In the gaming industry, the best PS1 games had a profound effect. The PS1 debuted in late 1994 and became an international hit, selling over 100 million gaming machines. Additionally, it served as a host for some of the best video games ever made.
The PS1 features some of the finest action, adventure, horror, racing, role-playing, and stealth games ever created. These seminal works helped to define their respective genres and provided inspiration for many generations of game designers.
Here are the best PS1 games that are still enjoyable to play now since the PS1 was home to some of the finest video games ever created.
Crash Team Racing
In the years after the enormous popularity of Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart clones proliferated on all systems. The finest kart-style game on the PlayStation is unquestionably Crash Team Racing. This Naughty Dog game, which contains characters from the Crash Bandicoot trilogy, can accommodate up to four players. It has aggressive and speed-boosting power-ups, drift turns, and quirky, intricate courses, just like its clear inspiration.
Contrary to Mario Kart titles, Crash Team Racing allows players to gradually unlock new characters and game types as they go through the narrative. It also provides the standard, time trial, and combat modes. Although Crash Team Racing doesn’t significantly alter the gameplay, it is still a well-made, appealing, and entertaining game. When it was at its best, it definitely served a need for PlayStation owners.
Ace Combact 2
One of the earliest PlayStation 1 games to fly was Ace Combat, which was originally launched as Air Combat. Ace Combat 2, the follow-up game by Namco, is a vast upgrade. As an arcade-style combat flight simulator, Ace Combat 2 prioritizes playability above simulation in all aspects of design.
Although the difficulty levels allow more dedicated players to fly with greater realism, it offers semi-realistic physics and the capacity to carry far more missiles than a genuine jet’s cargo. The gameplay is divided into rather straightforward, mission-based tasks. Depending on how well you were able to eliminate all of your targets, resources become available that may be used to enhance aircraft.
Bishi Bashi Special
Super Bishi Bashi and Hyper Bishi Bashi are combined in Bishi Bashi Special, which has 85 button-bashing activities with a wide range of absurd themes, from kicking mobsters to throwing custard pies at your wedding guests. You’ll need a Multitap to get the most out of the game because it supports up to three controllers at once. However, if you’re playing with a bigger group, everyone can still participate because the party mode supports up to eight players.
Street Fighter Alpha 3
A whopping 34 fighters from the whole history of the franchise are included in Street Fighter Alpha 3. Additionally, it brings three new playstyles or “isms” to the genre, altering the way combos function and how special abilities charge up. Although some players believed that the game’s 2D, sprite-based graphics were out of date, it really looks fantastic and holds up amazingly well as one of the most thorough and best-refined entries in the Street Fighter franchise.
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy’s entry into the strategic RPG genre was eagerly anticipated as it is one of the most well-known RPG franchises in Japan, and it did not disappoint. This one does away with the high-budget 3D extravaganza and sci-fi leanings of major PlayStation competitors like Final Fantasy VII and VIII, bringing up more intricate combat with 2D characters on isometric 3D stages and job classes that nod to the more traditional fantasy foundations of the series. Although there is a lot of fighting in this game, the story hasn’t been chopped, and it has a depth and maturity that belies how adorable the character designs are.
Ape Escape
Before the now-standard vibrating two-stick DualShock controller was shipped with the PlayStation, Ape Escape was the first game to call for it. The right stick is used to operate the devices rather than to control the camera. Ape Escape was praised at the time of its release and has since been warmly recalled for both its innovative presentation and gameplay in platforming video games.
Tekken 3
One of the most popular fighting games ever is Tekken 3. Due to the abundance of combinations and attacks, excellent visuals and music, and truly fun side modes, it dominated the fighting game market upon debut. Additionally, it introduced the series to now recognizable characters like Jin Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu. Give Tekken 3 a try even if you don’t believe fighting games are for you.
Wipeout XL
The Wipeout series offers gamers futuristic racing at unbelievable speeds. Piloting very quick anti-gravity aircraft through exciting, high-tech courses is what players do. Extremely fast speeds, power-ups, and the use of air brakes for drifting maneuvers around tight bends are all important to the gameplay.
Wipeout XL was praised in its day for its intense gameplay and slick presentation, including a techno music soundtrack and intricate background world-building that made it feel like the immersive, futuristic entertainment video games had been promised to become since the 1980s. Wipeout XL expanded and improved upon the first game in nearly every way.
Resident Evil 2
You must take control of Leon and Claire in order to get them out of Raccoon City alive since the residents there have been transformed into zombies. The gameplay is focused on exploration and conflict, with each main character having their own plot. Get ready for an adrenaline rush as you utilize both your intellect and strength to defeat the undead.
Worms Armageddon
Despite the fact that the Worms’s series has produced a large number of games, Worms Armageddon is still widely regarded as the greatest. On floating islands made of fruit or spaceships, you command a team of worms in a battle to the death utilizing absurd weaponry like flying sheep and holy hand grenades.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Former vampire Raziel now lurks in the shadows in an effort to eliminate his maker. This 3D action-adventure game is jam-packed with hours of gameplay that follow a captivating gothic plot with top-notch voice acting. The level design is brilliant; it switches between realms and calls for quick thinking and agility to tackle obstacles.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown some of the best PS1 games that are still enjoyable to play now since the PS1 was home to some of the finest video games ever created.