Sony’s PlayStation consoles have become some of the most popular video game hardware ever. Competing against the likes of Nintendo, Sega, and Xbox, Sony has held a firm position among the gaming giants for years. PlayStation’s staying power originated from a meteoric rise during the late 1990s, with the PS1 hosting a wave of innovative classics.
The PS1 broke the mold by fully embracing the CD medium, leading to massive leaps in graphical fidelity and allowing blockbuster titles to shine. When it dropped in 1995, PlayStation held nothing back on the software side, developing games that would become the foundation of entire genres decades later.
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Everyone remembers the PlayStation’s Final Fantasy VII, Silent Hill, and Metal Gear Solid, but there are niche titles that deserve the same success.
Updated on October 30, 2024 by Scoot Allan: Sony made huge waves in the last half of the decade after the PlayStation release, making it even more impactful that so many games released in the ’90s helped define that era of gaming and beyond. This list has been updated with even more influential PS1 games from the ’90s and to conform to CBR’s current standards.
15 Gran Turismo Was the PS1’s Shining Star
Released in North America on May 12, 1998
Gran Turismo, released in 1997, was the first breakout hit of the racing simulation genre. Focusing on realism and leveraging the PS1’s powerful hardware, it impressed on both a graphical and gameplay level. It has influenced many racing simulation games and remains a powerhouse within the gaming industry.
Gran Turismo‘s massive critical acclaim propelled its popularity further through the final years of the ’90s. The racing franchise has since become a flagship for PlayStation, resulting in the most recent Gran Turismo 7 , released in 2022, and the Gran Turismo feature film, which hit theaters in 2023.
Released in North America on October 20, 1998
Metal Gear Solid‘s unique place in popular culture has been undeniable since its debut in 1998. The stealth action franchise has been refined with every iteration, but its first installment on the PS1 is a classic among classics. Visionary director Hideo Kojima’s one-of-a-kind approach to narrative cemented his legacy early on.
From Psycho Mantis reading memory cards and intriguing story connections to global history and U.S. politics, Metal Gear Solid engaged the player on a deeper level. Memorable boss battles and intelligent enemy A.I. rounded out a polished gameplay experience, easily catapulting the title above the previous Metal Gear installments.
13 Diablo Was a Crowd-Pleasing Dungeon Crawler
Released in North America on March 30, 1998
While Diablo‘s later chapter might be more well-known to fans, there’s still no denying the impact of the PlayStation’s unique RPG dungeon crawler. Players controlled an upgradeable character as they navigated down a series of procedurally generated dungeons to enter Hell and face the titular devil.
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Diablo inspired several games in its own franchise and served as a spiritual predecessor to games like Dark Souls or other dungeon crawlers that came after it. Players fondly or angrily remember nights of trolling toward hell in Diablo with friends at sleepovers, which brings back nostalgic memories of the ’90s.
Released in North America on November 10, 1995
New releases in the ’90s all shared similar traits, which mostly meant a little bit of edge and a whole lot of attitude. No game in the ’90s, on the PlayStation or otherwise, exemplified this attitude more than Twisted Metal, a vehicular combat game set at the titular tournament in a dark future version of Los Angeles.
Players took control of drivers like the iconic Sweet Tooth and drove various modified vehicles across destroyed city sections. The initial game featured a Story Mode and Duel Mode, allowing players to take each other on in head-to-head matches that redefined friendships. The Twisted Metal franchise received a recent popularity boost thanks to Peacock’s live-action series.
11 Spyro the Dragon Doubled Down on 3D Platforming
Released in North America on September 9, 1998
While Sony succeeded with Crash Bandicoot’s 3D platforming on the PlayStation, there were still some doubts that the console could compete with games like Super Mario 64. Enter Spyro the Dragon from Insomniac Games, who would later find huge success with franchises like Ratchet & Clank and Marvel’s Spider-Man games.
Spyro dropped players into an open world that could be explored in sections by the player in any direction they chose. Exploration took center stage as Spyro fought to free the Dragon Kingdom from the evil Gnasty Gnorc. Spyro the Dragon was a huge success and launched a franchise of sequels, with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy hitting modern consoles in 2018.
10 Silent Hill Expanded Survival Horror in New Ways
Released in North America on February 24, 1999
While released just before the turn of the century, Silent Hill still stands out as one of the PlayStation’s most innovative games. Resident Evil confined the action to the Spencer Mansion, but players had the entire horrifying town of Silent Hill to explore.
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Of course, anyone entering Silent Hill would have to contend with psychological horrors as well as terrifying monsters. The tension was amped up by the need for protagonist Harry Mason’s flashlight, which was often the only source of light in the fogged-out world of nightmares. Silent Hill never stopped terrifying fans; it helped make the survival horror genre what it is today.
9 Driver Played Like the Best Action Movie Ever
Released in North America on July 8, 1999
If players managed to get past the rage-inducing tutorial level of 1999’s Driver, they would have been treated to an exceptional stunt-driving, police-chasing racing simulator that could stand with the other stars of the era. Players stepped behind the wheel as an undercover officer and had the chance to drive through four different real-life cities while carrying out massive stunts that would inspire older generations of GTO players.
Driver is representative of the decade for its over-the-top ’90s action movie themes and steep learning curve. The opening tutorial is widely considered one of the hardest segments in any game from the ’90s, a testament to some of the troubles even developers faced with the advanced game system, which kept a lot of players from enjoying the beauty of Driver.
8 Crash Bandicoot Showcased Next-Gen 3D Platforming
Released in North America on September 9, 1996
Crash Bandicoot, released in 1996, is Naughty Dog’s first major PlayStation hit. 2D platformers had been a tried-and-true formula for the ’80s and ’90s, but Crash proved what 3D could mean for video games. Crash and its sequels set a genuine precedent for any platforming franchise going forward and gave PlayStation a bona fide mascot.
PlayStation’s stable has expanded greatly, but Crash Bandicoot has always held a special place within gamer’s hearts. While Crash’s relevance waned later into the 2000s, Crash Bandicoot enjoyed a resurgence thanks to the release of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time.
7 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Captured a Generation’s Attention
Released in North America on September 29, 1999
Skating games owe much to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater from 1999, which erupted onto the PS1 and received major critical and commercial success. At the time, Tony Hawk was among the most popular sports icons. Combine that with the PlayStation 1’s popularity, and it’s no wonder the game succeeded.
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Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater spawned modern skating games such as Skate, but the power of the original Pro Skater continued over the years. Recent remasters such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 allow a new generation to explore and appreciate the PlayStation classic.
6 Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night Was a Genre-Spawning Hit
Released in North America on October 3, 1997
Castlevania Symphony of the Night released to store shelves for the PS1 and marked a watershed moment for the Metroidvania genre. Metroidvanias, as the title suggests, spawned from the labyrinth exploration Metroid and Castlevania titles became known for. Among them, Symphony of the Night became the most popular.
Switching the main character from a member of the Belmont bloodline to Alucard, the son of Dracula, immediately gave Symphony its own identity. Alucard’s new powers greatly expanded Castlevania‘s combat and exploration. Paired with stunning 2D sprites and animations, Symphony of the Night became a hit.
5 Resident Evil Launched the Survival Horror Genre
Released in North America on March 30, 1996
Resident Evil, one of Capcom’s most profitable franchises, exploded onto the scene with its first installment in 1996. Kicking off the survival horror genre, Resident Evil‘s fixed camera angles, restricted movement options, and resource management constantly put the player on the back foot.
Resident Evil was immediately followed up with sequels. The original even had a remake released on the Gamecube in 2002 and an HD re-release of that remake in 2014. Classic characters like Chris, Jill, and Wesker made very entertaining debuts, and the eerie atmosphere of the Spencer Mansion left an impression on gamers for years to come.
4 Xenogears Was the First in the Beloved RPG Series
Released in North America on October 20, 1998
Turn-based RPGs dominated the ’90s, including Xenogears, the first installment in the Xeno franchise. Released in 1998, Xenogears was originally a concept proposal for Final Fantasy VII but eventually became an experimental new IP focusing on religious themes and Jungian psychology.
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Squaresoft had multiple hits around this time, but Xenogears‘ slow rise cultivated a devout fanbase that has stayed strong over multiple installments. Characters from the Xeno franchise even featured prominently in crossover titles like Super Smash Brothers, proving just how far the series had come.
3 Tekken 3 Was Built Specifically for the PS1
Released in North America on April 30, 1998
While Virtua Fighter is the grandfather of 3D fighting games, Tekken is the undisputed king, a fact exemplified by the electric release of Tekken 3 in 1997. Introducing new characters, refining combat mechanics, and sporting some of the most impressive 3D models of the time, Tekken 3 made the competition painfully aware of its presence.
Many fighting games at the time were released on multiple consoles, but Tekken released exclusively on PlayStation for the ’90s and early 2000s, partly due to Tekken 3‘s success. Fine-tuned for the PS1’s hardware, Tekken 3 also performed nearly flawlessly, making the moment-to-moment gameplay even smoother.
2 Tomb Raider Was A Dynamic Puzzle-Solver
Released in North America on November 14, 1996
1996’s Tomb Raider set the bar for 3D exploration and introduced Lara Croft as a definitive PlayStation icon. Pushing the possibilities of Sony’s hardware, Tomb Raider‘s focus on dynamic environments and puzzle solving gave fans a fresh experience to enjoy on the PS1.
Critically acclaimed, Tomb Raider spurred multiple sequels and spin-offs, all leveraging Lara Croft’s charismatic appeal as the protagonist. While Tomb Raider eventually arrived on Xbox and PC, the original installment remained high atop the PlayStation pantheon.
1 Final Fantasy VII is a Constantly Revisited Classic
Released in North America on September 7, 1997
Final Fantasy VII needs little introduction. Not only was it PlayStation’s most influential title, but a generational juggernaut loved across the world. Final Fantasy already had steady international appeal outside of Japan, but Final Fantasy VII catapulted the series to an entirely different level in 1997.
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Iconic characters such as Cloud, Tifa, and Sephiroth are now well-known staples of gaming culture, loved for their flashy designs and intricate stories. With the Final Fantasy VII Remake in full swing, Final Fantasy VII‘s appeal is undeniable, proving the PS1 classic still stands the test of time.
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