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Sony PlayStation 1
Updated 1/13/12
Sony's Playstation 1 (PS1) was part of the fifth generation of consoles. It was Sony's first console. Sony somehow saw the writing on the wall to know that 3D graphics and CD media were the wave of the future. In comparison, Sega Saturn's 3D capability was tacked-on as an afterthought, and N64 still used cartridges which had low capacity and high expense. As a result, PS1 dominated the 5th generation. 102.49 million were sold over 11 years. It was the first console to reach the 100 million mark.
PS1 has an interesting history. Nintendo had experimented with using floppy disks for the NES, but found that they were not durable, and were easy to pirate. They were interested in using CDs with the SNES because they overcome the limitations of floppies, and have large capacities as well. Nintendo contracted with Sony to make a CD peripheral for SNES, originally called SNES-CD. The SNES uses the SPC-700 sound processor from Sony, so they already had a working relationship. In the process, Sony began developing their own game console, which they called "Play Station", that could play SNES cartridges and SNES-CDs. Nintendo got word of this, and at the 1989 Consumer Electronics Show where the SNES-CD was supposed to be announced, Nintendo instead announced their partnership with Philips to create the device. Lots of court battles took place. Ultimately, Sony removed the SNES compatibility from their device and called it the PlayStation. And Nintendo's deal with Philips didn't work out, either. Philips ended up making their peripheral into CD-i, and Nintendo gave Philips the rights to make games using Nintendo characters, all of which were awful. Sony definitely ended up with the better deal.
The 3D graphics of PS1 now look very outdated, mostly due to the lack of filtering and perspective correction, but they were pretty cool at the time. Using an emulator, you can increase the resolution, add texture filtering, add anti-aliasing, and increase the color depth. It makes the games look much better. But since the textures were intended for a 256x224 resolution, things like text still look very blocky, and there isn't much you can do about it.
Combat flight sim. First of the series.
Plays like an updated Legend of Zelda. 2D isometric perspective. Very challenging gameplay.
Unlike the first, this one is in 3D, and its not nearly as good.
Catch all the monkeys. Innovative control scheme using the left analog stick for movement and the right analog stick to control your weapon.
The classic game didn't translate well to 3D. It fails to capture what made the NES game so good. But the Genesis and Game Boy Color Blaster Master games had the same problem.
Help Blue put together a big musical. It's not as accessible as the PC games, mostly due to the controls.
Race Bomberman characters riding on various animals in Mario Kart style.
Fun, but the main character has a potty mouth.
This was a fun RPG with a good story, but the isometric perspective made it difficult to get around in the game. I found my character stuck on things a lot.
Classic Bust-A-Move fun. AKA Puzzle Bobble 3.
Sequel to the amazing Chrono Trigger. Follows the story line of Radical Dreamers, a Japanese-only, text-based sequel to Chrono Trigger on the SNES.
The classic ported from SNES. Part of Final Fantasy Chronicles.
3D on-rails platformer.
3D on-rails platformer.
3D on-rails platformer. The last and best of the bunch on PS1.
Minigames. Good for parties. Not as good as Mario Party, though.
Fun racing in Mario Kart style with Crash characters. The gameplay is not as cheap as the Mario Kart games. It also includes a fun single-player adventure game where you have to complete various objectives. This makes it superior to the Mario Kart games in my opinion.
Early 3D platformer. Terrible controls. I was never able to get very far into it because the controls made it too difficult.
The original dance/rhythm game. Requires a dance pad. Good work out. Fun with two players.
Requires a dance pad. Has Disney characters and music, but lacks some features of the original.
Race around city streets to complete objectives. Fairly difficult. You have to master some crazy moves with your car before you can even get started, which may keep some people from playing the game.
Bigger scale than Driver, but suffers slowdown that kills gameplay. It is fun until you get to a particular level where the graphics slow down to a slideshow, making it impossible to beat the game. I'm surprised they shipped the game with this fatal flaw.
Ported from SNES. Part of Final Fantasy Anthology.
This is an updated version of Final Fantasy I and II. It has updated graphics, sound, music, and includes new CG animations. They also eliminated a lot of the annoying menu commands by using a generic action button to do most things, and they included a run button. Cool! I definitely recommend this over the original NES versions.
First 3D Final Fantasy game. Outstanding storyline, music and characters, and great gameplay. I hope this game gets the remake it deserves one day. With higher-resolution graphics, an orchestral score, and a better English translation, this game would definitely sell well today. The English translation is sometimes quite bad. "This guy are sick!"
More realistic character models in this one. Another awesome Final Fantasy game. The angst-filled, moody lead character hurts the game a bit, though. It also has an awkward magic system, in that the only way to get magic is to draw it from enemies, which you'll spend a LOT of time doing. But it's still a good game.
Feels like the SNES-era FF games. Better than FF8. Last FF game on the PS1. Awesome graphics, music and storyline.
Strategy RPG with Final Fantasy elements. Deep and confusing storyline (bad translation?). Lengthy game. I never could beat it.
Fun game that is ruined by sexual innuendo and potty mouth.
In-depth racing simulator. Not my cup of tea. Nice graphics, though.
Fun beginning to Grandia series. 2D isometric graphics. Not as serious as the later games.
Race futuristic hoverbikes over land and water. Nice surfer rock music.
Early 3D platformer with a first-person perspective and an almost dizzying sense of height.
Sequel to the original, and is almost identical, but with new levels.
This is a 2D platformer with 3D graphics. Outstanding gameplay. Extremely rare. I have only played a downloaded ISO of the game.
This game plays a lot like Final Fantasy VII, but not as good.
Sequel to the SNES Secret of Mana. Similar gameplay, but you build the world as you go along, which makes it feel very unique. Only 1 player, though, compared to 3 co-op players on SNES. Sad.
Traditional 2D RPG. Ported from Sega CD. It contains too much bad language.
Same gameplay as original with new story line. Ported from Sega CD. More bad language.
2D Platformer starring Mega Man. Same gameplay as earlier games.
Mega Man in a 3D action RPG. Plays like a third-person shooter. Great storyline and unique gameplay.
Very similar to the first. Takes place after the original.
2D Platformer starring Mega Man. Same gameplay as earlier games.
2D Platformer starring Mega Man. Same gameplay as earlier games.
The first MGS game, and easily the best. Deep storyline. Challenging stealth action played in a third-person perspective.
The classic game ported from Neo-Geo. Plays like an updated Contra.
Drill down to the bottom while avoiding falling blocks from above.
Sequel to The Lost Vikings. Each of your three vikings has his own unique abilities, and this sequel adds three new characters with additional abilities. You have to use their abilities cooperatively to make your way through the levels.
Pac-Man themed 3D platformer.
Press buttons in rhythm to the music. Great hip-hop music and unique graphics.
Survival horror RPG.
Compared to the first, it is less RPG, more survival horror.
Last and best Ridge Racer game on PS1.
Vertical shoot-em-up. 2-player co-op.
Control military vehicles playing capture the flag in an above-view perspective. Sequel to the Amiga game Firepower.
Called Mega Man X3 in US.
Interesting 2D isometric RPG gameplay, but boring storyline. It was too dull for me. After waking up (seriously), I shut it off and never tried it again.
Mario Kart style racing with obnoxious brat kids.
First of the amazing Spyro series. Outstanding in every way. The goal is to find a certain number of items in a 3D platforming stage to open up the exit.
Each Spyro on PS1 gets better than the one before it. This game introduces some new playable characters. Great game.
The last Spyro on PS1, and best Spyro on any machine. Also the last one by Insomniac Games.
Fun 2D RPG with nice graphics, music and storyline. It can be played from two different perspectives (the main boy and girl in the game), and it has multiple endings depending on your relationship with the various characters you add to your party.
Good arcade port.
Incredible puzzle game. Very rare. The characters come from the Capcom games Street Fighter II and Darkstalkers. The name is poking fun at the naming convention for the Street Fighter series. There was only one Puzzle Fighter game ever made.
Like MGS but with more action and less stealth.
Continuation of the first. Gameplay is the same.
Last of the series on PS1. Less linear than the first two. The story is completed in this game.
Last and best of the Tekken series on PS1.
Drive vehicles with mounted weapons in large arenas and deathmatch.
Not nearly as good as the original.
Sort-of sequel to Parappa, this time with rock instead of rap music. The difficulty is higher.
Futuristic combat flight sim with cheezy FMV cutscenes, but fun gameplay.
Fun 2D isometric RPG with a futuristic wild west feel. Good music and storyline.
Mario Kart style racing with Woody Woodpecker characters. Difficult.
Awesome strategy gameplay featuring worms with zany weapons. The low resolution of the PS1 makes it somewhat hard to play.