5 PS1 Games That Defined the 1990s

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The original PlayStation first hit stores in Japan in November 1994, marking a turning point for video games with its 3D graphics and use of CDs instead of cartridges – allowing for much larger games. While it arrived in the US in May 1995 and Europe/Australia in July 1995, it launched over a year before the Nintendo 64, giving Sony a chance to define what players expected from the next generation of consoles. The PlayStation boasts many fantastic games, but some are particularly iconic, not necessarily because they were the best, but because they truly captured the spirit of gaming during that era.

Here are the five PS1 games that defined the era.

5) Resident Evil

While not the very first survival horror game, the original Resident Evil is widely credited with making the genre popular. Its producer, Tokuro Fujiwara, had previously created Sweet Home, an NES game from 1989 that pioneered many survival horror elements, but the game was restricted by the limitations of the technology available then.

As a huge fan, I always thought the original Resident Evil on PlayStation was a game-changer. Fujiwara and Shinji Mikami really took survival horror to a whole new level with it! It wasn’t just incredibly popular and launched a massive franchise for Capcom, but it also single-handedly brought zombies back into the mainstream. Seriously, that trip to Spencer Mansion is one of the most important and influential games ever made, in my opinion.

4) Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

The Castlevania series is a huge hit for Konami, and many fans consider Symphony of the Night to be the best game in the series. Surprisingly, Symphony of the Night didn’t become popular right away. It took time, but eventually, people started talking about it, and it gained a reputation as one of the best games of its time.

Symphony of the Night wasn’t just a fantastic game; it played a key role in making a whole genre popular – and it’s still loved by players today. As one of the first ‘Metroidvania’ games, SOTN introduced many people to this style of gameplay, which is now a favorite among game developers. Konami successfully combined exploration, open-ended levels, and light RPG features to create a winning formula.

3) Tomb Raider

Eidos Interactive created a truly impressive first Tomb Raider game. Its innovative controls and beautiful visuals were a hit with both players and reviewers, who often compared the experience to watching a thrilling action movie.

Looking back, the graphics don’t seem as impressive as they once were, considering how much technology has advanced. However, Tomb Raider was truly stunning when it first came out, and Lara Croft immediately became a gaming icon. She was everywhere in the late 90s – you couldn’t open a video game magazine without seeing her face!

2) Metal Gear Solid

The original Metal Gear Solid immediately demonstrated Hideo Kojima’s talent for telling stories like a movie director. He’s now widely recognized as a leading creative force in gaming, but even back then, he was incredibly innovative and willing to try new things – perhaps even more so than he is today.

Metal Gear Solid revolutionized gaming by demonstrating the power of cinematic storytelling. While the gameplay wasn’t always smooth, the way the game told its story through Snake’s stealth missions was groundbreaking for its time. Despite some frustrating controls, Metal Gear Solid helped make stealth games popular and established new standards for how cutscenes could be used in video games.

Considering how cinematic Metal Gear Solid is, it’s ironic that it hasn’t been adapted into a movie, especially since three of the other games on this list have. However, that might be because MGS already feels like a film – it’s hard to imagine what a movie version could add. While there have been efforts to make it happen, nothing has come to fruition yet.

1) Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII is a landmark game, and a key reason for its success was a pivotal decision by its developer, Square. They chose to partner with PlayStation instead of Nintendo. Nintendo had decided to continue using game cartridges instead of adopting the newer CD technology, and Square realized their ambitious vision for Final Fantasy VII required the larger storage capacity that CDs offered. This led them to move development to PlayStation.

The close relationship between Square Enix and Sony has remained strong for many years. For example, Final Fantasy XVI was first released on PlayStation 5 in 2023 and wasn’t available on other consoles for another year. While not all Final Fantasy games are initially exclusive to PlayStation, securing that deal with FF7 was a major win for Sony when their first console launched.

Final Fantasy VII was a massive critical and commercial success, winning Game of the Year awards from nearly every gaming publication. Its story was considered one of the best ever told in a video game at the time, though some preferred Metal Gear Solid. More importantly, FF7 introduced countless players around the world to the Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) genre. The game has continued to thrive, expanding into other forms of media, and the recent Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy demonstrates its enduring popularity.

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2025-11-18 01:14