The original PlayStation helped to define the era of 3D gaming, and it stands to reason that some of the most significant games of all time made their debut on the console. From the games that kicked off long-running franchises to standalone titles that reshaped the landscape, there’s no shortage of PS1 games with essential places in gaming history.
It’s tough to make a comprehensive list of the classics, as some fantastic titles inevitably don’t make the cut. If you can get past the absence of games like Silent Hill, PaRappa the Rapper, and Ape Escape, though, it’s easy to appreciate just how important these ten titles are.
Spyro The Dragon
The PlayStation had Nintendo thoroughly beat when it came to RPGs, but going toe-to-toe against the Nintendo 64 in the platforming genre was a tougher ask. One game that actually managed to do so was Spyro the Dragon, which featured impressively large levels, solid mechanics, and a mascot that practically leapt off the screen.
Spyro launched a long-running franchise, but perhaps even more importantly, it launched developer Insomniac Games to new heights. Without Spyro, we might not have Ratchet & Clank or the modern Spider-Man games, highlighting just how much we have to thank that purple dragon for.
Medal Of Honor
When you talk about the history of FPS games, the Nintendo 64’s GoldenEye 007 often takes precedence over any PS1 rivals. PlayStation’s Medal of Honor, however, is also of paramount importance. Produced by Steven Spielberg (himself inspired by GoldenEye 007), this depiction of World War 2 laid the groundwork for everything from Battlefield to Call of Duty.
Somehow, the Medal of Honor series has fallen by the wayside over the years, failing to retain the market dominance that its rivals ultimately achieved. Even so, it was the game that started it all. As a side bonus, it helped launch the career of Michael Giacchino, the Medal of Honor composer who went on to craft some of the best modern scores for major Hollywood films.
Gran Turismo
If any genre was truly limited before games jumped to 3D, it was racing games. While some arcade machines had the cutting-edge tech necessary to create great experiences, racing games on home consoles were generally chafing at the limits of technology. The PlayStation opened up a new world of opportunity, and Gran Turismo ran with it.
Gran Turismo built its brand on the idea of authenticity, adding a level of depth to car customization and handling that felt like an accurate mimicry of the real world. The polygonal graphics might seem quaint compared to later games in the series, but no other leap felt quite this big.
Resident Evil
Thanks to the recent release of Resident Evil Requiem, the Resident Evil franchise is hotter than ever, which is an impressive feat for a franchise that’s been around for decades. Without a strong start, though, none of this would have ever happened. In that regard, it’s impossible to overstate the significance of the original Resident Evil.
Resident Evil‘s survival horror formula was basically perfect from the jump. In the Spencer Mansion, every bullet and herb counts, leading to a tense, tightly designed experience that doesn’t need the action set pieces of later games to make its mark. While the GameCube remake of Resident Evil might be even more iconic today, the original version is still one of the best games in both the series and the survival horror genre as a whole.
Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was a huge turning point for the Castlevania series, marking the transition from linear games to sprawling “Metroidvania” titles. Not only did this shift dictate the future of the franchise, but it also laid the groundwork for plenty of games in the modern indie scene, including huge hits like Hollow Knight.
While other games took advantage of the leap to 3D, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is also a unique testament to how great pixel art could be on the PlayStation. Throw in a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, and there’s no denying that this gorgeous game is absolutely dripping with atmosphere.
Metal Gear Solid wasn’t the start of the Metal Gear franchise, but as far as reinventions go, it’s hard to top. The PlayStation opened the door to more cinematic console experiences than ever before, and Metal Gear Solid leaped headfirst into the opportunity. It’s essentially both a great game and a great blockbuster film, with everything from explosive action set pieces to tragic villain monologues making quite the mark.
Metal Gear Solid is also bursting at the seams with ideas. Whether Snake is crawling under a cardboard box or smoking a cigarette and sacrificing his health to detect lasers, the intricacies of its stealth opportunities are still impressive. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty makes things even more fun and fluid, but the first game remains a common favorite for a reason.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
The first Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game was great, setting a new standard for skateboarding video games and laying the foundation for an iconic franchise. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, however, might deserve even more credit in establishing the legacy. Essentially the perfect sequel, THPS 2 took everything that was great about the first game and doubled down, earning its place as the highest-rated PS1 game on Metacritic to this day.
One huge change in THPS 2 was the introduction of the manual, making it easy to chain tricks into longer sequences and upping the creative potential of the game. Throw in custom skaters, decks, and parks, and you have an enormously fun, replayable title that anyone with a PlayStation would be hard-pressed to ignore.
Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot‘s place in history is similar to Spyro the Dragon‘s, but it predated the PlayStation’s other huge platforming hit by two years. Unlike its Nintendo competition, Crash Bandicoot narrows the focus to forward momentum and tight, punishing platforming, foregoing the emphasis on exploration to make every jump count.
While the Crash Bandicoot series took some time off in the 2010s, it’s had an effective revival in recent years. Like Spyro, it also served as a major stepping stone for one of PlayStation’s most iconic developers. Developer Naughty Dog went on to make Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, and The Last of Us, moving far beyond its simpler platforming roots.
Tomb Raider
Ask the average person to name five video game mascots, and there’s a decent chance that Lara Croft’s name comes up. While some of that legacy comes from her stylized polygonal proportions, a lot of it stems from just how good her debut was. Long before Uncharted, Tomb Raider showed off how much adventure could be crammed into one game, complete with platforming action, puzzles, and combat.
Perhaps the biggest testament to the enduring success of the original Tomb Raider is its inability to fade from the popular consciousness. Following the Tomb Raider: Anniversary remake and Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered trilogy, Tomb Raider will be getting another remake this year in the form of Legacy of Atlantis. At the end of the day, it’s just that good.
Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy‘s legacy was firmly established by the time that the PlayStation rolled around, but the leap to 3D brought the franchise into a new stratosphere. While traditional gameplay staples like turn-based battles remain intact, Final Fantasy 7 embraced other grand ambitions, squeezing a complex narrative, fascinating world, and tons of memorable mini-games into one great package.
Final Fantasy 7‘s legacy looms large today, from the existence of the FF7 Remake trilogy to the influences seen in other games like Clair Obscur. It’s still hard to beat the original PlayStation experience, though, as the strange quirks and vague mysteries of FF7‘s erratic story make its incredible mood hard to recapture.
- Brand
-
Sony
- Original Release Date
-
September 9, 1995
- Original MSRP (USD)
-
$299.99
- HDR Support
-
No
- Weight
-
3.2lb (1.5kg)