium man of meantiful man of um pirate games. There's a romance element as well where you have to dance again with a QTE to romance the governor's daughter in a bid to improve your standing. All in all, great little game to take on the go. It takes good advantage of the PSP's kind of quick resume feature, um, but it just lends itself to little playthroughs and deeper sessions if you want to. Now, this is a game that really is probably a bit left behind. Physical copies of this you don't really see outside of really for the PSP, and even then it's a bit of a sideways step. Um, I should imagine this will be tumbling off the if it ever got a PS3 release. That we know that arcade is that marketplace is shutting down. We know the 360 store is already closed, so maybe one of the best and only places where you'll be able to play Sidmi's Pirates natively um and on the go is gonna be on the PSP. And what a great place to play it, really. It's not a CPU heavy sort of simulator, but there's enough going on under the hood if you wanted to just transport cargo or you know sell your plunder of using the various kind of in-game uh market economies um to move stuff around to take advantage of it, you know. So great little package, great little game. Like I say, probably gonna disappear down the black hole of obscurity in terms of its digital availability very soon, if it hasn't already, and then physically, you know, this will dry up pretty soon. And this is probably one of the more affordable places to grab it and play it if the physical ability appears anywhere else outside of PC.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean I've got the original Xbox version, I think. I still haven't played it, but you know, I bought it for all means to play it.
SPEAKER_03So it came out out there, okay.
SPEAKER_02Right, but I remember playing it on Xbox 360 arcade, so yeah, so it probably had a yeah, it probably had a a download from the original on there or something, or a raised up version or something.
SPEAKER_03It was the version that probably was on original Xbox, I should imagine.
SPEAKER_02But I I I didn't realise that was on the PSP, and you think again that sort of proves the power of the PSP that you've got games this big and this in-depth on there, you know, and absolutely, yeah, you know, and we've always said with handhelds, you know, you have limitations. Sometimes you feel like you're missing out if the handheld is your main system. But with a PSP in the era, that was when it then started you then started to get these big games. You did have them on the go, you didn't feel like you were missing out, you know.
SPEAKER_03You had your smack downs coming out, and they were concurrent with the main version, like graphically walked down, yes, admittedly, but on the small screen, not enough to give a rat's ass. You had games like Gran Turismo in your pocket, you know, you had God of Wall there, sat looking purring away. Looking pretty Daxter. Yeah. Like they were compromised versions, but you didn't at the time, at the time, as you say, feel like you were compromised.
SPEAKER_02No, no, not at all. No, not at all. Um, but there are four from PSP. I mean, um, I done Driver 76 and EA replay, George Dunn Daxter, and Sid Meyer's Pirates.
SPEAKER_03Um, hopefully come with something a little bit more affordable this week, RGT, after my um mistakes previously. And we did have to rip my first selection for Vita out, didn't we? Because it was a little bit I didn't realize.
SPEAKER_02It was a bit shocking when we did try and look it up when we were like I had no idea, I apologise. But then again, like you say, we bought a lot of our games a long time ago and they weren't that sort of pricey.
SPEAKER_03I think I paid like 30 quid for that and winced.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's worth a lot more than that now.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so we find out, and and and yeah, Darkest Dungeon, if anyone's guessing, but um, yeah, there's not a lot to justify its collector's edition status. I think you maybe got the maybe a bit of the DLC. I can't even remember now. But there's nothing extra in the box.
SPEAKER_02No, it's I think they're just a physical copy, so they called it a special edition because there's a physical, I suppose.
SPEAKER_03But maybe that, yeah, possibly that.
SPEAKER_02Um, well, right, we'll uh move on to the PlayStation Vita.
Vita’s Best Showcase With Uncharted
SPEAKER_02Um, another system that Sony sort of let go by the wayside, and after a few years was not really sporting this system at all, but it doesn't mean there wasn't good games on there. Um, and I'll start with it's quite obvious if you know me, um, and you know what games I like. Um, I have gone with Uncharted Golden Abyss. Um, probably my favourite Vita game. Um, again, like what we were saying with the PSP. Um really good um game where it feels like a home console port, but you got it in your hands. Um they tried to use a few of the gimmicks of the PS Vita with the bat unfortunately. Yeah, with the battle. Although when I when I first played it, first game I got on my Vita, I think, or second game, I think, and um playing it, and I actually really enjoyed that to start with.
SPEAKER_03But when you go back it it is a bit gimmicky, and I only say unfortunately, because it just bars it from being played on PlayStation TV.
SPEAKER_02Yes, yeah, yeah. And if if you're wondering if you haven't played Golden Abyss, basically on the back of your PS Vita, you have a touch, I want to say a screen, a small like a pad on the back of the Vita. That's right. Um, and so when you find certain um items and treasures, they'll come up on the screen and you can turn them with the back screen, and then on the front screen you can clean off the dirt and have a look at the the items that you found, which is quite, you know, it is a bit gimmicky, but it's a nice little thing. And they're obviously obviously being a Sony studio, they were showing all what the Vita could do. But yeah, Golden Abyss is actually the like the prequel to the the Uncharted series. So if you've played one, two, and three, definitely play Golden Abyss because it is the the original first game that leads into one. Um, but it's a great game. You get to feel like I say it feels like a console port, it feels like part of the Uncharted family. Um, you know, Nola North, you know, you've got the voices, you've got the sounds, and although the speakers nowadays sound a bit quiet, I love the sound on this game. You've got the sound of the jungle, and them little speakers sounded quite good for the time. Um, and I think it's that's a great little pickup. Um, sort of one of the I would say one of the big boys on the system, um, without having to pay sort of the big boy price. Um, but yeah, this was Ben Studio done this for uh for Sony and for um Naughty Dog. Um it came out in Europe in 2012. So literally, I think it was a launch title, weren't it, George? Was that launch title?
SPEAKER_03It was, yeah, it came out the end eight, I believe.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, launch title. So, yeah, third person, single player. You know what it's all about, Uncharted. You know about Nathan Drake. He got a few new new uh enemies in this one. Um, but it's just a different version and a handheld only version of it. Um, the only place you can play Golden Abyss um is is on the Vita. Um, reception-wise, Metacritic 80 out of 100, and pretty much across the board at seven out of tens, eight out of tens, four out of fives, eight point six out of tens. It's all decent, decent um reviews. Um, like I say, probably my favourite game on the Vita, to be honest. Um, what about you, George?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I would agree with that. It's I knew you would bring that, so that physically barred me from bringing it. Is it the best game on the Vita? Yeah, I reckon it might be. Initially, it feels a little clunky at first. I think the climbing has been made a little bit obtuse in this. They want you to trace up with your finger rather than climbing the old school way.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you've got that little arrow and you have to.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, kind of once you persevere with it though, and just say no, I'm doing it this way, and you bed into that and ignore the prompts. Um it feels it feels great. To your point about the sound, I think the Vita holds up pretty well in terms of its speaker quality, but um almost yeah, this game.
SPEAKER_02Sorry to interrupt, this game almost had a surround sound sound. I know it didn't, but it's just them speakers, it sounded facing you sound really good on those.
SPEAKER_03It really did set headphones on, and this this will transport you. And the Vita does come alive with a good set of headphones. Um the sounds of the guns, I think, is probably one of the most impactful. The way it echoes and you know feels solid and real in front of you as it does, sounds of the jungle, the shouts of the guys. Um yeah, it's got that real uncharted experience. For me, it really, really clicked as a standalone experience. I think later on you're in a canoe section with Sully and you're kind of you know, rowing your canoe or paddling your canoe would be the correct nautical term, I reckon. And um just the way you're doing it and the way it looks on screen and the way the boat's moving, it was like, wow, do you know what this is this is a really great moment. Admittedly, that's deep into the game, there are high points. I don't, you know, find the enemies that particularly endearing, but to see the characters wheeled out one last time, it or you know, maybe the penultimate time, depending on how you want to look at it, but definitely for the first time, if you want to view it from the canon storyline point of view. But as RGT says, a fun game that they've had more than one opportunity to port, the Uncharted Collection to PS5 could easily have emulated this with not that much work. Let's face it, you own all the code, you own all the machines, you own all the intellectual properties. Why would you leave it there? Makes no sense to me. So, yeah, if you want to play this game, and it is probably, as I said, the Vita's best game, and one that Bar My Next game that I call out uses every single one of the Vita's sensors and cameras and all of that jazz. Um, so it's it's not only a great game, but it's a really great kind of tech showpiece for your new new to you Vita or your old Vita that you thought might need a bit of a run out one more time. Definitely take it out with uh Nathan Drake.
SPEAKER_02And I think the Vita as well gave me that feeling that the PSP did. You know, the PSP give you the PS2 in the pocket feeling, the Vita gave me a PS3 in my pocket feeling. Um, and although they were obviously not quite there with that, but it was very close. And the Vita, I remember when I first played Golden Abyss and looking at it, thinking, God, this looks just like a PS3 game. I know if you put them side by side, it doesn't, you know, it's on a smaller screen, it gives you that feeling. But you know, for a for a classy looking small system, what the Vita was in a stay, it was a powerful system when you think it was going up against DS and bits and pieces. Oh, yeah, it really shone.
SPEAKER_03Also going up against the emergent mobile phones that were, you know, and the the the emergent mobile phones, the iPhones and other bits and bobs had an influence on the experience we got with the Vita compared to the PSP. We got the dual um analog sticks that we've been shouting for since the PSP's creation, but then we also got what felt like mobile more mobile game kind of ports than we saw on the PSP. It felt a bit kind of gimmicky because of the touch screen and the back panel, you know. So the Vita is a machine that's absolutely wonderful but full of compromises in the hope of what might become a digital future that never did. I think they should have just focused on making movies readily available, i'd be buy them on bought them on the little proprietary cards or something like that, yeah, yeah, it'd been a great idea. Rather than the download or whatever, but we were firmly in the download era. But if you've got a portable, the case in point is you're taking it away, you take it on a camping trip. You're not gonna download a movie there, are you? No, exactly. So or or stream Netflix or watch YouTube.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's got the physical element, let's use it, you know.
SPEAKER_03So, yeah, why not bang movies on there?
SPEAKER_02That's a great way of doing that as well.
SPEAKER_03And that and what another cool thing to collect, you know. Yeah, but yeah, definitely. I'm I'm a weirdo, but let's get physical, as we said.
SPEAKER_02Yes, exactly, yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_03The catchphrase of uh flashback now.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that is the one. Um, but yeah, so um that is my first pick. Uncharted Golden Abyss on Pierce Vita. What's your first one on the uh Vita, then George?
Tearaway And Vita’s Weird Magic
SPEAKER_03It's Tear Away by um well it's media molecule, isn't it? The people that made Big Planet, Little Big Planet. Um, it's a fun game, very much in that vein of like creating your own experience. It's like a little platforming game, but it uses all of the Vita's functionality again, the touchscreen, the rear panel. You can influence, obviously, you can poke your fingers through, is one of the bits that I remember.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I remember my daughter playing that and doing that, it was quite clever.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you can stick your face in the sun, I think, as well. So as you sort of walk walking towards it, you see your face. Um it's again using those examples that they made famous with um Little Big Planet, and then morphing them into a sort of standalone game that you then kind of customise with stamps and bits and bobs. Again, it's a game that basically the premise is it's a world made of like paper, folded paper, torn paper. It's very much sort of um a photo realistic almost creation of like a 3D paper world that you walk around in as a paper man that you stamp or kind of fold or manipulate with the back sensor or the front screen or the various sensors and cameras in the Vita. It's it's a fun game. Um, it did get a a version on PS4, I think, called Tear Away Unfolded, maybe.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think it was unfolded, yeah. Because I think my daughter then went on and played that as well.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, which uses the DualShock 4's touch pad and other bits and bobs for its interaction, but and the PS4 camera if you had one. Um, but for me, the Vita experience is the takeaway experience, it's the most complete experience, it's the one where you've got all of the tech on the device itself to do all the things that they want you to do without going down um your local game shop and forking out on another piece of garbage for your PS4. Um, all in all, a fun game, hopefully an affordable game. Um, yeah. RGT, apart from your daughter's enjoyment of it, did you enjoy it?
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah, I never actually played it myself, but I enjoyed I remember watching her play, and like you say, that's the main thing I remember was like through the touchpad, you put your fingers and they'd come through the front screen. Yeah, and that was really quite responsive how they'd done it. And I remember thinking, geez, this is actually a bit of tech, this Vita.
SPEAKER_03And but it's that's what locks those games there, though, sadly.
SPEAKER_02Yes, that is, yes, it is, because of those those little quirks and bits they used for the Vita because the amount of tech they crammed in it.
SPEAKER_03Um and I think that would also bar this from entry for the PS TV as well. Yeah, I don't see it mentioned, so obviously it's a bar to entry because it uses the sensors, yeah, yeah. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02But a great little game again, and like I say, if if you've got a Vita or are getting a Vita and gonna collect, I think it's you know, I think all four of ours are definitely must-buys, what we've uh picked today. Um for the 50 cent.
SPEAKER_03Well, what's your next one?
Sonic Racing For Road Trip Battles
SPEAKER_02Well, my next one is a game which um saved me a long journey once. Um, this game I picked up on holiday. Um, we were uh we'd gone with my parents, and there was my me and my wife and my daughter was young then. On the way back, there was about three traffic jams on all the main roads coming back. It was a 12-hour journey to get home, and this game we took interns on. Luckily, I had the car charger for my PS Vita, and this saved the day from having a very grumpy child. Um, and this is Sonic and your child. Yeah, Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed on the Vita. Um, and we were literally taking interns on tracks to see who could get the fastest times going through, unlocking the new tracks. Um, this game doesn't get spoken about enough. I know they've done cross worlds and newer versions, but this All-Star Racing Transformed is a fantastic kart racing game. Um, one of the first ones I saw as well, where you could you do transform. You jump over into water, you turn into a boat, you jump off out of the lake into the sky, you turn into a plane. It's some great racing, looks really good, runs really well on the Vita. The Vita just had that. If you had a colourful game like what this is, with real deep colours, you know, lovely saturation that that looks so good. They look all look so at home on the Vita. Um, whether it's the um OLED or the later LED screens, the even Golden Abyss, the colours and that in that, then the greenery and the the caves looks awesome. And yeah, this is a brilliant, brilliant little kart racer. And like I say, um we just played at taking in turns, doing tracks, and the hours flew by, and it made one journey very easy to do. Um, this is by sumo digital published by Sega, obviously. Um, it got various ports to different systems: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U. Um, but I don't think you're compromising anything at all by having a Vita version. It is as is the game is. I mean, they ported it to everything from iOS to Android a lot. Um, single player and multiplayer.
SPEAKER_03Did that end up on Switch, that one?
SPEAKER_02Uh no.
SPEAKER_03No, that would have been an interesting comparison, wouldn't it?
SPEAKER_02Well, I bought they done one later on. Did they do trans all-star race and transform two? Or they done a later one on a PS4. They done another another version. And I although I played out on my friends, no, I don't think it was Transform, but I done a the next installment of it. Um, but it just didn't hit like this. It just didn't hit like this one. Um, but reception of this, um, I think the sort of the best version they're saying is PS3 Xbox 360, 82%. This got a 75 out of 100. Um, they did do a 3DS version, but that is probably the worst rated version. But as far as I'm concerned, there's only a few points in it between each version. Um, but a Vita version is very, very good to play. Um, definitely worth having in any collection. Probably one off, if not the best racing game on the system, especially cart racing, so um, in my opinion. Um what about your history with Attina Georgia?
SPEAKER_03Um I've got it, I've enjoyed it, like you say. It's all the fun things it should be. I think it's um I like the transformed element, I think it brings quite a lot to the franchise well to that particular game. And I think to your point, it's one of those games on the Vita that makes it pop. Um there are other racing games that maybe you could extract similar fun from. I think most wanted's on no. Is it that one need for speed or one of the burnouts and one of the big need for speeds is on there? Um but Sonic, a car racing game, it's iconic, it's fun, it's pick up and play, it's throw down, it's quick lapse pass between friends in a car, in a barracks, or wherever. You know, it's one of those fun things that's just easy to pick up, easy to play, hard to master. Um, for those little fun interactions. The the hard line historically on a portable versus sort of a mainline console is your portable's got to lend itself to pick up and play fun little blasts, multiplayer handheld pass-around experiences because you can't expect everyone to rock up to a party one of these things in their pocket. It would be very weird if they did.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_03If I saw five people turn up and be like, You've got a Vita, I've brought one as well. Have you got, yeah, let's all get round now? It'd be a bit like, oh god, what next? Swinging, I'm going, Maureen, get your coat. Um, yeah, so it's got to be that kind of game, and this is that perfect game for me. Um and the Vita, like you say, it just lends itself to those sort of wild, vivid colours and and fast moving action.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I think you know it was dominated at the time with Mario Kart. Um, and Sega thought, well, if we're gonna have a kart racer that people are gonna pay attention to, we need to do something different. Um, yeah, and they did, and they did, they added to it. And I mean, I bought that on a whim just for a journey home and ended up playing it all the way home and just absolutely loved it. I thought, what a great game it plays so well, it's got great little dynamics to it and techniques, and really good, really at home on the system. And like I say, I have played the other ports, but I just think there's something about that Vita port for me that just says, Yeah, you know, it's no different. You got a you got a big game there, portable and on the Vita. So, um, yeah, so that is Sonic Racing, All Stars Racing transformed. What's your uh second and final PSP game enjoyed?
Everybody’s Golf Gets Addictive
SPEAKER_03Much like Vita and much like Tearaway, this one advocates itself as only on PlayStation, that moniker they were putting on um back in the day. Um, this is everybody's golf. Um, what's the other name for it? Hotshots golf. Hotshots golf everywhere else, but this is our version, it's everybody's golf. A great kind of chill be animated, and it's one of those moments where I probably don't mind them as much. Um, golf game. It's it's a hard-to-master game, but perfect for pick-up and play.
SPEAKER_02Oh, when it clicks, what a game it is.
SPEAKER_03And to be honest, the camera angles that you get, they they're perfect for a golfing game, but the fun little creatures that kind of hop by they just add to the colour of the world. Um, as you go through, you kind of build up your clubs, you build up your bag, you you know, you can enter better tournaments and do different things, and you build your characters up with different clothes, and things have performance boosts and other different bits and mobs, but I never really get too bogged down in that. I just hop on, play around the golf. I'm not really bothered about the concurrent stuff that happens around me. Like, oh, you've unlocked this bag or that club or whatever. I just want to play again, play again, play again, and it's it's fun. Yeah, I AI is difficult enough to make me feel like a dum-dum, you know. It's not it's not a walk in the park, everybody's golf. Don't think because it looks fun and friendly, that it will be go go nice on you. You know, you've got to watch your game, you've got to watch where the ball lands, you've got to watch what surfaces you're landing on, you've got to watch how you're hitting the ball. It's not as though, yeah, there might be mega animated swings, but the distance and the way the ball moves, it all feels like more simulation-based. And the dressing on top is the you know the thing that makes it fun. It's uh it's a serious golf game, in my opinion, and one that uh is synonymous with the PlayStation brand, that's why this one is only on PlayStation. Are you gonna be able to play this anywhere else? Nah. They drop these like a hot stone when they bring out the next one. And I'll be honest with you, everybody's golf locked on the Vita. What a shame. Um grab a copy if you've got a Vita. If not, is it a reason to pick up a Vita? No, but the other two the other two games, the three games we've already brought to the party definitely give you reason to. And there's plenty of fun to be had on there. You don't need to chase the cases, just get the carts. Everybody's golf RGT. You're a golfer and a golf game fanatic. Tell me. Tiger RGT, Tiger GT, what's your take on everybody's golf on the Vita?
SPEAKER_02I that Vita version, I nearly saw nearly everything that game had to give. Oh wow. I rinsed that game, and there's a lot of popular podcasts, Cane and Rinse. I literally done what they do on games. I was very close to unlocking every character, every club, every bag, every tournament. I loved that game. I bought the PS4 Everybody's Golf that come out, and I did it. Enjoy that and put quite a few hours in, but it just didn't hit like the PS the PS Vita version. That PSP version is so good. And I think with everybody's golf, it's that style of golf game you don't tend to get now. I know we get Mario Golf, and we've had Mario Golf Rush, which I've played through, and they're good fun little games for a certain period. There's only so much in that game that's worth doing. Once you played like the the like story mode, I would say on Mario Golf Rush, it's about eight hours long, six hours, six to eight hours long. Once you've done that, it's either you play multiplayer of your friends, or that's it. The game is quite shallow. Everybody's golf, there is so much to do, so many next golfers to beat, so many upgrades to get yourself better to beat that next golfer and have your tournament. It is such a good game, so addictive, so fun to play. Um, and it's I'm not saying it's easy to master the game, but you the the difficulty spike is early on, and once you get that, the rest is down to getting your clubs in your bags, getting your driver to go further. Um, it's a big game for the Vita, and I just think that is an absolute classic, and I think that's a great shout, George, to be honest. Everybody's golf is a fantastic game on the Vita. And again, like with yeah, I think again, with like we done with the PSP, I think we've got four Vita games there that in my mind are absolute must-plays. Um, from like I say, Sonic Race, Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed, Uncharted Golden Abyss, tear away everybody's golf. I mean, if you bought M4 to start off a Vita collection, you've got plenty of good game in there for a decent price. So definitely have a look at those. But yeah, everybody's golf is a great choice, George.
SPEAKER_03Excellent. Um, I brought something good for a change. Um, at least it's past your vote. What have you brought for PS4?
PS4 Physical Essentials Worth Owning
SPEAKER_03This is what I'm excited for, because this is Prime RGT. Yes, I've fully track suited, PlayStation pants, socks, hat, coat, bag.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I've double dipped a bit, but bear with me, there is a reason why I've double dipped a bit. But my first one, these are two obvious choices, but I just think pick them up now why they're physical.
SPEAKER_03Oh god. Um this is why we have rules.
SPEAKER_02This is you're gonna hate me for this, but my first one, and it's only because it's really affordable, is why I'm picking this, is the Nathan Drake collection, Uncharted. Now, yes, I'm a mega uncharted fan, it was obvious I was gonna do it. Hear me out. Um I've obviously got the special edition here, don't go for that, go for the standard edition, but this is very cheap, and you get literally the remastered one, two, and three Nathan Drake adventures. Um all there to play for the one price. And if you're gonna get the Vita Golden Abyss, you might as well play that first and play these three. Um, but no, on a serious note, it's a great collection. Um, yes, I know we've had other collections, and yes, they done them on a PS5, and yes, I did buy them again and again. Um, but I just think for the PS4, I think there's there's a lot of games out there for the PS4, but there's certain collections which are worth, especially on the budget, are worth buying, are worth having those games in one place, having that physical copy, and away you go. I think they're great games, um, they're great versions as well, really cleaned up, really good. And um, I think George is really proud of me for selecting those, aren't you, George? Unfortunately, you buy a studio that doesn't exist anymore, but uh Blue Point Games, but it's a it's a good call.
SPEAKER_03You're right, definitely don't go chasing that white box special edition version, that would be a bit crazy. Yeah, don't um it didn't include four though.
SPEAKER_02No, one, two, and three.
SPEAKER_03Naughty, innit?
SPEAKER_02It came out about the same time, didn't it? So they were trying to it came out just after, didn't it? So people who were sort of thinking, Oh, I'm gonna get four. Oh, hang on, why don't you get the other three as well? That was more of a sort of lure you in, but it and also you'll see at the end the price is why I've probably picked that so yeah.
SPEAKER_03Okay, well, I love the Uncharted trilogy, I think they're well executed, I think the acting in it's superb, and or the quadrology, more to speak. But in this case, we're talking the trilogy. Um, one is probably my favourite, maybe enough for nostalgia. Two, I I enjoy three, I think is equally as good. I think the gameplay cinematic storytelling in three is something else. Some of the fate and cuts in that game are superb. Um, I think on PS3 as well, the three really was the absolute pinnacle of graphics. I mean, if you want to test an OG PS3 backwards compatible one, stick Drake's three in it. If it can survive the fire scene, you've got a good console. Yes, I somehow think that it will die. Um, it'll play every other game in your system, but it won't play that, and then you know it's dying. Um, but here on the PS4 all dressed up and pretty. Um, so Uncharted One was probably the outlier in terms of its graphical quality. It kind of didn't look that great, especially with the direction they chose of two or three and subsequently four. But you know, here reworked and polished up to a standard where it feels like a cohesive part of the universe. So, yeah, wonderful. Um good pick, RGT. A little bit snaky, but with a little bit.
SPEAKER_02Uh thanks. Um, yeah, I I didn't want to go uncharted again, but I just thought in the current climate, you know, things are tight, and I've gone for a couple of collections here because I just think oh my goodness gracious me, you're gonna do it again. No, no, no, no, no, with EA replay.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, and I just think it's worth getting those if you're on a budget, you're getting a collection for PS4. A lot of people are now with like I say, that's why we've done this show because of the news of Sony and 2028 and digital and all the rest of it. Um, I reckon a lot of people, I think PS4s are going to creep up. PS3s are gonna be a lot of physical collectors going out getting these. Go for the collections, you don't need the individual ones. This is like the remastered PS4 one that really looks good, really plays well. Um, probably one of the better places to play it. Uh, you know, PS4s are technically probably still more reliable than a PS3 as time goes on. So um yeah, get the Uncharted Collection PS4. Um, like I say, Blue Point Games um came out in 2015. Um, and this was across the boards nine out of tens, eight out of tens, four out of fives. You know, it's gonna be the three great games that all ranked fairly highly. Um, but yeah, Uncharted Collection for the PS4. What's your uh first PS4 game, then, George?
Concrete Genie The Forgotten Exclusive
SPEAKER_03My first PS4 game is a game by Pixel Opus and it's uh Concrete Genie again, proudly displaying the only on PlayStation Moniker. Um, it's a game though that uh as much as I love it for its wonderful sort of artwork and storytelling, it's a game that's kind of like a bit forgotten. It was forgotten at the time. I think I plattered it, would you believe? Um, you're an artist who's got like a magic paintbrush, and you can paint characters on the walls that kind of walk around it in a 2D fashion. Um again, it felt like a media molecule game, but it it it's obviously not, but it plays so enchantingly well. It's it's fun to jump around the world, it's fun to navigate, the creatures that you draw on the wall become kind of friends. It's um it's a really wonderful game, and it and again, in that world of sort of PS4, HDR technology and other bits and bobs, it was a game that really kind of popped tellies of the era, the way the graphics kind of looked, the sharp colours that we talked about earlier with the Vita here. You can see them popping out the screen on your latest TV. Um, fun little game. Side note, if you've got the original VR, there is like a world you can go into and do sort of draw and interact with the creatures. I never bothered. Um, you probably won't either. Um, but it's there if you want to. Great game, RGT. Have you had much legs with Concrete Genie?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, because didn't we get this as a plus game when it first came out?
SPEAKER_03Maybe, yeah, but the physical version, and again, it's one of those games that yeah, you'll find on the PlayStation store now, but I'd imagine that's gonna slowly disappear. And when the PlayStation 4 studio or uh library kind of gets shut or closed eventually, or you lose your license, yeah.
SPEAKER_02It's gonna be lost in the ether, innit?
SPEAKER_03So this is an exclusive that will just get forgotten about. So if you want to experience kind of peak PS4 or Sony being experimental, trying different things, a world that feels a little bit forgotten now, um, and it being you know, approachable by everybody. Um, Concrete Genie is a standout of that kind of PS4 supported exclusives era that um kind of feels a bit long forgotten RGT.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean I I played this because I'm sure it was on plus, and I played this, and I played it because you recommended it, and I remember you were playing it through to saying, Oh, this is a wonderful little game. So then I played it and just thought, oh, you're right. I mean, it it at times looks uh pushes to PS4, the lighting and the neons and the painting, and it's an original story, it's great graphics, almost hand-drawn at times, yes, in a lovely little setting in that sort of fishing town area.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that felt special, didn't it?
SPEAKER_02There's something about that game. Um, I think that is a great pick because when it comes to PS4 games, no one mentions Concrete Genie. No one mentions Concrete Genie, and this is a really affordable game and a great little game, and I'd encourage anyone to play it. You don't even have to label it with a genre, it's his own little experience, and it's such a great little game.
SPEAKER_03You know, I could have rocked up and said I got I don't know, bloodborne, right? Uh that's to me, Concrete Genie is maybe more experimental, more interesting game.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, I think you're right. It's it's it's it was there and then it weren't, and you know, you don't really tend to see the physicals too much, and I think it's a great way of picking it up, and for uh for having a bit of a a physical library for future uh you know uh future games and future PS4 libraries, that's a great pick, really is a great pick. Really good. That is a proper hidden gem on the PS4, and like you say, like George says, it's locked on that system that's on the store for now. How long it'll be on that store for, how long the PS4 store lasts for, don't know, because we're closing in on a PS6 that probably is not going to support that for much longer. So yeah, definitely pick up Concrete Genie. Yeah, that's a great one, George. I reckon that could be pick of the day, that one. Um Wow, steady on. No, I think so. I think it's a great you've you've got to be.
SPEAKER_03Well, we've got your last one yet. So we said it was a double dip, but you know, we're willing to let you have that to a point. So, what have you got here, you handsome
The Last Of Us Part II Impact
SPEAKER_03devil?
SPEAKER_02I've gone quite obvious again, but the reason I've gone quite obvious is because this game is story-wise, probably the best game I've ever played. Um, and I know I love my uncharted, I think you know what it's gonna be. Um, if you've played the first one, then this must be an absolute must for the system. If you haven't got a PS5, you ain't gotta worry. I know PS5 have done it on there, but this is the one you need to pick up, and this is the Last of Us Part 2. Now, I know it's an obvious choice, but the only reason I put it in, I weren't gonna put it in, I was gonna go a bit more left field, and I thought, no, if you need this game and you haven't got it, or you never thought about playing it, but you collect a PS4, just get it so you've got it for future playthrough. Because this is an incredible game. The acting, the story, the things this game makes you do is powerful to say the least. It'll make you hate people, it'll make you love people, it'll make you do things. It is so good, so well written. You know, we know what Naughty Dog were like with these games. Um, Last of Us Part One was amazing. Um, it was a game of his era on the PS3. The Last of Us Part Two took it to another level. Um, and when you got a you know a director and writer like Neil Druckmann, um, he knows how to make a movie-esque, dramatic, powerful piece of entertainment in game form. He's also proved he can make a TV series as well by taking it to the big screen. Um again, phenomenally acted um with Ellie and Ashley Johnson, um, Troy Baker, and awesome game. Um, and I've always said to George, me and George just spoke about this game so many times, especially after playing it, but it was still one of them games where when I finished a game and I sat there and just breathed out and went, Whoa, what an epic journey that was. And I was still thinking about the game days later, the decisions and the things you'd done and how it brought you into that world. Um, even if I wouldn't say it's a horror game, but with with you know it can be a bit creepy, if it's not your sort of thing, still pick this game up because one day you're gonna think, what's all the hype about this? You'll have the disc, pop it in your machine and give it a go because it is absolutely unmissable. Um, I think I know what you're gonna say about it as well, George, but I'll uh I'll hand over to you.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna say something you're probably not gonna expect, but I probably would have said you probably ought to come in and pick up the Last of Us Part One remastered PS4 because that version is about it it will disappear into obscurity.
SPEAKER_02Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_03I went I went with two just because of and so will that version of two, it will be wiped from the face of the earth pretty soon. Yeah, yeah. Because they're not gonna push, they're not gonna offer that version when the PS5 versions exist.
SPEAKER_02No, no, not at all. And it's a great is a great version of PS4, the the part one, or they don't call it, let's call it Last of Us Remastered, I think.
SPEAKER_03Make the Pro sing, I'll tell you that. That's PS4 Pro sings like an absolute hot dinner with that game, innit?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, dude. Mine did as well. Um, but like I say, it is just a phenomenal game, phenomenal story. Um do I think we get many games like this now? No. Um do I don't think we're gonna get many games like this now. There's allegedly gonna be a last of us part three, but I'll believe that when I see it. Um, I think I just think it's a it's it's a game that's just stood the test of time. I just don't think games deliver a story like that. Um, I don't think games have before or have since. It's it's it's a rare one. Um, and I'd like to say, even if it's not your genre, you don't think it's your game, pick it up and give it a go. Because I think it's something that can't really be missed. Um, like I say, um it was on PS4, I think they've done a PS5 and Windows version, single player action. Um, it came out on the PS4 in 2020. Um PS5 2024. Um reception, as you can imagine, 93 out of 100, 94% recommended on Open Critic. It was 10 out of 10s, 9 out of 10s, 8 out of 10s, 5 out of 5, 10 out of 10s, 10 out of 10s. You know, the game done well. It got review bombed at the time for certain things, but we won't go into that. Just play the game as the story you see um and enjoy it. Um, yeah, absolutely brilliant. I mean, I can uh speak enough about that. So, what is your final Pierce 4 game?
SPEAKER_03Well, just the last of us part two was a game in itself rather than all the other things around it, technicalities and exclusivities and bits and bobs. Just an absolute stunning piece of storytelling. And as RGT says, you just got to go with the story, it's not your story to tell, it's your story to experience. And when it's fully played out, I think on reflection you'll have to have had a word with yourself because you know it'll challenge every concept you've ever had in your life. Um, a great game, well executed. I think obviously with the PS5 version, it maybe just clinches it, but we're to talk about PS4 and physical media.
Days Gone And The Sequel That Never Was
SPEAKER_03My next game, it's uh Days Gone on the PS4 by Ben Studios. Um I got this game when it first came out and I had a couple of glitches like my motorbike exhaust kind of stopped working. I was still driving around, but my bike made no noise, even though it did make noise because it attracted freakers, as they're called in this game. Um the PS4 version, I had the PS4 Pro at the time. Um challenging game, graphically fantastic to look at. Um, played really well, had a mix of sort of on foot, sort of open world, use your bike to navigate. It's a game that got a bit of a kick in when it first came out because it had several bugs at launch that were very quickly patched out, and none of them affected me by that motorbike scenario. And it's a game that is hard to like until you get to maybe the second settlement, and then you start to really click with it, you start to feel like a sense of community in that area, and things that you're doing, you know, feel like they matter. Um it's an interesting story, one that's probably a bit formulaic, but you know, it plays out quite well. It plays well with the location of Washington State. Um, there's like a like an extinct volcano in a river in a big lake that I think is either real or based on a real place, and most of the area in the woodland that you're driving through is is again either real or based on a real place, and you get that real connection. I remember watching a developer diary, they'd been off and bought bikes similar to the one that you ride around on as deacon in the game, and they'd gone sort of threshing those around in the woods to see what it felt like to ride one of these bikes that could translate that into the game. Now, initially, um that doesn't feel that way because the game um, as much PlayStation games at the time followed a kind of upgrade um window where you collected sort of perk points that you would then add to an attribute or a bike or whatever sort of setup it was going on, and it was only then as you modified the bike and did different bits and bobs did the full kind of ability come in. But hey, the game was ultimately very rewarding. Um, PlayStation of you know, publicly seeking to sort of quell any ideas of anyone ever getting a days gone sequel. I think the developer had a little bit of a fallout, and then there was a bit of a public spat about how that's what they should have been doing, making a sequel to that rather than the other Druvel or Dross that Sony ended up doing with Bend, and you know, the rest is history, as they say. But um, this game was fantastic, got a PS5 port as well, probably got a physical copy there, but the original to me is a place to go, place to play it, especially if you collect it for PS4. This is one of those sort of late games that uh many people missed because either A the reviews or A the review bombing, but the subsequent patched game that you would get today is uh a really great experience from start to finish. Obviously, the big selling point of it at the time was the thousands of uh hundreds and thousands or thousands of on-screen enemies at times when you stumbled across the different hordes, um, which was a challenge. Um, there's definitely um horde challenges where you can extinguish the horde. Um that will make any game a sweat. Um, I don't care who you are, and the larger hordes would probably give you heart palpitations because they are right on your toes, no matter how good you are, as you try and eliminate them as you go through. But I tell you what, a great experience to see uh a few hundred zombies burning um and chasing after you. Um, where else can you get that experience, RGT? Nowhere else. So days gone for me, PlayStation exclusive that I feel will not stand the test of time and will slowly disappear from storefronts and be forgotten about. Um goodness knows why, because the Chuck Deek can sent John everywhere, but then have no plans of doing a sequel, but they use him as their legitimacy of being a grown up um developer, which I find almost laughable.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely. Um again, fantastic choice days gone. Another one. I haven't finished it, but I have played it. It's again one of them games I don't think gets the credit it deserves. There's a lot of haters towards the game, but I think in an era where there was zombie games coming out of your ears, you need to do something different. Being a biker gang, being out in Washington State was such a great idea.
SPEAKER_03This is peak UCP era as well.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yes, it is why I bought it because I was a listener at the time, so that's why I bought it. But also it was um like I say, so your biker gang. I think Deegan is a very likable character. I think he's played well, he's got that edgy sort of bike.
SPEAKER_03What you make Boozer, he's very enjoyable as well, isn't it?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, there's that sort of chemistry between the two. Um, and you get you know, you get that bit of backstory of how things kicked off, and then you're in the world, and then you've got that extra little bit where when I was first playing it, thinking, Oh, what's happened to my bike? Oh, I've run out of fuel. You've got to get fuel for your bike, you've got to maintain your bike, you upgrade it, you find different camps and do your missions. It's actually a really enjoyable game. My mate's a big zombie fan, and he hasn't played this. I keep saying, 'You need to play this because you will you will really enjoy this game,' and again, it's part of that PlayStation legacy that I'm not too sure they really care about. So it will just be. You know, they don't really think nothing of it. This game would have been perfect for a part two, I think. Um, but ain't gonna happen. Um, instead, they went off made live servers drivel, and it never worked, but there we go. That's boom.
SPEAKER_03Like, what the hell?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly. When you could have had another exclusive sitting on that system, which people would have absolutely lapped up.
SPEAKER_03Um the studio wanted to make as well. They had passion for making a sequel, they'd seen the places where a the story could go, and then b where they could take it on the new hardware. This was made on what Unreal Engine 4 as well, and it was a bit of a struggle.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So to have that on Unreal Engine 5 or similar, or maybe even Decimal, why not? Um you know, bullish, but yeah, great game. Authority to recommend it. Get on board. It's a great, it's a great game. If you've got a pro, if you're collecting for PS4 and you've gone and got yourself a pro, this is one of those games that will look great on there. It really will.
SPEAKER_02And for how old the pro is and how old the games are coming nowadays, you don't feel like you're not modern game and still look good, still playing.
SPEAKER_03100% playing on a PS4 Pro, Days Gone, which yeah, got a PS5 patch, but so what? You could be playing Ghost of Toshima, Spider-Man 1, Mars Morales. I don't think you can get two, but hey, do you know what you're not missing out, fella? Um, you know, Concrete Genie, Uncharted Collection for Last of Us Part 1 and 2, Last of Us Remastered, 2, you know. Um, there's lots to go out there, mate. Death Stranding, I mean Horizon and Forbidden West, God of War and God of War Ragnarok. I imagine those late PS4 releases of those games are probably going to be quite collectible at the end.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely, definitely. Um Grand Turismo 7. Yeah. There's our um 12 games. I mean, we've done two PSPs, two Vitas, two PS4s. That's sort of rounded up as our part two of our PlayStation must-buys, we think you need to get before the digital takes
Price Checks And Budget Buy Strategy
SPEAKER_02over. Um I think before we go into housekeeping, we'll go through a few of these prices. Do you want to play a little guessing game with me, George?
SPEAKER_03Well, I just also want to say, you know, as I said that out loud, I realised that the PS4 Pro has really only been eclipsed in the last 12 months in terms of availability of games. And there's still games now you could pick up on PS4 that you could be playing. Your next gen gaming on an old gen. You could have a PS4 launch model, although she'd need an oxygen mask, once you bless her, but you know, and be playing games that technically are on PS5, Ragnarok.
SPEAKER_02And w once they cut that off, they haven't really done a lot of exclusives since. Where's the better library? PS4. The better library is way better on PS4. Um but let's uh let's go through some prices. So my first game was Driver76. What do you reckon that's going for now then, young George?
SPEAKER_03It's not a game you see that often out in the wild, so I'm gonna say that um it's gotta be worth five pounds of anyone's money.
SPEAKER_02That's about £8 that goes for now. CX about eight. I mean, I picked it up, I think it was about £2.53 a few years ago, quite a few years ago, but like I say, there was a bit of a spike with these physical games, and then since the latest news, things are creeping a little bit. So definitely pick up. But yeah, driver 76 you can get. I I think if you went to uh you know eight pounds probably top top dollar, you could probably pick it up five five to eight pounds, I reckon. So um, right, then your first game was Daxter.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, a game that you do see on the regular if you're out in the wild. So I would say five pound.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you could four pounds, four pound is about where you're at with with Daxter. Um absolute steal for that game. You know, brilliant game on the system, really, really good. If you like your 3D platformers, pick it up. You know, it's about the price of a decent loaf of bread nowadays, so definitely pick it up. Um my second PSP game was EA Replay. Um, what are you thinking then, George?
SPEAKER_03That's not one you see on the regular in the wild. You see it occasionally, so I'm gonna with that idea in mind say let's go eight quid.
SPEAKER_02£10 about where it's at on CEX. I think, but eight pounds, I think you could be able to pick it up six or eight pounds if you go to you know independent retro game store or on eBay, but yeah, ten pounds about top money, I'd say, for EA replay.
SPEAKER_03Okay, close.
SPEAKER_02Close, though, yeah. You're you're in the ballpark. Um your second and final choice of PSP was Sid Meyer's Pirates.
SPEAKER_03Now this was everywhere at one point in time, and now it's nowhere. So I'm gonna chuck eight pounds on that.
SPEAKER_02Six pound.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, two pound out. So you know, you're batting the money again.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you're batting the money again. Again, massive game for six pound. Do you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_03It's oh you know, and a fun little just throwaway play game that you can take seriously or not. You make the story up yourself, really, as you go along, although there is one, but not really. So you write your own law and history, what a great little thing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean you could with a bit of looking. I mean, if you've picked yourself up the PSP but ain't got any games, you could pick pick these four up for about 25 quid, 25, 28 quid.
SPEAKER_03Um D only. Yeah, you know, and then get yourself a UMD carry case.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you know, you've got yeah, if you go UMD only, less than 20 quid, you get these four games for, and you've got loads of games in there to play, so yeah, it's worth doing. Um then we go over to um the PS Vita, of which my first game was Uncharted Golden Abyss.
SPEAKER_03Vita pricing's like my beta pricing is from like 2018. I should have to think where this is now, but Uncharted was a game that they were practically throwing away at CEX at one point in time. Now I imagine they're probably wanting 15 quid.
SPEAKER_02Bang on 15 quid. So calibrated. Yeah, Uncharted is a 15 quid game. Um, for the longest time that was sort of a six to eight pound game. But um as as the Vita stocks in CEX rapidly decrease, um, and you only sort of find your FIFA's and football managers on the shelf. Um most people who want Golden Abyss now have it, so it's a bit of a rarer game. But yeah, 15 quid again, it seems a lot for uh an older Vita game, but you're not you're you know, for the money, you're you're getting a full-blown Nathan Drake experience, you know, and that's the prequel, so it's definitely worth that for 15 quid. Um your first game was Tear Away George.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, a game that again you used to see everywhere, and now you don't see it really that much at all. So I would say, based on that, let's throw hmm let's throw 15 quid at that.
SPEAKER_02Gone a bit over there, 10 pounds for tear away.
SPEAKER_03Okay, fair enough.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think that's a gr that's a steal for that game. Like you say, with the little bits and pieces it does similar to Golden Abyss, is it's where you need to play it, really. And for that money, you're you know, that's that's a bargain for that.
SPEAKER_03It's a fun game that shows you what the Vita was maybe meant to do, but no one really cared for that.
SPEAKER_02Um next up, my next pick was Sonic All-Star Racing Transformed on the Vita. What do you reckon?
SPEAKER_03I reckon that was a bit of a surprise, that one. I reckon that's like 10 quid.
SPEAKER_0218 pounds now. Surprised me. I paid I still had the label on, I paid 15 pounds for that pre-owned, so that was like a couple of months old. I paid 15 quid for that. Um but now it's I think people realise how good that game is. So I I do I think 18 pounds too much? No, but I think if you're gonna get it, get it. You know, we're not trying to spike prices here by any means, but yes, I'd definitely say um pick it up now, I think, because I think there's only one way that's going. People have realised how good that game is. But um what's your second game then, George? Everybody's golf?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Um that's got to be £10.
SPEAKER_02Bang on £10. Both your games for ten pounds each. Um again, I think that's a bargain for that game, but it really is a bargain. It's so much so playable. So many hours of fun to have in that game. Um, yeah, I don't think you'd if you if you like your golf games and um especially if you've played a hot shot to everybody's golf, you're not gonna be disappointed with this. It's probably the best version of the game, I think, anyway, in my opinion. Um great game, but yeah, everybody's golf, £10. That moves us on to our uh PS4s and our final two games each. Um I started off with Uncharted the Nathan Drake collection on PS4. What do you think then, George?
SPEAKER_03Four quid.
SPEAKER_02Eight quid. Eight quid. Um obviously I'm not the one I've got, it's just the the standard edition, but eight quid for three uh remastered uncharted games is an absolute bargain. So definitely give that a look. If you want to get if you haven't played Uncharted and you got a PS4, is the only way to go, I think. So yeah, give that a look. Your first one was Concrete Genie. Four quid. Fiverr, so bat bang on the money. Again, that is a steal for what a fantastic little game. For a fiver, for a pint of beer, that is a brilliant little game for that.
SPEAKER_03I mean, if you put it on that metric, so much more rewarded than a pint.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. You look you look at the dross that's on some of the stores now at £5. Do you know what I mean? And you can pick up a physical copy of Concrete Genie for that.
SPEAKER_03And you And the physical copies artwork as well, just should sell it to you just off the get-go. It looks beautiful.
SPEAKER_02It's unique, it's different. I'd recommend anyone to pick that up. That's a lot of say, I think that's pick of the day so far. Concrete genie's a great job.
SPEAKER_03Hey, I tell you what, you know, seeing as we're pumping PS4s, it's only a Gen a go. I bet there's sealed copies of Concrete Genie for about eight quid online on eBay. Still new stock.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's amazing.
SPEAKER_03I bet there's a few new stock PS4 ones worth grabbing on there right now.
SPEAKER_02Definitely, definitely. Um and then I finished up uh my last PS4 and my last game of Last of Us Part 2. Um what are you thinking for the original PS4 version then, George?
SPEAKER_03That's probably no more because the new versions are out, but does it really make a difference if you've only got a PS PS4? Maybe not. I would say that's got to be about 10 quid.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, top dollar 10 quid. If you wanted to, if you have a PS4 and you haven't played the games, you could get The Last of Us remastered PS4 for eight quid, get that for a tenner from C 18 quid, and you've got both instalments of the story. Um definitely worth doing, definitely worth doing. Because I think the remastered one has um left behind added in as well, doesn't it? The DLC.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so you'll you will then get the the DLC from the first one, the first game, and the second game. I mean you might be able to get them cheaper, 15 quid all in, so it's definitely worth doing. Um and your last game, George, the day's gone.
SPEAKER_03Again, I can't see that being much more than sort of 8 quid.
SPEAKER_02It goes about 12 pounds. 12 quid.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's fair.
SPEAKER_02It's a lot of game for 12 quid. You know, it's the same like you're saying about Last of Us Part 2, you know, tenor, days gone, 12 quid. You've got graphics that you're not gonna feel like you're playing an old system, look really good. You can play them on a on a PS4 Pro 4K. Fantastic. Yeah, you're not missing out at all for that money. 22 quid for those two games, you'll you've got some game in ahead of you. So yeah, great picks. Um and I hope you like that. I hope you like those games. Like I say, um it was just a little bit from each, like we've done before. We've gone through the ecosystem of PlayStation. Um, we've given you 24 games in total over the last two weeks. If this is um a format you like, I think we could uh we could do this for other systems. Um I know we've done uh our sort of uh must-play top tens before. Um similar sort of premise this is, but this was just sort of in a in a reaction to the the digital news that we got.
Where To Find Us Next
SPEAKER_02Um but yeah, if you like it, let us know. Um which moves me on to the housekeeping, really. If you want to let us know, you can let us know at uh unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com on our website, or you can questions at unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com email. Um we've got our Discord channel, which is the Unofficial Controller Podcast, um, TikTok, we've got Instagram, we've got X, um Discord's a great little place to go if you want to go on there. We've got our little Gen 7 playthroughs we're doing, we're waiting on the moment of picking a new game for that. Um, and also check out like I say, I keep mentioning Unofficial Controller Podcast. If you've first listened to this, you're thinking, what's that then? Well, that is our main show. Well over 300 episodes on there to to uh wet your whistle and download and have plenty to to listen back to over the years. Um and then this is our second show flashback. But go and give it a check out. Like I say, check out the Discord. Any questions you want to let us know, questions at unofficial controllerpodcast.com or even on your podcast provider. You can send us a little message on there and we'll we'll give it a readout. Um, yeah, I think we're about there, aren't we, George? I think I've covered everything. Is anything you want to read before we go?
SPEAKER_03Um no, obviously the Discord is the name Unofficial Controller Podcast, but there's a little flashback section in there. Yes, yes, um, for all the wonderful retro ness. And there's a smattering of that as RGT says the Gen 7 playthroughs, there's a challenge accepted, it's normally across a myriad of systems, so there's plenty there for people to get on. If you're a retro gamer or a collector and you're like, oh well, I'm not too you'll find someone in there, and I think you'll find someone in the main show as well. We cut a little bit more loose there, RGT certainly. Um not too much, but we um probably mess about a bit more.
SPEAKER_02We have a bit of a mess about, don't we? A bit of old school humour, you know. Yeah. We have we have we have a we have a good bit of laugh over there, and everyone's always welcome. So come have a listen, come have a join out.
SPEAKER_03Definitely, yeah. If if flashback you got you to work, let the UCP on official controller podcast get you home.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. You know, exactly. And like George used to always say, don't be a lonely gamer. Not say come and join in on Discord, because when we do our playthroughs and challenge accepted and bits and pieces, it means so much more when you're playing along with people than it does plan on your own. Gives you a little outlet to chat to and and fellow gamers I like. Very friendly place. Um, but thanks for joining me, George, again, as always. I think you've stole the show a bit with your your picks this week. Absolutely fantastic, as always.
SPEAKER_03Oh, really? But yeah, I just randomly grab these games.
SPEAKER_02Yes, because you've got the knowledge, you see, you don't need to think. But yeah. Like a London cabby. Yeah, the knowledge.
SPEAKER_03Straight on days gone, left on concrete dreamer. You want to be probably second rights, everybody's golf, take the immediate, left tear away, uh, straight on down Sidmar's Pirates, and then you're at Daxters.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, there we go, spot on. But yeah, thanks, George. Um, thanks everyone for listening. Thanks for downloading, thanks for commenting, thanks for joining in. And it just leaves me to say flashback the games you loved, the stories you forgot. I'll see you next week, George.
SPEAKER_03See you all GT, see everyone.