PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royaleis a concept that seemed inevitable as soon asSuper Smash Bros.became popular, especially when the introduction of iconic Sony exclusives peaked during the PlayStation 2 era. By the timeSuper Smash Bros. Brawlcame out, there were enough resources for Sony to gamble with an idea similar to the hit Nintendo crossover. There were plenty oficonic characters in the PlayStation lineupto work with. What made the entire situation even better is that there were even more options to choose from when picking the roster by the time the development ofPlayStation All-Starshad already begun.
Unfortunately, while the roster was one of, if not the most hyped-up part ofPlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, it failed to fully satisfy fans of the various series that made the PlayStation lineup what it is. Despite the fact that the game successfully brought several memorable characters from PlayStation’s history, the game either neglected just as many key iconic characters (especially from the 90s), or was simply unable to get them. What soured this even more is the presence of characters that have little to no history with PlayStation. Despite these unfortunate circumstances, a secondPlayStation All-Starshas the potential to fix the original’s mistakes.
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Over Four Consoles of Representation
Despite not having a cohesive posse of series representatives like Nintendo, the PlayStation name has just as many hit titles in its belt. Even if some series have been multiplatform in any capacity, several of them had an impact on a PlayStation console’s longevity and worth. That means that,unlikeSuper Smash Bros., whose third-party characters mostly had specific ties to Nintendo’s history, anotherPlayStation All-Starshas plenty of third-party characters to choose from. These characters would only be there to please fans, but because part of their series’ identity is tied to PlayStation in some way.
Some series that belong to this category areCrash BandicootandSpyro the Dragon. The former was even Sony’s answer toSuper MarioandSonic the Hedgehogin the 90s. Their absence from the originalPlayStation All-Starswas the most felt, and with Microsoft planning to own both franchises, the characters’ chances of being represented in a futurePlayStation All-Starsentry are not guaranteed. Among other series that were never or are no longer Sony exclusives, with a strong history on PlayStation, areMetal Gear Solid,Final Fantasy,Resident Evil, andSilent Hill. Ironically, over half of these series have been represented inSuper Smash Bros.
The originalPlayStation All-Starsdid gather characters of diverse backgrounds and eras. Some well-represented series includeSly Cooper,God of War,LittleBigPlanet,Uncharted,Infamous,Ratchet and Clank,Jak and Daxter,Twisted Metal, andParappa the Rapper. Not only should a second game keep these franchises in the roster, but it will also aim to represent other series that have been introduced since then, most notably withThe Last of Us.
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royaleis available on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.
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