The Best PS1 Games to Buy Today
The original PlayStation had an enormous library, and the good news for buyers is that most PS1 games are still affordable, and they play on more than one console: a PS1, almost any PS2 and every PS3 will run them. You will need a PS1 memory card to save on a PS1 or PS2.
Multi-disc games come in thicker cases, and many games were reprinted as green-label "Greatest Hits" copies, which are the same game. We list the North American releases.
The great RPGs
- Final Fantasy VII: The RPG that brought Final Fantasy to millions of new players, on three discs.
- Final Fantasy IX: A loving return to the series' medieval-fantasy roots, on four discs.
- Final Fantasy VIII: A school-of-mercenaries story with the Junction system.
- Final Fantasy Tactics: A deep tactical RPG with a famously complex story.
- Chrono Cross: The sequel to Chrono Trigger, with a huge cast and a celebrated soundtrack.
- Legend of Dragoon: Sony's own four-disc RPG with timed-button combat.
Platformers
- Crash Bandicoot 2 Cortex Strikes Back: Crash at his best: tight levels and lots of secrets. Crash Bandicoot: Warped completes the trilogy.
- Spyro the Dragon: Open, colourful 3D worlds to explore as a small purple dragon. Ripto's Rage and Year of the Dragon are just as good.
- Ape Escape: Catch monkeys with gadgets mapped to the analog sticks. It was the first game to require the DualShock controller.
- CTR Crash Team Racing: One of the best kart racers outside Nintendo.
Action and horror
- Metal Gear Solid: Stealth action with a cinematic story, on two discs.
- Resident Evil 2: Leon and Claire in Raccoon City, on two discs, and a high point for classic survival horror.
- Resident Evil Director's Cut: The original Resident Evil, with an extra mode that rearranges the mansion.
- Castlevania Symphony of the Night: The 2D exploration game that, with Super Metroid, defined the "Metroidvania".
- Mega Man Legends: Mega Man reimagined as a 3D adventure, with a cult following.
- Mega Man X4: Classic 2D Mega Man X action with X and Zero as playable characters.
Racing and fighting
- Gran Turismo 2: A huge driving simulator with hundreds of cars, on two discs.
- Tekken 3: One of the best fighting games of its era, with extra modes on top of the arcade game.
- Street Fighter Alpha 3: Capcom's biggest Alpha game on PlayStation.
- Twisted Metal 2: Car combat around the world, with split-screen two-player.
- Tony Hawk: The first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, the start of a long series.
See everything in the PlayStation collection or PS1 games under $10. Playing on a PS2? See cheap PS2 games that are still great while you are at it.
Every game is cleaned and tested and backed by our 1-year warranty, and orders of $50 or more ship free in the US. Prices follow the market, so the listing always shows today's price.
