During the PlayStation 1 (PS1) era, numerous significant franchises experienced growth, such as Final Fantasy and Metal Gear. Moreover, several new franchises emerged on the PS1, including Crash Bandicoot, Resident Evil, Syphon Filter, and others. It’s undeniable that the PS1 was a crucial system, boasting many enduring titles that remain enjoyable to play today, either directly on an original PS1 or through ports on modern consoles like the Nintendo Switch.
As a retro gaming enthusiast, I gotta admit, some PlayStation 1 classics, though iconic, can be a tad challenging for today’s gamers to truly enjoy due to their dated elements like voice acting, controls, and graphics. While they’re not poorly designed per se, they seem to hail from a different era that’s harder for modern players to connect with.
Most of the time, you’ll find superior contemporary versions or sequels that have surpassed these original games in terms of gameplay and visuals. So, while I appreciate their historical significance, it’s often more engaging to immerse myself in updated editions or follow-ups.
Ape Escape
Hard To Master
The “Ape Escape” series, exclusive to PlayStation consoles, is often overlooked among platformer games. Pioneering for its time, it utilized analog sticks for game control and actions. While you can emulate the original game on a PS5, even a modern controller doesn’t alleviate the awkward controls entirely. The PSP version, playable on PS5, offers slightly more accessibility. However, subsequent sequels improved the controls significantly, making movement less cumbersome and tool switching to capture the escaped apes smoother.
Crash Bandicoot
Lacks The Humor
The original Crash Bandicoot series, launched on the PS1, is often overlooked due to its earlier controls that were less responsive than later versions, making certain levels excessively challenging. Additionally, the characters and villains lacked depth in terms of personality compared to later installments. However, it’s worth noting that Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back marked a turning point for Naughty Dog as they masterfully blended difficulty, engaging storytelling, and captivating level design, making revisiting the first game less compelling due to these enhancements.
Dragon Warrior 7
The 3DS Is Calling
Dragon Warrior 7, later known as Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past, was one of the last PlayStation 1 games released in both Japan and North America – in the years 2000 and 2001 respectively. Its graphics gave it a somewhat antiquated feel, as they resembled those found in SNES games, but this wasn’t necessarily a disadvantage.
The whimsy of the sprites is captivating, yet the leisurely storyline and lack of clear direction on where to progress were less appealing. It was entertaining for extremely patient players on the PS1, but those aiming to enjoy this exceptional installment in the Dragon Quest series should consider the 3DS version instead. This updated edition offers numerous user-friendly improvements.
Dynasty Warriors
Even Koei Tecmo Ignores It
Koei Tecmo recently released a trailer commemorating 25 years of the Dynasty Warriors series, starting from Dynasty Warriors 2. Although the original Dynasty Warriors was an exclusive fighting game on PlayStation 1, it wasn’t considered a top-tier console fighter like Tekken or the arcade versions of Street Fighter. While Dynasty Warriors had its significance in setting off the hack-and-slash series with Dynasty Warriors 2 on the PS2, it isn’t often regarded as a must-play PS1 game today.
Final Fantasy Chronicles
A Bad Way To Play Two Great RPGS
- Developers: Tose, Square
- Publisher: Square Electronic Arts
- Released: July 2, 2001 (NA)
- Platform: PS1
In essence, the games compilation titled Final Fantasy Chronicles combined two outstanding Role-Playing Games (RPGs) from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES): Final Fantasy 4 and Chrono Trigger. At that time, acquiring these cartridges proved challenging or costly. Given this predicament, the collection served as a handy solution. It boasted additional features such as Computer-Generated (CG) cutscenes in Final Fantasy 4 and anime cutscenes in Chrono Trigger. However, there are caveats: the load times were notoriously lengthy, and the games’ overall performance left something to be desired compared to their original versions. Today, there are superior alternatives for playing both classics; Final Fantasy 4 has numerous high-quality ports, while options for Chrono Trigger may be fewer but still surpass this collection in terms of playability.
Medal Of Honor
Console FPS Games Have Evolved
The Medal of Honor game, which marked a significant success in the first-person shooter genre on PlayStation 1, paved the way for the series. Before World War 2 games became widespread during the 2000s, thanks to numerous Medal of Honor sequels and other popular franchises like Call of Duty.
Participants might experience an exhilarating journey, engaging in combat against Nazis within a well-crafted first-person shooter game designed for home consoles. Over the years, console FPS games have significantly evolved since the PlayStation 1 era, and what was considered satisfactory during the ’90s may no longer meet contemporary standards of quality.
Resident Evil 2
The Remake Has It All
The sequel to Resident Evil, titled Resident Evil 2, was a remarkable advancement over its predecessor, offering numerous enhancements. The switchable discs allowing multiple storylines for characters Leon and Claire were truly innovative on the PlayStation 1 (PS1), as were the eerie graphics that still manage to give chills. Despite the game’s polygonal models being reasonably good for a PS1 title, there are two compelling reasons why it might not be ideal to revisit Resident Evil 2 on the PS1. Primarily, the tank controls, commonly found in many PS1 games, can be challenging and frustrating today. Secondly, the remake of the game offers a significantly improved overall experience.
Tomb Raider
Two Better Ways To Play With Lara
Anniversary” and the remastered versions of the first three games in Lara’s series.
Read More
- Violence District Killer and Survivor Tier List
- All Data Pad Locations (Week 1) Destiny 2
- Top 8 UFC 5 Perks Every Fighter Should Use
- Pale Oil Location (Pinmaster’s Oil Quest) In Silksong
- How to Cheese Moorwing in Silksong – Easy Boss Fight Skip
- Prestige Perks in Space Marine 2: A Grind That Could Backfire
- Cogheart & Cogwork Heart Guide (How To Get & Use) In Silksong
- 10 Hardest Sections In The Last of Us Part 1+2, Ranked
- Deep Cuts – Official Steam Launch Trailer
- How To Wall Jump In Silksong (Unlock Cling Grip Ability)
2025-09-13 01:56