Coming to PSN this Week: Grandia PSOne Classic

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Finally! Grandia will be available for download on the North American PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3 and PSP this Thursday for $9.99!

Since the title launched on the Japanese PlayStation Network in April of 2009, we have received many inquiries about the North American launch. And it wasn’t so easy to keep our lips zipped under such circumstances, but the day has finally come!

Grandia 1

*Character design and illustration by Takuhito Kusanagi

Well, let me tell you a bit about the game.

Grandia is an unforgettable journey with over 80 hours of gameplay, and it was released over 10 years ago for the PSOne and became one of the most critically acclaimed RPG games. The player assumes the role of Justin, a young boy obsessed with becoming a great adventurer, who inherits a magic stone that leads him on an epic journey to uncover the mystery of a long lost civilization. And, he meets other adventurers who join him on his quest and as he unravels the threads of the ancient legend, he draws the attention of the Garlyle Forces who devise diabolical schemes to stop him.

The fight for the truth takes place across the world, with over 200 weapons, enemies, and items to collect plus over 80 magic spells and techniques to master. The title was released with two ROMs a decade ago due to the volume of the game, but you can download the same game from PSN on your PS3 and PSP only for $9.99!

I believe Grandia is ideal for RPG fans who missed the original version and those gamers who want to recapture the magic of their gaming past, and it can be appreciated by players young and old, men and women, casual and hardcore because this is a timeless game.

Grandia 2

*Illustration by Toshiaki Hontani

This is one of the first game development projects I was involved in after entering the company, and I was in charge of sound direction for the PSOne Grandia. Mr. Nobuyuki Iwadare has composed the soundtrack throughout the Grandia series, and the kind of work I carried out back then was explaining the atmosphere of the game to Mr. Iwadare. Then, he could compose the music suitable for the game and synchronizing the sound effects and his music with the game or the movie parts.

The performance of videogame hardware in those days wasn’t as good as it is today, and there were limitations to the methods of musical or sound representation back then; however, we continued to be particular about musical/ sound representation in laborious details and developed our first Grandia by trial and error.

So, I have a certain fondness for this title, and I was very thrilled when I learned that the PlayStation Network was willing to add our classic game to the lineup. And, all the staff including myself who were involved in the development of Grandia are very happy that the game can be played by both a new generation of gamers and those who played the game when it was first released. Thank you, Sony Computer Entertainment of America! :)

Grandia 3

*Illustration by Toshiaki Hontani

Are you ready to enter (or re-enter) the world of Grandia, brave adventurer? Your quest awaits! Check it out this Thursday when it launches on PlayStation Store for only $9.99!

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159 Comments

15 Author Replies

  • nice one :D thanx a lot i hope this becomes a trend

  • I’ve only had the chance to try this game out when it was released and I thought it was pretty neat actually. Great to see this coming out this week! :D

  • “tnishi replied on February 24, 2010 at 5:01 am
    When you complete the game this time, please tell us your impression of the game.
    Your frank opinions and comments are very important to us, and we look forward to hearing from you soon!”

    Oh boy! Better tell tnishi what you think! This is a great sign all! If you guys like this game and download it a lot, they might make a new one!

    I’m going to download this one for sure now.

  • Dreamcast Grandia II please.

  • YES! Grandia is my all-time favorite RPG on PSOne! The story, characters, music, art, and especially battle system are all top-notch. At ten dollars every single RPG fan should own it.

  • By the way, GameArts is seriously the most underrated developer/publisher ever. The stuff they released in the late Sega CD / Playstation era was stuff of legend. It’s a pity so few people have experienced the brilliance of their games.

  • Great news to start the morning. I definitely like the fact that PSN is finally announcing arrivals before they happen. And the fact that it is an awesome PSOne classic makes me even happier.

  • Nice, but I am still waiting for Saga Frontier.

  • WOW It’s so nice to see quick responses from the PSN team! Also thanks for the new content that will hit PSN! The Darksiders demo, new PSone Classic, and the new PSP game will all help big time!

  • Can we have some of the Gex games come to PSone Classics? They made 4 of them you know. Also what about Monster Rancher? The original Digimon games? Those would all be vary welcomed I’m sure by their fans!

  • I loved Grandia 2 (PS2) and Grandia Xtreme (Still need to play 3). There storys were amazing, had funny dialogue, and had a unique but deep battle system. I cannot wait to play the game where Grandia started.

    I wil definantly buy this game along with Megaman 10 when Megaman 10 releases.

  • Well I’ll be damned! I’ve played through most of Grandia 2, half of 3, and some of Xtreme but have never gotten the chance to play the very first Grandia so I’m for sure getting this!

    I know some are saying this isn’t worth 10 bucks and 10 bucks is too much for it but just go look at Amazon and Ebay. When you see what some sellers on those sites want for it, I think 10 bucks for it off PSN will start to look a whole lot better and easier to swallow! I looked into a physical copy a few years ago and those prices are crazy!

    THESE are the kind of PS1 games people want on PSN Sony. This is a GREAT start. It would be a really good idea to keep the momentum going with Suikoden 2, please. I don’t believe people should have to pay 150 bucks and upwards to experience that game. Everyone should be able to experience it at a reasonable price.

    Game Arts, just a thought for some point in the future…would Magic Knight Rayearth, Albert Odyssey and a few of your other Saturn RPGs be a possibility on PSN eventually? I know Saturn emulation’s a pain but those shouldn’t be too hard to get running on PS3.

    Anyway thank you very much for this!

  • Wow!Day one purchase.

  • Should have been 5.99, they all should.

    But I really want Suikoden 2, if you put it up I’ll pay $10!!!

  • I must also request Xenogears on PSN. Come on, come on!

  • Thanks sony, a great psone classic. IU’ve never played it so i can’t wait until tomorrow.

  • #38 and #110 try looking on the PSN store – thje games you are saying need to bve released have already been released. #110 that means 2 of the 3 Gex games that were released on the PS1 have already been released for the PS3/PSP; #38 JetMoto (1 and 2) Crash Bandicoot (1,2,& 3), and Twisted Metal 2(because that’s the best of the series, the others don’t run on the PS3) are all already on the PSN.

  • I’m guilty of slamming many of the so-called “Classics” that have been released on PSN lately…but with good reason, Old does not infer “Classic” status on a game.

    But Grandia…is a TRUE Classic.
    The quality of animation, sound, control…all outstanding even from a decade ago. The story…(in my opinion) is on par with Final Fantasy in terms of how it draws you in.

    $9.99 for this will have me playing it on psp alongside other TRUE classics.

  • If this isn’t announced by Christina Lee as the top download from the PSN, then PS3/PSP owners fail at life.

    What is, simply a wonderful RPG, and my personal second best game ever needs to be played.

    So please, please, pretty please, make grandia 4 happen. I need to add it to the other 3 that are sitting on my game shelf in all their RPG glory.

  • Im so happy! The demand for Classics is overwhelming (at least for me), and i would love to give some more classic RPGs a try!

  • I’ve never played the first one, hmmm it’s weird because I have never really heard anything about it. I did play the second one od Dreamcast and it was amazing Grandia 2 was the rpg I ever played and I LOVED IT!! Maybe I’ll check this out, hmmm….

  • when are we gonna see the legend of dragoon on psn that was one of the best rpg on the ps1

  • it is most definitely a good thing that some of the better but lesser known games are finally getting released to the network store, however i am still waiting for around 35 other psone classics to be released to the store, the top game being suikoden II

  • I wish PSOne classics got revamped with trophies, I would gladly re-buy plenty of great games.

  • Wow, sweet news for you Americans. Really hope it comes to the UK soon, would love to play this game again.

  • ok u win i admit it even i’m impressed. great release. amazing game. one of the best rpg’s ever (game and series). u almost won my money. 9.99 wtf? i guess the new pricing strategy is 5.99 for the filler games and 9.99 for the games we know people will actually buy? i’m sorry but 3+ yrs ago jack tretton swore on e3 that ALL psone classics would be 5.99 now it seems all or at least most are 9.99. thats obvious lying. we are the only region to recieve pricing desparity between psone classics y? just to clarify this game is well worth the 10 but i want an explanation as to why we were lied to.

  • YUS

    Now I don’t have to spend a bajillion dollars on a used copy.

  • This makes me incredibly happy, because there were many wonderful games from the PSOne era that I had missed out on. I can now finally get a copy of Grandia at an excellent price and play it wherever I go. :) I’ve only played Grandia III, so to be able to play the earlier installments in the series is a wonderful treat. Thank you very much, Sony and GameArts!

    Hopefully we will be seeing more PSOne classics on the PSN soon. There’s a darn good reason all of these games are classics, after all. :)

  • finally i will be able to finish the game after my sister broke the 2nd disc 10 years ago
    finally after all the emails i sent to game arts its here thanks guys haha greatest adventure is coming to my pspgo tomorrow

  • Finally I was waiting for Grandia news !
    I’m a BIG fan of the series my favorite was Grandia 2 . I’m definitely buying this from PSN :)
    “Game Arts” would you kindly bring Grandia IV to PS3 ? thank you :)

  • Nice to see another RPG on PSN. Would love to see more like Vagrant Story and Xenogear

  • This is great! I was excited for this since I saw its release on the Japanese PSN. Grandia had some of the most memorable music for a PS1 game, IMO, and I’ll gladly buy it again so I can bring it with me on my PSP. I hope this’ll get a lot of support so Sony will bring out even more true PS1 classics.

    Seriously, all I need now is Suikoden II and I’ll be a happy camper for a good long time. Maybe FFIX to round out the PS1 FFs.

  • when is the next update its supposed to be excellent

  • well its about time!! NIce finally get to play this game I own the part 2 and 3 but never got around to playing part 1 (which is odd as I had almost all the ps1 rpgs). I can’t wait for this. Are you getting the hint Sony? 120+ comments for a ps1 classic, ps1 rpgs selling the most downloads. I hope you guys get it by now. Release the damn rpgs already!! I can’t wait!!!! :)

  • Ah, I typed so much on the PS3 and lost it all…guess nothing beats a real PC…

    ANYway, I wanted to say that I’m really excited to see this coming out. I remember staring in admiration at the magazine print ads for this game (which used that first picture up there as a backdrop) ten years ago in high school, and never got the chance to buy it. I’d heard such great things, but beyond that, I was already SO in love with GameArts! Silpheed and Lunar…oh the Lunar series…

    I hate being one of those people that gets off topic but since I sufficiently discussed the game, I think it’s fair now, lol. I loved the characters beneath the Blue Star so much by the time I played through both Lunar games on the Sega CD. I honestly wished I could marry Lucia, lol.

    So Grandia is already exciting for being a game I’ve longed for before, but also encourages me to hope that GameArts might follow through with bringing the PSX Lunar releases to the PSN as well. I never played those either, and heard mixed things about it. If given a chance I’d definitely like to see what they did with reimagining the triumphs and tragedies of the Lunar series!

  • Hm never gotten into the Grandia series before but what I seen of Grandia it looks like a awesome PS1 game. Another PS classic that I would be interested in getting.:)

  • This game is absolute greatness. They don’t make games like these any more. I already have the hard copy for the PS1, but I’ll gladly port this into my PSP. Thanks!

  • but grandia 1 sucked.. why not xenogears or suikoden 2?

  • Hello everyone! On behalf of the company, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in Grandia and your comments on this blog.

    Domo arigato! :)

    If you’re going to download the game, I sincerely hope that you will have a delightful time with it.

  • Grandia is the Playstation 1 game that I regret the most not buying when I was younger when I had the opportunity. I have been searching for a copy ever since. I was quite close to breaking down and buying a copy online, but the prices can range wildly from $50-$200.

    You have not only made me one of the happiest people by announcing this good news, but you have also saved me and many others lots of money!

    I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for releasing such a fantastic game. I hope other developers learn from your example and release other great, but often hard to find or expensive, classic games.

  • Takahiro-san where are the games!? What time will the game be live for download? I’m beginning to think it was a lie or joke. YOU PEOPLE ARE CRUEL!

  • Nothing beats Grandia, or Game Arts for that matter. So thanks Game Arts for getting this up on PSN and thanks for all the great games over the years. I can’t wait for this and the Lunar remake next month!

  • Nice, if I didn’t already have the Disc version I might’ve been more happy to buy this.

    I might still do, like I did Wild Arms 2 and FF8. But I would’ve been more excited if it was Vagrant Story ;)

  • Takahiro Nishi:

    I was very intrigued that you wrote up this blog entry yourself. I think that it’s amazing that you worked with Noriyuki Iwadare and helped him gain the atmosphere of the areas in order for him to make one of my favorite soundtracks for a game.

    I’ve read around that when the ideas for Grandia came about, the team at Game Arts wanted to make a true quality game, and I think you’ve succeeded beyond any shadow of a doubt. Thank you and everyone else at Game Arts for making such a true classic, and thank you for releasing it again on the Playstation Store so that more people can enjoy it.

    • Thanks for your comments!

      Grandia was released nearly a decade ago, but I believe the amusingness of it remains undiminished.
      Enjoy the game on your PS3/PSP, and have a great weekend! :)

  • Btw Game Arts, since Thexder Neo came out, I’ve been wondering ;)

    When’s the Silpheed redux? (The original one, not whatever came out on PS2 and 360) ;)

  • This is absolutely amazing that the PSN is getting this, I’ve been wanting to get it for years again after I sold it when I was a kid, but now have to pay $50-60 for a copy. $9.99 for this game is absolute steal, I urge anyone who has a likeness for RPGs to play this game, you will not regret it one bit. I myself will be playing threw this game all over again when the PS Store update comes along this evening. This game is nothing but stellar, I can’t wait!

  • Thanks so much, GameArts! I actually already have Grandia on disc, but I’m buying this version so I can play it on my PSP. Grandia is truly a gem of a game.

  • I love Grandia. Three was, to me, the best in the series. Any chance for Grandia IV? I’ll make everyone I know preorder it if that will help!!!!

  • This was the first PSOne RPG I ever beat. I remember 30 hour weekends playing thru the great story and excellent combat mechanics. I still hold Grandia as my gold standard that I compare all my other rpgs to. Everything went well from the anime cutscenes, to the fluid yet tactical combat, to the skill up system, to the character developement.

    If this game sells well any chance we might see the sequels finally grace US Playstations? Im still trying to find a working DreamCast to play Grandia II!

  • Grandia 2 came out on the PC, PS2, & DC. it was published by Ubisoft in America & Canada not sure about Europe.

    I have all 4 Grandia games

    Grandia (US), Grandia 2 (US), Grandia extreme (US), Grandia 3 (both the JP & US versions)

    US=USA
    JP=Japan

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