Some of Playstation's biggest and best games thoughout the years.
Some of Playstation's biggest and best games thoughout the years.
On December 3, 1994, the Playstation console was released, sparking a revolution amongst gamers. Twenty-one years on, we rank the console's biggest and best games.
1. Tomb Raider (PS1, 1996)
World, meet Lara. The first Tomb Raider game introduced female adventurer Lara Croft, a tough, smart treasure hunter cut from the same cloth as Indiana Jones. She isn't just the most iconic female game character of all time, she also sparked a franchise still going to day, with two films starring Angelina Jolie and the latest edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider, released just last month on the Xbox One. But the original was pretty much why everyone bought the Playstation 1 - and skipped school to play it.
Crash Bandicoot was also a system-seller - people bought the original PlayStation to play it, and a lot of them played virtually nothing else.
Crash Bandicoot (PS1, 1996)
The game was a platformer set on the fictional Wumpa Islands, south of Australia, and featured a bright orange, toothy bandicoot called Crash. Naturally he was trying to save the world. It was the first in a string of hit PlayStation games from developer Naughty Dog (who have three titles on this list).
3. Jonah Lomu Rugby (PS1, 1997)
It's now 18 years old but still remains the best rugby game ever. Why? Because it's so simple. Despite the fact rugby has plenty of rules and set plays in scrums and lineouts, Jonah Lomu Rugby made the game free flowing. It was easy to pick up for a rugby or gaming novice and became a multiplayer favourite if you had a second controller. The pixelled Lomu himself was rightly so much better than any other player in the game while the commentary of Scotsman Bill McLaren - "He's digging like a demented mole;" "Mercy me, that will put him in ward four" - was a perfect match.
4. Resident Evil 2 (PS1, 1998); Silent Hill (PS1, 1999)
Horror was an untapped market until these two titles came along. Both delivered tense atmospheres, disturbing characters and terrific creatures in equal measures. But they also delivered brilliant worlds to explore. Some of the best moments came when you least expected them to, like Silent Hill's skinless dogs, scary nurses, or that chilling air raid siren. They feel as scary as the first time we played them. Resident Evil 2 is so good, a remake is underway.
Resident Evil 2 (PS1, 1998).
5. Gran Turismo 2 (PS1, 1999)
All the cars, all the tracks, all the hours spent racing. GT 2 led the way for later generation car games and the format hasn't really changed since - you race for money, to use money to buy new cars, you unlock new tracks and cars along the way. At the time the number of cars on offer was mind-blowing, around 650 compared to the inaugural edition which had just over 200. From spending countless hours trying to get an A licence, beginning the opening race with a Mazda Demio to finally getting your hands on the likes of a Ford GT40. The only downside - the music.
6. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (PS1, 2001)
Combos for days, bro. With Tony Hawk at the peak of his X-Games powers, Pro Skater 2 capitalized on his fame with an incredibly addictive game that mixed arcade action, skateboarding cool and an alt-rock soundtrack. Combos were the key: the more fakie nollies to sick side grinds you nailed, the more bonus points you racked up. This year's failed follow up, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5, showed just how little the game has advanced since then. This was extreme gaming gold.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (PS1, 2001)
7. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS2, 2004)
If Crash Bandicoot was all about the puzzles, Ratchet & Clank was about the weapons. The game's third instalment, Up Your Arsenal, delivered an all-action shoot out featuring a Lombax, his robot sidekick and some of the best weapons ever included in a video game. Remember the Plasma Whip? How about the Suck Cannon? Or the Disc Blade Gun, which was like having discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina on your side. Endless fun.
Metal Gear Solid's focus on stealth over combat has fixated gamers right from Snake's first outing in 1998. This, a prequel set in 1968, is still considered by many to be the best. Set in a Soviet Union rainforest, players used trees and bush to track operatives as quietly as possible. Yes, there were weapons, but using them almost always alerted others to your position. Snake's name had never been more appropriate.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2, 2004)
9. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3, 2009)
It opened with a thrillingly tense plane crash, included a crazy chase through a side alley, and just got better from there. This is the game that turned Nathan Drake into a bonafide wisecracking action superstar, on a par with Indiana Jones and Lara Croft. And it showed developers Naughty Dog, also the creators of Crash Bandicoot (No. 2) and The Last of Us (No. 10) know exactly what they're doing when it comes to entertaining gamers.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3, 2009)
10. The Last of Us (PS3, 2013)
One of the last titles released for the Playstation 3 is also the best. A tense post-apocalyptic horror that mixed a superb story with unlikely characters, including a grumpy seen-it-all-before type, and a 14-year-old girl who could potentially save the world?. The noise those horrible Clickers make still send shivers down the spine. Making your way through toppled buildings was incredible. And as for that ending? Unforgettable. It's since been remastered for PS4, a movie is in the works and a sequel is rumoured. We can't wait.
