Summary
Sony defied all expectations when they entered the video game console market in 1994. It was a risk but it paid off given time. They outlived Sega, who grew up next to Nintendo as its biggest rival. There are a lot of reasons why the PS1 was successful and its diverse library is one example.
These games are still fun to play even though many of them may look a bit dated. While not the best games on the PS1, their influences are still felt to this day from developers drawing back to the PS1 to franchises continuing from their humble beginnings.
Hot Shots Golfis known asEverybody’s Golfin Japan, which was released in 1998 in North America, a year after Japan. It was developed by Camelot Software Planning, or just Camelot, anddid for golfing gameswhatSuper Mario Kartdid for racing games back on the SNES, meaning it simplified the mechanics.
The power meter can still be seen in golf games today, be it a simulator or something sillier. More so than that, Nintendo poached Camelot to start makingMario Golffor the N64 in 1999 along with other Mario sports titles. ClapHanz, a new developer under Sony, took over their series starting withHot Shots Golf 2in 2000 in North America, another year after Japan.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skateris an essential PS1 seriesand it didn’t start until late into the console’s life: 1999. It took extreme sports and skateboarding as a whole to a new level. Tony Hawk was already a pro in his world, but in terms of video games, he gained an even bigger audience and changed his life forever.
For years, an annual release was to be expected until things started to peter out. Thanks to this first game, other extreme sports titles started coming out from other skateboarding games to bike and snowboarding experiences.
Parappa the Rappercan be thanked for starting the music rhythm genre. It was released in 1997 in North America, a year after Japan. It was a short experience but fans quickly fell in love with the songs and the goofy nature of it all.
This series didn’t have a long life with only one direct sequel and a spinoff, but thanks to its success,Parappa the Rapperpaved the way for dance games likeDance Dance Revolutionand the instrument boom of the early 2000s fromGuitar HerotoRock Band.
Video games were largely filled with male stars often saving damsels in distress. There were some exceptions like Samus Aran from theMetroidseries, butLara Croft made a huge splashwithTomb Raiderin 1996. She became the cover girl in more ways than one for female protagonists in video games.
It was also a new genre, going after Indiana Jones and other pulp adventure stories from the 1930s, but it was for a modern era.Tomb Raiderdidn’t have many copycats, but it did have a boatload of sequels and it was a forward-thinking game that told the industry it was okay to have a woman be the hero for once.
Metal Gear Solidwas released in 1998, and many thought it was the first in the series, but it began back in Japan in 1987.Metal Gear Solidwas like a reboot, a reintroduction to the series for those who missed it a decade prior. It did many things that changed the industry forever.
The stealth mechanics and interactivity were new from the radar system to Psycho Mantis reading the player’s “memory” thus breaking the fourth wall. Storytelling and voice acting were getting better in the PS1 era, but this game was like the pinnacle of what was possible. Lastly, this is the game that really pushedHideo Kojima into stardomglobally and his legend needs no explanation.
Final Fantasyand RPGsas a whole were niche products only explored by the diehards.Final Fantasy 7changed that for its series and RPGs as it got more people interested. This can largely be attributed to the marketing for the game which showcased a lot of cutscenes and action on TV.
The game itself was more mature as well, exploring darker themes like war and the rich exploiting the poor. It was a technical marvel on the PS1 and it changed people’s perceptions of RPGs as well as Squaresoft’s trajectory. WithoutFinal Fantasy 7, who knows what would have happened to them?
Castlevania: Symphony of the Nightis one half of the Metroidvania formula which took a while to become a sensation outside of theCastlevaniaandMetroidfranchises. This was released in 1997, and every entry before this was just straight action games.
Metroidnever changed by adding RPG elements, but the two franchises were solid albeit for a niche crowd over the years. When both series dried up though, the indie scene started to make spiritual successors. From the 2010s to today, the Metroidvania genre is now one of the most popular next to Soulslikes and roguelikes.
Resident Evilwas not the first survival horror game, but it is the one that seemingly perfected the formula which only got better following 1996. Everyone and their grandma wanted to make a horror game on the PS1 and that’s still true today.
Resident Evilhas to be Capcom’s biggest franchise now, or at least their most recognizable one between too many sequels to count, movies, books, TV shows, and so on. To think it all started with a simple premise of a bunch of elite cops getting trapped inside a mansion only to find themselves in a zombie nightmare.
