20 Things CUT From PS1 Games

20 Things Cut From PS1 Games

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we are looking around the cutting room floor of Sony to see what we can find. These are 20 things cut from PS1 games. Let’s go.

Thor

“Spider-Man 2: Enter: Electro” (2001)

Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro was meant to launch on September 18, 2001, but it swung in late after tragedy struck seven days earlier. The game’s final boss battle originally took place atop the World Trade Center, which, as I'm sure you can imagine, wasn’t the best look in September of 2001. The 9/11 attacks forced developer Vicarious Visions to quickly redesign the stage. Thor also made a cameo in the ending, but his scene was cut since it couldn’t be edited without the Towers. Instead, he got a quick name-drop. Over 20 years later, that lost footage finally surfaced online, giving fans a glimpse of his starring moment.

Aerith’s Other First Love

“Final Fantasy VII” (1997)

Zack Fair isn’t just Aerith’s first love; he’s also the guy Cloud accidentally turned into his personality template after Hojo scrambled his brain like a Sunday omelet. If you think it’s weird that Cloud and Aerith never realize their mutual Zack connection, trust us, it could have been a LOT weirder. Early on, the dev team toyed with making Sephiroth Aerith’s first love. Yeah, imagine that awkward love triangle. “Sorry, Cloud, I’m into the seven-foot guy with the ten-foot sword.” How the hell can Cloud compete with that?

Originally Green

“Spyro the Dragon” (1998)

Spyro the Dragon may not be as big today as he was in the ’90s and early 2000s, but he has still somehow stayed in our minds and hearts. It’s almost impossible to picture that fiery little lizard without his signature purple scales, but Spyro actually started out green. The choice made sense at first—green is the “default” dragon color—but the problem was that Spyro blended into the grassy levels. Players couldn’t see where the heck he was half the time. So, Insomniac wisely gave him a purple makeover.

Camera Angles

“Metal Gear Solid” (1998)

The reveal trailer for Metal Gear Solid showed off plenty of ideas that eventually snuck their way into the game. Whether those slick renders were made just for show or were Kojima’s dream graphics target remains one of gaming’s great mysteries, right up there with “What is Kojima smoking?” Early trailers and demo footage showed the game experimenting with multiple camera angles, which is very different from the fixed moving cameras we eventually got.

Dangerous Pits

“Silent Hill” (1999)

The original Silent Hill terrified players by arming them with little more than a pipe, a flashlight, and pure panic. But things could’ve been even worse. Hidden deep in the game’s code are bottomless pits that instantly swallow poor Harry Mason whole. I need that like I need a hole in the… ground? It’s believed these pits were meant to be traps before being scrapped, though later games brought the idea back. So next time you trip in Silent Hill, just remember: it could’ve been worse.

Censorship Galore

“Resident Evil” (1996)

Okay, technically this was only cut from the Western release of Resident Evil, but it’s still worth mentioning. Unlike the Japanese release, the live-action intro got trimmed down everywhere else: no extra guts, no extra blood, and Chris Redfield’s cigarette got censored because, apparently, undead cannibalism was fine, but smoking was going too far. In the original, the first zombie even drops the head it was snacking on for a nice close-up. And then there are the alternate ending credits where the cast gets picked off one by one.

Gold Wrench & Kart Customization

“Crash Team Racing” (1999)

Early versions of Crash Team Racing were set to include a Gold Wrench system, letting players use wrenches to upgrade their karts’ speed, handling, and acceleration. Some previews even mentioned taking those souped-up karts into multiplayer to ruin friendships. However, the feature was scrapped, likely due to balancing and hardware limits. Leftover menu text referencing “change kart” and “Wrench Mechanic” still lingers in the game’s data, a ghostly reminder of the system that could’ve made Crash’s kart more Fast & Furriest. That is my favorite joke I’ve ever written.

The Priestess

“Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver” (1999)

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver followed Raziel, a vampire-turned-wraith on a revenge tour against his old boss, the infamous Kain, who players would remember from the first game. This world was rich with lore and created new characters by the bucketload, but not everyone made the cut. The mysterious High Priestess of the vampire cult was completely deleted before release. She was likely meant to be a boss, and while she never made it in-game, concept art and a tie-in comic prove she at least lived… or un-lived?

Many Helpful Weapons

“Resident Evil 2” (1998)

Another quirky difference between the Japanese and international versions of the original Resident Evil was how much the game wanted you to cry in a corner. The international release was stingier with helpful items like ammo and ink ribbons. The sequel kept up that tradition, cutting several weapons from the final game. Hidden in the code are a second pistol, grenades, and even a machine gun, all accessible through hacking. Imagine how much less screaming you’d do with that arsenal.

A Different Ending for Anna

“Tekken 3” (1998)

Tekken 3 is often hailed as one of the best in the series; my pals and I still have Tekken 3 tournaments. But not all of its single-player endings survived the trip to the West unscathed. One cutscene originally had Anna and her sister Nina chilling by a pool when three muscle-bros tried to impress them. Anna decided to strut her stuff, only for Nina to untie her bikini top as a joke, leaving Anna red-faced. Western audiences got a tamer version where Anna just shows off and struts away. Lame.

Bad Elixirs

“Vagrant Story” (2000)

While Final Fantasy dominated the PlayStation RPG scene, the console had plenty of hidden gems, and Vagrant Story is one of the shiniest. This action-adventure RPG lets you mix and use elixirs for helpful stat boosts. But here’s a fun twist: digging into the game’s code reveals there were plans for “bad” elixirs, which did the exact opposite of what you wanted. Drink one, and suddenly your hero feels weaker, slower, or generally miserable. Elixir? I barely know her. I’m not as proud of THAT joke.

Multiple Unused Tracks

“Gran Turismo 2” (1999)

The Gran Turismo series has been tearing up asphalt for over twenty years, and it all began on the original PlayStation. Gran Turismo 2 earned rave reviews, particularly for its wide range of tracks, but a few never made the final cut. Some of the casualties were mirrored versions of the Test Course, Super Speedway, and Laguna Seca. There are also two mysterious, unnamed courses hidden behind cheat codes, but playing them is like driving a car with square wheels—clearly unfinished.

Helpful Items

“Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” (1997)

A good amount of borderline game-breaking help can be found in the code of Castlevania. Hidden away, you’ll find items that could’ve made Alucard’s life way easier. There’s a flashing chest stuffed with $5,000 and a mysterious item that would’ve shielded him from holy attacks. If these items had survived, the game would’ve been less Castlevania and more “shopping spree in Dracula’s castle.”

Honeybee Inn

“Final Fantasy VII” (1997)

The Honeybee Inn in Final Fantasy VII is already eyebrow-raising enough, but it turns out it almost had more going on. Hidden in the game’s code are three unused maps: a reception area, plus a waiting room and a lobby, hinting the Inn was originally planned to have two floors. The Honeybee Inn was significantly fleshed out in the Final Fantasy VII Remake, which was potentially a look at what Square Enix originally wanted.

More Unused Items

“Resident Evil 3: Nemesis” (1999)

Look at that! The entire trilogy made it on this list. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is packed with items lurking in the code that never show up. Unlike Resident Evil 2, most of these aren’t weapons. Among the curiosities are three coins stamped with a demon. What they were for remains a mystery. Other leftovers include keys, a bottle of chemicals, and a chain? Kinky.

A Prolonged Experience

“Dino Crisis” (1999)

Sometimes developers cut stuff just to keep the game flowing. Take Dino Crisis, where you’re running for your life from prehistoric teeth on legs. Hidden in the code are items that never made it in, like a locker room key for a door that was unlocked in the final game. There was also a keycard for security doors and batteries for machines you never had to power. These leftovers would’ve turned the game into a Dino Crisis fetch quest.

More Appearance Customization

“Xenogears” (1998)

Xenogears might not have been the PlayStation’s most beloved RPG, but hey, giant mech suits? Pretty cool. Behind the scenes, a ton of cosmetic content got cut. Hackers digging through the code have uncovered all sorts of weapons, armor, and headgear, some of which apparently did… absolutely nothing. But then there’s the mysterious Coin of Fate. With a name like that, you’d expect it to unlock a secret mech. Spoiler: we’ll never know… but it sounds epic!

Male Equivalent

“Tomb Raider” (1996)

Early in Tomb Raider’s development, the team considered letting players choose between a male and female protagonist. But the idea was scrapped when they realized it would double the cutscene work. Toby Gard, the mastermind behind Lara Croft, chose a female hero not just because he thought she looked cooler but also because he noticed a pattern: when people played Virtua Fighter, they almost always picked the female characters. I, on the other hand, only pick androgynous futuristic samurai, which was a hard sell for Tomb Raider.

Unreachable Locations

“Spyro: Year of the Dragon” (2000)

The unused content in Spyro’s first two games is adorable compared to the treasure trove cut from Spyro: Year of the Dragon. Entire areas got the ax. For example, an island spotted in Midnight Mountain was originally meant to house the Super Bonus Round portal. There’s also a mysterious cave in the Fireworks Factory and a whole arena in the Dino Mines that never saw the light of day. It’s hard to imagine that such a full game could have been even fuller.

Stormy Ascent

“Crash Bandicoot” (1996)

This cut content was so famous, it got added back into the game when it was remade. The infamous level Stormy Ascent was axed from the original because Naughty Dog decided it was too brutal for mere mortals. But the level still lived on the disc, accessible with a GameShark. Fast forward to 2017, and it finally showed up as DLC in the N. Sane Trilogy. And yep, Naughty Dog was right; many players probably wished it had stayed buried.