This list defines my childhood of gaming, from JRPG's to Survival horror to even the great puzzle games that let you close your mind for a few hours while you popped some bubbles. This is the first half of the list s enjoy my 30 - 15 choices and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Vandal Hearts was the game that got me into the more strategy turn based games like the Final Fantasy Tactics series and the Suikoden Tactics game on PS2 (different list for a different time!)
Vandal Hearts had the same mix of Magic and turn based battles that I loved from Final Fantasy but with a grid system which was very new to me.
With a great story and a great cast of characters this is a game which still holds up today
He is there to kick ass and chew bubble gum....and he is all outta bubble gum yes this is where i was first introduced to the arse kicking alien killing bad ass Duke Nukem, a game i really shouldn't have been playing but...well I had older brothers. The games was a bloody brutal game similar to Doom but with smut which made me feel like a rebel in my young days, yeah it's nothing compared to today's videogames where we you need to have sex to fill your health bar (looking at you God of War) but for the time this was the game to brag to you friends that you were playing.
ECW.... ECW.... ECW.... the hard hitting wrestling of on of the most beloved wrestling companies of the 90'S had 2 videogame outtings but my favourite of the bunch was Hardcore Revolution.
It brought things to the table you wished you could do in WWF Smackdown! giving you the chance to take weapons from the crowd and bludgeon your opponent with some of the most random items. Yes i know this is more or less the same as WWF Attitude but it was still fun to play as RVD and Sandman in a barbwire match.
HE HAS HANDS FLOATING IN MID AIR!!!!! Rayman was a big hit on it's release and is a charcter who spawned several sequels for many years and even saw the Rabbids get their own games but Rayman's first outing will always hold a special place in my heart. One of the best side scrollers on PS1 with a colourful backdrop and a great lead character with his floating fists of fury. Still holds up today as well.
Well this game was bloody creepy on release. The mist, the monsters the creepy nurses, Silent Hill was the first Resident Evil with more horror. Silent Hill was like a Horror Film in you console with a hard hitting story line and hair raising horrific visuals this was the game you NEEDED as a horror fan. This was one of the best examples of how to do a survival right on PS1. Shame about the films....
Ehrgeiz is a little known game which alot of people may not have heard of, but this is a gem if you are a fan of Final Fantasy. This is a different type of fighting game, pitting your fighters in a 3D arena with interactive environments making it a change from the Tekken games. The big draw for this game however is the ability to play as Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, Yuffie, Sephiroth and even Zack from Final Fantasy 7 which was amazing!
A character who has disappeared from our consoles over the years is the lovable gecko Gex. Enter The Gecko was one of those games you could just play for hours, collecting the remotes, reveling in the parodies of movies like James Bond and Star Wars. In the European version the game even gives a mention at the start to UK TV gold Supermarket Sweep! well there you go.....
Even though I was never a fan of the books I LOVED Discworld. This games is bloody hilarious and was the second point and click game I feel in love with after playing Broken Sword. The jokes were perfect, the puzzles were challenging at times and...I just loved it, but sadly is one of these games I just can't find cheaply anymore.
Talking of Survival Horror's being pretty good, do you know what Resident Evil was missing? Fucking Dinosaurs! but never fear Dino Crisis is here to save the day. This is a well thought out game, It was like Jurrasic park meets Resident Evil and had a pretty solid plot line to boot. Not a game you hear much about nowadays but wouldn't you love to see a PS4 reboot of this? I bloody sure would.
Final Fantasy's answer to Mario Kart, Chocobo Racing takes one of the most iconic animals in videogame history and gives us a racing game which is pretty damn fun. With a good story mode and a great selection of final fantasy creatures to choose from this is the best alternative to Mario Kart we had on the Playstation
This was a tough one to pick as it was between this and Bust a Move 2 but in the end I loved the addition of the Street Fighter series a little bit more. Super Puzzle Fighter is one of those, sit an d play for hours, kind of games like Tetris where 3 hours later you realize you are still telling your self 'just one more turn'. It's bubble popping greatness.
I'm not a massive racing game fan, hence why you won't see Gran Turismo or Ridge Racer on this list HOWEVER there was one racing game that topped the list of some of the best racing games of all time and that is Micro Machines V3. A top down racing masterclass with beautiful courses and a fun array of cars to choose from. Who doesn't like the kitchen table track!!
The first of two lightgun shooting games on this list Point Blank was a fun mini game style shooter that gave me hours of fun. Another game my eldest brother got me playing this one, with fun characters and modes for all the family to enjoy.
You can't do a top 30 list and not include the PS1 mascot Crash. Now i'm sure I will get some people saying Crash Bandicoot should be higer in this list but i say.....there are BETTER titles to come in my opinion however this is one of the first PS1 gaming experiences I had, next to the original Tekken. I loved the gameplay on the first game and with a HD remaster of the series coming soon to PS4 a whole new generation will be able to experience the Bandicoot in all his first game glory.
Oh how I love this game, visually this game was amazing at the time, you play as Fargus, a joker, and Nikki, who casts a spell that destroys the town. The goal is to reach the Wishing Engine, where they can wish the town back to normal.
This is a fun mix of 2D and 3D and should be a must of your list if you are looking to replay these classics.
It was hard to pick between Tekken 2 and Tekken 3 but in the end i had to go for the second installment of the series. The introduction to some new faces and the unlockable Rodger and Alex the boxing dinosaur and kangeroo just brings back more amazing memories. visually not as good as Tekken 3 but still more of a classic