The PlayStation 1 was a console that pushed for consoles to use discs in an era where the N64's cartridge-based system was dominating the market, and, as we know, it was successful in the end. The variety of games that were on the PS1 was also amazing, meaning there was a game out there for anyone, no matter what their tastes were like. Some games ended up being more popular for a variety of reasons, be it a difference in quality, marketing, or some games simply having more copies made than others. Whatever the reasons might be, there was a large number of household game titles, while others got overshadowed.
Here we'll remember some of the best and most popular PS1 games that made their ways into the libraries of practically every PS1 owner, and perhaps even more importantly, pick through some of the console's hidden gems that unfortunately got overlooked.
10 Everyone Had: Final Fantasy VII
This entry probably doesn't surprise anyone, especially those who owned a PS1 back in the day - and with good reason. There is no denying that Final Fantasy VII is an amazing RPG, but more than that, it's likely the single most well-known title in the Final Fantasy franchise, if not the JRPG genre as a whole.
The best piece of evidence that proves that everyone had this game is the remake that we got not too long ago. Despite the insane amount of time that has passed since the release of the original, the remake still released into the open arms of a legion of dedicated fans, old and new.
9 Overlooked: 40 Winks
Definitely not a game a lot of people have heard of before, 40 Winks was a free-roaming 3D platformer that let the players control one of two characters - children who explore levels that are different dream worlds in order to save the 40 winks. The winks are creatures who are responsible for everyone's good dreams, but they have been captured by an evil man named Nitekap. The game was being developed for the N64, which is very evident in its art style as well as gameplay.
This is a game that blended a lot of elements seen in earlier classic games very well, which created a well-rounded and competent title. It's a shame that it didn't get the chance to prove itself to more people.
8 Everyone Had: Tekken 3
One of the biggest juggernauts of the fighting game genre today is the Tekken franchise, and its popularity soared with Tekken 3 on the PS1. As far as 3D fighting games go, it is safe to assume that Tekken 3 was among the most popular ones after it came out due to its sleek and combo-filled character move lists, a varied and interesting cast of fighters, a memorable soundtrack, and a fun story mode. Due to it being such an all-rounder, it's no wonder that Tekken 3 was so popular back then.
If someone had a PS1 back in the day and liked fighting games, it would be a no-brainer to assume that they had Tekken 3 in their collection.
7 Overlooked: Threads Of Fate
Developed by Square before it became Square Enix, Threads of Fate is a relatively little known RPG for the PS1 that deserved more attention than it received. Although not a very long game, it offers a compelling story, as well as an interesting mechanic in the form of an ability to transform into enemies that you have defeated, gaining their attacks and moves (or lack thereof). Sure, it wasn't extremely ground-breaking in terms of gameplay, but it was a very solid game with lots of locations to visit, as well as memorable characters and a great soundtrack.
While it may have been more popular than some of the other entries here, it definitely deserved to gain more traction than it did.
6 Everyone Had: Crash Bandicoot
While it may seem unfair to include multiple games from a franchise as a single entry, there is a good reason for it - mainly that the three initial entries in the franchise, especially the second and third ones were incredibly popular. This meant that there were practically no gamers back in the golden years of PS1 who didn't have at least one of the Crash Bandicoot games in their collection, which was a testament to the games' brilliant design in almost every aspect.
Today, the franchise is regarded as one of the most important for PlayStation as a whole, as the popularity of Crash Bandicoot easily contributed to the PS1's success as a whole.
5 Overlooked: LSD: Dream Emulator
As far as overlooked PS1 games go, there are few that reach the level of LSD: Dream Emulator. Although it technically got overlooked by a lot of people because it was not released outside of Japan, it is a shame because of how innovative some of its elements were. The game may have lacked a coherent story, but it included a system that tracked how the player interacted with the different dreams that they traversed, changing the ensuing dreams the player would advance to accordingly.
The game has acquired the status of a cult classic today, but had it been released in other countries when it first came out, it is certain that it would have influenced countless games through its innovative and bizarre designs.
4 Everyone Had: Ape Escape
Ape Escape is a franchise that is well-known even to this day by gamers, especially those who owned a PS1. The first game is memorable not only because of its fun, unique, and challenging gameplay (revolving around the main task of traveling through time in order to capture hyper-intelligent monkeys) but also because of its innovation. Ape Escape was one of the first PS1 games that required a DualShock controller.
This game and franchise were so wide-spread that it was referenced in multiple games that virtually nothing to do with it, a notable example being Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
3 Overlooked: Pandemonium!
It is a shame that Pandemonium! got overlooked at a PS1 game since it had quite a lot to offer, especially for fans of 2.5D games. What this means is while movement would be treated like in a 2D game, the assets within levels would be laid out in a 3D manner, allowing for levels to twist in different directions. In a nutshell, it was a game in which the player would run through levels, some of which had alternate routes, defeating enemies along the way.
While not a phenomenal game, it had enough content to offer to become a well-known title among younger gamers back during its time.
2 Everyone Had: Spyro The Dragon
Among some of the most well-known titles that the PlayStation ever had was Spyro the Dragon. Even though the subsequent entries in the series ended up being more complicated and had deeper stories, the original Spyro the Dragon game sold like hot-cakes. The reasons why aren't hard to see, as the game had compelling characters, creative level designs, and phenomenal music that fit every single level and hub world that you visited.
Because the game ended up selling millions of copies, it's no wonder that almost everyone had a copy of this wonderful game.
1 Overlooked: Team Buddies
Team Buddies is certainly one of the most interesting game concepts for a PS1 game, especially one that was overlooked by many. The game itself has various game modes, including local multiplayer. But the main attraction is, of course, the story mode. In it, the player controls creatures called buddies and is tasked with collecting crates that can contain teammates, weapons, or vehicles. At the same time, you must fight back the opposing buddies.
Although it isn't the best game ever made for the PS1, there was certainly a lot of effort put into it, which is evident by the unusual mix of game genres that somehow manage to meld together seamlessly. It's a shame that there weren't many people who got to experience it.