I’m not big fan of games of released on the first 3D consoles. I often dislike their “3D everywhere” rigid gameplay.
Nevertheless, the Playstation 1 has some good games that I enjoy, but they were not especially block busters. The following list contains my own selection, only NTSC games (60HZ).
This page may be updated from time to time.
Meaning of the columns :
- Memory blocks : tell how many block is required. “n/a” if the game has no save
- Analog : tell weither the game provides support for analog control with a Dual Shock controler
- Nb Players : number of simultaneous possible players. More than 2 imply using a multitap
Last edited on : 05.02.2026
| Game | Type | Memory Blocks | Analog Support | Nb Players | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridge Racer | Racing | n/a | No | 1-2 | The first game of the console. 2-player mode requires Link Cable. |
| Ray Tracers | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1 | Often described as a spiritual successor to Taito's Chase H.Q. |
| Gunner heaven | Run & gun | n/a | No | 1-2 | Known as Rapid Reload in Europe. No save feature (uses passwords). |
| Gamera 2000 | Shoot'em up | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | Only released in Japan. Features impressive 3D rail-shooting. |
| Nanotek Warrior | Racing / Shoot'em up | 1 | Yes | 1 | A mix of FZero and Nanostray. |
| Castlevania - Symphony of the night | Action | 1 | No | 1 | There is a nice hack by paul_met that enhances the game. |
| Einhander | Shoot'em up | 1 | Yes | 1 | Developed by Square, famous for its cinematic 2.5D perspective. |
| Side by side special | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | Known for its accurate "Touge" mountain pass racing feel. |
| R-Type delta | Shoot'em up | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | The first game in the series to use full 3D graphics and DualShock support. |
| Ridge racer type 4 | Racing | 1 (up to 15) | Yes | 1-2 | Often considered the peak of the series on PS1. Supports split-screen. |
| Crash team racing | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-4 | Widely regarded as the best kart racer of its generation. Supports Multitap. |
| Crash bandicoot - Warped | Platformer | 1 | Yes | 1 | The first black label versions have lenticular cover. |
| Harmful park | Shoot'em up | 1 | No | 1-2 | Maybe one of the most overpriced game of the system. |
| N20 Nitrous Oxide | Shoot'em up | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | More precisely, it's a tunnel shooter with a soundtrack by The Crystal Method. |
| Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | 2 players mode needs 2 playstations with the special link cable. |
| Cool borders 3 | Sport | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | The first in the series to feature licensed boards and riders. |
| Die hard trilogy | Misc | 1 | No | 1 | Three games in one; the PS version is smoother than the Saturn one. |
| Nuclear Strike | Shoot'em up | 1 | Yes | 1 | Sequel to Strike series from 16 bit era that started with Desert strike. |
| Soviet Strike | Shoot'em up | 1 | No | 1 | Sequel to Strike series from 16 bit era that started with Desert strike. |
| One | 3D Run & Gun | 1 | Yes | 1 | Features a unique "Adrenaline" system to power up your weapons. |
| Rage Racer | Racing | 1 | No | 1 | It could have been named Ridge Racer 3. No multiplayer in this entry. |
| RC Helicopter | RC Simulation | 1 | Yes | 1 | A very niche sim that requires high precision movement. |
| Road Rash 3D | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1 | You may prefer the PC version if you manage to run it. |
| Rockman X4 | Action / plateformer | 1 | No | 1 | The first X game to feature fully animated FMV cutscenes. |
| Rockman X5 | Action / plateformer | 1 | No | 1 | Introduced the multiple ending system and the "Duff McWhalen" boss names. |
| Rockman X6 | Action / plateformer | 1 | No | 1 | Known for its high difficulty and sometimes controversial level design. |
| Star wars: Rebel assault II | FMV shooter / Shoot'em up | 1 | No | 1 | Classic FMV sequences. You may prefer the PC version if you manage to run it. |
| Crash bandicoot 2 | Platformer | 1 | Yes | 1 | Considered the best of the trilogy by some. Black label versions have lenticular covers. |
| Spyro 2: Ripto's rage | Platformer | 1 | Yes | 1 | Probably the most balanced of the trilogy. |
| 3D Mission Shooting Finalist | Shoot'em up / FPS | 1 | Yes | 1 | A Japanese exclusive that uses a unique hybrid perspective. |
| Air Race Championship | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | An arcade-style plane racer similar to Prop Cycle. |
| Apocalypse | Action | 1 | Yes | 1 | Features the voice and likeness of Bruce Willis; uses dual-stick controls. |
| Ayrton Senna Kart Duel 2 | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | One of the few kart games focusing on realism over power-ups. |
| Battle Arena Toshinden 2 | Fighting | 1 | No | 1-2 | Significantly faster than the first game with better 3D movement. |
| Chocobo Racing | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | Square's take on the kart racing genre using Final Fantasy lore. |
| Circuit Breakers | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-4 | A top-down racer that supports up to 4 players via Multitap. |
| Crash Bandicoot | Platformer | 1 | No | 1 | The game that established Naughty Dog and the PS1's mascot. |
| Croc: Legend of the Gobbos | Platformer | 1 | No | 1 | Originally pitched as a Yoshi game to Nintendo before becoming Croc. |
| Destruction Derby | Racing | 1 | No | 1-2 | Famous for its vehicle damage physics. 2-player mode requires Link Cable. |
| Galaxian 3 | Shoot'em up | n/a | No | 1-4 | A port of the massive arcade machine. Supports up to 4 players. |
| Gradius Gaiden | Shoot'em up | 1 | No | 1-2 | Often cited as one of the best Shmups on the system; Japan exclusive. |
| Gran Turismo | Racing | 1 to 15 | Yes | 1-2 | Revolutionized the genre with its "Real Driving Simulator" approach. |
| Herc's Adventures | Action / Adventure | 1 | No | 1-2 | A quirky LucasArts title with a great sense of humor and co-op play. |
| Hercules Action Game | Platformer | 1 | No | 1 | A high-quality 2D/3D hybrid based on the Disney movie. |
| Hermie Hopperhead: Scrap Panic | Platformer | 1 | No | 1 | A charming Japan-exclusive platformer with "egg" companions. |
| Hokuto no Ken | Beat'em up | 1 | No | 1 | Features a "Fatal Shot" QTE system to recreate the anime's gore. |
| In the Hunt | Shoot'em up | n/a | No | 1-2 | Created by the team that would later go on to create Metal Slug. |
| Inuyasha: Sengoku Otogi Kassen | Fighting | 1 | No | 1-2 | A 2D fighter that captures the art style of the Rumiko Takahashi manga. |
| Jet Moto 2 | Racing | 1 | No | 1-2 | Known for its extreme difficulty and unique hoverbike physics. |
| Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo | Adventure | 1 | No | 1 | A detective visual novel based on the popular manga series. |
| Loaded | Run'n gun | 1 | No | 1-2 | Notable for its dark atmosphere and co-op top-down shooting. |
| Mach Go Go Go | Racing | 1 | No | 1-2 | Based on the Speed Racer anime; includes the iconic Mach 5 car. |
| Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force | Run'n gun | 1 | No | 1-2 | A port of the Sharp X68000 classic with updated visuals. |
| MediEvil II | Action / Adventure | 1 | Yes | 1 | Set in Victorian London, adding firearms to Sir Dan's arsenal. |
| Mobile Suit Z-Gundam | Action, FPS | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | One of the better Gundam titles on the system with cockpit views. |
| Omega Boost | Shoot'em up | 1 | Yes | 1 | Developed by Polyphony Digital; incredible graphics for the era. |
| Over Drivin' DX | Racing | 1 | No | 1-2 | The Japanese title for the first "Need for Speed" game. |
| Over Drivin' IV | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | The Japanese title for "Need for Speed: High Stakes". |
| Panzer Bandit | Beat'em up | 1 | No | 1-2 | Very similar to Guardian Heroes on the Saturn; highly collectible. |
| Philosoma | Shoot'em up | 1 | No | 1 | Features constant camera angle shifts between vertical and horizontal. |
| Pitball | Sports | 1 | Yes | 1-4 | A brutal futuristic sport. Supports up to 4 players via Multitap. |
| Point Blank 2 | Lightgun | 1 | No | 1-2 | One of the best uses of the Namco GunCon lightgun. |
| Project Overkill | Action / Shooter | 1 | No | 1 | An isometric shooter known for its excessive blood and gore. |
| Puzzle Bobble 3 DX | Puzzle | 1 | No | 1-2 | Also known as Bust-a-Move 3 in Western regions. |
| Race Drivin' a Go! Go! | Racing | n/a | No | 1 | A port of the legendary flat-shaded polygon arcade game. |
| Rally Cross 2 | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-4 | Features a track editor and supports 4 players via Multitap. |
| Rally de Africa | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | A Japan-only rally game with a very "Sega Rally" vibe. |
| Raystorm | Shoot'em up | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | The sequel to RayForce, using full 3D polygons for the first time. |
| RC De Go! | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | Developed by Taito; captures the specific handling of RC cars. |
| Rival Schools | Fighting | 1 | No | 1-2 | Capcom fighter where you can call in teammates for "Team Up" attacks. |
| Running High | Racing | 1 | No | 1-2 | A futuristic foot-racing game with a heavy cyberpunk aesthetic. |
| Running Wild | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-4 | A fast-paced animal racing game. Supports 4 players via Multitap. |
| S.C.A.R.S. | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-4 | Features animal-themed cars. Supports 4 players via Multitap. |
| Shiritsu Justice Gakuen | Fighting | 1 | No | 1-2 | The Japanese name for Rival Schools; includes a dating-sim subgame. |
| Silent Bomber | Action | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | A cult classic. Includes a separate 2-player arena battle mode. |
| Sled Storm | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-4 | Snowmobile racer featuring 4-player split-screen with Multitap. |
| Smash Court 2 | Sports | 1 | No | 1-4 | A fan-favorite arcade tennis game. Supports 4 players via Multitap. |
| Speed King | Racing | 1 | No | 1-2 | A futuristic racer by Konami, often compared to Wipeout. |
| Spyro: Year of the Dragon | Platformer | 1 | Yes | 1 | Introduced multiple playable characters like Sheila and Sgt. Byrd. |
| Syphon Filter 2 | Action / Adventure | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | Known for its intense stealth-action and 2-player deathmatch mode. |
| T'ai Fu: Wrath of the Tiger | Beat'em up | 1 | Yes | 1 | Developed by DreamWorks Interactive; focuses on kung fu animal styles. |
| Tantei Jinguji Saburo: Yumeno Owarini | Adventure | 1 | No | 1 | Part of the long-running Jake Hunter hardboiled detective series. |
| Time Crisis | Lightgun | n/a | No | 1 | Revolutionized the genre with its "duck and cover" pedal mechanic. |
| Touge MAX: Saisoku Drift Master | Racing | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | Focuses on the Japanese drifting culture with a story mode. |
| Twinbee Taisen Puzzle Dama | Puzzle | 1 | No | 1-2 | A competitive falling-block puzzle game using Twinbee characters. |
| Waku Waku Volley | Sports | 1 | No | 1-2 | Part of the "Simple 1500" budget series in Japan. |
| Xevious 3D/G+ | Shoot'em up | 1 | Yes | 1-2 | Includes the 3D remake plus three classic ports of the original series. |
| Zeitgeist | Shoot'em up | 1 | No | 1 | Known as "Jupiter Strike" in the West; an early 3D rail shooter. |