Celebrating PlayStation 1’s 25th Anniversary

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the PlayStation 1 as it was first launched in Japan on 3rd December, 1994. And that is why I dedicate today’s entry to the console itself and to those top-selling games that once become popular and played by gamers all over the world. 

The PlayStation 1, also know as PS1 and PSX, is one of the most memorable video game consoles ever. I still remember in that 1995 year, when I played it for the first time, how amazed I was about the graphics and the quality of the games. There was nothing like it at that time. The other console I used to play was a Game Boy of 1990 and, compared to it, Sony’s console seemed to me like a device of another galaxy.

A bit of history

It all started with a broken contract with Nintendo in the late 1980s. Sony was entering in the video game market by partnering with Nintendo to develop a new disc-based console that was going to be called Super Nintendo. But this partnership was broken long before its launch.

Given this event, Sony computer engineer Ken Kutaragi proposed the idea of ​​entering the video game market completely. Sony at that time had the knowledge, the budget and the technology needed to be able to develop its own video game console. But no department, not even the then-current president Norio Ohga, seemed to like the idea.

After much insistence, this idea became a reality within the Sony Music division, and it was not until November 1993 that the project would have its own section aimed at the development and research of the video game business: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI or SCE).

As a result of these years of hard work and dedication in December 3, 1994 Sony launched the PlayStation 1 in Japan with tremendous success. However, it was not only the console itself that attracted millions of households around the world and purchase it. Much of its success is due the facilities that Sony offered to video game developers so that they could test themselves the benefits of its new console: its technical capacity and the use of the CD as a means of distribution and reading of video games. This caused a call effect among not only large distributors but also medium and small developers. Over the time, the PlayStation achieved to get a very extensive catalog of video games. And it was mostly thanks to this that, in the end, Sony managed to catapult the console as a best seller.

In total, Sony has sold more than 102.49 million PlayStation 1 units, and shipped more than 962 million PS1 games worldwide, making it the second most popular and sold console of Sony, after the PlayStation 2. Therefore, we can say it is one of the most played and memorable consoles of all time.

Best-selling PlayStation 1 games

As said, an important part of the success of the PlayStation 1 was due to the games that were developed to play on it. A wide game catalog enabled Sony’s console to offer entertainment to a large number of people of different tastes, from children to adults.

To commemorate this 25th anniversary and spread the word to young generations about the games that were once considered the best of their time in terms of gameplay and graphics, as well as a resounding success in sales, I have made and uploaded the following video to my YouTube account. Play it!

Of course, this is just a top 10 arranged by number of sales. But there are other very good games that, although they did not become a best seller, they were highly regarded by critics. Here I present you a more complete list of all the PS1 games that have contributed to the success of the console.

No.TitleRelease dateSales
1Gran TurismoDecember 23, 199710,850,000
2Final Fantasy VIIJanuary 31, 199710,022,228
3Gran Turismo 2December 11, 19999,370,000
4Final Fantasy VIIIFebruary 11, 19998,600,000
5Tekken 3March 26, 19988,300,000
6Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneNovember 15, 20018,000,000
7Tomb RaiderOctober 25, 19967,100,000
8Crash BandicootSeptember 9, 19966,820,000
9Tomb Raider IIOctober 31, 19976,800,000
10Metal Gear SolidSeptember 3, 19986,000,000
11Tomb Raider IIINovember 20, 19985,900,000
12Tekken 2March 29, 19965,700,000
13Crash Bandicoot: WarpedOctober 31, 19985,700,000
14Final Fantasy IXJuly 7, 20005,500,000
15Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes BackNovember 5, 19975,170,000
16Resident EvilMarch 22, 19965,080,000
17Resident Evil 2January 21, 19984,960,000
18Spyro the DragonSeptember 9, 19984,832,145
19Tomb Raider: The Last RevelationNovember 15, 19994,700,000
20Dragon Quest VIIAugust 26, 20004,110,000
21RaymanSeptember 1, 19954,000,000
22Oddworld: Abe's OddyseeSeptember 19, 19973,500,000
23Resident Evil 3: NemesisSeptember 22, 19993,500,000
24Tony Hawk's Pro SkaterAugust 31, 19993,500,000
25Spyro 2: Ripto's RageNovember 2, 19993,451,064
26FroggerSeptember 30, 19973,370,000
27Spyro: Year of the DragonOctober 24, 20003,283,077
28DriverJune 30, 19993,220,000
29Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2September 20, 20003,150,000
30Croc: Legend of the GobbosSeptember 29, 19973,000,000
31Driver 2November 13, 20002,850,000
32Dino CrisisJuly 1, 19992,400,000
33Final Fantasy TacticsJune 20, 19972,270,000
34Namco Museum Vol. 3June 21, 19962,240,000
35Air CombatJune 30, 19952,230,000
36WWF War ZoneJuly 14, 19982,200,000
37Crash Team RacingOctober 19, 19992,200,000
38Hot Shots GolfJuly 17, 19972,130,000
39Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3October 29, 20012,110,000
40Mortal Kombat TrilogyOctober 10, 19962,010,000
41Derby StallionJuly 17, 19972,000,000
42Silent HillJanuary 31, 19992,000,000
43Parasite EveMarch 29, 19981,940,000
44WWF SmackDown!March 2, 20001,920,000
45Crash BashNovember 6, 20001,900,000
46WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your RoleNovember 21, 20001,870,000
47Spider-ManAugust 30, 20001,850,000
48Tetris PlusSeptember 6, 19961,770,000
49Syphon FilterFebruary 17, 19991,750,000
50Twisted Metal 2October 31, 19961,740,000
51007: Tomorrow Never DiesNovember 16, 19991,720,000
52Need for Speed III: Hot PursuitMarch 25, 19981,700,000
53Namco Museum Vol. 1November 22, 19951,650,000
54Medal of HonorOctober 31, 19991,640,000
55A Bug's LifeNovember 18, 19981,500,000
56Chrono CrossNovember 18, 19991,500,000
57Legacy of Kain: Soul ReaverAugust 16, 19991,500,000
58Madden NFL 99July 31, 19981,500,000
59Madden NFL 2000July 31, 19991,480,000
60PaRappa the RapperDecember 6, 19961,470,000
61NFL GameDay 98July 31, 19971,470,000
62Rugrats: Search for ReptarOctober 31, 19981,460,000
63Grand Theft Auto 2October 25, 19991,450,000
64Hot Shots Golf 2July 29, 19991,440,000
65Cool Boarders 3September 30, 19981,430,000
66Syphon Filter 2March 14, 20001,420,000
67Tomb Raider ChroniclesNovember 17, 20001,400,000
68Need for Speed: High StakesMarch 1, 19991,390,000
69Jet Moto 2October 31, 19971,310,000
70WCW NitroJanuary 31, 19981,300,000
71Twisted Metal IIIOctober 31, 19981,290,000
72Dance Dance RevolutionApril 10, 19991,270,000
73Jet MotoOctober 31, 19961,270,000
74Spec Ops: Stealth PatrolJune 5, 20001,270,000
75Madden NFL 98July 31, 19971,250,000
76The Legend of DragoonDecember 2, 19991,240,000
77Pac-Man WorldOctober 12, 19991,240,000
78Dragon Quest IVNovember 22, 20011,232,071
79Cool Boarders 2August 28, 19971,210,000
80XenogearsFebruary 11, 19981,209,479
81Dino Crisis 2September 13, 20001,200,000
82Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden MemoriesDecember 9, 19991,200,000
83MonopolyNovember 6, 19971,190,000
84Ace Combat 3: ElectrosphereMay 27, 19991,164,000
85NASCAR 98November 17, 19971,160,000
86NBA Live 98November 30, 19971,150,000
87Chocobo's Mystery DungeonDecember 22, 19971,140,000
88NASCAR 99September 28, 19981,140,000
89Tales of DestinyDecember 23, 19971,139,000
90NFL GameDay 99July 31, 19981,120,000
91Arc the LadJune 30, 19951,100,000
92Devil DiceJune 18, 19981,100,000
93beatmaniaOctober 1, 19981,100,000
94Derby Stallion 99September 30, 19991,100,000
95SaGa FrontierJuly 11, 19971,095,226
96Star Ocean: The Second StoryJuly 30, 19981,094,000
97Ace Combat 2May 30, 19971,092,000
98Parasite Eve IIDecember 16, 19991,090,000
992XtremeNovember 6, 19961,090,000
100Test Drive 5September 30, 19981,080,000

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