Welcome back to The PlayStation Report! We’re running through all of Sony’s properties to check in and see how healthy they are in alphabetical order. This time, we’re tackling the letter M, and I have to say this might finally be a bit of a more positive one. At least there’s some baseball that seems to be doing well. But how about the rest of them? How are Sony’s M games doing? Let’s find out in The PlayStation Report. 

Mark of Kri

This series goes by a couple of different names, so since the first game was called Mark of Kri, it goes into the M category. Mark of Kri is a unique action game with a cool animated look and a lot of violence. It’s got some pretty interesting worldbuilding lore, too. It was lauded at the time for being off the beaten path, and it seemed like it had a bright future ahead of it. 

Health rating: Basically dead

Mark of Kri was followed up by The Rise of the Kasai in 2005, which was generally well-liked. However, like any game series that decides to completely change its title, it failed to capture the same audience with many not even realizing that it was a followup to Kri. Sadly, that was the end of the franchise. I’m only going with Basically Dead though as San Diego Studio is still around, and this series has a timeless sort of style that I could totally see Sony drudging up again someday. It’s unlikely, as they tend to just move on to new things instead of fostering existing IP, but you never know! 

MediEvil

MediEvil was a breakout hit on the original PlayStation back in 1998. It’s an action adventure game where you control the undead Sir Daniel Fortesque on his quest to defeat Zarok and eventually redeem himself for his past deeds. It's a remarkably cool-looking game, with Fortesque’s look being especially iconic, and some genuinely great animation throughout, that positively dripped with character. 

Health rating: Could be better

MediEvil has resurfaced a couple of times over the years, but actually only got one sequel. MediEvil 2 was released in 2000 also on PlayStation, but despite fan demand for another followup, Sony has instead chosen to remake the original game not once, but twice! Once on PSP in 2005, and again on PS4 in 2019. So while the series hasn’t exactly been on ice for very long, its lack of proper sequels and inability to gain mainstream traction probably has Sony scratching their heads in wonder for what to do with it. Kind of reminds me of Nintendo with Star Fox. Here’s hoping they figure it out. 

MLB: The Show

Sony’s got quite a history with MLB games, dating all the way back to 1996’s MLB Pennant Race for PlayStation. That quickly made way for the MLB series which ran until MLB 06, which came out in March, 2005. But in February 2006, they launched the San Diego Studio developed MLB 06: The Show for PlayStation 2, taking over for 989 Studios, and home console baseball changed forever. 

Health rating: Great

MLB: The Show was almost immediately heralded as one of the best baseball games in the business. They did have some stiff competition in the form of EA’s MVP Baseball, but that quickly got thrown to the wayside when EA effectively ruined video games forever by buying the rights to the NFL after Sega took them to school with NFL 2K5, but that’s neither here nor there. MLB: The Show is still alive and well to this day. In fact, it’s the de facto baseball game on all platforms, which is wild when you think about it. MLB: The Show is doing fantastic, and I suspect it will continue to do so for a very long time. 

Motor Toon Grand Prix

While we here in the US first saw Motor Toon Grand Prix in 1996, that game was actually Motor Toon Grand Prix 2! The series got its real start with the Japan-exclusive Motor Toon Grand Prix which hit the PlayStation in December 1994. It’s a colorful kart style racing game that reviewed pretty well when it landed in the States. 

Health rating: very dead

So, if the game reviewed well, why did it die such a sudden and definite death? Well, at around that time, that same studio created another racing series that would soon take up the rest of their time. That series? Gran Turismo. With that kind of success, it’s no surprise that the studio dedicated itself to making more of those. As for Motor Toon, it’s cooked. 

MotorStorm

Hey, look! It’s another racing game! This one’s an off-road racer, and boy was its debut title a blast. It reviewed well, and quickly moved over a million copies. It was one of those games Sony really liked showing off since it made a remarkable first impression, and a great showpiece for the then-new PlayStation 3 hardware. 

Health rating: Basically dead

Motor Storm had a great run. It got two followups on PS3, and a spinoff on PSP that did so well it got itself ported to the PS2. Unfortunately, Sony closed the studio behind the series, and its last release was 2012’s MotorStorm RC for PS Vita. That was a digital only release that focused on RC cars instead of full size vehicles. It was also decently well-liked, but not enough to keep the series alive. It’s possible Sony could dust it off again someday, as they do retain the rights, but it seems unlikely to me. 

And that’s it for the letter M. At least baseball is doing great! Everyone else, though, not so much. Perhaps things will brighten up with the letter N. But considering they’re pretty much all sports games… maybe not. 

We’ll find out next time!