The best game of every year PSOne was alive

The PlayStation 5 is killing it in terms of sales, reportedly outselling the Xbox Series X|S three to one, but many people don't remember that Sony was in the exact same situation with the PS1. The PS1 dominated the N64, selling 102.5 million units compared to the N64's 32.9 million.

Take a look at the game library and you'll see why. RPG was in its golden era here with so many classics and many game changers were released as well. Certain genres such as survival horror, metroidvania, and stealth saw their first major breakthrough in the industry on the PS1.

6 1995: Jumping Lightning

The game that defines PlayStation

Not many hardcore titles were released during the PS1's launch year. You had the first Twisted Metal, which is pretty good, but bare by today's standards. What shines the brightest, especially when it comes to what PlayStation used to be, is Jumping Flash. A first-person 3D platformer is still unique today because it was an early 3D platformer.

Keep in mind this was 1995, before Super Mario 64, and you were still playing this game with the OG PlayStation controller without the analog controllers. Sure, it might feel dated to some people, but like a classic survival horror game with tank controls, the game is built around a control style that works really well. Luckily, you can play Jumping Flash on modern PlayStation systems, so you can check out this forgotten gem.

5 1996: Resident Evil

Surefire PlayStation Game of the Year

1996 was a great year whether you played on PC, Nintendo or PlayStation. Each platform had era-defining titles like Quake and Super Mario 64, but for PlayStation it was Resident Evil. The game itself basically gave birth to the survival horror template that is still used today.

Item and resource management, limited supplies, and going back to previous areas to unlock new rooms are still found in modern games like Alan Wake 2. The original RE holds up better than you might think, though it depends on the version played. The best version is the DS port called Deadly Silence which adds a lot of quality of life improvements. However, this port is quite expensive, so the port available on PS Plus or GOG are great alternatives.

4 1997: Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night

The true birth of Metroidvania

Whether Final Fantasy 7 or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was the PlayStation Game of the Year will be a huge debate. FF7 remains a huge favorite for many people, but when it comes to which game has had the most impact on the industry and its influence is still seen today, that honor goes to Symphony. Obviously, Metroid came before this one, but like Resident Evil, many of the core genres that are still found in modern metroidvania started with this game.

Metroid always felt more like an adventure title with its Zelda-style item progression, but Symphony brought RPG mechanics with a leveling system and a huge amount of equipment to collect. While many metroidvanias have surpassed Symphony in recent years, it's still a certified classic and one of the most important console games.

Another certified classic

A game as influential as Symphony of the Night is the original Metal Gear Solid. To be clear, MGS1 wasn't the first game to feature massive amounts of cinematic elements. A lot of early PC titles did this, but then again, nothing before it was this big.

Some of the iconic cutscenes in this game with voice acting and incredible music gave you a spectacular cinematic emotional experience that you have never felt before. You may have seen it before, but you've never felt it. This made Metal Gear Solid special, and the story and presentation still hit hard today. Of all the PS1 classics, MGS1 might be the oldest game of them all.

2 1999: Silent Hill

Lightning In A Bottle

Across Nintendo and PlayStation, 1999 was not a stellar year. There were a lot of great games, but nothing quite on the level of MGS1, Symphony or FF7. The first Soul Reaver is pretty good, but it hasn't aged very well, so the PS1 Game of the Year goes to Silent Hill 1. It might seem hypocritical since SH1 also has outdated elements, but the game remains terrifying to this day. which is the most important part.

The sound design, atmosphere, and scares never get old, even if the graphics do. A brilliant horror title with influences from Resident Evil, David Lynch, Stephen King and more, it offers a great story and a world where reality becomes a nightmare. So many people start the franchise with Silent Hill 2, but the right choice starts with Silent Hill 1.

1 2000: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

One of the funniest games ever

2000 was a swan song year for the PS1 before the arrival of the PS2 in October. Vagrant Story is really close to being game of the year, but Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is only slightly ahead. Pro Skater 2 was one of those sequels, like Super Smash Bros. Melee or Jak 2, which completely developed the series.

Going back to Pro Skater 1 after that game came out seemed like a Herculean task because Pro Skater 2 improved the gameplay so much. The introduction of manuals that link combos together is where the depth of gameplay in this series really began. While it's not the best Tony Hawk game, it's the biggest evolution, which is perhaps why it's the highest rated game in the series.