It was 20 years ago today…

GameCentral celebrates two decades of PlayStation, and names the best games for Sony’s first ever home console.

On September 29, 1995 the PlayStation era of gaming began in the UK. Whether you ever owned one or not there’s few milestones more significant in the world of video games, as it signalled Sony’s entry into the console business and, following the failed launch of the Sega Saturn, the true beginning of the 3D era of gaming.

Technically the original PlayStation went on sale first in Japan, in December 1994, but the UK release followed only a few weeks after the US. Its success was almost instantaneous and the console’s importance was more than just in terms of its new 3D graphics (as opposed to flat 2D graphics) or the fact that the games ran on CDs instead of cartridges.



The Saturn had both those things, and the Nintendo 64 released a year or so later had much better graphics, but what Sony revolutionised for the entire industry was the way games were marketed and the way console makers dealt with publishers.


Sony made video games cool for the first time in their existence, actively marketing them to older customers with adverts that treated its audience like adults. Sony also had almost no restrictions over the content of games, allowing mature-rated titles to flourish and the nature of video games to evolve into the more diverse industry we have today.

To celebrate the anniversary we’ve come up with the following list of our favourite PlayStation 1 titles, and we’ve also tried to note the current state of the franchise and if the game has any modern day equivalents or remakes. Unless stated all of the games are also available on PSN for the PlayStation 3 and, in most cases, the PSP and PS Vita.

We’re sure you’ll disagree with the order, and come up with games you think should be on the list, so do share with us your memories of the original PlayStation and what you think its best games are.

1. Resident Evil 2 (1998) The original was as groundbreaking as any PlayStation game but there’s a special magic about Resident Evil 2 that even after all these years still makes it many people’s favourite in the series. The tank controls may seem barely functional nowadays but it’s a tribute to the game that it’s still just as enjoyable anyway, with the perfect mix of horror, tension, puzzles, action, bizarre monsters, and the series’ famously cheesy dialogue. A definitive game of the era and still worthy of its classic status today. Where is it now? After the poor reception for Resident Evil 6 the franchise is currently in a state of flux, but Capcom did recently announce a big budget remake of Resident Evil 2.

2. Metal Gear Solid (1999) Another game that helped define the quantum leap between the 16-bit era and the modern age of 3D gaming. Few at the time will have know what Metal Gear was, but this new beginning for the series is still one of the most beloved story-based games of all-time. It was convoluted but never to the same degree as its off-the-rails sequel, and as with all the Metal Gear games there were elements that were actually surprisingly realistic. But it was the mixture of deep gameplay, cinematic presentation, and ambitious storytelling that sold the experience, and makes it still one of the best entries in the franchise today. Where is it now? Metal Gear Solid has only been remade once, and only for the GameCube. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was recently released to high acclaim, but may be the last game in the series for some time.

3. Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night (1997) Even the best games on this list come with certain caveats about their graphics or their controls, factors that are an unavoidable product of their time. But Symphony Of The Night is just as playable now as it was the day it was released. To a degree that’s cheating though, as the game was already considered fairly retro when it first came out. However, it’s much more than just a 2D platformer, with its role-playing elements, huge open world map, gorgeous visuals – including some choice 3D effects – and equally good music. Where is it now? Given Konami’s current situation there’s unlikely to be any new Castlevania games in a hurry but Symphony Of The Night director Koji ‘IGA’ Igarashi is currently working on spiritual successor Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night.

4. Tekken 3 (1998) The original Tekken was one of the most important launch games for the PS1 and almost as synonymous with the console as Ridge Racer and Tomb Raider. But Tekken 3 saw the series at the height of its powers, with the most balanced range of fighters, modes, and mini-game extras. At the time the graphics were the best ever seen on a console and were arguably never surpassed. For many this was best multiplayer game on the original PlayStation and it still stands as a highpoint in the entire fighting game genre. Where is it now? Tekken has done less well than others out of the modern fighting game renaissance, but Tekken 7 is currently in arcades and due out on consoles next year. Tekken X Street Fighter is also still in development, but currently TBA. Oddly Tekken 3 and 4 are the only mainline entries not currently on PSN.

5. Suikoden II (2000) For our money this is the best role-playing game on the PS1, well above any of the Final Fantasy games. Graphically it still looks pretty much like a SNES game, but that actually means it’s aged better than other games’ clunky 3D visuals. More importantly, the depth of the gameplay and storytelling is largely unsurpassed even today. Trying to recruit all 108 playable characters is a huge task, but always worth the trouble as everyone has their own personalities and back stories to discover. Where is it now? Like most Konami franchises the series is current in limbo, but Suikoden II itself, and the first and third game, was recently re-released on PSN.

6. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (2000) It’s a testament to the quality of the games that whether you had any interest in skateboarding or not the Tony Hawk titles were still accepted as an essential part of the PS1 era. As is the case with most of these games it’s the sequel which refined the original idea to perfection, with bigger levels, more customisation options, more complex moves, and even a surprisingly powerful skate park editor. Much like WipEout the soundtrack was also extremely influential in making licensed music a key part of modern video games. Where is it now? After a long hiatus Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 is due to be released this very week. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 though, is not available on PSN.

7. Vagrant Story (2000) It’s a shame PS1 games are so difficult to remaster as this was a title well ahead of its time, and hugely ambitious in terms of visuals, gameplay, and storytelling. Given the depth of the combat system it’s not surprising to learn it’s from the same guy that made Final Fantasy Tactics (which just missed out on this list), with a real-time system that’s reminiscent of, but superior to, Parasite Eve. Although often labelled a role-playing game there’s no shops or other characters to play as, and the third person action and puzzle-solving is almost Zelda-esque at times. Where is it now? Vagrant Story has never had a sequel. However, Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics are set in the same world of Ivalice.

8. Gran Turismo 2 (2000) Sony’s real driving simulator is the sort of game that would’ve been absolutely impossible in the 16-bit era. The 3D graphics may look primitive today but at the time they were absolutely state-of-the-art and considered to be near photorealistic. Naturally, the sequel looked even better but it’s the quality of the simulation and the depth of options, as well as the more than 600 vehicles, that helped Gran Turismo define a new genre of racing game. Where is it now? Gran Turismo is still a massive franchise for Sony but the sixth game was a sales disappointment, having weirdly been released on the PlayStation 3 at the same time as the launch of the PlayStation 4. Gran Turismo 7 is planned for the new console but it’s not clear when it’ll be out. Neither of the PS1 era Gran Turismo games are on PSN.

9. Silent Hill (1999) Survival horror didn’t really exist until the PlayStation era and although Resident Evil coined the term, and was a bigger mainstream success, it’s Silent Hill that is by far the scarier. The graphics were primitive even at the time but they only added to the psychological horror, and terrible feeling of wrongness, generated by the game. Unlike other horror games there was meaning behind the revolting creatures and their actions, as they tormented your atypically ordinary protaganist. If it wasn’t for the outdated graphics and a flawed final act this would still be the best game in the series. Where is it now? Unfortunately the amazing-looking new sequel Silent Hills was cancelled by Konami, and although they’ve promised new games there’s no sign of one in the near future.

10. WipEout 2097 (1996) A huge part of the PlayStation’s success was in making video games seem cool to older teens and young adults. Sony sponsored live gigs and dance venues, with PlayStation tents filled with consoles and games. Prime amongst these was WipEout, with its groundbreaking techno soundtrack and stylish branding by The Designers Republic. It was a great future racer too, very much in the style of F-Zero – although inevitably it was the sequel that was the better game. Where is it now? WipEout was never as big in the US and Japan as it was in Europe, and Sony has slowly given up trying to make more. They haven’t ruled out a new game though and only last weekend told fans to ‘never say never’. In the meantime the original, but not Wipeout 2097, is on PSN and Wipeout HD Fury on PlayStation 3 is the best sequel on a modern format.

11. Final Fantasy IX (2001) Many will be surprised not to see Final Fantasy VII on this list, since it’s widely regarded as the definitive PS1 Japanese role-player and still the most famous example of the genre in the West. But that’s in large part simply because it’s the first many had played, especially in the post 16-bit era. But the graphics dated quickly and the badly translated script was often nonsensical. By comparison Final Fantasy IX has great dialogue, likeable characters, and largely timeless visuals. The more fantasy style setting might not seem quite so cool, but it was undoubtedly a better game. Where is it now? After a number of poorly received sequels next year’s Final Fantasy XV is looking much more promising. Final Fantasy VII is also currently being remade, and re-translated, for the PlayStation 4.

12. Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999) Rather than any of the Tomb Raider games, it’s Soul Reaver which is undoubtedly the best 3D action adventure on the original PlayStation. Which is odd as the Legacy Of Kain series started as an ugly-looking top-down role-player. Soul Reaver though had a complex storyline by the lead writer on Uncharted and stylish visuals that made the best of the PlayStation’s limited abilities. The puzzles, based around moving between two different parallel worlds were also great, if a little easy. Where is it now? Despite a cult following there hasn’t been a proper Legacy Of Kain game since 2003, although free-to-play multiplayer game Nosgoth is set in the same universe and is due to come out of beta next year.

13. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee (1997) It’s interesting how few of the PS1’s best games actually used fully 3D graphics, but although the first Oddworld was a flip screen, 2D platformer it featured visuals of a quality gamers had never seen before. The animation and strong art design still looks good today, and it’s matched by some clever gameplay puzzles that have you trying to lead a race of enslaved creatures to freedom. It’s also a testament to the game’s qualities how relatively little had to be changed for the recent remake. Where is it now? The remake is named New ‘N’ Tasty, and is now available on the PC and most console formats.

14. Tomb Raider (1996) Tomb Raider II is probably the better game of the original trilogy but the first still has the most iconic moments, from the tense entry into the first tomb to the surprise appearance of a T-Rex later in the game. No other entry in the series has quite been able to recapture that same kind of magic, even if they’ve technically been more fun to play. As the oldest game on this list Tomb Raider’s 3D graphics and clunky controls seem almost prehistoric today, but it was the first fully 3D game that most people had ever seen – not to mention the first prominent female protagonist. Where is it now? The franchise is still going strong today, with remake Tomb Raider Anniversary having been released in 2006. New game Rise Of The Tomb Raider, the second in a new reboot series, is out on Xbox this winter and PlayStation 4 and PC next year.

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