Sony's debut in the gaming industry was special, especially given how they had to overcome numerous setbacks to reach this goal. After being shunned by both Sega and Nintendo, the company decided to create a console on its own and became one of the biggest players in the video game industry.
6 Best PS1 RPG Side Quests
Side quests in RPGs can sometimes be just as fun as the main narrative. These examples from the PS1 era are the proof.
This led to the creation of the PlayStation, which is easily one of the most iconic consoles of all time. The focus on mature gaming experiences meant that a new demographic could get into this medium, with some stellar video game franchises shining on this console.
8 Final Fantasy
The PS1 Final Fantasy Era Boasts Some Of The Most Legendary Games Ever Made
- All PS1 Games: Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 8, Final Fantasy 9, Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy 7's release on the PlayStation marked the souring of relations between SquareSoft and Nintendo. It also led to the development of the first AAA video game ever, with the marketing power behind Final Fantasy 7 being simply unheard of back in the day.
It paved the way for Final Fantasy to reach immense heights on the PlayStation, with other games like Final Fantasy 8, Final Fantasy 9, and Final Fantasy Tactics marking the best period of releases for this franchise on a video game console.
7 Crash Bandicoot
The Platformers Marked Naughty Dog's Rise To Fame
- All PS1 Games: Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Crash Team Racing, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
Before Uncharted and The Last of Us, Naughty Dog was making a name for themselves as the developers of the Crash Bandicoot games. These hard yet fun titles let players go through a bunch of creative levels where Crash stood against Dr. Neo Cortex and his diabolical plans.
Along with the four stellar titles on this console, fans were also treated to a kart racing spinoff that was surprisingly engaging. All of this combined to help Crash Bandicoot enjoy his glory days on the PS1 before fan interest eventually started waning.
6 Spyro
This Lovable Purple Dragon's Adventures Peaked On The PS1
- All PS1 Games: Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!, Spyro: Year of the Dragon
Spyro is a lovable purple dragon who embarks on fun adventures with a ton of platforming and combat. This iconic video game character was one of the PlayStation's mascots during the PS1 era, when Sony was still striking a balance when it came to pushing both charming and mature titles on their console.
8 Best PS1 Games You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
The PS1 was a chaotic console, with a bunch of games released for it that are a great time, but remain almost totally unknown.
With the dawn of the PS2, Spyro simply didn't have the staying power to last for too long. His glory days were far behind him, with fans being more than happy with a remake of the original classics since that's the most exposure Spyro will enjoy in the modern gaming landscape for quite some time.
5 Castlevania
To This Day, No Castlevania Game Has Come Close To Symphony Of The Night
- All PS1 Games: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
It speaks volumes when a franchise manages to peak on a console with a single game. This may lead players to think that Castlevania has been down in the dumps since the release of Symphony of the Night, but the reality is something else entirely.
The revolution that Symphony of the Night sparked, along with Super Metroid, was incredible, leading to the rise of the metroidvania genre that is still going strong to this day. It's a testament to how legendary this title was that every other Castlevania game pales in comparison, even if some titles are excellent in their own right.
4 Twisted Metal
This Vehicular Combat Game Was A Major Franchise On The PS1
- All PS1 Games: Twisted Metal, Twisted Metal 2, Twisted Metal 3, Twisted Metal 4
It's a shame that Twisted Metal has become a relic of the past. Vehicular combat can be a fun genre to mess around in, but it's clear that Sony has no interest in letting this franchise recapture its glory days.
Fans who played the many amazing Twisted Metal games on the PS1 loved how engrossing the car combat was. The game also had a mature presentation that lent somce character to the violence, getting players invested in the stories of their chosen characters as they're screwed over after winning the opportunity to make their wish come true.
3 PaRappa The Rapper
The First Game Sparked A Brief Franchise With Fun Rhythm Games
- All PS1 Games: PaRappa The Rapper, Um Jammer Lammy
To this day, there's something about PaRappa the Rapper's charms that fans love. The catchy music and surprisingly challenging gameplay will leave fans tearing their hair out as they strive to get a good score in every song.
6 Best Stories In PS1 Horror Games, Ranked
These PlayStation 1 horror games stand out for their memorable plots and characters.
This single game was iconic enough to turn PaRappa the Rapper into a short-lived franchise. Um Jammer Lammy was a fun spin-off title that retained most of the gameplay, but fan interest faded when PaRappa the Rapper 2 ended up being pretty underwhelming on the PS2.
2 Syphon Filter
This Action-Packed Third-Person Franchise Lost Its Steam After Leaving The PS1
- All PS1 Games: Syphon Filter, Syphon Filter 2, Syphon Filter 3
It's a shame that more people don't talk about the Syphon Filter franchise. This collection of stealth-action games had a good thing going on the PS1 and could've carried over its mature gameplay to a new generation.
Instead, a disappointing entry on the PS2 meant that Syphon Filter failed to capture the magic it had established in the previous console. It turned into a portable series that churned out some fun games before eventually fading into obscurity.
1 Tomb Raider
Lara Croft Had A Legendary Run On The PS1 That Spans Five Games
- All PS1 Games: Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider 2, Tomb Raider 3, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: Chronicles
There's no denying that the Survivor trilogy was a return to form for Lara Croft. However, most people believe that this franchise peaked with the release of five games on the PS1, with the first four being hailed as some of the greatest action-adventure games of all time.
Lara was a sassy archaeologist whose personality shone in the games. Carrying out death-defying acrobatic feats and shooting down both regular & supernatural enemies was a blast in the PS1 days that fans can recapture with the remasters.
- Brand
- Sony
- Storage
- 512 KB ROM (BIOS storage)
- VR Support
- No
- Resolution
- 256×224 to 640×480
- Ports
- 2x Controller Ports, 2x Memory Card Ports, A/C In, Serial I/O (SCPH-100x to 900x), AV Multi Out, RCA Composite (SCPH-100x to 5000), Parallel I/O (SCPH-100x to 750x), S-Video out (SCPH-1000)
- HDR Support
- No
- Original Release Date
- September 9, 1995
- Hardware Versions
- PlayStation (Original), PS1
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $299, £299
- Weight
- 3.2 lbs
- Dimensions
- 63.5 x 275 x 190 mm
- Processor
- LSI CoreWare CW33300-based core