Skip to main content
Tom's Guide Tom's Guide
Subscribe
RSS
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
Technology Magazines
Technology Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviews
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12.99
View Deal
  • Best Picks
  • News
  • Reviews
  • How Tos
  • Phones
  • Streaming
  • Deals
  • More
    • Antivirus
    • Audio
    • Coupons
    • Fitness
    • Gaming
    • Home
    • Laptops
    • Mattresses
    • Personal Finance
    • Security
    • Smart Home
    • TV
    • VPNs
    • Wearables
    • What To Watch
    • All Topics
Forums
Trending
  • Apple Vision Pro
  • iOS 17
  • MacBook Air 15
  • iPhone 15
  • Pixel Fold
  • Best TVs

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. Round-up
  3. Gaming

Every PlayStation Classic Game Ranked, Worst to Best

By Tom's Guide Staff
published 3 November 2018

From Resident Evil to Grand Theft Auto and everything in between, here's every PlayStation Classic game ranked, worst to best.

Comments (1)

Launching on Dec. 3, the PlayStation Classic promises to transport nostalgic gamers back to the '90s with 20 preloaded classics, including Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII and Grand Theft Auto. But for every Resident Evil and Twisted Metal on the retro console's lineup, there's a stinker like Destruction Derby or Cool Boarders 2. As such, we've ranked every single game on Sony's upcoming nostalgia box, so you can skip the filler and get right to the good stuff once you pick your console up.

Credit: Ubisoft

Today's best PlayStation Classic Console deals
PlayStation Classic Console
No price information
For more information visit their website
See all prices (0 found)
Page 1 of 21
Page 1 of 21
20. I.Q.: Intelligent Qube

20. I.Q.: Intelligent Qube

Intelligent Qube is a 3D puzzle game in which you must get from Point A to Point B without getting crushed by increasingly complex sets of moving cubes. While this is probably the most obscure cut in the entire collection (and not the best puzzle game on the system), those looking for a good mental challenge will probably get an hour or two of amusement out of this one. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Sony

Page 2 of 21
Page 2 of 21
19. Jumping Flash!

19. Jumping Flash!

Perhaps best known as "that game from the demo disc," Jumping Flash! is a first-person platformer that has you bounce around 3D levels as a robotic rabbit named Robbit (seriously). While it doesn't hold up to the standards of today's 3D platformers, Jumping Flash! was an important showpiece for what 3D games were capable of on Sony's then-new console. It's, at the very least, worth popping into this game to see what gamers once considered "revolutionary." — Mike Andronico

Credit: Sony

Page 3 of 21
Page 3 of 21
18. Destruction Derby

18. Destruction Derby

In the earliest days of the PlayStation, when your options for racing games pretty much consisted of Ridge Racer, Wipeout and Jet Moto, Destruction Derby may have offered enough to steal your attention for a short time, despite its nonexistent track design and bare-bones gameplay. However, PlayStation owners wouldn't remain that desperate for long. And that's why, if we were forced to choose, we'd much rather have the game's more fleshed-out sequel on the roster here. But even then, the sequel would also have struggled for the spotlight against Ridge Racer Type 4's staggering production values and Twisted Metal's timelessly addictive multiplayer thrills. — Adam Ismail

Credit: Psygnosis

Page 4 of 21
Page 4 of 21
17. Mr. Driller

17. Mr. Driller

Mr. Driller is a simple but addicting puzzler that blends some of the basic digging gameplay of Dig Dug with a color-matching mechanic that rewards good strategy and fast reflexes. While it's not the best puzzle game on the PlayStation Classic, Mr. Diller is worth dipping into to get a few rounds of colorful block-destroying fun. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Namco

Page 5 of 21
Page 5 of 21
16. Cool Boarders 2

16. Cool Boarders 2

At the height of '90s extreme-sports fever, Cool Boarders 2 may have been fine enough. But it simply hasn't aged well, with its dodgy collision detection, sparse graphics and painfully slow gameplay. It also didn't help things that a few months after Cool Boarders 2's late-'97 release, Nintendo trotted out 1080° Snowboarding on the N64, which was pretty much better in every conceivable way. That relegated this PlayStation title to being the kind of game you desperately tried to convince your friends was as good as the one you all really wanted to play. — Adam Ismail

Credit: UEP Systems

Page 6 of 21
Page 6 of 21
15. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

15. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

Mudokons are friends, not food! Nowhere is this more true than in Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. Abe, the titular protagonist, fights to free his people from enslavement and overhears the company overseer's plans to turn those people into the next affordable treat. Over the course of this classic platformer, Abe will liberate his fellow Mudokons while gaining incredible powers from his people's lost history. Widely praised during its debut, Oddworld offers a great mix of puzzle and platforming action. — Sherri L. Smith

Credit: GT Interactive

Page 7 of 21
Page 7 of 21
14. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six

14. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six

One of the first popular tactical shooters, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six stood out by favoring strategy and stealth over running around and going guns-blazing. While the game was a hit on PC thanks to its compelling campaign and then-novel multiplayer format, its PlayStation port isn't nearly as beloved, due to its inferior graphics and features. Still, if you're a fan of modern installments such as Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, you should at least check out how the series began. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Red Storm Entertainment

Page 8 of 21
Page 8 of 21
13. Wild Arms

13. Wild Arms

Wild Arms is one of those "small-but-devoted-fan-base" series that seems almost synonymous with PlayStation consoles. In that respect, if nothing else, it's a good choice for inclusion on the PlayStation Classic. In this Old West-themed JRPG, you'll take control of Rudy, Jack and Cecilia, three very different adventurers who find themselves drawn together in — what else? — a quest to save the world. The game's setting is its main draw, because it deftly combines elements of traditional fantasy with a Wild West vibe. In the game's turn-based battles, your guns — and the ammo they use — are of paramount importance. But the graphics were a bit dated, even when the game first came out, and Wild Amrs is ultimately pretty similar to other good JRPGs of the time. — Marshall Honorof

Credit: Sony

Page 9 of 21
Page 9 of 21
12. Battle Arena Toshinden

12. Battle Arena Toshinden

Battle Arena Toshinden doesn't hold up super well in the grand scheme of fighting games, but it was a heck of a novel showpiece for the then-nascent PlayStation when the game launched in 1995. This game was both one of the first true 3D fighters as well as one of the first prominent weapons-based fighting games, allowing a degree of movement and combat that was mostly unheard of at the time. While series such as Tekken and Soulcalibur would go on to refine what Toshinden started, this game is well worth dipping into as a piece of fighting game history. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Takara

Page 10 of 21
Page 10 of 21
11. Revelations: Persona

11. Revelations: Persona

To damn it with faint praise, Revelations: Persona is probably the second-best RPG on the PlayStation Classic. (You already know what the best is.) This spin-off from the weird, genre-defying Shin Megami Tensei series stars a group of high school students who find themselves trapped in a mysterious, monstrous version of their hometown. By calling upon beneficent-ish demons called Personas, they fight back against a strange, corrupting influence — all while navigating their own petty schoolyard dramas. While the first Persona lacks the over-the-top dialogue and nuanced social mechanics from later entries in the series, it gives you plenty of ways to customize your party and alter the story. There's even a way to play through a totally different, much tougher story campaign, if you're so inclined. — Marshall Honorof

Credit: Atlus

Page 11 of 21
Page 11 of 21
10. Grand Theft Auto

10. Grand Theft Auto

The Grand Theft Auto series looked very different back in 1997. Instead of a sprawling, open-world epic crime drama, it was a top-down, third-person shooter with a twisted sense of humor. You play as a criminal who can — but doesn't have to — take on a number of destructive tasks for crime outfits in Liberty City, Vice City and San Andreas. The game has six levels, and in order to win, all you have to do is score a certain number of points. While it's easiest to do this by following your directives, you can also just cause mayhem, earning points for every car stolen, pedestrian mowed down and piece of property destroyed. It's weird and crass, but it holds up better than you might expect. — Marshall Honorof

Credit: BMG

Page 12 of 21
Page 12 of 21
9. Syphon Filter

9. Syphon Filter

International espionage and bioweapons abound in Syphon Filter, a third-person shooter that became wildly popular on PlayStation. Gamers play as Gabriel Logan, a member of a secret government organization called the Agency. He and his partner, Lian Xing, are on the trail of bioterrorist Erich Rhoemer, who's plotting to release the deadly Syphon Filter virus in Washington, D.C. But like in any good covert-ops thriller, there are a lot of twists and turns along the way. For its time, Syphon Filter was a well-received step in the stealth-action genre. — Sherri L. Smith

Credit: 989 Studios

Page 13 of 21
Page 13 of 21
8. Ridge Racer Type 4

8. Ridge Racer Type 4

Yeah, yeah — we know the gleeful proclamations of a certain ex-Sony CEO are probably ringing in your head right now. But here's the thing: Ridge Racer Type 4 happens to be one of the greatest arcade racers ever made, and it's the height of a series that, in its early days, was synonymous with the PlayStation brand. In fact, to call it just an arcade racer is a grave injustice; R4, with its moving story mode, classy acid-jazz soundtrack, futuristic visual style and vision for world building, is best described as a racing drama. And even as technology has improved and graphics continually push the boundaries of realism, the immersion of R4's narrative and style make it truly one of a kind and arguably the finest artistic statement the genre has ever seen or will ever see.— Adam Ismail

Credit: Namco

Page 14 of 21
Page 14 of 21
7. Rayman

7. Rayman

Just a year before Nintendo revolutionized the platformer with Super Mario 64, Michel Ancel at Ubisoft created one of the most beautiful side scrollers the world had ever seen. Rayman is a strange little man with no arms, no legs, a huge nose — and an incredible prowess for running and jumping. Thanks to gorgeously rendered backgrounds and large, colorful sprites, Rayman is a pleasure to look at, but it's even more fun to play. The game's levels are chock-full of new abilities to master and secrets to find. Admittedly, the game gets a bit punishing toward the end, because you need to track down every last doodad before you can see the ending. But Rayman is a platformer from 1995 — if it's not difficult and a little bit abstruse, it's not doing its job right. — Marshall Honorof

Credit: Ubisoft

Page 15 of 21
Page 15 of 21
6. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

6. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

Great puzzle games are timeless, and that's absolutely the case with Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. This competitive color-matching puzzler lets you play as cutesy versions of beloved characters such as Ryu, Chun-Li and Morrigan, all of whom unleash special attacks every time you clear a big chunk of gems off of the playing field. From its easy-to-learn, hard-to-master gameplay to a vibrant art style that still holds up today, Puzzle Fighter is one of the best games to take for a spin on your PlayStation Classic — especially with a friend. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Capcom

Page 16 of 21
Page 16 of 21
5. Tekken 3

5. Tekken 3

Tekken 3 refined the PlayStation's defining fighting franchise to near-perfection, and the title holds up well today. The third installment in Namco's beloved 3D brawler series beefed up the roster with now-iconic characters such as Jin Kazama, Hwoarang and Ling Xiaoyu while deepening Tekken's tight, addictive combat with more movement and defense options. And if you don't have a friend nearby to trade blows with, you can play through a ton of fun solo content, including the Tekken Force beat-'em-up mode and the silly but entertaining Tekken Ball. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Namco

Page 17 of 21
Page 17 of 21
4. Resident Evil: Director’s Cut

4. Resident Evil: Director’s Cut

You can't talk about the original PlayStation without talking about Resident Evil, and Resident Evil: Director's Cut is the definitive classic version of the genre-defining horror game. You'll get to experience every jump scare (damn those dogs) and boss fight (damn you, Tyrant) that made Resident Evil such a staple in the '90s, You also get a special Arrange Mode that remixes item and enemy placement while adding new weapons.

Sure, the PlayStation Classic really should have Resident Evil 2, and sure, there's an excellent HD remake of Resident Evil available on modern platforms. But if you pick up Sony's retro console, you owe it to yourself to see how the series began. — Mike Andronico

Credit: Capcom

Page 18 of 21
Page 18 of 21
3. Twisted Metal

3. Twisted Metal

The good news: One of the greatest multiplayer experiences of its generation is making its way to the PlayStation Classic. The bad news: You're limited to just two players — a sign of the times — and for some reason, Sony opted to overlook this game's improved sequel, with its more-expansive maps and smoother gameplay. Regardless, Twisted Metal defined the car-combat genre during the title's time, and its inclusion on Sony's roster here is deserved. Unfortunately, however, Calypso failed to grant our wish to get developer SingleTrac's other game, Jet Moto, on the console as well. However, we can't say we're surprised — that guy always had a way of weaseling out of promises. — Adam Ismail

Credit: Sony

Page 19 of 21
Page 19 of 21
2. Metal Gear Solid

2. Metal Gear Solid

For over a decade, fans have been shouting, "SNAAAAKE!" in tribute to the bonkers brilliance of Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid. Filled with countless memorable moments — from your first time sneaking around in a cardboard box to that time the creepy, villainous Psycho Mantis read the data on your memory card — MGS is a key title in the history of most PlayStation owners. And if you're one of the few who've never played a Metal Gear game, get ready for the craziest story line ever. It's mostly explained in voice-over-based communications, filled with twists and surprises. — Henry T. Casey

Credit: Microsoft

Page 20 of 21
Page 20 of 21
1. Final Fantasy VII

1. Final Fantasy VII

While FF7 may be one of the most repackaged and resold PS1 games — it's available on everything from the PS4 to the iPad — the PS1 Classic would be laughably incomplete without this title. The game's Active Time Battle system enabled intensely paced fights that gave you a slight amount of time to plan. And while the tone of the eco-rebels at Avalanche may seem a bit corny by today's standards, protagonist Cloud Strife's whiny, self-centered behavior certainly crossed over to straight-up humorous. — Henry T. Casey

Credit: Sony

Page 21 of 21
Page 21 of 21
Comments (1)
Tom's Guide Staff
Tom's Guide Staff
Social Links Navigation

Tom's Guide upgrades your life by helping you decide what products to buy, finding the best deals and showing you how to get the most out of them and solving problems as they arise. Tom's Guide is here to help you accomplish your goals, find great products without the hassle, get the best deals, discover things others don’t want you to know and save time when problems arise. Visit the About Tom's Guide page for more information and to find out how we test products.

More about gaming
Samsung 980 Pro SSD with a Tom's Guide deal tag

Samsung 1TB PS5 SSD crashes to just $79 - that’s the lowest price ever

WD_Black SN850P SSD

Western Digital launches new PS5 SSD that costs more than the console

Latest
A photo of a couple lying on an Avocado Green Eco Organic Mattress

One of our favorite organic mattresses is up to $800 off

See more latest ►
Topics
Gaming
PlayStation
1 Comment Comment from the forums
  • themidnightmatinee
    This is the best ranking I've seen for the PS1 classic.

    While I disagree that so many classic puzzle games are inherently worse than a nearly broken port of a PC game, I can't argue that you need warped textures and an unstable flip book frame rate to take advantage of everything the PS1 had to offer.

    Especially since Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 on the PS1 lost nearly all of the gameplay mechanics that aren't shooting people, which makes it the perfect digital babysitter for little kids struggling with severe learning disabilities.
    Reply
Most Popular
The best Apple Watch apps in 2023

By Kate KozuchNovember 09, 2022

Best running apps for 2023

By Jane McGuireNovember 07, 2022

Best weather apps for 2023

By John CorpuzOctober 31, 2022

The best handheld gaming consoles in 2023

By Marshall HonorofOctober 28, 2022

The best split screen PS4 and PS5 games in 2023

By Marshall HonorofOctober 28, 2022

LG OLED A2 vs. B2 vs. C2 vs. G2: Which TV should you buy?

By Nick PinoOctober 28, 2022

The 10 best free Steam games

By Marshall HonorofOctober 25, 2022

Best Android launchers 2023

By John Corpuz, Jordan PalmerOctober 25, 2022

The 10 best Batman games

By Marshall HonorofOctober 24, 2022

Every God of War game, ranked

By Luke BrownOctober 22, 2022

Best Nintendo Switch games for 2023

By Anthony SpadaforaOctober 19, 2022

Tom's Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Advertise with us
  • About us
  • Archives
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.