Ah, the Playstation. Sony's first foray into the console market, and quite a good one as they manage to scoop up nearly all of Nintendo and Sega's strongest third party companies in one big coup. Its FMV capabilities and massive storage capacity in comparison to the old cartridges got nearly everyone turning their heads; hell, even I, as a die-hard Nintendo fan, couldn't help but watch in awe at some of those cool visual effects. Sure, they've mostly aged terribly by today's standards, but back in 1996 even grainy, low-resolution FMV starring plasticy, stiffly-animated characters was a pretty big deal. The platform also managed to carry quite a few quality titles in both 2D and 3D, even if it did take a while for Sony to jump on the analog control platform and its chunky, pixelated 3D models did leave a bit to be desired.
I was debating for a long time whether I should even do this list, as I'd never tried a great many of the "popular" Playstation games in their heyday (Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Ape Escape, etc) and I just plain disliked a lot of others (Valkyrie Profile, Wipeout, Final Fantasy 8 etc). But I did end up playing quite a few games for the system regardless, and I eventually figured that having a lot of unknown and unpopular picks would only make it better because you wouldn't be seeing a lot of the same stuff you see on every other top list out there. So that said, let's dive in.
20. SaGa Frontier (Square Product Development Division 2, 1998)
The SaGa franchise is one of Square's longest-running, but most divisive ones, being praised for its creative design elements and bizarre atmosphere but criticized for its esoteric design and extreme difficulty. SaGa Frontier is the franchise's best in my book, doing away with many annoying elements of earlier games (Random encounters, breakable weapons, sporadic character growth) and providing another fun, imaginative and well-designed open world RPG. The game is less of a thirty-hour epic adventure, though, and more of an anthology series, featuring seven short stories in a common world with a lot of overlap between characters, sidequests and even some parts of the storyline, but each is ultimately its own separate arc. Unfortunately, the game was also rushed, with several of the stories (particularly Asellus and Blue's) having significant portions cut for time constraints. The result is a game with uneven difficutly and often unclear objectives. Still, its solid gameplay, flashy visuals, a great soundtrack and a truly captivating atmosphere shine through, making it an underrated, unique and fun RPG for the platform.
19. Jumping Flash! (Exact/Ultra, 1995)
A definite standout among the Playstation's earliest titles, Jumping Flash was also one of the very first 3D platformers ever made. Playing as the mechanical "Robbit", you run around all sorts of colorful environments blowing up enemy targets and collecting more powerful, limited use weaponry powerups like bottle rockets and spinners. It actually holds up surprisingly well today too thanks to some ingenious design elements - you can jump ridiculously high (and triple-jump besides), but your viewpoint automatically angles down so you can land exactly where you need to. The game also spawned two sequels, with the third taking a more objective-based design similar to the Banjo-Kazooie games, though that one was never released outside of Japan.
18. Devil Dice (Shift, 1998)
Every platform needs a good puzzle game or two, and Devil Dice is probably my favorite Playstation original. Basically, you roll dice around the board with your little devil avatar and try to move them adjacent to one another with matching top numbers; matching up the same number as the top number will cause them to sink into the board, at which point you can match more to the sinking dice to rack up bigger chains and get more points. Of course, it's also not wanting for other modes - a puzzle mode where you try to clear the board in a certain number of moves is one, as is a five-player melee if you happen to have a multitap and four other friends to play with.
17. Parasite Eve (Squaresoft, 1998)
Survival horror was the hot new genre at the time of the Playstation 1, with Resident Evil leading the charge and countless others trying to get a slice of the pie with their own versions. Square's was a relatively unique one, serving as the sequel to a book (later adapted into a film) and going for more of an action-RPG bent. To that end, the player gains things like healing spells, energy shots, and a combat system that operated in real time, allowing the player to evade enemy attacks and counter at opportune moments. That, plus a second playthrough that made things tougher and unlocked a 70-floor random dungeon with an optional alternate ending, plus the ability to radically customize one's weapons, made it a unique and memorable title despite its relatively short running time.
16. Mega Man X4 (Capcom, 1997)
Mega Man was easily one of the hottest properties of the late '80s going into the '90s, and it didn't lose a beat when the CD era came around, with numerous enhanced rereleases (most of which were Japan-exclusive) and even had a new, if short-lived, spinoff series in Mega Man Legends. Mega Man X4 is perhaps the most fondly remembered, though, marking the first time fan-favorite character Zero would become a fully fledged playable character. He also plays substantially different from X, utilizing short-ranged but powerful attacks with his saber while gradually incorporating new techniques in with each boss he defeats. The dark tone from the SNES games is also definitely turned up a notch, with higher stakes than ever, a moody soundtrack and some surprisingly gruesome animated FMVs (though admittedly, the comically bad voice acting in the English version subtracts a bit from the drama). The level design is a bit basic, but the boss action and heavy mood of Mega Man X is definitely on point in this entry.
15. Tekken 3 (Namco, 1998)
Fighters, like many things, took the leap into 3D once the mid-90s rolled around, with Sega's Virtua Fighter leading the way. The Playstation had several attempts at their own killer 3D fighter, but definitely the most successful one was Tekken; especially the third game. Tekken 3 was a game-changer in a lot of ways. It looked and played absolutely fantastic for the time, with fluid animation at a consistent 60 FPS and surprisingly fluid controls that allowed for flashy combos and air juggles. It was also one of the first fighters I recall that really dove into the single player experience, adding a bunch of minigames like volleyball and Tekken Force (a beat-em-up mode) as well as a variety of unlockable characters. An excellent fighter at the time and one that still holds up surprisingly well today.
14. Omega Boost (Polyphony Digital, 1999)
Polyphony is best-known for the Gran Turismo series, and rightfully so, as it provided a surprisingly realistic and technically impressive racing experience on the Playstation 1 and every other platform it appeared on. But they also released Omega Boost - a 3D rail shooter somewhat reminiscent of Panzer Dragoon, and it was just as much of a ride. Featuring surprisingly smooth, well-animated visuals (60 FPS on the PS1 - no mean feat!), a killer soundtrack and addictive score-based gameplay, Omega Boost was just a fun game in general. And of course per era standards, a silly story, cheesy voice acting and live-action FMVs made it a lot of fun on an ironic level too.
13. Chrono Cross (Square, 2000)
The followup to Chrono Trigger in story (kinda), but worlds apart in in art style, gameplay and tone. Especially because this one focuses not on time travel as its central mechanic, but on two similar but separate parallel worlds. As Serge, a boy living in one world who crosses to the other (where his counterpart is very deceased and most people seem generally worse off), you end up entwined in a complex plot seeking the Frozen Flame, facing a mysterious foe called Lynx, and meeting an enormous cast of characters - 39 in all to play as, in fact. It reminds me a lot of Final Fantasy 6 in some ways, feeling like a mishmash of story threads rather than a well-woven whole, but sometimes that can be fun too - many of the subplots and environments are vividly imaginative, and being able to take numerous paths through the story was a relatively novel thing for console RPGs in 2000. It's also a lavishly produced game, with some downright gorgeous visual effects (easily the best the PS1 had on offer) and a fantastic soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda that remains one of the finest in gaming to this day. I wasn't a big fan of the overly flowery, self-indulgent writing or stark departure in tone from the light-hearted fun of the original, but there's some great experiences to be had in Chrono Cross regardless.
12. Strider 2 (Capcom, 2000)
Capcom's formal apology for the gigantic turd "Strider Returns" on the Sega Genesis, Strider 2 brought the series back with style. Featuring 2D sprites imposed onto 3D environment and much tighter controls and gameplay than its predecessor, Strider 2 was fast-paced, arcade styled fun as you mowed your way through soldiers, robots, jets and anything else that stood in your way. It even had some fun new powerups, like a "blade beam" that could even be fired into the background or foreground to destroy otherwise inaccessible enemies. Baddie-slasing fun at its best.
Fun fact: The game was packaged with a second disc that contained the original Strider arcade game; however, the labels of the discs were mistakenly switched, meaning that the disc labeled "Strider 2" was really Strider 1 and vice versa...
11. Resident Evil 2 (Capcom, 1998)
The original Resident Evil was a huge hit for the Playstation, defining the term "survival horror" and inspiring a ton of copycats and spinoff series. Its sequel's development was a protracted one, even famously being entirely thrown out and restarted from scratch at one point, but it ended up being well worth the wait. It definitely ups the ante from the start, putting you in a Raccoon City police station overrun by zombies and having you uncover a vast conspiracy therein. Featuring a unique dual scenario system (the game changing slightly depending on which character you play through as first), a ton of new creepy monsters and a lot of unlockable goodies for finishing the game with a high enough rank. It's still regarded as the series' best by many fans, so it stands the test of time too.
10. Bust a Groove (Metro Graphics, 1998)
I never got into the Guitar Hero/Rock Band fad, nor was I ever really that big a fan of music games in general. There are a scattered few that manage to win me over, though, and one of those was Bust a Groove. A briliant combination of a one-on-one fighter and a timing-based rhythm game where you try to outdo your opponent by inputting timed button presses in lengthy sequences, and can even occasionally attack your opponent in order to interrupt their combo and lower their score. It also features a ton of wacky characters like a disco dancer, a pair of silver aliens, a giant robot and even a dancing mouse. Silly, ridiculous fun with a fantastic soundtrack, Bust a Groove is still among my favorite music games to date
9. Final Fantasy IX (Squaresoft, 2000)
While Final Fantasies VII and VIII brought in many new fans to the franchise and helped put the Playstation 1 on the map, they left a lot of long-time fans of the franchise disillusioned for abandoning nearly every familiar element of their design. The ninth entry was Square's attempt to address that, combining the cinematic and graphical capabilities of the PS1 with gameplay, aesthetics and design much more reminiscent of the 8 and 16-bit entries. The end result was in a way the best and worst of both worlds, with a lot of the familiar job classes, abilities and overall balance returning, but still a lot of overlong spell animations, tedious minigames and a lot of lengthy, unskippable cutscenes and FMVs. Regardless, though, Final Fantasy IX did its job, charming fans of both Final Fantasy worlds and providing an RPG experience that easily ranks among the system's best.
8. Lunar: Silver Star Story (Game Arts/Japan Art Media, 1999)
A remake of the brilliant Sega CD RPG, Lunar sported colorful graphics, impeccable design, a fantastic soundtrack and animation and voice acting on par with that of a big budget animated movie. Not only was it voice acted, but the FMV scenes were fully animated, hand drawn and gorgeous to behold, even sporting some song numbers that rival many of the memorable Disney films in quality. Pair that up with some brilliantly written characters, impeccable dialog and some very challenging gameplay and you have a truly unforgettable experience. An absolute classic RPG.
7. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Konami, 1997)
It's hard to believe that Sony very nearly passed on releasing this game in North America, as it's not only a contender for the best game in the Castlevania series, but one of the greatest games ever made, period. Symphony of the Night takes the sidescrolling formula of Castlevania and expands it into a full-fledged Metroid style adventure with some RPG elements for good measure. There are a huge variety of items, abilities and weapons to equip and use, giving the gameplay some substantial variety, as well as TWO gigantic castles to explore laden with secrets, traps and gigantic bosses. Not to mention some great visuals, an excellent soundtrack and some campy yet strangely endearing voice acting. While I'm generally more of a fan of the old action platformer Castlevanias due to their straightforward yet challenging gameplay, there's no denying that this one is great as well, even if it feels a bit like overkill in the sheer amount of weapons, abilities and spells given to the player. Too bad it led into a lot of uninspired rehashes on the Game Boy and DS and eventually to
this dreck...
6. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue (Game Arts/Vanguard Works, 2000)
The sequel to the remake to the legendary Sega CD RPG. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue carries over all of the improvements the first game's remake brought - cleaned up graphics, higher quality FMVs, and having several superfluous areas cut to give the game a tighter and more focused feel. At its core, though, it's more of the same Lunar magic to love with its great storyline, brilliant dialog and some of the most well developed characters in any RPG ever released, as well as its surprisingly challenging gameplay. It was also published by Working Designs, which means it came in a deluxe box with a lot of cool goodies including a foil cover, hardcover manual, cloth map and even a nifty preorder bonus in the form of a
Ghaleon punching puppet. Fun stuff.
5. Metal Gear Solid (Konami, 1998)
A revival of the Metal Gear franchise, which most North American gamers only got exposure to through the not-so-great NES port of the original game and its lackluster sequel. We would later get the original MSX versions as a pack-in bonus with Solid 3, but in the meantime we were perfectly content to enjoy this masterpiece on its own merits. Featuring some strategic yet surprisingly fast-paced stealth gameplay, as well as some moody orchestral music and intense boss fights. But of course, the real draw was in its heavily cinematic gameplay; with some very high quality voice acting and a story laden with political elements, betrayal, intrigue and some ingeniously crafted characters, Metal Gear was a thriller that kept you glued to your TV from start to finish. Just a pity they couldn't keep the plausible edge to the whole thing going throughout subsequent sequels and the stories just got sillier and sillier as the franchise went on...
4. Final Fantasy VII (Squaresoft, 1997)It's almost a staple of any Playstation top list, but there really is no denying that Final Fantasy VII was a major game-changer for its time, taking a genre mostly known for its grinding and complex dungeon-mapping and turning it into something much more dynamic and cinematic in nature. Its claims of having a "cast of thousands" were more than a bit exaggerated, but there was certainly an attempt made at giving it a grandiose feel with its high-stakes storytelling, intense action scenes and complex characters, as well as pervading psychological themes throughout that gave its characters significant depth. It may not hold up quitr as well today due to its unbalanced gameplay, aged visuals and themes that have been overused to the point of inanity, but Final Fantasy VII was nothing short of breathtaking in the mid-to-late 90s.
3. Grandia (Game Arts, 1999)
Another excellent RPG franchise from Game Arts had its origins on the Saturn and Playstation. With the same great humor and character writing as Lunar, the detailed 3D environments with real-time gameplay elements from Xenogears, great music, solid voice acting for the era and a fun adventure story, Grandia was the total package. Not only that, it featured what is arguably the greatest combat system in any RPG, allowing the player to delay an enemy's turns or even cancel them entirely with a well-placed attack. Not only one of the best games of its era, but still a brilliant, light-hearted and fun adventure that holds up amazingly well
to this day. Grandia is a true classic.
2. Final Fantasy Tactics (Squaresoft, 1998)
Final Fantasy Tactics was a new take for the series, combining the turn-based, grid-driven combat of Tactics Ogre with the mix-and-match class system of Final Fantasy 5 for some truly fantastic and challenging gameplay. The storytelling is also surprisingly grim for the series, weaving an intriguing political tale that gradually transforms into something more deep and sinister, and never once does it pull a punch when it comes to its darker moments. The gameplay is intricate, challenging and never feels stale or repetitive as every battle requires a great deal of forethought, planning and improvisation. Even the presentation is a treat, with some well-animated 2D sprites in detailed 3D environments and a tense orchestral soundtrack backing every battle. It may get ridiculously unbalanced in its late stages, but FFT is easily the standout game in the series in my book.
1. Suikoden II (Konami, 1999)
Yes indeed. Suikoden II is my choice for the best game on the Playstation 1, as well as one of the absolute best RPGs ever made. Taking everything that made the original great and pushing it to eleven, the game is an absolute treat. Beautifully rendered 2D visuals, an enormous cast of masterfully-written characters, a well-woven political storyline that keeps the player enthralled from start to finish and hell, even a touch of the minigame-oriented diversions that other mega-hits like Super Mario RPG and Final Fantasy VII provided, Suikoden II had it all. It even has my pick for the most heart-wrenching ending of any video game I have ever played, and that's no mean feat. Unfortunately, I know that not many people got the chance to experience this gem, and may very well never get the chance to because of its extremely limited release. If only Konami would remember that this series existed so they could finally give this game the wider audience it deserves...
(Update: It was finally released on the PSN as of December 9, 2014.
Six years after the original game!)
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