SaintAlfonso
1998
One of the best if not the best arcade racers. This was one of the first PS1 games that was recommended to me at a time when I really only knew the console for Crash Bandicoot and Gex. I still come back to it on a pretty regular basis. There's not really any big gimmicks with this game since it's just straight forwards racing but it does that really well with a sick soundtrack to boot.
1996
It's fun but it does get repetitive even considering it's relatively short length. A decent playthrough for a lazy afternoon but nothing essential. I can see why it keeps circulating around in conversations regarding underappreciated PS1 games.
The platforming isn't super innovative but it's pretty well done. This is one of those short and sweet games that won't change your life but that you may as well check out.
The platforming isn't super innovative but it's pretty well done. This is one of those short and sweet games that won't change your life but that you may as well check out.
2000
One of the more underrated entries in the mascot kart racing genre. This is one of those Kart Racers with an actual campaign like Diddy Kong Racing. Every track has collectibles, and there's different kinds of challenges you need to complete to get full completion. There's car combat, obstacle courses, and straight forwards racing. You have the normal competition mode for each course and an exploration mode where you drive freely through the level to find stuff. It's a fun idea although it can be a bit excessive. You need to get everything from one category in one go in a certain time limit at which point you're kicked out Mario 64 style and have to go in again. In Diddy Kong Racing, you can be done with a level in a few minutes tops. In Muppet Race Mania you might spend an hour per track. That may not appeal to everybody.
The racing is pretty solid. The combat I never got the hang of, but it's not half bad. The Muppet theming is perhaps the solid point - they really went deep into the lore for some of these locations and characters and it's something I appreciated. Between that and the amount of content it's definitely a fun little play through although you need to be prepared to spend more time on this one than you would on a game like Diddy Kong Racing or Crash Team Racing.
The racing is pretty solid. The combat I never got the hang of, but it's not half bad. The Muppet theming is perhaps the solid point - they really went deep into the lore for some of these locations and characters and it's something I appreciated. Between that and the amount of content it's definitely a fun little play through although you need to be prepared to spend more time on this one than you would on a game like Diddy Kong Racing or Crash Team Racing.
You gotta check this out for sure. It's not my favorite game but it's a fun lil puzzle thing. Hard to describe. I'd call it a nice one off and leave it at that.
1998
This is one of my favorite PS1 games. There's humor and style. There's a nice lil progression arc in terms of what you can unlock and in terms of difficulty. I like games with a spooky aesthetic but some of those are games like 40 Winks which have disappointing game play. If you can make a spooky game that's also fun, then you've got an instant classic.
1993
The graphics are awesome and I appreciate a Shmup that doesn't involve flying. There's no reason you have to be airborn for a shmup to work and this game proves that. The gameplay is middle of the road though. There's some cool boss fights but that's kind of it - there's not even power ups. If this game was longer I think it'd get tiring but there's only a couple levels.
1997
The single player campaign is eh. But you gotta blast away in multiplayer mode to get it. I don't consider this a go to multiplayer experience but it is fun.
1997
This is one of my favorite PS1 shmups and maybe one of my top entries in the genre overall. It's easy but in a genre so filled with tough games it's actually a nice break. The music and graphics are awesome.
1999
Hard to tell if CTR is over or underrated. You compare it to Mario Kart and it's got worse multiplayer. Between this and Diddy Kong Racing it's a toss up as to who has the better single player. What I like about Crash Team Racing is that the drifting system is easy to understand with room to improve and the overall balance of everything is solid. This game you can beat in an afternoon or two so really I recommend it to anybody.
It's also a good alternative to Mario Kart in terms of multiplayer. But when you have party games you need to take into account that many people won't be as down to experiment. Crash Team Racing multiplayer doesn't have a ton to offer that Mario Kart 64 doesn't so they're more alternatives than competitors. But since Mario Kart has the superior brand recognition, it's always the go to at gatherings.
It's also a good alternative to Mario Kart in terms of multiplayer. But when you have party games you need to take into account that many people won't be as down to experiment. Crash Team Racing multiplayer doesn't have a ton to offer that Mario Kart 64 doesn't so they're more alternatives than competitors. But since Mario Kart has the superior brand recognition, it's always the go to at gatherings.
1997
It can be clunky but there's so much to experiment with and sink your teeth into that it's worth pushing past that initial difficulty. I liked it, but I have yet to check out the other Armored Core games. I oughta do that...
It's a good adaption of the game to the system. My friend used to beat me at at this and I'd flip. Also they have a weird grand-strategy esque mode within it that adds a ton of stuff onto the normal Risk gameplay.
1998
I don't normally get into fighting games but this one sucked me in. I never thought I'd be researching the meta and practicing combos but there I was. That's gotta say something.
Croc has some bad ideas. But you've also got a crocodile. I think it's a rite of passage to play Croc if you get into the PS1 but you don't really need to finish it.
1999
Funny and enjoyable to play. I wouldn't call this a classic but it's underrated for sure. Worth checking out.
1998
This is so charming. The gameplay is pretty basic and doesn't change much but it gets the job done. Really, you play this game for the soundtrack and the art style. Very chill, but with some tricky moments.