PlayStation classics are popping up, presumably for PS Plus Premium

IDs for Mr. Driller, Tekken 2, and Ridge Racer 2 were found in the PlayStation backend

Inquiring minds really want to know each and every legacy PlayStation game that will be included in the upcoming PlayStation Plus Premium plan. At $120 per year, it’s the most expensive of the three subscription tiers, but sometimes, nostalgia gets the better of us. Today, there’s evidence that PS1 classics Mr. Driller and Tekken 2 — and the PlayStation Portable’s Ridge Racer 2 — will be playable with a PlayStation Plus Premium membership.

As shared by Reddit user the_andshrew on the subreddit r/GamingLeaksAndRumours, the PlayStation Network backend has references (in this case, Title and Concept IDs) pointing to Mr. Driller, Tekken 2, and Ridge Racers 2 — that’s the Japanese name.

More than that, there’s cover art! Here it is, pulled straight from PlayStation.com:

After the original post, Worms World Party and Worms Armageddon were discovered, too. All five sound pretty believable as PS Plus Premium picks. It’s not much, but it’s a start! We’re also expecting multiple Syphon Filter games, based on recent ratings in Korea.

When will we hear more?

We should have a better idea of what to expect from the PS1, PS2, PS3, and PSP catalog in the coming weeks. Sony is rolling out the revamped PS Plus plan in Asia first, starting on May 23, with Japan up next on June 1, the Americas on June 13, and Europe on June 22.

I’m anxious to see how “global” the PlayStation classics lineup ends up being — will some games be overly locked down to certain regions? I hope not! Until Sony announces the full game list, I’d expect to see a lot more backend clues pop up like the ones above.

What are your must-have PlayStation classics? What would you actually sink time into in 2022? There’s so much to pull from these platforms. And come to think of it, it’s been way too long since I’ve touched my PSP; I never got a replacement battery after it bulged.

I hope third-party companies play ball in a big way. If Capcom isn’t going to put out a classic Resident Evil collection on PS4 and PS5, well, maybe this is the path right now.