You Only Ever Played The Demo Of These Classic Video Games, But You Really Should Check Out The Full Game

As a medium, video games have a long, storied history with demos. From the Wolfenstein 3D shareware to the Mecha BREAK Demo, they’ve played a role in promoting games. At one point, we were inundated with them. Every gaming magazine you purchased would come with one. They’d even be used to sell other games. If you wanted that tantalizing Metal Gear Solid 2 demo, you were going to have to pony up for Zone of the Enders. While demos disappeared for a solid decade or so, they’ve seen quite a resurgence in recent years.

Many demos are now, functionally, the first section of the full game. They’ll often even let you carry over your progress. However, through hype or by being packed in with other games, some demos were quite simply more likely to end up in your home. And, while you may have played the demo to death, there’s a good chance that the game itself never actually got purchased. I’m here to help you rectify the mistakes of your past. These are the demos you played for the games that you didn’t.

9 Jumping Flash

A Giant Leap For Robbit-Kind

Jumping Flash

Systems

Released

November 2, 1995

• 

ESRB

E For Everyone Due To Mild Violence

Publisher(s)

Sony Computer Entertainment

Engine

Syrup Emulation Engine

Platform(s)

PS1

How Long To Beat

2 Hours

Developer

Exact, Ultra

One of the saddest aspects of the 32-bit era is that we saw the retirement of the pack-in game. Sure, you could still find bundles that would throw in some games, especially around Christmas time, but there was no Super Mario Bros. equivalent. What there was, however, was a demo CD. And the first demo disc contained two absolute classics: Wipeout and Jumping Flash.

While Wipeout is great, the series has since had multiple sequels that build on the original. Jumping Flash, on the other hand, only received a single sequel, and both games in the duology are still worth playing. To this day, there are few games that play like Jumping Flash. This is a first-person platformer, and despite it pre-dating the Dualshock controller, it still plays brilliantly. Better yet, you can pick it up on the PS5 for cheap. Or, depending on your PS+ membership type, free*!

8

7 Einhänder

That Time Square Made An Amazing Shmup

To this day, Einhander is an all-timer. Shmup fans still praise its presentation and overall style. The way the camera pivots and shifts during certain sections, the gameplay variety… there’s just a lot to love about this classic. And guess what? If you bought Final Fantasy 8, then you likely received a demo for it.

There is no easy way to get your hands on Einhander these days. Not legitimately, at least, and the PS1 disc is prohibitively expensive. However, if you have any interest in shmups, you should look to get your hands on it, one war or another. If you want to see why, dust off your copy of Final Fantasy 8 and give the first level a spin. It is totally rad.

6 Ape Escape 3

Snake Vs. Monkey

I know some people are going to argue that the Snake Vs. Monkey mode in Metal Gear Solid 3 wasn’t a “demo”. And you may be technically right? But while it is a super-cute, fun addition, Snake Vs. Monkey was very obviously a glorified demo for Ape Escape 3. It may not be one-to-one, as Snake has his own unique take on the monkey capturing net (pew pew), but it is still very much Ape Escape.

If you played this mode to death, because it is incredible, it is time to finally go capture some of those monkeys. Like Professor Frink, you must make them pay! While Ape Escape 3 isn’t super easy to get your hands on, Ape Escape 1 and 2 are available to download on the PS5!

5 Dino Crisis

Hammond May Play God, But We Can Fix That With A Grenade Launcher

Dino Crisis is a survival horror game from Capcom, in which you guide special agent Regina on a mission to an island populated by dinosaurs.

If you purchased a copy of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis back in the day, then you were given a rather delightful gift: you also received a demo for Dino Crisis. This demo gave you three mini-scenarios that you could play around with, each showcasing different aspects of the game. It could be polished off in around half an hour or so; just enough time to get a taste. Personally, I remember replaying those scenarios dozens of times.

Clearly, it was the right game to showcase to the right audience, as Dino Crisis sold about two-thirds the number of copies that Nemesis did. I’m sure a number of those people were convinced by the demo. I know I was. But that means there were still close to a million people who gave this demo a go and never picked up the finished game. That’s a crying shame, as Dino Crisis is among one of the finest survival horror games on the PS1. The good news is that this is yet another game that can be purchased on the PS5.

4 Xenogears

You’ve Put This One On The Back-Burner Long Enough

If you are wondering what I am on about here, who could have possibly missed Xenogears, one of the most beloved games on the console, brace for impact: Xenogears only actually sold okay in the West. It moved a few hundred-thousand copies, which was respectable in those days. However, the game that came with a demo of it, Parasite Eve, sold closer to a million copies.

So, a massive number of people played the demo, and decided not to pull the trigger on buying the full game. I suspect part of that was a disconnect between the people who bought Parasite Eve for the survival horror half of it, and not the RPG half. So, that probably explains the disparity to a degree, but I’ve here to tell you all that you are making a mistake. Xenogears is pure fire. Don’t sleep on it.

3 Bushido Blade

That Time Square Made An Amazing Fighting Game

Bushido Blade

Systems

Released

September 30, 1997

• 

ESRB

t

Publisher(s)

Square, Sony Computer Entertainment

Platform(s)

PS1

Developer

Lightweight

So, remember how I talked about how rad the Einhander is, and how it is absurd that Square was responsible for making such a cool shmup? Well, they did it again, but with fighting games. And it was even included on the same demo disc as Einhander! Low-key, the real value when buying Final Fantasy 8 was getting the demo disc! Bushido Blade is one of the most interesting fighting games you’ll ever play. To this day, it is able to generate more tension than any other game in the genre.

The demo here gives the ability to pick through most of the roster and fight on one stage. It does, however, limit your weapon selection greatly, which does take away quite a bit of the variety. You are also restricted to using training swords, so it is a bloodless affair. If you went round after round with your friends playing the demo, then you owe it to yourself to pick this one up. The full game has a nice amount of content, and the ability to use the different weapons takes the game to the next level.

2 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Welcome To The Demo, Son!

Resident Evil 7

Released

January 24, 2017

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard switches the gameplay of previous titles to a first-person perspective. It follows Ethan Winters, a man searching for his missing wife. It takes advantage of Capcom’s new RE Engine, and is considerably less action-oriented than its predecessors.

ESRB

M // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

Developer(s)

Capcom

Publisher(s)

Capcom

Franchise

Resident Evil

Platform(s)

PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows, Stadia, macOS

One of the more recent entries on this list is Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, which was the series’ big return to the horror genre. We owe Resident Evil 7 a massive debt of gratitude, as it was the game that single-handedly returned the series to glory. However, while Resident Evil 7 sold quite nicely, on release, the demo downloads tripled the number of copies sold.

While I’m sure that many of those who played the demo have since played the full game, and it is understandable that some others just decided it was too scary, if you are up for a good scare, I strongly encourage any horror fans who never got around to playing the full game to do so. I know that, initially, some people were concerned that the game was going to be a walking simulator, but those fears were unfounded. Resident Evil 7 is a modern classic. Don’t sleep on it.

1 Doom

The Shareware Phenomena

Doom (1993)

4.5/5

Released

December 10, 1993

One of the most iconic and impactful games ever made, Doom puts you in the role of a marine sent to a research facility on Mars. When a portal to Hell unleashes a horde of demons, it’s up to you to blast them into oblivion.

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

Developer(s)

id Software

Publisher(s)

id Software

Engine

Doom engine

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

Franchise

DOOM

Platform(s)

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Stadia, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox (Original), PS1, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Android, iOS

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

How Long To Beat

5 Hours

X|S Optimized

No

File Size Xbox Series

527 MB (November 2023)

PS Plus Availability

Premium

Doom, and its big brother, Wolfenstein 3D, launched with a very generous demo in the form of a shareware release. This version allowed you to play the first third of the game for free, an absurdly generous offering, indeed. Naturally, this means that nearly everyone played at least a few of the nine stages that came with the shareware version of the game. But while Doom was a massive success, far fewer people played the full game.

In fact, the reason Doom 2 didn’t follow suit and release a shareware version as well is because so many people just stuck with the demo instead of purchasing the final game. Speaking from my own experience, I didn’t play the full release of Doom until a decade after it was launched. If you haven’t gotten around to it yet, definitely jump in and give it a go. Doom still holds up, and hell, you can play it on anything.