GAME ISO FILES:

• VIMM'S LAIR

PREFERRED EMULATOR:

• DUCKSTATION

COVER ART/MANUALS:

• PSX DATACENTER

and

• MOBYGAMES

DUALSHOCK ADAPTER FOR PC:

(use for most authentic control scheme)

ARCHIVED PS1 SYSTEM BIOS:

GAMES ARE GROUPED ROUGHLY BY HOW DIFFICULT THEY WOULD BE FOR A NEW PLAYER TO GET INTO

SPYRO THE DRAGON

GENRE: PLATFORMER

IF YOU'RE ON THIS PAGE, YOU'RE ALREADY AWARE OF SPYRO -
HE'S ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREATS ON PSX FOR A REASON! THE FIRST GAME IS A PERFECT ENTRY TO NOT JUST THIS SERIES, BUT THE PSX IN GENERAL IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED OLDER GAMES BEFORE. PLATFORMING IS PRETTY FORGIVING, ENEMIES ARE TOTAL WIMPS, AND MOST COLLECTIBLES ARE SCATTERED ABOUT FOR YOU TO FIND WHILE EXPLORING THE GORGEOUS DRAGON WORLDS. THOUGH SOME MAY BE IN TRICKIER SPOTS, YOU'LL HAVE FUN SEARCHING FOR THEM ... AND GETTING EVERYTHING UNLOCKS THE GREATEST 100% REWARD OF ALL TIME!

SUPER BUBBLE POP

GENRE: PUZZLE

A CHILDHOOD FAVORITE SO OBSCURE THAT VIMMSLAIR DID NOT EVEN HAVE IT LISTED AT ONE POINT! THIS A SIMPLE MATCH THREE PUZZLE GAME, WITH A FEW DIFFICULTY MODES AND UNLOCKABLE CHARACTERS - NOTHING SPECIAL, BUT GREAT FOR BEGINNERS AND SHOCKINGLY ADDICTIVE. IN RETROSPECT, THIS GAME HAD UNTOLD INFLUENCE ON ME FROM A YOUNG AGE... With graphics that ooze pure y2k aesthetic, a bangin soundtrack containing a sample platter of every kind of EDM, and core mechanics that are simple to grasp but challenging to master - what's not to love?

KLONOA: DOOR TO PHANTOMILE

GENRE: PLATFORMER

IM GONNA WRITE THOUGHTFUL DESCRIPTIONS FOR ALL OF THESE I SWEAR YOU GUYS

BLOODY ROAR

GENRE: FIGHTER

A PSX FIGHTING GAME WITH FURRIES? WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE!? ...JOKES ASIDE, BLOODY ROAR IS A CLASSIC ARCADE STYLE FIGHTER WITH A COAT OF PAINT THAT'S BADASS ENOUGH TO CARRY THE ENTIRE THING. PICK YOUR FAVORITE FURSONA AND CLAW YOUR WAY THROUGH THE GAME'S ROSTER, CULMINATING IN A WILDLY DIFFICULT FIGHT WITH A CHARACTER NOT SEEN ANYWHERE ELSE. SOLID MECHANICS, ALONG WITH PRACTICE AND SURVIVAL MODES MAKE IT GREAT TO PICK UP ON OCCASION TO HONE YOUR SKILLS - AND SINCE THE GAME IS USUALLY A HIT WITH GUESTS, YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO SHOW YOUR STUFF!

UMJAMMER LAMMY

GENRE: RHYTHM

YOU MIGHT BE EXPECTING TO SEE PARAPPA THE RAPPER ON THIS LIST... BUT INSTEAD, I'D SUGGEST ITS MORE OBSCURE SPINOFF/SEQUEL. NOT AS ICONIC BUT STILL FULL OF GREAT SONGS, A BATSHIT CRAZY STORY, AND WAY MORE CONTENT THAN THE FIRST - YOU GET A POSTGAME WHERE YOU REPLAY EACH STAGE AS PARAPPA, WITH EACH TRACK GETTING A UNIQUE RAP BATTLE REMIX! ON TOP OF THAT, THERE'S VS. AND CO-OP MODES, ALLOWING YOU TO PLAY WITH/AGAINST EITHER A FRIEND OR A CPU ON VARYING DIFFICULTY. ANOTHER TITLE THAT CAN BE FUN TO BREAK OUT WITH FRIENDS!

CRASH BANDICOOT 2: CORTEX STRIKES BACK

GENRE: PLATFORMER

A DECEPTIVELY DIFFICULT PLATFORMER, DESPITE ITS INFAMOUS FAMILY-FRIENDLY MASCOT STATUS. THIS IS (IN MY OPINION) THE MOST WELCOMING AND STRAIGHTFORWARD OF THE ORIGINAL CRASH GAMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN FOREGOING COMPLETION, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE - IT WILL HAVE YOU TEARING YOUR HAIR OUT BY THE TIME YOU REACH THE FINAL BOSS! AFTER THAT, ALL THAT'S LEFT TO DO IS REACH 100% ... BUT GOOD LUCK FINDING OUT HOW TO GET EVERYTHING WITHOUT A WALKTHROUGH!

G DARIUS

GENRE: SHOOT-EM-UP

WHILE THIS IS THE EASIER SHMUP ON THE LIST, THAT BY NO MEANS MAKES G DARIUS A CAKEWALK. BE PREPARED FOR A TRIAL BY FIRE... AND FISH, APPARENTLY. ENEMIES CAN BE MADE TO WORK FOR YOU WITH THE CAPTURE MECHANIC - INCLUDING MIDBOSSES!
KEEP EACH NEW RUN FRESH BY NOT ONLY CHOOSING BRANCHING LEVEL OPTIONS, EACH WITH A UNIQUE BOSS, BUT DIFFERENT PATHS THROUGH EACH INDIVIDUAL LEVEL AS WELL. JUST TRY NOT TO GET DISTRACTED BY THE DAZZLINGLY AWESOME GRAPHICS IN THE BACKGROUND!

DIGIMON WORLD

GENRE: RPG/LIFE SIM

THE QUINTESSENTIAL DIGIMON GAME! BASED AROUND THE ORIGINAL VIRTUAL PETS, THIS GAME MAKES A GREAT ENTRY TO THE SERIES EVEN FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR. I'VE DESCRIBED IT TO FRIENDS AS "STARDEW WITH A TAMAGOTCHI FOLLOWING YOU AROUND" - SPEND YOUR TIME WISELY DURING EACH DAY WHILE EXPLORING THE WORLD AND CARING FOR YOUR DIGIMON. THE EVOLUTION SYSTEM CAN GET PRETTY CONVOLUTED, ESPECIALLY AT LATER STAGES, SO NEWCOMERS MAY WANT TO USE A GUIDE.

• MY COMPILATION OF DMW RESOURCES

ARMORED CORE

GENRE: THIRD-PERSON SHOOTER

IM GONNA WRITE THOUGHTFUL DESCRIPTIONS FOR ALL OF THESE I SWEAR YOU GUYS

ODDWORLD: ABE'S ODDYSSEE

GENRE: PUZZLE/PLATFORMER

DESPITE ONLY DISCOVERING THIS GAME IN 2020, IT QUICKLY SURPASSED CHILDHOOD STAPLES AND ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS OF MY FAVORITES ON PSX. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY INTELLIGENT PLATFORMER IN WHICH YOU COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER CHARACTERS USING BUTTON COMMANDS - PETSCOP STYLE. A LACK OF SAVESTATES CAN MAKE THE EXPERIENCE QUITE UNFORGIVING,
BUT THE GAMES DARK HUMOR, GENUINE POLITICAL COMMENTARY, AND INTRICATE WORLDBUILDING ALL MESH TOGETHER INTO SOMETHING UNFORGETTABLE.

EINHäNDER

GENRE: SHOOT-EM-UP

A CRAZY HARD BUT CRAZY GOOD SPACE SHOOTER THAT I'VE BINGED TO THE POINT OF GETTING BLISTERS. THE TITULAR SHIP'S "ONE HAND" CAN PICK UP WEAPONS FROM ENEMIES, GIVING THE PLAYER ROOM TO CHOOSE AND BUILD A STRATEGY. DIFFICULTY COMES FROM THE FACT THAT THESE WEAPONS ALSO SERVE AS YOUR SHIELD - A SINGLE HIT TO THE SHIP ITSELF MEANS DEATH! NO MATTER HOW PUNISHING THE GAME MAY BE, AN EPIC STORYLINE AND AN EQUALLY EPIC TECHNO SOUNDTRACK WILL KEEP YOU COMING BACK NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU DIE! (AND DIE, AND DIE, AND DIE...)

rayman

GENRE: PLATFORMER

PLAYING THIS IS EQUIVALENT TO A FORM OF SELF HARM. DON'T LET THE ADORABLE PIXEL ART STYLE DECEIVE YOU - THIS IS A GAME THAT PURPOSEFULLY FUCKS WITH THE PLAYER, AND THE UNBEARABLE DIFFICULTY SPIKE STARTS JUST AFTER WORLD 1. EVEN I, THE PSX GUY, HAVE NEVER MANAGED TO BEAT IT NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED. YOU WERE WARNED.