The PS1 turned thirty years old in North America in 2025, following its 1995 debut, a year after its release in Japan. No one thought Sony could disrupt the console wars, but they proved everyone wrong. There are many games that still hold up on the PS1 and remain readily playable through ports and remasters, such as Final Fantasy 7, Resident Evil 2, and PaRappa the Rapper.
10 Phenomenal PlayStation Games Turning 10 Years Old In 2026
Relive the gaming magic of 2016 with these incredible PlayStation titles celebrating their 10th anniversary in 2026.
Then there are games that are almost impossible to play without an original disc. However, even if players could engage with these games in a perfect setup, they may not want to. Thanks to bad controls or obtuse design choices, these PS1 games don’t exactly show the best sides of the console.
Alone In The Dark: One-Eyed Jack's Revenge
Important, But A Tough Horror Game
Alone In The Dark 2
- Released
- September 25, 1994
WHERE TO PLAY
In 1996, PS1 players were enjoying the new age of survival horror with Resident Evil, a game that is a bit clunky now but still solid. Alone in the Dark: One-Eyed Jack's Revenge is a 1996 North American PS1 re-release of the 1993 game, Alone in the Dark 2. It did not stand next to Resident Evil then, and it cannot now.
Playing this PS1 port today is rough, even on the PS5, on which it is available. The controls don’t respond well, the menu system is overcomplicated, and not much is explained. Beyond the history, the weapon selection can also be praised as not many games offer players Tommy Guns right away to blast zombies.
Beyond The Beyond
Golden Age Origins
- Developer: Camelot Software Planning
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
- Platform: PS1
- Released: September 11, 1996 (NA)
Beyond the Beyond was developed by Camelot Software Planning, which made a name for itself first with the Shining series for Sega, and after this, the Golden Sun series for Nintendo. The big sprites and energetic battle animations feel right at home with Golden Sun, and they still look incredible for a PS1 game in 2025.
The battle system’s active elements predated Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, which is a fun bit of history. Combat system aside, the rest of the game is difficult to get into. The story is lackluster, the encounter rate and difficulty are high from the start, and it just doesn’t hold a candle to the best RPGs on the PS1. Also, without a disc or emulation, Beyond the Beyond is nearly impossible to play easily today.
Blasto
God Bless Phil Hartman
Blasto
- Released
- June 1, 1998
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Sony Interactive Studios America
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Blasto was developed internally within Sony Interactive Studios America, so it was a high-profile action platformer at the time. It was released in 1998, it’s still exclusive to the PS1, and it’s another challenging game to get officially running today. Even though it was an official Sony game, the gameplay wasn’t thrilling back then, thanks to the uneven platforming and the imprecise aiming, which has aged even worse now.
Memories Only PS1 Kids Have
For anyone who grew up with the PS1 as their home console, they more than likely share these formative gaming memories with others from that era.
The one redeeming quality it has had then and now is its star. The titular Blasto was voiced by Phil Hartman, and fans of SNL and The Simpsons know his face and voice well. He added a charm to this game, which is still infectious to this day. It unfortunately was one of his last performances since Hartman died a month after Blasto launched.
Disruptor
Insomniac’s Debut
Disruptor
- Released
- November 20, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Disruptor was released exclusively for the PS1 in 1996, where it has remained. It has the distinct honor of being the first title developed by Insomniac Games, which would surpass this game with the first Spyro entry in 1998. Disruptor was a futuristic first-person shooter with weird guns and psychic powers, including the ability to zap enemies with electricity.
Like many console shooters at the time, it was doing its best, but after Halo: Combat Evolved debuted for the Xbox in 2001 and reinvented what shooters could be, all games prior became obsolete. Disruptor is not the worst shooter on the PS1, as the powers were a nice touch, and the level design was at least open, but it’s far from a classic PS1 game thanks to dated controls and uneven shooting.
Medal Of Honor
Will Fighting Nazi’s Ever Get Old?
Medal of Honor (1999)
- Released
- October 31, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
The Medal of Honor series began as a PS1 exclusive in 1999, and while it does not exactly hold up as a first-person shooter, it was clearly a better game than Disruptor. EA put everything they had into making this a memorable World War 2 game, and they were successful enough to create a massive franchise.
Its authenticity is commendable, but after completing one level, even nostalgic fans will put it down, not because they cannot find and play it easily today. With a limited number of buttons, the PS1 was just not set up to be a great first-person console, and Medal of Honor suffers for it.
Syphon Filter
Cool Taser, Bro
Syphon Filter
- Released
- February 17, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Animated Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Stealth, Third-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PS1, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 3
Syphon Filter was Sony’s internal answer to Metal Gear Solid, and the first game was released in 1999. As special agents, players are assigned to a task force to stop a deadly disease from breaking out. It is a spy game at its core, but all of the gadgets and stealth options are not great.
PS1 Games That Raised The Bar Impossibly High
Sony's PS1 was groundbreaking and had plenty of industry-defining games, some of which raised the bar too high for anyone else to reach.
It’s easy to get caught, and mission restrictions are high, making for some frustrating retries. While the stealth-based gameplay is lackluster, it is fun to shoot enemies as the auto-target system is generous. Also, the Air Taser is a thing of beauty. The Syphon Filter sequels are better, especially in the PSP era, but anyone curious can check out this first game on the PS5.
Tomb Raider
Indi-Anna Jones
Tomb Raider
- Released
- November 14, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Animated Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Tomb Raider was actually released in Europe first on the Sega Saturn in 1996, but PS1 fans got it in North America in a matter of weeks. Lara Croft, as the star, couldn’t have been a bigger symbol for gaming in the 90s, and the core concept of a more action-heavy and female-led Indiana Jones-type adventure was brilliant. The game, and not just Croft herself, looked cutting-edge. The thing is, players REALLY had to like the game to stick with the controls, which were tank-based.
For Resident Evil, tank-based controls were fine because movement was simple. Missing a jump because of a poorly timed jump in Tomb Raider was a different story, as tank-based gameplay does not need to be anywhere near a platformer. There are simply better ways to experience the game now, like Tomb Raider: Anniversary, or better yet, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, which is an upcoming complete remake slated for 2026.
Twisted Metal
Cheesy Chaos
Twisted Metal
- Released
- November 5, 1995
WHERE TO PLAY
Twisted Metal was another big early game for the PS1, as it was released in 1995, not long after the North American launch. The game featured a cavalcade of drivers who were all competing against a mysterious man, Calypso, who promised them wishes. The game resembled a destruction derby at its core, with players able to arm their vehicles with missile launchers and machine guns.
The driving and shooting today are fine enough, as there are far worse clones from this era, but the first Twisted Metal lacks the camp and energy that the sequels would lean into harder. For those curious, it too can be played on a PS5, but it’s not a high recommendation.
5 Biggest Upcoming PlayStation Exclusives Coming Before May 2026
These upcoming PS5 games will be out before the end of Spring 2026. Will they end up being contenders for Game of the Year?