The best PS1 games of all time

With their long-held mystique both within and beyond Japan, ninjas became a prominent figure in the early days of video games. In franchises like Ninja Gaiden, however, they’re translated into nimble, hack-and-slash fighters. Tenchu: The Stealth Assassins breaks that mold.  It’s one of the first games to truly embrace the ninja as a stealthy infiltrator. Instead of relying solely on weapons and reflexes, he must rely on his tools and wits to survive. Developed by Japanese studio Acquire, Tenchu is the feudal Japanese parallel to Metal Gear Solid’s nuclear melodrama. Failing a mission causes you to lose whatever tools you’re carrying, forcing you to be careful and deliberate when approaching each mission. Fantastical elements from Japanese mythology provide fun flavor, but in its time, Tenchu was the most fun because of how human and vulnerable you felt, making success all the sweeter.

Breaking away from the gritty sci-fi trajectory created by FF7 and FF8, FF9’s return to the stylized, chibi aesthetic and light-hearted fantasy of the series’ original entries displeased many fans. In retrospect, it stands out as a fantastic synthesis of the franchise’s recent ideas with its classic mechanical and worldbuilding tropes that put it high on the list of best Final Fantasy games. FF9 follows the rogueish Zidane, the rebellious princess Garnett, and their assembled friends taking on the sinister Queen Brahne and her world domination plans. It’s classic Final Fantasy through and through and easily the most charming and fun entry from the era.

The PlayStation’s 3D capabilities opened up a whole field of possibilities for cinematic horror, which is why it gave birth to the survival horror genre. Where the early Resident Evil games rely more on jump scares and zombie movie tropes, Silent Hill takes a decidedly more psychological and surreal approach. You play as Harry Mason, whose daughter goes missing in the creepy town of Silent Hill as they pass through on vacation. He searches through a thick fog that blankets the entire town, though it’s mostly in place due to the system’s draw distance limitations. Still, this fog gives the game a memorably menacing atmosphere, particularly when played alone and late at night. Drawing from an interesting range of influences like Lewis Carroll and David Lynch, Silent Hill is seminal in establishing the subtler and more artistically interesting strain of psychological horror in video games.

If you like the survival horror stylings of Resident Evil auteur Shinji Mikami but aren’t into zombies, Capcom still has you covered. Much of the same team — including Mikami himself — also developed Dino Crisis, a survival horror game that happens to be set in a secret island research facility. As the name suggests, you encounter genetically-revived dinosaurs running rampant. While this sounds remarkably similar to the Jurassic Park films, the similarities end with the basic premise.  Dino Crisis takes a serious and notable departure from the arguably hokey premise of JP in many ways. Even though Dino Crisis and Resident Evil are both survival games, Capcom presents Dino Crisis as a “Panic Horror” game, giving it a higher danger rating. They argue that Resident Evil’s zombies are less threatening than the clever, speedy, and violent dinosaurs. Dino Crisis boasts commendable, real-time 3D backgrounds, in contrast to the pre-rendered gamescapes of its ancestors. This background, combined with artistic still camera angles, amps up the game’s immersion and interactivity.  It’s not as horrifying or as culturally famous as Resident Evil, but Dino Crisis has many perks. Many gamers think it is superior to Resident Evil in many different ways, and we agree that it’s intense, fun, and well-paced. Even though the Raptors are the smartest predators and highest risk, there are plenty of species to fight.  Whether you play a classic PS1 or use a console emulator, it’s worth checking out these classic PlayStation 1 games. No matter your preferred brand of nostalgia, you’ll find a retro genre or series that is perfect for you.