Prepare to be shocked! We're diving into a topic that might just blow your mind: the lazy trophy lists of console classics on the PS5. Yes, you heard that right! These games, which should be shining examples of gaming excellence, are letting us down with their lackluster trophy systems. But before we dive in, let's address the elephant in the room: trophies are a fun bonus, but they don't define a game's greatness. A fantastic game is still fantastic, even with subpar trophies. However, when we talk about PS5 games in 2026, we expect a certain level of engagement, and that includes fun and challenging trophies. After all, who hasn't felt the thrill of earning a Platinum trophy?
Now, let's talk about Hamster, the Japanese developer behind the Arcade Archives series. They've learned that trophies add value to their retro releases, and their recent Arcade Archives 2 series proved it with enjoyable and relatively easy Platinum trophies. But here's where it gets controversial: their new Console Archives collection seems to have taken a step backward. Games like Cool Boarders and Ninja Gaiden 2, released this week, have trophy lists that are an absolute joke, worse even than the obvious shovelware titles.
These games offer a mere four trophies each, and you can unlock them all in ten minutes, spread over three days. That's right, just ten minutes of gameplay! You can even manipulate your system clock to unlock them all in one go. It's an insult to the players and the gaming community.
And here's the part most people miss: Cool Boarders already has a PS5 trophy list, thanks to Sony's PS Plus Premium emulation program. That version boasts 40 trophies and a Platinum, a stark contrast to the new release. The reason for this re-release is a rights issue, with the Western editions owned by Sony and the Japanese version by UEP Systems. But that's no excuse for such a lazy trophy list.
We're disappointed, to say the least. Console Archives has the potential to bring some amazing classic games to the PS Store, but this trophy debacle is a real downer. We hope Hamster reconsiders and puts more effort into their trophy lists moving forward. It's clear they're trying to find an easy implementation, but a bit more thought and creativity would be greatly appreciated.
So, what do you think? Are trophies an important part of the gaming experience, or just a nice bonus? Should developers put more effort into creating engaging trophy lists? Let us know in the comments! We'd love to hear your thoughts and spark a discussion on this controversial topic.
