GOG Could Actually Bring Back This Classic PlayStation Game

Looking back—and I can say this honestly, I’m afraid—there aren’t too many North American PlayStation games I have yet to experience. Okay, I haven’t played Spice World, but give me a break.

I got Sony’s console for Christmas of 1995, so while I wasn’t there right at launch, I do have my ground-floor credentials, as it were. I essentially grew up with the PS1, and as such, still own a sizable collection of original black-bottomed discs. This being said, there are a few titles that somehow managed to slip through the cracks, games which annoyingly flew under my awkward pubescent radar. Bandai’s virtual pet RPG Digimon World is one of those pesky gems, and if GOG has its way, we might be getting a modernized PC port at some point.

For context, GOG has a section on its website called the Dreamlist. This is where gamers can suggest and vote on what retro software they’d like to see resurrected, polished up, added to GOG’s catalog, and ultimately, preserved in a way that can remain accessible and most importantly, playable. We’re talking about stuff like controller support, improved visuals, achievements, as well as tested compatibility with modern operating systems. Sure, you can emulate games from yesteryear the old fashioned way, and many people do, but emulation sometimes requires an annoying level of tinkering. It’s not plug-and-play, and GOG provides a simpler alternative.

So back to Digimon World, which released in Japan in 1999, North America in 2000 and Europe in 2001. I was in high school during these years, so it makes sense that I totally ignored such a, well, childish RPG. My tastes were skewing more adult at the time, with the likes of Sonic Adventure, Toy Commander, Crash Bandicoot Warped and… well, maybe not adult tastes at all, which is why I’m kicking myself for never even renting Digimon World. I saw it around but didn’t engage. A shame, really.

The good news? Digimon World is currently showing huge numbers on GOG’s Dreamlist, alongside other popular titles like the first Silent Hill (another PS1 classic) and groundbreaking deity simulator Black & White. As of this writing, DW has received over 17,000 votes, and it’s still climbing.

Is this a guarantee that we’ll see the game brought to GOG’s excellent preservation platform? Not necessarily. The Dreamlist basically functions like a wishlist, in that all it can really do is show publishers and rights-holders specific levels of interest for particular titles. A proof of concept, if you will. On that note, titles like Blade Runner and The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall received copious votes and actually got ported to GOG, so anything is possible. Dino Crisis and Dino Crisis 2 were other recent additions.

Whether or not GOG will be able to persuade Bandai Namco, who currently own the Digimon IP, to give World a green light, remains to be seen. On the game’s voting page, you can share your fond digital pet memories, and according to user V2C, a Korean PC port of Digimon World does in fact exist, and could be a good jumping-off point for a potential GOG version. Other stories people are telling on the Dreamlist page only bolster an overall nostalgic sentiment: This is a beloved retro game, and maybe it should find a new home on GOG.

As I said, I’ll be first in line should Digimon World come to GOG. The game looks pretty cozy, with plenty of throwback simulator fun, and I’d love to partake on my PC with improved functionality and resolution. Those PS1 pixels will probably look atrocious on modern displays, though. It’s part of the charm, I suppose. Who doesn’t love some good PS1 texture warping? Unless we end up receiving an updated Korean PC port, that is.

Plus, we haven’t even mentioned Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3, which both saw releases on the original PlayStation as well. If Digimon World can get ported, I’d wager the other entries wouldn’t be far behind, and that’s great news for anyone wanting to avoid paying Ebay prices for dusty, rotting PlayStation discs. So if you’re at all interested in these games, head over to GOG and vote. Then pray Bandai Namco takes notice and blesses us with their back catalog.