My Top Ten PSX Games

The original Playstation was a great machine. I still remember it being my first CD based system, and being amazed by the graphics. It seemed leaps and bounds ahead of my SNES and Genesis. In honor of this wonderful little system, I am going to count down my ten favorite games for the system.

10. Final Fantasy 7 - This is an essential edition to any PSX library. It is a great game, and has lasting appeal. Cloud and his crew stepped up the RPG experiece unlike any other title at the time. I am no fanboy for this game (my favorite Final Fantasy is still 6) yet it keeps a warm place in my heart for its rocking soundtrack, cool characters, and retro 3-D visuals. Too bad every other Final Fantasy 7 project has sucked with the exception of Crisis Core on PSP.

9. Ridge Racer - This game really shows it's age when compared to modern racing titles; but it still rocks. Ridge Racer brought the 3-D arcade racing experience home for an afforable price. The game only had one track, and a reverse version of it; but the racing stayed intense. One neat little trick I figured out for this game was removing the game CD after initially loading allowed you to replace the game with your own music CD. This is an early version of the custom soundtrack feature found in most games today. Also the "Devil car" you win on the last race is so damn fast it can hurt your eyes ( I love it)!

8. Lunar 1 & 2 - I know I am cheating with two; but the Playstation had so many great RPGs. These games were ports from the Sega CD, but the original Lunar received a massive overhaul in visuals and some plots modifications. Lunar 2 didn't need the huge update, but still received some updates to visuals and music. These games are some of the best classic roleplaying games ever, and the packaging for both games are beautiful. I hope we see a Lunar 3 someday( farewell Working Designs).

7. Metal Gear Solid - If you know who Solid Snake is, you can thank this game. The Metal Gear series started out with the MSX and NES; but the Playstation made this series what it is today. The game revolutioned cutscenes, credible voice acting, and tactical stealth gameplay. Any fan of Hideo Kojima's work should own it.

6. Resident Evil 2 - Resident Evil was my first survival horror game, the sequel is the one that still drags me back to the console however. This game had some truly "shit your pants" moments from things jumping through windows to weird stuff coming out of nowhere. The game featured a cool split experience where you could play as Leon the cop or Claire a student. This game has been ported several times, be sure to get this one or the updated Gamecube version.

5. Final Fantasy Tactics - I reviewed this game earlier this month, and I recognized it for being a wonderful game with a great soundtrack. This is one of the best strategy RPGs no matter if you care for the Final Fantasy series or not.

4. Suikoden 2 - Konami needs to make more games like this! Suikoden 2 is the awesome tale of a young man gathering 108 others to battle his best friend and nemesis to end a deadly war. The graphics are among the best 2-D on any system. The soundtrack is beautiful. The story also (while badly translated) is top notch. The villain, Luca Blight, is so freaking evil. This game goes for alot on eBay these days, but it is well worth every penny. Too bad no one released the PSP port outside Japan.

3. Persona 2: Eternal Punishment - I know another RPG, but bear with me. This game gave US role playing fans a dark world filled adult themes. The original Persona was so butchered it is not worth mentioning, but the sequel was left intact. The difficulty is brutal, so the game is very challenging. Also you don't have the poppy music or social links present in Persona 3 and 4. What you do get is a cool RPG that is for the hardcore crowd unlike any other on the American PSX. I say that because the Japanese had a prequel called Persona 2: Innocent Sin, that was left untranslated till very recently by two fellows named Tom and Gemini.

2. Einhander - Square decided to stop RPG desgin to experiment with different genres for awhile and made an unique shooter that is still wonderful even today. This game is the best space shooter on the original Playstation and that is saying alot considering the competetion. While it is a short game, the replay is good; and every true shooting fans replays his favorites many times. Why Square never made a sequel to it is still a mystery to me.

1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - The best game on the Playstation takes the 2-D Castlevnia formula, Metroid, and laughable voice acting then throws them all in a blender to make a classic now known as Metroidvania. Where to begin with this game? The graphics and animation are insane, even the Saturn port couldn't do the stuff the PSX version was doing. The soundtrack is brilliant, I have the CD on my iPod which says alot. The gameplay and item collecting mechanics feed on your need to see every inch of the castle and reverse castle defeated. This is truly the shining star for this console, and possibly the best game ever made!

Top Ten Scariest Games

In honor of Halloween, I am making a top ten for the scariest video games of all time. Some of these just made me uncomfortable, others made me jump like a scared schoolgirl.

10. Splatterhouse 3 (Genesis) - This was the first game to ever scare me as a child. The weird demonic enemies and dark storyline gave me chills. It is pretty tame these days, but still a very fun game to play.

9. Silent Hill 4 (PS2) - While this isn't the best Silent Hill, it does has some of the weirdest moments. First there was the whole voyeur angle when looking through to your neighbors to see the bloody rabbit doll occasionally move. The giant baby demons near the end of the game are also really odd. Then there is this part...
8. The Darkness (Xbox 360) - While on the whole this game isn't the scariest game, one part of the game puts it on this list. Your character wakes up at one point in the hell for World War I soldiers. The soldiers are unable to die and fight nonstop for eternity. This version of hell looks frightening, and the concept is very cool. I would recommend The Darkness if only for this one part.

7. Resident Evil 2 (PSX) - This game had some of the best random "scare the shit out of you" moments. I still remember jumping out of my seat when the lickers crash through the investigation window in the police station. This is survival horror done right.

6. Illbleed (Dreamcast) - The story here follows a girl trying to escape a trap filled haunted house with her sanity intact. The game was innovative for monitoring the girl's heart rate, which if it got to high she would actually have a heart attack and a blood loss gauge that monitored well...blood loss. The game has some really weird and scary moments. It is also notable for having a demonic version of Sonic the Hedgehog.
5. BioShock (Xbox 360) - Some people might not classify this as a horror, but I think it fits right in. Weird f**ked up enemies? Check. Killing little girls for power ups? Check. Bizzare story involving self mutilation and cannibalism? Check. It is one of my favorites games even though it so twisted.

4. Fatal Frame (PS2) - Taking pictures of ghosts to kill them is a pretty crazy concept, but this game does just that and it is actually really cool. The game take places in modern Japan, and feels alot like a horror movie from there. A dark and immersive game that really scares people with the lights out.

3. Rule of Rose (PS2) - The whole theme of this game is just nuts. You play as an abused orphan terrorized by evil kids in animal masks. The game isn't the greatest, but the weird atmosphere really leaves you feeling uncomfortable. This is a fun game to throw on, and watch your friends say," what the hell is this game dude?"

2. Clocktower (PSX) - Running from a murderer sucks. In this game, it is pretty the entire concept. A killer called Scissorman is chasing after you and he will catch you. When he catches you the game enters a "panic mode" where you have to fend off the maniac. The game is pretty hardcore, but it is worth playing for the scares Scissorman delivers.

1. Silent Hill 2 (Ps2) - I have played hundreds of games in my life, and this one is definitely the scariest. Your character James enters Silent Hill to find his dead wife, yet he finds only hell awaits him. The story is very dark, the atmosphere is tense, and the enemies are gory. The game's ending will not leave your head for weeks as well.