PS1 UI Appreciation

video games playstation
1

Earlier this year I started a Tumblr blog to showcase PS1 UI design. It‘s called PSXUI and we’re 1,000 posts in and have touched around 130 games so far. I‘m hoping it becomes a resource people can use as a reference. But regardless, it’s been an extremely fun project and now I wanna know: what are your favorite PS1 user interfaces?

Here are a few of mine:

[URL=https://i.imgur.com/FROMNEU.png][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/FROMNEU.png[/IMG][/URL]
Persona (1996) - Menu

[URL=https://i.imgur.com/fyib4Nm.png][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/fyib4Nm.png[/IMG][/URL]
Ghost in the Shell (1997) - Key Config

[URL=https://i.imgur.com/5ClOHEa.png][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/5ClOHEa.png[/IMG][/URL]
Zero Divide (1995) - Level Select

[URL=https://i.imgur.com/PNSVYGy.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/PNSVYGy.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Starfighter Sanvein (2000) - Level Select

2

I love this! What a great collection on your tumblr!!

One of the ones I like is the classy brown Chrono Cross UI. For such a colorful game, having a muted background that evokes the idea of an old worn map/time piece was pretty cool.

[URL=https://i.imgur.com/5p8lnp9.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/5p8lnp9.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=https://i.imgur.com/3AZarrl.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/3AZarrl.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

You could also collect custom dialogue window frames as a weird collectable.

3

@Tradegood Thanks! Oh yeah, Chrono Cross! I hadn't covered that one. Love the mix of digital and analogue aesthetics.

4

Cool idea. Maybe obvious but R4 is probably best of all time.


5

@Updog R4 is probably the best of all time! I'm also a huge fan of how Colin McRae Rally 2.0 does things:

image
image1280×982 109 KB

6

Max Krieger has posted lots of great UI over the years, some of which inspired his game CROSSNIQ+.


7

:0 that's your blog!? been following for a while, love it!

8

You got the top ones for sure: the Ace Combats, Fluid, R4, Wipeout, Kaze no Notam. Artdink is primarily a menu company.

Digital Glider Airman is a hot one:

[URL=https://i.imgur.com/l1ToOJU.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/l1ToOJU.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=https://i.imgur.com/stVMLty.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/stVMLty.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=https://i.imgur.com/SeowZ6T.png][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/SeowZ6T.png[/IMG][/URL]

9

I'm partial to a bit of Racing Lagoon UI.

[URL=https://i.imgur.com/AyGydFY.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/AyGydFY.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Edit: Bonus Ehrgeiz has a menu you have to hear.

https://youtu.be/4TQl4sam2GY?feature=shared

10

This is one of the best Tumblrs out there. Thank you for your work!

11

can't mention ridge racer without also bringing up ace combat (3)

12

I remembered Smash Court 3

[URL=https://i.imgur.com/mnh3szW.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/mnh3szW.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=https://i.imgur.com/6ouDeYp.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/6ouDeYp.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=https://i.imgur.com/ENui2kL.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/ENui2kL.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=https://i.imgur.com/bLMFxhn.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/bLMFxhn.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

13

Vagrant Story

https://www.rpgfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Vagrant-Story-Screenshot-011.jpg

http://s01.riotpixels.net/data/bf/63/bf63d41b-f865-40aa-9c0a-19f8f0b0a55f.jpg/screenshot.vagrant-story.640x480.2017-12-26.23.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EkkSJvGXUAAPeyy.png

14

Incredible Crisis :dog:

[URL=https://i.imgur.com/gWAPxFP.jpg][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/gWAPxFP.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

15

How about some chocolate bar menus?

https://youtu.be/ttjJWwor86A?si=c4CCous676PEW5CD&t=47

16

@sch Honestly this seems like a proto Dreamcast UI. It's fantastic!

17

@Karasu Smash Court 3 released in late 2000 (after the PS2 was already out in Japan), it’s pretty contemporary with the Dreamcast.

The game follows the Namco design style set earlier by Ridge Racer Type 4 and Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere (with the help of several Production I.G. designers, if I remember correctly) and adds a papercraft collage motif that you could also see in a few Capcom games around that time (e.g. the cover for the Dreamcast port of Street Fighter Zero 3).

Native PS1 project Serial Experiments Lain is the total PlayStation interface experience for me. The « game » is literally just a menu.

Silver Jiken (The Silver Case) also owes a lot of its vibes to its interface. Once again I think a video conveys it much more than still screenshots.

West-wise, Wipeout 3 …wipEöut 3 went all in on intransigent minimalism. At the time, I thought they went too far (up their own arses) but now I kinda respect the absolutism of the art direction.

18

Love this doozy of a screen from **Crusader: No Remorse**.
19

@StuartGipp It warned you there would be no remorse.

20

@StuartGipp I know that “Absolute movement” means that it is distinct from relative movement, but I’m hearing it in the Stu voice with your accent instead of mine and you’re saying “absolute movement!” and it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever heard you not say.