Well here it is, friends. This will be the last of my retro game eShop lists, mostly because I am running out of retro consoles with a good variety of games to choose from. Iāve left one of the best for last, though: the PlayStation. Sonyās first whack at the olā console market succeeded beyond any expectations, and itās little wonder it built a library so full of great games that we still see re-releases to this day. Sure, these games gave Nintendo a black eye a quarter of a century ago, but itās all smiles now for everyone who can enjoy them on their platforms of choice. Weāve got ten of our favorites here, in no particular order of course. On with the PlaySta-Show!
Klonoa is a really great game that probably didnāt get as much attention as it deserved, but got enough that it didnāt go totally unnoticed. Probably one of the more successful 2.5D platformers on the console, even. You play as a little floppy-eared cat-creature who is navigating the world of dreams to stop a dangerous threat. Vibrant visuals, snappy gameplay, interesting bosses, and a surprisingly impactful story for what it is. The second game, originally released on PlayStation 2, isnāt quite as good as the first, but you have to get them as a set anyway.
This is one of the big ones, isnāt it? The Japanese RPG that finally woke the wider Western market up to the genre, Square Enixās biggest success ever, and one of the main instruments of the PlayStationās rocket to the top of the business. Sure, there is that remake of Final Fantasy VII out there, but I hope by now that people realize what that really is. If you want to play the original Final Fantasy VII story, youāll have to risk getting your eye poked out on some sharp polygons. Still a very good game, and itās not hard to see why so many people took to it the way they did.
Another very big name from the PlayStation, Metal Gear Solid dragged a franchise that was more or less dormant into the spotlight of a much bigger stage. The Metal Gear Solid series got a lot sillier over time, and perhaps started gazing into its own belly button a little too deeply. But itās hard to argue with this first game, which feels less like a bizarre trip through Kojimaās philosophical musings and more like an episode of GI Joe. It doesnāt hurt that itās a very fun game to play, either. And hey, if you enjoy it enough, both of the PlayStation 2 follow-ups are available on Switch too.
Alright, letās venture into the weeds again just a little bit. G-Darius took Taitoās classic shoot āem up series into 3D, and itās amazing just how well it made that transition. Sure, those chunky rough-textured polygons havenāt aged as well as the sprites in the 2D games, but thereās a real charm to them. The vivid colors, enjoyable enemy-catching mechanic, and creative bosses make for one heck of a solid shooter.
I could almost fill this entire list with Square Enix games, but Iām going to leave it with this one and Final Fantasy VII just to give other games a chance. Chrono Cross had an impossible job: follow up one of the most well-liked Japanese RPGs ever made. And no, it couldnāt quite manage that task. People today do not speak of Chrono Cross the way they do Chrono Trigger, and thatās fair. But pull it away from that comparison and youāll find a really clever and gorgeous RPG with a huge cast of (admittedly poorly developed in the main) characters to recruit and play with. Also, one of the best video game soundtracks of all time. Feel free to @ me, Iām right.
I love just about every Mega Man game to some extent, but I am well aware that my vision is clouded by bias stemming from a severe case of childhood nostalgia. As such, when it comes to recommending games in the series with clearer eyes, there are only a few games in each series I feel good about putting in the hands of non-fans. With the Mega Man X series, itās just two games: Mega Man X and Mega Man X4. While I enjoyed the games between them, X4 just feels like it has itself put together better than most of its siblings. This was a short-lived slice of balance, because things went off the rails again with the next game. But hey, donāt take my word for it ā buy the Legacy Collections and see for yourself!
You know, there were a lot of games published by Sony as first-party releases that it ended up not owning. I always assumed Tomba was as much a first-party property as Crash Bandicoot was, butā¦ oh wait, I guess it was. Anyway, Tomba! is a really interesting platformer. It incorporates a lot of adventure game elements, but the action is on point too. Just donāt forget that that creator of Tomba! is the same guy behind Ghosts ān Goblins. It might seem breezy at first, but itās going to challenge you as it goes on. Very neat game, and Iām glad itās available again.
Okay, technically Grandia was a SEGA Saturn game first, but the PlayStation port was clearly used as the basis of this HD release so Iām putting it here. Grandia comes from many of the same people who made Lunar, and it channels much of its spirit. In a time period where many RPGs were taking heavy cues from Evangelion, Grandia dared to be a bright and cheerful adventure. It also has a very satisfying combat system that builds on what Game Arts was doing with the Lunar games in strong ways. The other game in this set isnāt too shabby either.
Another true icon of the PlayStation era, Lara Croft had five adventures on the PlayStation by the time the console reached its end. The quality varied from game to game, and some of them were stronger at some things and weaker at others. If you asked me to pick the best one, I think Iād have to go with the original. It was more focused on actual raiding of tombs and less on action, and I think that was putting the best foot forward as far as the Core Design period of the franchise went. But this is another chance to make up your own mind, because you get the first three games here whether you like it or not.
Letās finish up with a deeper cut. Originally only released in Japan, moon was something of a deconstruction of the contemporary RPG. Indeed, its creators refer to it as an anti-RPG. In practice, itās more of an adventure game than anything else, and it is veryā¦ punk? Can I call it punk? There are parts of the game that arenāt very fun at all, but itās also not trying to be fun all the time. Thereās an interesting message to this game if you see it through, and Iām glad we finally got to see this come out in English.
And thatās the list, friends. Are there any PlayStation 1 games you enjoy on the Switch? Feel free to sound off down in the comments and let us know what youāre thinking! Itās always interesting to hear the opinions of others on this kind of thing. I hope everyone has enjoyed this series of articles as much as Iāve enjoyed writing them. As always, thanks for reading!
Klonoa: The Door to Phantomile ā Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series ($39.99)
Klonoa is a really great game that probably didnāt get as much attention as it deserved, but got enough that it didnāt go totally unnoticed. Probably one of the more successful 2.5D platformers on the console, even. You play as a little floppy-eared cat-creature who is navigating the world of dreams to stop a dangerous threat. Vibrant visuals, snappy gameplay, interesting bosses, and a surprisingly impactful story for what it is. The second game, originally released on PlayStation 2, isnāt quite as good as the first, but you have to get them as a set anyway.
Final Fantasy VII ($15.99)
This is one of the big ones, isnāt it? The Japanese RPG that finally woke the wider Western market up to the genre, Square Enixās biggest success ever, and one of the main instruments of the PlayStationās rocket to the top of the business. Sure, there is that remake of Final Fantasy VII out there, but I hope by now that people realize what that really is. If you want to play the original Final Fantasy VII story, youāll have to risk getting your eye poked out on some sharp polygons. Still a very good game, and itās not hard to see why so many people took to it the way they did.
Metal Gear Solid ā Master Collection Version ($19.99)
Another very big name from the PlayStation, Metal Gear Solid dragged a franchise that was more or less dormant into the spotlight of a much bigger stage. The Metal Gear Solid series got a lot sillier over time, and perhaps started gazing into its own belly button a little too deeply. But itās hard to argue with this first game, which feels less like a bizarre trip through Kojimaās philosophical musings and more like an episode of GI Joe. It doesnāt hurt that itās a very fun game to play, either. And hey, if you enjoy it enough, both of the PlayStation 2 follow-ups are available on Switch too.
G-Darius HD ($29.99)
Alright, letās venture into the weeds again just a little bit. G-Darius took Taitoās classic shoot āem up series into 3D, and itās amazing just how well it made that transition. Sure, those chunky rough-textured polygons havenāt aged as well as the sprites in the 2D games, but thereās a real charm to them. The vivid colors, enjoyable enemy-catching mechanic, and creative bosses make for one heck of a solid shooter.
Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition ($19.99)
I could almost fill this entire list with Square Enix games, but Iām going to leave it with this one and Final Fantasy VII just to give other games a chance. Chrono Cross had an impossible job: follow up one of the most well-liked Japanese RPGs ever made. And no, it couldnāt quite manage that task. People today do not speak of Chrono Cross the way they do Chrono Trigger, and thatās fair. But pull it away from that comparison and youāll find a really clever and gorgeous RPG with a huge cast of (admittedly poorly developed in the main) characters to recruit and play with. Also, one of the best video game soundtracks of all time. Feel free to @ me, Iām right.
Mega Man X4 ā Mega Man X Legacy Collection ($19.99)
I love just about every Mega Man game to some extent, but I am well aware that my vision is clouded by bias stemming from a severe case of childhood nostalgia. As such, when it comes to recommending games in the series with clearer eyes, there are only a few games in each series I feel good about putting in the hands of non-fans. With the Mega Man X series, itās just two games: Mega Man X and Mega Man X4. While I enjoyed the games between them, X4 just feels like it has itself put together better than most of its siblings. This was a short-lived slice of balance, because things went off the rails again with the next game. But hey, donāt take my word for it ā buy the Legacy Collections and see for yourself!
Tomba! Special Edition ($19.99)
You know, there were a lot of games published by Sony as first-party releases that it ended up not owning. I always assumed Tomba was as much a first-party property as Crash Bandicoot was, butā¦ oh wait, I guess it was. Anyway, Tomba! is a really interesting platformer. It incorporates a lot of adventure game elements, but the action is on point too. Just donāt forget that that creator of Tomba! is the same guy behind Ghosts ān Goblins. It might seem breezy at first, but itās going to challenge you as it goes on. Very neat game, and Iām glad itās available again.
Grandia ā Grandia HD Collection ($39.99)
Okay, technically Grandia was a SEGA Saturn game first, but the PlayStation port was clearly used as the basis of this HD release so Iām putting it here. Grandia comes from many of the same people who made Lunar, and it channels much of its spirit. In a time period where many RPGs were taking heavy cues from Evangelion, Grandia dared to be a bright and cheerful adventure. It also has a very satisfying combat system that builds on what Game Arts was doing with the Lunar games in strong ways. The other game in this set isnāt too shabby either.
Tomb Raider ā Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft ($29.99)
Another true icon of the PlayStation era, Lara Croft had five adventures on the PlayStation by the time the console reached its end. The quality varied from game to game, and some of them were stronger at some things and weaker at others. If you asked me to pick the best one, I think Iād have to go with the original. It was more focused on actual raiding of tombs and less on action, and I think that was putting the best foot forward as far as the Core Design period of the franchise went. But this is another chance to make up your own mind, because you get the first three games here whether you like it or not.
moon ($18.99)
Letās finish up with a deeper cut. Originally only released in Japan, moon was something of a deconstruction of the contemporary RPG. Indeed, its creators refer to it as an anti-RPG. In practice, itās more of an adventure game than anything else, and it is veryā¦ punk? Can I call it punk? There are parts of the game that arenāt very fun at all, but itās also not trying to be fun all the time. Thereās an interesting message to this game if you see it through, and Iām glad we finally got to see this come out in English.
And thatās the list, friends. Are there any PlayStation 1 games you enjoy on the Switch? Feel free to sound off down in the comments and let us know what youāre thinking! Itās always interesting to hear the opinions of others on this kind of thing. I hope everyone has enjoyed this series of articles as much as Iāve enjoyed writing them. As always, thanks for reading!
![[DK]](/data/avatars/s/57/57999.jpg?1720990206){kind=avatar}
