7 Iconic Games That Put The PS1 On The Map

While I unanimously agree that there’s no one single game to define the PlayStation console (talking about the first one here), considering the overall brilliance of the system that it has left behind, there are quite a few that stand out more than others in my opinion. It’s still quite mind-boggling honestly, looking at the ridiculous diversity of the PS1’s game library. Gaming was really something else back then.   

The PlayStation 1 is right up there with the best-selling consoles of all time, particularly landing on the sixth spot among the rest of the greats. It’s probably going down in history as the system that propelled Sony to greater heights back when it was starting out in this business, directly competing against the likes of Sony and Nintendo. 

Of course, it was thanks to games like these that the PlayStation 1 took off the way it did. In case you’ve still got yours lying around in the attic, I’m sure firing these titles up ought to offer a proper dose of nostalgia. 

These PlayStation Titles Are Worth Getting Back Into Even Today

Do note that the forthcoming entries are subjective, and aren’t definitive in any shape or form. Feel free to spark a discussion in the comments section ahead and talk about your favorite PS1 games at length. 

1. Twisted Metal 2

• Developer: Sony Interactive Studios/989 Studios, Single Trac
• Genre: Vehicle Combat
• Release Date: November 8, 1996

Back when the vehicular combat genre in gaming boomed and blossomed, Twisted Metal 2 ran rampant as the go-to game for a million people across the board. The title features an interesting yet hilarious roster of playable characters, pitting everyone in an area where the last man standing — or car — wins the bout as players duke it out against each other. 

2. Final Fantasy 7

• Developer: Square
• Genre: RPG
• Release Date: January 31, 1997

Those who’ve chimed in on the gaming industry in relatively recent times may not be too familiar with the OG Final Fantasy 7, where Square Enix’s latest line-up of ambitious remakes has spurted from. The classic from 1997 was a commercial success for the publisher at the time, rolling over copies in spades thanks to its novel setting, fantastic characters, great story, and thrilling gameplay. 

3. Resident Evil 

• Developer: Capcom
• Genre: Single-Player, Survival Horror
• Release Date: March 22, 1996

Resident Evil blew everyone away with what it brought to the table back in 1996, subsequently getting titled one of the best video games ever made for its chilling yet entertaining gameplay experience. Seeing this game in motion was wild back in the day, as the title not only gave rise to the genre of “Survival Horror” but became a PlayStation best-seller across the globe just as well.

4. The Syphon Filter Series 

• Developer: Eidetic
• Genre: Stealth, Action
• Release Date: February 16, 1999

The Syphon Filter series is a bunch of third-person shooters that made headlines like no other back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but hey, I assume you already know that much if you’ve played the classic franchise back in the day. Armed with great fundamentals, a thrilling plot, and often silly difficulty, the first two Syphon Filters are a personal favorite, and rightfully so. Check them out if you get a chance. 

5. Spyro 

• Developer: Insomniac Games
• Genre: Action-Adventure, Platformer
• Release Date: September 9, 1998

This is what Insomniac Games was doing when it wasn’t thinking of how to take over the video gaming world of Spider-Man, which is now recognized to comprise some of the best superhero games ever made. Spyro the Dragon’s platforming gameplay came off as superb back in the day, and a must-have game for some family-friendly fun. 

Just so you know, Spyro managed to grab the attention of the suits so much that Toys for Bob put out a “Reignited Trilogy” for the title, which ensues the three major Spyro games that were initially launched for the PlayStation 1.    

6. Crash Bandicoot

• Developer: Naughty Dog
• Genre: Platformer
• Release Date: September 9, 1996

Everyone and their grandma got Crash Bandicoot for the PlayStation 1 when Naughty Dog’s promising platformer launched in 1996. After all, it was hard missing out on a title that kept blowing things out of proportion with the visuals and the way it put the first PlayStation on the map really.  

7. Metal Gear Solid

• Developer: Konami (Konami Computer Entertainment Japan)
• Genre: Stealth
• Release Date: September 3, 1998

Pretty much the heartbeat of millennial gamers and the very reason they adore Hideo Kojima, I’d argue Metal Gear Solid is video game perfection, known for its stellar boss fights, and storytelling, and for offering a true cinematic experience that seldom other titles were capable of at the time. Final Fantasy 7 pushed many horizons, but MGS stood at the top of the PlayStation 1’s sheer capacity at the time.