What PS1 games do you think still hold up well today?

[bob]

So I recently picked up a PS1 for $5.  Mint shape, cords, 2 controllers, couldn't pass it up considering I didn't have one.  Always used my PS2 for PS1 play.
Anyway, now I have it and I have slowly cobbled together about 30 games for it.

I'm finding a lot of them suck.

Now... I understand I have only shelled out a few bucks per game so I can't expect to find too many diamonds, but man, some of them are rough.

For example, I was pretty amped for Battle Arena Toshinden (don't ask why, no clue) but I didn't realize the whole game was in slow motion.
Second, I turned to a FPS, Quake II.  Mind you, I have never played Quake before (again, don't ask why), and I don't think I ever want to again.  I assume the PC version is a great time, but this port is NOT the way you want to experience it for the first time.
My most recent one is Akuji the Heartless.  Um, what the f*ck?  It's an action/platformer thing where the textured polygons were giving me a headache when in motion.

I know there are some great games on the PS1, but the whole aesthetic of the system and games just don't feel like they aged well.
I'm also aware that the RPG's were some of the best (and still are), but what other PS1 games have held up?
So it doesn't sound like I'm just bashing the system, I always enjoy me some Tony Hawk 1 & 2!

[TheClash603]

If you don't have nostalgia for the games on the system, it will be very difficult for you to get into any of them.  The PS1 was basically a piece of practice hardware, before they figured out how to make 3D games.

You should pick up Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Tomba, maybe Twisted Metal 2?  There isn't a lot that is easy to recommend.

I assume some of the RPG fans will disagree with me though.

[roflmao]

The first Spyro game is pretty awesome.  Haven't played the others.  I still find the Gran Turismo games fun to play every once in awhile just to marvel at how well they still look and play considering it was created, what, 15 years ago?  The Raiden Project is excellent if you like shooters.  Metal Gear Solid is still... solid.  I love the Jumping Flash series, but the control now is awkward and I don't know if I would have the patience to get good at it these days.

But yeah, most of the other PS1 games I can think of that I dig are heavily influenced by nostalgia.

[SignOfZeta]

The best cheap US PS1 game that has aged well is probably Gundam Battle Assault 2. I see it for less than $10 all the time.

Other than that, you're probably going to have to actually shell out some cash. There are quite a few good 2D shooters on PS1. Symphony of the Night is fantastic, obviously. Rakugaki Showtime, Super Robot Wars Alpha/Alpha Gaiden, Choro Q 3, the Namco Museum series, Love and Destroy, Touge Max G, Motor Toon GP 2, Kamen Rider...a bunch of stuff.

These days I would avoid any game that was high end from a major publisher. Stuff like Tenchu and Metal Gear Solid seemed amazing for the time, but those are the ones that have aged the worst. The stuff that's still fun is usually 2D or cartoony 3D or a port/classics collection.

[Deletion]

Einhander... a brilliant horizontal shoot-em-up made by SquareSoft. 

[Ji-L87]

Ace Combat 3 is still a complete departure from anything the series have seen since and feels fresh even today. A flight game that comes on TWO discs? With branching story paths and some occasionally really, really impressive graphics? Yes, please.

...ignoring the western release, of course.

Also, Ridge Racer Type 4. Many still believe this is the pinnacle of the entire RR franchise. I don't know about that but it's certainly good, plays well, has a very characteristic and memorable soundtrack and is beautiful even today.

...Oh and every game in the Mega Man Legend series

[Bernie]

Aside from FF IX, I would say Legacy of Kain.

[vestcoat]

I still like MGS, but I haven't really played any video games made since '00. Maybe I just like crawling under the tanks and determining where roaming guards are by listening to their footsteps with headphones on.

R-types is good. I picked up R-Type Delta and Dragon Warrior VII awhile back, but haven't given them a chance yet.

IMO, the 3DO has aged better than the PS1. The technology is basically the same, but the 3DO was blessed with a lot of good ports from the 2-D era simply because it was released earlier. The 3DO caught the FMV crap, but the PS1 really got bogged down in the early 3-D experimentalism.

[Bernie]

Shit!  How could I forget Dragon Warrior VII?!  Play it vestcoat!  Its one of the best, IMO.

[storino03]

The 2D games have held up much better than the 3D specific games on the PS1. 2D games like:

Legend of Mana
Saga Frontier 1 and 2
Xenogears (to a certain extent, i'm impartial to it)
Valkyrie Profile
Rayman
Thousand Arms

[meka]

I normally don't like fps but I thought that Disruptor was good, it had full motion video in between the levels.

[SignOfZeta]

I still like MGS, but I haven't really played any video games made since '00. Maybe I just like crawling under the tanks and determining where roaming guards are by listening to their footsteps with headphones on.

R-types is good. I picked up R-Type Delta and Dragon Warrior VII awhile back, but haven't given them a chance yet.

IMO, the 3DO has aged better than the PS1. The technology is basically the same, but the 3DO was blessed with a lot of good ports from the 2-D era simply because it was released earlier. The 3DO caught the FMV crap, but the PS1 really got bogged down in the early 3-D experimentalism.

Yeah, you should probably run the numbers on that idea. The PS1 has way more/better 2D games than the 3DO. Puzzle Fighter alone is probably better than any 3DO game made, and by "probably" I really mean "massively". Then you have Dodanpachi, Raiden Project, Gunner's Heaven, Namco Museum, Lunar 1&2, Symphony of the Night, Super Robot Wars Alpha/Gaiden, Megaman 8, Silloutte Mirage, Poplocrois, that one Tales game (name escapes me), Magical Drop 3, that Midway collection, Arc the Lad 2, and more and more and more.

3DO...please, the PS1 has aged badly, but it doesn't just outright suck. 3DO has Super Turbo, Policenauts and Samshow 1...but so does the PS1.

I didn't even mention the huge truckload of mediocre Capcom and SNK ports that I personally think suck but %90 of people are fine with.

And as for Legacy of Kain...this has to be a joke, right? That things was a drab crusty mess even by the standards of the day.

[Bernie]

Sorry, but I enjoyed the Legacy of Kain series. 

[ProfessorProfessorson]

I mean, if you're strictly talking about the systems and how they hold up visually still in retrospect, and are not simply talking about number of games released, the 3DO tends to hold up better to me visually in the 3D department when it comes to older titles, esp if you stick with the EA titles, Pc ports, and similar and want something on par with what was going on with Pc gaming back then. 2D wise neither system was really above the other one. Anything done on PS1 could have basically been done on 3DO in the 2D department. Sadly though the 3DO did not get many arcade ports outside of ports of Laserdisc based titles and fighting games, mainly due to the system not trying to cater to the arcade crowd. Typically any 3D title done on both systems was better on 3DO (Road Rash, StarFighter, NFS, Shockwave, Wing Commander III, Off World Interceptor). The PS1 did excel at moving low res 3d at somewhat fast FPS though, which was great for companies like Namco that wanted to do mostly arcade ports, and great for people that wanted to play said ports.

[SignOfZeta]

What the machine can do is interesting, but what the guy who owns the machine can do is much more relevant in the end.