Great PS1 Games that are Fun Immediately

Sony’s first generation of consoles wasn’t known as the PS1 back in the day. It was just simply called the Sony PlayStation, because back then we didn’t know that we’d have several iterations and upgrades beyond that. While it wasn’t the first console to use CDs instead of cartridges, in my mind, it’s responsible for popularizing them as the new standard.

The catalog for the PS1 is a whopping 1,300 games that were released over its lifespan. Wading through a catalog like to find the best is no small task. Fortunately, a good game usually makes itself known in a few different ways. Whether it’s universal acclaim or word of mouth among friend groups, some games are just undeniably fun.

However, some great games can take longer to get going than others. Sometimes you just want that instant gratification or maybe your play time is very limited. When that happens, you need a game that’s fun right from the start.

10 Tekken 3

More than an Arcade Port

There are a number of features that the PS1 version of Tekken 3 adds beyond your standard fighting game experience. On top of all the 1-on-1 punching and kicking, there was a beach volleyball mini-game, Tekken-themed bowling, even a short beat-em-up campaign. I also stand by my statement that anyone can jump into Tekken 3 and play as Eddy Gordo and have a good time even if they don’t know what they’re doing.

Tekken 3 is still one of the best ports of an arcade game ever because it understood the need to expand what it was offering in order to keep folks playing. Even if you don’t like fighting games, you’ll still have fun with Tekken 3’s many mini-games.

9 Resident Evil 2

Spreading Like a Virus

I had never been truly scared by a video game until I played Resident Evil 2. The game dropped you in the middle of a zombie-infested Raccoon City and wished you luck. I immediately felt this game’s intensity upon starting it up. The fact I was home alone, playing in the dark didn’t help to slow my heart rate at all.

RE2 had a quicker pacing to it than the first game, which made it a more playable experience for me personally too. If you enjoy a good horror game experience and want a game that’s going to leave you hesitant to turn a corner because a zombie might be waiting to jump out, definitely give it a try.

8 Tomb Raider

Welcome to the Jungle

Lara Croft has gone through many changes throughout the years, but she started life as a polygonal adventurer in the original Tomb Raider. While she had her iconic dual-wield pistols, much of the original game focused on puzzle solving and acrobatic exploration. It made it an easy game to jump right into and start raiding.

The game was an instant smash and has gone on to be translated into movies and television series. But none of it would’ve been possible without this first iconic adventure. If you’ve never gone back to experience the original game for yourself, it’s still fun to this day.

7 Ridge Racer Type 4

Get Your Motor Running

I’m honestly not much for racing games, but Ridge Racer Type 4 had my attention immediately. Maybe it was the unlockable Pac-Man car, or the flashy graphics that drew me in. Whatever the reason, RRT4 had gameplay that met somewhere in the middle of a sim and an arcade racer. Many cars were made for drifting, Tokyo style, around turns, giving players the option to control their vehicles with a looser style or go for a more traditional vibe.

The game did a great job of starting you off slowly and gradually getting you up to speed, making it fun from the moment the light turned green in your first race. There aren’t a lot of racers I enjoy, but even I have to give it up to Ridge Racer Type 4’s sleek design.

6 PaRappa the Rapper

Mic Drop

If you want to be the best rapper ever, you first have to learn how to punch and kick from an anthropomorphic onion. That’s what PaRappa the Rapper taught me at least. As far as stories about rappers coming up in the world, this is probably the exact opposite of 8-Mile. The game is a colorful and very stylized rhythm game that has you following the titular character through his day as he busts flows and completes errands.

It's an adorable combination of hip-hop aesthetics and the songs are actually really catchy. I still find myself getting the song about baking a cake stuck in my head from time to time.

5 Incredible Crisis

What a Day I'm Having

This is by far one of the most underrated and unappreciated games on the PS1. Incredible Crisis follows a Japanese family as they go about their daily routines, only they are all having one heck of a day. The whole thing plays out in a series of mini-games that have you doing things like running from boulders, snowboarding, and fighting giant teddy bears with jet fighters.

It’s all backed by an amazing skankin' soundtrack by Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. Incredible Crisis is a diamond in the rough, a real one-of-a-kind experience that really has yet to be replicated. The humor and variety of games will have you hooked immediately.

4 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

Skateboarding is Not a Crime

It didn’t matter if you could actually do a kickflip or not, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was your chance to live out all your cool skateboarding kid fantasies without all the broken bones. It was a new kind of arcade sports game that wasn’t for the jocks. The game reveled in the taboo, counter-culture nature that surrounded skaters of the early 2000s and has one of the best licensed soundtracks ever.

You just hopped on your board and started skating all over that warehouse until you figured it all out. And honestly, all that trying over and over to line up the perfect trick combos and going for the high score is really similar to what it’s like trying to learn a new trick in real life. And for many an indoor kid like myself, it was our only chance to grind a rail.

3 Crash Bandicoot

Going N. Sane

At the PS1’s launch, Crash Bandicoot was the console’s flagship mascot, and as far as 3D platformers go, it was very polished for the era. Gameplay was straightforward with a control scheme that you could wrap your head around right away. It also featured levels where you run towards the screen while being chased by boulders, which was pretty creative back then.

Crash Bandicoot has gone on to be a popular series in its own right since its PS1 launch. The game has been re-released on a number of platforms over the years, making it easy to get a hold of if you want to take it for a spin.

Snake? Snaaaaaaaake!!!

The opening sequence to Metal Gear Solid was quite the cinematic accomplishment back in the day and set a precedent for the rest of the game. There’s a reason that it put the series and Hideo Kojima on the map. It mixed stealth action with some of the craziest boss fights ever seen in a game. The brawl with Psycho Mantis was particularly unique since it required you to switch the controller port you were using.

There are just so many little details in MGS that make it a classic to this day. Since the PS1, it has gone on to be one of the most popular game series of all time. Now if only I could figure out what’s going on with the plot…

1 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

What is a Man?

If you were to ask me, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is the GOAT of all Metroidvanias. It took the side-scrolling adventure series and added in a number of RPG elements. It switched the focus from the Belmont family to the supernatural half-human son of Dracula, Alucard. But, like all the other games in the Castlevania series, it opened the gate to Drac’s castle quickly and let you sink your teeth into the action immediately.

Symphony of the Night is a game that’s so quality that it has stood the test of time. If you can’t get a hold of a PS1 copy, you should for sure grab the Castlevania: Requiem collection.