40. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis PS1

The PS1 entry people, unfortunately, seem to forget about, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis deserves so much more praise than it traditionally gets. Returning fans to Raccoon City, the third mainline entry depicts Jill Valentine's attempt to escape its zombie-infested streets. Building on what it achieved in Resident Evil 2, Capcom introduced Nemesis, a Tyrant that would stalk Jill and force you into in-game decisions over whether to fight it or run away. Some locations from RE2 were recycled, but so too was its excellence by and large. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis deserves better, because it's a PS1 great.

39. Medal of Honor PS1

It’s perhaps difficult to recall, in this era of Call of Duty, that back in 1999, first-person shooters were predominantly the domain of PC players. Of course, games like DOOM had enjoyed successful conversions on PS1, but Medal Of Honor felt like a wholly original experience. Produced by legendary director Stephen Spielberg, this played like an interactive movie, with its cinematic portrayal of World War 2 leading to universal critical acclaim.

38. Twisted Metal 2 PS1

Bigger, better, more bad ass. That was the mantra for Twisted Metal 2, which took everything that was successful about its predecessor, and really amped it up. The game features some of the most iconic maps in the series, like Paris, with its shootouts in and around the Eiffel Tower, and Hong Kong, with its ridiculously detailed urban streets.

37. Tomb Raider PS1

PS1 gaming doesn’t get much more memorable or iconic than Tomb Raider, arguably one of the most famous games ever made. The legendary 3D platformer introduced the world to heroine Lara Croft, and also a level of cinematic gameplay never seen before. With its stunning, sprawling environments and tough as nails puzzle platforming gameplay, it’s one of the most important titles of all time.

36. Resident Evil PS1

Where it all started, the original Resident Evil will remain a bonafide classic for eternity. As one of the first survival horror games, its popularity helped birth a new genre that's only gotten better and better ever since — both in its own seminal instalments and original games from other developers. The Spencer Mansion is still one of the most iconic settings in gaming, and while its gameplay certainly feels dated by this point, what Capcom was going for remains obvious. The survival horror formula has been done better in the decades since, but the first Resident Evil will forever remain relevant, and a true classic of the industry.

35. Dino Crisis PS1

In the aftermath of Resident Evil’s runaway success, iconic game designer Shinji Mikami revisited many of the same concepts for the “panic horror” Dino Crisis, a title which replaced the undead for prehistoric creatures. With its real-time environments, advanced artificial intelligence, and original concept, it remains one of the best-loved games on the PS1 today.

34. Tomb Raider II PS1

Lara Croft was at the peak of her powers when Tomb Raider 2 released in 1997, and PlayStation knew it. The platform holder negotiated console exclusivity for the sequel with publisher Eidos, resulting in the cancellation of a SEGA Saturn version. While production was completed in under eight months, the game went on to become one of the PS1’s greatest, taking Lara to Tibet, Venice, and the Great Wall of China. It sold almost seven million copies, and remains one of the most revered entries in the long-running series today.

33. Wild Arms PS1

Whenever the topic of classic 90s JRPGs comes up, Wild Arms should always be mentioned. A quintessential PS1 title, it's a fairly straightforward adventure in terms of structure — traditional to a fault, at times — but overall, it's a timeless formula. Fusing fantastical story elements with Wild West aesthetics, Wild Arms is quite unique in its overall tone, and although its storytelling is direct, it's well paced and strings you along on a memorable adventure.

32. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped PS1

Some would argue that the classic Crash Bandicoot formula had pretty much run its course with the second game, but Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped actually brought a lot of new ideas to the series. In terms of gameplay variety, it's easily the most ambitious instalment in the original trilogy, providing Crash with a bunch of new platforming mechanics and pushing loads of crazy concepts in terms of level design. An incredibly slick, big budget sequel that still holds up.

31. Spyro the Dragon PS1

While not Insomniac Games' first PS1 title, Spyro the Dragon really put the studio on the map. This colourful 3D platformer has lots of wide open levels to explore at your leisure as you look for dragons to rescue and treasure to collect. Spyro's simple move set allowed for some fun, imaginative platforming design, and some novel special stages added some variety to the mix. Still a good time today, Spyro is up there with Crash Bandicoot as a top tier mascot platformer for Sony's first console.