4 Games You Must Play: PlayStation

Source: Evan-Amos

Console Defining - Final Fantasy VII

For many gamers of my age (that's around 20. Call me a baby/fossil at your own discretion) had their opinions on the Japanese RPG genre set in stone by this title; and with good reason - in the same way that Super Mario 64 set a standard for 3D platformers, FFVII did the same for the RPG. The angular character models and pre-rendered background are incredibly dated now, but were revolutionary for its time. However, the battle system didn't differ too wildly from Final Fantasy VI on the Super Nintendo.

While fans of the Final Fantasy series will often argue that other titles in the series are more deserving of praise, protagonist Cloud Strife and his signature Buster Sword are now iconic images in video game culture. Although amusingly, although the game and its characters are often perceived as dramatic and serious, FFVII is rather goofy. Not many games work a mission about cross-dressing into its narrative.

Honorable Mentions

• Crash Bandicoot: While its sequels are objectively of better quality, most Playstation owners are all-too familiar with the first game. I'm not sure if actual Bandicoots can spin like that.
• Tomb Raider 2: Treasure hunting with a protagonist that was quickly decided upon as the 'babe' of video games. The Yorker has covered this one!

Marvel of Game Design - Parappa the Rapper

You might not believe me, but paper-thin rapping dogs are incredibly endearing. There were a few rhythm-action and music games on the Playstation, but Parappa stands out as a title that dares to be off the wall with how it teaches the player about gettin' funky. Parappa wants to become more manly to impress his childood crush, Sunny Funny, who is a giant talking flower. Yeah. To do this, he seeks out several teachers - a kung-fu sensei, a driving instructor, a television chef... but each of these experts is also a master rapper, and their lessons are delivered through rhythmic button sequences that Parappa has to imitate.

Every song is catchy and goofy, and the lyrics simple enough for you to spit mean flows alongside the game. However, the hidden genius is the theme that for Parappa to become more mature and find his own way, he also has to break away from imitating his teachers. The game lets you add in your own inputs when asked to copy a line of lyric, and rewards you heavily if you find your own rhythms. The scenery and beat will change once you start "Rappin' Cool", eventually rewarding you with complete freestyle. It's a wonderful system, and a fun way to learn a thing or two about gaining a sense for rhythm.

Honorable Mentions

• Silent Hill: One of the most iconic survival horror games. outstripped by its Sequel, but it still has haunting monsters and a very clever theme of fighting one's psychological trauma. The game looks absolutely awful by today's standards, though...

Obscure Gem: Tombi!

The Playstation had many demo discs available for it - featuring cut-down snippets of many titles available. One such game was Tombi!, meaning that although many Playstation owners were aware of the game, not so many people were able to get hold of a copy. Tombi! is an adventure-platformer featuring a pink-haired caveman with a penchant for suplexing everything he sees. There is an excuse-plot about Tombi having a family heirloom stolen by a gang of evil pig wizards (I s**t you not), who have then proceeded to put curses on the entire land.

What this results in is a Metroid-esque experience featuring lots of backtracking, errands, and an ever-increasing list of unfinished quests. It sounds tedious on paper (and sometimes while playing, admittedly), but there's a huge amount of charm in the half pixel-art/half polygon art direction and sheer goofiness of Tombi's world.

Honorable Mentions

• Monster Rancher 2: Not well-advertised in the UK, but some may recognise the strange tie-in TV show. At the title suggests, it's all about raising a monster, Tamagotchi-style, to compete in battle and earn you fame. Notable in how your created monsters - they were created from any CD you inserted into your Playstation!

Best Multiplayer Experience: Crash Team Racing

I won't lie; Crash Team Racing is a bald-faced clone of Mario Kart 64. But it takes a special effort to take an original work and refine it in ways the initial creaters can't or won't. Made after Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, Crash Team Racing applied the normal Crash Bandicoot style to a new genre. There were collectables, boss fights, and levels lovingly and carefully lifted from the existing Crash games.

Of course that wouldn't matter if it didn't handle like a dream. CTR puts a much bigger emphasis on drifting and getting airtime than Mario Kart - ideas that weren't incorporated into the plumber's racer until much later. While the N64 had the defining multiplayer experiences at the time, Playstation owners got a meaner-yet-goofier experience that still very much holds up on its own today.

Honorable Mentions

• Trap Runner: A vindictive multiplayer for those who find Bomberman too straightforward. The Yorker has covered this one!
• Tekken 3: The Tekken series set itself apart from Street Fighter by having its brawls in the 3rd dimension. Some say Tekken 2 is the prime PS1 Iron Fist Experience, but Tekken 3 is just that little bit more refined and balanced.

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