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The original Playstation was the first console I ever bought with my own money.
It holds a very special place in my heart and the hearts of gamers from that special generation.
Now before you get the torches and pitchforks ready, there's really no way to declare the best games of any console generation So just know that this list has been crafted with the help and input of countless industry professionals, listeners of the Giant Beastcast, the 404, and dozens of tips from Twitter and other social media outlets.
In no particular order, here are the best ten Playstation One games of all time.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater became an instant classic overnight.
And the game's sequel introduced us to the game's staple mechanic, manuals.
Who doesn't have memories of staying up all night just to find the secret tape in the schoolyard level?
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I don't now about you, but Silent Hill was one of the first games to ever give me a genuine scare, am I right?
Sure, Silent Hill looks dated by today's standards, but nevertheless, it totally nailed a terrifying atmosphere and cemented the survival horror genre for many years to come.
The original Tomb Raider hearkened back to a time where there were no tutorials and you were simply on your own.
That's the amazing sense of isolation Tomb Raider was able to create.
Forcing the player to discover and explore the world at their own pace.
The game also spawned one of gaming's most recognizable characters, Lara Croft, who has been in a few games, I think, since then.
While it may have been dubbed a sleeper hit when it was first released, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night quickly gained success through word of mouth.
This was the first Castlevania game to feature a non-linear map where players weren't necessarily lead down the same path.
It set a precedence for the franchise which has been continued from there on out.
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Final Fantasy seven shocked players with it's gorgeous pre-rendered three-D graphics And gripping storyline.
It also marked one of the biggest promotional campaigns for a game of its time.
Something that was mostly unheard of up until then.
The game had such an impressive legacy, that it's actually getting a full remake.
Not just an HD reboot, but an actual let's build this game from the ground up all over again on Playstation 4. It seems that the car karma genre has Fallen off in recent years, but nothing could touch Twisted Metal 2 on the original PlayStation.
It was the ultimate couch game for split screen multiplayer.
Twisted Metal 2 featured totally unique vehicles, and even crazier personalities to drive them, smartly designed battlefield maps, and an ultra satisfying control and game play scheme.
So where Silent Hill helped cement the survival horror genre, Resident Evil is the franchise that started it all.
Its 1998 sequel, Resident Evil 2 set the bar even higher and is widely regarded as the best Resident Evil title, of course before the masterpiece known as Resident Evil 4.
The games legacy continues today and its story is often referenced in countless works of fiction and it too is also being rumored to be getting a full remake treatment.
Next up on our list is Gran Turismo 2 which at its time was the most realistic racing simulation of all time.
The game featured somewhere around 650 driveable cars, which was totally unheard of.
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Sony's ever first gaming mascot spins his way on Onto our list Crash Bandicoot with Sony Sonic, their Mario if you will, and gave players a goto, charming platformer that also served as many players introduction to the console as well.
Crash went on to see many sequels, but none have had such a special place in our hearts like the original.
I bet you thought I'd forget it.
I bet you were sitting there thinking, aw man, this guy's not gonna forget that game, did he?
He didn't forget Metal [BLEEP] Gear Solid, did he?
Of course I didn't!
I mean, this game changed my life.
It's tough to put into words just how important Metal Gear Solid was, and is to gaming in general.
It introduced countless game techniques and forced people to change the way they thought about video games.
It innovated where no one had done before, and basically created the modern stealth genre by itself.
Not to mention to this day, Metal Gear Solid still has the most clever use of a game controller in a boss fight.
But for many, Metal Gear Solid was the first game that they played that actually felt like a movie.
Did I want to include more games in the list?
Of course, I did.
I wanted to make sure Cool Boarders 3 was represented.
I wanted to have room for Chrono Cross, for Jet Moto, for Rayman, Bushido Blade, What about Wipeout and [UNKNOWN] Story and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver?
Parappa the Rapper.
How could you leave out the most important rhythm game of our time?
Stay tuned for the next roundup of games.
Until then, I'm Jeff Bakalar.
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