With many gamers owning a PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and even the Nintendo Switch it is easy to forget just how amazed gamers were when they first saw 3D games like Tekken on display at superstores all over the world running on the original PlayStation during the mid-nineties.
Visually, gamers today are spoilt with titles like Uncharted, Horizon Zero Dawn, or The Witcher series. However, as good as those games are, old-school gamers still appreciate the games that pushed hardware limits from 20 years ago.
The PlayStation was a 32bit machine that managed to outsell more powerful consoles like the Nintendo 64 and even the Sega Dreamcast before the PlayStation 2 was even launched. This was partly because the developers were able to work around the machine’s limitations and squeeze every last drop of power that the machine was capable of.
Unfortunately, not all games faired so well, because even though there were developers that accomplished great things on Sony’s little grey box others were not so fortunate. This was partly due to the rise and demand for 3D gaming, so the transition from 2D sprites to polygons wasn’t always a smooth one.
So while some games looked amazing for their time it was only nostalgia that kept some of these titles relevant today, many games from the PS1 era still look and play as well as they ever did.
30 Bad: Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid’s story and flair for the cinematic are still as great as ever. However, after the release of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, The Phantom Pain, and even last generation’s Metal Gear Solid 4 fans have been spoilt in the visuals and the gameplay department.
Going back to MGS on the PS1 is difficult because we have become accustomed to the third person perspective that was introduced in Metal Gear Solid: Subsistence. The top-down viewpoint used in earlier MG games can make modern-day gamers feel like they’re playing Pac-Man with guns.
29 Amazing: Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII was a landmark title in 1997 and despite the dated polygonal in-game character designs, the game still holds up very well today. At a time when its nearest rivals were still using 2D sprites, the visuals and presentation were unprecedented in a Japanese RPG.
The towns, area maps, and dungeons, in particular, boasted beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds and blended seamlessly with the cutscenes. In addition, the 3D world map still provides a sense of wonder as you see a new town or location in the distance. FF7 became one of the most influential titles of all time and raised the bar for future RPGs.
28 Bad: Tomb Raider
It is an understatement to say that Tomb Raider changed the face of 3D action adventure games forever, and its influence can even be seen in the Uncharted series. The game’s title character Lara Croft became one of the first major female protagonists.
What makes that image even more unbelievable is that even with nostalgic goggles on her character model did not look good even in 1996. Still, her jagged and polygonally pointed assets sparked the imaginations of more than a few gamers at a key moment in gaming.
27 Amazing: Tekken 3
The first Tekken was a launch title for the original PlayStation and was one of the system’s biggest sellers next to Namco’s racing series Ridge Racer and the best selling 3D fighter. However, it was Tekken 3 that was to be the pinnacle of the series and is considered by fans to be the best in the series.
Namco achieved the impossible when they ported the game to the PlayStation home consoles by downgrading the background visuals. As a result, the character models, animation, and fluidity of the game still hold up today.
26 Amazing: Legend Of The Dragoon
When Japanese RPG’s were still hot property after the success of Final Fantasy VII, there were very few developers that could compete with Square when it came to the production values. Enter Sony Computer Entertainment Japan who threw their $16 million dollar hat into the ring with The Legend of Dragoon in 1999.
Even though it featured beautiful prerendered backgrounds and CGI cutscenes LoD was underappreciated due to comparisons with the Final Fantasy series. Thankfully, the game has aged well in the visual department. Also, the story holds up very nicely against most modern titles, and the precision-based battle system will be appreciated by gamers that enjoy a challenge.
25 Bad: Rageball
During the 1990s, one of the most beloved games on the Amiga and the Sega Mega Drive was the vicious future sports game Speedball 2. Combining ice hockey and football with the best parts of the film Rollerball it has seen several remasters because it is as playable today as it was nearly 30 years ago.
Rageball, which was hyped as a spiritual successor on the PS1 didn’t quite fair so well. The visuals were ugly even at the time of its release and instead of a top-down view, it offered an awkward side on camera angle which made gameplay frustrating. It was another attempt at modernizing a classic with a misguided 3D update.
24 Amazing: Gran Turismo
When Gran Turismo was released in 1998 on the PlayStation it surpassed all expectations of what the console was capable of. More than just a simple racing game Gran Turismo was a true simulation of the sport featuring an almost intimidating level of depth and detail.
Considering the developers Polyphony Digital were indeed working with the aging tech they absolutely pushed Sony’s little grey box to the limits of what it was capable of. As a result, they created a landmark title and the series continues with the rather beautiful Gran Turismo: Sport on the PS4.
23 Bad: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was the dominant force in the skateboarding video game market since the release of the first game in 1999. The series made the titular skateboarding champion a household name across the world and the first game help lay the foundation for its much-improved sequels.
Unfortunately, laying the foundations for a successful franchise doesn’t mean the game holds up in 2018. Series staples like chaining together different combinations of moves are absent in the first game and the lack of variety is glaringly obvious when compared its PS1 sequel to the more recent titles.
22 Bad: Star Wars: Masters Of The Teras Kasi
For fans of the franchise, a 3D Star Wars fighting game on the PlayStation sounded incredibly exciting on paper. Unfortunately, the execution and the prospect of Luke Skywalker beating up his twin in Star Wars: Masters of the Teras Kasi fell flat and disappointed on many levels.
While the backgrounds look good and the music scratches that classic Star Wars itch, the hideously rendered characters didn’t fare as well. The combos animations were awkward and the fighters somehow looked like they were doing combat underwater. The forgotten classic Star Gladiator from Capcom was the true master of the – unofficial – lightsaber.
21 Amazing: Soul Blade
Soul Blade was the first in the long-running series of 3D weapons-based fighting games which are now known as Soulcalibur. The game featured a number of visual upgrades from the arcade version which was known as Soul Edge and the game still looks good and plays just as well today.
While the game wasn’t as fast-paced as other fights like the Tekken series, this allowed for a more strategic combat system which open doors for sidestepping, parrying and counter moves. In addition, Soul Blade is jam-packed full of features secret characters, fully animated endings, and weapons to unlock.
20 Bad: Bubsy 3D
Released in 1996, Bubsy 3D was the fourth title in the series to be released, and the first to be displayed in 3D. Unfortunately, developer Eidetic’s inexperience with making 3D games was glaringly obvious as it is now regarded as one of the worst games to have released on the PlayStation.
In addition to the controls being at complete odds with the 3D space, the environments are completely barren and unimaginative. This is a shame because the original 2D Bubsy games were often praised for being colorful and imaginative.
19 Amazing: Broken Sword 1 And 2
Point and click adventure games Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars and Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror was originally released on the PC and were ported to the PlayStation console in 1996.
Despite being a game that was designed with a mouse in mind, the games performed surprisingly well on the limited PlayStation pad – although dedicated fans could buy the official PS1 mouse.
The timeless visuals, great voice acting, art direction, and a superb Templar story that fans suspect inspired Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code novel it’s a classic that can be revisited time and again.
18 Bad: Silent Hill
Konami’s Silent Hill is still one of the most effective and best horror experiences in gaming. It was released during a time when horror games left your character vulnerable and helpless. Silent Hill was at the top of its game and while as far as scares and horrific monster designs go it is timeless. However, on a visual level, Konami’s title hasn’t aged quite as well as its sequel Silent Hill 2.
It can be argued that the dated visuals in Silent Hill help add to the game’s atmosphere, and even though that may be true going back and playing this game now really does show the game’s age.
17 Amazing: Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
While 3D games were still in their infancy during the original PlayStation era and arguably show their age today 2D games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night look and play as well today as it ever did.
With its non-linear level design and action RPG elements, fans of the Dark Souls series should feel right at home with Symphony of the Night. In addition, its level design and smooth playability make it one of the best games in the genre next to the Super Metroid series.
16 Bad: Alundra 2: A New Legend Begins
The original Alundra was beautifully drawn, challenging and innovative action RPG with a great story that has drawn favorable comparisons to The Legend of Zelda series. Alundra 2: A New Legend Begins, however, is none of those things and its attempt at becoming a more modern 3D title derailed the series for good.
The first game’s 2D visuals still look good today, but the 3D polygonal graphics didn’t look good in 1999 and as a result look even worse today. Even though Alundra 2 should be avoided it is still worth picking up the original on PSN for the PSP/PSVita or PS3.
15 Amazing: Resident Evil 2
With a remake on the way from developers Capcom, there’s never been a better excuse for dusting off that old PS1 copy of Resident Evil 2. Although it may be argued that Resident Evil 3: Nemesis has the edge in graphics, RE2 is better and more varied experience overall.
The settings included the introduction of Racoon City, the police headquarters, and the Umbrella Corp. laboratories. In addition, the game offered gamers the chance to experience the game from two perspectives and with four storylines. RE2 was the complete Resident Evil package.
14 Bad: Spawn: The Eternal
Released in 1997, Spawn: The Eternal is a video game based on the comic book series created by Todd McFarlane. Unlike the well received and popular comic series – which is due to get another movie adaptation starring Jamie Foxx – the game was a mess.
The developers at Sony Computer Entertainment, changed the game’s direction around a year before the game’s to appeal to fans of Tomb Raider. Additionally, like most tie-ins, the game was rushed through development to capitalize on the release of the movie that same year.
13 Amazing: SaGa Frontier 2
Continuing their tradition of making the world’s best RPG’s Squaresoft released a sequel to the lesser known SaGa Frontier 2. While it lacks the scope, grandiosity, and cinematic scale of a Final Fantasy game Saga Frontier 2 more than made up for it in its timeless art direction and charm.
Opting for a hand-painted anime style over the 3D polygonal graphics gamers had become accustomed to, SaGa 2 featured some of the most detailed and lovingly crafted visuals ever seen on the PS1 that remain as beautiful as ever.
12 Bad: Resident Evil
When Resident Evil was first released in 1996, the horror adventure game wowed gamers with its prerendered graphics, incredible level design, and legitimate scares. While the game still features those things 22 years later it doesn’t quite measure up to Resident Evil 2.
In addition, the release of the Resident Evil remake on the Nintendo Gamecube now provides gamers with the perfect entry point for the series. The RE remake was later released on current gen systems and feature, voice acting, and the graphics are superb. Thus giving gamers no reason to play the original game on the PS1.
11 Amazing: Street Fighter Alpha 3
Even though Capcom’s fighting series decided to dip its toes into the 3D fighting game market with the well-received Street Fighter EX series it is Street Fighter Alpha 3 that has stood the test of time the most.
The characters are big, beautifully drawn and the action is fast and technically brilliant. Players are given the choice of three fighting styles before every fight giving each fight a new strategic dynamic adding even more replayability. Additionally, the game is packed full of features like the World Tour Mode and two on two battles.