Birthday of PlayStation in France: these cult games that made history (FF 7, Gran Turismo, Tekken…)

Gaming News Birthday of PlayStation in France: these cult games that made history (FF 7, Gran Turismo, Tekken…)

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on September 29, 1995? Some of you may have acquired the first PlayStation. It wasn’t long before Sony’s very first video game console landed in our country, a little less than 10 months after its initial release in Japan in December 1994. To celebrate the slightly special anniversary of what we call the “PS1”, We invite you to (re)discover a selection of the biggest titles that have shaped the most successful console of the 5th generation. and who transformed the video game industry by establishing a strong and iconic brand. Racing, fighting, stealth, platforming or even survival horror and RPGs… there’s something for everyone on this legendary machine!

Final Fantasy VII

While Sony is famous for the power of its exclusive licenses, It’s a safe bet that the video game most instinctively associated with the first PlayStation is the new iteration of a license Squaresoft born on competing machines. The legendary Final Fantasy VII was also a title that was originally planned for Nintendo 64, whose project then drifted towards the Sony console. With Cloud Strife, this J-RPG isn’t necessarily the best of the series, nor is it the one that has the most unanimous support among fans of the saga FF7 is the first to finally be released in Europe and has helped democratize the genre outside of Japan and North America.

No other installment in the saga, which celebrates its 35th anniversary at the end of the year, has seen so many spin-offs and such a vast universe, and the incredible enthusiasm that surrounded the Final Fantasy VII remake project is there, to remember the cult game status of FF7, the second best selling game on the console with 10 million units sold.

Ahhhh, the great era of konami and its iconic logo. If you didn’t know, you know that during the PlayStation’s heyday, the Japanese publisher was one of those with the best reputation in the business, chaining hit after hit (by the way, it’s the one who will be the most honored in this selection). Again, this is a non-exclusive license, although very linked to PlayStation, just like the Japanese publisher. and born on the side of the competition in the 80s. Metal Gear Solid is one of the greatest legends of its generation. Dedicated to the work of its brilliant designer Hideo Kojima, it takes the video game to an almost cinematic dimension. 7 million sales will reward this stealth game that changed the video game landscape and still remains one of the greatest creations in history.

Grand touring

The PlayStation recently blew out its 3 candles when its first major tech slap landed. Gran Turismo was Sony’s flagship franchise for nearly a quarter of a century, and it impressed with its incredible intro sequence, unheard of on consoles at the time. The pioneer of automobile simulation, with which many well-known manufacturers are already associated, is the first “GT” a model of its kind and will be the machine’s best-selling title with nearly 11 million copies distributed worldwide. This is the oldest PlayStation license still in operation and Sony has understood this well, recently honoring its quarter century with dignity with the excellent Gran Turismo 7, a worthy heir to this absolute myth of the PS1 and its time.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Another Konami masterpiece, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is one of those great must-have titles that spring to mind when you think of both the first PlayStation and retrogaming. Biggest game of the license according to some, second half at the origin of the concept of “Metroidvania” according to others, This new episode of Castlevania is one of those titles that didn’t choose to follow the 3D fad that was then in full swing. It has to be said that 32-bit consoles like the PlayStation were the medium of choice to offer 2D titles with very clean production that Konami, for once, had perfectly integrated. Symphony of the Night is thus one of the rare console games that has aged significantly better than the others, Unfortunately, its commercial success hasn’t been as great as its predecessors… but that doesn’t stop it from being acclaimed by players.

Crash Bandicoot 3

It wasn’t easy to choose between the three episodes of the first trilogy of cheeky dog. Probably the most popular PlayStation studio of the last 15 years started with three first-class platform games, but we have chosen Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped in this selection to dedicate all the work of the “Dogs”, perfectly synthesized in a very complete final part. Wacky and “cartoon” style that has aged pretty well, The adventures of the marsupial made it the mascot of this first generation of PlayStation consoles, to the point where fans are constantly clamoring for its return after years of getting lost in episodes that were never as compelling as the PS1 trilogy. Crash Bandicoot 3 has sold just over 7 million copies and remains one of the greatest platformers of its generation and one of the few worthy competitors for Super Mario.

Resident Evil 2

The greatest survival horror franchise was born across two consoles, including the PlayStation, but we’ve decided to shine the spotlight on its sequel here. early 1998, Resident Evil 2 introduces a brand new character duo with Claire Redfield (younger sister of the previous installment’s hero) and Leon S. Kennedy. whose terrifying adventures we will follow in a Raccoon City plagued by terrible events. This opus radically contrasts with the first and will stand out for its multiple scenarios, the choice of playable character from the start, but also a turbulent development weathered by a complete reboot at the hands of Hideki Kamiya, charismatic game designer behind Devil May Cry, Ōkami or Bayonetta (exactly that). It will also be the best-selling Resident Evil on console with 5.77 million copies.

Grave robbers

If Lara Croft is an icon, it’s largely thanks to the PlayStation. Tomb Raider was released on two simultaneous carriers in 1996, with the Saturnbut it’s the Sony machine that gave it its pedigree. The famous heroine revolutionized action-adventure gaming by taking us to the four corners of the world

and most importantly, in becoming the first female video game character to reach such a level of popularity. Tomb Raider, closely linked to the success of the brand’s first console, has exceeded 7 million sales and was the starting point of a saga that still enjoys a lot of love from its fans. a quarter of a century after the first adventures of the famous explorer.

Tekken 3

While fans of fighting games have sworn by Street Fighter for many years, Namco decided to hit hard with their own fighting game license on PlayStation. Available in three episodes on Sony’s first console, it will somehow reach its apotheosis with the excellent (and mythical) Tekken 3, absolute synthesis of everything that the developer knew best at his time in his field, between great graphics, high-end sound effects and precise and polished gameplay. It will also be the fifth best-selling game on console with 8.3 million units sold, which says a lot about the well-deserved success of this final installment in the original trilogy.

Spyro the dragon

While Crash Bandicoot wanted to play it cool and a little more youthful, Sonic the Hedgehog-style, the other PlayStation-exclusive mascot sought more inspiration from Super Mario and its smash hit. Cuter and more approachable, Spyro the Dragon is one of those great PS1 classics that launched the career of a studio now owned by Sony, Insomniac Games (which then exploded with Ratchet & Clank and Marvel’s Spider-Man). If it’s a bit of a headache today, its revolutionary 3D has taken a hit from old for the time, It was one of the best platformers of its time, with an adventurous connotation that drives exploration for all audiences. The first part of the trilogy approached 5 million sales.

silent Hill

Let’s end this top 10 with one more horror game, and yet another Konami game: Silent Hill, currently a perennial exclusive to the first PlayStation, crystallizes the expectations of many video game enthusiasts waiting to see at least one remake . More horror (psychologically) oriented than survival and much less action connoted than Resident Evil, This anthology title has marked the minds of all gamers who have touched it due to its particularly oppressive atmosphere, not common to any other title of its kind. Although reserved for an informed public, the game that gave new meaning to the nebula will still hit the 2 million copies mark, and will establish itself as one of the most iconic video games of its generation.

What has become of the PlayStation brand today? Epitomized by the all-powerful PlayStation 5, Sony’s gaming division continues to offer very high-quality titles on a regular basis. Here’s our pick of the top five PlayStation exclusives currently available on PS5: