My Top 25 Playstation Games (PSOne0

#25 Dragon Warrior VII

This should be a good way to test whether anyone actually reads my crap or not. That is, I am actually placing Dragon Warrior at the lowest spot on the list. That is right! Bring it on! Let the flack and flame fly!
Seriously, however, I very much enjoyed the gajillion hours I sunk on this little Japanese ass-rapist. Old school as hell and obstinately obtuse, it still managed to charm me. Maybe it was the fact that I waited for it for some 5 years or more. Maybe because I wanted to like it so much... In the end I did enjoy the seemingly endless romp through the myriad islands and continents of the planet forgotten by the gods.
Thankfully, the PS2 sequel was somewhat more streamlined in its decidedly old-school attitude. Dragon Warrior VII is the best RPG you could ever hope to find on the Playstation if you happen to be of the masochistic RPGamer persuasion. This is videogame self-flagellation! Yes! But somehow it is still enjoyable. Want to spend some 160 hours of your life and then have your ass handed to you by some of the most unforgiving bosses of their time? Have at it. Do try and level up, though. I spent a little too long with the damnable mini-games.

#24 Sentient

Back in the earliest days of the original Playstation, before the system became the top dog and console to be had, UK based developer Psygnosis offered a little known gem by the name of Sentient. I only came upon this game by a simple fluke, a fortuitous accident if you will, a good time after it had been released.
In this game, you are Garrit, a doctor given the mission of treating all those living in a space station that has suffered radioactive contamination. Upon arrival, Garrit’s ship suffers a not-so-minor mishap and crashes into the landing dock, injuring a nearby engineer. As soon as Garrit gets off his ship he has exactly 2 minutes to put on a radiation-proof suit else he will be contaminated. Should he fail to procure the suit and subsequently put it on, the game would then play out on a rather different course than that which would ensue if the player manages to acquire said equipment. The first major choice in the game given to the player right from the get-go! How is that for engaging gameplay? The game is full of little choices that tangibly affect how the game unfolds.
In essence, Sentient is very much like a text adventure or a graphical adventure, the kind that proliferated in the 80’s and early to mid 90’s. This is a thinking man’s game make no mistake! It is absurdly intricate and very time consuming. The dialog system is unique, letting the player choose from over a hundred different dialogue particles to construct sentences as well as allowing certain facial expressions to be utilized in order to convey inflection. I dearly wish a new game were made with a similar system.
The graphical and aural departments are very ho-hum, even by contextual standards, but they do little to mar the experience that Sentient offers. A total of nine endings guarantee a high replayability index. If you can track down a copy (they sell rather cheap online) then give yourself a good time and play an adventure the likes of which we may not see again for a very long time.

#23 Street Fighter Alpha 2

I find it particularly difficult to be verbose about Street Fighter games in general, as it is neither the quantifiable nor the classifiable that makes these games such an addictive experience. Though one can almost qualify it as tangible, the quality that makes Street Fighter games is rather elusive as it is a personal experience that can only be experienced (redundant, non?) on a singular level.
The Alpha series is a very nice offshoot of the main Street Fighter series – which is long overdue for a proper sequel, by the way – and does a great job of giving us a different take on the familiar mechanics of the series that made the Fighter genre a success. What makes this particular iteration of the series one of my favorites is the precision with which the game handles. The controls are spot-on. You really can’t get better handling in any other fighter, 2D or otherwise!
Sure, Alpha 3 has more characters and a plethora of modes over its precursor, but the mechanics and overall gameplay do not live up to it. Alpha 2 is the best. Hands down.

#22 Final Fantasy IX

The crystals are back. So read the back of the jewel-case box of the last of the 32bit Final Fantasies. Hearkening back to simpler times and adapting what were once the staples of the Final Fantasy universe, FF IX draws on nostalgic remembrance while making the premise something more grandiose than anything the old 8bit and 16bit machines could have ever espoused.
The story is not quite as riveting as that of VI or VII - not even as that of VIII for that matter – but it does a good job, making any true-blooded Final Fantasy fan giddy with wistful goodness.
Gameplay is pretty standard as far as the series and RPG’s in general go. Random battles, the ATB system and a myriad of mini-games to go about… the game is pure Final Fantasy joy! The one thing that makes the game stand out is the special events system which adds a little bit of replay value, as the player is given the choice, often multiple, of viewing events taking place elsewhere in the world.
Another thing that stands out is that this is the only mainline Final Fantasy to date to include a second ending. That is, if a certain side-quest is completed, the player is treated to a little something extra in the ending.
Overall, Final Fantasy IX was the perfect swansong for the series’ 32bit run and a great game to play.

#21 Stryder

There really isn't much to say about Stryder save that it is the best arcade fun you could have on the system. Many did not like it, but you really can't beat this type of action. Really.

#20 Chrono Cross

Not Chrono Trigger. Alright! Now that we have got that bit out of the way we can continue with the actual description.
Chrono Cross is the spiritual sequel to Trigger. It takes place in the same world, in a different era, and it has many similarities and other elements in common. The game is much more open ended, which certainly turned off many a Trigger fan and those used to more linear affairs. Nonetheless, the game is quite the gem.
Visually, the game is top notch. Bright beautiful graphics, a bevy of characters to recruit, rich and varied scenery; all these elements come together in a tight package.
The battle system relies on elemental properties that influence the field and both the characters’ and the enemies’ weaknesses, making for a nice strategic feel to the engagements. The music is nothing short of beautiful, as is to be expected from the Square game stable.
With endings in the double digits, replay value is a given with Chrono Cross. An often underrated classic that is very much worth the time.

#19 Spyro the Dragon

The voice of the infamous Tacobell dog does a dragon. In a platformer. On the Playstation. And it is good.
From the team that brought us the Crash Bandicoot series comes a true 3D platformer that gets everything just about right. The gameplay is perfectly balanced, the soundtrack provided by none other than Stewart Copeland (from The Police) and the visuals evoke Disney-like charm all the way. It was the first good 3D platformer on the console and all three of the Spyro titles on it are nothing short of superb.

#18 Xenogears

Perhaps the most overly complex story ever attempted in videogame form, Xenogears is easily one of the greatest RPG’s in history. Yet, for all its greatness, it falls victim to its many flaws. Pacing, a rather un-interactive second disc and a horrible encounter rate make it a bit of an underachiever, sadly. However, its good things far outnumber and heavily outweigh all the warts on this here piggy. An enjoyable battle system, a convoluted and highly involving story with pertinent philosophical and religious overtones, mechs, great character designs, an amazing score and mechs – yeah, I know, but few RPG’s have mechs as cool as these -. The game also happens to have what may very well be the coolest bad guy in an RPG ever, possibly even rivaling Sephiroth’s megalomaniacal awesomeness factor; this also factors into one of the story’s best and most unexpected twists. I dare not say more, for my words will never do it justice. Xenogears is most deserving of a proper remake. Till then, get this baby and beat it like it just knocked up your sister.

#17 Legacy of Kain

First off let me tell you just how much I abhor vampires in fiction. Yes, I do. Sure, I have read Anne Rice’s works and have found them very well written. Unfortunately, so have a few million weepy goth kids the world round. I am positively fed up with the effeminate yet powerful stereotypical vampire. Which is why I love the character of Kain so very much.
For starters, when mortal, Kain was a kick-ass knight. That’s right! He was never even a little delicate. He basically fought for a living. Then one day, as part of a sinister plot the player can’t even fathom at the game’s outset, the main character bites the dust and is then reanimated as a vampire. This game is basically Zelda on crack-cocaine. You get to kill people for their blood and traverse the vast kingdom of Nosgoth (cool freakin’ name, by the way) wreaking havoc among mortal settlements and being a proverbial pain in the tuckus for other immortal beings.
Two endings – the evil one is the canonical ending, mind you – top off the superb narrative as well as the many soliloquies to which the player is treated when Kain muses over his current condition and the varied events that take him all over the place in the quest to restore the Pillars of Nosgoth, the very foundations of the kingdom.
The rest of the games in the series hold nothing on the original, save for the graphical department, that is. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain is a game that should be experienced by anyone looking for a rather mature and dark alternative to Zelda.

#16 Megaman Legends

Who would have thought that a 3D Mega Man game would actually be good? I had many apprehensions prior to actually playing it but a quick play at a friend’s house allayed all my fears. Indeed, 3D Mega Man is good!
It is my opinion that the reason why this attempt at three-dimensional conversion on the Blue Bomber’s series is so enjoyable is that the developers did not attempt to emulate the platforming of the 2D mainline. That is, by implementing certain RPG and Adventure elements, Capcom was able to give a fresh new perspective on the old robot bashing formula.
The story is ok. It is really nothing particularly notable. The main arc focuses on the exploits of the archeological artifact digging family of Gramps, Roll and Mega Man himself. I won’t give away any of the actual story, as it is good enough to warrant the absence of spoilers, but this is certainly not the Mega Man we know. Nay! This one is basically and “adopted” robot-child who was thus christened by Roll after her “favorite videogame character”. That’s right!
This is a series I would have liked to see continued on the PS2 or Gamecube, but seeing as the story arc pretty much ends with the second game, it would need to start over from scratch, perhaps.
In any case, should you find a copy of this game and you have tired of the usual Mega Formula, give it a whirl. In fact, I believe there is a PSP port in the works. Hmmm.

#15 Skull Monkeys

Claymation, fart jokes, insanely difficult platforming and the most challenging 2D side-scrolling level design make this game a winner in my book. Many found it extremely frustrating, but if you can live through Ghouls n’ Ghosts, you can live through anything.
Klayman, the obscure hero from the PC’s classic The Neverhood makes a comeback in order to vanquish the Skull Monkeys. The story is nothing but potty humor and stop motion cinematics, but the meat of the matter is in the absurdly challenging gameplay.
I honestly love this game and would recommend it to anyone into platformers of the old-school cadre. Those easily frustrated need not apply.

#14 Final Fantasy Tactics

Just how convoluted can a game’s story be and still be intelligible? I am not sure, but FFT certainly touches upon that boundary, walking the line between comprehensible and utterly senseless. The localization likely did not help in that department, but somehow one can still surmise what the story is about.
The heart of the game is in the battles. It is, after all, a Tactical RPG and therefore must provide countless hours of strategically daunting battles and compulsive-obsessive micromanagement. In that regard FFT delivers more than aptly.
I did not spend quite as much time delving into the many nuances of the game as many of my friends did, but playing through twice was enough to last me a lifetime. Here’s hoping for a late PS2 iteration or even a PS3 one. At this point I would be happy with a DS version a little more like the original and less like the GBA Tactics.

#13 Grandia

In Japan, Grandia sold like crazy on the Sega Saturn before Final Fantasy VII came on the scene. It did so well that, once FFVII had hit and won all sorts of accolades and praise, sore Saturn fans claimed it was even better than said FF. Little did they know then that a couple of years later the game would be localized on the Playstation. So the question is: is Grandia better than Final Fantasy VII? Hell, no! Is it just as good? Again: no. Though many a rabid FFVII hater and many sore Saturn fans have gone on at length about how Grandia is so much better, the truth is that it could never aspire to the lofty heights of Final Fantasy grandeur.
As an RPG, Grandia is a very good game. In fact, it is easily on of the games I am fondest of. However, the game has a great amount of faults as far as gameplay goes. A little too much fetch quest for my taste, I’m afraid. The one great thing about the game, though, is the pseudo real-time battle system.
As a whole, Grandia is extremely enjoyable, even more so if one happens to like the genre. The story isn’t anything particularly original but the characters are endearing and often comedic enough to make up for any clichés found therein. The music is pretty good, but it didn’t make it for me.
Though many touted it as the Saturn’s Final Fantasy VII, I would have to say that it doesn’t even deserve that honor, though it is a very good game indeed. I recommend it heartily.

#12 Brave Fencer Musashi

Ah, yes… Square’s pseudo-3D take on Zelda. Brave Fencer Musashi is a very good game despite its flaws. Horrendous voice acting aside, it is a masterpiece of gaming geared towards early teens and children, albeit the latter demographic may find the game a trifle difficult.
BFM oozes charm and quirky fun. Every single character save for Musashi is named after food. The dialogue is down right silly and absurd, the scenes goofy and the character design simply comedic. The gameplay is pretty much spot-on, mixing platforming, exploration and a few roleplaying conventions.
Brave Fencer Bastardashi, as my brother and I liked to call the titular character, looks like one of Fisher-Price’s little people toys with huge swords and crazy anime hair. His twin swords – a katana and a broad sword – make for a very enjoyable attack dynamic, each having different strengths and inherent abilities.
Graphically the game is not particularly great, but it gets the job done on the 32bit console. The music is a little odd, coming across as unintentionally silly and off base. I recall my brother and I singing 70’s and 80’s pop classics fit to the tunes in the game that evoked those very songs. “Baby, I want you to want me… The way that I want you… The way that is should be”. Yeah, if you happen to know this song it should be easy enough to match the in-game tune with it.
All in all, Brave Fencer Musashi is a fun foray into the Adventure/RPG that any person with a soft side for games that don’t take themselves seriously should try.

#11 Resident Evil

A lot of people will likely contend that Resident Evil 2 is better than the original. I will admit that technically it is; that is, graphically and in overall design. However, no other game in the series has managed to convey the kind of spooky atmosphere that the original did so well.
Alone in a mansion, your team of special police is broken up while attempting to solve the mystery of this manor-turned-research lab. Zombies and other abominations abound. Jump out of your seat moments and great tension build up courtesy of superbly spine-tingling music during the action-less periods make the game a true voyage into horror.
The low points for this game are actually all enjoyable if you have the proper mindset. Think of the acting as B-movie material and don’t take it seriously, this should make the game so much more enjoyable. After all, it is the gameplay that makes or breaks the game and this one is made, indeed.

#10 Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey

The closing of Oddworld Inhabitants may be the saddest, most overwhelmingly grave event in videogame history. What was perhaps the most avant-garde developer to have ever graced the industry went under. Who is to blame? The gamers and the publishers! Thankfully we were left with a few of their intended projects so that we may all ponder what manner of games they would have made were they still in the business.
Abe’s Odyssey is the first of what was intended to be a quintet of games taking place in a common world, one of such bizarre wonder and wit that even the most expansive RPG world pales in comparison to.
The game’s story is analogous to the current state of the world and how we are basically killing our own planet, ecosystem by ecosystem. The gameplay is in the vein of platformers like Out of this World and Flashback, rife with challenging puzzles and ingeniously designed stages. The music is superb. The art is priceless. I weep for the loss of this developing powerhouse.
Get this game if you consider game design to be art. It will blow you away.

#9 Einhander

Shmup purists will likely balk at the inclusion of this here space shooter. I, however, think it more than apt. Sure, it is not nail-bitingly tough, but it is very good nonetheless. It is entertaining and dynamic. It is as accessible a space shooter as you’ll ever find.
Tons of ships to unlock and different weapons to choose from make it a shooter true to its heritage, making it a very replayable ordeal for completists.
There really isn’t that much to say about the game. The usual electronic music score is present. The flashy light effects are there, too. What more do you need? I only wish Square – now Square Enix – made more space shooters.

#8 Klonoa

How to describe Klonoa? The character is a car-like creature with arm-like ears and a cap. The game is a platformer with trippy art design and unbearably cute characters. And when I say unbearably cute, I mean diabetes inducing!
The game is great, though, as the gameplay is very well balanced and the few, seemingly simplistic mechanics make for a very engaging romp. It never gets old!
This type of platformer is typical of the pseudo 3D style that was common during the first half of the Playstation’s cycle. What makes it stand out is the superb execution coupled with the unique design. What more can I say about this game?

#7 Silent Hill

This is the single, most scary game of the 32bit era. The suffocating, miasmic fog that permeates the ghostly town is the stuff of schizophrenic dreams. The monster designs simply hellish, no other adjective would do. Disturbing like no other game of its time, Silent Hill is the epitome of Survival horror on the console.
The story is a man whose daughter has gone missing after a small car accident turns into a maddening affair involving demons and parallel dimensions. A plethora of endings both disturbing and, in a couple of cases, humorous, make for a very replayable game.
All other games in the series follow the elements of insanity esconced within the trappings of this game; Silent Hill is a veritable work of horror art.

#6 Metal Gear Solid

There’s just something incredibly cool about the Metal Gear franchise. Perhaps it is Snake’s machismo and unabashed bravado. Perhaps it is the stealth action. Perhaps it is the Gears. It does not really matter which factor it is that makes the game as good as it is, it simply is.
After a generational hiatus in the series, Solid came as one of the most awaited games in history. Hideo Kojima delivered the mother of all tactical espionage games to date.
The setting, the story, the many extras and the excruciating torture segment; this is as close as a cinematic experience as could be garnered on the original Playstation.
It is a fool’s endeavor to attempt a faithful description of this game; it can only be played in order to get the full skinny on it. As Ben Stiller would say: Do it!

#5 Vagrant Story

With a plot as twisted and convoluted as Final Fantasy Tactics, item micromanagement as deep as any and a difficulty level capable of making grown men cry, it is no surprise Vagrant Story did not make much of a splash commercially. It is a great shame, however, as the game is hardcore gaming bliss.
You play a private investigator by the name of Ashley (””) who is plunged into a plot so thick and layered that the player will be hard pressed to remember it all from the first play-through. That is fine, really, as the game is clearly meant to be played at least twice. The second play-through yields access to secret items, new areas and harder versions of the game’s already challenging bosses.
The presentation and art are very dark, generally, and simply something to be witnessed. The music is worthy of the Square canon. The gameplay is simply astounding. Sure, it is tough and unforgiving; I don’t actually know anyone else personally other than me to have beaten the game, a fact that makes me feel particularly good about having completed the ever-loving crap out of the game.
You think you’re hardcore? This is one you must have played through in its entirety in order to make such a claim.

#4 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Take some tried and true ‘Vania brand goodness, add a little Metroid, marinate in RPG elements and bake at 375F for a half hour: voila! Symphony of the Night.
Once again, what can anybody say that has not already been said about this game? You play Alucard, the son of Dracula himself, in all his otherworldly awesomeness. You get to get to plunder two iterations of the Count’s castle and kick the crap out of its many minions in ways never before seen in a ‘Vania game. The music goes from some Heavy Metal to canonical vampire slaying tunes. The only way I could explain how great this game is, well, is by ordering you to play it. ‘Nuff said. Do mind the horrid voice acting, though.

#3 Alundra

What could easily be the best 2D Action/Adventure of the 32-bit console era came from the now defunct publisher Working Designs. This game seemed to have come out of nowhere when it released on December 1997, scoring rather well with critics and very highly among the people who actually took a chance to play it.
The game takes place in and around the village of Inoa, upon which’s shore the titular character washes up after a shipwreck. He is found by the local blacksmith and subsequently taken to the smith’s house. Soon after Alundra regains consciousness he is required to save an old man who seems to be having a nightmare-filled coma of some sort. Coincidentally, Alundra happens to be an individual belonging to a race of elf-like humanoids possessing the unique ability of walking into other people’s dreams. He thus proceeds to enter into the old man’s nightmare and vanquish the foes lurking therein.
Slowly, the plot develops as the villagers of Inoa are constantly assailed by an unseen force; a force causing them to fall into an unconscious state to eventually whither and die. Alundra must find the origin of this evil force and vanquish it.
Woven into the main plot are a few philosophical questions, such as those of religion’s effect on people and the way they cope with their problems, sometimes to devastating effects. Other such themes mat the mosaic that makes up the game’s setting, one that is quite well developed and is positively endearing. The villagers all have rather distinct personalities; some being very realistic and humane while others (Debonair comes to mind) are humorous in a cheesy sort of way.
The gameplay can be summarized as 2D Zelda with some platforming and insanely challenging puzzles (I know quite a few people who became so frustrated as to stop playing all together!). Hailing such spiritual ancestry as Zelda and, mainly, Landstalker, this is a game for the hardcore. The bosses are great and very well balanced, the dungeons large and suitably challenging, everything a fan of the genre could want. There are a few secrets in there, even one killer item that can only be attained by dying.
The music is another high point for the game as it does a more than adequate job of heightening the game’s every single poignant moment as well as making world traversing an enjoyable experiencing.
It is truly a shame that a proper sequel was never released for this game. Alundra 2 is possibly the most horrible sequel ever produced for any single game that I can think of. It shouldn’t even bear the title Alundra as said character doesn’t even appear in the game, neither is the story even related to the original nor is it any good at all. If I could be alone for 5 minutes in a room with the storywriters of the sequel there would be a massacre! After Ocarina of Time I developed rather high expectations for an Alundra sequel, thinking it would be the logical way for a game in the genre to go: that is, the 3D Zelda way. Alas, I have only my feeble dreams to keep me warm at night.
Never-you-mind, though, as Alundra is the best of the genre and the last 2D iteration of any worth for it as well!

#2 Wild Arms

The first thing I felt when I popped this baby into my Playstation back in 1997 was a sort of uplifting joy. What arrested me so was the intro’s opening theme; an acoustic piece full of emotion that will forever be etched in my memory.
Wild Arms came only a little before Square’s behemoth Final Fantasy VII, yet it managed to win my heart over with its retro graphical presentation and a very well written story. The three main characters are easy to sympathize with and are very well fleshed out.
The game mechanics are nothing out of the ordinary, really, save for the fact that the game starts the player out by playing through each main character’s introductory scenario separately. This I found to be very engaging as it lends a bit more depth to the characters as well as letting the player become familiar with each one’s out-of-battle abilities which differ greatly. These abilities also help the game stand out, as they are required for traversing the many dungeons and locations that dot the planet of Filgaia. Switching from character to character in dungeons and separating the party in order to realize actions in tandem is a rather simplistic mechanic that seems to work quite well and manages never to get old.
This is one of those games I cannot help but come back to every few years. This incarnation of Filgaia is easily the best of the series to date; every town is alive with personality and charm. There is so much to do outside of the main quest that it took me three runs to make a complete file! This one is a game for the ages. The ending is easily one of the best ever. I only wish there were more games like the original Wild Arms.

#1 Final Fantasy VII

This game is the reason why I bought a Playstation in the first place. Hell! It is the reason why I even sold my first Sega Saturn! This game I anticipated and yearned for more than any other even today. You cannot possibly even begin to fathom my obsession with this game. My then-girlfriend nearly dumped me because of it. I nearly flunked the tenth grade on account of it. I hardly got any sleep for a month thanks to this godsend of a game.
Every bit of the character designs, the suitably convoluted story, the setting, the music, the materia magic system and the cinematics were simply amazing. Even by today’s standards it holds rather well.
Every RPG fan should play this game at least once in order to get a feel for the turning point in history when the genre became commercially viable in the West. You can literally see the gradual improvements in design within the game as the polygonal characters appear as such in the earlier cinematics but actually become greatly modeled in the later cut-scenes. It currently holds the record for being the single RPG I have played through the highest amount of times (probably why I seem to have noticed so many things about it).
There is simply so much to do in this game. So many different optional mini-games – all of which are rather enjoyable -, optional bosses, optional quests and a highly entertaining magic system make this game a completist’s dream.
For all the arguments anyone may have against Final Fantasy VII’s greatness, they should simply be happy that the game exists and be grateful for it. Why? Because it single-handedly make the genre a success in the Occidental territories!
Best. Damn. PSOne. Game. Ever.
Best. RPG. Ever.