The PlayStation’s success back in the 1990s saw it receive a ton of different peripherals to play one game or another. Most were gimmicky rubbish, like the PlayStation Glove, which makes the NES Power Glove look like a Wiimote. Others were surprisingly handy, likethe PlayStation Mouse.
Some would think there weren’t many PS1 games that required a mouse. But the PS1’s library is full of RTS, shooter and puzzle games that could’ve benefited from mouse support, but didn’t have it, even after the PS1 Mouse was out on the market. Luckily, there were some games on Sony’s gray box of delights that worked wonderfully with the PS1 Mouse.
10Premier Manager ‘99
Mastering the Premier Soccer Leagues in England and Italy With A Mouse
Sports management games were born on PCs and microcomputers, though only a sparing few branched out to consoles. Most of them were soccer management sims, and only a handful of them came with mouse support. Namely, thePlayer Managergames and the first threePremier Managergamesfor the console.
Premier Manager ’98andPremier Manager 2000have their fans, butPremier Manager ’99won hearts and minds by being the first to use 3D models to show the game in play (using models fromActua Soccer). Setting up strategies for teams is a much smoother process with the mouse than without it and seeing them work out in play is a satisfying experience.
9Tokimeki Memorial: Forever with You
Getting the Girls With a Single Peripheral
Dating sims are a rather rare genre nowadays, withthe few catching people’s noticetending to be ironic visual novels likeHatoful Boyfriend. Even fewer play the premise straight, as dating digital people can feel a little odd. ButTokimeki Memorial: Forever with Youmanaged to become a hit in Japan by being a no-frills life and dating sim. Though it didn’t hurt to have had futureCastlevaniahead Koji Igarashii on writing duty.
There was also more to it than picking the right multiple-choice answers to impress the ladies. Players had to strategically map out their days to improve their looks, intellect, physical stats, etc., and go on dates with each girl, making sure to be particularly sweet to one or the other to gain their love at the end of the game. It plays better with a mouse, though since it was a Japanese exclusive, it also requires a translation patch.
Lightgun games used to be all the rage on home consoles, with each one having their own fancy gun controller, like the Zapper, Menacer, Justifier, or G-CON. Nowadays, they’re few and far between because most light guns don’t work with modern TVs. But if people can’t get one of the few models that does work, like the Sinden light gun, they could use a mouse.
It takes some getting used to, though it works out better than using a controller. One good game to test it out with is theDie Hard 2section inDie Hard Trilogy. This over-the-top lightgun blaster will have players clicking everywhere to blast foes, destroy terrain, hitting those red barrels for big explosions, and getting the occasional ‘Woops!’ when they hit an innocent victim by mistake.
Since the PS1 mouse wasn’t seen as the ideal way toplay lightgun games, few of their releases were compatible with the device.Point Blankdidn’t work, nor didResident Evil Survivor.Time Crisissurprisingly worked, but as Derek from Stop Skeletons from Fighting first demonstrated, the game won’t show where the mouse is pointing. So, mouse users might find the rarerElemental Gearboltmore rewarding.
The game combined the genre with RPGs, as it had a lengthy but fascinating fantasy story, and the player levels up as they go along, making them more capable of taking on its bigger foes. UnlikeTime Crisis, it’ll show an aiming reticle. However, players can’t adjust the mouse’s sensitivity, meaning they’ll have to get the hang of using its default speed to take out the faster enemies and obstacles.
For an eerie experience, use a controller+mouse setupforAlien Resurrection. This tie-in to everyone’s least favoriteAlienmovie was arguably the first game to use the twin-stick setup every other first-person shooter would use. The mouse adds extra mobility, though it doesn’t make it any easier, as the game is notoriously difficult. By contrast,Quake 2was a much less stressful time.
Its default control scheme has aged, but throwing a mouse into the mix can take the edge off it. It’s a little odd using a controller and mouse at the same time, but it works surprisingly well, offering a faster, more responsive game.Quake 2even allows up to 4 players to use this set-up, though they will need a multitap adapter as each peripheral takes up its own controller slot.
5Z
Help Redneck Robots Claim Planets Over Their Blue Rivals
Playing an RTS game with a controller isn’t ideal, so it’s perhaps not a surprise that most of the PS1 Mouse’s compatible library consists of real-time strategy games, likeWarhammer: Dark OmenandWarzone 2100. One of its more unsung entries isZ, where the drunken red robots Brad and Allan must help take over 5 planets occupied by blue robots for their boss, Commander Zod.
From there, it’s a case of using the 6 different red robot troops and the planets’ resources to waste all the enemy forces, take over the enemy’s fort, or destroy it outright. Each are feats easier said than done, as the game is difficult, despite its gag-heavy yuks with its drunken leads. Still, if players keep with it, they’ll have a fun time getting over its challenges.
Perhaps better known asX-Com: Enemy Unknown(a la its 2012 reboot),X-Com: UFO Defenseis one of the best strategy games ever made. Which must’ve pleased Mythos Games, as its development was so messy it was nearly canceled twice. Age hasn’t slowed down its appeal either, as newer fans have still sung its praises next to its more modern entries.
Even so, it’s easier for fans to get a hold of its original PC version, complete with DLC and other tweaks, than its PS1 port. Saving a Battlesphere game also takes up 5 blocks on the PS1 memory card, so space is a premium too. But its soundtrack was remastered with CD quality audio, making it as smooth on the ear as it is to play with the PS1 Mouse. Without it, defending the Earth against UFOs becomes a stodgier process.
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioningCommand & Conquer: Red Alert. The game practically established the series as an RTS mainstay, with its varied units, tongue-in-cheek Cold War story, and a rich offering of missions for players to test their strategies on. The PS1 port was equally praised despite some flaws (no mid-mission saving).
It was certainly popular enough to get its own follow-up inCommand & Conquer: Red Alert- Retaliation. It was a compilation of the PC game’s expansion packsCounterstrikeandThe Aftermath, with exclusive cutscenes, and some quality-of-life upgrades (yes, mid-mission saving). But they all matter for naught without the PS1 Mouse as commanding and conquering is a stodgier process with the controller.
2The Discworld Series
Why Pick One When All 3 Are Great?
Still, despiteC&C: RAcausing a brief spike in demand for the PS1 Mouse, there were few other reasons to get the peripheral, which was why its supplies were slow to begin with. Even point & click adventure games were on the way out, faltering on their PC home turf, let alone the more action-demanding world of console
Even so, a few managed to make it onto the PS1, and came with PS1 mouse compatibility, like theDiscworldtrilogy. The first two games capture all the fantasy fun of Terry Pratchett’s novels, right down to the sarcastic humor. While the third,Discworld Noir, sticks out by combining fantasy tropes with detective ones, combining a darker atmosphere with knowing gags.
Still, if there was a high note for 1990s point & click games to go out on, it would likely be theBroken Swordgames. George Stobbart’s investigations lead him to uncover more than he bargained for when he comes across conspiracies involving the Knights Templar (BS1) and the ancient Mayans (BS2).
It plays its stories straighter thanDiscworld’s nudge-winking humor, butBSstill offers some levity with George’s interactions. For every bit of puzzle-solving and sudden plot twists, there are fun little things players can do just by clicking around, like getting George’s (often sarcastic) thoughts on the locales, or interacting with a guard’s less-than-friendly security dog.
