Games have probably never been more accessible. The wall of exclusivity that previously separated major releases on PlayStation and Xbox has gradually broken down, and while games are still released exclusively for each platform, they usually end up on PC – always in Microsoft’s case. Nintendo, on the other hand, still limits their first-party games to a single system, but even they’ve been very active in bringing older games to the Nintendo Switch recently.
Meanwhile, Remastered and Remastered are doing their part to bring a new generation of gems of the past within reach, as is backwards compatibility for PS5 and Xbox Series S/X. Even when physical copies of older games are scarce or expensive, digital versions are often readily available for cheap.
However, sometimes even big games or breakout titles can’t be converted to a new platform for various reasons. These games are stuck on older consoles, so to speak, and inaccessible to anyone but the most dedicated collectors. Here we show some of the games that were trapped and, meanwhile, crossing our fingers, they were once again allowed to reach a wide audience.
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Metal Gear Solid 4 – PlayStation 3
The Metal Gear series has also appeared on many platforms since the original Metal Gear was released on the home computer MSX 35 years ago. However, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots remains an exception. The final chapter in Hideo Kojima’s saga series was only available on PlayStation 3, and to make matters worse, was recently dropped from PS Now (now called PS Plus Extra).
Still, we’d recommend getting rid of your aging console, as Metal Gear Solid 4 remains one of the best — or perhaps — one of the best chapters in the entire series. But beware: the game may test your patience as it contains over 8 hours of cutscenes!
Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Nintendo Wii
The Japanese are known for being a respectful and humble people. Maybe that’s why Super Mario Galaxy 2 wasn’t included in the most recent collection, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2020 – two releases for the game are just showing off.
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Now, no one likes showing off, but we’re willing to make an exception in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Adventure is perhaps Mario’s best, each level almost feels like a complete game in itself, and the game has so many creative mechanics, however, only on the Nintendo Wii.
Eternal Darkness – Nintendo GameCube
The Nintendo GameCube never had much commercial success, and many of the console’s biggest games (like Resident Evil 4 and Luigi) were later converted to other platforms. Unfortunately, Eternal Darkness: Sanity is forever stuck on the purple cube, so a new generation of players is deprived of a truly groundbreaking horror experience.
Controversial game creator Denis Dyack is full of clever innovations in gameplay and narrative. The most notable is the so-called “sanity meter,” which causes your character to creep more and more frantically into the game itself, suddenly turning down the volume, threatening to delete your saves, or filling the screen with error messages. It created an incredibly immersive experience long before virtual reality, and the mechanics were so innovative that Nintendo patented the idea.
Michigan: Report from Hell – PlayStation 2
Crazy story, traditional gameplay. The bill fits most of the games, which grew out of the twisted mind of Goichi Suda (better known as Suda51). However, for the horror game Michigan: A Report from Hell, that can’t be said because you play an unusual role – the camera.
Or rather, you play an unknown photographer, but in practice the difference is negligible. This makes for a rather unique experience because depending on where you point the camera, you can also direct the experience, which can change the tone of the game and even lead to a different ending.
Unfortunately, this unique game was nearly impossible to find outside of Japan, as it wasn’t released in the US, and it had a very limited release in Europe thanks to 505 Games, a small Italian publisher at the time. In this case, it’s no surprise that the game was never released on platforms other than the PS2.
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Nintendo 3DS
Professor Layton and Ace Attorney is one of the most popular series for the Nintendo DS. However, it wasn’t until after the release of the Nintendo 3DS that Level-5 and Capcom thought of putting two clever heads together.
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney maintains the usual high quality of the respective series, even introducing some later included in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles such as the trial of multiple witnesses. After a painful wait, the game was finally localized last year, so on modern platforms, the hopes of Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney still exist. For now, however, they’re still stuck on the Nintendo 3DS.
Xenoblade Chronicles X – Nintendo WiiU
The third chapter of the Xenoblade Chronicles series is just a few weeks away. When it releases, you’ll be able to play the entire trilogy on the same system, as the first two chapters will also be available on hybrid consoles after the Wii original received a remake in 2020.
Since these are large games, with over 100 hours of gameplay per entry, you’ll hardly be short of content. However, if you want to experience everything the series has to offer, you’re better off buying the Nintendo WiiU for yourself, as Xenoblade Chronicles X, oddly enough, was only released on Nintendo’s least successful home console.
Snatchers – Sega CD
We opened the list with the Hideo Kojima game, and we’ll end it with a game. 1998’s Metal Gear Solid may have been Kojima’s major breakthrough in the West, but by then he was already a well-known name in his native Japan, thanks to the impressive visual novel Snatcher. The game was inspired by films like The Terminator and Blade Runner, while also grappling with philosophical themes, and was a huge hit when it was released in 1988.
Snatcher came to the West six years later, when the game hit European stores on Christmas Eve 1994. However, the Sega CD version was unsuccessful in both Europe and the US, and since then many fans have waited in vain for a remaster or re-release of the iconic cyberpunk adventure.
Can you think of any other games that aren’t worth being stuck on a platform?