PlayStation revives Japan Studio classics through Bandai Namco

PlayStation and Bandai Namco are bringing back Japan Studio’s classics, reviving some of Sony’s most beloved yet long-dormant franchises. The latest in this trend is Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots, which was initially announced for Nintendo Switch but has now been confirmed for PS5 as well.

This follows the Freedom Wars Remastered release earlier this year and the upcoming Patapon 1+2 Replay, all of which are being handled through licensing deals with Bandai Namco.

---

PlayStation teams up with Bandai Namco to revive Japan Studio Classics

Patapon 1+2 Replay gets a new lease on life

Patapon 1+2 Replay, set to launch on July 11 for PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch, brings back the fan-favorite rhythm RPG with a few crucial improvements. While Sony previously remastered the first two games for PS4, those versions weren’t the best.

This new release includes quality-of-life features, such as adjustable difficulty settings, which tweak the timing mechanics, making the game more accessible without losing its original charm.

---

Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots confirmed for PS5

First unveiled for Switch during the recent Nintendo Direct 2025, Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots raised concern regarding its exclusivity to Sony and whether or not it would make its way onto PlayStation. Now, a new trailer has revealed that there will be a PS5 release for Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots! This means the franchise will continue to be part of PlayStation’s catalog of franchises.

The game appears to be built upon Everybody’s Golf: World Invitational from the PS Vita era, but there are notable differences, including a chibi-style character redesign that not all fans may love. Interestingly, original developer Clap-Hanz is not involved, which raises questions about how faithful this version will be to the series’ roots.

---

Sony and Bandai Namco’s growing collaboration

Sony licensing Japan Studio's classics to Bandai Namco is looking like a fascinating move. With Freedom Wars, Patapon, and Everybody's Golf already set to return, it's obvious that PlayStation is looking into new methods of keeping these franchises going.

Whether this constitutes more remasters, ports, or even total revivals of their own still needs to be determined, but at this rate, it would not be remotely surprising to witness additional lost PlayStation classics returning from the dead.

---

Check out: Will Metroid Prime 4 Beyond be playable on Nintendo Switch 2?