- The PlayStation was released worldwide a year later and became the first video game console to sell more than 100 million units.
- Here a list of the 25 best PlayStation One games, based on professional reviews from Metacritic.
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The original PlayStation just turned 25 — here are the 25 best PlayStation One games, according to critics (SNY)
Sony is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original PlayStation console, which launched in Japan on December 3, 1994.
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Sony is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original PlayStation, the company's first video game console and one of the most influential gaming devices of all time.
The PlayStation debuted in Japan on December 3, 1994 and sold 100,000 units on its first day of release. Sony took the PlayStation worldwide a year later, and it went on to become the very first video game console to sell more than 100 million units.
Sony's PlayStation brand has grown into a titan of the video game industry, launching four home consoles, two portable consoles, a virtual reality headset, and tons of PlayStation gadgets. Sony has sold more than 500 million PlayStation systems through the last 25 years.
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Nintendo and Sega dominated gaming during the early 90s, but the innovative PlayStation helped Sony earn its footing. The first PlayStation popularized the use of CD-Roms for video game releases Sony's competitors were using plastic cartridges with much less storage space. As a bonus, the PlayStation could also play music CDs, giving it some extra utility as a media player.
But the PlayStation's huge library of games is what really set it apart from the Nintendo 64, the Sega Saturn, and the rest of the competition. PlayStation gave birth to blockbuster franchises like "Resident Evil" and "Tomb Raider," while old series like "Final Fantasy" and "Metal Gear" found new life on the PlayStation, thanks to its impressive 3D graphics.
Below, we've listed 25 of the best games for the original PlayStation, as rated by professional critics. These scores are collected by Metacritic, which aggregates dozens of publications and also lets fans vote on their favorites.
25. "WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role"
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"WWE SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role" / THQ
Critic score: 90/100
User score: 8.4/10
24. "Dance Dance Revolution"
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"Dance Dance Revolution"/Konami
Critic score: 90/100
User score: 8.4/10
23. "Syphon Filter"
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"Syphon Filter"/ 989 Studios
Critic score: 90/100
User score: 8.7/10
22. "Ape Escape"
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"Ape Escape"/ Sony
Critic score: 90/100
User score: 8.6/10
21. "Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped"
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"Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped"/Activision
Critic score: 91/100
User score: 9/10
20. "Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver"
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Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver / Crystal Dynamics
Critic score: 91/100
User score: 8.9/10
19. "Resident Evil"
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Resident Evil / Capcom
Critic score: 91/100
User score: 9/10
18. "Tomb Raider"
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Tomb Raider/Eidos Interactive
Critic score: 91/100
User score: 8.4/10
17. "Spyro: Year of the Dragon"
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"Spyro: Year of the Dragon" / Activision
Critic score: 91/100
User score: 8.9/10
16. "Colony Wars"
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"Colony Wars" / Psygnosis
Critic score: 91/100
User score: 7.5/10
15. "PaRappa the Rapper"
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PaRappa the Rapper / Sony
Critic score: 92/100
User score: 7.5/10
14. "Medal of Honor"
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"Medal of Honor" / Electronic Arts
Critic score: 92/10
User score: 8.7/10
13. "Final Fantasy VII"
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Square Enix
Critic score: 92/100
User score: 9.1/10
12. "Tony Hawk Pro Skater"
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"Tony Hawk Pro Skater" / Activision
Critic score: 92/100
User score: 8.9/10
11. "Vagrant Story"
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"Vagrant Story" / Square Enix
Critic score: 92/100
User score: 9/10
10. "Wipeout XL"
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"Wipeout XL" / Psygnosis
Critic score: 93/100
User score: 8.5/10
9. "Castlevania Symphony of the Night"
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"Gran Turismo 2" / Sony
Critic score: 93/10
User score: 9.2/10
8. "Street Fighter Alpha 3"
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"Street Fighter Alpha 3" / Capcom
Critic score: 93/100
User score: 8.6/10
7. "Gran Turismo 2"
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"Gran Turismo 2" / Sony
Critic score: 93/100
User score: 9.2/10
6. "Metal Gear Solid"
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"Metal Gear Solid" / Konami
Critic score: 94/100
User score: 9.2/10
5. "Chrono Cross"
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"Chrono Cross" / Square Enix
Critic score: 94/100
User score: 8.8/10
4. "Final Fantasy IX"
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"Final Fantasy IX" / Square Enix
Critic score: 94/100
User score: 9/10
3. "Gran Turismo"
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"Gran Turismo" / Sony
Critic score: 96/100
User score: 8.6/10
2. "Tekken 3"
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"Tekken 3" / Namco
Critic score: 96/100
User score: 9.1/10
1. "Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2"
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"Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2" / Activision
Critic score: 98/100
User score: 7.5/10
See Also:
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- Honey, a coupon company that got acquired by PayPal for $4 billion, used 8 essential slides to raise money from venture capitalists when it was a startup
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SEE ALSO: YouTube's list of the 10 most-watched video games of 2019 proves that new games aren't the most popular online
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