Best PS1 game with main cast

Summary

• Some of the best PS1 games starred kids as protagonists in action, platforming, and role-playing games.
• Titles like South Park, 40 Winks and Spyro the Dragon showcase diverse gameplay and compelling child characters.
• These games offer memorable experiences, engaging stories and are still popular with fans today.

In its attempt to appeal to a wide range of gamers, Sony positioned the PlayStation as a home for all types of games. All sorts of RPGs, third-person action games, and strategy titles could find a place to thrive. And in keeping with that need for variety, the types of protagonists who starred in these games also ran the gamut, with some of the best games on the PS1 starring children.

Not every PS1 protagonist was a gruff, no-nonsense soldier or an adventure-seeking adult. Some of the PS1's best titles starred children, including some absolutely stunning action games and cinematic platformers. It was a console known for its huge library of incredible games, and these games featuring child protagonists rank among some of the platform's best releases.

6 South Park

First-Person Shooter captures the humor of the TV series

The first video game based on the hit Comedy Central series about a small mountain town in Colorado was released on the PS1 in 1999, almost a full year after its N64 debut. With Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny, South Park is a first-person shooter that perfectly captures the edgy attitude of kids and sees them embark on a journey to save their city from aliens, rabid turkeys and other baddies.

Featuring the original voice cast and using the impressive engine for Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, South Park is a treat for fans of the series, as the quaint little town is fully realized in 3D for the first time. The quirky voice acting and strangely satisfying feeling of hitting turkeys with snowballs and plungers work perfectly, as this quirky approximation of the cult hit TV show is still pretty fun to fire up with some friends today.

5 40 blinks

Charming 3D platformer with two playable characters

• Release date: November 14, 1999
• Developer: Eurocom
• Platform: PS1

In its ongoing effort to directly compete with Nintendo, Sony was keen to have competent 3D platformers to compete with the likes of Mario and Banjo-Kazooie. Enter 40 blinksa cute platformer that sees players control Ruff and Tumble, a pair of siblings who find themselves in different dream worlds to stop the HoodWinks and their nightmarish creations.

40 blinks is absolutely loaded with charm, as Ruff and Tumble are adorable little kids with adorable voices. The platforming feels great, and the wide variety of worlds to explore, ranging from medieval fantasy to science fiction. Ruff uses a candle to dispatch enemies, while Tumble uses a small teddy bear. 40 blinks is readily available on Steam today, and it's definitely worth a visit.

4 Heart of Darkness

Cinematic Platform is one of the genre's best

The cinematic platformer was already quite niche at the time Heart of Darkness was released in 1998, but had cultivated a passionate fan base thanks to landmarks such as Prince of Persia 1989 and Another world 1991. But where early cinematic platformers had played adults, Heart of Darkness felt like a Saturday morning cartoon come to life, as players took control of Andy in an attempt to save his dog from ominous shadow creatures.

Directed by Eric Chahi from Another world, Heart of Darkness has absolutely stunning animation and some incredibly detailed backgrounds. Andy is a wonderful lead, as his expressive movement and strong personality come to life beautifully thanks to the outstanding animation. It also has some remarkable music, composed by Bruce Broughton with a live orchestra, which helps make the whole thing feel like an interactive children's film.

3 Breath Of Fire 3

Traditional turn-based JRPG has Young Ryu as the lead

• Release date: 18 May 1998
• Developer: Capcom Development Studio 3
• Platform: PS1, PSP

Although it hasn't been heard from since a disappointing mobile game in 2016 Breath of Fire the series remains one of Capcom's most beloved franchises. And with Breath of Fire 3Capcom continued the story of Ryu on his quest to fully understand his dragon transformation powers, as this traditional turn-based JRPG remains one of the console's best.

Ryu is a brave young warrior on the verge of a great destiny, as this epic journey takes him to a variety of locations and dungeons. Breath of Fire 3 remains one of the franchise's most influential entries, managing to stand out on a console bursting at the seams with JRPGs. Its satisfying combat and compelling tale of heroism are a great tandem, as this classic title would greatly benefit from an improved remake today.

2 Chrono Cross

Sequel to the SNES Classic Features Party Of Young Heroes

Despite the popularity of Chrono Triggerand its status as one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, Square chose to go in a different direction for the sequel. Instead of directly continuing the events of the SNES game, Chrono Cross takes place in the same world, just hundreds of years later. To that end, Square created a new character for this time-traveling journey, led by the charismatic Serge.

Serge remains one of PS1's best heroes, and he leads a party of equally charming characters. Along with the spunky Kid and the adorable Harle, this robust cast of recruits make up one of the best JRPG casts of all time. This sure PS1 classic is still great to play and is currently available via a spectacular remaster on all modern platforms.

1 Spyro the dragon

Excellent 3D platformer showcases Young Dragon in his debut

After proving how well they could thrive in the highly competitive 3D platform scene with Crash Bandicoot In 1996, Sony went all in and hired Insomniac to produce Spyro the dragon for the console. Released in 1999, not long after the PlayStation 2 was announced, Insomniac was able to squeeze a lot of power out of the aging hardware and put players in control of an adorable little dragon named Spyro.

This spunky young dragon got a big job in the first one Spyro game, as he makes his way through impressively large 3D worlds to rescue dragons trapped in crystal prisons. Even for a PS1 game, the size and scope of the worlds is amazing, and the music by Stewart Copeland is some of the best heard on the platform. This outstanding 3D platformer was remastered for modern hardware, along with the two PS1 sequels, in 2018 and remains a brilliant experience.