Sony entered the console market with the PS1 in 1994 in Japan and in 1995 in North America. It was a big gamble at the time as any company that went against Nintendo or even Sega usually failed like with the Atari Jaguar. This gamble paid off and now Sony is one of the big three console developers.
They continued their success with the PS2 in 2000. Japan got it in March while North America got it in October and it became the best-selling console of all time. Despite a new console entering the market, many PS1 games were still released after this time period. So, let’s take a look at the biggest ones that were released after March 2000.
8 Breath Of Fire 4
Breath of Fire 4 is one of the best-looking games on the system when it was released in 2000. It uses an early version of cel-shading which made polygonal models stand out more. The game is fairly simple as a turn-based RPG and remains more accessible than its PS2 follow.
This RPG deserves to be in any fan’s collection who missed it the first time. It’s a shame Capcom has largely forgotten this series, but maybe one day they can bring it back.
7 Capcom VS SNK: Pro
Capcom VS SNK: Pro is a 2002 port of an arcade game that came out in 2000. Like many Capcom fighting games, this one crosses characters with another brand this time being SNK. The biggest fighting game within that brand is The King of Fighters, but there are other SNK surprises in here too.
It’s a solid fighting game and one that doesn’t get much love in the greater catalog of Capcom crossover experiences. The two companies really should try this experiment again as it has been over a decade since this version was released at least.
6 Dragon Warrior 7
The Dragon Quest series, sadly, did not get the love it deserved until recently with Dragon Quest 11. It was a niche RPG series compared to Final Fantasy in the West. It took a long time before the West would even recognize the series by its proper name instead of Dragon Warrior but that’s a long story.
Now, Dragon Warrior 7 was admittedly one of the tougher entries to get into. It was long, archaic, and confusing in 2001. The 3DS remake made it an easier experience to get into, so that’s probably the one to check out.
5 Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix
Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix is an odd blend of genres that was a bit ahead of its time in 2001. It’s both a spy thriller and a horror game kind of like Metal Gear Solid meets Resident Evil. It also featured one of the earliest examples of a lesbian hero in a video game.
It featured multiple viewpoints with fixed camera angles similar to the Resident Evil games. It even had tank controls which added to the horror of trying to escape from various sticky situations in the field.
4 Final Fantasy 9
Yes, even Square Enix, still Squaresoft at the time, released one of their big Final Fantasy games on the PS1 after the PS2. It was mere weeks in fact, but despite the odd release, Final Fantasy 9 was still a hit. The game was like a swan song to the classic games of the 80s and 90s.
The three entries before it was more preoccupied with tech and a steampunk-like aesthetic but this went all in on the fantasy angle. It’s a divisive game in the series for this reason but it’s finally getting its due decades later. There is the rumored remake in the works along with an upcoming anime adaptation.
3 Final Fantasy Origins
To give lists a greater variety, typically one entry per series is chosen. However, Final Fantasy Origins needs to be discussed as it was a big deal when it was released way late into 2003. While the West did get the original Final Fantasy on NES, they did not get the NES version of Final Fantasy 2.
The North American release of Final Fantasy 2 was instead of Final Fantasy 4, which confused everything. This collection was the first time Western fans got to officially play the real Final Fantasy 2 after it was released in 1988 in Japan exclusively.
2 Mega Man Legends 2
Mega Man Legends 2 is another game of Capcom’s that uses the polygonal cel-shading aesthetic. It was also released in 2000 alongside Breath of Fire 4 on PS1 although further apart. This is sadly the last entry in the series despite efforts to get a third game on 3DS.
The project was eventually canceled, making the cliffhanger ending of this game hard to swallow once again. Despite the depressing nature of the Mega Man Legends series overall, this is still an excellent Zelda-like spinoff for the Blue Bomber.
1 Syphon Filter 3
Syphon Filter 3 ended the original trilogy in 2001 that began early within the PS1’s lifecycle. Fans remember this Sony exclusive series fondly for its music and stealth gameplay. It was no Metal Gear Solid, but one can never have too many stealth games on a system.
Perhaps one of the best things about this game and series is the taser. Launching it at foes and watching them burst into flames never got old. What would a PS5 version of this look like?