The PS1 debuted in 1994 in Japan and a year later in North America. It was succeeded by the PS2 in 2000, which was arguably the last good year for the PS1, although game support still continued after. It made sense given that the PS2 could play PS1 games, which was a smart addition to the console.
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1994 is definitely the most important year for the console, given that Sony finally entered the console race, but for Western fans, it had no impact on their life. So, removing 1994, what years were the best for the PS1 outside of Japan? What features, games, or peripherals were added to make it a must-own console? These years will be ranked based on impact to the PS1's library, mostly in North America.
6 1995
The Launch Year In North America
The PS1’s launch year in North America was not filled with memorable games at the time, although many did spawn franchises. Rayman, Twisted Metal, and Tekken would go on to be huge series on PlayStation hardware, along with other systems. Gex was another platformer alongside Rayman that had its fans.
There were some notable releases in Japan that Westerners wouldn’t see until 1996, including Suikoden and Beyond the Beyond. Most interesting of these Western snubs was Arc the Lad. The first game was released in 1995 in Japan, and the three main PS1 games wouldn’t hit North America until 2002 via Arc the Lad Collection. So, altogether, it was great to see Sony enter the console wars and help establish some great franchises.
5 2000
The PS1 Gets A Redesign
Similar to 1995, 2000 was an important year for a hardware launch as the PS1 got a redesign and a cheaper price point. The PSOne was a more compact system, and a year later, Sony released the official PSOne LCD Screen, which effectively turned the system into a complete unit. It wasn’t as portable as their future hardware, the PSP, but a lot of fans at the time treated it like a portable around the house or on trips.
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Thanks to the drop in price, the PS1 as a system was more attractive than ever, especially with years of games up to that point, many of them with significant price drops too. 2000 wasn’t all about blending the new and old, though. Even though 2000 was toward the end of the console’s life, a lot of great sequels and original games were released. Vagrant Story, Mega Man Legends 2, Spyro: Year of the Dragon, and Final Fantasy 9 all stand out.
4 1996
Playing With Friends
PS1 players could engage with multiplayer games at launch in North America in 1995, like Tekken. However, they were limited to two-player games as that’s all the PS1 could handle. In 1996, Sony released the Multitap accessory, which expanded games beyond two. These weren’t all released in 1996, but some great examples of Multitap accessible games over the years include Crash Team Racing, Hot Shots Golf, NBA Jam Tournament Edition, and Twisted Metal 3.
Beyond accessories, this was an amazing year for establishing franchises. Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Crash Bandicoot, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, Jet Moto, and Revelations: Persona all made their debut in 1996. On the Japan side, they got some good games that wouldn’t appear in North America until 1997 like Mega Man 8, Vandal Hearts, and Wild Arms.
3 1999
A Diverse List Of New Series
The Multitap was an important accessory for PlayStation fans, but in 1999, players in Japan received an exclusive: the PocketStation. This small device, similar in size to a Tamagotchi, worked with certain games such as Final Fantasy 8, which was also released in 1999. While it was not revolutionary, this may explain why it remained exclusive to Japan. On the games front, Sony and other third-party publishers were hard at work making sequels and establishing franchises in 1999.
Ape Escape, Medal of Honor, Syphon Filter, Silent Hill, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater all started in 1999 and offered players something different from shooting Nazis to skateboarding around town. Chrono Cross, The Legend of Dragoon, Valkyrie Profile, Parasite Eve 2, and Legend of Mana all debuted in Japan in 1999 but wouldn’t see the light of the West until 2000. One of the odder 1999 games worth mentioning, once again as a Japanese exclusive, was Pepsiman, even though the game was mostly in English.
2 1998
Stealth Reborn
1998 was a great year for stealth games on PS1, with two standouts in particular. Metal Gear Solid brought the series back in full force from the NES days and revolutionized the genre and storytelling on the PS1. The other notable game was Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, which didn’t handle its narrative as well. However, the stealth mechanics were bloodier and more satisfying to stalk prey from the shadows as a ninja.
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With every 10/10 game released, there were a few oddities that helped stabilize the PS1 platform.
Parasite Eve, Xenogears, and Brave Fencer Musashi were three all-new potential franchises from Squaresoft that really hit their stride during the PS1 era. Spyro the Dragon and MediEvil were two new PS1 franchises as well, along with great sequels like Crash Bandicoot: Warped and Resident Evil 2. It was the sequel to one of the greatest years of all time, but 1998 was sufficient in its own right.
1 1997
Perhaps The Most Important Year Of All Time
1997, no matter what kind of experience players wanted on PS1, was a banger. First, the Dual Analog Controller was introduced, followed by the DualShock controller, the latter of which launched in Japan first before coming to North America in 1998. New games and re-releases going forward used the DualShock greatly, like Ape Escape and Resident Evil: Director's Cut – Dual Shock Version. 1997 was also the year Sony started their Greatest Hits discount lineup, which lasted until the PS4 generation.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is notable for solidifying the Metroidvania genre, Gran Turismo was a premier racing franchise, and Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee was a funky little platform puzzler. Chief among the 1997 releases was Final Fantasy 7, which redefined the franchise for a new generation thanks to its gameplay, storytelling, and graphics. One final shoutout goes to Grand Theft Auto, which launched on PC platforms and PS1 in 1997 in Europe, followed by North America in 1998.
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