You would think that ranking the best PS1 games of all time would be easy, wouldn’t you? I sat down to write this game and easily got to 25 without thinking, and then started panicking as my mind kept racing.
Before I knew it, I was at about 100 games with plenty more still circling around my mind.
Then once I remembered that that there are almost 2,000 games in the back catalogue, the task became enormous!
Still, I never back down from a challenge, and this is the perfect way to celebrate one of the most pivotal consoles of our time, one that changed the way we play forever.
It brought some of the most iconic characters to the table too, from a famous fiery dragon to some of the most exciting racing and fps games ever made, there’s no shortage of amazing titles for this beast.
And why get the Sony Classic console with 20 in-built games when you could get your own retro behemoth and pick up 25 of the best PlayStation titles ever made, handpicked by real-life gaming nerds like us.
Your journey to nostalgic greatness begins here!
Table of Contents
1. Metal Gear Solid (1998)
For those of you who have been wondering when Metal Gear Solid would finally arrive, here it is. MGS is without a shadow of a doubt the worthy winner of the top spot in our best PS1 games list.
Let’s take a moment to give it a round of applause…
Despite being another stealth game that I was initially terrible at, I knew that this game was worth persevering with. It’s an absolute classic, perfect from the moment you switch on your machine to the end credits.
Solid Snake, the game’s protagonist, is still one of the coolest characters to date too. I reckon he could even give Lara Croft a run for her money!
What makes Metal Gear Solid so special then? Well, Apart from Solid Snake having a cool name, a cool look, and a bad-ass set of skills, it’s full of organisations with names like FOXHOUND and DARPA.
It made me feel like a real-life super spy – that’s even more dangerous than skateboarding down a half-pipe!
Stealth is the aim of the game in MSG. Solid Snake can be detected when he moves into an enemy’s line of vision, so the player has to duck, crawl, and sneak their way to victory. You can also shoot bad guys too, but don’t risk alerting other guards to your presence.
This game is 3D but is often viewed from a top-down perspective.
The camera angle changes in moments of combat, however, giving you the best view of the action no matter what’s going on. Honestly, if you haven’t played this game, then you owe it to yourself to give it a try. It’s a masterpiece, and we can’t give it any higher praise than that!
2. Final Fantasy VII (1997)
If I had a dollar for every minute I spent playing Final Fantasy VII, I’d be a very rich gamer. It’s the seventh game in the series and the first to receive a PAL release.
You play as Cloud Strife, which is a pretty good name for an ‘eco-terrorist’ who wants to stop corporations from destroying the planet. It’s one of the most compelling plotlines in any RPG game to date and never fails to leave you coming back for more.
The game uses 3D characters in a 2D world. It’s the same type of 2.5D feel as Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. FF VII, however, is much more science-fiction orientated with a strong apocalyptic feel.
Gameplay revolves around the massive world map, the field where most of the exploring happens, and the battle screen where you destroy your enemies. It’s very similar to the other Japanese RPG mechanics of the time, and PAL gamers went mad for it.
As with every FF title, the characters, their moves, and the people you interact with are what makes these games so damn addictive. It’s so easy to get hooked playing this game. I remember lying to my friends for the entire Easter holidays when I eventually got a copy because I didn’t want to leave the TV. I was obsessed!
FF VII is considered by so many gamers to be the best of the best PS1 titles, but not on this list. It’s been pipped to the top spot by two other titles that are close to my retro gaming heart.
3. Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 (2000)
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 is another one of those games that I reckon we’ve all had a go on at one time or another. For many people, myself included, this was the closest they’d ever get to pulling off a 1080 or cruising down a half pipe.
Don’t get me wrong, the first Tony Hawks game was still amazing. But the updated graphics and gameplay in Pro Skater 2 made it my favourite sports game on the console.
Every Tony Hawk’s game fan will remember how awesome the music was on Pro Skater 2. There was nothing better than cruising around the skateparks and grungy streets while listening to some of the best punk rock anthems.
Man, this takes me back!
Choosing from all of your favourite skaters was always one of the most exciting parts. Watching them on TV and then trying to recreate their most famous moves without face-planting the floor was tricky. Still, at least it meant you didn’t have to get hurt in real life!
4. Tekken 3 (1997)
Street Fighter might be one of the most popular names in the fighting genre, but nothing beats the Tekken series. Tekken 3 boasts some of the most memorable characters of all time, including the crazy Yoshimitsu and Eddy Gordo. They’re two of my favourite fighters, hence the picture below!
There were 23 characters to choose from all-in-all, giving you multiple ways to battle.
It didn’t matter whether you were going it alone or fighting against a friend, Tekken 3 packed some serious punch (and not just because it was a fighting game). It’s one of the bestgame s for blowing off steam!
The game mechanics are similar to every fighting game of the genre. There’s a countdown clock, health bars, and special moves that can be pulled out in order to get the upper hand on your opponent.
The characters and the attention to detail on the levels are what make the Tekken series the best in the business if you ask me. It seems that you all agree too, what with the game selling over 8 million copies.
Critics scored this game highly, with many reviews getting close to or hitting 100%. Ryu doesn’t have to be in every fighting game. Try your hand at Julia Chang or Brian Fury instead. Once you play Tekken, you’ll never be shouting Hadouken again.
5. Crash Bandicoot (1996)
Crash Bandicoot has become a global icon since this first game, with players around the world bearing him on t-shirts, jackets, and even tattooed onto their skin.
I reckon you could say ‘UMBADAGAA’ to any gamer, and they’d get that you were talking about Crash’s witch doctor mask, Aku Aku. Now THAT is the mark of a successful game!
Crash Bandicoot was a tough game to crack. I remember a level where you had to get past a goat on a bridge that almost made me throw my PS1, and later my Nintendo Switch, through the window!
Players must take Crash through a variety of different levels and worlds. You’re ranked by how many boxes you break at the end of each level. Collect apples and search for the hidden icons on each stage to access a bonus area where you can find extra lives.
6. Spyro The Dragon (1998)
Here he is; everyone’s favourite dragon. Smaug tried to take the title in the second Hobbit movie, but he’s no match for the purple-winged wonder that is Spyro the Dragon.
I think everyone who has ever owned a PlayStation has either bought or played a Spyro game in their time. Like Number 6 on our list, he’s a quintessential Sony character and one that is synonymous with the PlayStation brand.
Spyro is a 3D platform game with five magical worlds. Together with his dragonfly friend, Sparx, they must defeat the evil Gnasty Gnorc and free the trapped dragons throughout the various levels.
Spyro was Sony’s answer to the family-friendly Nintendo 64 which was known for having games that appealed more to younger players. But Spyro didn’t just capture the hearts and minds of children. It hooked big kid gamers too!
The game itself isn’t incredibly hard, but it is good fun. Collect treasure, burn bad guys, ram sheep. However you play, you’re sure to have a good time flying and bouncing around with Spyro.
The various characters and wise words from the freed dragons help to create a spellbinding plot that hooks you in from the very beginning. It’s PlayStation platforming at its finest and is usually twinned well with…
All the enemies and level dynamics in this game are superb. Crash is a brilliant character, and as long as you can keep your cool, will be a great asset to your PS1 collection
7. Gran Turismo 2 (1999)
Selling close to 10 million copies worldwide, Gran Turismo 2 is one of the most successful titles on Sony’s first console and considered by many to be the daddy of all racing games.
GT2 doesn’t differ that much from other racing games in terms of mechanics. It’s the well-thought-out tracks, the large array of cars, and addictive gameplay that separate it from other titles in the genre.
Players can choose from 27 tracks to play on, some of these being rally tracks. The best part of this game, however, is the sheer number of cars that you can choose from. There are 650 available – that’s insane!
GT2 had the largest collection of classic cars in any game at the time of release. It was never hard to find a favourite with all of those vehicles to choose from, and it made replaying all of the courses with the different cars super fun too.
With such impressive sales records, it’s no surprise that GT2 received positive scores of around 9.8/10 across the board when it first came out. Tournaments, single races, and multiplayer modes made this game a huge success, and it remains one of my favourite racing titles to this day!
If that isn’t a good enough pitch, then I don’t know what is!
8. Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee (1997)
This title is even developed by a company called Oddworld Inhabitants. The whole game is odd from start to finish, but that’s why we love it.
For those people still wondering what Abe is, he’s a Mudokon slave who works at a meat processing plant. So that’s why he’s got his mouth sewn shut! Abe revolts when he realises he and his fellow Mudokons are going to be executed (and probably tinned with the rest of the meat).
The game follows Abe’s attempts to save his persecuted race, freeing as many weird and wonderful beings as he can while travelling through perfectly designed worlds and engaging levels.
The design elements in Oddworld: Abe’s Odysee are spectacular. It’s a perfect 2D platforming experience that simply works, and the detail in the background is just as impressive as what you see in the foreground too.
Abe, however, is a bit of a wuss when it comes to his own game. You can die so easily, pretty much by anything that touches you. You can throw rocks and jump or sneak past enemies, but if one of them grabs you or you fall from a great height (or hold something for too long), then you’ll return to the last checkpoint.
Oddworld might be an odd world, but it’s one that defined my PS1 experience. There are few characters as weird as Abe out there; he’s a Sony institution!
Crash is another one of Sony’s most iconic characters. He’s been bouncing on explosives and running away from boulders since the late ’90s, and there’s no sign of him stopping or slowing down any time soon.
9. Syphon Filter (1999)
If you’ve read my best games articles before, then you’ll know I’m completely rubbish at stealth games. Still, that doesn’t mean that I can’t pretend I’m good at them, right? Syphon Filter is secret-agent spy action at its finest. We’re talking biological outbreaks, terrorist attacks, and saving the United States.
Looks like the stakes are pretty high then!
Players control special agents Gabriel “Gabe” Logan and Lian Xing. They’re on a mission to stop a German terrorist from wreaking havoc in America (sounds a little like another franchise loved by ‘die-hard’ action fans).
The stealth and puzzle action in this game is second to none, and the way in which you can engage with the game’s multitude of enemies keeps the action fast-paced.
You’ll travel everywhere from cramped American streets to the deserts of Kazakhstan in Syphon Filter. It has a compelling storyline and more than deserves a place in our compendium.
10. Crash Team Racing (1999)
Crash Team Racing is one of the only titles to come close to knocking Mario Kart off the family-friendly racing top spot. It’s a genius little game with all of the favourites from the series showing up for some Kart-based madness.
15 of the series’ most famous characters appear in CTR. The players are all racing against the tyrannical Nitrous Oxide in a bid to save their planet from being blown to smithereens.
The game mechanics are very similar to Mario Kart, with weapons to stop other opponents appearing in crates and apples to collect instead of coins.
Players can drift, boost, and in some cases soar over massive ramps as they drive around the various courses. There are five modes to choose from – Adventure, Arcade, Time Trial, Versus, and Battle.
There are 16 tracks in total, and more unlockable content can be discovered as you progress through the game. It’s fast-paced and certainly a game that you can keep coming back to time and time again.
All you need to do now is decide which is a cooler invincibility shield – the Mario star, or the Aku Aku mask. My money’s on the second one if you’re still reading this article!
11. Resident Evil 2 (1998)
Now, Resident Evil 2 is a game that will forever make people feel freaked out when alone in dark rooms. This survival horror title was certainly not for the faint of heart. Although it looks pretty tame now, it was creepy beyond belief when it first came out!
Resident Evil 2 is set just two months after the events of the first R.E game. You have to escape the fictional Racoon City and avoid being eaten alive by zombies, using your wits to stay alive and big-ass weapons to destroy hordes of undead.
Sound like something you’d be into? Then keep reading!
The game mechanics are pretty similar to the first title, though now you have to cope with solving puzzles as well as pumping zombies full of lead.
There are a couple of instances where you can experience events from the different characters’ perspectives, which makes for cool gameplay and some nice ’cause and effect’ storylines.
Fans of The Walking Dead and World War Z will love Resident Evil 2. There are so many sequels out on different consoles now, but Number 2 will always be one of my favourites.
12. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos (1997)
Croc: The Legend of the Gobbos is the best Croc game of all time and up next!
Critics weren’t kind to Croc, but it had a huge cult following that is still as strong today as it was back in the ’90s.
It feels a lot like if you put a Spyro and a Crash Bandicoot title in a blender and served as an answer to the more family-friendly games that were making waves on the N64.
Croc was never going to beat Mazza, however, but this little guy’s adventures moving through different island settings and saving Gobbos still makes us smile today.
Attack with your tail, find lots of different secrets, and seek out items as you go. The first title in the series was undoubtedly the best, and it kind of went downhill from there with the storyline getting pretty samey as the games went on.
Still, we’ve got a Croc HD reboot coming, so maybe Croc will be coming back with a vengeance!
13. Doom (1995)
Doom for the PS1 is a little different to other versions you might have played. It’s essentially an amalgamation of The Ultimate Doom and Doom II.
Don’t worry though; it used a modified version of the same Doom engine though, so rather than being a distant cousin, think of it as a sibling or son to the original game.
That got a little bit weird and deep, so let’s move on!
Doom for the PS1 did have a multiplayer, but you couldn’t play split-screen like many other multiplayer games of the same time.
Instead, players had to link two machines together, which I assume meant that a split screen would have drawn way too much power from a single machine, something that wouldn’t ever be a problem for the likes of the PS5.
But this was 1995, so I think we can give it a break!
14. Tomb Raider II (1997)
If Link was Nintendo’s signature warrior, then Lara Croft is undoubtedly PlayStation’s most kick-ass character.
Arguably the gnarliest woman in gaming, Lara Croft has gone on to commercial success in both gaming and Hollywood. She’s a cosplay go-to character and the second-hottest video gaming character according to a recent poll. (She lost out to Bayonetta if you’re interested in that sort of thing).
We’re only interested in how good her games are, and they were spectacular!
Tomb Raider II was a huge success. It sold over 8-million copies in total as of 2003 and helped to prove that women are far more than side or supporting characters. It’s a shame it’s taken so long for the rest of the world to catch up…
Tomb Raider II has all of the exotic locations and dangerous dungeons that we’ve come to expect from Lara Croft’s exploits. New weapons, moves, and vehicles are available to enhance the gameplay, and you can save your progress pretty much anywhere you like without having to find one of those annoying crystals from the first game.
In this adventure, Lara is on the hunt for a dagger that, when plunged into the heart of its owner, can turn them into a dragon! I’m not sure stabbing myself and becoming a dragon is entirely worth it. But if that’s the kind of thing that floats your boat, then who am I to judge?
Lara will always be one of the coolest gaming characters of all time, and Tomb Raider II is a must-have for any PS1 collector’s gaming arsenal.
15. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (1998)
Released in 1998, this is perhaps one of the toughest Crash games in the series. We’re still not sure why PAL games had to have the ‘3’ in the title to make it clear that it was the third one…
… we’d played the first two to death, of course, we knew it was the third one!!
Warped follows straight on from the events of Crash Bandicoot 2. Dr Neo Cortex and the vengeful Aku Aku are back to cause havoc once again, and Crash has to stop them from getting crystals and enslaving the minds of the people.
Play as Crash or Coco as you leap over holes, collect apples, spin enemies, and try to stay alive. The music still sets my feet tapping and puts me in a great mood. In fact, ask anyone about Crash Bandicoot and they’ll hum the iconic tune to you…
… you’re doing it right now, aren’t you?
Here’s a fact for you; this was the first ever non-Japanese game to hit over 1-million sales in Japan. How insane is that? Looks like Crash knew how to bring home the bacon, and he’s still kicking ass in new games today!
16. Resident Evil (1996)
If you’ve just joined the canon at Resident Evil: Village, then you may want to grab hold of a copy of the first-ever game in the series. Step into Racoon City, a city swarming with zombies and horrifying creatures that would like nothing better than to eat you alive.
Other than that, the weather’s usually pretty decent and it’s easy to find a parking spot…
Ok, so it might look a little raw these days. Coincidentally, raw is how the zombies in this game like their meat, so I guess it’s just as well.
Players take control of a special operative sent to determine what happened to the city. Enter Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, the chosen characters who must uncover what really went down in a secret genetics laboratory.
If one thing Resident Evil is known for is its zombies, then the other is its array of guns. There’s so much firepower available here that you’ll be spoilt for choice. Still, don’t take too long thinking about it; there’s a Zombie about to bite your face off!
17. Medal of Honour: Underground (2000)
Before the CIA, there was the OSS, and they played a pivotal role in Medal of Honor: Underground. Players control Manon Batiste, a resistance fighter recruited by the OSS to stop the Nazis in their tracks.
Your mission; to track and battle the members of the Reich across the globe, putting your life on the line everywhere from Paris to the Northern reaches of Africa.
This FPS is incredibly famous. I remember the first time I had to go up against a tank in MOH: Underground and resisted the temptation to run the other way as fast as possible.
For anyone who hasn’t played a MOH game before, the premise is simple. Aquire predetermined collectibles, and destroy enemy targets.
And when the game finishes, the real fun begins. The bonus level that becomes available after completing the main story see players going up against dogs with guns, zombies, nutcrackers, robots, and mythical knights.
It’s a little like a shooting game crossed with the most potent hallucinogens of all time, but it’s also one of the best levels on any game ever made!
18. Spyro: Year of the Dragon (2000)
I’ve often thought that after the groundbreaking success of games one and two, Insomniac could have put out an absolute dung bomb of a game and still made tonnes of money on it. Instead, they made a title that not only compliments the series, but ones that’s still heralded as being one of the greatest Spyro games in the catalogue!
Year of the Dragon boasts mini games for the first time. Yes; Spyro in a mini game; obviously I lost my freaking mind when this came out!
The third and final game in the original bunch came with groovier music, slick graphics, and tonnes of new characters and features for gamers to sink their claws into.
And instead of just following the same form as the first two titles, Year of the Dragon felt more like a Nintendo platform game. Play as different characters, complete missions, and trade items for gems with Moneybags the Bear.
Will you reach high with Sheila the Kangaroo or take Spyro for a swim without fear of drowning? Year of the Dragon is a solid game that I’ve played again and again on the Spyro Reignited Trilogy for Nintendo Switch!
19. Driver (1999)
Driver is the first thrilling car game that I can remember playing. It was so different to everything that had come before it and encapsulated every element of the car chases in my favourite movies. Speed, reckless driving, and a plot that could have been taken straight from the series ’24’.
Driver follows an undercover cop named John Tanner who infiltrates a notorious gang. What starts off as a means of finding out about the shady stuff they get up to soon turns into the discovery of their intent to assassinate the President.
Talk about things escalating quickly!
Unlike Crazy Taxi where the cities are loosely based on real places, Driver is based around four real-life cities. The player must travel around Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. As a cop and former racing driver, you make yourself useful as a getaway driver for the various mob activities, proving your skills and trying to stay one step ahead of the game.
You can even unlock the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, with a cheat code. I love a good hidden Easter egg!
Driver is renowned the world over as being one of the best PS1 titles ever made. It’s one of the PlayStation platinum collection and went on to spawn multiple sequels.
Fast cars and undercover police work is what every citizen dreams of being involved with. Driver makes those dreams come true!
20. Time Crisis (1995)
One of the only reasons that I used to agree to go bowling as a kid was so I could play Time Crisis in the arcade afterward. This game was the coolest, and when a port came out for the Playstation, I could finally give up bowling altogether.
Standing behind the sofa with the GunCon Light Gun was amazing. It felt like I was really in the action, except for the fact that I was in a house and not a cavern filled with gun-toting enemies.
The duck and reload element of Time Crisis is what made the Arcade game so exciting. That and the mega bosses you had to face up against too. The PS1 port is amazing and great fun to play with a friend.
The game doesn’t differ from the arcade mode that much at all. As the player, you make your way through various stages kicking bad-guy ass. There are various objects to hide behind while you reload, and you have to tactically pick off the enemies one by one to move to the next stage.
The arcade-style time limit is what keeps this game addictive and your nerves on edge. You can’t hide forever, so you make a move, get hit, and start all over again. That’s Time Crisis!
Time Crisis will never win an award for the best storyline in a game, but it is one of my favourite titles and a nostalgic one at that. It’s certainly worth adding into your collection.
21. Medal of Honor (1999)
If you haven’t heard of Medal of Honor before now, then you must have been living under a rock, in space, or just on the wrong website.
Did you know that Spielberg first created these games? This was his first game in the series, the series that has gone on to span multiple platforms and different time frames over the years.
It’s World War II action at its finest, with players taking control of Lt. Patterson battling Nazis, and saving rural France from German control.
As you might expect, all of the weapons are guns from the WWII era. We’re talking MP40s and antique pistols, wielding them through special covert missions and through multiplayer battles.
Listen, this is a bona fide classic without a shadow of a doubt. If you’ve never played it, then grab a copy IMMEDIATELY and give it the respect it demands.
I mean, can you really call yourself a gamer if you haven’t completed MOH 35 times?
22. Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage/Gateway To Glimmer (1999)
It’s true that Spyro games have a timeless feel to them that makes them popular with gamers everywhere. It doesn’t matter whether you are 8 or 80, collecting gems, awakening dragons, and blasting enemies with fire will always feel amazing.
Ripto’s Rage follows a similar style of play to the previous Spyro game, though none of the other dragon characters make an appearance. This time Spyro and Sparx feature in a brand-new adventure, rescuing castles from Ripto’s control and gliding around Avalar in style.
As before, Sparx acts as Spyro’s health bar. Watch his colour as he indicates how much life Spyro has left. Bottled butterflies act a little like a bottled fairy in Zelda, giving Spyro an extra life.
The enemies, buildings, and scenery are quintessentially Spyro. I know that’s a given for a Spyro game, but I bet any of you could see the picture above and tell me what game it was from. It’s an iconic style that many of us grew up with, and Spyro is without a doubt one of the most influential gaming characters of all time.
Glide to hidden areas, ram bad guys, and get that perfect gem-collecting score on every level. It’s the stuff that dreams are made of.
23. Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999)
As a self-proclaimed sci-fi nerd, the Phantom Menace game was like a dream come true. Wielding lightsabers on a federation ship, solving puzzles in Naboo, traversing the underwater Gungan city; it all happens in this epic playable version of the film.
Fighting with Lightsabers in 3D was the closest I could come to being a Jedi back in 1999. Deflecting blaster fire felt so cool, and the game’s levels looked and felt just as great as the scenes from the movie.
One of the best bits about this title is how in-depth the levels are. Lucas Arts could well have made a simple Star Wars title, though they went to great efforts to add engaging NPC dialogue into the game and areas for players to explore.
What’s more, new scenes have been added that don’t feature in the film. These explain what other characters may have been up to while other scenes were playing out. Rest assured, this is a cleverly made and well-thought-out Star Wars game for the ultimate Jedi-wannabe.
24. Spider-Man (2000)
I couldn’t get enough of this game when it first came out. As a Marvel nerd anyway, anything with Spider-Man is usually on my radar. But playing as Spidey for the first time with voice actors from the original cartoon series – well that just blew my mind!
Weird how i hate spiders though…
Spidey’s out to clear his name after being mistaken for a criminal. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Venom, Mysterio, Scorpion, and all the usual baddies are here to make life tough for our wanted-wallcrawler.
Narration from the one and only Stan Lee, the opportunity to unlock comic book covers, swinging through cities; the Spider-Man video game has it all. And while I’ve played this game on multiple consoles over the years, the PS1 version is still my all-time favourite.
The game sent critics into a frenzy, and it’s not hard to see why. Compared to Miles Morales, one of the best PS5 games, this much simpler adventure feels more like a comic book outing and less like a motion picture.
25. Croc 2 (1999)
Croc 2 is up next on our list, and it’s a 3D masterpiece that follows on from the first Croc title.
Baron Dante is back up to his tricks again, kidnapping different people than in the first game.
This time, he’s kidnapped Croc’s parents, which makes it pretty personal. Looks like Croc’s going to have to be ‘snappy’ if he wants them back unharmed.
This is definitely the last game before the Croc formula started to get a little stale. There are 48 levels to traverse with bosses on each stage.
If you’ve never played it before, it’s essentially like a Spyro game with less flying.
The levels were fun and colourful and the action was great, but it seems Croc just never had what it took to keep up with the likes of Crash and Spyro.
To borrow a phrase from Kermit, ‘It’s not that easy being green!’
