Sony PlayStation "Crash Course" Playlist

To be honest, the PlayStation kind of snuck up on me. I was a 14 year old in 1995, perfectly happy with my Genesis & SNES and completely oblivious to Sony's plans for world domination. At the time I was familiar with the Sega Saturn, and wanted one badly, but I was extremely skeptical about any new company attempting to enter the gaming hardware realm. I mean, think about it... Many had already tried and failed. There was the 3DO, Amiga CD, Phillips CD-i, Atari Jaguar and the Pioneer LaserActive just to name a few. Hell, even the Neo•Geo and TurboGrafix met with only modest success in the States, despite being well established back in Japan and both great consoles in their own right.

So, when I walked into my local EB Games, I had no idea what this flat gray box was or where it came from, but I remember being extremely doubtful that it would be anything more than another CD-i... Then, the store clerk popped in a copy of Jet Moto, and my jaw dropped on the floor. "Is this a video sequence?" I asked. "...like, one of those pre-rendered concept videos?" I couldn't believe my eyes. "No man," he said. "This is the game." My dad was with me at the time, and he was so amazed at the PlayStation's visuals that he insisted I go home, gather my Genesis and SNES stuff, and bring it back to EB for a trade-in. I would later regret this decision (having to buy back both consoles and games), but at the time I didn't care. I had a Sony PlayStation, and it was a true thing of beauty.

I think if you are reading this, then you must have at least a vague familiarity with Sony and the PlayStation brand. But, if you happened to miss out on the first PlayStation during this exciting time in game history, then you've got a bit of brushing up to do. Strangely enough, there doesn't seem to be a wealth of content online in the form of fansites or videos that really dedicate a whole lot of love to this console. I mean, sure there are some, but perhaps it's still too new, or perhaps the backwards compatibility of the PS2 and PS3 have caused people to all but forget about the old gray box. Despite this, I have found a small collection of videos that should serve as a "crash course" playlist to get you all caught up on the PlayStation and its history. There's a detailed history from G4 Icons, collecting tips from Metal Jesus Rocks, and a couple of console reviews along with some cheesy late 90's PlayStation commercials. Enjoy!

1. G4 Icons provides an in-depth history of the Sony PlayStation
2. Sony covers the evolution of the PlayStation
3-4. Metal Jesus Rocks discusses hidden gems and collecting
5. Duncan33303 offers a comprehensive PS1 review
6. Classic Game Room reviews the now iconic PS1 controller
7. Gamester81 reviews the rare Net Yaroze development tool
8. An original 1995 PlayStation commercial
9. Another cheesy 90's PlayStation commercial

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