I actually heard a rumor circa 1996 that Capcom had threatened to make Resident Evil 2 a Saturn exclusive unless Sony approved Mega Man 8. It sounds farfetched, but hey, stranger things have happened in game-related negotiations.

Wasn't Sony anti-2D policy confined to the American market? After all, Japan got plenty of traditional 2D titles, and even Europe saw a release of Gunners Heaven/Rapid Reload.

And from what I remember, Sony's opposition to 2D softened considerably after the PlayStation's first year on the market. Namco brought out all of its Museum compilations, Konami had Suikoden, and even Sony published 2D titles like Beyond the Beyond, Samurai Shodown 3, and King of Fighters '95 in the American market.