15 Games That MUST Be On The PlayStation Classic

3. Tomb Raider

Ps1 Classic Feat
Eidos

The original archaeological exploits of Lara Croft are as synonymous with the PlayStation as any game - even though its Saturn equivalent got the jump in Europe by a full three weeks. The brief exclusivity window did nothing for Sega's struggling console; Tomb Raider hit fever pitch on the back of her Sony sales.

Overnight, the world was enraptured by Laramania. The game's protagonist became a cultural phenomenom, the Pac-Man of the mid-'90s - though for two very different reasons. Players drawn in by the novelty of Lara's ironically sharp-edged curves soon found a pioneering female character neither ensorcelled or overtly-sexualised, but instead as well-rounded as her rendering clearly wasn't.

It wouldn't last: inflated sales meant inflated assets for the sequel. But Tomb Raider's buoyancy didn't rely solely on the heroine's physical attributes; remove Lara from the picture, and the paradoxially expansive scope of Toby Gard's tombs remained just as inviting.

Tomb Raider didn't necessarily rewrite the tenets of gaming, but it did push the medium into the mainstream. Few games have done as much for the industry.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.