There are few video game companies with as many dormant or missing franchises as PlayStation. Over more than three decades, Sony has published a significant number of games, many of which haven’t seen a sequel or follow-up in quite some time. However, one of those dormant franchises very nearly made a comeback in an unusual way. In a new interview with Video Games Chronicle, former PlayStation Head of Indies Shuhei Yoshida revealed that a developer requested to use Jumping Flash! as part of a PlayStation VR game. Yoshida did not reveal the developer, or why the game didn’t make it past the early development stages.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“Some developers wanted to license Jumping Flash to develop it into a part of their new VR game,” Yoshida told Video Games Chronicle. “One of the ones that actually happened was that the original creator of Fantavision asked for the license and remade it in VR.”
Jumping Flash! was released on the original PlayStation back in 1995. While the game might not be as well-remembered as many of the other games released on the system, it was a pretty notable release at the time. Debuting a year before Super Mario 64, the game is credited as the first true 3D platformer. Despite this pretty notable achievement, the series has been largely dormant for over two decades now. It would have been interesting to see how this mystery developer was planning to incorporate Jumping Flash! into a VR game, but it’s kind of a moot point, since the project failed to materialize.
Though we won’t be seeing Jumping Flash! anytime soon, PlayStation has clearly opened up to letting outside developers use some of its properties in new games. Besides the example mentioned for Fantavision, a Nintendo Direct earlier this year saw new Patapon and Everybody’s Golf games announced for multiple platforms. It remains to be seen whether PlayStation will similarly license out some of its properties that haven’t seen new games in a while. The company has plenty that would be nice to see again, including franchises like Ape Escape, or Legend of Legaia. If these current projects perform well enough, it’s possible that we could end up seeing more in the future, though that’s just speculation.
At one point, the idea of developers outside of Sony working on PlayStation properties would have been unthinkable. However, in an era where Sony seems a little too busy with major AAA projects like Marvel’s Wolverine and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, it makes sense that it’s licensing out smaller properties to help keep them alive. Not only is this a way to make existing fans happy, but it’s also a way to help new audiences discover why these games were so popular in the first place. Perhaps Jumping Flash! will get its due one of these days.
Did you play Jumping Flash! on the original PlayStation? What PlayStation franchises would you like to see resurrected on modern platforms? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
Most Viewed
-
Hulu / 20th Television Animation
