I had to carry this CRT, I'm going to use it

The original Ratchet & Clank is so underappreciated. We just got a big CRT again (a Panasonic QuintrixSR) so I wanted to play some PS2 games as God intended, and picking up the original R&C has been such a joy. It's absolutely timeless.



Usually I kind of hate the idea of a game "aging poorly" and I'm a big proponent of meeting older games halfway, but that isn't even necessary with R&C. The controls are so smooth, it matches, if not even rivals modern games. The design is so intuitive you're never stuck on what to do. The level design is great too, making full use of each level's space, with lots of new things to find on older planets as you unlock more gadgets. The art direction is great too. Use the cutscene models and stick some extra lighting effects and it looks as good as anything newer.

The controls are fluid, the design is tight, and the writing is hilarious. I recently finally picked up the newest entry in the series, and replaying the original has made me so excited for it.

I got really far today, I just finished Planet Hoven! I did power through it a bit but playing on a CRT has been so much fun. The picture is so much better than anyone would have you believe. And funnily enough my eyes were much less strained...!