I started the Cheapest Games series quite a while ago and I figured I should revise some of the posts to reflect some of the changing values and give more relevant recommendations.   Hopefully, this revised list of PS1 games will help you start or build up your collection without having to spend much — I’ve even included some affordable “hidden gems” at the bottom if you need to round out your collection on the cheap  (Prices listed are an average eBay price for US games, including shipping)

Cheap Classics

	Metal Gear Solid: $9 This Konami classic not only was one of the biggest games on the Playstation, but it also one of the few 3D 32-bit games that has aged gracefully. It’s combination of great story-telling, innovative gameplay, and impressive graphics for the era resulted in a game that holds its own when compared to its more modern series installments and other games in the genre as well. Shop for Metal Gear Solid on eBay Shop for Metal Gear Solid on Amazon.com
	Street Fighter Alpha 3: $9 The PS1 isn’t known for having arcade-accurate ports of 2D fighters, but Capcom really came through in bringing Street Fighter Alpha 3 to the Playstation without compromising much. This character-filled brawl-fest is actually one of the best console ports and is an excellent value. If you have a PS2 and want the entire Alpha collection, the Street Fighter Alpha Anthology may be a better value for you. Shop for Street Fighter Alpha 3 on eBay Shop for Street Fighter Alpha 3 on Amazon.com
	Wipeout XL/Wipeout 3: $5 each If you are like me and prefer a futuristic arcade-style racer, you will love the Wipeout series. Wipeout XL and Wipeout 3 were the pinacles of the series on the PS1 and both are quite affordable. At these prices, you really can’t go wrong if you want some blazing-fast racing set to a killer techno soundtrack. Shop for Wipeout Series on eBay Shop for Wipeout Series on Amazon.com
	Rayman: $7 If you want a well-rounded two-dimensional platformer for the PS1 that gives you lots of beautiful sprites to complement great level designs, take a look at the original Rayman. The Playstation game is also a bit cheaper than the Saturn version. Shop for Rayman on eBay Shop for Rayman on Amazon.com
	Crash Bandicoot 2 & 3: About $8 each Crash Bandicoot was one of the first 3D platforming games that were worth playing.    Sure, it wasn’t quite as smooth or expansive as the revolutionary Super Mario 64 (which came out just before Crash Bandicoot), but it was a leap above most of the rest of the competition – especially on the PlayStation.  Crash 3 is considered by many to be the best of the entire series, as well as one of the greatest platformers of all time. Shop for Crash Bandicoot Series on eBay Shop for Crash Bandicoot Series on Amazon.com
	Tekken 3: $5 Personally, I’m not much for the Tekken series, but I know many a Playstation fan that will stand behind this 3D fighter franchise and the depth that Namco is known for. Tekken 3 was definitely one of the major landmarks on the PS1 and should be an essential purchase considering it’s bargain basement price. But keep in mind that the PS2 sequels are cheap as well. Shop for Tekken 3 on eBay Shop for Tekken 3 on Amazon.com
	Mega Man 8, X4, & X5: $5 each There are tons of Megaman games on the PS1. So if you enjoy all that running, jumping, and shooting action, there is plenty to keep you busy for quite a while without spending a lot of money. However, if you have a PS2, you might find the Megaman X Collection to be a much more affordable solution for you. Shop for Mega Man Series on eBay Shop for Mega Man Series on Amazon.com
	Syphon Filter Trilogy: $5 each If you want an action-filled good time to complement your Metal Gear Solid, take a look at the Syphon Filer games. Each game of the trilogy is filled with imaginative levels designs, each of which pushed gamers to explore, but also required them to think about every time they began a new stage. If you shop around eBay carefully enough, you may find someone selling all three of these game together for a much more cost-effective package (around $10 for the set). Shop for Syphon Filter Trilogy on eBay Shop for Syphon Filter Trilogy on Amazon.com
	Tony Hawk 3: $3 Before the Tony Hawk series plummeted into mediocrity, its first four installments broke new ground in a crowded market by offering unique gameplay, intuitive controls, and customization. The third installment greatly expanded the gameplay over the originals and allowed for greater replay value. Tony Hawk 4’s later levels are rather unpolished and glitch plagued, so the third installement is probably your best bet for the money. But when it comes down to it, all four of the PlayStation releases are technical achievements for the console and are worth playing today. Shop for Tony Hawk 3 on eBay Shop for Tony Hawk 3 on Amazon.com
	Metal Gear Solid VR Missions: $6 If you want an extra MGS fix in small bits, the VR Missions release is an excellent value.  This disc will help you will help you build various skills throughout it’s 300 included missions.  It’s not the full-bodied experience of a pure MGS game, but there’s some solid content here and for the price, you really can’t go wrong. Shop for Metal Gear Solid VR Missions on eBay Shop for Metal Gear Solid VR Missions on Amazon.com
	Ape Escape: $9 Ape Escape is arguably one of PlayStation’s most original, innovative, and engaging platform titles on PlayStation. The game uses only the analog controllers, and enables gamers to use them in ways that have never been done on a system previously. All that and the game if filled with monkeys. It doesn’t get any better than that! Shop for Ape Escape on eBay Shop for Ape Escape on Amazon.com
	Bust-A-Move 2 or ‘99: $6 I’m a sucker for solid puzzle games and it’s one genre that is never really hindered by aging techology.  The Bust-A-Move (aka Puzzle Bobble) series is one of my personally favorites and the installements before the 4th are my favorites as they don’t yet have the rather confusing combo system.   Part 2 and ‘99 (otherwise known as part 3) are really the sweet spots in my book — especially for the price! Shop for Bust A Move on eBay Shop for Bust A Move on Amazon.com
	Gran Turismo 2: $4 I debated if I should include this one or not as GT3 & 4 are both quite affordable on the PS2 as well. However, if you want a detailed console racer on the PS1 without spending much, look no further than Gran Turismo 2. The game features more than 600 cars, 27 tracks, hundreds of challenges, and more depth and replay value than any other racer on the Playstation. Shop for Gran Turismo 2 on eBay Shop for Gran Turismo 2 on Amazon.com
	Spyro the Dragon: $9 While Crash Bandicoot would be the closest any character would come to being the PlayStation’s mascot, Spyro the Dragon was a close second.  The Spyro the Dragon games are cartoonish 3D platformers that were quite popular with the younger crowd, but also had enough substance to keep established gamers entertained as well.    And like Crash Bandicoot, the Spyro games were some of the few non-Nintendo platforming games that did well in 3D.  It’s also worth noting that these three were the only three designed by Insomniac Games, and are often considered the best of the series. Shop for Spyro the Dragon on eBay Shop for Spyro the Dragon on Amazon.com

Other Cheap Favorites

Ridge Racer Type 4: $6 – eBay / Amazon.com
Mr Driller: $9 – eBay / Amazon.com
Colony Wars: Vengeance: $9 – eBay / Amazon.com
Driver 2: $4 – eBay / Amazon.com
Soul Blade: $6 – eBay / Amazon.com
Medal of Honor/Medal of Honor Underground: $5 – eBay / Amazon.com
Tomb Raider Series: $4 each – eBay / Amazon.com
Tenchu: Stealth Assassins: $5 – eBay / Amazon.com
Um Jammer Lammy: $8 - eBay / Amazon.com

Cheap Gems:

	Gundam Battle Assault 2: $9 It can be quite a challenge to find a solid 2D fighter on the PS1 that doesn’t have a more solid port on the Sega Saturn.  However, the Gundam games on the Playstation are exclusives and are surprisingly solid fighters.  In fact, you might actually have more fun with this mech fighter than some games that Capcom put out.  Since this game isn’t super common and/or in demand, you can sometimes find a really good deal on a copy.  Other times, sellers might be asking high prices for mint copies. Shop for Gundam Battle Assault 2 on eBay Shop for Gundam Battle Assault 2 on Amazon.com
	Tempest X3: $5 Don’t be thrown off too much by ther “X3″ in the title.  This is actually just a slightly enhanced Playstation port of Jeff Minter’s arcade remake, Tempest 2000 that debuted on the Atari Jaguar.   If you enjoy old-school fixed shooting, this is quite a bargain. Shop for Tempest X3 on eBay Shop for Tempest X3 on Amazon.com
	MDK: $6 Personally, I didn’t find out about the MDK series until I picked up the second installment as one of my first Dreamcast games.  Created by Earthworm Jim developed, Shiney Entertainment, this third-person shooter has solid combat, great puzzles, an impressive Tommt Tallarico soundtrack, and tons of personality.  I think you’ll find the sequel to be more challenging, but it’s a solid game considering the price. Shop for MDK on eBay Shop for MDK on Amazon.com
	Trap Gunner: $9 If you want an action game that doesn’t follow the standard formula, check into Trap Gunner.   You run the levels and set traps which are invisible to your opponent while duking it out with various attacks.  It’s a refreshing blend of action, strategy, and puzzle gamplay.  Unfortunately, it’s getting a bit harder to find for under $10 in good condition, especially since it’s not in abundant supply. Shop for Trap Gunner on eBay Shop for Trap Gunner on Amazon.com
	Tobal No 1: $8 Squaresoft’s first entry into the fighting genre remains a underground favorite due to it’s tight controls, freedom of movement, and intuitive grappling and blocking system. It’s sequel, No. 2, is an expensive import-only title, but the original is stil quite affordable. Shop for Tobal No 1 on eBay Shop for Tobal No 1 on Amazon.com

Other Cheap Gems:

Omega Boost: $5 – eBay / Amazon.com
Looney Tunes: Sheep Raider: $9 – eBay / Amazon.com
No One Can Stop Mr Domino: $7 – eBay / Amazon.com
Speed Punks: $7 – eBay / Amazon.com
Tiny Tank: $8 – eBay / Amazon.com
Board Game Top Shop: $7 – eBay / Amazon.com

Originally designed to be a peripheral for the Super Nintendo, Sony’s PlayStation brand would go on a steady climb through the late 1990s to dominate the market for two generations of games. But before it could get there, it would have to go toe to toe with the giants of the 16-bit era, Nintendo and Sega. The PlayStation, sometimes referred to as the PS, PS1, or even PSX, would also see an influx of gamers coming into the field while an older generation began looking for more mature titles. The little gray console would see one of the longest production runs in gaming history, running for over 11 years. Production would finally be halted on March 23, 2006.

Background Information

• Originally named the SNES-CD, it was changed to “Sony Play Station” after Nintendo’s deal with Sony soured.
• Nintendo dropped the original deal in 1991 after Hiroshi Yamauchi, then president of Nintendo, read the 1988 contract and discovered that Sony would practically have total control over all SNES-CD games.
• In 1992, Sony and Nintendo worked out a new deal where the “Play Station” would have a slot for SNES cartridges and Nintendo would own the rights and receive the majority of profit, while Sony’s SPC700 audio chips would still be used for SNES carts. Sony then decided against the deal, changed the name to PlayStation, and dropped the SNES port.
• Many third-party companies that were furious with Nintendo then abandoned the console developer and joined Sony, cementing their place on the market. The most notable of these would be Squaresoft.
• The console launched in Japan on December 3, 1994, in America on September 9, 1995, Europe, September 29, 1995, and Australia and New Zealand, November 1995.

Historical Impact

• The Playstation led the way in the transition from the cartridge format to the CD, though not the first to use CDs.
• While memory carts were used on the Sega Saturn and the Nintendo 64, the PS1 would utilize memory cards via its controller ports, the Sony PlayStation would be the first to utilize the portable memory device effectively
• Over 962 million PlayStation games have been sold worldwide.
• Proved that third party support was absolutely key to a console’s success.
• The general design of Sony’s PlayStation controller has also stayed similar in three generations, the longest of any game company.

Strengths

• Featured the Geometry Transformation Engine, which would allow it to process on average 360,000 flat-shaded polygons per second, and 180,000 texture mapped and light-sourced polygons per second.
• Could handle up to 16.7 million colors, with 24 bit color depth, resolutions ranging from 256×224 to 640×480, and up to 4000 8×8 pixel sprites at any time
• The PlayStation controller, while featuring 8 buttons and a D-pad initially, saw one of the greatest upgrades in the Dual Shock, which featured two Dual Analog sticks built into it in places easily accessible by the thumbs.
• Featured large amounts of 3rd party support, including the coveted Squaresoft.
• The console was also remembered for its large number of adult-oriented games, such as the Resident Evil series, Silent Hill, Parasite Eve, and Dino Crisis. Nintendo was meanwhile forced to fend off an image as “kiddy.”
• The Playstation has one of the most diverse game libraries in the history of the industry – the only console to surpass it was its successor, the Playstation 2.
• Fans of Japanese RPGs, 2D scrolling shooters, and platformers will find a wealth of essential games in the PS1 library.
• The Playstation is much easier to emulate accurately than both the Sega Saturn and the Nintendo 64.

Weaknesses

• Could only display quickly moving polygons in lower resolutions. Textures also sometimes appeared grainy. The machine was designed with 3D graphics in mind, so 2D graphics had to be saved in as multiple polygon textures.
• Games suffered from load times, and were less durable than the cartridges of previous eras. Cases are also fragile and have a tendency to crack.
• First generation PlayStations had cases and moving parts for their lasers made out of plastic, which would eventually wear away from friction and heat. Eventually Sony would fix this by replacing these parts with metal ones.
• Some early models, especially 100x models, would not run FMVs or streamed audio properly, leading to skipping or freezing. In a few extreme cases the machine would have to be turned over to work. Early consoles also suffered from some overheating problems.
• There were many different models released, featuring various ports, S-video, A/V and direct connections. One model could even play Video CDs. The overall amount is a bit mind-boggling, and charts are best used to describe them

Game Library

• Games That Defined The History of the Playstation – If you want to survey the games that made the Playstation the powerhouse of its generation, take a look at this guide.
• The Cheapest PS1 Games Worth Your Time – If you want to build up a quality Playstation library with the least amount of cash, check out this guide.
• The Best Undiscovered Playstation Games – There are plenty of good PS1 games that most people haven’t tried yet. Check these games out to broaden your horizons.
• The Rarest & Most Valuable PS1 Games – To make your PS1 collection the most respected in the world, you need to survey the possibilities here.
• The PS1’s 2D Shooter/Shmup Library – The PlayStation is one of the best consoles to own for fans of 2D shooters. This guide takes a look at pretty much every shmup in the PS1’s library.

Importing & Modifying

• PlayStations are region locked, though some early models could play burned games and imports using the swap trick.
• Modchips exist that require minimal soldering skills to use, though local and national laws should be considered before installation.
• Other mods that require no use of soldering tools do exist, such as the Breaker Pro, though the quality of these devices is debatable.

Emulation

• PlayStation 2 is backwards compatible, so PlayStation games will work on it along with Playstation memory cards and Dual Shock controllers.
• All existing models of the Playstation 3 are also able to play PS1 games – even those that do not have support for PS2 games.
• Emulators to play PlayStation games on the PC, such as ePSXe(including a Linux version), PCSX, PSXeven, and pSX. Tools also exist to emulate PlayStation titles on other formats, including the PSP and iPhone.
• You can get some impressive results by tweaking your settings, plugins, and filters on ePSXe

Accessories

• The PlayStation garnered considerable third party support for controller design, such as the EA Sports PlayStation Controller, the Namco neGCon Analog Controller, or the Performance Dual Impact Controller. The Namco JogCon is a particularly interesting design, a mixture of standard PlayStation controller and steering wheel.
• Joysticks(including the Dual Sticks and ASCIIWARE Specialized Joystick), Dance Pads(such as the Konami Dance Pad), Racing Wheel, and an official Mouse and Mousepad(and a trackball mouse as well) were released for the PlayStation.
• Stranger controllers, such as the Agetec Bass Landing Fishing Controller, Reality Quest Glove, Ultra Racer, and even the Naki Finger Dance Pad, were all manufactured for this console. Perhaps the oddest is the Beatmania controller, with five keyboard keys and a mini-turntable.
• A wide selection of light guns were made available by such companies as Nyko and Mad Catz. Namco also manufactured and marketed their own light gun, the GunCon(G-Con if you live in Europe), though it only worked with Namco games. Auto-reload pedals were also sold.
• Multi taps were manufactured, allowing games to have up to four players. Two multi taps could be combined to allow a maximum of eight players for the biggest games. Link cables were also manufactured to hook two PlayStations together.
• A vast array of cheating and import materials, from Code Breakers to Game Sharks to Game Enhancers existed for the console, working via swap tricks, or even plugging into the parallel port found on the back. Some of these doubled as additional memory storage devices.
• Other storage devices that used the printer port were available, as well as larger-sized memory cards from third party developers. Sony also released a special memory card, the Pocketstation, which had a variety of features. It could also unlock extra features in some games, and could transfer saves directly to other Pocketstations.
• Additional memory storage included Interact’s Dex Drive, which allowed people to upload their saves from their memory cards onto their computers. The PlayStation was also compatible with Blaze Technology’s MPXchanger, as were the Pocketstations.
• An official carrying case was also released for the console.

Variations in Hardware

• The PlayStation had multiple hardware variations, often changing the type of ports. The SCPH-1000 had S-Video connections. Later models dropped the parallel port first, and then the serial port.
• One model, the SCPH-5903, was the only model that could play Video CDs.
• The SCPH-700x series standardized Dual Shock, and were released around the time the 10 millionth unit was sold. As a result, Sony released several of these in Midnight Blue.
• The SCPH-5552 had an extremely rare Men in Black variant. The case was black and had the film’s logo on the top of its CD lid.
• The SCPH-900x series introduced Sound Scope to the PlayStation, but removed the parallel port.
• The PS One was a smaller, retooled version of the PlayStation. It lacked the parallel and serial ports, could play all PlayStation games, featured a different interface, and was designed to be very difficult to modchip. Sony also released an LCD screen and an adapter so the console could be used in a car. (See Pictures)
• The Net Yaroze was a black PlayStation that featured many of the tools for game development, though not everything. It was also region free, but could not play burned games. Programming was also limited to 2MB of game space. (See Pictures)
• Blue and green developer consoles can also be found on the market. They are virtually identical to other PlayStations, though they could play burned games. The difference in color represented the hardware they used: Blue for “Revision B,” green for “Revision C.”

Deciding Between Various PS1 Models

• Unless S-Video is absolutely essential, look for a later model, like the 500x series. By that point most of the major hardware issues are fixed, such as the plastic laser pieces.
• PSOnes offer portability due to the LCD screen and car adapter, but lack serial ports, so link cables do not work on them. They’re also difficult to mod.
• 900x series does not include the parallel port, making it incompatible with some of the peripherals, especially some larger memory storage devices. However, there are the only standard PS1 models with Sound Scope.
• Dual Shock is standardized in the 700x series, so keep that in mind when selecting controllers!

Advantages PS1 Has Over a PS2

• Because there is no reliance on an ejecting CD tray, the PlayStation tends to have a longer lifespan than the PS2.
• Certain PlayStation games are not compatible with the PS2, or with specific models. A few will run but experience technical problems.
• These games do not work at all: Fighter Maker, Judge Dredd, Monkey Hero, Poy Poy 2
• Tobal 2 typically has trouble on the PS2, though may work on later PS2 models. The PAL version is apparently ok.
• Final Fantasy V sometimes glitches while saving on PlayStation 2.
• Mortal Kombat Trilogy only works on one model PS2, only when it’s the Greatest Hits copy. But even this version freezes when the player beats arcade mode.
• PS2 3000X models have trouble running Legend of Dragoon, Lunar Silver Star Story, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete, Metal Gear Solid: Special Missions, and Final Fantasy Tactics
• Some games including Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, Driver, and Syphon Filter 3 do not work on the PS2 Slim at all (see full list here) Since some of these are good games, it’s well worth it to pay the extra few bucks to use them.
• Many of the peripherals for the PS1 do not work on the PS2, especially anything that used the parallel port.

Affordability

• Because the console was basically replaced by a backwards compatible PlayStation 2, PlayStations generally sell for very cheap on eBay, usually less than $20.00. PS Ones can go for slightly more, depending on the peripherals. Developer and rare models can be much more expensive.
• PlayStation games can range from dirt cheap to extremely expensive, depending on the rarity and quality of the game. The PlayStation has a large library that many people still have access to because of backwards compatibility on the PS2(and some models of PS3). Some games were also hyped a great deal, and suffer from artificially inflated prices.

Aside from the huge amount of stand-alone shooter releases, a handful of non-shmup Playstation games included “mini-shmups” hidden in distant corners for players to encounter. Here are a few of the most notable ones -

“Tiny Phalanx” (Zero Divide)

Somewhere within the coded confines of this long-forgotten 3D fighter, the developers, for whatever reason, saw fit to hide a bite-sized side-scroller that’s pretty much exactly what the title suggests – a “mini” reimagining of the 16-bit shooter Phalanx. While only three stages long, it plays almost exactly the same as its inspiration, featuring several of the latter’s weapons, enemies, and backdrops – the graphics have been slightly improved, however, and you now have a supply of bombs to save you in a pinch. While it’s definitely nothing mind-blowing, especially if you already have the original on the SNES or GBA, it’s definitely one of the more interesting “hidden” games out there, and at least an encouraging sign that even developers working during the era when it was “3D or Nothing” still had some love for sprite-based gaming.    To access Tiny Phalanx, while the Zero Divide disc is booting up, hold the Start and Select buttons on controller two – once the shooter starts up, you’ll play using the second controller.

“Groovy Arche” (Tales of Phantasia)

While all that Westerners ever got of the first game in the Tales series was the subpar GBA port, the Japanese were able to play not only the Super Famicom original but a PS1 remake which included, alongside other extras, a side-scrolling shooter minigame where you play as Arche, the witch character, flying on her broom. It’s a short section (a score attack run, really), lasting around three minutes total, but there are plenty of point bonuses to rack up (nearly all of which are vocally announced in the background), based on everything from simply not dying to killing enemies quickly, along with several weapon types to use. It’s not the most impeccably-tuned shooter ever, but it is cute, and a nice diversion from the RPG goings-on of the rest of the game – it was eventually released on its own as a mobile phone title. On the PS1, you access it by talking to a robot located in the future’s Thor City.

“Versus Steely Dan/Lovers” (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)

While Capcom’s take on the long-running manga’s most popular story arc is primarily a fighting game, the Playstation version, unlike its Dreamcast counterpart, includes a “Super Story Mode” which not only features (duh) extra story elements, but several mini-games, including a side-scrolling shooter, which can also be unlocked and played on their own. You actually play as 2 characters at once, controlling each one’s attacks with separate buttons – the “main” character can power his laser up with items, and while the other has fixed power he is invulnerable to damage and can attack in any direction. In “SS” mode it’s encountered relatively early on, in Chapter 13 – to unlock it, you’ll need 600 Jojo points.

“Galaga” (Mortal Kombat 3)

Whatever you may think of the Mortal Kombat series, one can’t deny the developers’ apparent fondness for hiding some interesting stuff in their products – this time around, among other things, there’s a variation of Galaga waiting for you if you get tired of ripping internal organs out of people. It’s stupidly hard, if not impossible, especially due to the fact that you receive little to no invincibility when respawning, but you do get to hear the “toasty!” sound bite whenever you die, as well as “that was pathetic” when you lose all your lives.    To play it, at the “Versus” screen before a match, player 1 should enter “6-4-2” (silhouette – question mark – yinyang), while player 2 should enter “4-6-8” (question mark – silhouette – Shao Kahn). A message should appear to inform you that you’re being transported to the “Realm of Rellim Ohcanep” (apparently the last names of two of the game’s developers spelled backwards, a la “Noob Saibot”) – the current credit will be lost when all your lives are gone. This mini-game is also available in other MK variations.

“Loading Screen” (Ridge Racer Revolution)

Leave it to Namco to toss in references to their back catalogue wherever they possibly can – while the game is loading up, you can occupy yourself with the bonus level from Galaga. Also, if you don’t shoot any of the aliens during the roughly 30-second segment, you’ll unlock the ability to set the time of day for the race in the “Other” screen.

The Sony PlayStation essentially came out of nowhere in the mid 1990’s to take on both Nintendo and Sega in the heated console wars.  With some impressive technology and a heavy marketing budget behind them, Sony rallied a number of the best game developers in the industry to create a powerhouse library of games – many of which laid a solid foundation for generations to come.

This overview of the PS1 takes a look at the games that made the largest impact on the industry at the time and gave the Playstation its unique personality while overcoming its opponents (as opposed to a standard list of “the best” PS1 games)

Due to the size of this article and the variety of games discussed, it quickly became a group project.  While Ack and I led this project, there were also many contributions from Daniel Primed, The Apprentice, Radarscope1, Niode, Fastbilly1, and BulletMagnet.  Thanks to all for their contributions and I hope everyone enjoys the results!

Final Fantasy Series

Before Sony made the bold move of taking on Sega and Nintendo in the ultra-competitive gaming industry, Sony had partnered with Nintendo to develop a CD add-on for the Super Nintendo.   After Nintendo breached the contract and ultimately decided to ditch the CD format, Sony decided to create the PlayStation on their own and make Nintendo regret their decision.

In addition to a new competitor in Sony, Nintendo suffered from the loss of Squaresoft as premier third party publisher.  Square, angry about Nintendo’s decision to go with the cartridge format instead of CD, dropped all connections with the company and instead began producing titles exclusively for the PlayStation, including their beloved Final Fantasy series.

As the first Final Fantasy game to be presented in three dimensions, Final Fantasy VII was a milestone in the RPG genre.  For many impressionable youths in this new gaming generation, it was an introduction to the genre and was an early showcase of what could be done with computer generated cut-scenes and story-telling.  Even though it may not have been the greatest Final Fantasy in terms of game mechanics, it is definitely high on the food chain in terms of iconic characters and experiences from the 32-bit era.

The PlayStation would also see highly-anticipated releases of Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX – each of which was met with rave reviews and tremendous sales.  Final Fantasy VII finished up with 9.8 million copies worldwide and the sequels followed up with 6 million and 5.08 million respectively.

Final Fantasy VIII and IX really showed Square’s growth in using high-quality music and graphics for storytelling.   The length of the games was also quite impressive.  Final Fantasy VII spanned multiple discs at it’s release in 1997 in Japan, just over two years after the release of the console, using disc space to put 3D rendered characters on pre-rendered backgrounds, as well as featuring 3D combat and pre-rendered cut scenes.   Final Fantasy VIII and IX took it a step further by filling up four CDs each.  Indeed, the quality of CG would make Square even more famous then it had been after its success with Nintendo’s previous consoles.

When the book was closed on these blockbusters, the huge revenue stream helped fund the company’s attempts at breaking into other game genres.  While Square would not see nearly as much success in these areas, the games did endear more fans to the company, leading some to speculate that Squaresoft alone could pick which console would win the generation wars.
Check for Final Fantasy Series on eBay

Metal Gear Solid

Hideo Kojima’s career-spanning series, Metal Gear, broke into super-stardom on PlayStation with Metal Gear Solid.  Selling over 7 million copies during its lifespan, the game would become on of the highest selling games in the 32-bit generation.  Of course, it also was the beginning of a franchise that would help sell millions PS2s and PS3s for years to come.

Metal Gear Solid’s success comes as little surprise as it brought movie-like cut scenes, an incredible cast of characters, bizarre secrets, incredible audio, and more stealth action than one could shake a stick at.  The game mechanics came as such a pleasant surprise to mainstream gamers that Metal Gear Solid is often credited as having created the popularizing the Stealth genre that is now filled with many blockbuster titles.

Of course, what more could be expected from a title whose designers were out to “literally make the best PlayStation game ever”.  And despite some criticisms about the short length of the title, the constant cut scenes, and how easy it was to avoid enemies, some gamers could argue they did it, or at least came close.

Looking back at the 32-bit era, it’s easy to see that many of the early 3D games don’t age especially well when compared to their newer counterparts.  However, Metal Gear Solid seems to be one of the few exceptions to the rule.  Kojima and Company did an outstanding job making use of the PlayStation’s capabilities and made sure to push the limits of the things that matter most in the long-term: gameplay and story.  Even though the game was remade on the Gamecube, it is still strongly recommended that one play the original version of this classic on the PlayStation.
Check for Metal Gear Solid on eBay

Crash Bandicoot Series

Originally created by famed developers, Naughty Dog, the Crash Bandicoot series would see five releases on the PlayStation before going multi-platform in 2001.  While the Crash series has seen 14 titles, with over 20 million games sold worldwide, the PlayStation era yielded the largest impact.

Crash had a couple of things going for it during the 32-bit era.  First of all, as Sony was trying to make its mark in the gaming industry, it unofficially embraced Crash as it’s mascot – much like Nintendo’s Mario and Sega’s Sonic characters.  Just as Sega of America’s advertising campaigns went down the tubes, Sony was airing numerous commercials featuring a guy in a giant Crash Bandicoot suit that seemed like something that the cutting-edge Sega would have run in the Genesis days (including ones where Crash challenged Mario to a fight).

In addition to the advertising campaigns, Crash Bandicoot was one of the first 3D platforming games that were worth playing.    Sure, it wasn’t quite as smooth or expansive as the revolutionary Super Mario 64 (which came out just before Crash Bandicoot), but it was a leap above most of the rest of the competition – especially on the PlayStation.

The series would see annual releases up until 2000, with the second and third games, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, being released in 1997 and 1998 respectively. Both continued being platformers, though introduced major changes for the better.  Indeed, Crash 3 is considered by many to be the best of the entire series, as well as one of the greatest platformers of all time.

From there, the series branched out, with the 1999 release of Crash Team Racing, a kart-racer like Mario Kart 64.  It was Naughty Dog’s last release before Eurocom took over the Crash franchise with Crash Bash, a party game that sold relatively well despite less than stellar reviews.
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Gran Turismo Series

For racing junkies and PlayStation fans alike, Gran Turismo is recognized as one of the greatest high-speed series of all time.  Seeing only two releases on the PS1, both titles serve as some of the best-selling racing games in history.  The original Gran Turismo holds the honor of being the highest selling PlayStation game in the world, with over 10.85 million copies sold worldwide and the sequel isn’t far behind at 9.37 million sold.

Of all things, perhaps Gran Turismo’s greatest strengths are its realism and its size.  It wasn’t quite as easy to dive into as your standard arcade racers, but it rewarded those who invested the time necessary to master it.   From the beginning of the series, the developers at Polyphony Digital were committed to make sure the models and handling of the vehicles were as true to life as possible with the technology at hand.  Everything from physical to accurate audio was taken into consideration.   In addition to having relatively accurate representations of each of the featured cars, players were able to tune the performance to their liking.

The first game featured over 170 selectable vehicles and 11 racetracks, as well as a soundtrack featuring the works of Chemical Brothers, Garbage, Feeder, and more.  Gran Turismo 2 continued this success, with nearly 650 playable vehicles and 27 tracks, as well as being released with a full soundtrack.  The game was so large that it required two disks, something unheard of in a racing game.
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Tekken 3

While the Tekken series may have been one of the greatest selling 3D fighters on the PlayStation console, it is specifically Tekken 3 that deserves special attention.  Considered the pinnacle of the series, Tekken 3 brought over fifteen new characters, a revised combat system where moves were easier to combo, the z-axis and side-stepping were made key to avoiding attacks, and jumps were severely toned down.

When brought over from the arcade, mini-game modes like Tekken Force and Tekken Ball were added on top of the older modes from Tekken 2.  Backgrounds became more limited and character models had frames of animation removed as well as lower polygon counts and fewer textures.  The game also was forced to a lower resolution.  The new gameplay was left largely intact, however, and including all unlockables, the roster held an impressive 23 characters.

At its release, changes to the combat engine were happily accepted and the game was considered almost perfect by reviewers.  Three out of four reviewers at Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game a 10 out of 10, with the last giving a 9.  Years later, the game is still considered one of the best, appearing on Top 10 lists.  As of this writing, Game Rankings rates Tekken 3 as the 10th highest rated game of all time, much to the ire of Virtua Fighter fans everywhere.
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Tomb Raider Series

The Tomb Raider games may seem like standard fare now, but back in 1996, the series was revolutionary in more ways than one.  First of all, Tomb Raider was one of the first 3D action adventure games on the market and had excellent use of 3D environments in an era when most developers were still trying to wrap their brains around truly 3D game design.

In addition to the relatively expansive and innovative game design, Tomb Raider was also a trailblazer in terms of character design.  Even though Nintendo’s Metroid series was the first to have a strong female character as a lead, most gamers would never have known it at the time.  However, it was hard to ignore the fact that Lara Croft was not your typical game protagonist.   While the extra curvy character design raised some eyebrows and attracted some extra attention from young male gamers, Lara was more than a pretty face.

The Tomb Raider series focuses on Lara’s archaeological exploits in various tombs around the world and how they often turn sour, due to animal attacks, traps, puzzles, or nefarious forces attempting to steal said artifacts.   Once gamers played the games, it was obvious that Lara Croft was more of a female Indiana Jones-meets-James Bond than a stereotypical pin-up girl.

Developed by the relatively small team at Core Design (which was newly acquired by Eidos), Tomb Raider was a quite ambitious project, but the early hype and the large sales impact the game had at the 1996 launch took the team by surprise.  Though originally being released on the Sega Saturn, the first Tomb Raider would see great success on the PlayStation console, leading to further success on Sony’s console and easily becoming a top-seller.

After blowing the gaming industry away, Eidos pushed Core to have Tomb Raider II ready to ship by the holiday season of 1997.  Even under such a tight deadline (development was finished in nine months), Tomb Raider II was a solid product that adequately improved over the original with superior graphics, twice the scope, more flexible controls, and the ability to use vehicles.  This time it wasn’t much of a surprise that Tomb Raider II was heavily anticipated and had amazing sales numbers.

In the end, Core Design pumped out five solid, blockbuster games in as many years and gave not only the PlayStation, but also the entire gaming industry one of the most iconic characters of a generation.  The series didn’t have a huge evolution within itself, but it definitely inspired many other developers to create many of the more advanced 3D adventures that we enjoy to this day.
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Resident Evil Series

Capcom had a lot to offer when it came to two-dimensional games, but with the rise of the PlayStation and the demand for the 3D games, Capcom needed to reinvent itself a bit to stay ahead of the competition.   Its first successful 3D title, Resident Evil (known as “Biohazard” in Japan) was a new direction for the company and helped popularize the “survival horror” genre.

The Resident Evil games typically followed the exploits of two characters as they end up ensnared in a diabolical plot by the Umbrella Corporation, a leading pharmaceuticals company.  Umbrella produces biological weapons which turn people into zombies, and said zombies then attack other people, making them zombies and propagating Umbrella’s weapon.

The main objectives of the games were to conserve ammunition and health items while dealing with limited inventory space, bizarre puzzles and fetch quests, and attempting to avoid such enemies as zombies, dogs, giant spiders, and other creatures that will make you jump out of your seat.

The PlayStation-era Resident Evil games weren’t as fully three-dimensional as some other titles out there, but instead featured 3D characters moving against pre-rendered backgrounds.  They were also known for their tank-like character controls.   Modern gamers might be a bit put off by the control scheme, but it’s fun to look back on them and see how much the series has evolved.

Something Resident Evil has never shied away from is violence.  The large amounts of violence, bloodshed, and gore began a trend that continues into modern gaming, where Sony was given the image of catering towards a more adult crowd while Nintendo added to its image of being the “kiddy” game company.

The Resident Evil series would eventually see three installments on the PlayStation in addition to a Director’s Cut of the original game.  While all three games would later see re-releases or remakes on other platforms, the PS1 was the place to play them when they were cutting-edge.  The Resident Evil series has remained tremendously successful, seeing multiple spin-off titles, sequels, prequels, numerous game-based merchandising, ports and remakes, as well as comic lines, book series, and films.
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Ridge Racer Series

The mid-1990s saw an arms race on the arcade scene, with more and more powerful graphics engines being developed in response to waning player interest and increasingly popular home consoles. The result was a huge gap between arcade games and console ports in many cases. So when new PlayStation owners popped in this disc and saw Ridge Racer running smooth and playing even smoother on their TV at home, it was enough to change the mind of even the most skeptical gamer about whether Sony was worthy of entering the home market.  Even though Ridge Racer was in the arcades for about two years before it was ported to the PS1, it didn’t make it any less impressive when it was released.

While many Ridge Racer reviews lead one to believe that the PS1 port is “arcade perfect”– the textures are much lower resolution than the arcade version, and there’s good deal of tearing at the seams if you go back and play it today. Two other aspects of the game held up perfectly, however – the gameplay and the audio. The visceral drifting action at the heart of the game was unchanged, and the sound (annoying announcer and all) was the type of thing that simply couldn’t be done on the cartridge-based systems of the time.

Ridge Racer on the PlayStation was actually a fairly light on content, though it did go beyond what the coin-op machine offered. There was essentially a single track that also had an extension section filled with hairpin turns on the harder difficulties. Coming in first on all four races (beginner, medium, expert and time trial) unlocked the reverse courses. A little trick (running through the wall behind the starting block at more than 60 mph) also unlocked mirror courses, for a total of 16 ways to race the track. Beating a Galaxian mini-game during the load sequence unlocked eight more cars in addition to the original four, and beating the impossibly fast #13 black car on the time trial unlocked it as well.

Ridge Racer was also notable because it was the first Namco game on the PlayStation. Namco went on to become a huge force the system. It rarely published games on other consoles, and essentially became a defacto second party developer for Sony, much like Squaresoft did for Nintendo in the 16-bit era. It supported the PlayStation with dozens of games, include three more Ridge Racer titles.
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Final Fantasy Tactics

Mentioned separate from the Final Fantasy series specifically to make a point, Final Fantasy Tactics was the first truly successful strategy RPG released in America.  It was not the first, with titles like Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen being released on Super Nintendo, but it sold significantly more units and brought tactical RPGs to the masses.  Of course the similarities between the Ogre games and Final Fantasy Tactics wasn’t a coincidence.  Tactics actually shared much of the same team that made Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre.

What’s also interesting about Final Fantasy Tactics is how different it was from the other Final Fantasy games in the 32-bit era.  Instead of pushing 3D graphics and focusing on visual story-telling, Tactics took an old-school approach with sprites and a rotating, isometric playing field.

The classic combat gameplay found in Tactics is just as outstanding and is really the star of the show. The game features a complex “job” system, first introduced in Final Fantasy V. Much like a game of chess, Tactics forces players to think carefully about each move, to plan ahead, and to bring the best possible strategies to duke it out against many challenging opponents. Many games, since its time, have attempted to copy and improve on its formula, but none have managed to do so with the same dramatic flair and unusual style as Final Fantasy Tactics.

Indeed, probably the greatest problem Final Fantasy Tactics had would also be the thing that would make it popular: it’s featuring the Final Fantasy name.  While this likely led many fans of the Final Fantasy series to pick it up, it also led to its inevitable overshadowing by Final Fantasy VII, released only a few months before it.    However, Tactics was still quite successful, selling about 2.3 million copies on the PlayStation.  It also saw a handful of spin-offs/sequels on portable platforms, but none has received quite as much praise as the PlayStation original.

When all was said and done, Final Fantasy Tactics is one of the most involved, serious, and well-rounded strategy RPGs out there. Despite being more than 6 years old, it remains as playable and fascinating as ever. Final Fantasy Tactics is notable for its well-crafted storyline, which might actually be one of the best in the Final Fantasy series.
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Spyro the Dragon Series

While Crash Bandicoot would be the closest any character would come to being the PlayStation’s mascot, Spyro the Dragon was a close second.  The Spyro the Dragon games are cartoonish 3D platformers that were quite popular with the younger crowd, but also had enough substance to keep established gamers entertained as well.    And like Crash Bandicoot, the Spyro games were some of the few non-Nintendo platforming games that did well in 3D.

The Spyro games each featured free-roaming 3D environments, fantasy and futuristic locales, and even crossed over to the Crash Bandicoot series from time to time.  (In fact, several of the later PlayStation Crash games would feature demo discs for Spyro titles, and vice versa.)

Of course, the games each centered around Spyro, a cocky little purple dragon that is a bit on the curious side.  When enemies come and invade the various fantasy worlds that Spyro inhabits, he inevitably must go out and solve the problem, usually with the help of a group of friends.  Though Spyro would branch out in later years to different consoles and handhelds, three titles were released on PlayStation.  These three were the only three designed by Insomniac Games, and are often considered the best of the series.

On a side note, all of the original PlayStation’s releases feature music by Stewart Copeland, better known as the drummer from the band The Police.  It is often compared to Mutato Muzika’s music from the Crash Bandicoot games.
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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Symphony of the Night would mark a turning point in the history of all Castlevania games.  It would follow the son of Dracula, Alucard, instead of a Belmont clan member.  Instead of a level-by-level design that previous titles had stuck to, Symphony of the Night featured a more open-ended play style for traversing Dracula’s castle, as well as a leveling and equipment system similar to RPGs.  While these ideas had been tried in passing in Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, they would really be explored on this PlayStation hit, and would become mainstays to the series afterwards.

The controls were also opened up a bit, allowing for abilities like double-jumping, as well as magic spells and a series of transformations the player could gain, allowing Alucard access to new areas of Dracula’s castle.

Perhaps one of the most important features of the game is its 2D style.  On a console known for 3D games, Symphony of the Night shined as a model of what 2D could be like in the 32-bit era, with excellent backgrounds and sprite designs that hold up well years later.

The musical score also featured a large variety of musical styles, ranging from jazz to metal to techno, and received much praise from fans.  Because of its success, almost all following Castlevanias would feature a similar format and Symphony of the Night is still the standard by which all future Castlevania games are measured.
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Twisted Metal Series

While most European and Japanese fans may not remember the Twisted Metal series due to its lack of release anywhere but the United States, American gamers will never forget how awesome a game about vehicular combat could be.

The Twisted Metal series was synonymous with the PlayStation almost from day one, seeing it’s first game put out in just under two months after the North American PlayStation’s release.  The series would become known for its large cast of kooky characters, its outrageous storyline and ending sequences, its explosive combat, and its exclusivity.  (Twisted Metal games have only ever appeared on Sony consoles and PCs).

And what’s not to love about a series where the player can select a hearse or a biker to bring untold destruction upon a dune buggy or a police car?  Sure, the drivers sometimes change vehicles between games, and the cast fluctuates with each new title, but the old favorites almost always find some way of returning.  And though the series would see five releases on the PlayStation alone, the gameplay was always one giant destruction derby battle royale to the last man standing.
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Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Series

Before the Tony Hawk series plummeted into mediocrity, its first four installments broke new ground in a crowded market by offering unique gameplay, intuitive controls, and customization. The series first two titles were best known for their PlayStation releases, and rightly so; the PlayStation ports were superior to the Nintendo 64 versions and outsold the Dreamcast ports.

What makes Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater so revolutionary? When the game was released in 1999, it was almost alone in its genre since many previously released skateboarding games were commercial failures. The game made a terrific first impression however and game store demo kiosks were often surrounded by gamers waiting to play it. It offered a unique control scheme that offered steaming, smooth combos allowing gamers to skate realistically for the first time, and the skating environments were ingeniously designed to allow for maximum replay value.

The second game upped the ante with an expanded arsenal of tricks at the player’s disposal, improved graphics, and a skater and level creator, which was a real novelty at the time. The third and fourth installments also expanded the gameplay and allowed for greater replay value, although these games were also given superior releases on next-generation consoles. Slowing sales might have influenced the game designers, judging by the later levels of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, which are unpolished and glitch plagued. Despite these issues, all four of the PlayStation releases are technical achievements for the console and are worth playing today.
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PaRappa the Rapper

One of the first groundbreaking rhythm games, PaRappa the Rapper was also one of the most bizarre and interesting.  Players follow PaRappa, a rapping dog who wants to win the affection of a girl named Sunny Funny by doing such tasks as learning to drive and baking a cake – oh and, of course, he has to show off his rapping skills in the process.

That’s where gameplay actually comes in.  To rap, the player must press certain buttons in the right rhythm to get higher ratings.  Screw up, and lyrics come out as unintelligible gibberish.  Do well enough, and PaRappa gets to go nuts and freestyle.  While not overly complex, the title attracted fans with its story, its style, and its art.  The entire game features 2D flat characters on 3D backgrounds, similar to Paper Mario.

While not nearly as popular as other titles on the list, PaRappa the Rapper did receive a sequel on the PlayStation 2, as well as a spin-off game, UmJammer Lammy.  It also spawned an animated series in Japan, PaRappa Rappa.  The title would also serve as a view of things to come, as rhythm games would soon after be a major draw in arcades around the world.
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Dance Dance Revolution Series

Created by the same team at Konami that designed Beatmania a year before, Dance Dance Revolution (often-abbreviated DDR) would begin taking the arcade world by storm in the late 1990s.  The title is a rhythm game that requires the player to press arrow buttons with their feet in time with the arcade cabinet’s screen, a concept that seems simple enough until the actual speed of the game and the various potential foot maneuvers are taken into account.  The console release would see floor pads that were similar in design in function, keeping the arcade feel of the game in the home.

While most nations wouldn’t see much in the way of console releases until late in the PlayStation’s life, Japanese gamers would see thirteen different DDR games released for their home consoles, with different tracks or remixes and slightly tweaked rules upon each release.

DDR eventually became one of the few games in the US that would keep the few remaining arcades open.  Die-hard rhythm fans would practice on their PlayStations at home before showing off their skills in the public venue.

Eventually Disney would get in touch with Konami, leading to titles like Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix.  It would also spread to the next two generations of consoles, DVD games, television games, the PC, and cell phones.
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Chrono Cross

The Super Nintendo’s Chrono Trigger was a fantastic journey that served as one of the best role-playing experiences of all time.  However, considering that Chrono Cross didn’t have the full “Dream Team” of developers behind it (only Hironobu Sakaguchi returned), this sequel had a lot to live up to.

A lot of things have changed from Chrono Trigger, especially the characters we grew to love.  In Chrono Cross, our hero is Serge, a teenage boy who shows up in an alternate world in which he had already passed away mysteriously over ten years ago.  Of course, he teams up with a number of other characters along the way (the game features forty-five playable characters) in order to find the Frozen Flame, which will allow them the bend space and time and ultimately help them find out what is really going on.

Much like Chrono Trigger, the whole “parallel dimensions” thing plays a very large role in the story and gameplay, so there are a lot of parallel concepts between the two games.  However, since the storylines are not directly connected, you can play Chrono Cross before Chrono Trigger without feeling lost or being dragged down with the feeling that you’re missing out on a back-story.

While some fans were a bit disappointed that it wasn’t as much of a direct sequel as they would have liked, the general consensus was quite positive and is typically regarded as one of the premier games in an already impressive selection of Playstation RPGs.
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Xenogears

What happens when you take many of Squaresoft’s best and brightest from the 1990s, give them a piece of an epic six-part series, and tell them to add in anime cutscenes directed by Koichi Mahimo (known for his work on Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion)?  You get Xenogears, a title many refer to as one of Square’s greatest works.

Xenogears, part five of the six-part Xenogears Perfect Works book series, combined an epic storyline, lengthy amounts of anime cutscenes, a combat system that featured both mech combat and fighting game mechanics in an RPG, and even an ending theme with vocals by Joanne Hog.

Not bad for a title that almost didn’t see a stateside release due to “sensitive religious issues”  (and European gamers still haven’t seen an official release).  While the game’s amount of questions may leave some people scratching their heads, the combat system was something very unique for its time.  Random encounters were fought either in giant mechs, called Gears in the game, where actions are controlled by fuel, or on the ground in between the player’s party and various NPCs.  In this mode, characters use various combinations of buttons to attack with, varying in power and point value.  Use a combination enough and a special move may be unlocked, allowing you to use that ability when you attack.  These moves are generally impressive to watch, and some of the later ones are actually quite breathtaking, though by that point players are usually fighting in Gears.  The second disc is also usually frowned upon by gamers as being too short and linear, possibly due to the developers being rushed.

Even with its weaknesses, Xenogears often finds itself listed as one of the best RPGs on the PlayStation, which is no small feat considering the large number of them.  If nothing else, it’s definitely worth a look by any RPG fan.
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Dragon Warrior VII

The Final Fantasy series may get much of the RPG love around the world, but it’s actually the Dragon Warrior series (known in Japan as Dragon Quest) that is the big seller in is native country.   Dragon Warrior VII, however was the first game in the series to be released outside of Japan since Dragon Warrior IV (which was on the NES nearly a decade earlier)

Dragon Warrior VII is probably best remembered for its more than 100 hours of gameplay – which can be both a blessing and a curse.  Most people will agree that most of that time is quite enjoyable, but others will claim that it requires quite a bit of patience to make it through the journey.

Dragon Warrior VII ultimately became the eighth best-selling video game ever in Japan at 4.12 million in Japan alone – which puts it right up there with the worldwide sales of games like Spyro and Tekken 3 and ranked it as the eighth best-selling game ever in Japan.   Of course, in the US the sales were limited more to the diehard RPG crowd, but it is definitely one of the more prolific RPGs in the PS1 impressive role-playing library.
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Silent Hill

Considered by many to be one of, if not the, scariest game of all time, and definitely the scariest title at its release in 1999, Silent Hill showed the world just how adult the PlayStation could really be.  While Nintendo was busy trying to stave off an image of being “kiddy,” Silent Hill would continue to build on a foundation set in place by the likes of Resident Evil.  A gloomy setting combined with bizarre puzzles and creatures designed to make the skin crawl would serve to cement its place as the beginning of a long and well-respected survival horror series.

But the title is also remembered for its quality.  While it wouldn’t go on to become a million seller like other titles on this list, it did sell enough to gain a “Greatest Hits” release.  Many reviewers at the time also gave it high marks for avoiding Resident Evil-style scares of making the player jump, instead going for atmosphere and mood.  The creative team behind the title has claimed inspiration came from such varied places as the works of David Lynch, The Wizard of Oz, the plays of Kobo Abe, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and even the music of groups such as Sonic Youth or the Moonriders.

The series is also of note as it eventually become popular enough to garner a movie that audiences actually seemed to enjoy, a rarity amongst video game-based movies.  Also, in an interesting bit of censorship, the Grey Child enemy was edited in the United States release.  Originally looking similar to nude children, designers thought the idea of beating them down with a metal pipe would be too much, and changed them to look more demonic.  In the PAL version, the Grey Child was removed completely.
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Syphon Filter Series

Syphon Filter, both the original game and the series as a whole has always had the uncomfortable pleasure of being compared and contrasted with the PlayStation’s grand opus: Metal Gear Solid. While both games strike their own merits, the comparisons are understandable. Both games are key PlayStation franchises, wrapped in fictional spy-movie inspired attires, released only a few months apart.

It’s unfortunate then that we must crown one a “winner” and the other a “loser” when both franchises are such interesting titles, likening themselves to different styles of spy based fiction. With this mindset, Syphon Filter feels more like a Van Damne than a Schwarzenegger but at the same time, packs it where it counts.

Most Syphon Filter fans would think that I am talking about gadgets and weapons, but the game actually thrives on variety and balancing the momentum of play. Each mission is divided up into a series of stereotypical spy tasks such as rescuing hostages and taking out Russians. The trick is that you are never doing something long enough for it to become tiresome.

The basic shooting works well, due to the aforementioned weapons which are both vast and highly satisfying to use (especially the air taser) but even when you’ve done enough of that, you’ll be moving onto something different. Each quantifiable element of Syphon Filter is well polished which goes a long way to keep you playing. This is the key to what makes playing Syphon Filter feel so apt title; quality, variety and balance.

Later games in the series, slowly lost sight of this balance but introduced some additions, which made the games retain the original’s qualities.

While not an overall momentous series in contrast to say Metal Gear Solid or Resident Evil, there is no doubt that Syphon Filter is significant franchise, which helped solidify the PlayStation as a strong gaming platform.
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Wipeout Series

If the technical racing of Gran Turismo isn’t your thing, perhaps you would enjoy the high-speed futuristic racing that the Wipeout series has to offer.  Considering it was released in 1995, its impressive how much fast and smooth this racer ran on the PlayStation hardware.  The game was also released on the Saturn, but because the developers struggled with the dual-processor setup of Sega’s machine, didn’t have quite the graphical flair of the PS1 version.

In addition to the adrenaline-pumping speed, Wipeout was also known for its audio quality and soundtrack.  The techno tracks from The Chemical Brothers, Orbital, CoLD SToRAGE, and other artists propelled Wipeout to the top of many gamers favorite soundtrack lists.

Wipeout XL (known as Wipeout 2097 outside of the US) was released a year later.   As expected, the sequel added a few things here and there such as new tracks, crafts, and weapons.  It also made it a bit easier for beginners to pick up and play while still giving experienced players a challenge.  The game was criticized for not having slip-screen multiplayer, but it did offer PS1 owners to link two PlayStations together for networked play.
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Driver Series

Driver, developed by Reflections Interactive (creators of the successful Destruction Derby series) has you adopt the role of Tanner, an NYPD undercover detective tasked with infiltrating an underworld syndicate of crime gangs as a wheelman. Your wheelman role has you fulfilling several roles, such as getaway driver, delivery man and car thief or in one particular amusing mission, intimidating a particular taxi customer into disclosing lucrative information through reckless driving.

The game was designed to be faithful to 60s and 70s car chase films such as Bullitt or the TV show Starksy and Hutch. Characters are dressed in 70s getup and the music has chicken scratch guitar and grooving basslines synonymous with that period.

The game’s ‘Director’s Mode’ was highly praised by critics and gamers at the time of release for it’s unique ability to fully edit and sequence camera angles during replays of your missions (or just general driving around in ‘City’ mode.) Hours could be spent tweaking your replays into seamless 70s action sequences. This added longevity to the game despite its lack of multiplayer mode.

The games story is split into four main cities, each city tasking you with missions for the three different gangs in the game. The cities are Miami (the city you receive your first real mission after you finish the punishing training mission), San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City. Missions can occur at anytime of day and some missions are set at night with some impressive (for the PlayStation) lighting on the cars and roads.

The game was met with mostly positive feedback and acclaim upon its launch. Most criticism about the game was regarding its lack of multiplayer and somewhat punishing driving mechanic. Many people found that they could not get further than the training mission in the parking garage at the beginning of the game. This particular mission had you demonstrate your driving skills to a gang of thugs without damaging your car. Certain objectives were a little obscured such as the slalom through the pillars of the garage requiring you to do a 180 and go back through them and the infamous J-turn maneuver (reverse 180) all within a strict time limit.

Street Fighter Alpha 3

Even though 3D games were all the rage on the PlayStation, there were still a number of beloved 2D fighters on the platform as well.   Franchises from both Capcom and SNK made their mark on the PlayStation, but Street Fighter Alpha 3 is probably the most treasured out of the bunch.

Gamers love the combination of the Street Fighter world and large character rosters, so Street Fighter Alpha 3 received a great deal of praise by merging the Alpha 2 cast with some beloved characters from Street Fighter 2 and in addition to some completely new contenders.  The games also had a wonderful blend of fresh sprites, great combos, and a fighting system that was easy to play, but difficult to master. It also allowed great flexibility in choosing your fighting style, resulting in some great dorm-room matchups back in the day.

In most cases, the PlayStation was at a huge disadvantage to the Sega Saturn when it game to 2D fighters.  The Saturn was a 2D powerhouse with lots of RAM.  The PlayStation, on the other hand usually had stripped-down ports of the arcade favorites.  However, Street Fighter Alpha 3 for the PS1 was actually a superb arcade port that also offered a number of extra game modes.
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Einhander (and the rest of the Shmup library)

In addition to 2D fighting games, the PlayStation was also a haven for fans of 2D shooters.  There are a ton of good arcade ports in addition to some PlayStation exclusives.  As was the case with the far more ill-fated Sega Saturn, many of the shooters on the PlayStation never saw release outside of Japan, and remain veiled in obscurity to this day.

One such game, however, that nearly any player of the era has at least heard of, is this uncharacteristic Squaresoft production. Having been catapulted out of the niche market in the West by the runaway success of Final Fantasy VII, the company was riding high, and eager to spread its wings farther outside of the RPG and Strategy genres than usual; in addition, it was less afraid to take the risk of localization, giving foreign gamers a shot at some of its more unusual titles. Thus Einhander, unlike so many of its kin, was both widely-available (except in Europe, unfortunately) and well-received enough to become, arguably, the shooter that defined the PS1.

Of course, the unusual-by-default nature of an old-fashioned shooter released in that era, as well as the suddenly-desirable Square label on the cover, weren’t the only things to garner the title so much attention, though they certainly were factors. Its graphics certainly didn’t hurt its cause either – while we are talking 32-bit polygons here, the designs and details (your craft is especially nifty-looking) were top-notch back in the day, and actually still hold up rather well over ten years later. The cliché but solid techno-laden soundtrack and plot (in a bit of a twist, you’re actually the “invader”, sent by a moon colony to attack Earth) round out the presentation. Once you pick up the controller, in many ways the title plays like a “typical” side-scroller, but with a unique power-up system – with the exception of your default pea-shooter, the only weapons you’re going to get are the ones you can salvage directly from defeated enemies. This being the case, you’re required to aim carefully during battles, so as to blast rivals’ weapons off of them before bringing them down – if done properly, you can gingerly swoop in to collect their arms, and thereafter use them yourself.

Despite its sometimes being labeled as an example of a “modern” shooter, the game actually comes across as far more of an “old-school” tribute after spending some time with it, since it doesn’t hesitate to make you memorize its layout to succeed (let alone score well), not to mention send your sorry carcass back to a checkpoint with all your collected weapons gone after being shot down. As such, while the trimmings are most likely to appeal to curious newcomers to the genre, it will likely be the long-time shmuppers who will be most at home after becoming acquainted with its inner workings. All told, Einhander stands as an appealing, if slightly intimidating, blend of old and new, and the PS1’s most famous foray into the shooter realm. The game was recently put up for download on the PS3 via the Japanese PlayStation Network, so if you’re unwilling to fight over an original copy on eBay this might be your chance to see what all the fuss is about.
Check for Einhander on eBay

Honorable Mentions:

There’s so many great games and franchises on the Playstation, it pains me to leave some of them off the full list.  Here’s some others that were a big part of the the Playstation library.  I’m sure you all have additional favorites — feel free to mention them in the comments below.

• Ape Escape
• Grand Theft Auto Series
• Medal of Honor Series
• Dino Crisis Series
• Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
• Bushido Blade
• Legacy of Kain
• Jet Moto
• Grandia
• Lunar Series
• Breath of Fire Series
• Soul Blade
• Suikoden
• Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
• Rayman
• SaGa Frontier
• Star Ocean: The Second Story
• Colony Wars Series
• Tales of Destiny Series
• Cool Boarders

Even though the original Playstation is one of the most common consoles of all time, there are many valuable PS1 treasures to be found. Its diverse library is filled with RPGs and unique gems that collectors long for. Out of all of the consoles we have covered in the Rare & Valuable series so far, the PS1 has both the most expensive regular issue game and the highest average selling price. This occurrence can can probably be attributed to the PS2 and PS3’s backwards compatibility and its wide range of cult favorites that remain as exclusives for the PS1.

In stark contrast to the Cheapest Games series, this series by JJ Hendricks will round up the rarest and most valuable games for a given console or handheld so you’ll know what to look for whether you are buying or selling. JJ owns the video game pricing website VideoGamePriceCharts.com and writes a Video Game Pricing Blog which analyzes video game prices, pricing trends, and charts historic video game prices. He used his pricing statistics to find both the average selling price and the highest selling price for each game over the last three months.

Below you will see two prices beside each title. The first is the average daily selling price, which is typically the going rate for the game by itself. The second price is the highest price in the past three months which is usually the price for the new/sealed game. The list is ordered by the balance of the two prices. Note that some of these games are not rare in the sense that there are not many available, but rare relative to demand, which makes the games expensive.  (Digg This Story)

Limited Edition Collectibles

Elemental Gearbolt: Assassin’s Case: $1,379 – $1700 Rarity = This treasure chest of sorts was given away as a tournament prize at the 1998 E3 convention in addition to a few people who worked on Elemental Gearbolt at Working Designs. When all was said and done, only 40 of these sets were produced and given out. The set includes a briefcase, gold GunCon, and gold memory card.  The latest auction (this was updated in August 2009) got bids up to $1700, which was surprising since it was a new seller (that eventually backed out).  Had it been a established seller, it may have gone for more. See Latest Elemental Gearbolt Assassin’s Case on eBay

Treasured Standard USA Releases

	Suikoden II: $135 – $295 Rarity = Even though it eventually became one of the most recommended RPGs on the Playstation, a limited printing and tepid initial response means there aren’t many copies of Suikoden II available. The great review scores and better sales for Suikoden III possibly helped increase aftermarket demand for the game. Combining these two factors together makes Suikoden II the most expensive regular-issue game on the Playstation. Check for Suikoden II on eBay
	Tactics Ogre: $89 – $191 Rarity = Tactics Ogre was originally released as a Super Famicom game in Japan in 1995 and was re-released on the PS1 in 1998 in addition to other spinoffs on other consoles. This strategy and role playing franchise which are notoriously expensive, and this installment in particular has received critical praise — RPGamer stated that “the game is and forever will be a masterpiece”. Check for Tactics Ogre on eBay
	Valkyrie Profile: $89 – $155 Rarity = Valkyrie Profile is an action/turn based RPG hybrid and has become a cult classic to the many RPG fans in the Playstation crowd. The original game is hard to find now, but it has since be released on the PSP, which probably sparked continued interest in the original. Check for Valkyrie Profile on eBay
	Revelations: Persona: $79 – $123 Rarity = The Persona series has a small but very loyal following. They don’t sell a ton copies as Altus, the publisher typically has smaller print runs, but the fans of the series love it. Persona takes place in modern times, which gives it a unique spin for RPG fans looking for something different. Check for Persona on eBay
	Final Fantasy VII (Black Label): $74 – $417 Rarity = For the longest time, you could find this popular game for a reasonable price (after all, it was the second highest selling game on the PS1 at 9.8 million units), but it still has heavy demand behind it from collectors. As with most Playstation games, the original black-label released command far more from collectors. A sealed copy has even sold recently for over $400. Check for Final Fantasy VII on eBay
	Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix: $75 – $100 Rarity = Cashing on the DDR craze during the turn of the millennium, this installment has techno-version of Disney songs like “It’s a Small World” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” in addition to Disney characters dancing on the screen while you play. The game is relatively hard to find now and all the Disney collectors and Dance Dance fans help to increase the price. Check for Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix on eBay
	Lunar Silver Star Story Complete $62 – $167 Rarity = Lunar Silver Star Story is seen as a gateway between RPG eras. The game originated on the Sega CD and was one of the first RPGs to use FMV cutscenes and voice acting, but did not get all the attention it deserved. This enhanced re-release on the PS1 helped gain exposure for this great game, but as with most Working Design releases, there was a relatively low print run and a high collectability factor. Check for Lunar Silver Star Story Complete on eBay
	Intelligent Qube: $69 – $86 Rarity = IQ is very unique and addicting puzzle game that received an Excellence Award for Interactive Art at the 1997 Japan Media Arts Festival and sold quite well in Japan as a result. It was a initially a relative unknown in the US, but those that gave it a try found it especially compelling. Most fans of the game have been holding onto it, keeping supply low and prices high. Check for Intelligent Qube on eBay
	Team Buddies: $60 – $120 Rarity = Not only is Team Buddies pretty hard to find in the wild, but it’s also a remarkably unique and fun game. Mixing a realtime strategy RPG with flavors of a shooter and party game results in a cult classic that is high on PS1 collector’s want lists. Check for Team Buddies on eBay
	Ogre Battle Limited Edition: $55 – $153 Rarity = This is a re-release of the Ogre Battle March of the Black Queen for the SNES, which is one of the most expensive SNES games ever. In fact, it is almost the exact same game as the SNES version. However, this special releases Includes a map and memory card stickers. Like its predecessor, Atlus only printed limited quantities of the game and never did a second product run. Check for Ogre Battle Limited Edition on eBay
	Bust A Groove 2: $64 – $90 Rarity = Bust-A-Groove was originally called Bust-A-Move in the Japan but had to change its name in the US to avoid copyright problems with the arcade puzzle game. It is essentially a dancing and fighting combo, which makes Bust a Groove 2 a very unique, genre-bending title. Check for Bust A Grove 2 on eBay
	Persona 2 Eternal Punishment: $56 – $140 Rarity = Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is a direct sequel to the first Persona game seen earlier on this list and it is part of a duology (of which the US never received the first installment, Innocent Sin). Atlus published this game too so it is not surprising that there are limited quantities available and it is in high demand. Check for Persona 2; Eternal Punishment on eBay
	Tales of Destiny II / Tales of Eternia: $55 – $135 Rarity = Originally called Tales of Eternia in Japan. The name was changed to Tales of Destiny 2 but is not a direct sequel to any game in the Tales series. This game should also not be confused with Tales of Destiny 2 for PS2. They are completely different games. The game did not perform as well in the US as it did in Japan but is still cherished by Tales series fans. Check for Tales of Destiny II on eBay
	Lunar 2 Eternal Blue Complete $54 – $120 Rarity = Much like it’s predecessor above, Eternal Blue Complete was also an enhanced remake of the treasured Sega CD game, but had a slightly higher print run than Silver Star Story Complete. However, considering that both of these remakes were released in 1999 when 2D games were becoming a rarity, so it should be no surprise that only hardcore fans picked this game up — and typically held onto them. Check for Lunar Eternal Blue Complete on eBay
	Brigandine: The Legend of Forsena: $55 – $90 Rarity = Brigandine is a turn-based strategy game with some RPG elements and is developed by Atlus. This by itself is a recipe for an expensive game. Atlus doesn’t produce many copies of them games as a publishing strategy, and strategy games and RPG’s typically dominate lists of expensive games. Check for Brigandine: The Legend of Forsena on eBay

The Expensive Playstation Imports

	Rakugaki Showtime: $190 – $205 Rarity = It is hardly surprising to see a game from Treasure on a list like this, but it is relatively surprising to see a Treasure game on the Playstation as they typically did work on Sega’s and eventually Nintendo’s platforms. Rakagaki Showtime was Treasure’s was one of the first games in the arena fighting genre (like Poy Poy and Power Stone) and used a 3D paper-like graphical technique similar to that used in the Paper Mario series. Check for Rakugaki Showtime on eBay
	Zanac X Zanac $160 – $210 Rarity = While it might not have as extensive and impressive shmup library as the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast, the Playstation does have a number of exclusive 2D shooters that are essentials for fans of the genre. Zanac X Zanac is a Japanese exclusive that not only was a sequel of an NES classic from Compile, but also included the orignal game on the same disc. Check for Zanac X Zanac on eBay
	Harmful Park – $150 – $200 Rarity = Another one of the essential Japan-only shooters to keep an out for is the quirky but fun Harmful Park. This rare shmup will remind many of Konami’s Parodius series. The word of mouth for this gem plus the limited print run from the small development house, Sky Think Systems, makes for a collectible treasure. Check for Harmful Park on eBay

The Rarest PS1 Games At Affordable Prices

Each of these games have a rarity rating greater than 6, but routinely sell for less than $40. If you are a PS1 collector and see a boxed or sealed copy of any of these on eBay for a low price, you might want to snatch them up — you may never see them again.

• Lifespan Learing Games – $2 – $5 each
• Psychic Detective: $25 – $35
• Fox Hunt: $13 – $20
• Syndicate Wars: $8 – $25
• Motor Toon Grand Prix: $10 – $15
• Guilty Gear: $8 – $23
• Goal Storm ‘97: $4 – $10

Additional Playstation Games of Value

These games aren’t especially rare, but are quite collectible; resulting in a high resale value, especially for complete, boxes copies.

• Bust A Groove – $59 – $80
• Tomba: $56 – $81
• Einhander: $53 – $98
• X-COM UFO Defense: $50 – $90
• Tales of Destiny: $49 – $80
• X-men vs Street Fighter: $50 – $70
• Marvel vs. Capcom: $48 – $70
• Final Fantasy VII (Greatest Hits): $53 – $160
• Spyro Collectors Edition (complete): $53 – $73
• Castlevania Symphony of the Night (Black Label): $57 – $66
• Xenogears (Black Label): $50 – $154
• Suikoden: $50 – $115
• Legend of Mana: $47 – $80
• Klonoa Door to Phantomile: $46 – $61
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories Premium (w/ cards): $45 – $65 (sealed)
• Return Fire: $48 – $50
• Mega Man Legends 2: $45 – $73
• Herc’s Adventure: $45 – $50
• Arc The Lad Collection: $44 – $103
• Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter: $40 – $52

Credits: Playstation Video Game Prices provided by VideoGamePriceCharts.com. The source for daily updated prices on over 10,000 video games. The prices are the highest daily price and average daily price from February, 1st 2008 to April, 8th 2008. Rarity scores are courtesy of my friends at DigitalPress.

Many hardcore retro gamers try to play most of their games on the original gaming hardware for the most authentic and enjoyable experience. However, the original Playstation is one of the consoles that most definitely prefer playing via an emulator. One of primary reasons I use ePSXe to emulate PS1 games is the amazing graphical options it provides via plugins.

What Can These Plugins Do?

Without getting too technical, most of these ePSXe plugins will make some of the PS1 games look nearly as good as an early Dreamcast or PS2 game. These improvements are usually made by enhancing the 3D model textures and using anti-aliasing techniques to smoothen the rough edges of the polygons. Here are some great examples of enhances screenshots (click to enlarge) …

What Plugin to Use?

There are a number of graphical plugins available for ePSXe, but for most modern PCs, you’ll want to go with Pete’s plugin, which has been around for quite a while, but it always being improved. Our resident emulation enhancement specialist, Mozgus, has these words of advice:

“For most 3D PS1 games, you want to use ePSXe, with the newest Pete’s OpenGL2, and Eternal’s sound plugin. From there, study each setting to better understand which ones are appropriate for which games. ” He also noted that “OpenGL2 is aimed at very good video cards like Geforce 7 or Radeon X1K series and up… Those with weaker video cards should use Pete’s OpenGL plugin (not OpenGL2). Those with no video card should seek a software mode plugin.”

What Settings Are Best?

Since the options screen on these graphical plugins are filled with lots of technical terms and can be a bit intimidating, I asked Mozgus to provide us with the following screenshot of his typical settings…

He said that he typically uses these settings for most of his games, but “there might be one or two small changes… Also, sometimes theres option you should enable under the “special game fixes …” button.”

Don’t Forget Custom Shaders

There are also some other add-ons known as shaders that can give some very interesting graphical effects. Mozgus likes the Natural Vision shader, because it strengthens colors, anti-aliases the image, and adds a nice blur that hides numerous PS1 visual flaws which high resolutions will not heal alone. Note that the Shader Level controls the blur amount for the given resolution. If the level is too high and the resolution is too low, the picture will be blurred too much. This shader arguably provides an overall pleasing look for every game out there. The set of filters and related information can be found at this phenominal thread at NGEmu.

To get your imaginations wandering, here are some samples of what other custom shaders can do…

Pretty Cool, Huh?

Of course, there are additional tweaks you can do for certain games to make them look extra special, but these settings should definitely get you started in the right direction.

If you have any other tips and would like to post screenshots of your own enhancements (Playstation or otherwise), feel free to join in on this forum topic where we started this discussion. You may also want to check out Kane’s domain, who has always made a habit of helping people tweak ePSXe just right for specific games.