Retro gaming-inspired games are everywhere these days, capitalizing on the wave of ’90s nostalgia that dominates much of today’s media. Many of these projects stand out for their raw passion, especially now, when few have the time or resources to invest in something that’s clearly not for profit. However, Elias Daler took it to the next level, crafting a game for the original PlayStation console, tackling hardware limitations, and revisiting classic game development methods.
Built with a custom engine and running on the DuckStation emulator, this game is still in its early development stages, based on Elias’ previous work, including the cat model and other placeholders. In the clip above, the developer showcased an improved NPC interaction system, drawing inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Persona 2. For Elias, the most frustrating challenges so far have been the lack of floating point support, no depth buffer, and texture warping issues. Despite these obstacles, he’s surprised to find that 2 MB of RAM is sufficient for now.
Earlier this year, Elias managed to implement Silent Hill’s fog by reverse-engineering the exact technique used in the original game:
The developer doesn’t rely solely on emulators, this game also runs on the original hardware:
If the project turns out successful, Elias plans to release a physical edition complete with a manual, giving you a chance to dust off your old PlayStation. However, even if you don’t have one, the game should still be playable on the PSP or Vita.
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