On PlayStation.blog’s weekly The Drop, Sony dropped not one, but two classic titles on PSN this week: the original Twisted Metal on PS1 and Twisted Metal: Black on the PlayStation 2. As a fan of the series, color me excited. The convenience of having them both on my PlayStation 3 and the opportunity for more players who missed out on either (or both) games back when they were released makes me quite ecstatic.
The first title was released way back when the PlayStation hit our shores 2 months prior, being what we call now, a “launch window title.” It went on to sell over one million copies and was garnered as a cult classic for its colorful cast of character, ridiculous plot, fun vehicular combat (also called demolition derby), and, of course, the robust mutliplayer mode that would become the series’ driving point (No pun intended).
After Twisted Metal 3 & 4, it seemed the series was at a stand still. That was until Sony decided to give the series a much needed reboot while re-imagining many of series traits that the sequels built off the first installment. What we got was Twisted Metal Black, a much more darker and gruesome take for a series already built on a bleak and eerie outlook with most of the cast. This was especially true when it came to their back stories and the solitude they so desperately need with that wish granted for winning… or a cold hard truth instead furthering ruining their already meek sanity. Players and critics alike loved the new take on the series and furthering revitalizing what was good about the first two titles.
It seemed Twisted Metal would be back in the lime light, only for it to go and die off in obscurity again with the not-so-much related Twisted Metal: Head-On. That is until Twisted Metal (Yeah this wont cause confusion /sarcasm) came back again for the PlayStation 3 which met a pretty positive reception by both fans and critics yet again.
With that, it seems strange that they left out the most popular and beloved game in the franchise, Twisted Metal 2. Hopefully Sony will rectify that in the future as I too have quite a bit of fond memories of the second game. That said, I highly recommend those who haven’t played either game to check them out.
