Ten years ago, Insomniac Games -- then best known for the Spyro the Dragon series on PlayStation One -- released its first PlayStation 2 title, Ratchet & Clank. The rest, as they say, is history. Over the course of three sequels, the Lombax and his robot side-kick became veritable mascots for the system, alongside Naughty Dog's Jak and Daxter and Sucker Punch's Sly Cooper.
In honor of the duo's tenth anniversary, Sony and Insomniac Games have announced The Ratchet & Clank Collection. Comprised of the first three (and some would say best) Ratchet and Clank games, the collection is due this Fall.
The Ratchet & Clank Collection is being handled Idol Minds, best known for the PlayStation Network game PAIN, under the close supervision of Insomniac Games. All three games -- Ratchet & Clank, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando and Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal -- are being carefully remastered and will arrive on PS3 sporting 1080P visuals, with 720P stereoscopic 3D for players who have the necessary set up. Trophies have been added, and the online multiplayer from Up Your Arsenal will be fully supported.
Check out the first screenshots from The Ratchet & Clank Collection to see just how nice the HD remastering looks.
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The Ratchet & Clank Collection is just one part of the Ratchet & Clank 10th Anniversary Celebration. What are the other parts? We don't know yet. We do know that the game's Fall release in North America is tied to a forthcoming Anniversary Celebration announcement. The Collection is actually slated for European release on May 16th. What could be worth waiting several extra months for? Writing on the PlayStation Blog, Insomniac Games CEO Ted Price doesn't give anything away.
"I know it’s a little bit later than the Spring European release, but it’s because we have something very special planned for our North American fans to celebrate the 10th anniversary, and we’ll share all the details very soon."
Ratchet and Clank have certainly been well represented on PlayStation 3, having appeared in five games: Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, the downloadable Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time, multiplayer effort Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One and best forgotten Move showpiece PlayStation Move Heroes. Still, there is something special about the pair's earlier games, especially Going Commando, in which the series' best known feature -- weapons that upgrade as you use them -- made its debut.
Players who only know Ratchet and Clank from their PlayStation 3 games are in for a real treat with The Ratchet & Clank Collection, though they might be surprised by how challenging those early games, particularly the first one, can be.
Ranters, are you looking forward to The Ratchet & Clank Collection? What's your favorite Ratchet and Clank game?
The Ratchet & Clank Collection releases this Fall in North America, May 16th in Europe, for PlayStation 3.
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Source: PlayStation Blog