My Top 50 Favourite Playstation 1 Games: #1 + more!

If you missed #2 click here.

We're finally here. What is my favourite PS1 game? Before I reveal that, let's have a recap from #50 to #2...

• #50 Spiderman ***1/2
• #49 Sled Storm ***1/2
• #48 Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling 2 ***1/2
• #47 Kula World ***1/2
• #46 Destruction Derby ***3/4
• #45 Hogs of War ***3/4
• #44 Tekken ***3/4
• #43 Team Buddies ***3/4
• #42 Psychic Force 2 ***3/4
• #41 Crash Bash ***3/4
• #40 Lego Racers ***3/4
• #39 Bust a Move 2 ***3/4
• #38 MediEvil ***3/4
• #37 Tekken 2 ***3/4
• #36 Tombi! ****
• #35 Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver ****
• #34 WWF War Zone ****
• #33 Wu-Tang: Taste the Pain ****
• #32 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee ****
• #31 Driver ****
• #30 Soul Blade ****
• #29 Parasite Eve II ****
• #28 Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring ****
• #27 Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko ****
• #26 Rage Racer ****
• #25 Street Fighter EX2 Plus ****1/4
• #24 Crash Bandicoot ****1/4
• #23 FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 ****1/4
• #22 Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer ****1/4
• #21 WWF Smackdown! ****1/4
• #20 Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories ****1/4
• #19 Jade Cocoon ****1/4
• #18 FIFA 2000 ****1/4
• #17 Spyro the Dragon ****1/4
• #16 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis ****1/4
• #15 Gran Turismo ****1/4
• #14 The Legend of Dragoon ****1/2
• #13 Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back ****1/2
• #12 Silent Hill ****1/2
• #11 Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon ****1/2
• #10 Final Fantasy VIII ****1/2
• #9 Resident Evil ****1/2
• #8 Worms Armageddon ****1/2
• #7 WWF Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role ****1/2
• #6 Crash Team Racing ****1/2
• #5 Tekken 3 ****3/4
• #4 Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped! ****3/4
• #3 Final Fantasy VII ****3/4
• #2 Resident Evil 2 ****3/4

So my favourite Playstation 1 game is...

#1 - Final Fantasy IX

Released: 2000
Genre: RPG
Rating: ****3/4 stars

Best Moment: The ending. For me, this is possibly my favourite ending in video game history. It gets reduces me to tears. Every. Damn. Time.

Well, if you know me personally, you probably knew more than 50 days ago that my #1 game was going to be Final Fantasy IX. It would possibly top my favourite games of all time list, if I were to ever make one, which I may well do one day.

FF9 to me is everything. Sure, I didn't give it a perfect score of 5 stars, but I don't think a game has been released that I'd rate a perfect score. FF9 has some flaws, some frustrating moments even, but it has HEART. It has more heart than any game I've ever played, period. This game makes me emotional in so many different ways. The story is perfect, the characters are just a great bunch, the music is timeless, the graphics are beautiful in their flawed way. I just have so much love for this game it's unreal. I even named my daughter, Vivi, after the black mage in this game. That black mage is, one of the best characters in video game history by the way.

FF9 is not the first Final Fantasy game I played. It's not even the first Final Fantasy I'd suggest people play. It's for a very particular audience. It has an old school, nostalgic, poetic feel to it. It does play like the classic Final Fantasy games but it's also harder than other games, probably intentionally as a nod to the very classic FF games on the NES. But the way the story is told, the twists and turns, the excellent cast of varied characters, and, for me, the most perfect ending, is what makes this game truly special. I do struggle to put into words why I love this game so much, but this has been my best effort. I just love this game with all my heart, and for me, undisputedly, is my Favourite Playstation 1 Game.

So Final Fantasy IX, congratulations, you've earned this prestigious trophy!

Here's some nerdy stats if you're into that thing!

Video Game Series With Multiple Entries

Crash Bandicoot - 5 (Crash Bandicoot #24, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back #13, Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped! # 4, Crash Team Racing #6, Crash Bash #41)

Final Fantasy - 3 (Final Fantasy VII #3, Final Fantasy VIII #10, Final Fantasy IX #1)

Resident Evil - 3 (Resident Evil #9, Resident Evil 2 #2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis #16)

Tekken - 3 (Tekken #44, Tekken 2 #37, Tekken 3 #5)

Spyro the Dragon - 3 (Spyro the Dragon #17, Spyro 2: Gateaway to Glimmer #22. Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon #11)

WWF Smackdown! - 2 (WWF Smackdown! #21, WWF Smackdown 2: Know Your Role #7)

Best PS1 Game Per Year

1995 - Tekken - ***3/4 #44

1996 - Resident Evil - ****1/2 #9

1997 - Final Fantasy VII - ****3/4 #3

1998 - Resident Evil 2 - ****3/4 #2

1999 - Crash Team Racing - ****1/2 #6

2000 - Final Fantasy IX - ****3/4 #1

Total Games Per Year

As you can see, the year 1999 dominated my list. It's one of my all time favourite years in video game history. Crash Team Racing, Worms Armageddon, FF8, Silent Hill, Legend of Dragoon, Resi 3, FIFA 2000 all are in my Top 20!

Best PS1 Game By Genre

Party - Crash Bash - ***3/4 #41

Puzzle - Bust a Move 2 - ***3/4 #39

Action - Driver - **** #31

Strategy - Worms Armageddon - ****1/2 #8

Sports - WWF Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role - ****1/2 #7

Racing - Crash Team Racing - ****1/2 #6

Fighting - Tekken 3 - ****3/4 #5

Platformer - Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped! - ****3/4 #4

Horror - Resident Evil 2 - ****3/4 #2

RPG - Final Fantasy IX - ****3/4 #1

Total Games By Genre

So Platformers, Fighting games and Sports games dominate the list. Despite RPGs being my favourite genre, there were only 5 in the list, compared to the 9 Platformers in the list.

So... that's pretty much it from me! Thanks for reading my Top 50 Favourite Playstation 1 Games list. To go back all the way to #50 click here!

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My Top 50 Favourite Playstation 1 Games: #8

If you missed #9 click here.

#8 - Worms Armageddon

Released: 1999
Genre: Strategy
Rating: ****1/2 stars

Best Moment: Landing the perfect shot from afar on a sudden death. Or using the ninja rope through the narrowest of gaps. Or using the holy hand grenade. Or using the prod successfully. I can't choose one!

This is probably the best Worms game ever created. It's certainly my favourite, and the one I go to whenever I fancy a game. I've played this game so many times with so many different friends I've lost count. It's just a classic.

The first Worms game was great, but it was released at the wrong time. The world was getting ready for 3D games, bigger and brighter pixels. The first game had a good base but looked poor. That's when Worms 2 and Worms Armageddon came in. They made the graphics bigger, brighter and bolder. They made the game funnier. They made the weapons far more outrageous. The two games are just brilliant. They then tried to make Worms 3D and that just never felt right.

Worms Armageddon is where the Worms games peakedand I'll always love playing it, it provides the perfect balance of comedy and strategy, it's for me the perfect party game for adults. I just love it.

Looking for #7 in my list? Click here!

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My Top 50 Favourite Playstation 1 Games: #45

If you missed #46 click here.

#45 - Hogs of War

Released: 2000
Genre: Strategy

Rating: ***3/4 stars

Best Moment: Just Rik Mayall and his hilarious commentary, it's wonderful stuff. RIP Rik.

It's crazy how little people know this game exists. Legendary English comedian Rik Mayall commentating over pigs fighting each other in a World War inspired world. Think Worms but in 3D. It was a great game that never did get the attention it deserved and ended up being a cult classic. Tactically it played well, and, comparing it with 3D Worms games I personally think it is better than them. Rik Mayall as I said before, and his brilliant lines is what makes this game stand out the most. They did nearly make a sequel to this but for reasons unknown it never did happen. Ah well.

Want to know what game in at #44? Click here!

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My Top 50 Favourite Sega Mega Drive Games: #20 - #11

We’ve reached an important stage of my listing now. It’s Top 20 time. What are my Top 20 favourite Mega Drive games? Keep following to find out! 

#20 – Gain Ground

Released: 1992 (2007 in the UK)

Genre: Action

Rating: ****1/4 stars

Best Moment: Getting to the end of the level with all characters intact. The game crumbles very quickly if you lose your best characters.

I only discovered this game recently, on the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection actually. I’d never heard of it before then. To be fair, it was never released in the UK on the console itself, but has been ported here on compilation games celebrating the Genesis/Mega Drive. It’s a really good game. It’s hard to describe what the game is about. It’s actually a little like a video game version of British Bulldog if you’ve played it, if so you may have an idea where I’m going with this description; you start off with three characters and you have to get to the end of the level. There are two ways to do this; first, you can dodge enemies and walk to the exit, which is usually the hardest way to do it, mainly because you’d have to do this with every single character. The quickest way to beat a level is to just kill all enemies on screen. As I said you start off with three characters but you can recruit more characters by saving them, to do this you have to find them on the screen and take them to an exit, and in the next level onwards they’ll be added to your roster. If anyone dies then they have to be saved, otherwise you permanently lose that character. It’s a really good game Gain Ground, really worth playing and it’s a tough strategy game in the end but very fun to play. I don’t know how many people have actually played it, I doubt many, but it’s really worth your time trust me.

#19 - Street Fighter II: Championship Edition

Released: 1992

Genre: Fighting

Rating: ****1/4 stars

Best Moment: Beating the Bonus stages flawlessly. Always a good feeling.

How many versions of Street Fighter II was there? Well the Mega Drive had a few, with this version probably being the best. I’m not putting more than one version in this list; they’re far too similar too each other! Street Fighter II’s legacy speaks for itself, it’s simply the most influential fighting game ever released. I don’t think individually one single other fighting game can claim it’s made a bigger impact. I’m not saying it’s the best, but no game in the genre has added to the genre on the whole more than this game. Street Fighter II is a game you have to experience, to fully understand its place in video game history. It’s not coincidence that Street Fighter IV took a lot of inspiration from SF2 to take the game series back to the top of the mountain. Is Street Fighter II my favourite fighting game on the Mega Drive? No, you’ll find that out later in this list. But Street Fighter II is more legendary than it is one of my favourite games, that’s for sure, but regardless of its placement in this list, I respect the hell out of this game and Capcom for making it.

#18 – Worms

Released: 1995

Genre: Strategy

Rating: ****1/4 stars

Best Moment: Having to take a very risky and tough shot with a bazooka, and nailing it spot on.

Ah, the Worms series. It’s amazing to think that the original Worms game was released on the Mega Drive but it was. I never played it on the Mega Drive personally but I do know that the Mega Drive version has zero changes to it to the Playstation copy I had. And what a game Worms was, back in 1995. Sure, nowadays the Worms formula has improved drastically, as have the graphics and comedy voices, but let’s not take anything away from the original game. At the time Worms was unlike any other game out there. A strategy game with an incredible sense humour, this game could destroy friendships as the competitive gameplay was so good. Worms on the Mega Drive surely makes it one of the best games ever released on the console, even if it was released when the console was dying out.

#17 – Speedball 2

Released: 1990

Genre: Sports

Rating: ****1/4 stars

Best Moment: Scoring after a succession of great passes, either that or heating the ball up and throwing it at the goalie, with the ball ending in the back of the net. Fun times.

I’ve already reviewed this game on this site as part of my Old School Game Reviews, you can read that here. Speedball 2 was a truly terrific game. Sure, it may not be a real sport, but it’s still a sports game, and I rate it as one of the best sports games ever made. A mixture of rugby, handball and hockey, Speedball wasn’t that popular unfortunately, but it’s definitely playable, even today I play this game. It’s quite difficult but a heck of a lot of fun, frenetic fun that is. I love this game, and can’t recommend you play it enough.

#16 – Super Monaco GP

Released: 1990 (1991 in the UK)
Genre: Racing
Rating: ****1/4 stars
Best Moment: Just sticking to your gameplan, racing hard and fast yet accurate, and finishing in first place, naturally.

Technically I suppose the second game was superior and I may have rated it quite low at #32 but I just prefer the first game in nearly every way. I love World Championship Mode. I love starting in the Minrae (which is based on the Minardi F1 car), changing constructors and ending up in the Madonna car (based on the McLaren). I love racing on my favourite tracks (some being Great Britain, France and Italy). I also love and hate the second season of World Championship Mode, when you’re the defending champion and G. Ceara (based on the great Ayrton Senna) joins the season having taken the first season out and getting your arse whooped by him and struggling to reclaim your title. I just have so many personal memories of this game, all great, and it’ll forever be my favourite F1 game ever. There may be many technically better games, graphics or controls, but I’ll doubt I’ll ever find a game I’ll enjoy more based on Formula 1 racing.

#15 – Shining Force II

Released: 1993 (1994 in the UK)
Genre: RPG
Rating: ****1/2 stars
Best Moment: Just assembling your party and kicking arse in general. It’s just a brilliant RPG.

I feel bad that Shining Force II is so low on this list as it’s truly an epic RPG. There weren’t many RPGs on the Mega Drive (only the Shining Force and Phantasy Star games are really worthy of any mention in honesty) but Shining Force is not only the best RPG series on the console, but one of my favourite RPG series of all time. I truly love Shining Force, the stories are decent enough but it’s the strategy and turned based RPG system that truly sets it apart from other RPGs. It gets the formula totally spot on and I just love playing the games. If you’ve never experienced Shining Force, seriously, get an emulator or get the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection and play the two Shining Force games. You won’t regret it.

#14 – Streets of Rage

Released: 1991
Genre: Beat ‘em Up
Rating: ****1/2 stars
Best Moment: Honestly? The first level. The whole of it. The music is just so fricking awesome, topped off by the just as good boss theme. The level, while naturally the easiest, has excellent flow to it and it’s probably one of my favourite ‘first levels’ of all time.

I’ve already reviewed this game on this site as part of my Old School Game Reviews, you can read that here. The original Streets of Rage was just so good, ridiculously good even, for back in 1991. Sure, there were Beat ‘em Ups before it that made an impact, but I think Streets of Rage truly lifted the genre to new levels never seen before, and in honesty, not seen since. And this game started it all off. And the formula was improved further for the sequel, but this game, the first in the series, was and still is, one of the best Mega Drive games of all time.

#13 – Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine

Released: 1993 (1994 in the UK)

Genre: Puzzle

Rating: ****1/2 stars

Best Moment: Quite simply, getting an absolutely humongous combo and piling a load of clear beans on your opponent’s grid, rendering them almost incapable of making a comeback.

Man, I love this game. I’d possibly rate it as my favourite puzzle game ever, although that’s another list for another day. Is it the most original puzzle game ever made? Of course not. In fact, it’s a version of a video game series popular in Japan called Puyo Puyo, marketed for Western audiences. It has some of the same music, the same style of game in nearly every way, the only difference is the addition of Dr Robotnik and some other characters associated with Sonic. So it’s actually a ripoff. But do I care? No, not at all, I love this game, I’ve spent hours and hours playing this game; I’ve probably put more time into this puzzle game than all other puzzle games combined. It’s just a really fun game, and I’ll never play a better puzzle game ever, in my opinion.



#12 - Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

Released: 1993

Genre: Action

Rating: ****1/2 stars

Best Moment: I just love running at ninjas and taking out my sword and slicing them silly. It’s a simple technique but it’s a hella fun.

You know, I played The Revenge of Shinobi as part of my Mega 6 collection, that I mentioned earlier. I always said to myself, why didn’t they ever make a sequel to that Shinobi game? I never knew this game existed for years later, not to mention that they actually made a sequel for the Mega Drive itself. The second Shinobi game was released on the Sega Game Gear, but this third entry was put back on the Mega Drive as the Game Gear was a flop. Shinobi III was brilliant. It took everything that made the original Revenge of Shinobi a success and added so much more. The action in this game, is just awesome. It blows most games out of the water for the amount of moves and techniques available in an action game. And you really do feel like a badass ninja playing this game. Shinobi III is just simply, one of the best Mega Drive games of all time. You really should experience it if you haven’t before.

#11 – Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

Released: 1996
Genre: Fighting
Rating: ****1/2 stars
Best Moment: The moment when you finally kick Shao Kahn’s ass; Mortal Kombat is a very hard game at times and Shao Kahn is a worthy final battle, and when you finally defeat him it’s a huge sigh of relief and joy.

In honesty, I never played the original Mortal Kombat III. Nor did I play Mortal Kombat II until many years later. UMK3 is THE fighting game for the Mega Drive in my opinion. 24 characters in one fighting game... I’m pretty sure that was unprecedented in 1996. Naturally now we have bigger rosters, but for a Mega Drive game, to have so many characters all with different movesets and personalities... it was just epic. I honestly rate UMK3 as one of my favourite fighting games ever, it’s definitely my favourite Mortal Kombat game, and for me, it’s definitely the best fighting game on the Mega Drive. Even more so than Street Fighter 2.

Continue reading the listing!

#50 - #41 |  #40 - #31 | #30 - #21 | #20 - #11 | #10 - #2 | #1 + More

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