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 RANKED BY HOW CHALLENGING THEY WOULD BE FOR A NOVICE PLAYER TO GET INTO, NOT BY OVERALL DIFFICULTY

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 WHILE NOT REQUIRED, GETTING EVERYTHING UNLOCKS THE GREATEST 100% REWARD IN ALL OF GAMING HISTORY!

SUPER BUBBLE POP

GENRE: PUZZLE

A CHILDHOOD FAVORITE SO OBSCURE THAT VIMMSLAIR DID NOT EVEN HAVE IT LISTED AT ONE POINT! THIS IS A SIMPLE MATCH THREE PUZZLE GAME, WITH A FEW DIFFICULTY MODES AND UNLOCKABLE CHARACTERS - NOTHING TOO 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, soundtrack SERVING YOU 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 ABOUT 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 BOSS CHARACTER NOT SEEN ANYWHERE ELSE. SOLID MECHANICS, ALONG WITH EXTRA PRACTICE AND SURVIVAL MODES MAKE THIS GREAT TO PICK UP ON OCCASION AND HONE YOUR SKILLS - PLUS, SINCE THE GAME IS USUALLY A HIT WITH GUESTS, YOU MIGHT GET 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 QUITE AS ICONIC BUT STILL FULL OF GREAT SONGS, A BATSHIT CRAZY STORY, AND WAY MORE CONTENT THAN THE FIRST - NOT ONLY DO YOU GET TO PLAY AS PARAPPA HIMSELF IN THE POSTGAME, EACH LEVEL'S THEME GETS A RAP BATTLE REMIX! VS. AND CO-OP MODES ARE ALSO NEW, ALLOWING YOU TO PLAY WITH/AGAINST EITHER A FRIEND OR A CPU ON VARYING DIFFICULTY. ANOTHER TITLE THAT CAN BE FUN TO BREAK OUT WHEN YOU HAVE COMPANY!

CRASH BANDICOOT 2: CORTEX STRIKES BACK

GENRE: PLATFORMER

A DECEPTIVELY DIFFICULT GAME, DESPITE ITS FAMILY-FRIENDLY MASCOT STATUS. THIS IS (IN MY OPINION) THE MOST WELCOMING AND STRAIGHTFORWARD OF THE ORIGINAL CRASH SERIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN FOREGOING COMPLETION, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE - IT WILL HAVE YOU TEARING YOUR HAIR OUT BY THE END! THINGS START SIMPLE ENOUGH, ALLOWING YOU TO GET A GRASP OF CRASH'S BASIC MOVESET, AND THE CHALLENGE GRADUALLY CRANKS UP UNTIL YOU'RE PUSHING THOSE MOVES TO THEIR LIMIT. A MASTERFULLY DESIGNED PLATFORMER, EVEN IF BACKTRACKING FOR 100% CAN BE TORTURE 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! - SO BE SURE TO GRAB EVERYTHING AT LEAST ONCE. KEEP EACH NEW RUN FRESH BY NOT ONLY CHOOSING BETWEEN DIFFERENT LEVELS, EACH WITH A UNIQUE BOSS, BUT DIFFERENT BRANCHING PATHS THROUGH EACH LEVEL AS WELL. JUST TRY NOT TO GET DISTRACTED BY ALL THE DAZZLINGLY AWESOME GRAPHICS IN THE BACKGROUND!

DIGIMON WORLD

GENRE: RPG/LIFE SIM

THE QUINTESSENTIAL DIGIMON GAME! BASED AROUND THE ORIGINAL VIRTUAL PETS, THIS 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 EACH DAY, AS YOU'LL HAVE TO BALANCE EXPLORING THE WORLD WITH 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 - IN ORDER TO SOLVE PUZZLES OR REACH YOUR OBJECTIVE. A LACK OF SAVESTATES CAN MAKE THE EXPERIENCE QUITE UNFORGIVING,
BUT THE GAME'S 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 SELF HARM. DON'T LET THE ADORABLE PIXEL ART STYLE FOOL YOU - THIS IS A GAME THAT FEELS DESIGNED TO TROLL ITS PLAYER IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. AFTER A GENUINELY FUN AND ENTICING FIRST WORLD, ENTERING THE SECOND GREETS YOU WITH AN IMMEDIATE DIFFICULTY SPIKE. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THIS "DIFFICULTY" COMES IN THE FORM OF CHEAP BULLSHIT OR SOMETHING HIDDEN SOMEWHERE, FUCKING WITH YOU IN SUCH A DELIBERATE WAY YOU'D THINK YOU WERE PLAYING SOME KIND OF ROM HACK. EVEN I, THE PSX GUY, HAVE NEVER MANAGED TO BEAT THAT SECOND WORLD NO MATTER HOW MANY DAYS I SPENT IN FRONT OF MY CRT.
YOU WERE WARNED.