You know, maps never really made much sense in video games to me. I mean, I know they're convenient, but practically and logically they don't make sense in most games. Survival games, exploration games, adventure games - usually never make sense to have a map. In the games where you find a map at least they try to include a logical premise for having a map. In games where your map grows as you discover new places it makes a little more sense. I think it's one of those conveniences people want even it breaks reality. It's funny though, people will rail about other things in a game not being realistic enough, but want to automatically have a map.
As far as the N64 thing, we owned one. We never had a PS1, not until years later when the school let me little sister borrow one to play educational games. After the N64 though I did skip to the PS2 and played some PS1 games on it. My recollection is that most PS1 games tend to be dated games that you will only really have fond memories of if you played them at the time. Even some of the classics. It was a good era to live through, but not to go back through. The N64 flagship games have more staying power IMO especially as I've replayed some of them on the DS.
