Despite not having a new release since 2006, the PlayStation 1 is still an incredibly popular console all over the world. It is the console that introduced iconic characters like Spyro, Jill Valentine, and Crash Bandicoot to the masses.
Best Local Co-Op & Split-Screen PS1 Games, Ranked
These PS1 gems were a blast to play with friends back in the day, and if players were to load them up now, they would still be just as good.
The PS1 offered players the ability to play a plethora of quality co-op games. Setting up the second controller and taking on enemies with friends and family is something that most people look back on fondly. While there are a lot of co-op PS1 games out there, there are a few that tower above the rest in terms of popularity and impact.
8 Loaded (1995)
Cause Chaos With A Friend
- Platforms: PS1, Sega Saturn
- Released: December 12, 1995
- Developer: Gremlin Interactive
- Genres: Shoot 'em up, Top-Down Shooter
When it was released, Loaded was seen as quite a controversial game due to its violence and gore. It is a top-down multi-directional shooter. It was released for both PlayStation 1 and Sega Saturn.
There are six playable characters that the player can choose from. They are a bunch of psychopaths, mutants, and murderers. The two-player mode in Loaded sees players attempt to escape Raul and cause mayhem across places all over the galaxy. It is a fun game that many players look back on fondly. When it was released, this game was such a hit that DC and Interplay even released a Loaded comic book series, which proved to be a hit with fans of gory games.
7 Twisted Metal 2 (1996)
A True Gaming Classic
Twisted Metal 2
The Twisted Metal series is a favorite of many gamers who played through the 90s. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment, Twisted Metal 2 first came out on the PC, but two years after its PC debut, it came out on the PS1.
Every Franchise Still Trapped on the PS1 Console
Even though the original PlayStation helped to launch plenty of franchises, several have never made the jump beyond Sony's first home console.
Players often got sweaty palms as they went up against friends in co-op tournaments. They could also team up and complete challenges together. From the creatively designed vehicles to the fun and unique weapons, there was a lot that players loved about this classic game. Even today, it's a game that avid gamers often go back and play every once in a while.
6 Fighting Force (1997)
Lots Of Fun And Unique Weapons
Fighting Force
- Released
- September 1, 1997
- Developer(s)
- Core Design
- Platform(s)
- PSP, PS Vita, Nintendo 64, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation (Original)
- Genre(s)
- Fighting, Beat 'Em Up
Fighting Force was a game that allowed players to take on enemies with all sorts of weapons. Guns, knives, and even soda cans could be used to keep enemies at bay. While the game did get some criticism among some parents for its violence, it didn't do a lot to deter players from enjoying this classic fighting game.
The way co-op mode works is that two players team up together and run through the various stages, taking out enemies with a plethora of awesome weapons.
5 Future Cop LAPD (1998)
Fend Off Attackers With A Friend
Future Cop: LAPD
- Released
- August 31, 1998
- Developer(s)
- EA, Visceral Games
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation (Original), Microsoft Windows, PSP, PlayStation 3
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
When it was released, Future Cop LAPD was overshadowed by some larger releases, like Spyro and Tomb Raider 3. However, it still did very well, and it received mostly glowing reviews from players and magazines alike.
There are two main game modes in Future Cop LAPD: Crime War Mode and Precinct Assault Mode. Both modes can be played in single-player mode and multiplayer. Crime War Mode was a story mode that players could get through together. As for the Precinct Assault Mode, it requires players to fight off a whole slew of attackers. Both game modes are lots of fun, and players look back on the game very fondly.
4 Metal Slug X (1999)
Metal Slug, The Series That Keeps On Giving
- Platforms: PC, Android, PlayStation, PSP, Nintendo Switch
- Released: March 1, 1999
- Developer: SNK Corporation
- Genres: Run and gun, Shoot 'em up
Metal Slug X is a popular game from the Metal Slug series. The game is a modified version of the 1998 release Metal Slug 2. Due to the issues that the game experienced upon its release, Metal Slug 2 was fixed and re-titled to Metal Slug X in 1999.
Up to four players can play together in a campaign mode t hat sees players shoot and run their way through various missions in an attempt to get the highest score possible.
3 Crash Bash (2000)
Play Mini-Games With Friends
- Platforms: PC, PS1
- Released: November 6, 2000
- Developer: Eurocom Entertainment Software
- Genres: Action Game, Party
The Crash Bandicoot series is a massively popular series that players still enjoy today. Crash Bash allows players to team up and play all sorts of fun mini-games. There are a total of 28 mini-games that range from small battles against AI to fun little puzzle games.
As a whole, Crash Bash was a very popular game, and in some households, it is still played to this day. The Crash Bandicoot franchise is still going strong today, and a constant stream of new players are enjoying the Crash Bandicoot universe.
2 Twisted Metal: Small Brawl (2001)
Crash Through Areas With Friends
- Platform: PS1
- Released: November 26, 2001
- Developer: Incognito Entertainment
- Genres: Racing Video Game, Vehicular Combat Game, Action Game
This is the second entry about Twisted Metal. It was an incredibly popular and well-received series. While Small Brawl isn't the most popular Twisted Metal game, it was still a fun and wacky experience.
The game offers three coop game modes: Head To Head, Cooperative, and Free For All. While each game mode is different, the overall premise of the game remains largely the same: drive, crash, and cause destruction.
1 Super Shot Soccer (2002)
Team Up And Score
- Platform: PS1
- Released: June 14, 2002
- Developer: Tecmo
- Genres: Acrade-Style Traditional Soccer Simulator
Super Shot Soccer was released right around the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This helped to increase the game's popularity. While it certainly isn't the best sports game to have been made, it is up there in terms of bizarre, explosive fun.
The game is a football game unlike any other. Players have special abilities that allow them to do everything from putting up defensive boundaries to setting up rings of fire around players. The game allows for up to 4 players to team up and play a game against the AI. Each player takes control of one player and works alongside their teammates to score.
12 Most Timeless PS1 RPGs, Ranked
These games have stood the test of time and are still great to replay today, even though they were released for the first PlayStation console.