When the original PlayStation was released in 1994, it was just one of many home consoles of the era. Over the next 30 years, the console made history, releasing several iterations and bringing it all the way to the modern era of the powerful PlayStation 5. This month, Sony celebrated the incredible milestone of 30 Years of PlayStation, and is still going strong.
The past 30 years have been packed with incredible moments and video games. This is a good time to look back on the previous three decades and highlight the greatest, most important, and most beloved video games from the history of PlayStation.
Games were selected based on which titles were the most important to the history of the console (not necessarily which ones were the “best” or highest rated), with a heavy skew toward PlayStation exclusives, for obvious reasons. Every entry is up for debate. (In fact, please do!) Travel back to the 1990s and watch the evolution of PlayStation over the years.
Tekken (1994)
The Humble Beginnings Of The PlayStation And The Fighter
The original PlayStation was released in 1994, marking the start of an era. Tekken stands out among the initial launch lineup as the start to an iconic fighting franchise that’s still going strong to this day.
WipEout (1995)
High-Octane Racing Infused With An Amazing Soundtrack
WipEout took the idea of a racing game, added futuristic antigravity physics, and added weapons. The result was an incredibly fun and destructive racing game with an incredible thumping electronic soundtrack, and both the game and its music still stand the test of time.
Tomb Raider & Resident Evil (1996)
Two Of The Most Influential Titles In Gaming History
While I tried not to double-up on games in any year, this is one of a few instances where choosing a single game for one year was impossible. Both Tomb Raider and Resident Evil are incredibly important to gaming history, with Lara Croft climbing and running her way to adventure gaming future, and Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, and co. redefining the landscape of horror video games.
Honorable mention goes to Crash Bandicoot, who became an iconic PlayStation mascot, and PaRappa the Rapper (at least, the Japan release), which was one of—if not the first—rhythm-based video games.
Final Fantasy 7 (1997)
A Story Of Love And Loss That Captivated Many
Final Fantasy 7 was one of the most important video games in the history of gaming. Millions of young gamers watched the trials and tribulations of Cloud Strife and his companions as they took on corporate greed and eco-terrorism—all presented in the most realistic graphics to date.
The experience carried an incredible amount of emotional weight and is often credited as the game that turned people into lifelong gamers.
Hideo Kojima’s Lasting Mark On The Gaming Industry
Hideo Kojima’s masterpiece of a franchise, Metal Gear Solid, got its start in 1998. This year’s most important PlayStation game included full voice acting, movie-like cutscenes, and a compelling story imbued with what’s now known as Kojima’s signature style.
Silent Hill (1999)
One Of The Most Important Psychological Horror Titles
Resident Evil might have jump-started the horror genre, but Silent Hill transformed it into something more than jump scares and horrible monsters. Sure, there were monsters aplenty in Silent Hill, too, but the game (and its sequels) took a more psychological approach, showing that horrors worse than monsters can lurk inside us.
Spyro: Year Of The Dragon (2000)
The Best Of The Purple Dragon
Spyro: Year of the Dragon wasn’t the first game in the franchise, but it’s widely considered to be the best in the series. The game continued the adventures of the purple dragon and represented the end of an era as games moved away from 3D platforming and Sony prepared to release the PlayStation 2.
Devil May Cry (2001)
Iconic Snark-Filled Action Adventure
Released in the same year as the PlayStation 2, Devil May Cry popularized the action fighting genre. The game’s protagonist, Dante, was situated perfectly in the intersection between silly and serious, and the character has remained a favorite for fans ever since.
Ratchet & Clank (2002)
The Last Hurrah Of Classic 3D Platforming
While games were starting to become “grittier” and more serious in the early 2000s, Ratchet & Clank managed to capture the 3D action platformer for a while longer. The quirky mechanical duo struck a good balance between action, platforming, and exploration, and remains a well-known duo today.
God Of War (2003)
Vengeance And Combat Among The Greek Gods
The Greek mythology-infused tale of God of War is one of Sony’s most lucrative and well-known franchises. Fans have gotten to watch Kratos grow from a vengeful fighter to a compassionate father, and the 2003 title started that journey. It also featured some incredibly tight combat and innovative stages for an all-around fantastic PlayStation title.
